Eun-jae was lost in his thoughts, absently running a hand through his hair as he mulled over the latest curveball in this already convoluted mission. The weight of everything—the attack, the secrecy, the looming shadow of Bes Ilay—pressed on him like a storm cloud, and for a moment, he let himself zone out. That was, until a warm breath tickled his ear.
"Nice piercings you got," Caesar murmured, his voice low and smooth, laced with a teasing undertone that sent an involuntary shiver down Eun-jae's spine. "I like them. Rarely see agents with this kind of lifestyle."
Eun-jae froze, blinking rapidly as his mind snapped back to the present. His irritation flared instantly, and he whipped his head around to glare at Caesar, who was far too close for comfort.
"Don't you know something called personal space?" Eun-jae snapped, his tone sharp as he moved away, his cheeks burning with a mixture of annoyance and...something else he refused to name.
Caesar didn't even flinch. Instead, he smiled—a slow, infuriating grin that showed off his dimples and practically oozed confidence.
"I'm just saying," Caesar continued, shrugging as though his proximity was no big deal. "They're pretty. They suit you. Makes me wonder..." He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief as his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do your nipples have piercings too?"
Eun-jae's jaw dropped, his mind grinding to a screeching halt. His mouth opened to retort, but for once, words completely failed him. "Excuse me?" he finally managed, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Caesar chuckled, clearly enjoying the reaction.
Before Eun-jae could gather his wits and deliver the tongue-lashing Caesar so richly deserved, the man straightened up, smoothing out his coat like he hadn't just set Eun-jae's brain on fire.
"I'm going now," Caesar said casually, as if he hadn't just dropped the most inappropriate question of the century. He grabbed his coat and strolled toward the door.
Eun-jae, still too stunned to fully process what had just happened, followed quickly, determined to shove the man out before he could say anything else. But just as he pushed the door open, Caesar stopped, planting his foot firmly in the gap to keep it from closing.
"What now?" Eun-jae growled, his patience wearing thinner than a piece of paper.
Caesar turned, his expression softening into something almost sincere, though the teasing glint in his eyes remained. "I'm looking forward to seeing you without the mask," he said, smirking one last time before stepping back and disappearing into the hallway.
Eun-jae didn't wait. He slammed the door shut with a force that rattled the frame, leaning back against it as he let out a long, exasperated groan.
"How the hell did he know I have nipple piercings?" he muttered, his hands flying to his chest instinctively, as if to shield himself from invisible eyes. His thoughts raced, a jumbled mess of indignation, confusion, and grudging embarrassment.
He paced the room, running a hand through his hair as he replayed the interaction in his head. Caesar had been too casual, too confident, like he knew exactly how to get under Eun-jae's skin. And dammit, it had worked.
"Did he just guess? Was it some weird alpha intuition? No, that's ridiculous," Eun-jae thought, shaking his head. He paused, narrowing his eyes as another possibility crossed his mind. "Did someone at the agency tell him? Or worse, is there a file about me somewhere with personal details like that? God, I wouldn't put it past Director Jin."
He groaned again, burying his face in his hands.
And then there was the comment about the mask. Caesar's words echoed in his mind, accompanied by that maddening smirk. "Looking forward to seeing you without the mask," he muttered under his breath, mocking the tone as he rolled his eyes. "What does that even mean? He's such a—ugh!"
Despite himself, Eun-jae's hand drifted up to his piercings again, his mind replaying the brief, teasing glance Caesar had given him. His cheeks burned hot, and he shook his head furiously.
"Nope. Not going there. Not giving him the satisfaction of getting into my head."
Still, as much as he wanted to brush it off, he couldn't stop the lingering curiosity. How did Caesar know? Was it just a lucky guess, or was there something deeper going on?
One thing was certain: the next time Caesar stepped foot in his space, Eun-jae was going to be ready. With a lock on his door. And a taser.
Eun-jae let out a sigh and sat on the bed ...is stomach growled thats when he realized he hadn't eaten anything he then orders room service...
Eun-jae flopped onto the edge of the bed, dragging a hand down his face as the events of the past hour played on a loop in his mind. His thoughts felt like a chaotic swarm, buzzing and colliding in his head, refusing to settle.
"So that wasn't even the tobacco scent..." he muttered to himself, his voice dripping with frustration. "His own pheromones overshadowed the tobacco scent. And here I was, thinking I'd cracked the mystery like some genius detective. God, how stupid of me!"
He groaned, flopping back onto the bed dramatically, staring up at the ceiling as if it held the answers to life's unfair complexities. "Why did I even notice his scent so much? And why does it have to smell so...distinct? Damn alphas and their overpowering aura. Ugh, I don't have time for this!"
Meanwhile, several floors down, Caesar stepped into the elevator, adjusting the cuffs of his suit with practiced ease. His expression was unreadable, but the sharp glint in his eyes betrayed a calculating mind.
"Sir, what should we do now?" one of his subordinates asked hesitantly, his voice a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
Caesar let the question hang in the air, savoring the tension as he slid on his sunglasses. Then, with a low chuckle, he finally answered. "Blow it all up. Don't leave any stone unturned. And make sure he doesn't survive."
The man nodded, already reaching for his earpiece to relay the order as Caesar leaned casually against the elevator wall.
Back in Eun-jae's room, the knock on the door snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. He blinked, sitting up and glancing toward the door. "The food must've arrived," he thought, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
He opened the door, letting the hotel staff wheel in a silver tray laden with covered dishes. The lady gave him a polite smile before leaving, and Eun-jae shut the door behind her with a soft click.
He practically bounced back to the tray, lifting the domed lid with the glee of a kid unwrapping a Christmas gift. "Ha! Food! Finally, something to take my mind off—"
His words died in his throat as something unusual caught his eye. A small, folded piece of paper was tucked neatly beside the dish. He frowned, picking it up cautiously.
"A note? Who even leaves notes these days?" he muttered, unfolding it. His eyes scanned the single word scrawled across the paper:
BOOM
Underneath it, a laughing emoji stared back at him mockingly.
Eun-jae's heart plummeted. His stomach clenched as realization slammed into him like a freight train. His eyes widened, and his pulse roared in his ears. "Oh, hell no."
He jolted to his feet, the paper crumpling in his fist. "This can't be real. This has to be some sick joke—"
But his instincts screamed otherwise. The air around him felt charged, like the moment before a thunderstorm. He bolted for the door, throwing it open so hard it banged against the wall.
"Evacuate! Everyone needs to evacuate now!" he shouted, his voice carrying down the hallway as he sprinted. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.
But his warning came too late.
The explosion was deafening. The shockwave hit him like a battering ram, flinging him through the air as the heat and light consumed the hallway. He hit the ground hard, sliding several feet before coming to a painful stop.
Dazed, his ears ringing, Eun-jae struggled to push himself up. His face was scratched, his clothes torn and singed, but adrenaline surged through him, numbing the pain. "No time to stop. Move!"
He staggered to his feet, his legs trembling but determined. Smoke filled the air, choking his lungs as alarms blared around him. The building groaned ominously, debris raining down as chaos erupted.
Eun-jae pushed forward, coughing and shouting for others to get out. His mind raced as he dodged falling beams and flames licking at the walls. "Damn it! "
Anger and fear collided in his chest, fueling his determination. He wasn't going to die here—not today, not like this. His thoughts flickered to the mission, to Bes Ilay, to everything he still needed to accomplish.
Finally, he burst out of the building, stumbling onto the street as fresh air hit his face like a lifeline. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the pavement, coughing violently as he tried to catch his breath.
Through the haze of smoke and chaos, one thought burned bright in his mind: "This isn't over. Whoever did this is going to pay."
The chaos around Eun-jae was deafening—sirens blaring, people shouting, the crackling flames devouring what was left of the hotel. He barely registered the firefighter running toward him, his own thoughts louder than any of the noise.
He actually tried to kill me. That smug bastard didn't just threaten it—he actually went through with it! The thought sent a wave of anger and disbelief coursing through him, his heart pounding as adrenaline surged through his veins.
"Sir, are you okay?" A firefighter jogged up to him, eyes wide with concern. Eun-Jae barely heard him through the haze clouding his mind, his thoughts racing. They really want me dead, he muttered internally, every nerve in his body prickling with urgency and frustration.
"I'm fine," Eun-Jae managed to say, though his voice was strained. He gestured back at the building. "Forget about me—there are people still inside—"
But before he could protest further, the firefighter's firm grip tightened on his arm. "You don't look fine. Medic, get him to the ambulance!"
Eun-Jae shook his head, trying to pull his arm away. "No, really, I'm—" But he didn't finish his sentence; two firefighters firmly guided him to an ambulance despite his protests. He glanced back instinctively, and his heart skipped a beat. Through the crowd, a shadowy figure stood by the edge of the scene, partially hidden but watching with an eerie calmness.
That face... I know that face, he thought, his pulse hammering as the realization struck him. It's Bes Ilay.
"Bes Ilay!" Eun-jae's eyes widened, the name slipping from his lips in shock. He had to get to him—now, before he vanished. Panic shot through him as the paramedics pulled him onto the ambulance, one of them inspecting his ribs, while another started to tend to the cuts on his arm.
"No...no, I can't stay here," Eun-jae thought, his chest tight with urgency. I have to go after him—this could be my only chance.
Driven by a sudden surge of adrenaline, he jerked his arm away from the medic and jumped off the stretcher, shoving past the firefighters who tried to hold him back. Before they could react, he swung a desperate punch, enough to catch them off-guard and loosen their hold on him. Ignoring their shocked calls, he broke into a run, pushing through the crowd in the direction he had last seen Bes.
The figure was moving swiftly through the chaos, almost gliding as he slipped between the shadows. Eun-Jae sprinted after him, his injured body protesting with every step, but he ignored the pain, focusing only on the figure ahead.
"Stop!" Eun-Jae shouted, his voice raw, but Bes didn't respond. Instead, he stepped further into the darkness, disappearing around the corner with a calm, unhurried stride.
Eun-jae's footsteps echoed as he tore down the alley, every instinct screaming at him to catch up, to end this chase once and for all. His mind raced with questions and fears, with images of everything Bes had done, each act of violence and betrayal that led to this moment.
Turning the corner, Eun-Jae found himself in a dimly lit, empty stretch of the alley. Bes was gone. He scanned the shadows, his heart pounding, feeling the oppressive weight of the silence pressing down on him. It was as if Bes had melted into the shadows, leaving only the faint scent of smoke and a cold sense of dread.
The roar of the motorbike engine reverberated through the narrow alley, a cacophony of sound that signalled imminent danger. Eun-Jae spun around just in time to see the rider, clad in black leather and a helmet that obscured his face, drawing a gun with a swift, practiced motion. The world around him seemed to slow as adrenaline coursed through his veins.