Nang Yu-ri [What Once Was Lost Will Never Return]

That promise was enough to keep me hooked for the rest of my life—probably.

"Oh, and one more thing, Rei."

The once silent room now echoed with the alpha's smirk—a sound that never meant anything good for Rei.

It was only then that Rei noticed where Kai's gaze had settled. He followed it, glancing down—only to realize his T-shirt wasn't covering nearly as much as it should.

Shit—

"H-HEY!" Rei yelped, scrambling to cover himself. "W-what the fuck are you looking at?!"

Kai's smirk deepened, clearly relishing Rei's reaction.

"Hmm… if you really want to leave, then—" His eyes flickered downward, settling between Rei's legs.

Uh oh. Rei didn't need a second guess to know what kind of problem he was about to face.

Kai leaned in just slightly, voice dropping. "Raise your hands."

Rei's face immediately flushed red—straight up tomato mode.

What the fuck?

He had to get out.

Which meant he had to do what the alpha wanted.

Slowly, hesitantly, Rei raised his hands. The hem of his shirt lifted with the movement, exposing more of his skin. He resisted for a brief second, his pride screaming at him to stop—but with a sharp inhale, he forced himself to go through with it.

Kai's smirk deepened. "So you do know how to obey," he mused, clearly enjoying the view.

Rei scowled, refusing to meet his gaze. But Kai wasn't having it. He leaned in, closing the distance between them until their eyes locked—so close now, sitting there on the bed.

Outside, the wind carried the scent of rain. Water droplets began to slip through the open glass of the balcony, the first signs of an impending storm.

One landed softly on Rei's cheek.

He blinked, startled by the cool touch against his warm skin.

When he looked back at Kai, something unexpected caught him off guard.

Kai was smiling. Not his usual cocky smirk, not the teasing grin he always wore—but something real. Something… genuine.

For the first time, Rei wasn't afraid of him.

And somewhere deep inside, an odd sense of familiarity stirred.

It almost felt like he knew this smile.

Weird.

Kai was still smiling—probably at Rei's flustered reaction.

Suddenly, the rain intensified, heavy droplets crashing against the balcony doors and spilling into the room. With a sigh, Kai stood up, walked over, and firmly shut the doors, locking them securely.

Checking his watch, he spoke casually. "My brother's arriving at the airport today."

Rei barely reacted, uninterested—until Kai continued.

"Most of our bodyguards will be heading out to pick him up. They'll likely be stationed at our hotel, where he'll be staying."

Rei still didn't see why that mattered. That was, until—

"You can explore the house freely without attracting much attention," Kai said.

Rei blinked. "Huh?" He sat properly, frowning. "What do you mean? Doesn't anyone know I'm locked up in here? That's impossible—your bodyguards literally grabbed me!"

Kai burst into laughter.

Rei stiffened. "What?" he asked, feeling awkward.

Kai smirked, his usual arrogance slipping back into place. "Pfft—of course people know you're here." He leaned casually against the doorframe, grinning. "I just don't want them knowing I've lowered my standards enough to let you go."

Rei rolled his eyes. Of course.

Kai suddenly tilted his head. "You read books, don't you?"

Rei tensed slightly. "Y-yeah… how do you know that?"

Kai turned his gaze toward the balcony glass, his tone almost indifferent. "Isn't it obvious? I saw a small bookshelf above your bed in that apartment of yours." He glanced at Rei, smirking. "Didn't think you'd actually read them, though."

Rei huffed, crossing his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kai just chuckled, amused as always.

Kai was now staring at Rei, his smug smile pulling up as always.

________________________________________________________________________________

The rain pounded harder, crashing onto everything in its path.

Yuri stood under the cover of the mansion's grand front porch, extending a hand to feel the splatter of cool droplets against his palm. The sensation tickled slightly, bringing a faint smile to his lips.

For a moment, he let himself enjoy the quiet. He had been stationed at the front door for the afternoon—this time, without Jade around to pester him. For once, peace.

Slowly, he took a step forward, out from under the porch's shelter. The cold rain met his skin instantly, trickling down his arm and soaking into his clothes.

Then—

A gunshot.

Pain. A sharp, searing agony tore through his left shoulder.

Fuck—

Blood spilled down his arm, warm against his skin, quickly mixing with the rainwater pooling at his feet. But there was no time to think.

Yuri bolted toward the front gate, adrenaline shoving the pain to the back of his mind. The rain had thickened into a dense fog, shrouding the mansion in an eerie haze.

Through the mist, he barely made out the dark outline of a van.

But before he could get close—

It vanished.

"Fucking bastards!" he spat, his breath coming out ragged.

"Yuri?!" A voice called out—one of the senior bodyguards. He rushed over, eyes scanning Yuri's injury. "Are you okay?! You need to get to a hospital!"

"NO—!" Yuri snapped, instinct kicking in before he caught himself. His pulse pounded.

He swallowed hard, shaking his head. "I—I mean… I'm s-sorry," he muttered before turning on his heel and sprinting toward the back of the mansion.

Beyond the grand estate stood another building—flourished, well-kept, but separate from the main house. The bodyguards' quarters.

Yuri rushed inside, shoving the door open with force before slamming it shut behind him. His breath was uneven, his pulse wild.

Without hesitation, he moved toward the small first-aid kit on the shelf, his expression unreadable. No panic, no hesitation—just routine.

He grabbed the antiseptic, poured it over the wound without flinching, and watched as the liquid burned against the raw flesh. His fingers worked quickly, grabbing a clean cloth, pressing it hard against his shoulder, and tying it tightly around his arm with practiced efficiency.

His hands were steady. His breathing was controlled.

Like this was nothing new.

Yuri leaned back against the door, his head tilting upward as he exhaled slowly. The rain outside continued its relentless assault, drowning out the distant noise of voices searching for him.

He didn't care.

For now, he just needed a moment.

Something deep inside told him that this shot was meant especially for him.

Nang Yu-ri had spent most of his life with his mother. His father had passed away when he was just sixteen, but that didn't stop him from excelling. He graduated at the top of his class, with a future that seemed nothing short of bright.

He pursued engineering, determined to carve out a stable life. But fate had other plans.

His mother's accident changed everything.

In his second year of college, she was hospitalized. The bills piled up—too high, too fast. Without hesitation, Yu-ri dropped out. He didn't mind. If it meant being there for his mother, it was worth it.

To survive, he worked relentlessly—janitor by day, tutor by night, housekeeper on weekends. He never stopped. Even when exhaustion clawed at his bones, he pushed forward.

He found himself drawn to the university's engineering department, cleaning the very lecture halls where he once dreamed of sitting. He listened in on the professors' lessons, absorbing whatever he could from the corners of the room. It wasn't the same as studying, but it was enough to remind him of the future he had lost.

Then, the worst day of his life arrived.

His mother had a heart attack.

The rain was relentless that night, flooding the streets, blurring the world into a mess of gray. Yu-ri held her in his arms, running through the storm, his tears indistinguishable from the rain. He begged the universe, fate—anyone—to let her live.

She was admitted to the hospital. The bills were higher than ever, but he didn't care. He took on more jobs, sacrificed more of himself—anything to keep her alive.

And yet, in the end—

He watched them carry her lifeless body to the grave.

A hopeless Yu-ri learned one thing that day.

Luck didn't exist.

It rained harder the day they buried her.

No one came.

No friends. No relatives. No one to mourn her, no one to say goodbye.

Just Yu-ri.

He stood alone, drenched, staring at the fresh mound of earth that now separated him from the only person who had ever truly cared about him. His fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palms. His throat burned. His chest ached.

But not a single tear fell.

That was when he appeared.

Kai's father.

The man had come to visit his late wife's grave, but what he found instead was a boy—soaked, hollow-eyed, teetering on the edge of despair.

What he saw in Yu-ri wasn't just a grieving son.

He saw someone who had nothing left to lose.

That was the day Yu-ri stopped crying.

He wouldn't.

Never.

At least, he hoped so.