TELL ME YOU WILL STAY (b×b)

BROKEN THREAD

Some days later

Days had passed since Minwoo had locked Donghyun in the dark room. The once proud and strong detective was now a broken man, trembling with weakness. Every passing day seemed to strip Donghyun of his strength.

Minwoo had wanted this, had craved this moment where Donghyun would be reduced to nothing. But as each day passed, something unexpected began to stir inside him.

Minwoo felt a strange tightness in his chest as he watched Donghyun struggle to hold a cup of water. His hand shook violently, and the cup tipped, spilling most of the liquid onto the floor. Donghyun tried again, this time managing to bring the cup to his lips, but his hands were too weak. Water dribbled down his chin, and he could barely drink enough to satisfy the thirst gnawing at him.

Minwoo’s hand clenched into a fist at his side, the sight of Donghyun’s suffering gnawing at him. I lived hating on him. Minwoo thought bitterly. Then Why does it hurt so much to see him like this?

He took a step back from the mirror, his heart hammered in his chest, and the desire to step into that room and help Donghyun nearly consume him. You wanted this, Minwoo. You wanted him to feel what you felt.

He turned away from the mirror, running his hand through his hair, trying to shake off the strange feeling that had started to build inside him. He couldn’t afford to feel sympathy for Donghyun. He couldn’t afford to care.

In the cage DongHyun's condition was getting worse, physical pain was unbearable but the emotional weight of his action...... I deserve this, he thought over and over again. I deserve every bit of this pain.

But even as he accepted the punishment Minwoo had inflicted upon him, there was still a part of him that wished for something different. He wanted to see Minwoo again, to beg for his forgiveness, but every time his mind wandered to that hope, he remembered the cold look in Minwoo’s eyes when he’d been captured. He remembered the bitterness in Minwoo’s voice when he spoke to him.

It’s too late, Donghyun thought. I can never fix what I’ve done.

Days turned into weeks, the moment of Donghyun’s pain seemed like justice served. But now, as Minwoo watched Donghyun’s condition deteriorate further, his feelings grew conflicted. The flicker of anger that had fueled him for so long started to blur with something he couldn’t name—or don't wanna name.

Minwoo lit a cigarette, taking a long drag, his eyes narrowing as he exhaled the smoke into the dimly lit room. His jaw clenched as he wrestled with the heaviness in his chest. Why does this feel wrong? he thought bitterly. This is what he deserves. He destroyed me. He betrayed me. He made my life a living hell.

Next day

The next day, Minwoo walked into the storage room where his men were preparing the drug dosage for Donghyun. The vials of the substance gleamed under the fluorescent light, cold and clinical. One of the men, a burly figure named Jaemin , looked up when Minwoo entered.

“Boss,” Jaemin said, holding up a syringe.

Minwoo stared at the syringe in Jaemin’s hand, his mind racing. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and firm.

“Lower the dosage,” Minwoo ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Jaemin blinked in confusion. “Lower it? But—”

“Did I stutter?” Minwoo snapped, his sharp gaze cutting through Jaemin.

“N-no, Boss,” Jaemin stammered, quickly adjusting the syringe.

Another man, Youngho, frowned. “If we lower it, he might start regaining strength. Is that what you want?”

Minwoo’s gaze darkened, and he took a step closer to Youngho. “I didn’t ask for your opinion. Do as I say.”

The men exchanged uneasy glances before nodding. Minwoo left the room, his hands shoved into his pockets as his mind churned with thoughts he didn’t want to confront.

The heavy iron door to Donghyun’s room creaked open, and Minwoo stepped inside, his expression guarded as always. Donghyun was sitting on the floor, his back against the cold wall. His face was pale, his lips cracked, and his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Despite his frailty, there was a glimmer of something in his gaze—something desperate yet resolute.

“Minwoo…” Donghyun whispered, his voice raspy. “You’re here again.”he smiled

Minwoo’s jaw tightened. " What are you smiling about you jerk?”Minwoo shifted his attention "I'm here to tell you something" .

Donghyun tilted his head slightly, trying to read Minwoo’s expression. “What is it?”

Minwoo exhaled deeply, stepping closer to him . "You are free to go”

Donghyun’s eyes widened, the words hitting him like a blow. “What?”

“You heard me,” Minwoo said, his tone cold and detached. “You’re free to leave. I’m done with this.”

For a moment, Donghyun couldn’t speak. The flood of emotions—relief, confusion, and something unnameable—left him breathless. “Why?” he finally managed. “Why are you letting me go now?”

Minwoo crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. “Because this… this game we’ve been playing? It’s meaningless now. You’ve suffered enough. And honestly…” He paused, his voice hardening. “I’m tired of seeing your pathetic face every day.”

Donghyun’s lips twitched into a faint smile, though tears began to pool in his eyes. “You hate me that much, huh?”

As Minwoo turned to leave, Donghyun’s voice broke through the silence. “Wait.”

Minwoo stopped but didn’t turn around.

“Either kill me… or forgive me,” Donghyun said, his voice trembling. “I can’t live like this anymore, Minwoo. Knowing what I did to you… knowing the pain I caused you… it’s killing me every day. I can’t move forward unless you… unless you give me an answer.”

Minwoo turned slowly, his face a mask of barely-contained fury. “Forgive you?” he spat. “ You think you deserve forgiveness?”

Donghyun bowed his head, tears streaming down his face. “I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t. But I can’t bear this anymore. I’ll take anything, Minwoo. Your forgiveness, your hatred—just don’t leave me in this limbo. Please.”

Minwoo’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. But the sight of Donghyun, broken and begging, stirred something inside him—a feeling he had spent years trying to bury.

Donghyun suddenly looked up, his eyes widening as if he had just remembered something. “The drugs…” he muttered.

Minwoo raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The drugs in your club,” Donghyun said urgently, his voice gaining strength despite his weakened state. “Minwoo, They’re being used for human trafficking, young girls are being forced into prostitution ”

Minwoo laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “And who told you this bullshit? My club is clean”

Donghyun’s hands gripped the floor while his mind tried to answer,“This can't be it Minwoo, rumors are—”

Minwoo cut him in the middle of conversation "you believed the rumours? "

Minwoo’s eyes blazed with anger. “But you are not ready to believe me?"

Donghyun’s voice cracked as he pleaded, “I do...... You’re better than this, Minwoo. I know you are. The man I… the man I once knew wouldn’t stand for something like this.”

Minwoo stepped closer to the cage, his expression icy. “You don’t get to tell me who I am. Not anymore. I don’t need your pity or your advice.”

Minwoo stared at him for a long moment, his jaw tight and his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. Finally, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room without another word, slamming the door behind him.

Donghyun collapsed back against the wall, his body trembling with exhaustion. He had spoken his truth, laid everything bare, but he wasn’t sure if it had reached Minwoo.

TO BE CONTINUED....