You are the red curtain that stained my eyes with blood. You are the black beast that tore my heart to shreds. The stars have fallen, and the earth has crumbled. Now, let’s cross hell and journey to heaven together. Before everything turns to bubbles. This time, I’ll protect you there. In that place where everyone will be happy. My beloved…

Silence – The End

A bluish darkness filled the surroundings. The characteristic damp mold smell of the basement and the metallic tang of rust lingered in the air. It was cold, stifling, and difficult to breathe. All senses except for sight became acute: smell, touch, hearing, and taste. Seo Heemin waited for his feverish body to calm down in this desolate place, as if the world had ended.

How much time had passed? The heat that had swept over his entire body disappeared. Blink, blink. Heemin repeatedly opened and closed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. However, it was as if a dark blue curtain covered his head; nothing was clearly visible.

With difficulty, he stretched out a powerless hand to wave it in the air. Soon, he felt the chilling touch of a cold metal pillar, enough to send a shiver down his spine.

A cage…?

Suddenly, he came to his senses. He, who should have been lying on a bed, was trapped in an unknown place. All around him were iron bars, and the floor was covered with rough wooden planks that creaked with every movement. A chill ran down his spine.

“Next is number 20, prime omega. Get ready!” “Yes, sir!”

The gruff voices of men mingled with the creaking of the planks, echoing like a chorus.

…Omega? Could this be a dream?

It seemed like he was dreaming. The sensations he was experiencing mirrored the text he had read just before falling asleep.

The distant voices of people, the creaking wooden planks, the presence of iron bars, and the mention of a prime omega. It was an incredibly vivid dream.

‘Hey, Seo Heemin. Look at this. There’s a character with the same name as you.’

In the BL novel his third sister had thrown to him, claiming it was creepy that the main character had the same name as their younger brother, there was a scene like this too. ‘Seo Heemin,’ who was pursued by creditors after his father’s death and captured by human traffickers, was imprisoned in a cage and sold at an omega auction.

Half repulsed, half curious about the character sharing his name, Heemin had read the BL novel Silence until dawn and then fallen asleep. Reflecting on the lingering ending, he had skimmed through the beginning again, and just before the reunion scene with the main character ‘Cha Yiheon,’ he had drifted off. The last thought he remembered was how dreadful the omega auction was, and now here he was, dreaming that very scene.

Heemin, a book addict, was the most frequent visitor to the local library. When the books he wanted were unavailable, he would even borrow his sisters’ novels, regardless of genre, reading all kinds of stories.

He had never felt particularly attracted to men, but he had no prejudice against homosexuality, partly because his second sister had a same-sex partner. Moreover, contrary to his initial expectation that such novels would be purely erotic, he found that many had surprisingly deep content. He was drawn to the detailed exploration of falling in love, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation.

One author’s works particularly stood out to him, and Silence, the book his sister had given him, was their latest work. Despite its somewhat dry style, he appreciated the author’s affectionate gaze towards humanity, so he naturally picked up the book even though the main character shared his name.

Maybe it was because of his sisters’ tastes, but having only read ordinary modern stories, the Omegaverse world with alphas, betas, and omegas was initially hard to grasp. However, the dark and desolate atmosphere, starkly different from the author’s previous works, drew him in, and he read Silence nonstop through the night.

The final scene where ‘Seo Heemin’ embraces the corpse of a man who died protecting him and commits suicide left the deepest impression. The profound monologue that followed this death also lingered in his mind.

Did the stars symbolize the dead child, and the earth the ruined world of the two? What was this place where everyone would be happy? While pondering if the two, having crossed through hell, would finally achieve the love they longed for, he found himself dreaming of being trapped in a cage. The creaking of the planks shattered his poignant reflections on the ending.

‘This is too real.’

He occasionally experienced lucid dreams, but it was impossible to control his consciousness and thoughts within them. This dream was different. He could move freely. Moreover, the chilling sensation of the metal still lingered on his fingertips. Heemin clenched his fingers into a fist. The pain from his nails digging into his flesh was unmistakable.

Such vivid senses.

It was strange. It felt as if his soul had inhabited ‘Seo Heemin’s body rather than being a dream. Dreams are said to be manifestations of the unconscious, but experiencing the novel’s scenes from ‘Seo Heemin’s perspective rather than as an observer was probably because he felt a strong connection to the character.

‘Seo Heemin’s life, sharing his name, was full of hardship. In his childhood, a traumatic incident made him fear alphas, leading him to push away even his close friend ‘Cha Yiheon,’ who later manifested as a prime alpha, and he spent his school days consumed by trauma.

Just as he found some stability through drawing, his father’s misdeeds, which ruined Cha Yiheon’s family, came back to haunt him. To make matters worse, he was sold and forcibly embraced by Cha Yiheon, who had become an executive of a corporate gang.

Heemin felt pity for ‘Seo Heemin,’ who was forced to hate Cha Yiheon despite his love for him. Every time ‘Seo Heemin’ had a monologue, he would burst into tears, the sorrow spilling out like an old wound being reopened.

Creeeak―

In contrast to the pitiful situation of ‘Seo Heemin,’ Heemin was internally marveling at everything in amazement when a rusty door opened with a hair-raising sound.

Clatter. Clatter.

A few people started pushing a cart with a curtain still draped over the cage. However, Heemin was not surprised. Everything was unfolding according to the novel’s plot.

Somehow, it felt less like a dream and more like experiencing virtual reality at a VR café. The VR content title would undoubtedly be Silence.

If things continued this way, he would soon be on stage. Instead of fear, his heart pounded with anticipation at the prospect of seeing the auction hall. He was excited to vicariously experience something that would never happen in real life, even if it was in a dream. Heemin quietly sat and waited for the cage to stop moving.

It wasn’t long before he heard the murmur of dozens of voices. Unfamiliar and unique smells mingled and pricked his nose.

‘Pheromones!’

They were like ripe fruits, had the heaviness of tree bark, and the salty scent of the sea. However, these were fundamentally different from artificially blended perfumes; they were the smell of flesh. His instinctive senses told him so.

It was fascinating to the point of madness. As he raised his head and kept sniffing, a sudden wave of nausea hit, making his head spin.

…What is this?

The initially pleasant smells turned his stomach upside down. Heemin covered his mouth with his palm, retching continuously.

It was unbearable. Nothing came out, and a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Forget about the auction hall; he wanted to settle his upset stomach with a bowl of ramen soup.

Heemin pinched his nostrils with his thumb and forefinger to block out the smell and held his breath. When his breath became short, he inhaled and exhaled through his mouth repeatedly.

Once he had somewhat calmed down, a realization struck him. Only alphas and omegas could detect pheromones.

Most of the auction participants were alphas. Remembering that ‘Seo Heemin’ could feel alpha pheromones ten times more intensely and even have adverse reactions, Heemin finally grasped the seriousness of the situation.

‘No way…’

It was unbelievable. It felt like he had really been possessed by ‘Seo Heemin’s body rather than it being a dream.

Unlike Heemin’s inner curiosity about this unrealistic situation, ‘Seo Heemin’s body was unmistakably trembling like a willow branch in the north wind. It was due to the fear and helplessness towards the unspecified alphas, in other words, his alpha trauma. Unable to endure the pain, Heemin collapsed to the ground like a newborn fawn.

“The auction is nearing its end, so let us introduce you to a very special omega. Here is the highlight item of today!”

The curtain lifted, and the doors to the waiting room began to open on both sides. The cage moved to the center of the stage along rails installed on the floor, making a buzzing sound.

In this world, omegas, especially prime omegas, were as rare as endangered animals.

A prime alpha is not born from a relationship with a female beta. Moreover, if a female alpha gives birth to a prime alpha with a probability of one in a thousand, the probability of a prime omega giving birth to a prime alpha is only one in ten.

Thus, alphas with wealth and power would stop at nothing to get their hands on prime omegas for their own benefit.

The problem was that in this process, illegal breeding and trading were rampant, pushing prime omegas into dire situations. As a result, the overall omega population decreased, and particularly, the male prime omega population plummeted to a cliff level, further increasing their rarity.

There was a good reason why the prime omega ‘Seo Heemin’ was introduced as the last auction item and treated as a special omega.

“…Ugh!”

Bright pin lights shone on Heemin from all directions. Even though he had expected it, experiencing it was overwhelming. His vision bleached white as if his retinas were being burned. Heemin closed his eyes and gagged once more.

The long sleeves covering the backs of his hands, the hem reaching down to his thighs—’Seo Heemin,’ wearing nothing but a white shirt, drew cheers from the participants. Whistles sounded here and there. The climax of the auction was fast approaching.

“Mister, hey, mister.”

Heemin grabbed the bars of the cage and called out to the emcee in a colorful suit. Since ‘Cha Yiheon’ would be the one to buy ‘Seo Heemin’ anyway, he wanted to at least calm his nauseous stomach, as there was no stopping the auction.

However, the emcee, glancing back while holding the microphone, ignored Heemin and continued the product introduction.

“Item number 20. Height 178 cm, weight 58 kg. Prime, no pregnancy experience….”

“Mister, please give me some water!”

“Omega….”

“I said give me water, mister! I feel like I’m going to throw up!”

The emcee suddenly closed his mouth and gestured with his chin to an assistant holding a long electric shock stick. It meant to give Heemin the water he wanted. They didn’t want the stage to be dirtied with vomit. Soon, a cold bottle of water was placed in Heemin’s hand.

He drank hastily. He could feel the gaze of dozens of people on the thin stream of water running down his neck. He could even hear someone gulping dryly.

“The bidding starts at 100 million won.”

“One hundred million!”

“Two hundred million!”

“Three hundred million!”

“Three hundred million, do I hear four hundred million?”

“Five hundred million!”

“Seven hundred million!”

“One billion!”

“A telephone bid of one and a half billion!”

In reality, Heemin had never been directly bullied, but for some reason, both boys and girls tended to avoid him. The only friend he had was a classmate from middle school.

However, in the novel, ‘Seo Heemin’ was a delicate lily attracting swarms of men even when he stayed still.

Normally, he should have been trembling with anger and tears at the alphas raising their hands, emitting pheromones. But Heemin drank his water calmly, hoping the price would go higher.

After all, ‘Seo Heemin’ was set to be an extraordinary beauty. Even if it meant paying off a debt with his body, it felt good to be recognized for his value as the protagonist of this novel.

The atmosphere in the auction hall heated up in an instant. Heemin, who had emptied half the bottle of water, wiped his mouth and began to look at the participants one by one with a relieved expression.

‘Cha Yiheon must be sitting somewhere…’

He had been curious about ‘Cha Yiheon’s face throughout reading the novel. This was because ‘Cha Yiheon,’ who both loved and hated ‘Seo Heemin,’ shared the same name as Heemin’s only friend.

From the moment he opened the first page of the novel, Heemin was shocked. He knew his name appeared, but he hadn’t expected ‘Seo Heemin’s counterpart and best friend to share the same name as his own friend. It was the first time he had felt like giving up on finishing a book.

At first, he thought his sisters were playing a prank by changing the character names. But as he read on, it turned out to be a mere coincidence that they had the same names.

The two people were incredibly different. Firstly, their personalities were different, and secondly, their described appearances were different as well.

Over 190 cm tall, sharp and distinct features that drew attention, and firm muscles showing under a taut dress shirt. In contrast to his attractive looks, his oppressive atmosphere and the cold impression created by the furrowed brow made him seem ruthless.

Heemin could only laugh at the description of ‘Cha Yiheon’ as a handsome man with a striking appearance but a ruthless butcher who mercilessly killed people.

The reason was that his friend Yiheon had neither a fierce atmosphere nor furrowed brows. However, he did have a knack for making other men look like squids in comparison, making the term “ruthless butcher” quite amusing.

Yiheon was tall, just like ‘Cha Yiheon,’ and so good-looking that entertainment agencies competed to sign him. However, with his model-student image, he didn’t have the rough look of a gangster. He was, in fact, far from being a mobster.

Their personalities were also distinctly different. Yiheon, though not very talkative, was amusing with his witty comments that always landed well.

He was like a big dog that always followed Heemin around wagging its tail, was scared of ghosts and couldn’t watch horror movies, and turned into a power vocalist who wouldn’t let go of the mic at karaoke.

‘I’m curious. What does he look like?’

He was excited to see what the mobster ‘Cha Yiheon’ looked like. The novel had a hard cover with a black background and red spots. Without any illustrations of ‘Seo Heemin’ or ‘Cha Yiheon,’ their appearances were left entirely to imagination.

Heemin held his nose and searched the crowd for ‘Cha Yiheon.’ The bald man with the oily head was out, the bespectacled skinny guy was out, and the overweight man who seemed to weigh over 100 kg was out…

“Fifty billion.”

As he crossed names off his list one by one, someone raised their hand from the darkness where the shadows were long.

The deep, low-pitched voice that resonated clearly. Just from hearing that voice, he knew. The man with a slightly thicker and heavier voice than his friend was undoubtedly ‘Cha Yiheon.’

Despite it being a reunion after ten years according to the original story, ‘Seo Heemin’s body seemed to remember his presence distinctly, judging by his unbearably rapid heartbeat.

It was frustrating not being able to see his face properly. Heemin, forgetting that he had been sold for fifty billion instead of thirty billion as in the original story, leaned out of the cage to see Cha Yiheon.

But he just sat quietly in the shadows without a single movement. The pin lights turned off, and the rails moved again. Moved to a container with yellow lights, Heemin anxiously awaited Cha Yiheon’s arrival.

After some time, a pair of black shoes with a strong and solid impression came into view. They were plain toe Oxfords without brogues.

He thought the shoes suited Cha Yiheon’s character well, a tyrant disguised as a gentleman. Although he always acted contrary to this with ‘Seo Heemin,’ causing rage.

A deep lingering scent entered his nose. It was a heavy musk scent that radiated presence. The bold pheromones that resembled Cha Yiheon’s personality. His breath quickened.

Heemin slowly lifted his head. The long legs, the dress shirt highlighting the chest muscles, the prominent Adam’s apple, and then finally, the face he had been so curious about came into view.

How could this be? For a moment, he stopped breathing.

“Seo Heemin.”

Would his friend look like this in nine years?

A forehead with sharp angles like a Westerner’s, a strong nose like a mountain peak, a scar on the eyebrow creating a fierce impression, and a cold, expressionless face.

Though his features were the same as his friend’s, the intense masculinity like a wild male emanating from him was astonishing. He was both the Cha Yiheon he knew and ‘Cha Yiheon.’

‘This is unbelievable.’

Though he had been possessed by a character in the novel, it seemed that this world had been reconstructed by his subconscious. Otherwise, the faces couldn’t resemble each other so closely.

“It’s been ten years.”

Cha Yiheon’s pitch-black eyes, which seemed to swallow even the darkness, pierced through Heemin. At that moment, his heart sank, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

His gaze, unwavering like that of a soldier facing an enemy, was rude and blatantly intense. The ruthless desire to conquer ‘Seo Heemin’ was transmitted through his pheromones.

“You look well.”

Yiheon’s gaze lingered on Heemin’s cheek for a long time. He said he looked well, but his tear-streaked face must have been a mess without even looking. It was clearly sarcasm.

“You seem happy. Sold for fifty billion.”

Yes! I’m proud to have been sold for more than in the original!

He couldn’t bring himself to say that, so he kept his mouth shut. Yiheon spoke with a smirk.

“How much have you been through to put on such a pathetic show? Trying to catch the eye of some rich old man? You cost me an extra twenty billion.”

Was he referring to the moment Heemin had begged the auctioneer for water? If so, it wasn’t ‘Seo Heemin’s appearance that changed the price, but his own thoughtless action. Heemin looked at Yiheon with a surprised expression.

Inside his gently curving eyes, there was a cold gaze. However, Heemin did not feel fear towards Yiheon. Instead, his eyes were drawn to the slightly upturned corner of his lips. Was this what sensual meant? It was the same shape, but the feeling was completely different, which was fascinating.

“You’re not even worth ten million, but having a friend who’s willing to sell his body for loose change is disgusting, isn’t it?”

Yiheon’s words flowed out as if reading a script directly from the original. Heemin bit his lower lip.

Yiheon slowly grasped Heemin’s chin. Then, looking deeply into Heemin’s eyes like a black forest, he spoke slowly.

“I need a hole to release my pheromones. I’ll knock off five thousand per screw. No, let’s make it a hundred million. Try to be worth fifty billion to me.”

Now it was ‘Seo Heemin’s turn to say, ‘Just kill me.’

“…Pfft!”

He too was supposed to recite his line from the original, but seeing his friend saying such lewd things with his face was too funny. Heemin couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Yiheon’s neatly furrowed brows twisted instantly. His slender eyes sharpened.

“What’s so funny?”

“There’s such a huge gap from the real person… Puhaha.”

“You must have been drugged out of your mind.”

He seemed to think Heemin was speaking nonsense due to the drugs. Unable to hold back his nausea, gagging, drinking water frantically in the middle of the stage, and now saying things that didn’t suit a delicate, sensitive character—he couldn’t be blamed for thinking that way.

Yiheon let go of Heemin’s chin as if throwing it aside and this time grabbed his wrist, as if trying to confirm something. The strength of his grip made Heemin’s body sway momentarily.

“…Ah!”

Examining ‘Seo Heemin’s thin, pale right and left arms, Yiheon bit his lip for a moment. There were injection marks on his blue veins, several on each arm.

Yiheon took a cigarette from his jacket pocket and put it between his lips. A man standing behind him, like a shadow, lit it politely with both hands.

A red dot glowed in the dim container. A curl of cigarette smoke, like a coiled snake, spread into the air.

Heemin occasionally smoked in reality. However, ‘Seo Heemin’s weak bronchial tubes seemed to be uncomfortable with the acrid cigarette smoke. He immediately started coughing.

Yiheon blew smoke deliberately into Heemin’s face, causing his eyes and throat to sting and making him cough madly. A brief smirk crossed Yiheon’s lips.

“You really are a mess. Acting like a drug addict.”

A scowling expression and cold words. He looked at Heemin, who was coughing uncontrollably, with a gaze as if looking at a disgusting insect.

“I’m not a drug addict… Ugh.”

A raspy breath emerged from deep within his throat, to the point where he couldn’t finish his sentence. Yiheon turned his body and exhaled smoke with an annoyed expression.

However, the disrupted airway didn’t calm down. Heemin struggled to suppress his cough by covering his nose and mouth with his palm. Tears streamed down his cheeks again.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Yiheon, who had been deeply inhaling the smoke, suddenly put out the cigarette butt against the wall. With a hissing sound, the red dot floating in the air was crushed and disappeared under his ruthless hand. The rough, rising breath gradually subsided.

Could it be that he is actually showing me consideration right now? As expected, this man truly cares deeply for ‘Seo Heemin.’

“Secretary Jung.”

“Yes, President.”

“Take him home. Call Dr. Hwang to neutralize the drug effect. I’ll go meet President Park.”

“Understood.”

Secretary Jung, who responded politely to Yiheon, made a call on his cellphone. It was probably Dr. Hwang, whom Yiheon had mentioned.

Secretary Jung. He was a character that the author didn’t even bother to name, and Heemin felt he was the second most pitiful character in Silence after ‘Seo Heemin.’

How could a person work day and night without a single day off? Heemin, who had taken up another part-time job during winter break, eagerly waited for his days off. For him, rest was like a life-saving elixir, and he couldn’t even imagine such a life.

As for Cha Yiheon, he could do so because he was the president of Wooshin Capital. However, Heemin couldn’t understand Secretary Jung’s loyalty to Cha Yiheon, even to the extent of acting as a human shield. He couldn’t help but wonder how much Secretary Jung was earning.

By the way.

“Why don’t you hit me?”

In the original story, Yiheon had called Dr. Hwang after slapping the begging ‘Seo Heemin’ unconscious with twenty blows.

A frosty doubt settled in his firm eyes. He seemed to think Heemin was spouting nonsense again due to the drugs. Yiheon looked at Heemin with narrowed eyes and asked.

“Do you want to be hit?”

“No! I mean, no!”

Cha Yiheon, standing in front of twenty-one-year-old Heemin, was nine years older. ‘Seo Heemin,’ who had been using formal language without thinking, switched to informal speech upon realizing they were the same age. Yiheon grumbled in an irritated voice.

“That bastard President Park. How much of the drug did he use?”

His swelling anger mixed with pheromones and reached Heemin’s nose. He seemed ready to commit murder if he wanted to. For the first time, ‘gangster Cha Yiheon’ instilled fear in him.

“……Haa.”

Eventually, the two left, leaving Heemin alone in the container. His legs gave out due to the continuous series of unreal events, and he slid down against the wall.

‘Not anyone can endure this.’

Fortunately, he escaped without getting slapped this time, but there was no guarantee for next time. No matter how much Cha Yiheon loved ‘Seo Heemin,’ he had treated him brutally based on hatred in the early stages of the plot, so he couldn’t let his guard down.

He would frequently raise his hand to slap, treat him worse than a street prostitute, demand humiliating acts, and when Heemin kept trying to escape, he even broke his ankle.

He had claimed ownership over ‘Seo Heemin,’ insisting it was natural since he had paid a lump sum in cash. He crushed ‘Seo Heemin’s’ wings and free will. Trapped in a cage, ‘Seo Heemin’ became a tool to alleviate pheromone overload and a sexual toy, surrendering his body to Cha Yiheon whenever possible.

‘I’ll give you anything, my cornea, my organs, whatever it takes to repay my debt to you. Please… please let me go, Yiheon.’

‘Ha, really? You have to calculate it correctly. Even if your body’s worth covers that, what about the life of my father?’

Cha Ilmoon, Cha Yiheon’s father, had his company taken over by ‘Seo Heemin’s’ father, Seo Jaehan, and ended up committing suicide. The betrayal was a heavy blow since the families had been close, helping each other in difficult times. It was enough to make him abandon his family and take his own life.

The incident occurred after ‘Seo Heemin,’ who had been like a brother to Cha Yiheon for five years since middle school, unilaterally declared their friendship over upon being diagnosed as a dominant alpha.

However, even when his mother collapsed and became comatose, Cha Yiheon wanted to believe in ‘Seo Heemin’ until the end. That’s how much he loved ‘Seo Heemin.’

He had to wear the mask of friendship towards ‘Seo Heemin,’ who followed him innocently like a baby bird that had just hatched, but he never doubted that someday ‘Seo Heemin’ would be his.

He believed that it was all a misunderstanding, and even if Seo Jaehan had indeed destroyed his family, the one he loved would be innocent.

But ‘Seo Heemin’ neither appeared at Cha Ilmoon’s funeral nor acknowledged Cha Yiheon at school, treating him as a stranger.

On the day before he was forcibly transferred due to a student assault case, Cha Yiheon clung to his last hope and begged ‘Seo Heemin’ for a meeting. However, it was the thugs hired by the victims who showed up at the promised place.

Despite being beaten to the point of breaking several ribs and bleeding profusely from a torn eyebrow, making him barely conscious, he waited all night for ‘Seo Heemin’ who never came.

Until the moment when the dawn broke, and his love turned into hatred.

Cha Yiheon’s wish to become the one and only person for ‘Seo Heemin’ never came true. Instead, he was betrayed and deceived, losing everything and being driven out onto the streets. His deep love turned into endless hatred, becoming a tangled mess.

Even while crawling through the filthy underworld in his great-uncle’s organization for several years, the only thing that kept him from collapsing was his anger towards ‘Seo Heemin.’ He climbed to his current position, earning the nickname “the Chairman’s dog,” fueled by his obsession for revenge against ‘Seo Heemin’ and Seo Jaehan.

“I don’t want to get hit….”

Unlike the only child ‘Seo Heemin,’ Heemin had three older sisters. After their father died in an accident right after Heemin was born, their mother naturally became the head of the family, and his sisters took on the role of his mother.

Their family situation was very difficult, but it gradually improved as his first and second sisters got jobs at large companies. Once they had some leeway, they started to engage in hobbies. Unfortunately, those hobbies included reading novels and webtoons about men loving other men.

At first, Heemin felt left out when they would pass around books among themselves, so he asked to join in but was met with harsh rebukes for no apparent reason. Feeling wronged and determined to uncover their secret, he began sneaking their books. Looking back, that might have been the problem.

Surprisingly, the hidden books were interesting, and when he asked if there were any more, his sisters, initially flustered, began openly discussing explicit stories. He soon became well-versed in the related terminology.

His strong-willed sisters would lock him in his room and give him a stern lesson with the “Good Child” song playing whenever he misbehaved. Once, he tattled to their mother, but she defended his sisters, saying it was his fault for causing trouble and that he should become a better person first.

Endurance didn’t improve by getting hit. If anything, it only taught him to be more cautious.

Heemin sighed as he recalled Yiheon’s long, rough, hardened hands, which seemed capable of killing multiple people.

At the start of the vacation, his friend Yiheon had gone to a relative’s house in America. With no one to play with, life quickly became dull. His days were spent working part-time, returning home, and studying for certification exams.

In the midst of this routine, visiting an illegal auction house and seeing what could be his friend’s future was a novel experience. However, he preferred to wake up to reality rather than a world from a book. He didn’t want to suffer just for the sake of fun.

According to the original story, in a few days, ‘Seo Heemin’ would have a relationship with a half-crazed ‘Cha Yiheon’ due to pheromone overload. No matter how different Cha Yiheon was from his friend, that was something he couldn’t accept.

Heemin had never liked anyone before. He hadn’t even experienced his first love properly, let alone a relationship. He couldn’t let himself be forced into something so unfortunate.

‘Maybe if I lose consciousness, I can return to reality?’

He recalled a novel where a character connected with a parallel self through dreams and traveled freely between different dimensions.

Lying down on the hard floor of the container, Heemin stared blankly at the ceiling, recalling the vulgar lines Cha Yiheon had spoken.

‘Isn’t it disgusting if my classmate is a guy who gives his ass to anyone for chump change?’

‘I’ll deduct five thousand, no, a billion for a single fuck. Try to be worth fifty billion to me.’

‘Ugh, so vulgar.’

If he were in ‘Seo Heemin’s position, he would have been chilled to the bone upon hearing this story, but as it had nothing to do with Heemin, it only made him cringe.

When Yiheon came back to Korea, he might make him recite the lines from Silence as a form of punishment. It would surely be hilarious.

It was a bit regrettable that he couldn’t check ‘Seo Heemin’s face in the mirror right now. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to smell pheromones and see the face of the gangster ‘Cha Yiheon.’

Since the auction scene had changed, he thought he should check the original text to see if the narrative had also changed once he returned to his own body. With that thought, he slowly closed his eyes.

‘Seo Heemin’ was a sensitive person who suffered from anxiety and sleep disorders. It seemed to be a mental issue rather than a physical one because as soon as he closed his eyes, he started to doze off. Heemin fell asleep within less than a minute of lying down.

***

“Are you awake?”

Startled by the voice of an elderly gentleman, he opened his eyes. The ceiling he saw from the bed was different in color and pattern from the yellowed wallpaper of his room. The cherry molding that should have been around the edges was also missing.

“…Gasp!”

He hadn’t returned to reality. He was still in the world of Silence. Heemin, in shock and despair, stared at the man who was checking on his condition. Since he had been told to move to a house and clear the drugs out of his system, this man was probably Dr. Hwang.

“Just lie down. There’s still a bit of IV left.”

Dr. Hwang pressed down on Heemin’s shoulder with his index finger as he tried to sit up. Looking down, Heemin saw the IV needle inserted into the back of his hand.

“Where is this…?”

“This is Chairman Cha’s house.”

“Where is… Secretary Jung?”

“He went to pick up Chairman Cha.”

Heemin, with a blank face, looked around the house. The room, with glass partitions instead of walls for surveillance, was surprisingly modern and stylish.

Although ‘Seo Heemin’ hated this room and suffered a nervous breakdown because of it, Heemin thought that the house described in the novel as ‘Cha Yiheon’s house’ perfectly matched his taste. It was spacious and free of clutter, unlike his cramped home with stuff piled everywhere, without cherry moldings or gaudy floral wallpaper.

To Heemin, this house, which might seem desolate to someone else, was very appealing. He even wanted to trade his real house for this one.

“How did you end up getting caught by human traffickers and ending up like this… tsk tsk.”

Dr. Hwang clicked his tongue as he looked at Heemin’s scrawny arm. As the personal physician of Yoon Daeho, the chairman of Wooshin Capital, and Cha Yiheon’s dedicated doctor, he was someone ‘Seo Heemin’ confided in.

Maybe that’s why, despite seeing his face for the first time, Heemin felt a liking for the doctor with his white hair. His pheromones, unlike other alphas, were kind and comforting.

Moreover, having grown up without a male adult in the house, Heemin had always subtly wished for a dependable person like Dr. Hwang to be around. Heemin watched him remove the IV needle from the back of his hand and then spoke up.

“Um… Grandpa.”

“Hey! You brat. What do you mean, Grandpa! Call me Doctor!”

“Oh, yes. Doctor.”

Startled by Dr. Hwang’s sudden angry voice, Heemin drooped his shoulders sullenly. Dr. Hwang, perhaps thinking he had shouted too loudly, cleared his throat and then asked Heemin,

“What is it?”

“I’m hungry. Can we make some ramen?”

“Strange. The drugs should be out of your system, but you’re still talking nonsense. How many fingers do you see?”

Dr. Hwang held up his index and middle fingers in front of Heemin’s eyes.

“Two. I’m perfectly sane.”

As they say, even the sight of Mt. Geumgang is better on a full stomach. The IV drip wasn’t enough; he needed carbs to think straight. He needed to eat something to objectively assess this enormous situation.

“There’s no one to cook at Ms. Ahn’s house after we get back.”

“I can cook it. I make really delicious ramen.”

“Sick people should stay put. Anyway, I wonder if there is any ramen in this house?”

Dr. Hwang said as he cleared away the empty IV bag and tubing. It was doubtful that there would be ramen in the refrigerator of the gangster Cha Yiheon, who only had expensive imported water in his fridge.

“I don’t like Evian… it’s too greasy.”

Once, he had been eating cup ramen and triangle kimbap with his friend Yiheon at a convenience store and took a sip of Yiheon’s water because he was thirsty. It was an expensive imported water, but to Heemin, who was used to drinking barley tea made from boiled tap water, it tasted off. It was greasy and slippery, ruining his appetite.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

With his hands now free, Heemin jumped out of bed, opened the glass door, and went to the living room. Thanks to the detailed description of Cha Yiheon’s house in the novel, he had a rough idea of the layout and purpose of each area.

He headed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. As expected, there were only neatly lined bottles of mineral water inside. Very disappointing, but Heemin didn’t lose hope and searched the auxiliary kitchen used mainly by the housekeeper.

“Found it!”

Inside one of the cabinets, there were two cup noodles. Even if Yiheon didn’t eat them, the housekeeper apparently did. After all, even in a novel, people can’t live by work alone; they need to eat.

“Doctor, please have some too.”

“No, thank you.”

“It’s lonely eating alone. Please join me, okay?”

Before he even got permission, he tore off the plastic wrapping and opened the lid. Dr. Hwang, looking exasperated, watched him before finally nodding in reluctant approval.

He poured hot water from the water dispenser and waited. Unlike his home, where everything was old and outdated, all the appliances and electronic devices here were the latest models he had seen in TV commercials, and he was thrilled.

“It’s done!”

After three minutes, he completely removed the lid. The spicy seasoning’s aroma was delightful, and he closed his eyes to take a deep breath.

“Eat quickly. Chairman Cha will be here soon.”

“Enjoy your meal, Doctor.”

He picked up the cooked noodles with his chopsticks and slurped them up. Maybe because ‘Seo Heemin’s body had been starved for days after being captured by the human traffickers and injected with pheromone suppressants, the savory broth’s flavor exploded in his mouth.

It was delicious. It felt like eating something warm after waking up from sleeping in a freezing room without heating.

“Ah… I already finished it.”

“You don’t look like it, but you eat well. Want more of mine?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just drink the broth.”

There was nothing left to pick up with his chopsticks. Hiding his disappointment, he smiled at Dr. Hwang, but then he locked eyes with Cha Yiheon, who had just walked into the house with long strides.

“What is this now?”

His disheveled shirt and tie were stained with blood. Real, dark red human blood.

There wasn’t supposed to be a scene where he harmed someone in this chapter. Startled, Heemin froze.

The person Cha Yiheon had met was Director Park of Samho Personnel Agency. Despite the fancy name, it was a human trafficking ring that kidnapped Omegas and sold them to the upper class or put them up for illegal auctions.

Samho Personnel was also connected to Bukseong Group. Bukseong Group, a corporate-type organized crime group based in a major provincial city, was Wooshin Capital’s rival. Director Park was a key executive in Bukseong Group and a cousin of Shin Seung-bum, the construction company president.

The problem was that Shin Seungbum was the main villain of Silence and the person who would later stab Cha Yiheon in the heart. Even knowing that this would reach Shin Seung-bum’s ears, Cha Yiheon had attacked people from Samho Personnel. Despite being rivals, they maintained a superficial friendly relationship.

In the novel’s mid to late stages, using the unpaid bond collection issue of Shinwon Cement and the casino interests dispute as an excuse, Shin Seung-bum would stage a knife fight at Woo-shin Hotel.

Under Cha Yiheon’s protection, ‘Seo Heemin’ would escape the hotel safely, but a vague sense of unease crept into Heemin’s mind. He was terrified that he might end up dying in this virtual world.

“Get up.”

Lost in thought, Heemin didn’t realize Cha Yiheon had approached until he grabbed his hair. He was lifted off the ground involuntarily.

“It hurts… it hurts!”

Tears welled up from the sheer force. It felt like my hair would be ripped out from the powerful grip.

“Ridiculous.”

He made Heemin lift his head, locking eyes with dark, blazing pupils. Yiheon’s eyes, in his excitement, resembled those of a beast that had tasted blood. His shoulders instinctively tensed as he held his breath. Chaotic emotions surged, scattering Yiheon’s pheromones everywhere. ‘Seo Heemin’s’ sensitive body reacted spasmodically to the pheromones.

“I never thought the guy who treated all Alphas like dogs in heat would be sitting happily having a meal with one. Were you planning to sweet-talk Dr. Hwang into helping you escape, just like the old days?”

Yiheon seemed to think Heemin had tried to seduce Dr. Hwang to escape from here. There couldn’t be a greater misunderstanding.

Despite beating, imprisoning, and even breaking ‘Seo Heemin’s’ ankles, Yiheon had always ensured he had nutritious food. He had gone crazy if Heemin lost even a little weight, saying there was no pleasure in holding him if he got too skinny.

Who knew a single cup of ramen would lead to this? It was unfair and terrifying. He knew well enough how dangerous Yiheon’s jealousy-fueled anger could be, making this situation even more frightening.

The cold killing intent hidden beneath his smile pierced his heart. Heemin looked desperately at Secretary Jung standing silently behind Yiheon, begging with his eyes, ‘Please stop Cha Yiheon, please.’

“Don’t look away.”

“…….”

“Look at me, Seo Heemin.”

In the novel, Cha Yiheon was described as a violent storm, reacting fiercely to any glance or gesture from ‘Seo Heemin.’ It was a fitting description of their relationship, but experiencing it every time he moved his eyes or twitched his fingers was driving Heemin insane. He looked at Yiheon with eyes full of resentment.

“……Damn it. Do you want to die?”

A rough curse escaped his dry lips. Just as Yiheon’s bloodied fist, with scraped knuckles, approached Heemin’s face and he squeezed his eyes shut,

“I did!”

Dr. Hwang, who had remained silent, shouted.

“I asked him to eat with me. I couldn’t let him take medicine on an empty stomach. Besides, I was feeling a bit peckish myself… This boy did nothing wrong.”

At Dr. Hwang’s fervent defense, Heemin cautiously opened his eyes and looked at Yiheon. Thankfully, the fist that had frozen him in fear was now suspended in mid-air.

“I didn’t know someone who frequents hotel restaurants would enjoy such cheap food.”

“When you get older, you sometimes crave nostalgic food. I used to eat it often when I worked in the emergency room.”

Yiheon twisted his lips into a smile and spoke to Dr. Hwang.

“Next time, I’ll make sure to treat you to a bowl of ramen at a snack bar instead of a hotel.”

After his mocking comment, he finally let go of Heemin’s hair. Heemin rubbed his stinging scalp and discreetly signaled his thanks to Dr. Hwang with his eyes.

“But what about your hand? It needs to be treated…”

“No need.”

“But at least disinfect it…”

“Secretary Jung.”

In an extremely dry tone, Yiheon called Secretary Jung.

“Yes, Boss.”

“It’s late. Escort him out.”

“I’ll get his bag.”

Secretary Jung went into the room and brought out Dr. Hwang’s bag from the nightstand beside the bed.

“Chairman Cha, don’t touch that child for a while. His health is fragile.”

“Thank you for your advice.”

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Doctor.”

Yiheon called out to Dr. Hwang just as he was about to leave for the front door.

“What is it?”

“Don’t do anything unnecessary from now on.”

The tone was calm yet soft, but the warning was clear: even Dr. Hwang wouldn’t be spared if he interfered again. It was as if Yiheon was saying he would let it slide just this once.

Heemin and Dr. Hwang both shuddered at Yiheon’s icy smile. Only Secretary Jung remained unaffected, bending slightly to greet Yiheon with, “Have a good night.”

Heemin was left alone with Cha Yiheon. Uncertain about the meaning behind Secretary Jung’s “good night,” he hesitated until his wrist was grabbed firmly.

“Come here.”

Yiheon’s forceful grip left Heemin no choice but to be dragged into the dark room. The moonlight barely seeped through the curtains, and Yiheon’s eyes glinted menacingly in the darkness, sending chills down Heemin’s spine.

“Take it off.”

“What…?”

“Take off your clothes. Have you forgotten your role?”

‘Seo Heemin’s’ role was to alleviate Yiheon’s stress and serve as his sexual plaything.

Heemin slowly met Yiheon’s gaze. The dangerous atmosphere and the feral pheromones made it hard to breathe. Yiheon seemed serious about taking him. He clearly ignored Dr. Hwang’s advice to avoid physical contact.

In the original story, Cha Yiheon slapped ‘Seo Heemin’ when he refused, tearing off his clothes and violently forcing himself on him. He had then made ‘Seo Heemin’ suffer through brutal acts.

‘Who told you to drool?’

‘…H-hic.’

‘Suck it again.’

Yiheon had even forced him to swallow every drop of his semen.

Looking up at Yiheon’s tightly shut lips, Heemin hesitated before reaching for the top button of his shirt. Yiheon’s eyes followed his slow-moving fingers.

Pop.

A button came undone, revealing ‘Seo Heemin’s’ pale skin. Heemin wondered if he should continue undoing the buttons while watching Yiheon’s reaction. He wanted to ask if he was really going to force him into performing fellatio.

Pop.

Another button was undone. Yiheon didn’t seem intent on hitting or undressing Heemin himself but wasn’t planning to stop either.

Heemin was filled with resentment toward the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him. If only Yiheon were a complete stranger. Because of his name and resemblance to a friend, Heemin had trusted him despite knowing he was a gangster.

Yiheon was actually a ruthless man who threatened people without hesitation and used violence whenever things didn’t go his way.

Heemin had naively thought he wouldn’t go so far despite knowing ‘Seo Heemin’s’ suffering. Now, it was his own body at stake. He couldn’t regard ‘Seo Heemin’s’ existence lightly as an outsider anymore.

“…Sob.”

As these thoughts crossed his mind, thick tears began to fall from Heemin’s eyes. He had ignored the growing fear since being thrust into this world. When the dam of suppressed emotions burst, uncontrollable sorrow flowed out.

‘I’m sorry, Mom….’

He had only attended school for two semesters, but he had student loans. He had planned to get a job at a large company like his sisters to provide a better life for his hardworking mother, but now, at twenty-one, he was about to die in this strange world, leaving behind nothing but debt.

Wouldn’t his disappearance leave his family with a lifelong heartache? Despite their frequent scoldings, his sisters truly loved him. They would be devastated by his sudden disappearance.

He felt a deep sense of injustice. If he had known something like this would happen, he would have made different choices—socializing with other kids instead of just Yiheon, maybe even experiencing a romantic relationship, studying harder to earn a full scholarship. Regret swirled within him.

“Why did I have to read that book… If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have read it… Mom, Noona… sob.”

He clung to Yiheon and began to sob uncontrollably. Large tears poured from his big eyes like a flood, causing Yiheon to frown.

Yiheon roughly shook off Heemin’s hand, which had been gripping his arm tightly. Then, with a sneering tone, he spat out in irritation.

“Can’t tell if you’ve lost your mind on drugs or if you’re just pretending to be insane.”

Seo Heemin had no mother or sisters. It seemed Yiheon thought Heemin was showing signs of a nervous breakdown due to extreme despair.

“I’m not crazy. Choi Sukyoung, Seo Heejae, Seo Heejung, Seo Heeyeon! They are our real mother and sisters! You wouldn’t know, of course.”

“You? Ha.”

With a low sigh, Yiheon unhesitatingly grasped Heemin’s pale, slender neck.

“Huh!”

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t pull any ridiculous stunts. No matter what you do, you can never escape my grasp. You were sold to me.”

“Ugh… Huh.”

Heemin’s adam’s apple twitched in Yiheon’s palm with his labored breathing. He couldn’t bear the intense fear from Yiheon’s dilated pupils and snake-like, piercing gaze.

Seo Heemin couldn’t escape Cha Yiheon’s grip until he was on the verge of death. Despite trembling at the man’s obsessive behavior, Heemin sought out Yiheon whenever his anxiety disorder worsened, ironically because Yiheon was the only one who would take him in.

Yiheon had severed all of Heemin’s other relationships, making Heemin solely dependent on him. Yiheon would rather kill everyone else to be Heemin’s one and only.

Cha Yiheon was like a quagmire; the more Heemin struggled to escape, the deeper he sank. Just as he resigned himself to giving up, a hot tear fell from his cheek onto Yiheon’s injured hand.

“…Really, this is fucked up.”

Yiheon released Heemin’s neck, perhaps because the water stung his wound or because he was in a bad mood. After staring at Heemin, who had collapsed onto the bed, for a while, Yiheon turned and headed toward the dressing room inside the bedroom.

“Change your clothes.”

The clothes he threw covered Heemin’s head and torso one after another. Heemin, with reddened eyes, looked at the black T-shirt and track pants.

First, he tells him to strip, and now he wants him to get dressed.

In the heavy silence, Heemin blinked in confusion as Yiheon left the room entirely.

Was he planning to have him change clothes from the start? Heemin stared blankly at where Yiheon had disappeared, then raised his arm to his nose. The shirt indeed had an unpleasant, musty basement smell.

Feeling drained, Heemin, who had been scared and cried like a child thinking Yiheon just wanted his body, felt a bit embarrassed. Although he was twenty-one inside, Seo Heemin was thirty now, so Yiheon must have found it ridiculous.

After changing into the ill-fitting clothes with drooping shoulders and a loose waist, Heemin cautiously opened the door and came out of the bedroom. The smell of alcohol stung his nose as he turned his head to see Yiheon sitting on the living room sofa, pouring whiskey into a glass.

He couldn’t tell if the bloodstains on Yiheon’s hand were his own or someone else’s, but they caught his attention. The sight of Yiheon drinking with a wounded expression after getting angry first unusually held Heemin’s gaze.

Heemin opened the drawer of the living room table and took out a first-aid kit. Yiheon’s eyes, watching Heemin’s tear-streaked cheeks, followed him.

“Give me your hand.”

“Get lost.”

Yiheon’s cold words echoed through the living room. His upturned, snake-like eyes looked eerie. Heemin’s hand holding the first-aid kit trembled slightly. He never knew how to speak kindly, even though his true feelings were different.

“Please, let me treat you.”

Heemin squeezed out the words, barely managing to speak. But Yiheon just glared at him without any reaction.

“Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me say get lost?”

“You bought me for five billion won, didn’t you? I should at least earn my keep.”

“Ha.”

Yiheon chuckled incredulously at the implication that, even if Heemin couldn’t offer his body, he could still do other things.

Heemin, undeterred by the cold response, opened the box and took out items useful for first aid. Yiheon glared at him as if wondering how he knew there was a first-aid kit in the drawer.

“The doctor told me it was here.”

In truth, he had seen it in a book.

“Give me your hand.”

“….”

“Hurry.”

Heemin quickly grabbed and pulled Yiheon’s hand as he set down the glass. Yiheon didn’t seem entirely opposed as his wrist was pulled along. His expression remained stern, but his eyelashes trembled slightly.

Such a child.

A moment ago, Heemin had been terrified of him, but now he felt nothing. Perhaps it was because he knew that, despite hating Seo Heemin so much, Yiheon was a coward who couldn’t stand being hated in return. Smiling slightly, Heemin gently rubbed the wound with a cotton swab soaked in antiseptic.

“You’re so slow. When are you going to finish?”

As Heemin carefully blew on the wound and cleaned the dried blood, Yiheon, seemingly frustrated, poured the antiseptic directly onto his hand.

That must sting a lot. But Yiheon kept a straight face, not showing any discomfort. It was so typical of Cha Yiheon to maintain his pride and put on a show.

“Uh…”

“What?”

Heemin looked up at Yiheon’s indifferent response to carefully observe his expression. Although his face was stiff, he didn’t seem as irritated as he had been when he first came home.

Heemin fanned Yiheon’s hand to dry the antiseptic quickly and asked the question he had been wanting to ask for a while, very bluntly.

“Did you kill someone?”

Yiheon’s head tilted as he fixed his gaze on Heemin, who was fanning his hand. After scrutinizing Heemin with narrowed eyes, he answered straightforwardly.

“No.”

“Then why is there so much blood on your clothes?”

“I beat someone up until they were nearly dead.”

“Who?”

“The bastard who stuck a syringe in your arm.”

To Heemin’s recollection, Seo Heemin had not been injected with drugs multiple times but had swelling from an intravenous injection, leading to repeated injections in other areas.

He felt a bit sorry for the gang member who had been turned into a bloody mess without reason. However, it was a virtual world character, and he rationalized that the person deserved punishment for administering illegal injections without being a medical professional.

Considering that Cha Yiheon, known as a brutal killer, hadn’t actually killed the person, it was somewhat of a relief.

Since Heemin’s value was not five billion but fifty billion won, and it was a fact that his neglect had marred the merchandise, he didn’t think the situation would escalate as he had feared.

Phew…

Heemin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he wouldn’t have to worry about being killed by a Bukseong group gang member’s knife for the time being.

“Now I’ll apply some ointment.”

Heemin spread ointment over the entire area of the hand where the skin had peeled off, then wrapped it in a bandage. As he contemplated whether to redo the clumsily wrapped bandage, Yiheon, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up.

“Why do you keep using formal speech with me? Seeing you after such a long time, do I feel like a stranger to you?”

“Well, there’s a nine-year age difference…”

Realizing his mistake, Heemin trailed off mid-sentence. He quickly glanced at Yiheon, but he couldn’t read his thoughts as he brought the glass to his lips.

The real 21-year-old Cha Yiheon preferred soju over whiskey and didn’t drink without snacks. Whenever they went to a bar together, he’d order at least three appetizers, filling Heemin up.

Considering how different he was in every way, it seemed odd to speak informally to him.

If he had a personality similar to his friend, Heemin would have used informal speech regardless of age. But the atmosphere, the intimidation, and the maturity emanating from Yiheon made Heemin naturally use formal language.

“I don’t know what you’re up to.”

With his bandaged hand, Yiheon downed the remaining liquid and fixed his gaze on Heemin. Then, with eyes gleaming like a child discovering a new feature in a toy, he spoke again with a mischievous glint.

“Go on. This is really entertaining.”

A strange light crept into his eyes, slowly and deeply, like rainwater seeping into the earth. Although it was Yiheon drinking, Heemin felt dizzy, as if he had stepped into a swamp he couldn’t escape.

After scrutinizing Heemin’s face like a specimen, Yiheon stood up, taking the empty glass and whiskey bottle with him. Heemin also tidied up the first-aid kit and put it back in the drawer.

“You have three older sisters and are nine years younger than me, Seo Heemin.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m going out early tomorrow morning. Just so you know.”

“Out? Where to?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Ah, where to? Please tell me.”

“Just go to bed.”

He motioned towards the glass door, signaling Heemin to go to his room without further argument.

“Goodnight.”

Like Secretary Jung, Heemin bowed politely and entered the room with a clear view inside. He could feel Yiheon’s persistent gaze on the back of his head, but he ignored it and lay down on the bed.

Yiheon turned off the lights in the living room and kitchen before entering his own bedroom, leaving the door wide open to keep an eye on Heemin.

Despite lying on a bed with soft pillows and cozy blankets, Heemin couldn’t sleep. Perhaps it was because he had only recently woken up.

Lying quietly in the dark room, Heemin stared blankly at the ceiling. The long night was coming to an end.

“At least I made it through the day.”

Unlike Seo Heemin, who was constantly plotting his escape, Heemin planned to stay put for now. He had no money and nowhere to go.

The outside world was dangerous, full of places where Omegas were captured and sold. In this safe haven, Heemin wanted to enjoy the delicious food Cha Yiheon provided and live comfortably.

Instead of fighting, clawing, and causing chaos, he had treated Yiheon’s hand, which led to Yiheon making a joke about having three older sisters and being nine years younger. Though it wasn’t a joke to Heemin.

Rebelling against Yiheon would only exhaust Heemin. If he acted carefully and skillfully, this place could become the coziest cage imaginable.

He had no intention of living like Seo Heemin, a pitiful bird in a cage. Regardless of his feelings toward Yiheon, survival was his priority.

Thinking about the flow of events, tomorrow was the day Seo Heemin would discover that Cha Yiheon was the president of Wooshin Capital and have a meltdown.

Seo Heemin’s father, Seo Jae-han, had borrowed heavily to fund his business expansion, leading to severe financial difficulties. Unable to repay the due corporate bonds, he borrowed high-interest loans from Wooshin Capital, ultimately defaulting and initiating bankruptcy procedures.

The savior who appeared was none other than Cha Yiheon, the son of a man Seo Jae-han had once ruined and the president of Wooshin Capital who had lent the money.

The past had come back to haunt him.

However, unaware of the past events or his father’s true nature, Seo Heemin saw Cha Yiheon only as his father’s murderer and harbored deep hatred for him, oblivious to another entity’s involvement in Seo Jae-han’s accidental death.

The scene where Dr. Hwang administers a sedative during Seo Heemin’s meltdown was supposed to occur, but now it seemed they were going somewhere.

“Is this okay?”

The term “butterfly effect” suddenly came to mind, referring to how small actions can lead to significant changes.

Perhaps Heemin’s minor actions had altered the storyline. With some effort, the tragic ending where everyone dies could turn into a happy one—a just and happy ending where the protagonist finds happiness.

All the other novels by the author of Silence ended with the protagonists exchanging rings or watches, promising eternal love, often in a wedding scene.

The novel Silence was written to break away from the repetitive themes of self-replication, and the author had once mentioned in a postscript that they wanted to write a story about two people without any hardships. With that in mind, Heemin thought, if he could recreate the wedding vow scene from the author’s previous works, he might be able to turn the pages back to reality, back home.

In this Alpha-Omega universe, two men could marry each other without any issue. Whether they held a grand wedding ceremony, submitted a marriage registration at the district office, or quietly pledged their eternal love to each other, promising eternal love to Cha Yiheon would likely end this cursed novel.

If Heemin had to end up with someone, wouldn’t it be better to deal with the kind Cha Yiheon from the days when he was friendly with “Seo Heemin” rather than the terrifying, hate-filled Yiheon? Heemin didn’t want to spend his days constantly on edge, watching Yiheon’s every move until the ending.

Thus, there was only one solution. To survive until the last page, to live comfortably without being oppressed, Heemin had to transform Cha Yiheon back into his former self, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

But the thought of being with a man, especially Cha Yiheon, was terrifying. Cha Yiheon was described in the novel as having a weapon-like object hidden between his legs. Moreover, being an Alpha, it was mentioned that the base would swell like a dog’s knot.

‘I’m going to die, please, stop… ugh!’

‘You wanted it so badly you were drooling, and now you want me to stop? Not a chance.’

‘Aah!’

Heemin imagined the knotting scene from the novel in 3D, where “Seo Heemin” cried out in agony, feeling like he was being torn apart, while Cha Yiheon continued to pour himself into him until his belly swelled.

Just the thought made Heemin’s face flush with embarrassment. He clutched his head in agony.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

However, in this high-intensity BL novel world, to shift the relationship between “Seo Heemin” and “Cha Yiheon,” physical contact was necessary. It was the only way for the characters’ emotions to evolve and for the plot to progress smoothly.

Ultimately, there was only one option. He had to share warmth with Cha Yiheon and develop their relationship into a romantic one.

Heemin, with tears in his eyes, resolved to start a project to change Cha Yiheon’s character keywords starting tomorrow.

Cha Yiheon might look like his friend, but he was essentially a stranger. Besides, it wasn’t his real body, so it wasn’t like Heemin in the real world would lose his virginity.

‘I need to survive, no matter what.’

Knowing all the upcoming events was like holding a powerful weapon. Heemin convinced himself he wasn’t the tragic protagonist of a sad ending but the player of a dating simulation game, then buried his head in the pillow.

Sleep soon overtook him. His eyes, which had been so wide open, slowly closed. Once again, Heemin was in the world of dreams within a minute.

***

“Ahhhhh!”

Heemin’s shrill scream echoed from the bathroom. Urgent footsteps followed, and Yiheon burst through the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“My face… my face…”

The author’s description of an unparalleled beauty was an absolute lie. The person in the mirror looked nothing like the character Heemin had expected.

He had hoped for big, round eyes without double eyelids, slightly droopy eyes, a delicate nose, and cheeks like glutinous rice cakes, but instead, it was his own face he had seen for 21 years, just a bit older.

Despite the character’s age being set at thirty, the light brown eyes he had always disliked, the red lips, and the pale skin remained unchanged. Even the double eyelids over his wavy eyes and the high nose were still there.

It was disappointing. He had even felt a bit nervous before looking in the mirror, but instead of a stunning beauty, a guy looking like a pretty boy stared back at him, reminding him of his sisters’ remarks that his face was common. This was the worst luck ever.

If his looks, which he thought were his only cheat, were like this, how was he supposed to seduce Cha Yiheon? Heemin, who had his head buried in the sink in despair, straightened up and told Yiheon.

“It’s nothing, I must have seen things because I just woke up.”