✽015

Having stayed in the same position for so long, Ju-wan’s arm wouldn’t move properly. Noticing this, Shin Hwi-kyung clicked his tongue, unscrewed the water bottle cap, and pressed it to Ju-wan’s mouth.

Ju-wan tried to decline. “No, it’s fine, I can hold it myself—”

“Just drink.”

Without waiting for a response, Hwi-kyung tipped the bottle, pouring cold water directly into Ju-wan’s mouth. Startled, Ju-wan spluttered, but soon he gulped down the water without pause. It wasn’t blood, but the cold liquid still felt like salvation. Ju-wan let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

“Haah…”

Hwi-kyung silently watched him for a moment, his gaze tracing the water dripping down Ju-wan’s lips, jaw, and neck. The soaked shirt clung to Ju-wan’s chest, faintly revealing the outline of his lean torso. Unconsciously, Hwi-kyung licked his lips.

Ju-wan, who had just finished choking down the water, coughed and caught Hwi-kyung staring. He flinched instinctively.

“You drink well,” Hwi-kyung said with a grin.

The tone sounded like he was praising a dog or cat, which made Ju-wan feel oddly uncomfortable.

After tossing the empty bottle into the trash, Hwi-kyung removed the last chain binding Ju-wan. As soon as the restraint was gone, Ju-wan’s upper body collapsed forward. His legs were so cramped they felt paralyzed, as though he’d been subjected to an electric shock.

Without hesitation, Hwi-kyung effortlessly lifted Ju-wan over his shoulder and tossed him onto the bed just a few steps away. Ju-wan landed face-first into the pillow, groaning in discomfort. Hwi-kyung grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over so that he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

A shadow loomed over Ju-wan’s face as Hwi-kyung placed both hands on either side of his head, caging him in like a massive pillar.

From a distance so close their noses nearly touched, Hwi-kyung looked down at him and spoke in a low voice.

“I let you go because I trust you. So stay put and rest here quietly. Got it?”

“Yes,” Ju-wan answered quickly, frozen in place.

‘This psycho….’

Ju-wan couldn’t make sense of Hwi-kyung. One moment, he seemed ready to kill, and the next, he acted kind and cooperative. Either he wasn’t sane, or he was deliberately toying with Ju-wan to make him uneasy.

‘Wait… do I have to stay here with him?’

Ju-wan barely breathed. Hwi-kyung’s piercing gaze still lingered on him, like he was assessing how best to devour him. Feeling trapped, Ju-wan opted to shut his eyes tightly.

Fortunately, after a short but tense silence, Hwi-kyung’s phone vibrated. He glanced at the device, finally stepping away from the bed. The sudden fluorescent light hit Ju-wan’s eyes, causing him to squint.

Hwi-kyung checked his phone, clicking his tongue in irritation, and shot a brief, sharp look at Ju-wan lying on the bed.

“I’m stepping out for a bit, but don’t even think about doing anything stupid while I’m gone. By the way, I’ll be taking your phone and wallet. Just stay put and sleep if you can. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Bastard…

But Ju-wan, determined not to provoke Hwi-kyung, answered weakly and submissively.

“Yes, see you later.”

Soon after, Hwi-kyung made a call, and two men entered the room. They swiftly dismantled the thick chains, packed them into a large bag, and left without a word. Their efficiency suggested this was far from their first time handling such a situation.

Before leaving the hotel room, Hwi-kyung glanced around, then gestured at Ju-wan and made a throat-slitting motion with his hand.

“Try anything stupid, and you’re dead.”

With a loud bang, the door shut behind him, leaving the room in silence.

Alone, Ju-wan felt as though everything he’d just endured had been some bizarre dream.

What the hell is this?

He had been kidnapped by some lunatic, stripped of his privacy, and now blackmailed into pretending to be someone’s fiancé. In his 180 years as a vampire, nothing like this had ever happened. Shin Hwi-kyung wasn’t just any lunatic—he was a special kind of insane. Ju-wan felt so frustrated he could cry.

All I did was drink some human blood! I didn’t even kill anyone! And this is what I get?

Lying there, Ju-wan wiggled his hands and feet until he regained enough feeling in his legs to crawl out of bed. He shuffled over to the window, pulled the blanket over his head for cover, and cautiously peeked through the edge of the curtain.

“Ah!”

A scream escaped him—not because his skin burned from sunlight, but because there was no sunlight at all.

Outside the window was pitch black.

Confused, Ju-wan glanced at the clock in the room. It still said 3 o’clock. But now he realized—it wasn’t 3 p.m. It was 3 a.m.

Hwi-kyung had taken advantage of Ju-wan’s disorientation from fainting to manipulate him. He had bluffed about the time and the threat of sunlight.

Realizing he’d been completely duped, Ju-wan was at a loss for words. Running a hand roughly through his hair, he muttered bitterly.

“Wow… Just wow. Unreal.”

Throwing the blanket aside, Ju-wan let out a dry, incredulous laugh.

If that’s the case, there’s no reason for me to hang around here any longer.

Whatever that madman was plotting didn’t matter. With Hwi-kyung gone, now was the perfect time to escape. And better yet, there was no sun in the sky to stop him. Ju-wan’s eyes darted toward the front door, ready to make a move. But then, he hesitated.

Wait a second. Does it make sense for him to leave me here, unguarded?

Considering what he knew of Hwi-kyung so far, there was no way he would be careless enough to leave Ju-wan alone without a plan. There had to be something else going on.

What’s he up to?

* * *

After a moment of thought, Ju-wan stripped off all his clothes. Adding a muttered excuse for the imaginary audience, he said, “…Wow, my clothes are soaked through from that water. How annoying.”

He stepped into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. As the water ran, he inspected his body for injuries but found nothing unusual. Once satisfied that he was unharmed, he put on the hotel-provided bathrobe.

What if Hwi-kyung planted a listening device or a camera in my clothes? Or worse, coated them with some kind of tracking substance or drug? The possibilities were endless, and Ju-wan wasn’t willing to take any risks.

After turning off the shower, he wrapped a towel over his head and wandered around the room, deliberately moving as if to taunt any hidden cameras. Then, he picked up the phone and ordered room service.

“Yes, I’d like a salad and a bottle of rosé wine, please.”

He waited anxiously for the delivery.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. Standing outside was a clean-cut hotel staff member holding the wine.

“Excuse me, sir. I’ll just set this up for you.”

The staff member entered and set the table, arranging the salad and wine. Ju-wan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, sizing up the man. Luckily, they seemed to be about the same height. Ju-wan quickly assessed the man’s build—it wouldn’t be too hard to carry him.

Once the setup was complete, the staff member turned back toward the door and bowed.

“Thank you, sir. Enjoy your stay.”

But before he could leave, Ju-wan spoke up, feigning an embarrassed expression.

“Ah, excuse me. Sorry to trouble you, but the toilet isn’t flushing properly. Could you take a look?”

The staff member looked momentarily confused.

“Oh, uh, since when—”

“Just come in and take a look with me,” Ju-wan insisted, practically pushing him toward the bathroom.

As soon as the staff member stepped inside, Ju-wan shut the door and delivered a swift karate chop to the back of his neck. The man crumpled to the floor in front of the sink, and though Ju-wan wavered for a moment, he managed to steady him.

There’s no way even that bastard would install a CCTV in the bathroom.

Quickly, Ju-wan stripped the man of his uniform and dressed him in the bathrobe. Normally, he would’ve used hypnosis, but his condition was too weak to expend the energy.

Dressed in the crisp black slacks, shirt, and jacket, Ju-wan checked his reflection in the mirror. What he saw was a perfectly composed and handsome hotel staff member. Grabbing a bundle of towels from the bathroom, he prepared his next move.

Opening the room door cautiously, Ju-wan stepped out. To his relief, it seemed he was in a real hotel, not some decrepit building disguised as one. The hallway was lined with guest rooms. He had suspected the entire setup was a ruse.

Who kidnaps someone, chains them up, and does all this in a luxury hotel? What kind of lunatic is this guy?

Walking naturally, Ju-wan headed toward the emergency stairs. The moment he spotted them, he broke into a sprint, his shoes clacking noisily against the steps. Frustrated by the sound, he eventually removed the shoes and ran barefoot.

Starting on the 6th floor, Ju-wan descended quickly. Upon reaching the 1st floor, he slipped his shoes back on and exited through the emergency exit, trying to appear calm. Still, his pace quickened.

A staff member passing by looked as though they might speak to him, but Ju-wan avoided eye contact and kept moving. Moments later, he was outside the hotel.

The chilly early winter air hit his face like a slap. It was already 4 a.m., and dawn was fast approaching.

“Damn it.”

Ju-wan had no idea where he was. Without his phone, which Hwi-kyung had confiscated, he couldn’t even search for directions. Turning to look back, he saw the hotel’s front entrance sign illuminated in the dark: Blue Sky Hotel.

What the hell is this place?