I need you to know who beat me up—
The words echoed in Joshua’s mind as the toaster popped, pulling him out of his thoughts. He reached over, turning it off and placing the toast on his plate.
He was trying to put together a simple breakfast before getting ready for his best friend’s wedding, but James’s message haunted him, lingering like a shadow he couldn’t shake.
Joshua’s movements were mechanical, his mind elsewhere. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t focus on anything other than James’s words.
The pit in his stomach grew tighter, his nerves fraying with each passing minute. His mind was a chaotic mess, unable to escape the nagging thoughts that kept pulling him back to James.
Everything else faded into the background, leaving him teetering on the edge.
Who was it?
Who had made James suffer like that?
And why was Joshua so fixated on it?
Why did he need to know?
The questions spun in his mind, each one more suffocating than the last. Should he tell Seokmin about this?
A part of him felt like he should, but another part—a darker, more conflicted part—held him back.
He couldn’t understand his own emotions. Joshua finished his breakfast quickly, barely tasting it, his mind racing. As he got dressed, his thoughts continued to whirl.
All he wanted was for Saturday to come quickly, and yet, at the same time, he found himself hoping that day would never arrive.
"Where are you going?" Seungcheol’s voice broke the silence as he looked up from his seat, eyes narrowing as he watched Seokmin grab his keys, heading toward the door.
"Joshua," Seokmin replied curtly, not bothering to stop, but Seungcheol’s gaze remained fixed on him.
"Can you just let the boy breathe? Ever since he confessed, it’s like you’ve been glued to him. You’re setting yourself up for heartbreak, Seokmin. Stop before this attachment chains you down," Seungcheol interrupted, his words slipping out before he could think twice.
Seokmin halted in his tracks, turning sharply. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped, irritation bubbling to the surface.
Seungcheol didn’t flinch. "Did you take down those ridiculous cameras yet? Did you stop shadowing him with bodyguards?"
Seokmin went quiet, his jaw tightening.
"It’s for protection," Seokmin muttered, his voice barely audible.
"Protection?" Seungcheol scoffed. "Or are you just terrified that one day you’ll wake up to find Joshua’s been a spy, a traitor, just like Yeosang?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room like a blade.
Seokmin stilled, the accusation hitting him hard, freezing him in place. He didn’t move. He couldn’t. The past, the fear—it all came rushing back at once, gripping him like a vice.
The silence between them grew heavy, a palpable tension that neither of them could ignore. Seokmin’s fingers clenched around his keys, knuckles turning white as Seungcheol’s words dug deeper into his mind.
"Seokmin," Seungcheol’s voice softened, but there was still an edge to it. "I get it. What happened with Yeosang—it changed you. But Joshua’s not him. You can’t live like this, waiting for someone to betray you."
Seokmin’s breath came out in shallow, uneven bursts. His heart pounded in his chest, fear and anger swirling inside him.
He wanted to yell, to lash out, to defend his actions. But instead, he stood there, frozen.
YOU ARE READING
Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
