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The headquarters of Invincible Dongbang is empty. There are only two of them.
Tan Sik is kneeling in the middle of the room. His hands are tied behind his back with an old telephone wire, and the skin on his wrists is scraped to the blood from struggling. He's not struggling anymore. He knows it's pointless.
The air in the basement is heavy, smelling of dampness, rusty metal, and his own blood, which slowly drips onto the concrete floor. Somewhere above, the ventilation system is humming, and the steady sound blends with the pounding in his ears.
Yu Bin is sitting in front of him on a chair, with his legs crossed. In his hand is an ordinary kitchen knife with a black handle. He twirls it between his fingers without even looking at Tang Sik. Every movement of the blade catches the dim light of a light bulb, and Tang Sik watches these glare — they are the only thing he can focus on so as not to think about how numb his fingers are.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Yu Bin's velvety voice is as smooth as ever. "Did you think I wouldn't notice that you were leaking information?"
Tang Sik is silent. His lips are split, and blood is flowing from the corner of his mouth. He no longer remembers when he received that blow. A minute ago? Five? Time passes strangely, when every moment may be the last in his life. Every second stretches, turning into a rubber band that is about to burst.
"I didn't leak anything." Jang whispers in a hoarse voice as his gaze darts around the room.
Yu Bin chuckles as he gets up from his chair, then walks over to Tan Sik and squats in front of him. He looks straight into his eyes. There's no rage in his gaze, just a coldness. The same coldness that Tan Sik once fell in love with.
Now he's afraid of him. But he doesn't stop loving him. That's the problem that's been keeping him in this unhealthy relationship for years. He's afraid, but it's also arousing—a sticky, warm tension spreads deep in his belly, a tension he hates in himself.
"You're lying to my face." Dongbang touches the boy's cheek with the knife, leaving a thin red line. Tan Sik feels the metal cool against his skin, and a second later, the fresh cut burns. The smell of iron grows stronger. "Do you think I'm that stupid?"
"No." Tan Sik swallows, and blood from his lip goes down his throat, leaving a salty taste. Then he takes a bold step. A very bold step that will surely get him into trouble. "I think you're just looking for a reason."
The man freezes for a second, and Tan Sik sees something dark flicker in his eyes.
"A reason?" he asks quietly. "For what?"
"To hurt me."
He stares at his subordinate for a long time. So long that Tan Sik begins to count the rapid beats of his heart. One. Two. Three. He loses count.
His chest feels cramped, like a cage, and every breath hurts his ribs.
He waits to see what the boss will do this time.
Will he beat him? Will he smear him in a pool of his own blood?
There is no other option.
And then Yu Bin laughs softly and joylessly, looking up at the ceiling.
"You're right." He admits, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm looking for an excuse. But do you know what the difference is?"
Dongbang brings the knife to the guy's wrist, where the wire has already cut into the skin and carefully cuts it. The wire falls to the floor. Tang Sik's hands are free, but he doesn't move because he's afraid of the next step.
"The difference is," the man grinned and looked at his subordinate. "that I don't need a reason. I can do anything with you, just because you're my thing, you know? You're mine."
He grabs Tan Sik by the hair, pulling his head back. The neck is so exposed and vulnerable that Yu Bin can't resist biting the skin near his throat. It's a gentle, almost affectionate bite. His teeth sink into the skin, leaving a trail of red blood.
Jang hisses in pain and grabs his shoulders, not to push him away, but to hold him closer. His fingers dig into the fabric of Yu Bin's shirt. He already knew it was futile to resist. The boss clenches his jaw tighter, and Tan Sik feels warm droplets of liquid trickling down his collarbone, mixing with the sweat that has formed on his skin.
The scent of Yu Bin's cologne — cedar and smoke — overpowers the smell of blood, making his head spin even more.
"You smell like fear." Dongbang whispers, pulling away from him. "That's my favorite smell."
The guy is trying to catch his breath. His heart is pounding somewhere in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He looks up at the man, and for the first time in a long time, he doesn't see any trace of the old man in his face. All he sees is a predator.
"Why are you doing this?" Tan Sik exhales, licking his lips. His mouth is filled with the taste of blood and tears that he hasn't shed.
Yu Bin looks at the bloodied knife in his hand and then back at the guy.
"Because I want you to remember: you're mine. And even if you die, you'll die mine."
He abruptly stabs the knife into the floor next to Tang Sik's knee. Literally a centimeter from his foot. The blade hits the wooden floor with a thud, and Jang feels the vibration of the impact pass through his knee.
"You do that again, I'll stick it in where it hurts more." says Dongbang. "Do you understand?"
Tang Sik nods quickly. He's shivering—from the cold, from the pain, and from something else he can't name. A spasm runs through his body, and he can't control it.
The man stands up and puts his foot on Jang's shoulder, pushing him to the floor. Jang falls on his back without resisting. His head hits the concrete with a dull thud. It's not a hard blow, but it's enough to make his vision black out for a moment.
"Get up." He orders.
The guy tries to get up. His arms give out, his legs won't obey, and he falls down again. My muscles are trembling with tension, and my elbows are sliding on the wet floor, leaving traces of someone else's blood in their wake.
Yu Bin looks down at him and smiles. This smile is neither kind nor evil, but rather empty and lifeless.
"You're worthless." He says. "You can't even get up without me."
"And you..." Tan Sik exhales, lying on the cold floor, and then chuckles. The worst is over. The concrete is cold against his back, and he can feel every crack in the floor, but it's almost pleasant. "You can only hurt."
The boss squats down, puts his hand on Tang Sik's cheek, running his rough thumb over the abrasion. He winces.
"It's the only thing I can do." Dongbang speaks softly. "And I'm good at it."
He bends down and kisses Jang on the corner of his lips, where the blood is. Yu Bing's lips get stained red, and he licks his lips like a cat that just caught a bird.
The taste of metal remains on his lips, and Tang Sik feels it even after Dongbang pulls away.
"Go wash up." He says, getting up. "You've dirtied my floor."
Yu Bin turns around and goes to his desk. He takes the papers and begins to read. As if nothing had happened. Only his fingers tremble a little when he turns the page, but Tan Sik doesn't see it.
Jang remains lying on the floor.
He doesn't cry or get angry, but just stares at the ceiling and thinks that this is probably true love.
The one where red is the only color.
Time has lost its meaning in this basement, and the only way to count the minutes is by counting the beats of his heart.
He gets up and stumbles to the bathroom. Every step hurts his back, his ribs, and his broken wrists.
Tan Sik looks at himself in the mirror.
His face is bruised, his throat is bitten, and his wrists are covered in blood and abrasions. But the feeling of someone else's lips on his skin never goes away.
They burn on his skin, leaving an invisible mark that is deeper than any cut.
He turns around and sees a new toothbrush on the shelf.
Next to his old one.
Yu Bin has his own toothbrush in another bathroom. This one is specifically for him.
He picks it up and smiles wryly. His fingers are still trembling, and the plastic slips in his wet palm. He grips the brush tighter, as if it's the only thing keeping him in this dark world.
He won't leave. He'll never leave.