The pain spread through Jisung's body like a slow-burning fire, radiating from his shoulder and crawling down his spine, seeping into every nerve until even the smallest movement felt unbearable. His breath came out uneven, teeth clenched tightly as he struggled against the hold, his vision flickering with bursts of white from the intensity of it.
He couldn't stay being helpless. Forcing himself to focus, he gathered whatever strength he had left, ignoring the screaming protest of his muscles. With a strained grunt, he braced his legs and squared his shoulder despite the agony and drove his body sideways in a desperate attempt to break free.
[!!]
The sudden burst of force worked. Soo-hyun's balance shifted just enough for the hold to loosen, and he was pushed off to the side. His back hitting the wall with a dull thud. The impact echoed faintly through the corridor, but it wasn't enough to truly stagger him. If anything, it only reset the distance between them, giving Soo-hyun a clearer opening.
Jisung quickly pulled himself away, stumbling slightly as he clutched his shoulder, trying to regain control over the numb and throbbing limb. His arm hung awkwardly for a second as breathing was ragged. His earlier confidence replaced with irritation and growing desperation.
But Soo-hyun didn't give him time.
Closing the gap in an instant, he stepped forward with precise intent. His movements were sharp, controlled and no wasted motion. Before Jisung could fully steady himself, Soo-hyun's leg lifted again, cutting cleanly through the air.
WHACK!
The kick landed squarely against Jisung's face. The impact snapped his head violently to the side, a jolt force rattling through his skull. His vision blurred immediately, colors smearing as dizziness crashed over him. The world tilted for a second, disoriented and unstable as his body lost its balance once more.
Jisung collapsed onto the floor again, his limbs heavy and uncooperative. A dull ringing filled his ears, his thoughts scattering as he tried to process what had just happened. His head throbbed painfully, a clear sign of a forming concussion. But despite the damage, he remained barely conscious.
He lay there, breathing hard, and vision unfocused. The sharp taste of blood thick in his mouth.
Jisung tilted his head slightly as he looked up at Soo-hyun from the floor, breathing unevenly but his expression twisted into something disturbingly amused. Blood streamed freely from his nose, trailing down to the corners of his lips, yet instead of anger, a low snicker escaped him. It was as if the situation was entertaining.
"Ha... what?" He muttered hoarsely, wiping at his mouth only to smear the blood further across his skin. "I didn't know you could do all that shit."
Soo-hyun didn't respond. His brows remained furrowed, his silence heavier than any insult.
Jisung let out another quiet laugh, shaking his head slightly. "Guess elite Omegas like you are just built differently," he said, almost impressed but the mockery never left his tone. His eyes darkened soon after. "Still... your kind is beneath me. There's no way you're getting out of here."
With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, raising it just enough for Soo-hyun to see.
Soo-hyun's eyes widened.
On the screen were multiple profiles and rows upon rows of anonymous bidders, each represented by coded aliases. Next to each name were numbers of their bids that kept fluctuating, climbing higher and higher.
An auction. It had been happening the entire time.
"Soohyun-ah..." Jisung drawled, his grin stretching wider, though it never reached his eyes. "They really like you."
Soo-hyun's expression hardened instantly. "What do you mean, you bastard?"
Jisung chuckled, low and cruel. "They've been watching you since earlier."
He lifted a finger lazily and pointed toward the hidden cameras on the ceiling; small, nearly invisible but now that Soo-hyun looked, he could see them.
A large private feed somewhere, perhaps in another room, where guests observed every moment unfold. They had been watching him like entertainment since the moment he arrived at this place. Like he was a prize to win over.
Jisung bursts into a loud maniac laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA" It echoed through the hallway, triumphant as though victory was his.
But Soo-hyun's face darkened completely into disgust, rage, and humiliation. All of it surged at once.
"You disgusting fuck!"
His fist shot forward.
He drove his knuckles into Jisung's face repeatedly, each strike fueled by everything he had been forced to endure. Blood splattered with every hit, Jisung's head snapping back and forth under the relentless assault. Soo-hyun didn't stop. He couldn't. Every punch carried the weight of his anger, his fury and refusal to be reduced to something bought and sold.
Even through the blood and pain, Jisung let out a faint broken chuckles. That only made Soo-hyun hit harder.
"Urgh!"
With one final heavy blow, his fist collided with Jisung's face and forcing his head back completely. This time, the laughter stopped. Jisung's body went limp, his face swollen, bruised, and barely recognizable beneath the blood.
A moment of silence followed after.
Soo-hyun lifted his fist again, when suddenly—a faint sharp click behind him.
Before he could react, something cold and solid pressed against the back of his head. A gun.
His body froze instantly.
"That's enough, bitch," a voice snarled behind him, thick with venom. "Get up or I'll blow your head off." The threat was steady.
Soo-hyun batted his eyelashes slightly to the side, studying the man from the corner of his vision. His mind moved quickly, calculating the timing, whether he could disarm him before the trigger was pulled.
The man smirked at his silence. "What?" He taunted. "You want me to shoot you, is that it?"
Still, Soo-hyun said nothing. He just stared.
The man clicked his tongue in irritation, lifting the gun slightly as if preparing to strike him with it. But just as he was about to do, something hit him hard from behind.
WHACK!
"What the fuck was that?!" He barked, turning sharply...
THWACK!
A fist slammed straight into his nose. Blood exploded instantly as his head snapped back, his body stumbling a step away.
"Kurgghhh—!"
Soo-hyun's eyes widened in shock.
[!!]
"Director Je, run!"
The voice cut through everything. Soo-hyun's gaze snapped toward the source.
Kiyonari was standing there, already moving into a defensive stance. For a moment, Soo-hyun could only stare, disbelief flooding his expression. Relief followed just as quickly and something tightening painfully in his chest.
"Mr. Soo... w-what are you doing here?!—"
"Now's not the time, sir!" Kiyonari cut him off sharply as he blocked another incoming strike, his focus entirely on the fight.
"What?"
"For now, just run!" Kiyonari shouted, his voice louder and more urgent. "I'll explain everything later. Just get out of here! Please!"
At the same time, there was something pleading and desperate in his tone. Yet Soo-hyun didn't move as his feet stayed rooted to the ground.
Every instinct told him to escape to find help, but another part of him refused to leave. Kiyonari had come here for him. Risked his life for him. And now he was supposed to just run away?
"...I..." He bit down his lip, conflict flashing across his face.
Then his expression hardened. "I'm not going anywhere." In the end, his stubbornness won.
"Director Je...!" Kiyonari called out, distracted for just a second.
"I'm not leaving you!"
And that remark was enough for his opponent to lunged forward and tackled him to the ground with force.
"Mr. Soo!" Soo-hyun shouted, panic lacing his voice.
Kiyonari groaned under the impact, his body hitting the floor hard. "I-I'm alright...!" As he struggled to push the man off him, his gaze shifted briefly to the side and froze.
An unconscious body lay there next to him, bruised and bloodied. His face swollen beyond recognition. But even in that state, Kiyonari recognized him.
What the...?! Is that... Kwon Jisung?
His mind raced. What happened to his face?
Then his eyes flickered toward Soo-hyun and down to his blood-stained fists, trembling slightly. Kiyonari's pupils widened.
Did he... do that? The realization hit him all at once.
The Director has beaten an Alpha? How? Now way...
For a split second, disbelief and curiosity clashed violently in his mind, whilst in a middle of a brawl. But he didn't have time to process it. The man on top of him tightened his grip, trying to pin down and choke him. Kiyonari snapped back to reality, raising his arms to block and push back, forcing himself to focus.
There was no time to question it now.
*****
The man seized Kiyonari by the collar with a sudden, aggressive jerk, pulling him forward as he lowered his head. Clearly aiming to smash it into Kiyonari's face. The intent was obvious, a brutal headbutt meant to disorient him. But Kiyonari had already read the movement. In a split second, he braced himself and swung his fist with full force, cutting across the man's trajectory before he could even follow through.
The punch landed clean.
"Urghhh—!" The man groaned, his head snapping to the side from the impact as his grip faltered.
Kiyonari didn't say a word, his expression cold and focused as he steadied himself.
"Damn it, you fucker!" The man spat, quickly regaining his footing despite the hit. Rage flared in his eyes as he lunged forward again, attempting to return the blow with just as much force.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Soo-hyun's stood frozen for a moment, his chest beating unevenly as panic threatened to take over. His eyes darted across the hallway, searching desperately for anything at all that could help Kiyonari. Then, in the corner of his vision, something caught his attention.
A revolver; lying on the floor just a few feet away.
Without hesitation, Soo-hyun rushed toward it, picking it up with trembling hands. He fumbled slightly as he checked it, forcing himself to focus as he reloaded the weapon. Once done, he raised it, aiming directly at Kiyonari's opponent.
His grip wasn't steady.
He had never held a gun before nor aimed one at another person. Never even imagined doing so. His hands shook as he tried to line up his shot. But the two men were moving constantly, locked in a messy, unpredictable brawl that made it nearly impossible to get a clear target.
Still, Soo-hyun forced himself to calm down.
He adjusted his stance, tightening his grip and narrowing his eyes as he tried to steady his aim.
Kiyonari noticed. And quickly he acted.
He grabbed his opponent and yanked him toward the direction of Soo-hyun's gun, deliberately positioning him to create an opening and a clear shot.
The coordination between them had been sharp, almost seamless, but it all unraveled the moment another nuisance entered the fray. A second guard emerged, his gun already trained in Soo-hyun's direction.
BANG!
The shot rang out, but it missed, the bullet shattering a large vase in the corner instead. Ceramic fragments exploded across the floor as the man advanced from the opposite side, closing the distance with steady, deliberate steps.
"Director!" Kiyonari shouted, panic cracking through his voice.
Soo-hyun remained unharmed, he had already moved, narrowly dodging the bullet's path.
"You fuckers are so dead!" The guard sneered, lips curling into a cruel grin.
"Shut up," Soo-hyun growled, raising his gun again and pulling the trigger.
BANG!
The deafening sound echoed through the hall. He fired again and again. Each shot sharp and urgent, but none found their mark. The enemy had already taken cover, slipping behind a pillar and evading every attempt.
Oh, shit... he sucks at aiming! Kiyonari screamed internally, dread sinking into his chest. All his shots are missing. At this rate, we're as good as dead meat!
"Hahahaha!" The man laughed mockingly from behind the pillar. "I don't think that gun suits you, Director!"
"Director Je!" Kiyonari called out desperately.
"What?!" Soo-hyun snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy here?!"
"Yeah, I can see that," Kiyonari shot back, voice strained. "But with all due respect, you're going to get us both killed!"
"What else do you want me to do?!"
Soo-hyun squeezed the trigger once more...
Click.
A hollow lifeless sound.
He froze. "Urgh...!" He grunted sharply. "This thing's out of bullets!"
"What?! Out of bullets?!" Kiyonari exclaimed, eyes widening.
Kiyonari pushed himself up, preparing to act despite the odds, but before he could move further, another gunshot cut through the air.
A figure approaching him suddenly jerked, then dropped to his knees. Blood splattered across the carpet as the man collapsed, lifeless. Kiyonari turned, stunned, only to see the shooter behind them. Yet there was no shock or hesitation in his expression, and only a cold awareness. Killing his own comrade hadn't even fazed him. He merely shrugged, lifting his gun and aiming straight at them.
Alarm surged through Kiyonari.
Without any second long, he jumped forward, grabbing Soo-hyun by the arm and dragging him down behind cover just as the man opened fire again. Gunshots rang out in rapid succession as the guard advanced, step by step, a grimace of satisfaction twisting his face as if savoring the kill.
Just as he prepared to fire the finishing shot...
BANG! BANG!
Two shots echoed.
"Augh—!!" The man cried out, his body jolting as bullets tore through his leg and chest. He collapsed onto his knees, blood pooling beneath him. Still, he tried to raise his weapon one last time, but a final swift bullet pierced his head.
Silence followed as his body slumped to the floor, lifeless.
Soo-hyun let out a strained grunt, suddenly aware of the weight pressing down on him. "M-Mr. Soo!" He exclaimed, shifting slightly.
His hand brushed against Kiyonari's arm and came away slick with blood. Soo-hyun's eyes widened in horror.
Kiyonari had been shot.
"Mr. Soo! Can you hear me?!" Soo-hyun shouted frantically, tapping his back.
Kiyonari slowly lifted his head. "Ow..." He gasped faintly, the pain finally catching up to him.
But the moment his eyes met Soo-hyun's, his expression shifted—concern replacing everything else as if the injury didn't even matter.
"Director Je... are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?!"
Even now, bleeding and shaken. His focus was entirely on his boss, rather than his wounded self.
Soo-hyun's brows drew together, his vision blurring slightly. "You idiot..." He muttered voice almost cracked. "You're the one who's hurt."
"Eh?" Kiyonari blinked, confused.