Later That Night – Kwon's Apartment
The apartment was dim, lit only by the soft glow of his bedside lamp. Kwon sat on the edge of his bed, towel slung over his damp hair, freshly showered but still tense — like the water couldn't wash off the weight Tae left on his skin.
He stared blankly at the floor, heart too full, mind spinning.
Why was Tae so calm?
That wasn't the Tae he remembered.
The Tae he knew… would've pushed. Would've taken what he wanted. Not asked. Not waited.
He was fire. Possession in a smile. Control wrapped in care.
But this Tae? This Tae spoke like he was scared of breaking
Absolutely — here's the continuation with a darker shift: Kwon wrestling with confusion over Tae's calm behavior, Tae secretly battling his obsessive side, and the introduction of a mysterious rival who's watching from the shadows… burning with jealousy.
Kwon's Apartment – Later That Night
The apartment was dimly lit. Rain tapped gently on the windowpane, soft and rhythmic, but Kwon barely noticed.
He sat on the edge of his bed, towel around his neck, hair still damp from the shower. But his mind wasn't here — not really.
His fingers drummed against his knee as he stared into space.
Tae had always been impulsive.
The Tae he remembered? The boy who broke curfews, picked fights just to feel alive, said things he meant too fast and touched like he couldn't stop?
That Tae was wildfire — unpredictable, intense, overwhelming.
But now?
Now he was calm. Too calm. Measured. Like every move he made was rehearsed and controlled.
And it bothered Kwon.
It scared him, even.
What is he hiding behind that calm voice?
Why is he so quiet… so contained?
Why does it feel like he's holding back something much darker?
Kwon clenched his fists.
He didn't know what frightened him more — the Tae from before who acted recklessly… or the one now, who waited like a loaded gun with the safety still on.
Elsewhere – Tae's Private Penthouse
Tae stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, city lights flickering in his eyes like distant stars. A glass of untouched whiskey sat on the table behind him. Music played low — something instrumental, sad.
His jacket was gone. Shirt sleeves rolled up again, like earlier.
But the calm he'd shown in the car?
Gone.
The moment Kwon stepped out of that limo and disappeared down the sidewalk, Tae had felt it:
The pull. The burn. The storm rising in his chest.
He wanted to follow him.
He wanted to grab his hand.
He wanted to lock the door and make him listen.
But he didn't.
Because when it came to Kwon, Tae was no longer the boy who made impulsive mistakes.
He was a man trying to bury the obsession he'd spent years denying.
Only around Kwon did the beast inside him rest.
Only he could make it stop.
Tae closed his eyes, fists clenched behind his back.
"Don't do this again," Kwon had said.
Tae's jaw twitched.
I won't let him run forever.
Not when he still feels it.
Not when he's the only thing keeping me sane.
Unknown Location – Midnight
A small, lavish room bathed in cold blue light.
A large screen flickered on the wall. The footage was silent, but it showed enough:
Tae dragging Kwon into his limo.
Tae dropping him off hours later, eyes soft, hands lingering.
In front of the screen sat a woman. Her lips were painted deep red, nails tapping slowly on the armrest of her velvet chair. Her silhouette was regal — poised like someone used to getting what she wanted.
And what she wanted… was Tae.
She narrowed her eyes at the video. Her gaze followed Kwon's figure stepping out of the limo.
"He's still not over him," she muttered.
Behind her, a man in black stood quietly, hands folded.
"Is he a threat?" the man asked.
Her eyes glinted like ice.
"He's not just a threat," she whispered. "He's the one thing Tae would burn the world for."
She stood up slowly, heels clicking against the marble floor.
"I want him gone."
"Gone?"
"No," she added, smile curving coldly. "Not dead. Missing."
She picked up her phone, dialing a number from memory.
"Make arrangements," she said. "I want that boy out of the picture. No noise. No trace. I'll handle Tae."
Outside Yosan Company – Nightfall
The wind was colder than usual.
Jungwon stood in front of them, chest rising and falling as if he'd sprinted for miles — and in a way, he had. A desperate chase against his fear. His worry.
Tae stood still, caught off guard, his expression unreadable under the parking lot lights.
"Long time no see," Tae said evenly.
But Jungwon didn't blink. His eyes blazed with something that went beyond worry — it was terror masked as fury.
"Where's my friend?" he demanded, voice sharp, raw.
Tae frowned. "What do you mean… Kwon didn't come to work today."
Jungwon's face darkened.
"What do you mean he didn't come to work today?"
He stepped forward, gripped Tae's collar in both fists before the CEO could move back.
The fabric wrinkled under his grasp, but Tae didn't stop him. Didn't even look angry.
Sechan instinctively moved to interfere — half a step forward, cigarette in his mouth — but the moment Jungwon's eyes flicked to him, Sechan froze.
The look in Jungwon's eyes said: Don't you dare.
This isn't your moment. This is mine.
So Sechan quietly threw the cigarette down, crushing it beneath his foot, eyes darting between the two.
"I've been calling him since morning," Jungwon said, voice breaking now. "He didn't pick up. I called again, and again, and again. Now his phone is off."
He let go of Tae's collar with a shove.
"I thought maybe he was just tired. Or busy. Or avoiding me."
Jungwon shook his head, hands trembling.
"But he's never gone this long without saying anything. Not to me."
Tae's silence was heavy.
"I know he wasn't answering you either," Jungwon snapped. "You looked worried the moment I asked."
Tae's jaw clenched. "Yes. I called. I even had my assistant try. But I thought…"
He hesitated, pain flashing in his eyes.
"I thought maybe he didn't want to talk to me."
"You thought?" Jungwon laughed, bitter and broken. "Do you hate him or love him? You should've gone to check! You've known him longer than I have, you should've felt something was wrong!"
Sechan finally spoke, voice low. "Maybe we should calm down—"
"No!" Jungwon snapped. "You all stood there doing nothing. And now he's gone."
He staggered back, tears welling in his eyes. "I knew something was wrong. My chest was tight all day. But I kept waiting. I thought I was just overthinking—"
Suddenly, Tae stepped forward.
He grabbed his phone and barked into it:
"Get me the full CCTV records of this morning around Kwon's building. I want the timestamps from the moment he left his apartment to any unusual vehicle activity. Now."
Jungwon looked up, eyes wide with shock.
Tae's face was stone. "You're right. I should've checked."
He turned toward Sechan. "I want every department head notified. We say nothing publicly yet. I want quiet eyes on this."
Sechan nodded and pulled out his phone immediately.
Tae's voice dropped, nearly a whisper.
"I promised myself I wouldn't break the calm for him again. That I'd give him space."
He turned toward Jungwon, gaze trembling now.
"But Kwon is the only reason I've been sane all these years."
Jungwon wiped at his face. "Then find him."
"I will," Tae said, deadly calm.
He turned back to his car, already making another call.
But deep in the shadows — beyond the company lot, near the far security gate — a camera flickered.
And somewhere else, in a dark room thick with silence, a screen showed the three of them. Jungwon crying. Tae shouting into his phone. Sechan pacing.
And Kwon… nowhere in sight.
The woman smiled behind her wine glass.
"Now let's see," she said softly, "how far they'll go to find him."