Exposed Threads

The tension in the mansion had become suffocating. Each passing day seemed to amplify the pressure, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface. Shadows stretched long in the dimly lit corridors, the flickering light from the chandeliers casting distorted shapes against the walls. Outside, the wind howled and slammed against the windows, mirroring the unease that had settled thick in the air.

Seungcheol stepped out of Jeonghan's room, his expression carefully guarded, though the slight downturn of his mouth betrayed the turmoil within. Jeonghan's silence weighed heavily on him, carving a permanent ache in his chest. Yet there was no time to dwell on personal emotions. The sharp voice of Jun cut through the quiet hall, summoning him to the meeting room.

When Seungcheol entered, all eyes turned to him. The room was dim, the air heavy with the seriousness of the moment. The members sat around the polished oak table, their expressions a mixture of confusion and unease. Wonwoo's sharp, calculating gaze lingered on the center of the table, where a small hard drive rested ominously. Hoshi leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping a rhythm against the armrest, though his tense jaw betrayed his irritation. Vernon sat quietly in the corner, his head slightly bowed as if lost in thought, while Dino fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket, his nervous energy filling the space.

Seungcheol's voice broke the silence, steady and commanding. "What's this about, Jun?"

Jun's eyes, cold and focused, flicked to Seungcheol as he gestured toward the hard drive. His voice was clipped and precise. "Yesterday, one of Viktor's men—someone working at the Dragon's warehouse—slipped past our surveillance. I caught him before he got far, and he's no longer a problem."

Jun paused for effect, his words heavy with implication. He stepped closer to the table, placing the hard drive down with a loud clink. "But our men found this on him."

Seungcheol's eyes narrowed as he regarded the object. His tone was icy, his words deliberate. "And what's on it?"

Jun exhaled slowly, his gaze scanning the room. "I inspected it. The drive contains personal information... but not about us. At least, not directly."

Wonwoo leaned forward, his expression unreadable but his tone sharp. "What do you mean, not directly? Be clear, Jun."

Jun straightened, his jaw tightening. "It contains detailed files on people associated with us, but not involved in our operations. Specifically, it has data on Jeonghan, Minghao—"

Vernon's sharp voice cut through. "Your ex-boyfriend?"

Jun shot him a withering glare, his teeth grinding audibly. "Yes, my ex-boyfriend." His words were laced with restrained irritation, but he quickly regained his composure. "Strangely, it doesn't stop there. The drive also includes information on the lovers and spouses of other groups—BTS, Stray Kids, TXT."

The room fell silent, the weight of Jun's words sinking in. Dino, ever curious, broke the silence. "And you're sure it's not Viktor?"

Jun's lips thinned, his frustration evident. "This isn't Viktor. He already knows everything—he doesn't need to waste time gathering information he already has. Besides, this data includes people Viktor wouldn't care about. No, this is someone else."

Seungcheol, his fingers drumming on the table, interjected with quiet authority. "Jun's right. Viktor isn't the type to play these games. Whoever this is, they're looking for leverage."

Jun nodded grimly and added, "There's more. The files also include two of Jeonghan's friends—Lee Jihoon and Boo Seungkwan."

Vernon's head snapped up at the mention of Seungkwan, his usually calm demeanor faltering. A chill ran down his spine as his mind raced. "Why him?" he murmured under his breath, his voice almost inaudible.

Hoshi, sitting straighter now, clenched his jaw. His voice was low but carried a dangerous edge. "Why would they target them? What would they gain?"

Jun's gaze hardened as he met Hoshi's eyes. "This isn't just about information. This is about finding weaknesses, control. Whoever is behind this is surveilling us, watching those closest to us, searching for ways to exploit us."

The room grew colder, the implications of Jun's words sinking in. Vernon's hands clenched into fists on the table, his mind clouded with worry. He thought of Seungkwan—his brightness, his unyielding energy—and how vulnerable he might be if targeted. The idea of anyone harming him made Vernon's stomach churn. He gritted his teeth, trying to push down the fear that was clawing its way to the surface.

Hoshi's fingers dug into the table's edge as a different kind of worry consumed him. Woozi's name echoed in his mind. Was he safe? Had someone already reached him? The thought made his chest tighten with a rage he could barely contain. But why?

Breaking the suffocating silence, Seungcheol's voice was resolute. "We need to find out who's behind this, and fast."

Hoshi's voice was tight with controlled anger. "This isn't just about protecting information. This is about keeping them alive."

Seungcheol nodded, his gaze icy. "Jun, arrange a meeting with RM and Bang Chan tomorrow. This is bigger than just us."

The meeting adjourned, the members filing out with heavy steps and even heavier thoughts. The hard drive remained on the table, a silent testament to the growing threat.

Seungcheol lingered for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ominous object. His mind churned with strategies, scenarios, and contingencies, but deep within, he felt the creeping unease of how deeply their enemies had infiltrated their lives.

He turned abruptly, retreating to his study. As he entered the dimly lit room, the familiar scent of leather and aged whiskey greeted him. Seungcheol poured himself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in the glass as he stared into the darkness outside the window. The storm outside mirrored the one brewing in his chest, its ferocity growing with every passing moment.

The hours bled into one another, slow and suffocating, as Seungcheol poured himself another drink. The dim light of his study cast long shadows on the walls, his desk bathed in the cold glow of a monitor screen. He tried to focus, to drown himself in work, but the storm in his chest refused to settle. Outside, the mansion was silent, the world shrouded in darkness, and Seungcheol believed everyone had retreated to their rooms.

The creak of the study door broke the stillness, pulling him from his thoughts. His gaze snapped to the door, his heart stuttering as he saw Jeonghan—pale, fragile, and hesitant—peering inside. The sight of him, the very person Seungcheol had been struggling to banish from his thoughts, made his pulse quicken.

Jeonghan stepped into the room, his movements uncertain. Seungcheol couldn't tear his eyes away from him. The dim light caught the delicate features of his face, accentuating the exhaustion that clung to him like a second skin. Pain twisted in Seungcheol's chest at the sight. Without a word, he gestured to the couch and grabbed a blanket, his voice soft and careful as if afraid to shatter Jeonghan further.

"Sit," he said, draping the blanket over Jeonghan's lap as the younger man hesitantly obeyed.

For a moment, silence enveloped them, thick and charged. Jeonghan avoided Seungcheol's gaze, his hands twisting nervously in the blanket. The air between them was heavy, fragile as glass, and Seungcheol feared that one wrong word would shatter whatever was holding them together.

"Can I really ask you anything?" Jeonghan's voice broke the quiet, soft yet trembling with uncertainty.

Seungcheol's breath hitched. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed hearing that voice until now. "Of course," he replied immediately, his tone laced with sincerity. "And I'll give you an honest answer."

Jeonghan's eyes finally met his, hesitant and searching. The vulnerability in that gaze bled Seungcheol's heart dry.

"Have you been acting with me all along?" Jeonghan asked, fear flickering behind his words as though bracing for a devastating answer.

"No," Seungcheol said firmly, the response immediate and resolute. His voice softened as he added, "What I was to you and how I behaved... it wasn't a lie. None of it was, Jeonghan. I never acted with you."

Jeonghan looked at him, his lips trembling slightly, as though weighing whether to believe him. "Then why did you hide things from me? Why didn't you tell me the truth? And why... why did you take me here?"

Seungcheol swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor. The truth was an abyss he had been avoiding, but Jeonghan deserved to know. He took a steadying breath and began.

"You being watched and in danger because of Viktor—that's true," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "That's why I took you here. But... Viktor only came after you because of me."

Jeonghan's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Seungcheol exhaled shakily, the weight of his confession pressing down on him. "Viktor targeted you because I was behind you. You weren't the target, Jeonghan. I was. And you... you became his leverage. My weakness."

The words hung in the air like a confession to a crime, the silence between them taut and suffocating.

"I don't understand," Jeonghan said, his frustration bubbling to the surface.

Seungcheol finally looked up, his dark eyes locking onto Jeonghan's. "I first saw you at a graveyard," he began, his voice soft and almost reverent. "You were crying, murmuring 'I love yous' to your parents while I was cursing mine. I don't know why, but I couldn't look away. You were so raw, so real, that it captivated me. It led me to your shop, Jeonghan."

Jeonghan's lips parted slightly in surprise as Seungcheol continued. "For the first time in a long time, I felt something here," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "Something I thought I was incapable of. Because of you."

He held Jeonghan's gaze, his eyes pleading. "I'm not pressuring you into anything, and I know you didn't choose this. But that's how we ended up here."

Jeonghan processed the words, his expression shifting through a myriad of emotions—confusion, anger, vulnerability. Then, with a sudden clarity that startled even himself, he said, "I want to know everything about you."

The declaration hung in the air, stunning them both. Jeonghan pressed on, his voice trembling but determined. "I don't know why, but when Daniel said I didn't even know your name, it felt like my chest was being crushed. I'm still angry at you, and I still hate that you kidnapped me, but when he said what we had was a lie... it broke me."

His voice cracked, and he clenched the blanket tightly in his hands. "I don't know what this is, and I don't know why I feel this way. But I can't stand the thought of someone saying I don't know you. I want to know you—everything about you. Since birth to now. All of it."

Seungcheol was rendered speechless. This was Jeonghan—trusting, fragile, yet fierce in his own way. The trust he offered, even to someone who had betrayed him, was nothing short of extraordinary.

Seungcheol's chest ached with a mix of awe and guilt. How could someone like Jeonghan, so pure, so good, take a step toward someone like him? Someone who was heartless, ruthless, and didn't deserve even a fraction of the faith Jeonghan had just shown.

"I'll tell you everything," Seungcheol whispered, his voice breaking slightly as he leaned forward. "If you're ready to hear it, Jeonghan, I'll bare it all for you."

And in that dimly lit study, surrounded by the weight of their shared truths and the storm brewing in both their hearts, the fragile bond between them began to mend, thread by delicate thread.

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He went to the 'damn study' it seems......... >_< 

it's quite a long chapter... sry ...

yours lovingly 

<3 Author <3