Waking up to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, I found myself lost in the warmth of the previous night's memories. As I lay there, eyes closed, I couldn't help but replay the events of yesterday, each moment etched vividly in my mind. It was one of those rare, perfect days that you wish could last forever.With a contented smile playing on my lips, I slowly opened my eyes, eager to start the day by stealing a glance at the man who had filled my heart with joy. But as my gaze fell upon him, nestled in the embrace of slumber, something caught my attention. Instead of being wrapped in my arms, he held a small grey wolf plushie close to his chest.Instantly, a twinge of jealousy stirred within me. How could he choose a stuffed toy over me? Suppressing the feeling, I gently extracted myself from his embrace and reached for the plushie, my mind already concocting playful scenarios of reclaiming my place as the sole object of his affection.With the plushie in hand, I ti
On the day of departure, both of us were filled with anticipation, and our smiles never left us, except for a small incident — because I unilaterally upgraded to business class, he felt that economy class was just fine and there was no need to spend money on an upgrade, especially for a relatively short flight. I confidently reassured him that I had the means and there was no need to worry about money. After that, he didn't say much more. Perhaps he might have felt slightly disappointed, but for me, it was truly inconsequential, hardly even worth mentioning.I sat by the window, reclined, and closed my eyes. Just before I drifted off, Neil was still seated beside me. After a while, I felt something brushing against my legs through my jeans. Opening my eyes, I saw a child attempting to get closer to the window to see the view outside.Why was there a child beside me? In my drowsiness, I had a ridiculous thought — when did Neil turn into a child? I shook off the drowsiness and tried to
During the remainder of the flight, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease knowing that a dangerous individual was seated behind us. I sensed his gaze lingering on Neil. Even when I tried to block his view, he persisted in staring in our direction, as if he could see straight through me to Neil. There were moments when I genuinely wanted to turn around and give him a piece of my mind, but I knew that would only end up putting me in the wrong.Upon disembarking, all I could think about was getting Neil away as quickly as possible, but we had to wait for our luggage. So, I clung tightly to Neil, escorting him wherever he needed to go. If he needed the restroom, I went with him; if I wanted to buy a bottle of water, I dragged him along. As it turned out, this approach was the right one, because no matter where we went, I kept catching sight of that man, his eyes fixed on us, especially on Neil. If it was merely coincidental, our actions certainly didn't seem to justify his scrutiny.
Our maritime activities, seaside rests, and even evening dinners at the seaside restaurant had an extra light bulb, which annoyed me greatly. Fortunately, my Neil didn't seem to have any particular reaction to it, which is a small relief amid my irritation. However, I still worried about Neil falling into Harry's trap inadvertently at any moment.After dinner, I hurriedly pulled Neil along to head back to our room. Unexpectedly, that shadow followed us to the hotel and even joined us in the elevator. I was really losing my patience, ready to confront him, but Neil beat me to it with a question I had in mind too."Harry, do you also live here? Which floor are you on?" Neil asked, taking the lead."Yes, Neil, I do. I'm on the top floor," Harry replied."Are you living alone in the presidential suite?" I couldn't help but sound a bit disdainful."It's my habit. Sometimes when I'm not writing, I like to wander around the room for inspiration," Harry explained."How coincidental," Neil sai
When I woke up, he was already awake, gently stroking my hair strand by strand, as if counting how many I had. I grabbed his hand, placed it near my lips, and lightly kissed it. He chuckled, and I leaned in to give him a good morning kiss, seizing the opportunity to leave a mark on his neck. "So early?" I asked. "Happy," he replied. "Because of the trip? Or because of last night?" His face flushed as soon as I mentioned last night. "Yes, because of that." "Because of what?" "Because of this." He grabbed his phone, squinted at the screen, and showed me a picture. It was a photo of a white wolf and Neil. Turns out, he had woken up during the journey and snapped a photo. It was my first time being photographed in wolf form, and I had no idea it happened. "You took a sneaky picture of me?" I tickled him, and he squirmed in my embrace. "Your wolf form is so beautiful, so charismatic." "Of course." "The fur is so nice to touch." "So, you secretly touched my hair?" "Yeah, but wol
According to our itinerary, we were originally supposed to go to the aquarium. By the time Neil woke up, it was almost noon, and he hesitated with embarrassment about whether we should change the plan. I reassured him by patting his head, saying it's alright, we could just go and see, and if we could cover everything, great, and if not, it's okay. Truth be told, I didn't mind where we went, as long as I was with him.As soon as we stepped out, I was on high alert, observing our surroundings intently, worried that Harry might show up again to cause trouble, so the whole journey seemed quite serious. It wasn't until we arrived at the aquarium that Neil's question amused me."Do you feel like eating fish when you see them?""Why don't you ask me if I feel like eating people when I see them?" I chuckled and leaned close to his face, whispering in his ear."You wouldn't eat people, because you haven't eaten me.""I haven't eaten you, but I've consumed you in another way."With that said, I
Carrying the dinner, I headed upstairs. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard Neil and Harry talking. I couldn't summon up anger anymore, and I even began to wonder about these two. Were they having an affair? Right in front of me? I didn't continue walking, staying in place to eavesdrop on their conversation."Neil, your wound. If you want, I can come in and help you dress it. Or if it's not convenient, you can come to my room, just for dressing the wound, I won't do anything else." It dawned on me that I had been too angry earlier and hadn't even thought to check on his injury."No need, Harry, I'm fine.""Are you crying?""No, I'm not crying." I could imagine Neil vigorously wiping his face."Neil, I'm sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out like that.""It's not your fault, it's mine.""How can it be your fault? Neil, you have no fault in this, he does." He? Me?"It's not Ryan's fault, it's mine. Ryan is good, he's good to me." I softened a bit. I had just scolded hi
After last night's frenzy on one side and cooperation on the other, I had no idea when the gauze around Neil's neck had fallen off. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw that dry wound on his fair skin. It was a bit unusual; leaning in for a closer look, I could clearly see two round puncture marks, accompanied by minor bite marks and abrasions. Those two puncture wounds were unmistakably vampire bites. Could that brat Harry be a vampire?The more I thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed. I immediately shook Neil awake. He was groggy and wanted to go back to sleep, considering I had finished my activities well into the night, and it was almost dawn when I was done. He had barely slept four hours before I woke him up. Seeing him still squinting, I shook him again, harder this time. I felt it necessary to get to the bottom of this."Neil, wake up.""Huh? Ryan? Is it time?""Just wake up first, I have something to ask you." His tone became cautious upon seeing my serious expression
I stared at him, unwilling to waste words. Instead, I asked directly, “Where’s Neil?” The question was like a weight pressing on my chest, and this man before me was the only one who could answer it.Ken Yimo’s expression was one of indifference, as he replied coolly, “Neil? He’s resting. He’s very simple-minded. As long as I tell him to stay put, he won’t wander off. So, unlike with you, I don’t have to keep him chained up.” His words dripped with a detached cruelty, as though Neil were nothing more than a toy he could control at will. My fists clenched involuntarily, and a simmering anger began to burn within me.I knew then—Ken Yimo must have done something to manipulate Neil or force him into submission. I wanted to press him further, but Ken spoke first, a sly smile twisting across his face. “Ah, but it seems that when kids grow up, they’re not so easy to keep
“I’ve had enough.” Finally, my patience wore thin. Soft tactics weren’t working, so it was time to be firm. I stood up, bundled Neil up tightly in his blanket, ignoring his struggles or pleas. Before long, Neil was sitting at the small table, his head poking out from the blanket while the rest of his body was wrapped up snugly—held there by my bear hug, replacing any other form of restraint.I should have done it this way from the start. It saved time, kept the food warm, and, most importantly, even though he was wrapped in a blanket, I could still hold him close, care for him, protect him—letting him sit on my lap and lean against me.“Wow.” Seeing his eager expression, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. “I know you love these dishes, so I made them just for you. What do you want to eat?”"My favorite pasta.""My favorite pancakes."
I rambled on while watching the stars twinkle silently in the night sky. The breeze caressed the woods outside the tent, and the night was as gentle as a dream. Unconsciously, fatigue crept into my eyelids, and finally I fell into a deep sleep in the stillness of the night.I didn't know exactly how long I slept until a beam of morning light shone through the transparent tent roof and shone on my face, waking me up from my slumber. In a daze, I blinked, as if last night's worries and hesitations were still swirling in my mind. But the scene that came into my eyes next completely turned all my imaginations upside down.“Neil!!! what are you doing?!” I instantly came to my senses and sat up with a jolt. Right in front of me, Neil was kneeling beside me, head bowed, with a serious look on his face as he tried to help me with my natural morning reaction. He didn't look hesitant at all, as if it was a matter of course.
My heart sank, realizing that it wasn’t just innocent childish behavior—it was a desperate search for affection, a need to please, a struggle to win more care and love from Ken Yimo. In that moment, I suddenly understood that Harry's words might have been true—their relationship was far beyond a typical father-son bond.I struggled to steady the emotions stirring within me, and looked up at Neil’s innocent face. He probably didn’t recognize the true meaning behind those gestures—their intent was not simply familial love, but a deep, almost physical craving for attention, a kind of dependence on being favored. A quiet ache settled in my chest as I wished with all my heart that he would never be caught in that dark emotional whirlpool again.I smiled softly, gently steering the conversation back to where it had started. "So, to get back to the point, I am your one and only, aren't I?" On this quiet night, I
"Yes, every day." Neil nodded firmly, his tone pure, almost childlike."Then, is this kind of missing me something unique?" I pressed on, as though I were hoping to hear a one-of-a-kind answer from him."Unique?" He blinked, looking as though he didn’t quite understand the meaning of the word.I patiently explained, "What I mean is... is this something that only I experience? Like, the way you miss your dad—does it feel the same as the way I miss mine?"Neil shook his head slightly, his voice soft as he replied, "It's different. I miss Ryan more."A flicker of delight stirred within me, but I kept my expression neutral and asked, "What about compared to your elder brother and your little brother? Is it different with them too?"Neil thought for a moment before nodding with certainty. "Yeah, I miss Ryan the most.""So, only I,
As I processed Harry's bombshell, I turned to Ethan and asked, "Have you checked if Fred Yimo is really Ken Yimo's biological son?"Ethan's expression turned serious as he pulled out his phone. "I'll have someone look into it now."Peter furrowed his brow, clearly skeptical. "You suspect Fred Yimo might be adopted too?""I actually hope so," I replied firmly. "It's a lot less messy than the unethical theory.""Ken Yimo really isn't simple," Harry remarked on the phone, sounding almost impressed. "When I was around, Fred was a bit more relaxed. But the moment I left, he turned into a mouse—didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, but a little bit “sticky” though."I let out a cold laugh. "Doesn't that completely clash with the surveillance cameras he set up at home?"Peter nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right. Which of these sides is the r
As Peter and I sat off to the side, watching them laugh and chat, a tangle of emotions stirred within us. The scene was heartwarming, yet there was an undeniable sense of loss. Here we were, two grown men, holding our glasses, sitting on the fringes of this cozy gathering, as if the world had forgotten about us.Peter let out a heavy sigh. "Why does it feel like I'm drifting further away from my own precious one?" His gaze lingered on Nick and Neil, a hint of sadness in his eyes.I took a sip of my drink, my voice low. "It feels like everyone else is getting closer to Neil than I am." The words left a sting in my chest, as though something inside me had been pierced.Ethan, overhearing our conversation, smiled softly and leaned in to offer a quiet word of reassurance. "Don’t rush," he said gently. "You’ll grow closer in time." He set down his soup spoon, his demeanor calm and wise. "When the bond is strong, n
I paused, surprised that Ken Yimo had informed Neil so quickly. I had been ready to carefully persuade him to come along, but it turned out I didn’t need to—the door was already open, and Neil knew he’d have some freedom. My plan could move forward seamlessly.I smiled, leaning down with a hint of excitement in my voice. "Neil, how about a trip to the amusement park?" My gaze held a playful glint, eager to see his reaction.As expected, Neil’s face instantly lit up with an incredible smile, like sunshine breaking into the depths of his heart. "Really?" His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky, his voice brimming with barely-contained excitement."Yes!" I nodded, continuing to paint an exciting picture for him. "We can even go see a movie, and then camp out to watch the stars. How does that sound?"Neil’s face flushed with excitement, and he practically burst out, "Y
He helped Neil over to a nearby tatami mat, his expression so gentle that it seemed impossible he’d been the same man furiously smashing things just moments earlier. Watching him carefully tend to Neil with such tenderness, I couldn't help but marvel at how masterfully this man could wear different masks. One moment, he was consumed by rage; the next, he’d transformed into the image of a devoted father. No wonder Neil felt uneasy around someone like him—such volatility would be terrifying for anyone.Ken Yimo picked up his phone and answered in a low voice. The moment he murmured, "Ah, Harry," I instantly understood—the next phase of the plan was in motion. Harry had successfully intervened to stop Fred Yimo from causing more trouble at the hospital, and this call was to inform Ken Yimo, urging him to hurry over and manage the aftermath.After hanging up, Ken Yimo returned to Neil's side, gently stroking his hair. In