𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 || 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄/𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐍

Chapter Six

The first hour was okay. His stomach was full, the room was warm, and he even had something like a plan.

Wonwoo was relieved and a bit surprised by the punishment Mingyu had chosen for him. He had expected worse. He had been a little apprehensive when he devised the plan to get caught in the act, but it all went seamlessly. Mingyu had bought it. Now that the guy was assured of his own superiority and cleverness, assured that he could see right through Wonwoo, it would be easier to soften him up and lull him into a false sense of security. Wonwoo felt a pang of shame before reminding himself not to be silly. Kim Mingyu was a criminal. Men like him deserved nothing less. Besides, it wasn't like he was planning to kill the guy or something. He just wanted to save himself. He just wanted to go home. That was all.

The second hour was harder, and the third hour was worse. He was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. His knees were sore from kneeling on the floor for so long and his arms and shoulders were starting to ache.

The fourth hour made it clear why Mingyu had chosen such a seemingly soft punishment. Wonwoo's entire body ached from the stiff position he was forced to maintain, his feet were asleep, and his neck and back hurt pretty badly. Wonwoo had to remind himself that this was the plan. He had to be "punished" and accept his punishment for the Russian to think he was beaten into submission—so to speak.

But he almost gave up by the end of the fifth hour. His eyelids kept closing, he was exhausted, his bruised ribs still aching from the beating he had received a few days ago, and he wanted to sleep so much it was a physical effort not to.

The clock on the wall seemed to be mocking him by marking time ever so slowly. Minutes dragged. Time crawled by at such a snail's pace that he wondered whether the clock had stopped working. Wonwoo kept himself awake only by imagining creative ways to torture and kill Mingyu. The bastard was probably sleeping like a baby right now in a soft, comfy bed, not a care in the world. Wonwoo couldn't feel his limbs anymore.

By six in the morning, he became vaguely aware that his face was wet from tears running down his cheeks. Everything hurt, and he just wanted to curl into himself and finally pass out.

He realized that he was no longer alone only when a pair of strong hands pulled him up by the shoulders. Wonwoo's legs gave out. He couldn't move, his feet still asleep and his entire body hurting. He cried, hiding his wet face in the man's wide shoulder.

"Shh," said a gentle, low voice, long fingers stroking his hair. "You did well."

A part of Wonwoo's dizzy, sleep-deprived brain screamed at him to stop clinging like a baby to the asshole who'd done this to him, but it felt very distant and unimportant. This felt good—the hands felt good—and he was so, so tired.

Sniffling into Mingyu's shoulder, he let the man lift him and carry. Any other day, Wonwoo would have told him to fuck off. But he was exhausted, sleep-deprived, and hurting all over.

"I can't," Wonwoo whispered, close to tears again. He was so, so tired. He wanted...God, he just wanted to close his eyes and be taken care of.

"Just relax," Mingyu said, dropping Wonwoo on the mattress and said, "Your clothes are dirty and you stink a little."

Wonwoo blinked up at him blearily. "Of course they stink," he mumbled. "Your goons didn't let me wash them. I have nothing else."

Mingyu's lips pressed together. Between one blink and another, he was gone.

Wonwoo's eyelids had already closed when he was shaken awake. He protested, turning onto his stomach and hugging his soft, perfect pillow.

"You will sleep after you change," a familiar, hated voice said.

"Uh huh," Wonwoo mumbled into his pillow.

He heard some swearing in Russian, but his mind was half-asleep and couldn't translate it.

"Blya, eto mne chto li nado, (Damn, is this what I need?) " Mingyu said, his tone irritated, before he pulled Wonwoo up into a sitting position and undressed him quickly. Wonwoo didn't open his eyes, only vaguely aware of being forced into something long and soft. It smelled good.

He was all but shoved face down on the bed, but then a gentle hand stroked his hair. "Sleep."

"Uh huh," Wonwoo muttered before hugging his pillow and falling into a deep, untroubled sleep.