Chapter Text
[ Thank you, everyone, for your passionate attention! And on that slightly bloody note, we’re ending tonight’s Midnight Show with Braun… ] Braun paused, letting the spotlight slide over to the pale man beside him, whose cheeks were faintly pink from the thrill of a “good finale.” [ My dear co-host and… my good friend! ]
Braun’s hands immediately wrapped around him. The body beneath his fingers trembled, the heart beginning to pound so fiercely that it stirred a familiar, primal urge in Braun: to simply reach in, grab it, and squeeze gently until it calmed down.
Every time.
Every single time he touched him, Soleum shook like that.
It had been nearly a whole month of working together. Surely, his friend should be used to it by now.
Braun carefully turned off the camera. The lighting instantly dimmed to a muted gray, and the faceless assistants began scurrying around, following his wordless commands.
[ How are you feeling, my friend? ] Braun asked gently, carefully probing his friend’s thoughts. As he suspected, the mild contamination had indeed helped his friend relax, keeping the constant fear at bay. Soleum didn’t even register the blood on his own face, wiping it away with a casual flick.
Braun genuinely wanted his friend to be happy. And he knew that a dangerously high heart rate was terrible for humans. So, Braun decided to help his friend in his own way.
Kim Soleum needed to stay healthy… while working on his show.
“I'm fine, thank you for asking, Mr. Host.” The man’s face lit up with a small, uncertain smile, his eyes fixed on Braun’s hand, which still rested on his shoulder.
Mr. Host.
Braun frowned inwardly, though the smile on his screen remained. He wanted his friend to call him Braun. He loved hearing his name in all those different tones. Happy. Annoyed. Sad. Afraid…
Each one filled him with a new kind of thrill.
But… as much as he longed for Soleum to revert to it, that was the price of the mild contamination. And Braun was willing to pay it. To have his friend this close… every day… what could be better?
Still, he repeated the words anyway.
[ You don't have to call me Mr. Host. I'm your friend. Braun. ]
His friend’s thoughts were so clear, so distinct. ~But how could I call him just by name… Isn’t it only natural to want to show the respect that comes from the heart?~
Something fluttered inside Braun – sweet and sharp at once. And yet, every time Soleum said Mr. Host, Braun felt as if a thick pane of glass stood between them.
This time, Braun added something without thinking too hard. [ You know you can show me respect in another way… ]
A slightly contaminated Soleum was much simpler and… softer. Fortunately, he didn't overanalyze his every word and twist them into strange conclusions.
Soleum’s face showed a flicker of surprise, but he obediently nodded. “Oh… okay.”
***
A sudden knock at the door made Braun lift his head from the new show script.
He sensed the familiar presence immediately, and it filled him with a fizzing, bubbly excitement.
His friend had come to see him.
[ Come in! ]
His friend had come to him. On his own.
The thought was so sweet that Braun didn’t even question it.
Soleum’s face appeared behind the door, a little flustered, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. His small body slipped into the room, and Braun tilted his head, curious. His human was holding… a mug of something?
“Excuse me, Mr. Host… I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Soleum’s hands trembled slightly, but his voice remained steady. “You’ve been working so hard lately… so I thought…” He carefully placed the cup on the table. “I thought a cup of green tea might help energize you.”
…
…
Soleum’s panic flickered across his face. “I’m sorry. I… I’ll just take it away. I–”
[ Ah, my dear, I was just so happy I forgot to react properly. ] A wide, radiant smile bloomed on the screen. [ Thank you so much 🖤 ] Braun squeezed the hand in his, his grip filled with an intense passion. [ I really appreciate it. ]
“I… I’m glad.” An uncertain smile played on Soleum’s lips. Then his face pinched slightly in discomfort. Only now did Braun notice that Soleum’s hand was turning unusually pale.
[ Oh, my apologies. ] Braun released him instantly, but faint pink marks had already bloomed on his skin. Soleum, however, only smiled wider.
“It’s fine, Mr. Host.”
***
“Mr. Host?” Soleum’s voice cut through the dead silence, his hands holding the newly approved script.
[ Yes, my friend? ] Braun felt a sliver of unease as he presented his new show. He knew it would be magnificent… but somehow, he was still troubled by how his friend might react.
“The concept is very interesting. But… I’m a little concerned about the part where the human has to guess which one of their summoned friends is the monster impostor.”
[ Why? ] Braun asked, genuinely interested.
“Well… it says we’ll add false memories into the human’s mind to make the task more difficult. But… what if they end up killing a real human instead of a monster?” Soleum’s brow was furrowed in concentration.
Braun chose his words carefully. [ That’s why all those friends will be the people closest to our candidate. The best friends. The one you’d be ready to do anything for… Our candidate will surely guess who is the impostor! And… the false memories are just… to make it more interesting. Otherwise, it would be so boring, don't you think? ]
Soleum’s brows stayed knit. “So if they kill the wrong one… it’ll be someone they love most?”
[ That's right! Brilliant, isn't it? ] Braun could hardly wait to see the look of horrific realization on a participant's face when they understood they had just let their most beloved person die.
“But, Mr. Host… What will we do with so many bodies? We’re planning 12 episodes, and each participant chooses among five real friends and one impostor? There might be… a lot of dead bodies. I don’t recall us having a place to store them. Human meat rots so quickly, and–”
Soleum stopped as Braun’s hand gently covered his own, his fingers tracing the faint purple marks that still remained from the earlier accidental squeeze. For some reason, his friend refused to have them healed.
[ Don't worry. I'll make sure we have freezers. ]
“Oh.” Soleum’s expression relaxed. “Okay. Then I have no questions. I love the idea.”
[ Ah… wonderful! Let's get started right away! ] Braun even clapped his hands together lightly.
***
Braun was reading, and reading, and… yes, he had read the same sentence ten times already. But… how could he focus when his dear friend was standing just outside his door, seemingly wrestling with some internal dilemma? He had approached the door five times now, and still hadn't knocked.
A little more, and Braun wouldn't be able to hold back – he'd go to Soleum himself.
…
Finally, a knock sounded, and Braun’s shoulders sagged with relief.
[ Come in, my friend~ ]
“Sorry for interrupting.” Soleum entered the room.
Braun tried to project the warmest smile, intensely curious about what was troubling him. [ Is everything alright, my friend? ]
“Yes… thank you for asking.” The answer came too quickly, followed by a suspicious, weighted silence.
Braun forced himself to look back at the papers, but his attention stayed pinned to the figure near his desk. Even Soleum’s mind wasn't offering clear answers; it was a jumble of strange, worried thoughts.
Suddenly, Soleum took a few small steps forward, stopping right beside the table.
“Mr. Host…”
[ Yes? ] Braun forced his voice to remain even.
“You have been working so hard all the time… and with the new show, you’ve been working even more lately…”
Hmm.
Braun always worked hard. But… maybe yes, he had been working a little more than usual recently? Still, that was the nature of show business. The constant rush, the adrenaline, the race to provide the best experience for his spectators. Because… they deserved the best.
[ You, too, my friend… you, too. ] Braun lifted his screen and froze. Soleum’s face was suddenly close.
Too close. Leaning over the table, nearly hovering.
“Mr. Host,” Soleum said quietly, “you shouldn’t forget to rest.”
Something in Soleum’s eyes made Braun stall for a heartbeat. His friend looked… passionate. Intense.
Braun laughed lightly, trying to steer back to normal. [ It's fine, my friend! I just need to finish these papers and– ]
“Mr. Host.” Soleum’s voice sharpened just a little. “They’ll never end.” He moved to stand behind Braun, his hands settling onto Braun’s shoulders.
“Just five minutes,” he murmured. “Let’s rest?”
Soleum’s whisper was so… intimate.
…
[ Well… I suppose we could rest for a few minutes. ]
Braun’s fingers were already gripping the papers tightly. Human warmth was seeping from Soleum’s fingers, through the fabric of his clothes, and straight into his semi-human body.
Why did it always affect him this way?
Whenever his friend was near, it became harder and harder to manage the growing torrent of feelings inside him. A strange mix of adoration, affection, passion, and… something more… there was a word for that, wasn't there?
Everything slipped from his mind when he felt Soleum’s fingers move gently from his shoulders to his neck. The touch on his bare skin sent a wave of warmth through his entire body. Braun suddenly wanted to loosen his tie.
The fingers kept moving – deliberate and gentle. They traced small circles, pressing, then releasing, creating a sensation so pleasant that Braun already regretted agreeing to only five minutes.
“Mr. Host?” Soleum’s voice was suddenly low.
[ Mmm? ] Braun’s mind was wrapped in such a sweet, hazy cloud that thinking was nearly impossible.
“May I loosen your tie?”
The question was innocent. His friend must have just wanted him to be more comfortable. So Braun agreed easily.
[ Sure. ]
Soleum’s fingers gave Braun’s neck one last gentle press – then slipped forward. And something… Soleum’s chest? pressed lightly against the back of Braun’s head.
Braun’s display flushed pink.
What was wrong with him?
Soleum was just untying his tie. He must have leaned in to get a better angle.
His friend’s fingers carefully grabbed the knot and started sliding it downward, away from the collar by a small distance, loosening the tension. Then, instead of stopping, his fingers moved to the collar button, unfastening it… then… another.
And another.
Only after the third button, he paused, as if catching himself. Fingers hovering for a moment, then moving to adjust the shirt, smoothing it down so it would lie more comfortably.
“Is everything alright, Mr. Host?” A pause. “Your head feels very warm.”
[ …It's fine. ] Braun’s answer came out as broken static. His friend had only unbuttoned a few buttons, yet it felt… as… as… Braun hadn't felt this flustered in a long time.
“Alright. Oh, five minutes must be up already.” Soleum’s fingers, which were still holding the shirt fabric, half-touching the bare skin of Braun’s chest, suddenly let go. The warmth behind him vanished, replaced by an unwelcome chill. “My apologies for distracting you from your work for so long. I hope my massage helped.”
And then Kim Soleum was gone before Braun could say a word.
…
…
Braun’s chest tightened. He wanted… he wanted… to scream, to drag Soleum back and make him continue the massage for the rest of their days. Braun clenched his fists, trying to calm the storm inside. He stared at the papers, but all the words… they just blurred together.
It took him a full fifteen minutes to settle down enough to think rationally again.