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In the dim warmth of an upscale bistro, with candlelight flickering over polished mahogany, Sungjin waited at a table tucked into a shadowed corner. Dating wasn’t his thing, well, not anymore. The idea of love, true connection, those notions had grown stale over time. Tonight, however, felt different. A glimmer of possibility lingered, the chance for something more. And if it didn’t work out… Well, he had a backup plan.
Just an hour earlier, he was in an alley, fingers slick with blood, wiping his gloves meticulously while double-checking that every scrap of evidence was gone. He knelt down, peering into the lifeless eyes of his newest victim, a young man who had just pleaded for mercy. Sungjin could still hear the eerie echoes of the man's voice, stammering out, "Please, I don't understand why you’re doing this.
Sungjin had leaned close, the cold glint of his knife reflecting in the man’s terrified eyes. “It's not personal," he had whispered, a calm menace threading his voice. "But the way you fought back, it could’ve been cleaner.”
The man had choked on his sobs, eyes flicking from the blade to Sungjin’s impassive face. “You’re a monster.”
Sungjin had simply smiled, glancing at his watch. “A monster with a reservation to keep.” He plunged the knife in with deliberate precision, feeling the last twitch of resistance drain away before he wiped the blade clean and slipped into the shadows.
Now, seated across from Younghyun in the bistro, he fought back the dark thrill still lingering in his blood. He’d stashed his gear, cleaned up, and rushed to meet Younghyun, concealing the last traces of adrenaline behind a charming smile.
“Hi,” Younghyun greeted him with an easy grin as he sat. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was brutal.”
Sungjin’s smile didn’t waver, though a part of him was still back in the alley, reliving those final moments of his victim's life flashing away from his eyes. “Perfectly fine.” he replied smoothly, though he knew he’d been just as close to being late himself.
The conversation flowed effortlessly once they’d ordered, and Sungjin found himself entertained by Younghyun’s quick wit as he spoke about his work, deadlines, and his latest project—a psychological thriller about a killer, which caught Sungjin’s attention.
“You’re pretty good at imagining the details, then?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “The mechanics and all?”
Younghyun laughed. “I’d say I’m alright. But it’s all imagination, no real experience to speak of.”
“Interesting,” Sungjin murmured, leaning in, his voice low. “I know a bit about that myself.”
“Oh?” Younghyun’s curiosity was piqued.
“Sure. Part of my sideline job. I’m a butcher,” Sungjin said, savoring the word.
Younghyun’s eyes lit up with fascination. “A butcher. So you know all about… cutting things properly?”
Sungjin chuckled, feeling the eerie thrill of his earlier memory seep into his tone. “There’s an art to it, believe me. Ways to slice without spilling too much blood, or, when needed, making sure it all drains quickly.” He watched Younghyun’s reaction. “Ever thought about that?”
Younghyun blinked before laughing. “God, that’s dark, isn’t it?”
“Just a little,” Sungjin shrugged. “But practical. For instance, let’s say you’re handling… a large cut of meat, and you don’t want a mess. You twist the knife, slowly and carefully, so the blood flow is controlled. Less spill.”
Younghyun’s eyes widened. “That’s actually genius. My readers would love this.” He leaned forward, visibly intrigued.
But Sungjin’s mind drifted. He could almost hear whispers curling around him, taunting him, stirring his own bloodthirst once more. Do it now. Just like that. So clean, he’d barely feel it…
“Well,” he forced himself to continue, swallowing down the sinister urge. “say you need to clean up a mess. Acid-based cleaners erase bloodstains.” He almost smiled at the irony. “Not that I’d use that often, but knowledge is power, right?”
Younghyun laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve got to be one of the most interesting dates I’ve ever had. I’m actually working on a body disposal scene in my book. This is incredible.”
A strange warmth flickered in Sungjin’s chest. “Interesting, huh? You’re not a bit freaked out by all this?”
Younghyun shrugged. “I write about people getting killed and tortured all the time. Who am I to judge?”
They left together later, the evening having passed in a comfortable blur. Sungjin found himself drawn to Younghyun, feeling something he hadn’t in years—a connection that made his hands itch with hesitation. Just a quick slice. A cut he wouldn’t even feel until it’s too late…
In the following weeks, Sungjin’s inner struggle grew. His commitment to his backup plan faltered as he continued meeting Younghyun, each encounter toeing the line between curiosity and revelation. Sungjin found himself torn between his life of shadows and the strange, calm warmth Younghyun brought. But there were still moments—dark, dangerous moments—when the whispers grew louder, hissing at him to end it.
One night, he arrived ten minutes late, glancing nervously at his phone. He cursed under his breath, hastily wiping down his blade from another "job." He’s waiting. You’re late, the voice taunted, mocking him as he slipped on his coat. Imagine the look on his face when he sees. He bit back the urge, shaking off the haze of bloodlust as he focused on Younghyun’s warm smile waiting at the bistro.
They settled into their usual table, Younghyun already perusing a newspaper with a headline that made Sungjin’s heart skip: The Butcher Strikes Again.
“Late again?” Younghyun teased with a grin.
Sungjin forced a laugh. “Yeah, work’s been murder lately.”
Younghyun laughed, completely unaware of the truth beneath the joke. His trust—and ignorance—kept Sungjin coming back, but even then, the voice whispered, He’s still an option. If he gets too close, he’ll have to go.
One night, as they sat in Younghyun’s apartment, surrounded by manuscripts and half-read novels, Younghyun looked at him with a contemplative gaze.
“What would you do if you ever got too attached to someone?” he asked softly, catching Sungjin off guard.
Sungjin paused, suppressing the flash of unease. “It’d make things complicated.”
“Complicated?”
“When someone knows too much about you, sees too much of you, you lose a bit of control.” Sungjin met Younghyun's gaze, swallowing back the voice that insisted, A clean cut could fix it. “You start wanting things to be different.”
Younghyun’s gaze softened. “You’re a fascinating person, Sungjin. Really. But you don’t have to keep walls up with me, you know?”
Sungjin’s usual defenses felt meaningless in the light of Younghyun’s warmth. But he’ll find out, the voice pressed, and then he’ll have to be next. Every calculated step he’d taken was irrelevant here. He’d found something worth changing for.
Months had passed, the city was free of the Butcher’s reign of terror. Younghyun’s next novel, a quiet, charming butcher with a dark past redeemed by love, hit shelves, and he held Sungjin close, unaware of how close he’d come to being the story’s final chapter.
Younghyun settled closer to Sungjin, sighing as he leaned into his arms, his fingers tracing idle patterns along Sungjin’s hand. "Looks like he's finally gone," he murmured, relief and curiosity dancing in his voice. “I wonder what made him stop?”
Sungjin chuckled, hiding his own twisted amusement beneath the calm of his voice. "Guess he finally ran out of steam, or maybe he found something that changed his priorities." His words hung between them, cloaked in an irony only he could fully appreciate.
Yet, beneath the steady rhythm of their conversation, the voice slithered back, seeping into his thoughts like a dark haze. Is this really what you want? A pretty lie, holding you back from your nature?
Younghyun nestled in closer, his head against Sungjin’s shoulder, his breath warm on Sungjin’s neck. "Thank god. It’s terrifying to think someone like that was out there, walking around like he was just an ordinary person." He gave a little shiver, turning to look up at Sungjin with a teasing smirk. "Imagine having to date someone like that. That’d be a twist, right?"
The voice hissed, sharp and insistent. He’s naive, blinded by you, but how long can you keep pretending?
Sungjin let out a genuine laugh, one that surprised even him. "Yeah, that would be something." He let his hand drift down to cup Younghyun’s face, thumb brushing his cheek. “But hey, that’d be impossible. I don’t think a killer would even know what to do with real love.”
Real love? the voice mocked, its tone dripping with disdain. And what would you know of that? You’re a predator hiding in plain sight, just biding time.
Younghyun laughed, his warm, low chuckle resonating in Sungjin’s chest. "That's probably true." He tilted his head, catching Sungjin’s eye. "Lucky for me, though, I picked the sweetest, and charming man in the city."
For a moment, a flash of vulnerability softened Sungjin’s gaze. The words struck close, bringing an odd, warm ache to his chest. Sweet and charming, he thought, savoring the words. But even as he looked into Younghyun’s eyes, a shadow flickered in his mind.
This normal look you're going for clearly isn’t you. the voice pressed, slithering deeper. You’re deluding yourself. Do you think he’ll still look at you that way if he knew the truth? He’d run.
But as Younghyun’s fingers played with his, Sungjin pushed the thought aside, steeling himself in the writer’s warmth.
“You know,” Sungjin murmured, voice low and almost reverent, “I don’t think I’d want to be anywhere else right now.” He wrapped his arm around Younghyun’s shoulders, drawing him closer until they fit together perfectly.
Younghyun let out a contented sigh, burying his face in Sungjin’s chest. “I’m glad he’s gone too. The city feels safer, doesn’t it?”
Sungjin nodded, gently resting his chin on Younghyun’s head, breathing in the comforting scent of him. “It does,” he agreed softly, letting himself sink into the rare peace of the moment. "You deserve a world that’s safe.”
Safe, the voice whispered, sneering, safe from you? You can’t hide forever. The thrill will call you back; it always does.
They sat in silence for a while, the news fading into background noise as they held each other, comfortable and unhurried. Younghyun’s fingers played with Sungjin’s, tracing lines along his palm, feeling the rough callouses and scars from his “butcher job”. And in that quiet intimacy, Sungjin felt something deeper shift within him—a resolution that, somehow, he would make this last.
“Hey,” Younghyun murmured, his voice laced with sleep, “do you think people like him can change?”
Sungjin’s breath hitched, his reply catching on the edge of a question he couldn’t answer, but he forced himself to respond softly, “Maybe. If they find something worth changing for.”
Younghyun hummed, leaning up to brush a feather-light kiss on his cheek. “I hope he found that, then. Or something that makes him want to leave the rest of us alone.”
With that, Younghyun nuzzled back into his embrace, drifted toward sleep, breathing softly and evenly against him. Sungjin heard the familiar voice in his head, whispering once again: It’s not too late. He’s right here. One swift move, and it’ll be over.
But as he held Younghyun close, letting the quiet warmth of the moment sink in, he forced himself to ignore the taunting whispers and shake it off. Even as they scratched at his resolve, clawing to be heard, he realized he wanted something more.
You’ll slip, the voice warned, softer now, dangerously patient. One day, you’ll slip, and it will all be undone. Just kill him already.
Sungjin closed his eyes, feeling Younghyun’s steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. For now, he let himself surrender to the warmth, to the calm he’d never known before. A realization began to bloom within him, unsettling and exhilarating all at once. It wasn’t just the thrill of someone he could hide behind, or a pretty face to admire in rare, quiet moments. No—Younghyun was more than that. He was someone Sungjin wanted to keep close, to shelter, to protect with a fierce, almost possessive instinct that gripped him unexpectedly.
He could feel it now, winding itself around his resolve, binding him tighter with each heartbeat he felt under his fingers. It was as if Younghyun had somehow, unknowingly, wormed his way into a part of Sungjin he thought was incapable of warmth or affection. But this… this was something deeper, something bordering on obsession. For the first time, Sungjin was captivated, almost enthralled, by the quiet intellect, the softness in Younghyun's voice, the genuine curiosity in his gaze that somehow made him feel seen—and he craved it. He needed it.
A smile crossed his lips as he pressed closer, breathing in Younghyun’s scent. Sungjin knew that, whatever it took, he would keep this feeling alive. And he would protect Younghyun, even if it meant guarding him from parts of himself that he could barely control. For this man who could see beauty in the darkest tales and find solace in the quietest hours, Sungjin knew he would keep the world’s sharp edges at bay.
In that soft, uncertain silence, Sungjin pressed a gentle kiss against Younghyun’s hair, breathing in the calm and letting himself sink deeper into the strange, undeniable infatuation that had taken root. This time, he would listen to the whisper in his heart rather than the one in his mind.