They arrived at a luxurious private bar, the kind of place that screamed money from the moment you saw the door. Even from the outside, Yohan could tell it was expensive.

Back in high school, Freddie used to drag him to places like this—spots where they blew through more cash in a night than Yohan's parents made in a month.

And even though Freddie covered most of the bills, Yohan was always painfully aware of every dollar spent, constantly on edge because he had nothing of his own. One wrong move back then and he could've landed himself in trouble he had no way out of.

But now? He didn't feel even a flicker of that old anxiety.

He followed the three of them inside, walking with a steady confidence that made him look like he belonged there more than any of them.

"Why'd you invite that fucker?" Jasper muttered under his breath to Freddie.

Freddie shrugged, keeping his voice low. "He promised he wouldn't mess things up with me and Cassie if we let him tag along. You know how long I've been working on that girl. I'm not risking him ruining it."

He noticed Hazard stealing glances at him—quick, sharp looks filled with something he wasn't trying hard enough to hide.

"That bastard insulted me in front of everyone," Hazard hissed, barely containing his rage.

Freddie shrugged. "Let it slide. I have plans for him. When we finish with him, he won't dare go against a single thing we tell him."

"Oh, right. The chairman's coming today," Jasper added.

"You don't need to worry," Freddie said calmly. "I've already arranged everything. The girls should be here any minute."

Yohan, walking a little farther behind, couldn't catch the whole conversation. He only caught fragments—chairman, girls, arranged.

'The chairman… sounds like someone high up. Maybe from that entertainment company' he guessed.

A hostess escorted them to one of the private rooms—dim lights, plush sofas, and enough space to throw a whole mini-party. It was exactly the kind of place the old Yohan would've been terrified to even step into.

"Just wait a bit, Yohan," Freddie said with an almost smug grin. "The girls will be here any moment."

And right on cue, footsteps approached. The door slid open—and the first person to walk in was Lisa.

She wore a seductive party outfit: short skirt, tight top, makeup that looked like it took hours. She looked nothing like the girl Yohan had seen earlier…

Lisa walked in with three other girls. They weren't as beautiful as she was, but they carried the same practiced sex appeal—short skirts, glossy lips, and eyes that were just a little too empty.

The moment Lisa spotted him, her expression stiffened. It was quick—barely a second—but Yohan caught it. She immediately looked away, pretending she hadn't seen him at all.

He lifted a hand to wave, but after seeing her reaction, he let it drop casually to his side as if he'd never intended to greet her.

'What is she doing here?' he thought, a slow unease forming in his chest.

"Hey, Yohan! You've met these girls, right? They're all freshmen in our department," Freddie said as he threw an arm around Yohan's shoulder, acting as if they were brothers.

"Girls, this is Yohan—my very good friend. I'm sure you've all seen him in Professor Kim's class."

The girls gave shy greetings, and as they spoke, Yohan recognized one or two faces. But his eyes kept drifting back to Lisa, who avoided looking at him entirely.

Then the drinks started coming in—bottle after bottle—lined up on the table like they were preparing for a celebration or a sacrifice.

Yohan barely sipped. Alcohol had never appealed to him, and tonight didn't seem like the right time to start. Even so, after just a few gulps he felt his head getting heavy, the room tilting ever so slightly.

'Damn… this stuff is strong'

Just then, the man Freddie had been talking about finally arrived. The so-called chairman. He was large, with a round pot belly that strained against his expensive shirt, his presence filling the room before he even spoke.

"Uncle, you're here," Freddie said with a smirk.

"Yes," the man answered with a deep, rumbling chuckle. His eyes immediately drifted to the girls. "Are these the girls?" He reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from one girl's face, inspecting her like merchandise.

"Yes sir. I made sure they were very pretty," Freddie replied, practically glowing with pride.

"Freddie, you never disappoint your uncle," the chairman laughed. "I should tell your mother I'm hiring you full-time." He slapped Freddie on the back, hard enough to make him sway.

A sudden, sharp burst of pain tore through Yohan's head. It wasn't the normal dizziness of alcohol—this felt like someone driving a spike straight into his skull.

'This is why I hate drinking…' he grimaced, pressing a hand to the side of his head.

'I need to get home…'

He pushed himself to his feet, but the room spun violently. His knees buckled. He lurched forward, almost colliding with the chairman before his legs completely gave out.

He collapsed back into the chair, his body slack and unresponsive.

He tried again—gripping the edge of the seat, forcing his muscles to move—but his arms felt like they were filled with sand. Even lifting his head was becoming impossible.

"And who's this one?" the fat man asked, eyeing Yohan with mild irritation.

"He's just a friend," Freddie answered quickly. "You said I should bring a guy along this time, remember?"

"Yes… one of our executives has a very strange taste," the chairman muttered, waving a hand. "But why is he still conscious?"

"It looks like he's resisting the effects," Jasper said under his breath.

"That's a problem," the chairman snapped. "We can't take him to the executives in this condition. What if he sees their faces? You know the rules."

"Yes sir… we're sorry," Freddie said, bowing slightly.

"I warned you three already. Make sure they're all unconscious before I arrive. Do you idiots want trouble?"

Yohan blinked heavily, trying to focus—and that was when he noticed it.

All the girls… were slumped on the couches with their eyes tightly shut, chests rising and falling in deep, unnatural sleep.

They weren't drunk. They were drugged.

"I'm sorry, sir," Freddie said quickly. "I gave him three times the usual dose, but he's still awake... Barely though, I'm sure he can't even hear us." He waved a hand in front of Yohan's blurry eyes.

Yohan didn't react—not a blink, not a twitch—but only because he forced himself not to.

He had been listening to everything.

'He put something in the drinks…?!' The realization hit him like another blow to the skull.

"In that case, get him out of here," the chairman said. "If he can still move, he might resist and end up causing trouble for the executive. We are trying to run a clean operation here"

"We should just get rid of him," Hazard said, cracking his knuckles, eagerness twisting his voice.

"That's not a bad idea," the chairman replied with a grin. "But then you boys will have to dispose of his body yourselves. Are you ready for that?"

A lingering silence.

Finally—

"I can just take him back to his room," a soft feminine voice said.

Yohan dragged his sluggish gaze toward the sound, but his vision was already collapsing in on itself. The edges darkened, shapes blurred, and the person speaking became nothing but a silhouette he couldn't place.

'No… stay awake… don't fall asleep… if I do…'

He fought the darkness clawing at him, but the drug was relentless.

His body grew heavy, his thoughts slow.

And then everything turned pitch black.

____

"No!" Yohan jolted awake the next morning, his whole body flinching as he sucked in a sharp breath. He was in his own room—on his humble bed—drenched in cold sweat.

For a moment he just lay there, chest rising and falling rapidly, trying to understand where he was. Everything felt wrong. His clothes clung to him, his head throbbed faintly, and his heart refused to slow down.

The memories from the night before drifted through his mind like smoke—thin, scattered, almost unreal. It felt less like something he experienced and more like something he dreamed… or hallucinated.

He couldn't even remember how he got home.

'The last thing I remember was…'

He pressed a hand to his forehead, forcing himself to think. The more he dug into the haze, the more the details slid away from him.

But then, like a punch of cold water, fragments of the conversation he overheard broke through the fog.

The chairman.

The girls unconscious.

Freddie panicking.

Hazard suggesting they get rid of him.

Someone volunteering to take him home.

Yohan's stomach tightened as everything slowly pieced itself together.

"What the…"

His mind went to the fact that Freddie was actually going to hand him over to that man...

'To do what exactly...?'

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