Jaeyel’s head throbbed as he slowly came to. His body felt heavy, his stomach twisting with nausea. He let out a weak groan, fingers gripping the sheets beneath him as he tried to steady himself. Everything felt off—his mind sluggish, disoriented.

Then it all came rushing back.

Someone had grabbed him. He was leaving the dorm, his phone in hand, trying to call Yang—

His breath caught. His eyes flew open, and panic surged through his chest.

The room was dim, almost eerily quiet. It was big but empty, except for a bed and a table. The walls were bare, no windows, nothing personal. It looked abandoned… yet weirdly clean. Like someone had set it up just for him.

His pulse hammered in his ears. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe.

Then—

The door creaked open.

Jaeyel stiffened, his whole body going tense.

A shadow stretched across the floor. Someone was there.

Jaeyel froze, his whole body going rigid. His heartbeat pounded so hard it echoed in his ears. Slowly, he turned toward the figure stepping inside.

A name slipped out before he could stop it.

“Yang…?”

But something was off.

The man standing in front of him looked like Yang. The same sharp features—but there was something off. The smirk tugging at his lips wasn’t the Yang Jaeyel knew. It was cold. Amused. Something about it made his skin crawl.

And his eyes… they weren’t right. There was something lurking behind them—something dark.

“I finally got a hold of you,” the man murmured, tilting his head slightly. “But I didn’t expect that to be the first thing you’d say.”

Jaeyel’s throat went dry. His fingers curled into the sheets as he forced himself to stay calm.

“What… What do you mean?” he asked carefully, his voice barely above a whisper.

The man didn’t answer right away. He just stared, like he had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.

Then it hit Jaeyel all at once. Right…

This wasn’t Yang.

There were some similarities, but the energy felt different. The smile wasn’t Yang’s. The voice wasn’t the same either, it had an unsettling edge.

Jaeyel’s stomach twisted.

“Who… are you?”

The man’s eyes lit up, like he had been waiting for that question.

“I’m your savior!” he said, almost too eagerly.

Jaeyel stiffened, his breath catching. Savior? The person who kidnapped him?

Before he could react, the man took a few slow steps closer, closing the distance between them. Jaeyel instinctively inched back.

With an easy, almost playful air, the man grabbed a nearby chair, spun it around, and straddled it. He rested his arms on the backrest like they were just two people having a casual chat.

“I’m saving you from Yang,” he said smoothly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jaeyel’s blood ran cold.

His brows furrowed. “Saving me… from Yang?” He was confused, but his gut told him he wasn’t going to like the answer.

The man smirked, his gaze locking onto Jaeyel’s, sharp and strong.

“You must be wondering why we look alike,” he said, almost amused. “Yang… is my twin brother.”

Jaeyel’s breath stalled for a moment. Twin brother? He should have guessed, considering how similar they looked, but hearing it out loud still sent a jolt of shock through him.

His mind raced, piecing things together, but before he could fully process it, his voice came out hoarse. “But… what do you mean by saving me from him?”

The smirk faded. The man’s expression darkened, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.

“Yang is obsessed with you, Jaeyel,” he said, his tone quieter now, but no less intense. “He’s been watching you for a long time—stalking you, pulling strings just to stay close. Why do you think he suddenly took an interest in the company? You think it was about business?”

He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “It was never about that. It was about you.“

Jaeyel’s stomach twisted. His breath caught in his throat.

“I’ve been following you, trying to warn you,” the man continued, his voice laced with hidden anger. “But every time, Yang shows up, pretending to be your hero when in reality, he’s the real danger!”

Jaeyel’s mind raced. He tried to recall everything that had happened, all the strange coincidences, the way Yang always seemed to be there when something happened. If he thought about it—

It did make sense.

Lost in thought, Jaeyel barely noticed the way the man was staring at him. His eyes held something possessive, something predatory. A chill ran down Jaeyel’s spine.

The man smirked, clearly enjoying his reaction. “I brought you food. You should eat,” he said, his tone suddenly light, almost casual. “I just need to take care of something first.”

Jaeyel’s hands curled into fists. His chest tightened with frustration.

“No. I want to go home!” His voice came out sharper than he expected. “I don’t need your help—I can take care of myself!”

The shift was instant. The man’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening.

“You’re safer with me.”

There was no warmth in his voice this time.

Before Jaeyel could argue, the door slammed shut with a loud click. The lock turned, sealing him inside.

Jaeyel sat back down on the bed, frustrated. He felt sick—his head still spinning from the revelations, from the fear clawing at his chest.

Yang was the stalker? The way his twin brother spoke, everything he said, it all made sense.

But…

Why couldn’t he shake the feeling that Yang wouldn’t hurt him?

Sure, Yang was cold. Sometimes unreadable. Maybe even dangerous. But Jaeyel had never once felt afraid of him. If anything… he had always felt safe.

Was I seriously into red flags?

Is that my type? he thought, almost horrified at himself.

His thoughts became a blur as dizziness took over. The room felt like it was tilting, his body growing heavier with each passing second.

Slowly, exhaustion won. He collapsed onto the mattress, his limbs sinking into the sheets. His mind was still spinning, questions and emotions swirling together, as he drifted to sleep.

---

Jaeyel didn’t know how much time had passed when he felt something—or someone—beside him.

A faint rustle stirred him awake. His eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the dim light, and then—

Yang?

No. Not Yang.

His breath caught as he realized it was his twin brother, sitting at the edge of the bed, watching him. A shiver crawled up Jaeyel’s spine.

The man’s hand reached out, brushing Jaeyel’s hair between his fingers. A shuddering exhale left his lips, like he was savoring the moment.

Jaeyel’s eyes widened in horror. He bolted upright, his heart pounding against his ribs. “What are you doing?!”

But before he could move further, the man pressed him back down onto the bed, his grip firm.

“You don’t understand, Jaeyel,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve waited so long for this. Yang… he always got in my way. He always took what was mine.“

Jaeyel struggled against his hold, terror seizing his entire body. “Let me go!”

He tried to fight. Yang’s twin brother was strong, but he wasn’t weak enough to just let himself be overpowered. With all the strength he had, he kicked the man away and scrambled to his feet, heart pounding like a drum in his chest.

Run.

His body moved before he could think, feet slamming against the cold floor as he sprinted toward the door. But just as his fingers reached for the handle, a sharp yank on his ankle sent him crashing down. His body hit the floor hard slamming against the wood with a sickening thud. Dizziness washing over him in waves.

“Jaeyel…” The man’s voice was soft now, almost gentle. “Why are you running from me?”

Jaeyel groaned, trying to push himself up, but a firm hand grabbed his shoulder, flipping him onto his back. The man hovered over him, his dark eyes wild and desperate.

“Why?” His voice cracked, his fingers tightening around Jaeyel’s wrist. “Why do you look so comfortable with Yang but not me?!”

Jaeyel barely had time to react before the man’s hands slammed down beside his head, caging him in.

“I got to know you first!” The man’s breath came out ragged, his emotions spiraling out of control. “You always gave me extra side dishes at the restaurant. You smiled at me! You talked to me!” His voice shook, a twisted kind of sorrow laced in his words. “I thought… I thought it meant something.”

Jaeyel sucked in a sharp breath. This man—this man had been watching him for so long, twisting meaningless moments into something they weren’t.

This wasn’t just obsession.

It was delusion.

“Answer me, Jaeyel!” The man’s voice cracked as his fingers clutched Jaeyel’s collar, shaking him slightly. “Tell me why—tell me why it’s always Yang!”

Jaeyel flinched, his mind screaming at him to move, to fight, but his limbs felt frozen.

Then—

A loud crash. A sharp gasp.

And suddenly, the weight was ripped off of him.

Jaeyel barely registered the figure that stormed into the room, his body too overwhelmed with panic to process what was happening. But then, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.

“Get your hands off him.”

Yang.

A hard kick sent his twin brother sprawling across the floor, groaning in pain. Jaeyel’s breath came in short gasps as he pushed himself up, still dazed, still trembling.

Yang stood in front of him now, shielding him from view. But his presence—his rage—filled the entire room. His usually unreadable face was twisted with something dark, something dangerous.

For the first time… Yang truly looked terrifying.

Jaeyel saw him not as the calm, cold man he knew, but as someone shaken—rushed, panicked. His usually neat clothes were disheveled, his breath unsteady.

Their eyes met.

A beat of silence passed. Then, in a low, unsteady voice, he spoke.

“Jaeyel…”

Something about the way he said his name sent a shiver down Jaeyel’s spine.

But strangely comforting.