BW Ch 1.2: Another Room

Meanwhile, a thought solidified. This room originally belonged to Kang Tae-eon and it would continue to belong solely to him. Lee Shinwoo was merely a freeloader imposed upon him or perhaps an uninvited guest with restricted rights. This wasn’t simply because he held control over Lee Shinwoo’s scholarship fund. Kang Tae-eon exuded an air of unwavering authority in a realm Lee Shinwoo couldn’t access.

While walking down the new building’s hallway, he had glimpsed two nameplates on each of the other dormitory doors. This signified that the dormitory rule of at least two occupants per room applied to the new building as well. However, it seemed natural that even this principle would bend and become flexible in Kang Tae-eon’s presence.

But why?

He, who would have no problem enjoying this flexibility until graduation had deliberately chosen Lee Shinwoo, who had been residing in the old building as his roommate. Now, the reason behind this decision sparked his curiosity. He looked at Kang Tae-eon who was sitting in the chair, his gaze filled with questions. The moment their eyes met, he almost instinctively recoiled but instead he lowered his chin and pressed his lips tightly together. Even though he was standing and looking down at Kang Tae-eon, he felt strangely subordinate.

“Lee Shinwoo. Dance department special student. Right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kang Tae-eon’s eyes fixed on Lee Shinwoo, were a deep black. A direct probing gaze as if it would leave a distinct mark wherever it landed swept over Lee Shinwoo. He suddenly felt exposed as if his skin were being peeled away. Then, Kang Tae-eon’s lips curved into a smile. His sharply defined lips, as if drawn with precision, momentarily captured Lee Shinwoo’s attention. And from between those lips came an unexpected remark:

“I had no idea you would have such a pleasant voice.”

“……”

Lee Shinwoo blinked, unable to conceal his surprise. Kang Tae-eon, leaning back deeply into the chair, tilted his head slightly. His clasped hands were large, proportionate to his physique. Lee Shinwoo tore his gaze away from those large, thick, long fingers and looked up. The face he met suddenly felt unfamiliar. Everyone at school knew that handsome face. Yet, the eyes filled with an inexplicable satisfaction, the upturned lips, suddenly seemed strange.

“Aren’t you going to change your clothes?”

“…Huh?”

Lee Shinwoo blinked rapidly at the seemingly out-of-context question, understanding its meaning only after a moment.

“Are you going to… sleep with that on?”

A chuckle-tinged silence served as a response. Lee Shinwoo silently acknowledged the implied affirmation and looked down at his own arm. He released the forearm he had been gripping until then, revealing a red handprint. Goosebumps prickled his skin in the cool air.

While he could tolerate it for now, maintaining this temperature throughout the night seemed unreasonable. He wasn’t prone to colds, but when he did catch one, it hit him hard. And now, with the festival approaching, it was a crucial time to maintain his health.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to request that the air conditioner be adjusted. Kang Tae-eon had already made his preference clear. His refusal to reconsider was evident in his demeanor. Lee Shinwoo wasn’t one to stubbornly challenge a lost cause.

With some effort, he managed to move his feet. He opened the bag he had placed on the desk and peered inside. He would unpack his belongings tomorrow. Rummaging through the jumbled contents, he pulled out a long-sleeved t-shirt. As he removed the short-sleeved shirt he had been wearing, he felt a gaze on his back.

It was a blatant, scrutinizing stare, traveling from the top of his head to his toes. It felt odd, but Lee Shinwoo deliberately avoided dwelling on it. The discarded short-sleeved shirt was black. The long-sleeved one was white. The room was cold enough to make his nipples tighten.

Dismissing the fragmented, disjointed thoughts, he pulled on the long-sleeved shirt. He pressed the back of his neck, which felt hot and heavy with fatigue. His palm was cold. Kang Tae-eon’s gaze remained fixed on him even as Lee Shinwoo finally feeling his head clear, turned around.

He met Kang Tae-eon’s eyes without flinching. He felt he shouldn’t avoid them. As he held his gaze, a forgotten thirst suddenly arose, tightening his throat. The directness of Kang Tae-eon’s stare had an almost physical force. Just as Lee Shinwoo was about to speak, unable to endure the insistent gaze any longer, Kang Tae-eon spoke.

“Three-year full scholarship, Taerok Foundation recipient.”

“Is this also correct?”

When Lee Shinwoo nodded in confirmation, Kang Tae-eon abruptly stood up. Lee Shinwoo involuntarily held his breath. Kang Tae-eon’s height and build created the illusion that he filled the already spacious room. Even though Kang Tae-eon hadn’t made a move, Lee Shinwoo felt a sense of constriction, as if his throat were being squeezed. He stared up, dazed, as Kang Tae-eon slowly closed the distance between them. A hint of amusement still lingered in Kang Tae-eon’s eyes.

Unable to comprehend Kang Tae-eon’s apparent amusement, Lee Shinwoo instinctively stepped back. His heels bumped against the bed, and he stumbled, landing on the edge. A sudden premonition flashed through his mind. In just three strides, Kang Tae-eon had closed the gap between them until his knees almost touched Lee Shinwoo’s. He looked up helplessly at the looming shadow and the large hand slowly reaching towards him.

“Where are you going?”

His eyes met Kang Tae-eon’s, who seemed to interpret his retreating steps as a feeble attempt at resistance. At that instant, a hand clamped around his throat. A burning sensation erupted across his face.

Slap—Slap—Slap—

And several more times after that.

The sound of flesh being struck echoed in his ears like a deafening roar. The unexpected blows left his hearing momentarily impaired. The brutal sounds continued. Lee Shinwoo’s eyes widened in shock, his throat constricted by Kang Tae-eon’s hand. Before he could fully process what was happening, the raised hand struck his cheek again, alternating sides with methodical precision. The blows were devoid of emotion, carrying only the brute force of Kang Tae-eon’s physique.

Finally, his lip split, and blood welled up. A thin moan escaped Lee Shinwoo’s lips, a sound squeezed out from his constricted throat. His eyebrows twitched in pain, and he raised trembling hands, grasping weakly at the hand that choked him. It was difficult to breathe. Through his blurred vision, he could just make out Kang Tae-eon’s impassive face.

Kang Tae-eon, still holding Lee Shinwoo’s throat, slapped him again with his free hand and then pressed his knee upward. Lee Shinwoo’s groin, already compressed, was crushed against the hard knee.

“Ah… Uh…”

Dark eyes looked down at the writhing body beneath him, observing dispassionately as Lee Shinwoo, momentarily stunned by the violence, began to regain some awareness.

Shock widened Lee Shinwoo’s eyes as they focused on Kang Tae-eon. His white hands, which had instinctively grasped at Kang Tae-eon’s hand in a futile attempt to break free, now trembled helplessly. It had been those pale hands that had first caught Kang Tae-eon’s attention. A smile spread across his face as he observed the tremors spreading through Lee Shinwoo’s slender frame, a body perfectly suited to his taste.

Soon, with his upraised hand, he slapped Lee Shinwoo’s cheeks back and forth. When he figured he’d landed at least thirty blows, Lee Shinwoo burst into tears. Instead of grabbing or pushing away Kang Tae-eon’s hand with his helpless own, he covered his face. Shell-shocked, he appeared to have completely lost his will to fight back. It was the reaction of someone finally, fully grasping the fact that he was being savaged by cruel violence for no reason. It was the reaction of someone realizing that this act was entirely separate from his own will, and that whether it stopped or continued depended solely on Kang Tae-eon’s whim.

Tremors, like wildfire, spread through Lee Shinwoo’s convulsing body. Just then, the hand that had been cutting through the air stopped abruptly in front of Lee Shinwoo’s nose. Lee Shinwoo, who grasped the situation but whose only defense was to cover his face with the back of his arm, groaned. No, it was a sob. Slap—Slap—Slap—Slap—When the sound of mercilessly delivered blows to his cheeks ceased, silence descended. All that remained in the stillness was Lee Shinwoo’s stifled weeping.

The hand that had delivered the violence seized Lee Shinwoo’s crossed wrists in one grip. When those captured arms were forced above his head, his red, swollen face was fully exposed.

“Open your eyes.”

His eyes, weakly shut as if his nerves had given way, showed no sign of opening. Kang Tae-eon would not tolerate this. He immediately increased the pressure of the hand on Lee Shinwoo’s throat.

A choked gasp escaped, and his trembling eyelids fluttered open. Tears welled up and streamed down. Kang Tae-eon’s fingernails raked across Lee Shinwoo’s bright red temples, inflicting another jolt of pain. A small whimper leaked out. Kang Tae-eon remained indifferent, simply waiting. Finally, the tears subsided, and Kang Tae-eon’s face came into focus in Lee Shinwoo’s eyes. Kang Tae-eon, having waited for this moment, pulled his lips into a smile.

“You have two options.”

“…….”

“Either spread your legs willingly and enjoy it somewhat, or get raped and kicked out like a rag, scholarship and all.”

Kang Tae-eon’s gaze, as he asked what Lee Shinwoo would choose, was gentle. It was impossible to imagine that this was the same person who had just moments ago inflicted such brutal violence, the same person who would, without hesitation, unleash that violence again if he didn’t receive a satisfactory answer.

This can’t be a dream.

But the shock Lee Shinwoo had sustained had penetrated him to the bone. In such a short time, so unexpectedly, he’d been struck repeatedly in the same place, rendering him incapable of coherent thought. His head throbbed dully. Even so, the rapidly escalating fear and the searing pain of torn flesh were vividly imprinted on Lee Shinwoo’s mind and body. The sudden, irrational violence had broken his will to resist from the root before feelings of revulsion or humiliation could even surface.

Kang Tae-eon’s hand, hard as stone, pressed against Lee Shinwoo’s throat. The slightest movement would result in Kang Tae-eon’s knee crushing his genitals. His wrists, pinned above his head, felt as if they were impaled on stakes. Above all, there was the warmth of those dark eyes fixed intently on him. That warmth was devoid of any trace of the common decency Lee Shinwoo knew. They were the eyes of a predator who could strangle a person with a smile and feel no remorse.

His taut, swollen cheek finally split, spitting out a droplet of blood. Kang Tae-eon’s hot breath fell upon it. The burning sensation made Lee Shinwoo squirm like an insect. He tried to string his thoughts together, but he couldn’t. His head buzzed as if he were trapped inside a giant bell, and a ringing filled his ears. He couldn’t think straight. No, Kang Tae-eon hadn’t given him the option to think. In the shortest time possible, using the most effective method, he had shattered Lee Shinwoo’s spirit and broken his will. The answer he wanted was clear.

Kang Tae-eon had easily anticipated Lee Shinwoo’s compliance. Any struggle would simply be met with even more brutal violence. He knew all too well how to break a person’s will, how to crush them from the inside out until they begged for mercy with their own lips.

Lee Shinwoo didn’t deviate even an inch from Kang Tae-eon’s expectations.

Seeing Lee Shinwoo blinking and trembling he loosened his grip on his throat. The skin where his breath had touched spasmed, then cracked open, oozing blood. Despite his attempts to control his strength, the barrage of over thirty blows had torn Lee Shinwoo’s flesh. He knew even the slightest touch would now cause excruciating pain, but he hadn’t yet received his answer. Even after his throat was released, Lee Shinwoo couldn’t manage even a cough, only ragged gasps. Kang Tae-eon was starting to find this tantalizing, this pathetic display from such insignificant prey.

“It hurts…”

One of Kang Tae-eon’s eyebrows rose.

“You…didn’t have to do this.”

The words, forced out through a trembling throat, were tinged with despair. Kang Tae-eon silently surveyed the ravaged face, a face that clearly reflected his intentions. His gaze held a renewed interest, a spark of amusement.

Lee Shinwoo, exhausted, stared blankly up at Kang Tae-eon, then his lips twisted into a grimace. Even if you hadn’t done this, I would have chosen the first option. It seemed as though the humiliation of being unable to offer any real resistance, of being reduced to tears, was finally sinking in. Reason, battered and bruised, was slowly returning to his broken body.

Kang Tae-eon, who had been looking down at Lee Shinwoo with venomous eyes, let out a soft sneer. You didn’t have to do this? Despite his confident words, his trembling was intensifying. His body, shaking like a leaf, was faithfully betraying the last vestiges of his self-control.

These types always try to crawl back up if you show them even a little mercy.

It was a judgment born of experience.

And he also knew, all too well, how much more fun it was to torment them.

Lee Shinwoo couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

His face flushed and swollen, he stared blankly at Kang Tae-eon, then dropped his gaze to the floor, more precisely, to the space between Kang Tae-eon’s legs.

What on earth is going on?

Kang Tae-eon had said there was neither time for the bother of using an enema nor a readily available condom to discard. What connection these things had to the current situation, Lee Shinwoo couldn’t comprehend in the slightest. He stared down at Kang Tae-eon’s widely spread thighs, a look of incomprehension on his face, and unconsciously rubbed his lips. Then, with a sharp sting of pain, he abruptly pulled his hand away.

Kang Tae-eon, who watched silently, put a cigarette in his mouth. Once lit, cigarette smoke quickly filled the room. His gaze slowly swept over Lee Shinwoo, impossible to tell whether he was drowsy, bored, or annoyed.

Lee Shinwoo, who flinched as if that gaze were a tongue licking his body, remained unable to resolve his hesitation. Finally, a quiet word fell before him.

“Want some help?”

Lee Shinwoo shook his head, understanding the implied threat of further beating should he continue to hesitate. Without further delay, he crawled towards Kang Tae-eon’s crotch. Kneeling, he settled into position. Black training pants stylishly hugged Kang Tae-eon’s long legs. Thigh muscles bulged beneath the thin fabric. Lee Shinwoo felt only despair. As if wandering, his eyes drifted down to the area below Kang Tae-eon’s navel, between his thick, long thighs when a puff of smoke drifted past his ear.

He felt a cough rising but suppressed it. His neck, still marked with a red handprint, tightened again, the pain resurfacing. It hurt this much just to hold back a cough and swallow his breath. With a sense of dread, Lee Shinwoo looked down at Kang Tae-eon’s groin and moved his dangling hands as if pursued. He felt he would be in serious trouble if he didn’t do something before Kang Tae-eon finished his cigarette. The fear that this time a fist, not a palm, would strike him made it impossible to delay any longer.

His hesitant fingertips grasped the waistband of the pants and pulled them down, revealing the dark flesh beneath. With a look of uncertainty, he stared at it before finally moving his fingers again. He carefully cupped the flesh in both hands; even flaccid, it filled his grasp. The unfamiliar, heavy texture sent an involuntary shiver through him.

“…….”

His skin was strikingly pale. Kang Tae-eon, staring at the cheek so damaged that its original color was lost, took a final drag from his cigarette. As if reacting to the unspoken threat, Lee Shinwoo opened his mouth, then winced and closed it again. Dried blood on his split lip cracked and trickled down. He hastily tried to wipe it away with the back of his hand but stopped, pressing it against his lip instead. A low voice, as pleasant as his handsome features, fell upon Lee Shinwoo.