BOOK #3 He's like a storm-unpredictable and dangerous. I knew he was a sick bastard when he smiled after I hit him the first time. Annoying and obsessive, that's what he is. I sensed it early on, but I didn't realize just how deep it ran until his obsession latched onto me. Until I became the center of his world. Until he started flashing that smug, crooked smile my way. But we can't... we're not supposed to be together. We're polar opposites-existing in the same world, but never meant to collide. Yet, he's ready to tear down everything for me. But it's not that simple. My brothers are monsters. They'll kill him. And still, he doesn't care. ---- Glasses perched on his nose, calm and collected. Exactly my type. I knew he was meant to be mine the moment our eyes locked, that intense gaze pulling me in. And I'll have him, no matter what it takes-by any means necessary, even if it costs me everything. I want to hold him in my arms, kiss him until neither of us can breathe. But why is it so hard? Why does the world push back so fiercely when it comes to him and me? I want him. And I will have him.

"I wish I could have spent a lifetime with you..." he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. His hands reached out slowly toward the other. They brushed Mingyu's face, caressing his injured skin with tender care. He wanted to lift away every wound, every ounce of pain. Mingyu flinched at the touch. Wonwoo's skin held no warmth; his hand was as light as a feather, as cold as night, carrying the message of death itself. "I love you, Mingyu." Wonwoo murmured it with a gentle, heartfelt smile. He looked at Mingyu one last time; his eyes held regret, love, and a silent farewell. For a moment, everything went silent, and time seemed to stand still. Then... The gunshot tore through the darkness.

Mingyu likes Wonwoo. No. He workships him. He really does. All of his friends know. But Mingyu... he was too afraid to confess. Because everytime Wonwoo was near, Mingyu wouldn't stop stuttering, fumbling and blushing.

There was a time when Kim Mingyu thought he'd spend his whole life by Jeon Wonwoo's side. When they were six, it was pinky promises and scraped knees. At ten, it was sleepovers, shared secrets, and warm smiles over convenience store ice cream. And at twelve, it stopped. No warning. No fight. Just a silence that stretched six years wide. Mingyu didn't know what he'd done wrong. All he knew was that one day, his best friend stopped looking at him like he mattered. Now at eighteen, Mingyu is everything people expect him to be-tall, popular, good at everything. A golden boy with a golden smile. And Wonwoo? He's distant. Quiet. A ghost in the halls who only seems to let one person close: Kwon Soonyoung. They live just two doors apart in the same school dorm. But they might as well be worlds away. What Wonwoo does not know is that Mingyu never really stopped waiting. Waiting for a glance. A word. A reason. Anything that would explain why the boy who used to protect him like a secret suddenly vanished behind cold eyes and clipped nods. And then, one night, something breaks. Something shifts. A scent, a moment, a closeness too dangerous to name.

How far could a person go for their loved ones? Wonwoo was about to find out. Despite the pain in his legs, he ran with all his might. He continued to hold the body in his arms tightly. The pounding in his heart grew stronger with every step. But he couldn't stop. He followed the body that was running a few steps ahead of him. Just seeing Mingyu's back was comforting to him. With Mingyu as the one to lead him, he could run until he was out of breath. When he turned to check on the bodies behind him, a loud noise echoed through the forest. They all stopped dead in their tracks at the same time. Wonwoo held on tightly to the little one in his arms as he watched the body collapse to the ground a few meters behind him. Could he hurt someone to protect his loved ones?

They had grown side by side since childhood-Prince Mingyu, born to the weight of a crown, and Wonwoo, the soldier sworn to protect him. What began as duty slowly became devotion, and devotion quietly turned into love neither of them dared to name. But life did not follow the path they had imagined. As chaos consumed the kingdom, fate scattered them through war, loss, and impossible choices. When crowns lost their meaning and oaths were tested by blood and fire, only one truth remained: Mingyu and Wonwoo still had each other-bound by love, loyalty, and a promise forged long before the world began to fall apart.

"Mingyu-a..." 'Hmm?' "Remember when you were with me on the second day of the concert and didn't reach out to me.. Do you remember? I tried to reach out to you but you pulled your hand back." Mingyu took a deep breath when he remembered what he had done. At that time, he was filled with the moodiness and anger of rejection. He had acted childishly. "Don't do it again. It hurt like when I lost my mother. Don't let go of my hand again." Mingyu swallowed hard. He immediately wrapped his arms around him tighter. When he snuggled up to his neck, he immediately nodded his head in a shy manner. 'I promise, hyung.'