SMS | Chpater 10.1

It felt ridiculously close, almost comical how his opponent’s shoulder bumped into his. In a space as confined as an elevator, there are generally two reasons someone would get so close: first, if they know you, and second, if they are crazy. Mino really hoped it was the former but couldn’t think of anyone who would get this close to him. Then, a breath brushed past his ear—a breath clearly laden with intent. When he stiffly turned his head,

“Ugh!”

His shoulder was seized. The grip was bone-crushing, forcing a groan through his gritted teeth. Mino’s guesses were spot on: it was someone he knew and a madman—Song Junhyuk.

“Hello, sunbae.”

Seeing the familiar face threw Mino’s mood into disarray, but what surprised him next was Junhyuk’s appearance.

Though not exactly his type, Junhyuk was undeniably handsome, objectively speaking. His naturally wavy brown hair, kind-looking eyes, and soft smile were his trademarks, and even during their school days, these features had his hoobaes nicknaming him ‘top of the class’. Even in the scruffy exam periods, he always looked neat and tidy.

Now, however, Junhyuk’s appearance was far from what Mino remembered. His hair was unkempt, his eyes red and baggy, and his lower face rough with stubble.

“What… what’s with your face?”

Mino blurted out, forgetting the seriousness of the situation due to his shock. At that remark, Junhyuk tightened his grip on Mino’s shoulder until the joints turned white with pressure. As Mino’s eyebrows knitted in pain, Junhyuk leaned in close, reeking of alcohol, and whispered,

“Thanks to someone, I haven’t been able to wash for two days. You must have missed me a lot, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw the messages you sent me.”

Junhyuk’s hand aggressively grabbed Mino’s, which was holding his phone. Displayed on the screen was their chat history. Mino couldn’t understand what misunderstanding had occurred. Especially after discovering this morning that Junhyuk had tried to offer his youngest sister as a sacrifice to Chief Jo, Mino’s smiling seemed even more repulsive.

“Let go, you bastard!”

Mino struggled to free himself, but the difference in strength made it difficult. Junhyuk then bit close to Mino’s ear and asked in a shaky voice,

“Were you on your way to me? There’s no reason for you to be out on business today.”

“Let go, I was actually on my way to the post office!”

Yeah right, as if! Unsure what kind of misfortune this was in the company building, Mino desperately hoped the elevator wouldn’t stop before he could detach Junhyuk. Raising his voice, Mino said he was just on his way to the post office, but Junhyuk snatched the envelope Mino was holding and waved it in front of him,

“Look, this is my home address.”

“What? No way—”

Mino’s denial was cut short as he read the envelope. Indeed, it was addressed to Song Junhyuk. Although he didn’t recognize the address, the name there clearly meant it was intended for him.

Manager Ahn hadn’t given any hints, and due to the early leave, Mino hadn’t scrutinized the envelope closely—it was his mistake. If he had noticed earlier, he would have asked Manager Ahn about the documents.

“Since it’s going to my place anyway, might as well bring it there.”

“Are, are you not going to let go?”

“Why? You were planning to come to my place anyway. Mino, I thought I was dying to see you.”

“Get lost, you lunatic! How dare you speak informally to your sunbae?!”

Harsh words spilled out uncontrollably. Mino sounded like an old grouch. His tail stepped on, Mino flared up like an angered cat, which seemed to deeply impress Junhyuk, who with a satisfied exclamation, pressed the emergency button to stop the elevator.

“Resisting, huh? I like that too. It’s even more fun when you behave well, right?”

“You know I’m only tolerating this because we’re at the company. Stop it.”

“Right, you should hold back. I don’t care about this place, but you do. Mino, if you raise your voice here, I’ll shout it out in the lobby. I’ll expose you as a pervert.”

Here we go again! Mino’s eyes widened in a similar manner to when he had been threatened in the smoking area of a bar.

“Got any proof? Without it, you’re the only madman here.”

Back then, he hadn’t been able to retort, but thinking about it now, Junhyuk had no evidence that Mino was a pervert. They hadn’t played together, and he had only just recently tried something similar with Dohoon. So spreading rumors without material proof would only be a waste of Junhyuk’s efforts.

As Mino retorted confidently, Junhyuk’s lips twisted.

“Fine, then how about Dohwa Animal Hospital? There’s plenty of evidence there. Wonder how filthy you’ve been.”

Mino’s sharp expression crumbled in an instant. Junhyuk knew about Dohoon’s hospital. He had forgotten about that. On the day Junhyuk had chased him with an umbrella, he and Dohoon had run into each other. They must have known each other then, probably through their roles as dominants.

While they hadn’t played or had a relationship offline, Mino had heard and seen a lot online. Typically, dominants separate their daily lives from their player personas. Dohoon appeared very meticulous about distinguishing between lovers and partners. That Dohoon’s safe everyday life had been exposed was ultimately because of him.

“That kid graduated from a good school. Wouldn’t it be fun if his alumni knew?”

Mino’s pupils wavered, much to Junhyuk’s delight. He continued speaking, amused by Mino’s increasingly pale face. Almost immediately, Junhyuk brought up the ‘seonsaeng-nim’ issue, which was also annoying him. He rubbed his rough chin against Mino’s cheek and lazily asked,

“What do you think about the hospital failing? Wouldn’t that be fun? Or should we turn it into a club? I’ll show you where Dohoon, or whatever his name is, used to hang out. How about it? Wanna see?”

The rough texture of Dohoon’s beard on his cheek was so unpleasant that Mino felt like vomiting. Being sexually assaulted in a confined space was something Mino had fantasized about, but having Junhyuk as the perpetrator made it unbearable. Yet, he couldn’t show his displeasure, for Dohoon might be in danger—all because of him.

“…Don’t do that.”

His voice trembled pitifully at the end. Mino clenched his fist powerlessly. He wanted to hit back, he could hit back, but he couldn’t. The weapon Junhyuk held was too powerful—it was Dohoon’s life. A life Dohoon had built in defiance of a perfect family. He couldn’t bear to see it ruined because of him.

“Ah, this is so annoying…”

Mino passively resisted, careful not to aggravate Junhyuk further, but even that was enough to infuriate Junhyuk. Until just moments ago, Mino had been irritable, but now his vigor seemed to have waned—it wasn’t an illusion.

What’s that guy got over me? I’ve watched you longer than he has. This moment was shittier than the rotten two days at the police station.

“You quiet down when I bring him up, huh? I’d spread you even here if I could.”

“…Don’t.”

“What? Don’t spread you? Heh.”

Junhyuk deliberately used vulgar language to torment Mino.

“Don’t touch the seonsaeng-nim, you trash.”

“It turns me on. Fucking turns me on and pisses me off. You’re dead today.”

Expecting to see pride wounded and eyes reddened, Junhyuk found Mino’s face only pale and cool. The frustration of not getting the desired reaction from Mino, yet the thrill of breaking him down, gave Junhyuk a perverse pleasure.

“Junhyuk, lose your shit at me. It’s not like it involves the seonsaeng-nim.”

Was he planning some noble sacrifice to save his lover? Junhyuk scoffed. Soon, that expressionless face would be covered in spit and fluids, crying for more. Certainly, he’d be better than the ‘seonsaeng-nim’. Mino was a thorough pervert, excited by being thoroughly trampled on.

Junhyuk pressed the emergency button on the elevator again, and the halted elevator began to move once more.

“What do you care? Why do I look like this? That bastard had me thrown in jail, Mino. There, all I did was imagine fucking you up.”

“That’s because you—”

How dare he defend Dohoon in front of me, Mino was too naive for his own good. But that would make it all the more fun. The toys he’d played with before were nothing compared to this.

“Sunbae, you’re really stupid.”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing. What would you do if I got pissed off and started spreading around that Dohoon is a pervert? His mom’s a pastor, or was it his dad?”

Based on the facts Junhyuk had learned, he blackmailed Mino, whose lips clamped shut. How pale had he turned? Should he strip him right here and put him on a leash to crawl on all fours? Then all the white and red spots would be exposed. Maybe during his time at the police station, that bastard had marked his territory.

A surge of anger rose but it didn’t matter. In the end, he would win. The ‘seonsaeng-nim’ could inflict only shallow wounds that would disappear in a few days. If he could inflict deep wounds, even if things didn’t go as planned, neither the ‘seonsaeng-nim’ nor Mino could continue their relationship. Having another dom’s marks on his sub was the shittiest thing possible.

That’s why he was feeling so shitty now. Thinking another male had marked his property made him seethe from head to toe.

“…Lead the way. Wherever you want to get fucked. I’ll set your manners straight today.”

Junhyuk followed Mino, who had moved towards the opening doors, and smirked disgustingly. He wanted to force that barely punctured hole open and shove his fist in. If he rendered the hole unusable, the look on Dohoon’s face would be worth seeing.

He’d take thousands of pictures and plaster them all over Dohoon’s hospital. What if he covered the glass windows with pictures of Mino being violated?

Despite his outward calm, Mino’s fingertips trembled. Delightful thoughts continued endlessly as Junhyuk watched him.

***

“Go where you want to be hit? There’s no such place.” Mino gathered his last vestiges of defiance and aimlessly wandered around the company premises. He hoped to delay things even a bit, but his shallow tactics failed as soon as Junhyuk’s patience shattered.

“Ha, you want to entertain guests in the park restroom? Fancy being tied to a toilet?”

Holding Mino by the scruff of his neck, Junhyuk showed him an app used by dominants, the screen filled with posts looking for submissive partners. Dates varied, but the numerous comments hinted at a daunting prospect. Being violated by strangers was a nightmare. Mino valued his insignificant life and couldn’t trust unknown men.

Frozen and unable to respond, Mino listened as Junhyuk, with a smirk, threatened him.

“Quit your silly tricks and get in my car. We’ll punch in the address there. I’ll take you myself.”

The voice was disgustingly sweet. Mino had roamed near the company hoping someone would spot him and intervene.

But there was no reason for colleagues to be loitering around during work hours. Plus, Junhyuk had reasons for tolerating Mino’s antics—he had parked nearby. His car was at a parking lot attached to the park, effectively concluding their “game.”