Chapter 6
The car ride back was quiet.
Yang drove with his usual composed expression, unreadable as ever.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable – at least, not for him. But for Jaeyel, it felt heavy, like he should say something, anything.
When they arrived at the dorm, Jaeyel hesitated, fingers hovering over the door handle.
He should get out. But for some reason, he didn’t move.
Yang was watching him.
Before Jaeyel could think too much, Yang reached out.
Slowly.
His fingers brushed against Jaeyel’s cheek, featherlight but warm.
Jaeyel’s breath hitched.
Heat crept up his neck, his face burning as he instinctively lowered his gaze.
Yang doesn’t pull his hand back. His fingers linger, gently tracing the line of Jaeyel’s jaw before resting, soft and steady.
“Is there something you’re worrying about?” he asks, his voice low, too gentle.
Jaeyel swallowed, hesitating.
His fingers twitched on his lap. He had been holding onto this for too long.
Every time he thought about bringing it up, something stopped him – uncertainty, timing, the fear of sounding ridiculous. But he couldn’t keep brushing it aside.
Slowly, he spoke. “I… need to tell you something.”He kept his eyes on his lap as he spoke.
“A few weeks ago…” His voice came out quieter than he intended.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. “I got a message. It was a picture of you-”
He exhaled sharply, his grip tightening. “Covered in blood.”
…
He felt the weight of Yang’s gaze, but he didn’t dare look up.
His chest felt tight. “I tried to tell you before, but… I never found the right time. You were busy, and I-I didn’t even know how to bring it up.” His voice wavered slightly.
Silence.
The moment the words leave his mouth, the weight of them hits him. The silence stretches, heavy, as he waits for Yang to say something.
Jaeyel’s fingers curled into his sleeves as he waited for Yang’s reaction.
He expected concern. Maybe even anger. But there was nothing – no sharp intake of breath, no shift in Yang’s body language.
Confused, Jaeyel finally glanced up.
Yang was looking at him. But not with worry.
His dark eyes were soft.
Loving.
Jaeyel’s breath caught.
His face grew even warmer, but a different kind of tension coiled in his chest now.
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?” he stammered.
He just told him about a blood-stained picture, and yet…
Yang’s looking at him like he just confessed something romantic.
Yang reached out again, this time brushing Jaeyel’s hair back.
His touch lingered. “You’re worried about me?”
Jaeyel blinked. “Of course, I am! That kind of message isn’t normal…”
Yang hummed, his thumb barely grazing Jaeyel’s temple. “I want to tell you not to worry…”
A small pause. Then, softly, “But I like it when you do.”
Jaeyel’s stomach flipped.
He didn’t know if he wanted to sigh or glare at Yang for saying something like that so easily.
“…You’re unbelievable.”
…
Morning.
The building’s canteen buzzed with the usual chatter of idols and staff grabbing a quick meal.
Jaeyel sat with his group, absently pushing food around his plate.
The warmth of the morning sun filtering through the windows did little to chase away the lingering thoughts from last night.
Yang’s reaction.
Or rather… the lack of one.
He had told him about the bloodied picture, expecting something – concern, anger, at least a reaction.
But Yang had barely flinched, brushing Jaeyel’s worries aside like it was nothing.
Like it didn’t matter.
Jaeyel sighed, resting his chopsticks against his bowl.
Could it be Yin again?
The thought alone sent a cold shiver crawling up his spine.
His body tensed involuntarily, memories of that time flashing through his mind – Yin’s eerie voice, the way he looked at him, very unsettling.
“Jaeyel?”
He snapped out of it, blinking as he turned toward Steve, who was eyeing him with concern. “You okay?”
Jaeyel opened his mouth, about to say something, but his words were drowned out by the sound of voices passing by their table.
A group of staff members, speaking in hushed but excited tones.
“Right?! They really cut him loose.”
“Four years in the company, and just like that, he’s out?”
“Well, what did he expect? That bullying scandal ruined him.”
“The company didn’t even try to cover it up. They could’ve prevented the issue from blowing up, but they let it happen.”
Jaeyel and the others exchanged glances, the mood shifting.
Before anyone could ask, Jaehwan spoke, his tone more serious than usual.
“They’re talking about Jemin.”
Minseo let out a surprised sound. “Wait, what? Jemin sunbae?”
Jaehwan nodded. “Yeah. He’s officially out of his group.”
Jaeyel’s grip on his chopsticks tightened. He blinked, unsure if he heard that right.
Jemin… was out? Just like that?
Minseo turned to him, eyes wide. He didn’t say anything, but Jaeyel knew what that look meant.
That was the same sunbae who had tried to mess with him.
Jaeyel felt something uneasy settle in his chest.
He swallowed, pushing his food around his plate, but suddenly, he wasn’t hungry anymore.
