When Sungyeol woke up, he was sitting on a chair. At first he didn’t understand why he was so uncomfortable, but then he realized that his hands were tied behind the chair’s back, his feet also tied in place. The chair was made of metal and was somehow fastened to the floor. Sungyeol looked around in confusion, stopping when he arrived at a black couch in one of the corners of the little, dimly lit room with no windows. On the couch, his arms folded, sat Myungsoo, a grim look on his face.

“Myungsoo-ah!” Sungyeol exclaimed, feeling relief wash over him at the sight of his friend. “What’s going on? Why am I tied to a chair?”

“Do you still not realize what this is?” Myungsoo said, his voice hollow.

“What do you mean?” Sungyeol asked, an uncomfortable feeling creeping into his chest.

“This is you being kidnapped,” Myungsoo informed him.

“Kidnapped?” Sungyeol asked, extremely confused. “By whom?”

“By me, obviously.”

Sungyeol just stared at Myungsoo for what seemed like hours. What’s he saying?

“Speak some sense, would you?” he said.

“I am. You’ve been kidnapped. By me.”

“Ok, game’s over,” Sungyeol retorted finally. “This isn’t funny any more. Actually, this wasn’t funny to start with.”

“This isn’t a joke, Lee Sungyeol,” Myungsoo said harshly. “This is me kidnapping you.”

“Stop kidding,” Sungyeol insisted, starting to feel more than a bit uncomfortable now. “It’s not funny. Let me go already.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. And I’m being totally honest. I’m not kidding.”

“Of course you’re kidding. Why would my best friend kidnap me?”

“Are you incapable of piecing two and two together? Why do you think I befriended you? Because I actually liked you?”

Sungyeol gazed at Myungsoo, too shocked to reply. He must be dreaming. This must be some horrible sort of nightmare.

“I befriended you so I could earn your trust. To make it easier to kidnap you without any fuss. And it was so much easier than I thought it would be. You really are too gullible.”

Sungyeol stared in horror at what must indeed be his worst nightmare. Myungsoo rose from the couch and silently walked towards him. In his hand was a white handkerchief and something that looked like a sock.

“Do you believe me yet?” he asked, staring darkly at Sungyeol as he hovered over him. His eyes were a totally different brown now: they were lifeless and cold.

“I – I don’t know what to think,” Sungyeol stuttered. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re being kidnapped, for the hundredth time. Or should I say being kept as hostage? Your father has some information that my people find very… desirable. I’m sure he would want his precious son back, and probably wouldn’t mind sharing some secrets in order to make sure that he comes home unscathed.” Myungsoo smiled cruelly.

A sudden burst of panic flooded over him, and Sungyeol screamed at the top of his lungs. Myungsoo seemed to have been expecting that, for he immediately stuffed the sock inside Sungyeol’s mouth and placed the handkerchief over his mouth, tying it behind his head, making it impossible for Sungyeol to make any loud sounds.

Sungyeol stared in horror at the boy who he had thought was his new best friend as he patted him on the head. “Now, now. Don’t panic. As long as you’re a good boy, you won’t be harmed.”

-

Sungyeol felt completely lost. There was just no way that this was happening to him. There was no way that his new best friend had suddenly kidnapped him. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening.

And yet here he was, sitting on a hard, metal chair with ropes around his hands and a sock in his mouth. It clearly didn’t look like any friendly tea party.

Myungsoo was sitting on the black couch by the corner, quietly reading a book. From time to time he would glance up and gaze at Sungyeol with cold eyes, as if checking that Sungyeol was behaving himself properly.

This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.

Sungyeol was trying to convince himself of that, but he was slowly starting to lose hope. If this really was a dream, he should have woken up by now. Nightmares shouldn’t last this long; he was sure of it.

But then that means… that Myungsoo… kidnapped me.

The idea was just too farfetched to even begin to grasp.

He kidnapped me…

-

Watching Sungyeol’s shocked face was one of the worst things Myungsoo had experienced in a while. When Sungyeol finally seemed to realize that this was, in fact, reality, he looked so astonished that Myungsoo wouldn’t have been surprised had Sungyeol fainted. He didn’t faint though. He just kept staring at Myungsoo with those big and puppy dog-like eyes, the hurt he felt written plainly on his face. He seemed so utterly speechless and bewildered that Myungsoo wanted to walk over to him and his hair to assure him that everything would be al right. He clearly couldn’t do that though.

-

After what seemed like hours to Sungyeol, a tall man with a suit entered the small room. His hair was cut short, his expression stiff and unreadable.

“Boss has received notice that you have fulfilled your mission?”

“Yes, hyung-nim,” Myungsoo said, quickly rising from the couch to stand in an upright manner, his head raised. “The target has been captured, as requested.”

“So this is the boy?” the man with the buzz-cut mused, regarding Sungyeol with something like mild curiosity.

“Yes, hyung-nim,” Myungsoo confirmed, bowing his head once. 

“Was he as easy to capture as I assumed he would be?” Buzz-cut asked, smiling mockingly as he looked Sungyeol straight in the eye.

Myungsoo remained silent for a moment, pursing his lips. Then, “Yes, hyung-nim.”

Sungyeol finally realized that this was indeed reality. Harsh, cruel, backstabbing reality.

-

When his tall hyung-nim came into the room, Myungsoo couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. He had performed his mission perfectly. So what would happen now? Would they take Sungyeol somewhere else? Would they hurt him? Myungsoo clenched his hand at the thought.

“Was he as easy to capture as I assumed he would be?” the tall man asked, sounding amused.

It bothered Myungsoo that Sungyeol had to witness this. Witness Myungsoo having to obey these people. “Yes, hyung-nim.”

In the corner of his eye, Myungsoo saw Sungyeol flinch ever so slightly.

“That is indeed funny!” the tall man barked, taking a couple of steps toward Sungyeol, who was quivering slightly by now, his big eyes looking terrified.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. No one will harm you unless you misbehave,” the man said, Sungyeol’s hair in mock-assurance. He then brought his hand to Sungyeol’s cheek and pinched it hard, startling the captured boy so much that he actually fell backwards – still tied to the chair – and hit the floor with a loud thud. Myungsoo saw at once that Sungyeol had hit his head. His superior seemed to find Sungyeol’s fall immensely amusing, for he just stood there and laughed his harsh laugh, his hands clutching his stomach.

Myungsoo rushed over to Sungyeol and pulled him and the chair back up into a standing position. Sungyeol remained silent, but his brows were knit in obvious pain. Myungsoo felt a stab of anger towards his superior.

“What is the plan from here on and out?” Myungsoo inquired between clenched teeth.

“Well, considering the fact that this is some pretty heavy information the old fool is guarding, I don’t assume he’s going to give it up in a matter of seconds, even for his son. The target will probably have to stay here for a certain amount of time, until we know for sure that his father will speak up.”

“What do you mean ‘stay here’?”

“I mean exactly that. He’ll have to stay here, as a hostage of course.”

“Then who is going to guard him?”

“Isn’t that pretty obvious?” And his superior pointed to Myungsoo. “You.”

Myungsoo stared at his sunbae, feeling surprised for the first time that day. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Bu-but. I already… I-“ I can’t be here with Sungyeol now that he knows the truth. He hates me now.

“I didn’t expect this from you, L. Are you protesting? Going against orders? You of all people?” The tall man stared at Myungsoo as if challenging him to defy him.

“O-of course not, hyung-nim. I was just surprised. Of course I would be honored to do anything that would serve Boss.”

“Good. I knew you were a good and loyal kid.” And he ruffled Myungsoo’s hair roughly, looking at him with something akin to affection. “We raised you well.”

Myungsoo bowed, feeling awed at having gotten such a compliment. “Thank you, hyung-nim.”