POISONED YOUTH: TWISTED

CHAPTER 12

The door chime rang again, followed by a set of approaching footsteps. Yoonoh looked up from his coffee, already knowing exactly who was coming.

His brow lifted when Haechan finally appeared.

"Nine AM. Right on time." Yoonoh smirked and lightly pushed the cup of coffee toward him.

Haechan took the seat across from him. "We have a tracking mission. It won't take long."

Yoonoh hummed, taking another sip of his coffee before clicking his tongue. "What did I tell you?"

Haechan looked up and met his dark, stoic eyes. He sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. "Sorry."

"You should be."

Haechan rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw for a moment. "Why don't you want them to meet?"

Yoonoh raised a brow. "Who?"

A sly grin appeared on Haechan's lips. "Yeoreum and Jaemin."

Yoonoh immediately understood.

"Don't tell me you're being selfish."

"It's not about being selfish. It's about their safety."

"And what are you going to do now?" Haechan leaned back in his chair. "They're bound to meet eventually, no matter how hard you try to keep them apart. I'll become too close to her. And once that happens, she'll meet him sooner or later."

Yoonoh remained silent, taking another drink.

Haechan suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, right!" He chuckled. "They already met."

Yoonoh's eyes narrowed. "When?"

"That time at the department store. I was with Jaemin."

Yoonoh's eyes widened. His hand tightened around his coffee cup before he placed it down.

"Don't worry. They didn't talk." Haechan quickly added, "They only had a little eye contact. That's it."

Yoonoh let out a breath of relief. "That's fine, then."

Haechan shook his head. "Hyung, you can't keep this a secret forever."

"I know, fuck." Yoonoh rubbed his forehead. "But not today, okay?"

"Gosh, they're already mature enough. They're in the right mind, and they deserve to know. They're family!"

Yoonoh's expression hardened. "It's none of your business. So do me a favor and take care of her. And be damn nice to her, Hyuck. You're soulmates for a reason."

Haechan gave him a faint smirk. "I wonder what that reason is."

Yoonoh rolled his eyes. "Meet her one of these days."

"Why should I—"

"Because as much as I want to watch you weaken just so you'll finally understand the consequences, I don't want her suffering because of the pain you're causing her."

Haechan fell silent. He knew exactly what Yoonoh meant.

The bond wasn't something he could simply ignore. The longer he stayed away from his soulmate, the more the connection would affect them both. And he had already seen the beginning of it.