Chapter 21 : "Don't touch me"

Jiwon blinked slowly, his vision adjusting to the soft morning light spilling through the curtains. His body ached—his ankle throbbed, his head pulsed dully—but the warmth of the blankets wrapped around him was strangely comforting.

His gaze drifted to the side, and there he was.

Sergei.

Slumped in the chair beside the bed, head tilted slightly forward, arms crossed over his chest. His breathing was slow, deep, steady—the kind of peace Jiwon had never seen on his face before.

His sharp edges, his cruel smirks, his merciless eyes—none of it was there.

Jiwon swallowed, hesitant. Carefully, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, ignoring the sting in his limbs. His eyes traced over Sergei's face, taking in the way his dark lashes cast faint shadows against his skin, the way his lips were slightly parted, his posture loose, unguarded.

A breath.

A whisper.

"You look defenseless…"

The words barely left his lips, yet they felt heavy in the quiet room.

His fingers twitched, hesitated—then, almost without thinking, he reached out.

Just to touch.

Just to see if this was real.

But the second his fingertips brushed against Sergei's cheek, Sergei flinched—his body tensing, instincts flaring to life. Before Jiwon could react, Sergei's hand shot out, gripping Jiwon's wrist like a vice, and in a single swift motion, he yanked him forward.

Jiwon gasped, his body pulled violently toward the warmth of Sergei's chest.

Jiwon barely had time to react before he was against Sergei's chest, his breath hitching as his injured ankle shifted painfully beneath him. The sudden force left him momentarily stunned, his fingers curling against the fabric of Sergei's shirt.

Sergei's body was rigid, his grip around Jiwon's wrist unrelenting. His breathing had sharpened, muscles coiled like a predator waking from slumber.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Jiwon could feel the rapid thudding of Sergei's heart—an odd contrast to his usual composed demeanor. The warmth of his skin, the tension in his grip… everything about it felt strangely familiar.

Then, Sergei's breath fanned against Jiwon's ear, low and hoarse.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Jiwon swallowed hard. His pulse pounded beneath Sergei's fingers, his own breath unsteady.

"I…" His voice faltered. He had no answer.

Sergei's grip tightened. His eyes, still hazy from sleep, were now sharp, dark, unreadable.

"Trying to stab me in my sleep?" His tone was mocking, yet there was something else lurking beneath it—something almost uncertain.

Jiwon let out a weak scoff. "If I had a knife, you'd be bleeding already."

Silence.

Sergei's fingers flexed against his wrist before he abruptly let go, shoving Jiwon back against the mattress.

"Don't touch me," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "If you value that hand, don't do it again."

Jiwon exhaled shakily, rubbing his sore wrist. His heartbeat hadn't slowed, and neither had the phantom warmth of Sergei's touch.

He lay back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the strange weight pressing down on his chest.

Jiwon knew he had crossed a line, but he refused to take it back. He lifted his chin, forcing himself to meet Sergei's back with a glare.

"You act like you're untouchable," he said, voice steadier than he expected. "Like no one can ever hurt you."

Sergei didn't move.

Jiwon's breath came shallow, but he pressed on. "But you're not, are you?"

Sergei finally turned. His cold eyes locked onto Jiwon, sharp and unyielding, sending a chill down his spine.

But Jiwon didn't look away. He wouldn't.

Something flickered in Sergei's gaze. Amusement? Annoyance? It was impossible to tell.

Then, suddenly—Sergei moved.

Jiwon barely had time to react before Sergei was in front of him, fingers grabbing his jaw, forcing him to look up.

"What did you say?"

Jiwon swallowed hard, his pulse hammering against his ribs. The pressure on his jaw hurt, but he refused to wince. He refused to let Sergei see weakness.

"You heard me." His voice came out quieter than he wanted, but there was no mistaking the defiance in it.

Sergei's grip tightened.

Jiwon's breath hitched, but he didn't look away.

Sergei studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he smirked.

"You're shaking."

Jiwon hated that he was right. His body was betraying him—his legs felt weak, his hands trembled slightly at his sides.

But he still held his ground.

"Doesn't mean I'm scared of you."

A lie. A reckless, stupid lie.

Sergei's smirk vanished. "No?"

And then—he shoved Jiwon.

Jiwon stumbled back against the bed, but before he could react, Sergei was on him, one hand gripping his throat—not tight, just enough to remind him who was stronger.

Jiwon's breath came fast, but his hands flew up, pushing at Sergei's chest.

"Get off me!"

Sergei didn't move. His hand remained firm on Jiwon's throat, his body looming over him like a shadow.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Jiwon."

Jiwon's heart pounded, but he glared up at Sergei, his nails digging into his wrist. "Then go ahead," he rasped. "Kill me if that's what you want."

Sergei's eyes darkened.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The air was thick, heavy, suffocating.

Then—just as suddenly as he attacked—Sergei let go.

Jiwon gasped, coughing as he sat up, rubbing his sore throat.

"You act like you're untouchable," he said, voice steadier than he expected.

"Like no one can ever hurt you."

Sergei didn't move.

Jiwon's breath came shallow, but he pressed on.

"But you're not, are you?"

Sergei finally turned. His cold eyes locked onto Jiwon, sharp and unyielding, sending a chill down his spine.

But Jiwon didn't look away. He wouldn't.

Something flickered in Sergei's gaze. Amusement? Annoyance? It was impossible to tell.

Then, suddenly—Sergei moved.

Jiwon barely had time to react before Sergei was in front of him, fingers grabbing his jaw, forcing him to look up.

"What did you say?"

Jiwon swallowed hard, his pulse hammering against his ribs. The pressure on his jaw hurt, but he refused to wince. He refused to let Sergei see weakness.

"You heard me." His voice came out quieter than he wanted, but there was no mistaking the defiance in it.

Sergei's grip tightened.

Jiwon's breath hitched, but he didn't look away.

Sergei studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he smirked.

"You're shaking."

Jiwon hated that he was right. His body was betraying him—his legs felt weak, his hands trembled slightly at his sides.

But he still held his ground.

"Doesn't mean I'm scared of you."

A lie. A reckless, stupid lie.

Sergei's smirk vanished. "No?"

And then—he shoved Jiwon.

Jiwon stumbled back against the bed, but before he could react, Sergei was on him, one hand gripping his throat—not tight, just enough to remind him who was stronger.

Jiwon's breath came fast, but his hands flew up, pushing at Sergei's chest.

"Get off me!"

Sergei didn't move. His hand remained firm on Jiwon's throat, his body looming over him like a shadow.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Jiwon."

Jiwon's heart pounded, but he glared up at Sergei, his nails digging into his wrist.

"Then go ahead," he rasped.

"Kill me if that's what you want."

Sergei's eyes darkened.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The air was thick, heavy, suffocating.

Then just as suddenly as he attacked Sergei let go.

Jiwon gasped, coughing as he sat up, rubbing his sore throat.

Sergei took a step back, staring at him with something unreadable in his expression.

And then, in a voice colder than ice

"You're not leaving this room."

Jiwon coughed again, glaring through the sting in his throat.

"Go to hell."

Sergei didn't respond. He turned on his heel, strode toward the door, and without looking back

Slammed it shut behind him.