Part 7
Felix remained sprawled on the cold, filthy floor of the corridor, his eyes squeezed shut for a long, painful moment as tears streamed freely down his face, mixing with the drying filth. His lips felt raw and chapped from the brutal kiss. He had been a sheltered, studious boy thoughts of kissing much less having sex with girls had never even truly crossed his mind until this hell began. Now the recollection of seeing those boys and the horrifying reality of what had just been done to him made him feel violently sick to his stomach
A chilling thought crept in, an attempt at self-preservation that was utterly twisted by his environment. He told himself that in these two months here these vile acts had become horrifyingly normalized. He tried to desperately cling to the idea that those first assaults were simply because he was new, a vulnerable target and nothing quite like that day had happened to him again until now. His mind tried to build a false bridge of safety over the past two months of relative calm
Then he opened his eyes with his weak, trembling hands, he reached out and picked up the black hair tie that lay abandoned on the concrete. He pushed himself to his unsteady feet and stumbled toward the nearby sink
Hyunjin's cum was still dripping down his face, an undeniable, searing badge of violation that intensified his agony. He immediately cranked on the water, turning the tap as far as it would go and began savagely scrubbing his face. He used his fingernails, digging into his skin, trying desperately to scrub away the residue. In his frantic denial, he treated the violation as if it were mere dirt, scrubbing so hard and relentlessly that he risked tearing and breaking the delicate skin on his cheeks
"Everything... is fine... I'll be okay" he choked out, muttering the empty, desperate words of self-soothing
The sheer shock and the stench of his own humiliation however overwhelmed his denial. He suddenly doubled over the sink, his body rebelling completely and instantly began vomiting the thin gruel of his lunch into the basin
Felix managed to force himself to stop vomiting, rinse his mouth repeatedly and straighten his uniform, attempting to scrub away every visible stain and mark. He took several shaky, calming breaths before walking back to his cell, forcing his pace to be slow and steady
He sat down slowly on his bunk, the exhaustion and trauma weighing him down and pulled the thin blanket over his body. All he wanted was to be invisible to forget everything for a while. He buried his face in the pillow and soon merciful sleep overtook him, pulling him into a dark, temporary oblivion
A while later Jae-bum entered the cell. He walked in with a small, easy smile, perhaps expecting to continue their earlier conversation. He stopped short when he saw that Felix was already asleep, his small form curled under the blanket
"But it's still too early to sleep??" Jae-bum muttered to himself, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion
He moved quietly closer, intending only to adjust the blanket properly over his friend. He smiled faintly, reaching out a large hand to gently, carefully brush a stray strand of blond hair from Felix's cheek
As his eyes scanned Felix's face, his hand froze. Jae-bum's eyes suddenly widened in shock when he noticed a distinct, angry-looking bite mark just beneath the line of Felix's jaw. He immediately and gently moved the collar of Felix's uniform aside slightly and his expression turned to pure horror. The skin was faintly marked with bruising, evidence of a brutal, possessive grasp the subtle finger marks of a choke or a painful hold. He then looked at Felix's eyes even in sleep they were visibly puffy and swollen from recent crying
Jae-bum immediately stood up, his jaw clenched, his body rigid with barely controlled fury. He began pacing the small confines of the cell, his hands opening and closing into fists "Who did this? Who did it? Was it that bastard?"
he kept muttering to himself, the words spat out in low, dangerous whispers
After several agonizing minutes of struggling with his rage, he forced himself to calm down. He walked back to the bunk, his anger momentarily suppressed by a crushing wave of protectiveness. He simply stood there, his gaze fixed on Felix's sleeping, fragile form, his mind consumed by a single, desperate vow to protect him
Late that night long after the final patrol had passed and the cell block lights had been extinguished, Hyunjin lay awake on his bunk. He was positioned comfortably, his arms crossed behind his head, staring into the oppressive blackness
His dark eyes glinted faintly, catching the ambient light from the distant hallway. His mind was replaying the events of the afternoon specifically what he had brutally inflicted upon Felix. A slow, satisfied smirk instantly twisted his lips. He pulled his right arm out from behind his head and touched his lips, savoring the phantom sensation of the kiss and the assault
"He must be scared as hell now" he murmured to himself, the words laced with possessive gratification
Suddenly a vicious, loud, sharp burst of laughter escaped him "hahahahaha" a sound utterly devoid of humor. The inmate in the neighboring bunk, one of Hyunjin's man jerked his head up in shock but instantly settled back down, knowing better than to question the leader
The thought of the bruises and the bite marks now marring Felix's delicate skin did not register as remorse instead it excited him, filling him with a manic, terrifying happiness like a madman delighting in his own destructive power
'Let's see how long and how strong you can stay, Felix'
he thought, his mental challenge a dark promise. He settled back onto his arms, the smirk firmly in place already anticipating his next move
Felix woke up earlier than usual, the lingering dread of the previous day pulling him from sleep. His first most pressing need was to regain a sense of control and hide the evidence before Jae-bum woke up. The cell doors were still locked
Felix got up and walked quietly to the heavy steel door "Is anyone there?" he asked softly
A weary-looking guard approached slightly "What do you want?"
"Can I go to the restroom, please?" Felix requested, his voice respectful and calm
The guard checked his watch; the designated time for general release was still half an hour away but seeing the quiet boy, he grudgingly unlocked the door
"Thank you very much" Felix said, genuinely grateful, and slipped out
While prisoners were only allowed two full showers a week, the morning was designated as a wash-up time. Felix wanted to wash his face thoroughly again, desperate to remove the psychic residue, feeling like parts of his skin and his hair were still sticky and dirty from yesterday's filth
The clean water felt like fire. His skin stung fiercely when the water touched it, a consequence of the wounds he had inflicted on his face by scrubbing too violently with his nails. Then he carefully wet the front part of his hair, wincing sharply as his hand brushed against his neck right over the tender, bruised spots where the bite and kiss marks were. Afterward, he quickly tied his wet hair back into a small, tight ponytail and returned to the cell
When he entered Jae-bum was already awake, sitting up on his bunk
"Oh! You're awake too?" Felix said, forcing a brittle, fake smile
"I just woke up and didn't see you. I was about to look for you" Jae-bum said, his eyes searching Felix's face
"I just went to the restroom" Felix replied quickly
Jae-bum immediately noticed the raw, red scars on Felix's cheeks. He stepped closer and gently placed his large hands around Felix's face, his touch agonizingly soft and careful not to cause more pain
"What are these scars?" he asked, his voice low with concern, searching Felix's eyes for the truth
"Th-that's from yesterday... I scrubbed my face too hard" Felix lied, the blush rising high on his neck. He felt intensely hot and flustered unsure if the reaction was due to the blatant lie or the overwhelming, tender proximity of Jae-bum's hands
"Next time, wash your face gently" Jae-bum murmured, offering a soft smile before stepping back
He desperately wanted to ask about the bruises on his neck and the bite mark he knew exactly what those faint marks meant and who was responsible but he decided he wouldn't inflict more pain on Felix with intrusive questions. For now, he just remained silent, his rage simmering beneath a calm exterior.
Eventually, all the prisoners were released to the dining area for breakfast
Felix's forced smile had completely vanished, replaced by a fearful stillness. He stood near their usual table a ghost in the crowded room, waiting for Jae-bum to finish collecting his food tray.
As he stood there, Hyunjin suddenly closed the distance between them. He moved silently, like a predator and stopped right beside Felix, leaning in close
He whispered devilishly into Felix's ear, his breath hot and repulsive "The places I kissed look so beautiful on your body, They show up so nicely" Then with a chilling smirk, he walked past, heading toward his own table
Felix's blood ran cold. He immediately clapped his hands over the bitten and kissed spots on his neck, terrified. At that moment, the breakfast tray he was holding slipped from his numb hands and all the food crashed to the floor
Everyone looked at him in shock at the loud noise but Hyunjin just sat down and smirked, savoring the public humiliation.
Felix wasn't concerned about the scattered food; his only terror was the possibility that someone anyone might see the marks on his body and confirm the immense shame and violation. He kept his hands desperately covering his neck 'Are they very visible?' Felix thought to himself in pure panic
Jae-bum seeing the commotion, immediately pushed through the crowd and rushed to Felix. He quickly set his own tray of food on the table beside them
"Are you okay?! Are you burned?!" Jae-bum asked urgently, his eyes scanning wildly over Felix's body for any visible injury
"I'm fine!" Felix snapped out, his panic causing a sudden, harsh edge to his voice
"Come, eat with me" Jae-bum insisted gently, trying to guide him away
But Felix said nothing. Overwhelmed by fear and shame, he suddenly ran away from the dining hall without a second thought Jae-bum ran after him
"Tch, that brat" Hyunjin muttered under his breath, watching Jae-bum bolt after Felix. The sight ignited the familiar, possessive fury in his gut