his to keep epilogue
HIS TO KEEP EPILOGUE
Chapter 1
Loud screams. Blinding lights. The deafening sound of music blasting through the speakers.
“JA-E-YEL! JA-E-YEL!”
The fans were losing their minds, screaming at the top of their lungs as they chanted his name and the group’s over and over, shaking the whole venue.
Jaeyel kept his expression calm, his movements sharp. He had to be perfect.
This was his job now.
No mistakes.
The song ended. He and his group took their final pose, chests rising and falling from the intense performance.
He smiled, bowing deeply along with his group. Cameras flashed. Fans waved their lightsticks frantically.
As they left the stage, Jaeyel could still hear the echo of their cheers behind him.
“That was insane,” Steve said, wiping his forehead.
Jaeyel only nodded, still catching his breath. His body was exhausted, but his heart was still racing – not just from the performance, but from the lingering adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Still catching his breath, Jaeyel wiped the sweat off his forehead, his mind replaying the last few moments on stage.
Did he mess up anywhere? Was the crowd’s energy as high as it felt?
“Jaeyel!”
Before he could think too much, a staff member hurried over. “Your manager’s looking for you.”
Jaeyel frowned.
Urgent?
They had just finished performing. What could be so important?
Still, he nodded. “Okay, I’ll go.”
As he walked down the hallway, Jaeyel absentmindedly hummed the song they had just performed, the melody still lingering in his head.
But then-
A strange feeling crept up his spine.
Something wasn’t right.
The hallway was quieter here. Dimly lit. Kinda eerie compared to the bright, chaotic backstage area.
The faint sound of staff members talking in the distance was the only thing keeping the silence from swallowing him whole.
Then-
A hand grabbed him.
Jaeyel froze.
His entire body tensed. His heartbeat spiked.
What the—?!
Panic surged through his veins as he struggled, twisting against the iron grip on his wrist. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming out in short gasps.
“Let go!”
Shit.
He was being dragged into a dark room.
The door slammed shut.
Darkness.
…
His breathing was uneven, his body on high alert.
He was about to shout, but before he could-
Lips crashed against his
…
Jaeyel’s mind blanked.
What…?
The kiss was rough, almost desperate.
Jaeyel froze, his whole body tensing up at the overwhelming force in front of him.
He could feel everything – the heat, the way his lips were taken without hesitation.
A strong hand gripped the back of his neck, holding him still.
His body acted on its own, hands pressing against the man’s chest to push him away, but then-
These lips…
He knew them.
The scent.
The touch.
The way the lips moved against his.
His heartbeat skipped.
“Yang…”
He mumbled between kisses, his voice barely a whisper.
Jaeyel let out a shaky breath against Yang’s lips.
His fingers curled around the fabric of Yang’s shirt, as if grounding himself in the moment.
The roughness of the kiss softened, turning slower… deeper.
A warmth spread through Jaeyel’s chest, something unfamiliar yet addictive. He hesitated for only a second before kissing back.
Yang let out a low hum, pleased. His hands moved to Jaeyel’s waist, pulling him closer, closing every inch of space between them.
The shift was instant.
His fingers, once resisting, now clutched onto the fabric of Yang’s shirt. Their breaths mixed, the room suddenly too hot, too suffocating.
His mind was spinning. He shouldn’t be doing this. But it felt…
…Addictive.
He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, lost in each other. The air between them was thick, suffocating.
Jaeyel’s knees felt weak.
The kiss slowed, the intensity simmering into something deeper.
When they finally pulled apart, Jaeyel’s lips were swollen, warm from the lingering kiss.
His eyes darted up, and there he was.
Yang.
His CEO. His savior.
Yang was staring at him.
Jaeyel’s chest tightened.
Yang reached up, fingers brushing Jaeyel’s cheek. His touch was gentle – too gentle for someone who had just kissed him like that.
“You did well today,” Yang murmured.
Jaeyel swallowed, trying to calm the storm in his chest. He barely registered the words, still trying to process everything.
After a moment, he spoke, his voice embarrassingly shaky. “Why are you here? I thought you were busy.”
Yang smirked, tilting his head slightly. “It’s my lunch break.”
Jaeyel blinked.
“You used your break… for this?”
Yang didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just watched Jaeyel, his eyes trailing over every inch of his face.
Jaeyel’s chest tightened.
“You skipped lunch again? You really need to take care of yourself, Mr. CEO” he said, his voice softer than he meant it to be.
Yang’s smirk grew.
He liked this.
He liked hearing Jaeyel worry about him.
He wanted that attention, that worry, that care – all to himself.
Jaeyel frowned. “Are you even listening?”
Yang chuckled. “I’ll eat if you want me to.”
“Uh…” Jaeyel felt his face heat up instantly.
Yang just… stared.
Like he was memorizing Jaeyel’s every reaction.
“You worry about me?”
Jaeyel turned away.
He didn’t answer and instead muttered, “I-I need to go, they’re waiting for me,” hoping it would hide the blush creeping up his cheeks.
“Jaeyel…”
Before Jaeyel could say another word, Yang spoke – his voice smooth, yet laced with something unreadable.
Jaeyel paused, suddenly hyperaware of how close Yang had gotten. His breath hitched as he finally met Yang’s gaze.
“W-what…?”
Yang leaned in one last time, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek.
Jaeyel flinched. His heart was about to burst.
“Go, then,” Yang murmured.
Jaeyel hesitated for a moment before stepping away, his body aching from the tension between them.
“Uh… bye,” he mumbled awkwardly, then turned on his heel.
He didn’t dare look back as he rushed out of the room, his heart racing.
…
But Yang…
Yang stood there, watching Jaeyel disappear down the hallway.
His eyes darkened, his fingers brushing against his lips.
He exhaled slowly, his fingers still tingling from the ghost of a touch.
Back at the dorm
Hot shower. Fresh clothes. A clear mind.
Yeah, right.
Jaeyel sat on his bed, towel draped around his neck. He picked up his phone, the screen lighting up.
A message from Yang.
Mr. CEO: 🦝🌙
Just emojis…
Jaeyel smiled.
Cute…
Even over text, Yang was cold and distant…
And yet…
Jaeyel felt his face grow warm at the thought. He actually found Yang cute. That realization made his heart stutter.
Yet in person… he was different.
Jaeyel’s thoughts drifted.
To the way Yang kissed him.
To the way it always happened, like Yang couldn’t help himself – like Jaeyel was something he craved, something he needed.
Every time, it left Jaeyel breathless, his mind spinning, his body betraying him before he could even process what was happening.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his heart hammering against his ribs. His fingers hesitantly brushed over his lips, still sensitive, still warm from the memory.
That kiss… it wasn’t just desperate. It wasn’t just hungry.
It was-
Jaeyel’s phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts.
His heart leaped, fingers moving quickly to check the screen, eager to see Yang’s message right away.
But then-
His body went cold.
It wasn’t Yang’s message.
It was a picture… of Yang.
Crumpled.
Torn.
Drenched in blood.
Jaeyel’s fingers trembled.
A cold wave of fear crawled up his spine.
Another buzz.
One more message.
“Enjoy your dreams, Jaeyel.”
Jaeyel’s breath stopped.
The warmth from before was gone.
Instead, a heavy, suffocating dread settled in his chest.
