23

Chapter 23

The apartment felt wrong.

The security officers had checked every corner, every window, every possible place Riki could have hidden. They assured Sunoo he was safe. That Riki was gone.

But Sunoo knew better.

Riki had never truly left.

Even now, as he stood in the shower, hot water cascading over his trembling body, he could still feel him. The press of his chest, the warmth of his breath against his ear, the way his fingers had curled around his wrist like they belonged there.

Sunoo braced his hands against the tile, squeezing his eyes shut.

You came back because you couldn’t stand not knowing where I was.

His own ragged breathing filled the small space.

It was the truth.

He hated that it was the truth.

Riki had been an obsession long before he had a name for it. Before Sunoo even knew what it meant to crave something he shouldn't. He had spent years studying patients like him, convincing himself that his interest was clinical. Professional.

But Riki had shattered that illusion the moment he smiled at him from across that sterile asylum room.

Sunoo's grip on the tile tightened.

The memory of their last encounter burned behind his eyes. Riki’s hands on him. His voice—low, teasing, dangerous.

"Come with me."

Sunoo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. No. He would not let Riki sink his claws into him again.

He turned off the water abruptly, reaching for a towel. Steam curled around him as he stepped out, the cool air raising goosebumps on his skin. He wiped the fog from the mirror, staring at his reflection.

He looked exhausted.

Haunted.

And worst of all?

He didn’t hate the feeling.

A knock at the door snapped him from his thoughts.

"Dr. Kim?"

Sunoo’s body went rigid.

He swallowed hard, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Who is it?"

"It’s Dr. Choi." A pause. "May I come in?"

Sunoo exhaled, wrapping the towel more securely around himself before unlocking the door.

Dr. Choi stepped inside, her expression unreadable. She took one look at him and sighed.

"You’re shaking."

Sunoo’s fingers twitched. He hadn’t even realized.

He scoffed lightly. "It’s cold."

Dr. Choi’s gaze didn’t waver. "You saw him, didn’t you?"

Sunoo’s throat tightened.

He could lie. Pretend it was nothing. But she already knew.

"Yes," he admitted.

Dr. Choi inhaled slowly. "Sunoo—"

"He got away," he interrupted, voice clipped. "Again."

She sighed, rubbing her temple. "We’ll find him."

Sunoo let out a humorless laugh. "You don’t understand." He turned away, gripping the edge of the sink. "He let me go."

Dr. Choi stiffened.

"You think he’s playing with you."

Sunoo nodded, his reflection staring back at him with hollow eyes. "And the worst part?" His fingers curled against the cool porcelain. "I think I’m playing with him, too."

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

"Sunoo," she said quietly, "you need to tell me what really happened between you two."

He swallowed hard.

He couldn’t.

Because the truth was something he didn’t even fully understand himself.

"Nothing," he lied. "Nothing happened."

Dr. Choi’s gaze was sharp, but she didn’t push.

Instead, she exhaled and turned to leave. "Get some rest," she murmured. "We’ll talk in the morning."

Sunoo didn’t respond.

Because he already knew he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

He felt it before he heard it.

A shift in the air.

A presence.

Sunoo’s breath caught in his throat.

The apartment was dark. Silent. But the moment he turned over in bed, he knew.

He wasn’t alone.

A hand clamped around his wrist.

Sunoo barely had time to react before he was flipped onto his back, the weight of another body pinning him down.

Warm.

Solid.

Familiar.

"Shh."

The sound was low, a breath against his skin.

Sunoo’s heart stopped.

"Riki."

A soft chuckle.

"Miss me?"

Sunoo’s breath hitched as fingers traced along his jaw, slow, deliberate. His body betrayed him—his skin burning where Riki touched, his pulse racing beneath his fingertips.

"How did you—"

"You really thought a couple of security guards could keep me away?" Riki’s lips ghosted over the shell of his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. "Come on, doc. You know me better than that."

Sunoo clenched his jaw. "Get off me."

Riki hummed, but didn’t move.

Instead, his grip on Sunoo’s wrists tightened, pinning him to the mattress.

"You should’ve come with me when I asked," Riki murmured.

Sunoo struggled, but Riki’s strength was absolute. His body caged him in, their legs tangled beneath the sheets, breath mingling in the dark.

"Why are you doing this?" Sunoo rasped.

Riki tilted his head. "You know why."

His fingers trailed down Sunoo’s arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Sunoo bit his lip, refusing to react.

But when Riki’s grip shifted—when his fingers tightened ever so slightly—Sunoo couldn’t stop the sound that escaped.

A sharp, choked gasp.

Riki froze.

Then—

Slowly, a smirk curled at his lips.

"Sunoo," he murmured, voice thick with amusement. "Did you just—"

"Shut up," Sunoo snapped, mortified.

Riki chuckled, leaning in until their noses nearly touched.

"You’ve always been so stubborn," he murmured. "But your body doesn’t lie, does it?"

Sunoo’s chest heaved. "Let me go."

Riki sighed dramatically, but after a moment, he released him.

Sunoo shot up instantly, scrambling backward. His pulse was wild, skin burning where Riki had touched.

Riki sat back, watching him with a lazy smirk.

"You should’ve stayed gone," Sunoo bit out.

Riki only tilted his head.

"But then," he murmured, "you wouldn’t have me here right now."

Sunoo’s stomach twisted.

Because the worst part?

He wasn’t sure if he regretted it.

And Riki knew it too.

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Its getting intense even I am scared😭