BSAR Chapter 11

Seojin, with his eyes flickering, noticed another unfamiliar face behind Han Ju-in. Judging by the attire, it seemed to be the manager of this place, the Future Hotel.

It turned out they had used a master key to enter. One might wonder how a 5-star hotel’s security could be so lax, but knowing the background, it wasn’t just the manager to blame.

Especially if one knew that this hotel brand was under the Future Group and that Han Ju-in, who had ordered the door to be opened, was the heir to that very Future Group.

“I’ll call for medical staff right away!”

The manager, who had been staring in horror at the shattered doorknob, finally noticed Seojin slumped on the bathroom floor and urgently declared his intention to provide special medical services.

“We might need to call the police as well.”

Ju-in’s voice, unusually cold, followed. His gaze was fixed on Do-beom, who was clinging to Seojin as if to protect him.

With a face hardened coldly as if ready to throw a punch at the slightest provocation, Ju-in approached Seojin. Stooping down, he forcibly pulled Seojin from Do-beom’s grasp and into his arms.

However, when Seojin let out a small, pained sound at his touch, Ju-in flinched and loosened his grip. Even so, his glare at Do-beom did not waver.

Do-beom, instantly recognizing the fierce hostility directed at him, slightly raised his eyebrows. He curled his lips into a crooked smile and chuckled.

“Consider your thanks received.”

Being entangled with various corporations and business dealings beyond just the Myeongseong Group, Do-beom knew who Ju-in was but didn’t inquire about his relationship with Seojin. He lightly brushed off the accusatory tone.

“You can explain why someone like you was in my friend’s room at the police station.”

Ju-in’s gaze on Do-beom was unmistakably that of someone witnessing a stalker at a crime scene, disregarding any intended help from Do-beom as irrelevant.

The rage seemed about to explode at any moment, but he was forcibly suppressing it, as if he knew all about the actions of the person who had followed Seojin here in a panic.

“Jin-ah, can you stand?”

The voice that had been sharp towards Do-beom was now incredibly gentle towards Seojin. Noticing Seojin’s slight nod, Ju-in’s hardened expression softened.

“I’m sorry for being late.”

The voice was oddly self-reproaching for someone seemingly unaware of the full situation. But Seojin had no time to ponder Ju-in’s suspicious behavior, nor how he appeared here when he was supposed to be abroad.

His body was still feverish, his skin so sensitive it felt like it would scream at the slightest touch. Just suppressing the moans threatening to escape was a feat of immense willpower.

“If you’re in pain, you should’ve told me. Instead of enduring this all alone… Let’s quickly go to the hospital.”

Ju-in murmured with a distressed expression and took off his outer garment to cover Seojin, seemingly wanting to shield him from any external gazes.

Lifting Seojin effortlessly, Ju-in, with a look of annoyance towards Do-beom, who was watching them with a displeased expression, stepped outside. Surprisingly, there was no attempt to stop his steps.

“Your body is so hot…”

As they walked through the hotel corridor, Ju-in noticed the unusual heat emanating from Seojin’s body, caressed his forehead, and expressed his concern.

“Just hold on a little longer. We’ll get to the hospital and start with the examinations…”

“…No.”

Seojin’s voice was weak and whisper-like, insisting on going to the villa in Gyeonggi Province instead. Ju-in hesitated for a moment but then agreed readily. It was a situation that logically demanded dissuasion, yet he didn’t even ask why.

As soon as they got into the back seat of the car waiting in front of the lobby, he instructed his secretary, who was in the driver’s seat, to follow Seojin’s request. He also ordered to have a personal physician on standby, just in case.

Throughout this time, Seojin remained cradled in Ju-in’s arms like a powerless baby, gritting his teeth against the maddening stimuli touching his skin, the pain in his heart, and the suffocating heat.

‘Healing effect… Skinship…’

The only thing his foggy consciousness could cling to was the content of the system message he had seen just before. The blurred vision from his sweat made it impossible to discern whose nape was flickering in front of his eyes, nor was it a moment to delve deep into thought.

‘Recovery… Vampire…’

Seojin, with a dazed gaze, slowly parted his lips while staring at the exposed skin of Ju-in in front of him. Guided by a survival instinct, he buried his face in the other’s nape.

“Uh, Jin-ah… Huh?”

[‘Warmth-Seeking Vampire’ talent is activated.]

Startled by his friend suddenly biting his neck with bared teeth, Ju-in writhed, but Seojin, who had been limp all this time, raised his arms and wrapped them around Ju-in as if to restrain him.

“Stay still… Just a moment, like this…”

The feverish body, the hot breaths, the intermittent moans. All these elements wrapped around Seojin like lethal weapons as he pleaded, making it impossible for Ju-in to ignore his desperate request.

The completely different demeanor from usual also made Ju-in hesitate. It felt like an attempt to endure the pain and agony by any means necessary due to extreme suffering.

Eventually, Ju-in, with wavering eyes, had no choice but to submit his neck quietly. Of course, Seojin didn’t actually have vampire-like long, pointed fangs, so his teeth didn’t really sink into Ju-in’s neck.

“…”

Due to the lack of strength, the touch of lips that couldn’t even make a proper bite mark only served to stimulate the lower body, which had never been touched before, in vain. Ju-in struggled to control his disordered breaths.

[Han Ju-in (Compatibility: Highest)’s affection increased by 1.]

Seojin quickly noticed the excitement spreading oddly on the other side as well. This was because his consciousness had become clearer at some point, allowing him to perceive the current situation more distinctly.

‘…Even I think I’m out of my mind.’

Yet, Seojin didn’t let go. His breathing was becoming more relaxed, and the pain in his heart, along with the unusual heat stirring inside his body, vanished without a trace.

All the external stimuli that seemed to strangle his skin gradually turned into a dull sensation. Therefore, he did not push away the large palm of Ju-in, now gently cradling the back of his head as if he had never been flustered.

The tense nerves calmed down, and the fatigue he had been ignoring hit him hard. Overwhelmed by an unexpected wave of sleepiness, Seojin blinked quietly while still biting Ju-in’s neck.

“If doing this helps even a little… you can do whatever you want.”

Seojin didn’t have the energy left to feel annoyed by Ju-in’s gentle strokes on his head. Slowly relaxing the jaw that had been stubbornly clenching Ju-in’s nape, Seojin’s dry eyes slid shut.

Suddenly, a strange realization flashed through his mind: he was doomed. One thing had become clear from this incident.

To achieve his long-held dream, having a partner with ‘Highest’ compatibility wasn’t just a choice but a necessity.

‘What a headache.’

As Seojin pondered over this troubling conclusion, they quickly arrived at the villa.

After instructing not to let anyone in, Ju-in once again personally carried Seojin to the second-floor bedroom. He then took over all the tasks that the servants were supposed to do, tending to Seojin himself with enthusiasm, as if he was pleased to do so, without showing any sign of hardship during the 12 hours while the penalty persisted.

Whenever Seojin felt thirsty, Ju-in would personally feed him water, and, sensing his desire not to be apart even for a brief moment, would carry him to the kitchen and back in his arms.

It seemed unlikely that even the most loyal servant serving noble royalty in ancient times, or the most devout priests following the word of God, could display such meticulous care and dedication.

Even after Seojin had fully recovered from the aftermath of the penalty, Ju-in didn’t press him about the cause. It was Seojin who brought it up first, sitting at the breakfast table where a slightly late morning meal was prepared.

“Why aren’t you asking anything? You must be curious.”

Ju-in, who was in the midst of cutting a freshly baked croissant into bite-sized pieces for Seojin, paused momentarily.

Lifting his head slowly, he smiled softly at Seojin, whose face seemed even more beautiful, causing the tear mole under his left eye to fold gently as well.

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”

It was a smile as refreshing and harmless as the morning sun. Seojin bit the inside of his cheek lightly at such a submissive response, remembering how he had been fooled by this gentle face even before his regression. Even now, back in the past, he was irritated by not being able to read what was going on in Ju-in’s mind.

“Just ask outright. Don’t go around doing sneaky things behind my back.”

It wasn’t something he should say to a friend who had gratefully stayed by his side all night, attending to his needs. Yet, the sharp words came out involuntarily.

“…Seeing how you dislike meeting doctors, it seems like you’ve already had an examination. Is your condition… very serious?”

But the owner, without any sign of taking offense, asked back with a voice filled with concern. Suddenly, Seojin found himself wanting to see the beautiful face in front of him contorted with distress.

“Yeah. I’m counting my days.”