Chapter Text
— Present Time —
Baku woke up on a chair in some basement with dirty walls, bound hand and foot. In the corner hung a camera that streamed the image to a tablet.
“Just how long are you planning to keep him there?” Seongje muttered, standing by Baekjin's desk, who was intently watching Baku. “This wasn’t part of the plan. Why did you even kidnap him?”
Baekjin shot him a tense look.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t...?” Seongje exclaimed in disbelief, watching Baku struggle against the ropes. “...you don’t know. Of course. So who does?”
“Shut up!”
“Got it,” he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his orange bomber jacket and sighed. “Why did I even beat up Baku? That psycho Sieun broke my glasses and stabbed my leg with the armrest!”
Baekjin didn’t seem interested in his suffering. All his attention was focused on Baku. He gripped the tablet until his knuckles turned white. Seongje sighed in disappointment. Baekjin only cared about Baku. Always just Baku.
“Baekjin! Bastard!” Baku yelled, rocking the chair. “Let me go!”
Seongje wearily rubbed his nose and shifted his gaze to his "boss." He looked, to put it mildly, tense: his back unnaturally straight, eyes glassy with pronounced veins.
“How stupid human nature is,” Seongje thought, staring at the wall with a vacant expression. “They made their breakup everyone’s problem.”
“Talk to him or something,” Seongje cautiously suggested, glancing at his smartwatch. “We have work to do. Mr. Choi won’t be pleased.”
“When has that bastard ever been pleased?”
Seongje frowned, placing a hand on Baekjin's shoulder, but he immediately shrugged it off.
“I don’t like him either, but pissing him off is the last thing you should do.”
Baekjin pushed the chair back, nearly hitting Seongje's leg, put the tablet in a drawer, and without saying a word headed for the exit.
“Who am I even talking to?!” Seongje threw up his hands. Baekjin slammed the door shut.
***
Baekjin stood by the door to the cell for a long time before entering. He could distinctly hear Baku hurling insults. He inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The room fell silent. Baekjin squeezed his eyes shut, biting his lip until it hurt, and pushed the door open.
He entered the cell, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. He couldn’t show Baku his anxiety.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up!” Humin snapped, jerking his arms and legs violently. “I thought I’d never see you!”
“Never gives up,” Baekjin thought as he stopped just inside the doorway.
“And now, if you would be so kind,” Baku began sweetly, making it clear that as soon as he was free, Baekjin was done for, “...explain WHAT THE HELL are you doing?!”
He yanked at the ropes again with all his might.
“Please stop; you’re going to hurt yourself,” Baekjin mumbled, staring at the floor.
“Oh really?! More harm?” Baku sneered, looking at his opponent with unabashed hatred. “And hitting me in the face with a LAMP wasn’t harmful enough? How he cares about me!”
Baekjin glanced at him apologetically, clasping his hands behind his back.
“I’m sorry…”
Baku burst into mocking laughter.
“There’s one thing I can’t understand, Baekjin,” Baku said with difficulty, “What kind of crap are you practicing? It’s not about Eunchan, right? You’re specifically targeting me!”
He suddenly fell silent, dropping his chin to his chest and groaning wearily:
“How tired I am…”
“So I am…” Baekjin replied without realizing it.
Baku looked at him in confusion and sighed heavily. He finally saw the person standing before him. Noticed how defeated he looked, how tense his shoulders were, and that he appeared like a beaten puppy.
“What’s happening to you?”
“Let me go, Baekjin,” Baku said quietly but firmly. “Right now.”
“I can’t,” the guy shook his head, looking down at his feet and biting his lip. “I can’t…”
Baku had almost worn through the ropes on his wrists. Baekjin looked at him, flustered. There was so much left unsaid in his gaze.
"You need to let me go..."
"No."
Baku could have sworn he heard his close enemy sniffle.
"What do you want from me?" he mumbled, his body language making it clear how fed up he was. "Let’s just end this! Just tell me!"
Baekjin looked as if he were about to crumble.
"Stop chasing me! Stop tormenting me!" Baku shouted in despair. "I’m tired... I’m tired of you!"
Baku's lips trembled. Baekjin took an involuntary step forward, driven by some inner force.
"Humin..." he murmured, staring at the floor, and fell silent for a long moment before saying, "I need you..."
Baku let out a bitter sigh, averting his gaze. The room fell into silence.
"Why didn’t you think of that when you betrayed me?..."
He raised his eyes, filled with tears. He had nearly torn the ropes apart, but he had no strength left for one last pull. Baekjin took another step toward him and sank to his knees, bowing his head. Humin stared down at him in disbelief.
Baekjin placed his clenched hands on his thighs. His perfectly styled hair fell over his forehead.
"I..." His voice trembled. Baku could easily free himself, knock him out, and leave, but... he froze. "I couldn't do it any other way..."
Baekjin sniffled. Baku's heart ached. He cursed that damn heart!
"Just get up and leave. Get up. And go," Baku’s inner voice insisted. "It doesn’t matter what he says! It won’t change anything!"
But it felt as if he were paralyzed. He sensed something strange about what was happening. Baku suddenly realized that his friend had never been so honest with him before. They had been friends for two years, yet they had never spoken about their feelings.
"You would have died... and I..." Baekjin awkwardly explained, looking at the floor. "I couldn’t let you die. I had to..."
He fearfully lifted his gaze. A tear rolled down his cheek. Baku sat there, mouth agape.
"I had to join the Union to save you... To earn money for treatment. And now... now..."
Baku silently watched Baekjin. He looked utterly defeated.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?..." Baku finally managed to squeeze out. Baekjin bitterly scoffed, covering his face with his hands.
"And you weren’t listening. And what difference does it make now?" He nervously pushed himself up on his knees, desperately avoiding Humin’s gaze. "We’ll never...," he bit his lip, letting out a loud sob, "be together again..."
He fell silent.
"I’ve done so many bad things..."
Baku exhaled wearily and shut his eyes. The tension gave him a headache.
"I’m not expecting you to forgive me. Probably..." He let out a broken laugh and shrugged, "it’s all over for me... I just... can’t come to terms with it."
The ropes slipped off Baku's wrists, but he didn’t pay attention to it. Suddenly, all of their staged rivalry felt so unimportant.
He stretched out his hands and slowly untied his legs. Baekjin watched his actions with acceptance and then closed his eyes so he wouldn’t see his childhood best friend leave.
"The Union will never let me go... I’ve lost."
Through the tears, he could no longer see anything.
"Forgive me..."
When he came to himself, he was sure he was alone in the cell, but when he looked up, he met Baku's concerned gaze. His breath caught in his throat. He was still here, even though he was free to go anywhere and not endure the torment of a psychopath.
Humin gently touched his wet cheek with his fingers, wiping away the last tear that rolled down his face. He smiled, almost tenderly and... guiltily. But why should he feel guilty?...
"It’s me who should be asking for forgiveness," Humin whispered. Baekjin didn’t immediately notice that he was crying too. Even worse — he was shattered. "I’m so sorry, Jin-ah... I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you that day."
"It wouldn’t have changed anything..." Baekjin sobbed, triggering another wave of tears. Humin momentarily lowered his gaze and replied:
"It would have."
Baekjin looked at him, feeling defeated. Baku hesitantly met his gaze.
"Why did you think I wouldn’t understand? You saved my life..." he repeated softly, as if to himself.
"You saved my life..."
They sat in silence for a long time, each lost in their thoughts. Baku placed his hand on Baekjin's knee, prompting him to look up in surprise. Baku smiled faintly.
"Can we... start over?"
Baekjin couldn’t believe his ears.
"But I..."
Baku shook his head.
"We’ll figure it out. I’ll get you out of here."
A sense of déjà vu washed over Baekjin.
He placed his palm on Baku’s scratched cheek and gently stroked it with his thumb.
"Humin..." he whimpered. "Just don’t give up. I’ll get you out of here."
Baku abruptly pulled him from his thoughts.
"I hope you still want to kiss me?"
Baekjin looked like someone who had endured enough shocks. Humin chuckled. It had been a while since he’d seen that flustered expression on Baekjin's face.
Humin leaned forward and pressed his lips against Baekjin’s, cupping his cheek with his hand. He kissed him like an adult, not like they did in childhood. He wasn’t afraid to slip his tongue into Baekjin’s mouth, and Baekjin loved it. Especially when he thought this would never happen. He closed his eyes in pleasure, pulling Humin closer. In response, Humin wrapped his arms around Baekjin's neck.
"Was it really that simple?!" an electric thought raced through Baekjin’s mind. Humin was thinking something similar.
They just needed to talk.