The name struck Kiyonari with the force of a blade. His fingers slowly curled into a tight fist at his side. Although his expression remained outwardly controlled, a vein pulsed visibly along his temple, throbbing beneath the surface of his skin as anger threatened to break free. Yet he said nothing.
Wukyeong stepped closer, noticing the shift in Kiyonari's demeanor. He reached out and gently patted the man's shoulder in an attempt to calm him.
"We'll get him," he said reassuringly. "Don't worry."
Then his tone turned more serious again.
"But we can't rush things," he added. "Not when everything's already a mess here. We'll need a proper plan it we want to rescue Mr. Je and take down all of 'em at once."
Kiyonari didn't answer right away. He simply turned his gaze making it clear that he had already made up his mind. Though the look alone was enough to show that he was already prepared to see it through.
*****
On the other side of the building, chaos quietly spread across every floor as the men continued their research. Groups split off at every corridor, their footsteps echoing in hurried patterns as they checked rooms, stairwells, and blind corners. Their movements were methodical, but urgency had begun to seep into their coordination.
It's no longer a mere searching, but rather chasing.
And beyond their line of sight, Soo-hyun ran.
He pushed his body forward with everything he had, his breaths sharp and controlled despite the lingering strain in his chest. Every turn he took was calculated and step carried risk. Heading straight for the emergency stairs would have been the most obvious escape route.
That alone made it dangerous. The guards would prioritize those exits first. It was too predictable.
The elevator was no better. A confined space, slow-moving and easily trapped. Some men headed their way there. If he stepped into one, he would surely be cornered with no way out.
So instead if going down—he chose to go up; the rooftop.
If he could reach it, he might gain a vantage point... or at the very least, time.
Soo-hyun sprinted down the sixth floor corridor, his footsteps light but urgent against the carpet. The hallway stretched ahead of him, lined with identical doors and dim lighting that cast long shadows along the walls. He was just about to turn left when voices echoed ahead.
Those men chasing him.
Without hesitation, Soo-hyun darted to the side and pressed himself into the narrow space behind a protruding wall corner, holding his breath as two figures came into view.
"Hey, have you seen Do Wukyun?" One of the men asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
The other turned his head slightly. "No, I didn't," he replied. "Why?"
"I suddenly couldn't reach him," the first man said, pulling out his phone as if to check again. "Some guys saw him earlier escorting a guest to the third floor, but that was it. I tried calling him... he hasn't answered since."
The second man let our a small scoff. "Nah, man. Wukyun's probably just off somewhere smoking. You know how he is when he gets bored."
He waved a hand dismissively. "Give him a break, will you?"
The first man sighed, clearly unconvinced but unwilling to argue further. "Whatever."
Their footsteps gradually faded as they continued down the hall.
Soo-hyun remained still for a moment longer, listening carefully until the sound completely disappeared. Only then did he step out from his hiding place, his movements cautious but quick.
Do Wukyun...
His mind briefly lingered on the name.
He's escorting a guest... third floor.
The pieces didn't fully connect yet, but something about it felt important.
He pushed the thought aside for now. Survival comes first.
Soo-hyun glanced around the hallway one last time, making sure no one else was nearby. Once he confirmed the path was clear, his brisk pace immediately shifted back into a sprint.
I should be able to find the stair exit here.
He moved faster, his body responding more smoothly than before. The earlier heaviness that had weighted down his limbs was gone, or at least, significantly reduced. The strange dizziness that had clouded his senses earlier caused by a drug, had begun to fade, replaced by a sharper awareness of his surroundings.
The memory surfaced quickly; the handkerchief Dongchan forced over his face from before, had been soaked in a drug. It was strong enough to suppress movement to dull resistance and leave a person barely able to function properly.
It was meant to paralyze him. And for a while, it almost had.
But Soo-hyun had fought through it. Every step and movement had been forced through sheer will. Now, as the effects weakened, his body felt much lighter, and faster. Not completely recovered but was enough to make him move and run.
He reached the stairwell door at the end of the corridor, his hand shooting out toward the handle. Just a few more steps... freedom was within reach.
But the moment his fingers brushed the handle, the door swung open from the other side.
[!!]
Soo-hyun froze.
A figure stood there. Blocking the path completely. Slowly, Soo-hyun lifted his gaze.
And his heart dropped. Standing before him with an expression darkened by irritation, was Kwon Jisung.
The man's presence alone felt suffocating as if the air itself had grown heavier. His posture was rigid, his gaze sharp and unforgiving as if locked onto Soo-hyun. A vein pulsed visibly along his temple, threatening to snap at any second.
He clenched his jaw, teeth grinding audibly as his patience wore thin.
"You've really done it now," Jisung said, his voice low but laced with restrained anger.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I was being nice to you, Soo-hyun."
Soo-hyun instinctively staggered a step backward, his breath catching as the sight of Kwon Jisung shattered whatever momentum he had built. The timing was too precise and sudden.
Of all places and moments for him to appear right at the stairwell... it was as if fate itself had turned against him. The fragile outline of his escape plan crumbled in an instant, slipping through his fingers before he could even react.
His brows drew together tightly, anger quickly overthrowing the initial shock.
"Since when?" Soo-hyun demanded, his voice sharp despite the tension coiling in his chest. "You kidnapping me and selling me off at an auction—is that what you call being nice?"
Jisung let out a low mocking snicker, the sound dripping with arrogance. "That's me being considerate," he replied, tilting his head slightly as if amused. "You should be grateful. I didn't put a collar on you or let them do whatever they wanted to you down there."
A flicker of disgust crossed Soo-hyun's face.
"You shameless bastard..." He hissed, his voice laced with venom.
"C'mon," Jisung said casually, stepping forward as if this were nothing more than an inconvenience. He reached out, aiming to grab Soo-hyun's arm. "Don't make this harder than it already is."
But the moment his fingers brushed against Soo-hyun's skin, he recoiled sharply. Twisting his body away from the touch as if burned, his eyes snapped back to Jisung, glaring with raw hatred. No fear nor hesitation, and only defiance.
That look alone was enough to irritate him.
"Tsk!"
Jisung clicked his tongue, annoyance flashing across his face. "Why do you keep acting like a bitch?" He snapped, his tone losing its earlier mockery and turning harsh. He reached out again, more forcefully this time, trying to seize Soo-hyun before he could react.
"It won't kill you to be obedient for once, you stupid Omega!"
But this time, Soo-hyun was ready.
*****
Instead of retreating blindly, he stepped back with intent, creating just enough distance and time. His body shifted subtly, weight redistributing onto one leg as his eyes locked onto Jisung's movement.
Then he moved in one swift and fluid motion. Soo-hyun twisted his body, pivoting sharply on his foot as his leg shot upward in a precise arc, a high kick. It landed clean.
The impact was sharp and explosive as his foot connected squarely with Jisung's face. The force snapped Jisung's head to the side, his body thrown off balance instantly. For a split second, he looked weightless like the ground had been pulled out from under him, before he staggered and crashed down onto the floor
[!!]
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Jisung lay there, momentarily stunned, pain spreading across his skull like something cracking open from the inside.
"W-What the fuck?!" He spat, disbelief written all over his face as he struggled to process what had just happened.
He didn't expected that. Not from Soo-hyun, someone he had already written off as defenseless.
Yes, indeed his kick was as impressive as his posture. Despite his petite and small frame, Soo-hyun was a black belt in taekwando and won every competition since he was ten years old.
Although this was hidden to the public, and only people within the circle of the Je family knows, merely of the reason that Min-kyung thought it's an embarrasment and a disgrace to an Omega from an elite family.
So, it typically became Soo-hyun's secret, yet it always came handy in this kind of situation and when not on any drug or under influence.
Jisung slowly pushed himself up from the ground, one hand bracing against the floor as he lifted his head. His expression twisted into something darker, anger bleeding into every feature as his eyes locked onto Soo-hyun.
His teeth gritted together audibly. And the way he looked at him now was no longer dismissively. It was furious.
Jisung slowly rose to his feet, his movements stiff but fueled by growing anger. He rolled his jaw once, before spitting lightly to the side. The metallic taste lingered on his tongue. When he brought his fingers up to his lips, they same away smeared with blood.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at it, the deep, ruby red staining his skin. Then a crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Instead of anger alone, something darker surfaced, amusement and offended pride... the kind that demanded retaliation.
A sharp scoff escaped him.
He squared his shoulders, his stance shifting as his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The air around him grew tense, his posture coiling like a spring ready to snap.
Then, without warning he lunged forward. His arm swung with brute force, aiming straight for Soo-hyun's stomach, fast, aggressive, and meant to crush whatever resistance remained.
But Soo-hyun reacted just in time.
He ducked slightly, his body folding inward as his arms came up instinctively to shield his abdomen.
"Urgh—!"
The impact still landed hard.
The forcd drove into his guard, sending a dull shock through his arms and into his core. Pain rippled through him but he held his ground, refusing to collapse under it.
Jisung's smirk widened. To him, it was almost laughable.
In his mind, this fight was already decided. Omegas were weaker, fragile, and delicately built to yield rather than fight. That belief had been ingrained into him for years, reinforced by everything he had seen and been told.
No matter how defiant Soo-hyun acted and how much he struggled, Jisung was certain the outcome would remain the same.
He had the advantage. He would win.
Stupid bitch! If you just listened and obeyed like the good Omega you are, I might've considered being more nice to you.
But this kind of thought is stupid. Because if there was anyone who could shatter that assumption, it was the very person standing in front of him.
All stereotypes surrounding Omegas had existed for generations, shaping how they were perceived and treated. Yet, there were always exceptions and individuals who refused to fit into that mold.
Because they have proven themselves to be equal to anyone. Soo-hyun was one of them.
Years of training and countless victories earned through skill, even hard work, had forged that beneath his delicate exterior was someone who knew exactly how to fight and win.
Soo-hyun took a step back in preparation. His footing steadied, balance aligning perfectly as his eyes locked into Jisung's movements. Then, in a single fluid motion, he moved again.
He caught Jisung's arms and locked it with his.
Before Jisung could react, Soo-hyun pivoted, twisting his opponent's arm and turning his back to him while pulling the captured arm downward with precise force. The motion was sharp and controlled, leveraging balance rather than brute strength.
Jisung's footing gave out instantly.
What the...?!
His body lurched forward, thrown off center as he stumbled and then slammed onto the floor. The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
Before he could recover, Soo-hyun tightened his grip and wrenched his arm further, applying pressure at an angle that sent a surge of pain straight through Jisung's shoulder.
It felt like it might snap.
"Kurgh!..."
[...]
A strained sound escaped Jisung's throat as his body tensed against the hold.
Soo-hyun didn't stop there.
He shifted his weight and brought his foot down, pressing firmly against the side of Jisung's head, forcing it against the floor. The added pressure pinned him completely, leaving no room to move without worsening the pain.
Jisung's breath hitched.
My arm!... this fucking Omega!
A low, involuntary whimper slipped out as he struggled, his free arm flailing uselessly against the ground. He tried to twist to break free, but every movement only intensified the stain on his shoulder.
He was trapped helplessly.
The power had shifted.
Soo-hyun stood over him, unmoving. His expression cold as he looked down at the man writhing beneath him. There was no hesitation in his stance, no trace of the weakness Jisung had assumed he possessed.
And the quiet undeniable proof that he was not someone to be underestimated.
"What's wrong?" Soo-hyun said, tone low and mocking. "You look like you're having a hard time processing everything."
"Ugh—you... fucking... bitch!"
The corners of Soo-hyun's lips curled upward and a low mocking snicker escaped.