"Kwon, please... look around. This is our apartment... we're so close, we almost made it…" Haru's tear-streaked face gazed into Kwon's eyes. "I love you, Haru," Kwon said, his voice trembling, as he gently stroked Haru's arms.
Both men were still drenched from the heavy rain outside. Haru began to cry, hugging Kwon tightly before sobbing, "Kwon, don't… don't say it like this is the end..." Kwon held him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead before pulling back to kiss him softly on the lips.
But just then, the door burst open, and two men rushed in. One, wearing glasses, yanked Haru roughly by the arm, while the other shoved Kwon aside with a fierce look.
"Haven't I told you to stay away from this guy?!" the man shouted, grabbing Haru by the hair and yanking hard as he snarled. "Dad! Please, don't do this! I love him!" Haru yelled back at his father, whose grip on his hair only tightened.
Kwon fell to his knees, apologizing over and over to the other man, who was likely his own father. But when Kwon realized that nothing he said could save the situation, he grabbed the gun strapped to his father's belt and held it to his temple.
"What are you doing, Kwon?!" Haru cried, staring in horror as Kwon looked at him and said clearly, "I love you, Haru." Then there was a single loud bang, and a dull thud.
Haru broke free from his father's grasp, rushing to Kwon, who now lay on the ground. He knelt beside Kwon's pale body, shaking him as he broke down into sobs. "No… Kwon, don't do this… open your eyes... You promised we'd be together forever! You promised..."
He held Kwon's body tightly before his gaze fell on the gun still in Kwon's hand. Driven by despair, Haru picked it up, his hand shaking as he pressed it to his own temple, whispering, "I love you too, Kwon..." At that moment, his father screamed in panic, "HARU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" But it was too late. Another loud bang echoed, and Haru's lifeless body fell onto Kwon's. If not for the blood, they could have been mistaken for sleeping.
---
He opened his eyes, and that all-too-familiar gray world appeared around him. He switched off his alarm, then sighed heavily as he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The icy water hitting his face snapped Ye-jun into full wakefulness. "New day, new job… it'll be fine," he thought to himself. He slipped into his work clothes and grabbed his bag. House keys, wallet, phone, and his work ID… he had everything he needed. The heavy door clicked shut behind him as he headed to his car.
Today, the sky was a beautiful shade of mouse-gray… just like the grass… and everything else in the world. He parked in front of the towering corporate building: RAVEN. The place was huge, modern, impressive. Ye-jun collected his things from the car and made his way to the job interview.
Inside, the lobby was elegantly minimalist. A few white armchairs lined the sides, small tables in front of them, each with a plant on top. He turned his attention to the receptionist and walked over. "Good day, sir. How can I help you?" she asked with a smile as she organized some files into nearby cabinets. She turned fully toward him, giving him her undivided attention. "I'm here for an interview," Ye-jun replied politely. She nodded, checked the schedule on her computer, and then directed him to the interview room.
He had been waiting in that room for ten minutes now, and there was no sign of anyone. He was starting to feel irritated, when finally, the door opened, and a tall man, about six feet, walked in. He wore a suit, had long, probably black hair, and carried a briefcase. He sat down across from Ye-jun and took out a few files.
"My apologies for the delay. There were… issues," the man said with a smile as he handed some papers across the table. Ye-jun studied him with a skeptical look, but then took the papers and began reading through them.
The man smiled and said, "My name is Sang-hyun. Let's get started with the interview."
---
Sados. These are people who cannot see colors. They're often seen as monsters, because once a Sado finds their Kado, they never let them go. Through Kados, Sados can finally see colors. All it takes is ten seconds of eye contact, and the Sado falls into a frenzy of color, transforming their world from grayscale to vibrant hues. Many Sados become obsessed with their Kados, even going as far as kidnapping or gouging out their eyes just to keep seeing color. Because of this, Sados live in hiding; they're hunted by the government, labeled as dangerous, and none who are caught have ever returned.
"Ye-jun, are you listening?" she asked, giving him a nudge. Snapping out of his thoughts, he nodded and replied, "Yes, sorry… I was a bit lost in thought." Chun-Hee, his best friend and the only one who knew his secret after his mother disappeared.
Ye-jun was a Sado. She helped him however she could, bringing him food when he was unwell and even securing this job for him.
"How did the interview go?" Chun-Hee asked, spooning some ice cream. "It was okay, I got the job," Ye-jun replied, sounding a bit down as he started absent-mindedly stirring his ice cream.
Chun-Hee gave him a questioning look but let it go. It was hard to reach him when he was in one of his moods. "Chun-Hee, I think I'm going home," Ye-jun suddenly said, standing up abruptly, grabbing his bag, and walking out of the ice cream shop without waiting for her response.
Long, probably black hair, a suit… and that face… Sang-hyun's figure loomed in Ye-jun's mind. "Why does he seem so familiar...? Why… why does my chest ache when I think of him?" Ye-jun wondered, trying to shake off the feeling as he quickly headed home.
Once home, Ye-jun tossed his things aside and loosened his tie. He sighed, sat down in front of the TV, and turned on the news:
"During an investigation into a missing person's case, suspicion fell on a certain house. It turned out a Sado had been holding the missing person—his former partner—captive, as the partner had tried to leave him. Today, the mutilated body, with eyes removed, was found in the Sado's basement. Further investigations are ongoing, and the Sado is currently in prison. Now, for the weather—"
Ye-jun turned off the TV, running a hand through his hair. "Will I end up like that?" he thought, staring down at his hands. Maybe he should just go to bed. As long as he stayed away from any Kado, he'd be fine… but he had no idea what the future prepared for him...