My Bloody Valentine - 48

Taesin easily opened the locked bedroom door and walked in. He was completely naked except for one layer of underwear. Even in his flaccid state, the outline visible through the thin fabric was unusual.

Rubbing his wet hair, Taesin walked confidently to the head of the bed where Han was lying. Startled, Han shrank back.

“I-I can’t.”

“I won’t. I’ll just sleep.”

“Here?”

“Then where should I sleep if not on the bed?”

Taesin closed his eyes, clearly ready to sleep.

“Then I’ll sleep elsewhere.”

As Han tried to get up and move away, Taesin’s arm pulled him back. Reluctantly, Han was dragged onto the bed and nestled against Taesin.

“I’m tired. Just stay still for a while.”

“Let go. I’m leaving.”

Han tried hard to break free from Taesin’s arm wrapped around his waist, his face turning red with effort. Taesin’s low voice sounded like a sigh in his ear.

“You seem to have some energy left. Shall we do it once before sleeping?”

“….”

Finally, Han relaxed his body. Taesin chuckled bitterly, closing his eyes and burying his face in Han’s hair and skin, taking in the scent. Han shrank at the warm breath against his neck.

“Do we have to sleep like this?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t like it.”

“….”

Cursing his stubborn nature inwardly, Han quietly waited for Taesin to fall asleep. He planned to sneak out and find the card to open the door once Taesin was asleep.

Of course, he didn’t know that Taesin always slept with a knife by his pillow and was alert enough to wake up at the slightest sound, making Han’s innocent thoughts of escaping futile.

About 30 minutes later, after finally managing to escape from Taesin’s embrace and coming out into the living room, Han searched for the clothes he had taken off. He looked through his jacket hanging on the sofa and checked each pocket one by one, but they were all empty.

Next, he searched his desk. Despite holding the position of a senior executive, he wondered what mafia business Taesin could have. However, to his surprise, many documents filled the drawers. But there seemed to be nothing Han was looking for. As Han rummaged through each drawer, Taesin approached from behind.

“What are you looking for?”

“Ah!”

Surprised, Han raised his head and hit his forehead hard on the desk. Rubbing his head with both hands and groaning in pain, Han looked up at Taesin, who chuckled.

“Looking for the access card? It’s in my wallet.”

“…Wallet?”

“In the safe in the closet.”

“Safe….”

“I need my fingerprint to open it.”

“….”

There was no way out of here without his permission.

“Don’t waste your energy on useless things. Come here. Sleep.”

In the end, Han was dragged back to bed, with Taesin’s arm wrapped around his waist.

It felt like being his pet. Sleeping in his bed, guarding the house while he was at work, and eating the food he provided.

Meals arrived on time through room service, and he slept in the luxurious bed. Objectively speaking, it was a comfortable life without much to worry about.

Perhaps because his body had not fully recovered yet, Taesin showed no intention of doing anything with him. But he thought it might be better to faint without any thoughts after a rough encounter than to endure this.

It was unbearably painful to have him hold him tightly and sleep peacefully. The warmth pressed against his back brought not comfort but a stark realization of his situation.

How could he express his desire to leave this place? Pondering, Han began to reject the meals sent by Taesin, almost as if he were staging a protest.

If he continued to refuse to eat and eventually collapsed, perhaps he could go to the hospital, even if Taesin didn’t let him go.

Han was never a person with a good appetite, so starving himself wasn’t particularly difficult for him. However, by the second day, whenever he tried to sit up, the room would blur with yellow.

“Room service.”

The hotel staff, always accompanied by a man in a black suit, wheeled in a cart. These were the people Taesin had stationed to prevent Han from escaping when meals were delivered.

On the first day, Han had thoughts of escape, but by the third day of fasting, he couldn’t even muster the strength to sit up properly.

After skipping several meals in a row, Han’s stomach seemed to reject food altogether, and even the smell wafting from the cart felt repulsive.

“Just take it away.”

“Again?”

“Yes.”

Han, who had pushed the cart filled with luxurious Korean dishes back out, plopped down on the sofa. In this luxurious place, there were only two things Han could do: look out the window or watch TV.

If the floor was a bit lower, he could have imagined the stories and lives of people passing by. But Taesin’s suite was on the 15th floor, so all Han could see were tiny cars and the flowing river.

He was told it was dangerous to have water nearby. Seeing water frequently made one want to jump in, they said. Perhaps he had looked at the Han River too much. Blocked from external activities, Han sank deeper into his inner thoughts.

Staring blankly out the window, Han fell asleep on the sofa.

When he woke up, he was still lying on the sofa. Struggling to sit up, he met Taesin’s gaze, who was sitting on the opposite sofa.

His gaze was icy. The temperature around him seemed to plummet rapidly.

“What are you doing again? Are you losing your mind because you want to die, or is it just your usual defiance?”

“….”

“Ah. Or are you trying to die so you can escape?”

He must have received reports that I continue to reject meals.

“A quite noble way of protesting.”

“….”

Han clenched his mouth shut as if protesting. His parched lips cracked.

“You don’t have the right to do that. Even if you die, you have to repay your debts.”

“Then let me go. I’ll work hard and repay you.”

“How can you repay such a large sum without selling yourself to me?”

Han quietly sighed and pulled out the needle embedded in his arm. He didn’t even want to mix words anymore. As he tried to get up to go back to the room, Taesin, approaching him, grabbed his arm.

Curious about what he was talking about, Taesin opened his mouth but then looked down. His hand wrapped lightly around Han’s forearm, his thumb and index finger touching. Taesin’s forehead creased harshly.

“Ouch. Let go.”

“Do you know how the CIA dealt with hunger-striking terrorists? They force-fed them water and food.”

“Disgusting.”

“Still better than not eating at all, isn’t it? Are you hoping I’ll feed you like that?”

“….Just let me die.”

It was a feeling of resignation. He was tired even of thinking about being tired. He just wanted to go back to his room and sleep. When intimidation didn’t work, Taesin, seeming frustrated, gritted his teeth.

I’ve seen people willing to give up their own lives before. Even subordinates of opposing organizations who, when caught alive, initially cursed and struggled to be quickly killed. But eventually, they pleaded for their lives, recounting stories of parents and siblings, shedding tears and snot.

There’s no one who can easily discard their life, and Han is probably no exception. Like a child hunger striking against their parents, he’ll probably give in and pick up the spoon first.

But waiting for that moment, Taesin grew impatient first. Wasn’t he about to completely break the thin arm I had grabbed just moments ago?

As Han, torn between life and death, turned towards the room, Taesin, who had been staring as if he could eat Han alive, asked.

“Why do you keep acting out like this? Is it because of that woman?”

Han, who had stopped walking, turned around slowly. There was puzzlement on his face.

“Yujung, you mean?”

“…Yujung? Why would Yujung’s name come up here…?”

“Because you keep mentioning her, I want to send you somewhere else.”

“….!”

Seeing Han’s face turn white for a moment, Taesin was convinced he was close to the truth. His lips curled into a cruel curve, stretching long.

“W-What do you mean…?”

“Just what I heard. Yujung, should I send you somewhere else?”

“Somewhere else…?”

“Many places. Places beyond your imagination, beyond the reach of the law.”

Even in his low, monotonous voice, there was no hint of malice.

As Taesin stared, Han’s eyes swelled with transparent moisture. Taesin looked at Han’s tears with a content expression. Large, coalesced tears streamed down Han’s pale cheeks.

Suddenly, Taesin grabbed Han’s hair with a brutal hand. A painful groan burst forth from Han’s throat under the strong grip. Taesin bent down, piercing his head into the exposed nape of Han’s neck, whispering with a sweet, fleshy smell in his ear.

“So don’t entertain foolish thoughts. The moment you go astray, that woman’s life also ends. Understand?”

Confirming Han’s slight nod, Taesin wore a more satisfied expression than ever as he left the room. Shortly after he left, room service arrived. It was a thin rice porridge and easily digestible side dishes.

Han ate his meal, tears streaming down his face. The taste of tears in the porridge was particularly bitter.