Sea sat alone under the tall tree behind the music room—the same spot where Boss had cornered him once before. The breeze felt softer there, the whispers of the wind a rare comfort.
He didn't notice the shadow until it was right beside him.
"Beautiful afternoon, isn't it?" a calm, unfamiliar voice said.
Sea looked up—startled—and found a well-dressed older man standing there with a slight smile on his face. Sharp features, expensive watch, confident posture. His presence screamed power… and something darker.
"You look just like I imagined," the man said quietly. "So soft. So breakable."
Sea's heart jumped. "Do I know you?"
"No," the man smiled. "But I know you, Sea. I've seen you. I've left you things. That flower on the desk—it was from me."
Sea stood quickly, his breathing uneven. "W-why… why would you do that?"
The man stepped forward slightly. "Because you shine like glass in a storm. And boys like you don't belong to monsters."
He reached out as if to tuck Sea's hair behind his ear.
And that's when it happened.
A shadow passed over both of them. A scent filled the air—smoke, leather, and rage.
Boss.
He stood just behind the man. Silent. Still. Eyes black as death itself.
The uncle froze mid-motion.
Sea's lips parted in disbelief. "Boss…?"
Boss didn't look at him. His eyes were locked on the man. And when he spoke, it wasn't loud—but it carried the weight of a god.
> "Touch him again… and I'll bury you so deep the devil himself won't find your soul."
The man's hand slowly dropped.
"Is that how you repay blood?" Boss asked, his voice low and venomous. "By stalking what's mine?"
"His not yours," the man tried to say—defensive, shaky.
Boss stepped closer. "You thought I wouldn't notice? You thought I'd let you crawl near him, whisper in his ear, leave him gifts like some lovesick shadow?"
Sea stood still, watching—confused, frightened. Boss was pure wrath now, but it wasn't loud or violent. It was controlled terror. A promise of pain.
Boss adjusted the silver ring on his finger, tilting his head slightly.
> "You're my uncle… and I don't give a damn."
Then he smiled.
That smile.
Slow, cruel… like a warning before a storm.
> "Next time, I'll come without words."
The uncle nodded—sweating now, breath short. He turned and walked away quickly, like a man who had just escaped death.
Only when he was gone did Boss finally turn to Sea. His expression didn't soften.
> "Stay away from him," he said.
And with that, he vanished into the shadows again.
---
To be continued