21.

Chapter 21

Sunoo should have said no.

He should have let Dr. Choi handle this without him, should have left the asylum buried in his past where it belonged.

But the second she said his name—Riki—every wall he had built, every excuse he had crafted, crumbled.

Because no matter how far he ran, no matter how hard he tried to erase Riki from his mind, the truth was unavoidable.

He was still his problem.

And deep down, Sunoo knew—Riki had escaped for one reason only.

Him.

The asylum felt colder when he returned.

It shouldn’t have. The fluorescent lights still buzzed overhead, the halls still carried the distant echoes of patients murmuring to themselves. But something was wrong.

It was quieter.

Emptier.

Like the very walls had been holding their breath since Riki vanished.

Sunoo stepped into Dr. Choi’s office, gripping the file she had given him. His name was scrawled on the tab: Nishimura Riki—Patient 082.

A name that shouldn’t have meant anything to him.

And yet, it meant everything.

Dr. Choi folded her hands, her face drawn with exhaustion. "Thank you for coming back."

Sunoo swallowed. "You said he escaped two nights ago."

She nodded. "During the night shift. No one saw how he did it. The cameras glitched for exactly three minutes. When they came back, his room was empty."

Sunoo stiffened. Of course he had planned it. Riki was smarter than people gave him credit for.

"Have there been any sightings?"

Dr. Choi exhaled. "Nothing concrete. But…" She hesitated.

Sunoo frowned. "But?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "He left something behind. In his room."

A chill crawled up Sunoo’s spine.

Dr. Choi slid a small evidence bag across the desk. Inside was a single, crumpled piece of paper.

Sunoo hesitated before picking it up.

His breath caught in his throat.

There, in Riki’s messy, familiar handwriting, was one sentence.

“Did you really think you could leave me?”

His fingers curled around the paper, heart pounding.

Dr. Choi’s voice was soft. "I think he’s looking for you, Sunoo."

No.

He knew Riki was looking for him.

And he had a feeling he wouldn’t have to look far to find him.

The nightmares returned that night.

Except they weren’t dreams.

They were memories.

Riki’s touch, the weight of his gaze, the heat of his breath ghosting over Sunoo’s skin.

“You don’t look at them the way you look at me.”

Sunoo jolted awake, gasping. His skin was damp with sweat, his heart slamming against his ribs.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.

This was exactly why he had left.

He couldn’t think clearly with Riki in his head.

But now, it wasn’t just his mind Riki haunted.

It was the real world too.

And Sunoo had no choice but to chase after him.

The next morning, he sat across from Dr. Choi with a steely gaze.

"I’m staying," he said firmly.

Dr. Choi nodded, not surprised. "We need you."

Sunoo exhaled. "Where do we start?"

"With the only person who might know where he is."

Sunoo’s stomach twisted. He already knew who she meant.

Heeseung.

Heeseung was waiting for him in the common room, sprawled lazily across the couch.

The second he saw Sunoo, he grinned. "Look who came crawling back."

Sunoo ignored him, sitting down. "You know why I’m here."

Heeseung hummed, twirling a playing card between his fingers. "Let me guess. Riki?"

Sunoo’s jaw clenched. "Where is he?"

Heeseung snorted. "You think he’d tell me? He’s not stupid, doc."

Sunoo leaned forward. "But you know something."

A slow smirk crept across Heeseung’s face. "Maybe."

Sunoo sighed. "Heeseung—"

"You made a mistake, you know," Heeseung interrupted.

Sunoo frowned. "What?"

"You left." Heeseung flicked the card onto the table. "You think Riki was gonna let that slide?"

Sunoo’s hands curled into fists. "He doesn’t control me."

Heeseung chuckled. "Doesn’t he?"

Sunoo stiffened.

Because the worst part?

He didn’t know the answer to that anymore.

Two days passed.

No sightings. No leads.

But Sunoo could feel it.

Riki was close.

Watching.

Waiting.

And on the third night, his instincts were proven right.

Because when he returned to his apartment, the door was unlocked.

His blood ran cold.

He stepped inside cautiously, his fingers trembling as he flicked on the light.

Nothing seemed out of place.

But the air was different.

And then—

His eyes landed on the single, neatly folded note on his kitchen counter.

His breath hitched.

With stiff fingers, he picked it up and unfolded it.

One line.

Scrawled in the same messy handwriting as before.

“You should’ve stayed gone.”

Sunoo’s pulse skyrocketed.

Because this time, he knew for sure.

Riki had already found him.

And he wasn’t going to let him go.

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Ni-ki knows som doesnt he😈