You know what they say? You crave what you lack.

Seokmin lives by that saying like it's scripture, each word etched deep into the marrow of his bones.

He craves what he lacks—money, power, control, desire. He devoured it all, indulged every hunger that clawed at his soul. But now... now, it’s something different, something far more tantalizing.

Innocence.

Innocence wrapped in the flesh of a twenty-eight-year-old American man who refuses to vacate his thoughts. A man whose very existence gnaws at Seokmin’s patience, driving him to the brink of obsession.

Hong Joshua.

It’s Joshua’s innocence Seokmin craves, an innocence that mocks him with every passing second.

It’s not just a desire—it’s a need, feral and unyielding. It’s a hunger that twists inside him, dark and consuming, a relentless ache that refuses to be silenced.

Seokmin isn’t sure when the craving began—maybe it was the first time he saw Joshua, all wide-eyed and pure, sitting beside him in the car with a serenity that felt almost unreal.

A spark.

It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that gnawed at him, haunted him in the dead of night. He’d seen it all before—innocence, naïveté, hope. But this? This was different.

Joshua’s innocence wasn’t a façade, wasn’t something easily shattered by the world’s cruelty. It was genuine, untouched by the darkness Seokmin reveled in.

And that’s what made it so irresistible.

Seokmin found himself drawn to Joshua, unable to stay away. He watched from the shadows, drinking in every detail—the way Joshua’s lips curled into a soft smile, the way his hands trembled slightly when he was nervous, the way his eyes sparkled with a light Seokmin had long since forgotten.

He watched, and with every passing moment, the craving grew stronger, more insistent. It wasn’t enough to just watch. He needed more. He needed to taste that innocence, to feel it beneath his fingertips, to see if it would crumble under his touch.

He wanted to consume Joshua, to take that purity and make it his own, to see if he could taint it, destroy it, and in the process, fill the void inside him.

But he knew he had to be careful. Joshua was fragile, easily frightened, and Seokmin was all too aware that even the smallest misstep—an accidental snap, a moment of lost control—could shatter the delicate balance he was trying to maintain.

If he scared Joshua, it would all be over. Hell would break loose, and Seokmin’s carefully laid plans would crumble to dust.

No, Seokmin didn’t want that. He wanted to treat Joshua the way he deserved to be treated—softly, delicately, like something precious. Like a rose with thorns, beautiful and dangerous, yet utterly irresistible.

Seokmin knew he had to handle him with care, to let his obsession simmer beneath the surface, hidden away where it couldn’t frighten the very thing he desired.

That’s why, according to his extensive research and the advice gleaned from various sources, he settled on the most traditional way to show interest.

You send flowers to the person you want to captivate.

So that’s what he did. Every day, without fail, Joshua received a massive bouquet, an overwhelming display of Seokmin’s devotion.

Three hundred, sometimes four hundred different types of roses, each one handpicked to convey a message Seokmin couldn’t yet put into words. He still didn’t know which flowers Joshua liked, but that didn’t matter. He would figure it out.

Roses for my rose.

He would know everything about Joshua, inside and out, until no secrets remained between them. Seokmin was patient, methodical. He knew that, in time, he would unravel every mystery Joshua held.

And when that time came, Seokmin would make sure Joshua understood—understood the depths of his craving, the intensity of his obsession, the inevitability of his possession.

"Sir," Seokmin swiftly shut his laptop, the screen going dark and hiding the array of flowers he'd been obsessively researching. His gaze turned cold and distant as he faced John. "Yes?" His voice was a low rumble, devoid of emotion.

"Boss asked for last month's weapon collection revenue," John began, stepping cautiously into the room, his tablet clutched tightly as he held it out for Seokmin to inspect.

Seokmin's eyes narrowed, and his expression darkened. "You haven’t sent it yet?" His words were sharp, slicing through the tension in the room as John faltered, his eyes darting away under the weight of Seokmin’s glare.

"You hadn’t signed it yet," John managed to respond, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

"And you couldn’t have come to me for that?" Seokmin’s tone was laced with a quiet, simmering fury, the kind that made John hesitate before responding.

"You were... busy."

Seokmin’s eyes flickered with a dangerous edge. "Doing what?" The question was a warning, a signal that John was treading on thin ice.

"In the garden..."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the only sound the ticking of a clock somewhere in the distance.

Seokmin’s jaw tightened as he snatched the file from John’s hand, the embarrassment that flickered across his face quickly replaced by a cold, steely resolve. "Send it immediately. And John, next time I’m busy, just use my signature stamp. It’s there for a reason, not as a goddamn showpiece."

"Yes, sir," John replied crisply, trying to maintain his composure as Seokmin’s presence seemed to darken the room.

"Should I get the car?" John asked, his voice cracking slightly. He flinched when Seokmin’s icy glare fixed on him, a glare that could freeze blood.

"Thank you very much," Seokmin growled, his words dripping with menace as he snatched the car keys, the tension in his body barely contained as he stalked out of the room.

John stifled a nervous laugh, watching his boss’s retreating figure before quickly gathering the files and exiting the room, the atmosphere still heavy with Seokmin’s lingering wrath.

Seokmin stepped out of the elevator with a single-minded focus. He needed to see Joshua. To look into those eyes that had been haunting his thoughts, and if fate allowed, maybe exchange a few words. The thought was intoxicating, one he couldn’t resist.

Slipping into his car, he drove with a speed that matched the urgency simmering within him. According to John's meticulous research, Joshua often frequented a café near his office—a place that now pulled Seokmin like a magnet.

The drive was brief, almost a blur, but every second felt like an eternity. His obsession with Joshua was growing, a dark craving that was spiraling beyond his control. He had tried to dismiss it as a passing fascination, but even he couldn’t deceive himself any longer.

Joshua was more than a fleeting interest; he was becoming an obsession.

The car screeched to a halt in front of the café. Seokmin wasted no time, stepping out swiftly, keys clutched tightly in his hand. His pace quickened as he approached the door, eyes narrowing as he spotted Joshua in his usual corner, a silhouette framed by the large window.

Seokmin paused, his gaze flicking to his own reflection in the glass, noting the slight creases in his suit. He ran a hand down the fabric, smoothing it with practiced precision, before taking a deep, steadying breath.

His heart pounded in his chest, the anticipation nearly suffocating as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, the air thick with unspoken tension.

The door chimed softly as Seokmin entered the café, but the sound was drowned out by the rush of blood in his ears. His eyes locked onto Joshua, who sat with a book in hand, seemingly unaware of the storm brewing around him.

Seokmin's steps were deliberate, calculated, as he made his way across the room, each footfall echoing like a countdown.

Joshua was as striking as ever, his delicate features illuminated by the soft afternoon light filtering through the window.

There was something almost ethereal about him, a presence that drew Seokmin in like a moth to a flame. The closer he got, the more the air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken desire.

Seokmin stopped a few paces away, his gaze never leaving Joshua’s face. He took in the subtle curve of his lips, the way his fingers delicately turned the page of his book, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and it took everything in Seokmin not to close the distance between them and capture those lips with his own.

But he was patient—he had to be. There was something thrilling about the chase, about savoring each moment before giving in to his darker urges.

“A Thousand Roses? Interesting choice,” Seokmin murmured as he slid into the seat across from Joshua, his eyes flicking over the title of the book. Joshua looked up, clearly startled to see him there.

“Mr. Lee…” Joshua's voice wavered slightly as he lowered the book, meeting Seokmin’s gaze. There was a flash of something unreadable in Seokmin's eyes, a tension that made Joshua’s pulse quicken.

The urge to corner Joshua, to pin him with that intensity, surged through Seokmin, but he kept it in check, his expression remaining carefully neutral.

“Morning, Mr. Hong,” Seokmin greeted him instead, his tone civil, almost distant, though his eyes betrayed a darker undercurrent.

“Morning… You’re here…?” Joshua’s voice trailed off, a hint of uncertainty lacing his words.

“Just some work,” Seokmin lied smoothly, his tone casual as he glanced around the café, though his attention never truly left Joshua.

Joshua nodded, and the moment hung heavy between them until a waiter approached their table.

“A black coffee, no sugar, and one latte with a chocolate croissant for the gentleman,” Seokmin ordered without hesitation, his voice firm, almost commanding.

The waiter nodded and walked away, leaving Joshua staring at Seokmin in stunned silence.

“H-how do you know my order?” Joshua’s fingers tightened around the spine of the red-covered book, his knuckles white with tension.

There was something unsettling about how easily Seokmin had spoken, as if he had known Joshua’s preferences for years.

Seokmin’s expression remained blank, but inside, his thoughts churned with a chaotic mix of desire and restraint. “Guessed it,” he replied nonchalantly, though his eyes glinted with something darker.

He was careful, deliberate in his approach, but the hunger was there, simmering just beneath the surface.

Joshua forced a small, awkward smile, his mind racing. “Well, that’s what I usually order here, so you guessed right. I was just… a bit surprised, that’s all.” He tried to sound casual, but the embarrassment was clear in his voice, a subtle pink flush creeping up his neck.

Stop being paranoid, Joshua silently scolded himself, trying to shake the unease gnawing at his thoughts. He doesn’t even know you that well. He probably doesn’t care.

But as he licked his lips, his gaze drifted back to Seokmin, and a shiver ran down his spine, the sensation of being watched, of being studied, too intense to ignore.

Seokmin watched the flush creep up Joshua’s neck, a stark contrast to the calm, composed exterior he tried to maintain. It was fascinating, the way Joshua’s mask slipped ever so slightly, revealing the vulnerability underneath.

Seokmin leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping idly against the table, but his eyes never left Joshua.

The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Seokmin’s mind raced with the possibilities, the thoughts of what he could do, how he could push just enough to see Joshua unravel.

He could almost taste the fear mixed with curiosity in the air, a potent blend that only fueled the fire burning within him.

When the waiter returned with their drinks, Seokmin reached out, taking a deliberate sip of his coffee, his gaze still fixed on Joshua. “You seem tense, Mr. Hong,” he finally spoke, his voice smooth, but with an edge that made Joshua’s hand falter as he reached for his latte.

Joshua looked up, caught off guard by the observation. He quickly masked his unease with a forced smile. “Just a busy morning, I suppose,” he replied, his voice steady, but Seokmin could see through the facade.

Joshua was on edge, and it was exactly where Seokmin wanted him.

“Is that so?” Seokmin mused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You shouldn’t let work get to you. Life’s too short to be spent stressed.” His tone was casual, but there was a dark undertone that made Joshua pause.

There was something almost predatory about the way Seokmin spoke, as if he was circling his prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Joshua took a tentative sip of his latte, the warmth of the drink doing little to ease the cold dread creeping through him. He could feel Seokmin’s eyes on him, a weight that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

He needed to steer the conversation away, to regain some semblance of control. “And what about you, Mr. Lee? Surely work brings its own stresses,” he said, his tone light, though it lacked the conviction he was aiming for.

Seokmin smiled, a slow, calculated curve of his lips that made Joshua’s breath hitch. “I manage,” he replied, leaning forward slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “But I find other ways to… relieve stress.”

Joshua’s pulse quickened at the insinuation, his mind scrambling for a response. He forced himself to meet Seokmin’s gaze, the intensity in those dark eyes almost suffocating. “And what might those be?” he asked, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Seokmin’s smile widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I think you’ll find out soon enough,” he said, the promise laced with something both thrilling and terrifying.

Joshua’s heart pounded in his chest, the atmosphere between them thick with tension. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat, silenced by the raw power of Seokmin’s presence.

He felt trapped, ensnared by something he couldn’t quite name, and it both frightened and excited him in equal measure.

The café around them seemed to fade, the chatter of other patrons, the clinking of cups—all of it drowned out by the intensity of their exchange.

Joshua could feel the walls closing in, the space between them shrinking with every passing second.

Seokmin's gaze is unyielding, his eyes tracing every line of Joshua's face as he reclines comfortably in his chair. Joshua shifts uncomfortably, the tension in the air thick enough to cut through.

The rhythmic tapping of Seokmin's fingers against the table—metal rings striking the surface with a sharp click—seems to echo the frantic beat of Joshua's heart. Joshua swallows hard, the movement visible in his throat, betraying his unease.

"Mr. Hong," Seokmin's voice is smooth, yet it carries an edge that sends a shiver down Joshua's spine.

"Y-yes?" Joshua’s voice wavers, his eyes darting up to meet Seokmin’s.

"Relax," Seokmin’s tone is deceptively calm, though his clenched fist hints at the storm within. "If you're uncomfortable, I can leave..."

The very idea of leaving feels like a knife twisting in Seokmin's gut, but anything that disturbs Joshua—anything at all—will be eliminated, even if that means removing himself.

"N-no, Mr. Lee. It's okay," Joshua’s hand flutters, a frantic attempt to dismiss the tension, but Seokmin notices the slight tremor in his fingers. Seokmin’s gaze drops to Joshua’s lips as he nervously bites the corner of his lower lip, and Seokmin’s own tongue darts out, wetting his lips in response.

"Should I stay?" Seokmin’s voice drops lower, thick with something unspoken.

Joshua remains silent, his thoughts tangled in the conflicting emotions that churn within him. Finally, he manages a small, hesitant smile.

"Yes... let's enjoy our coffee," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper, but the words are enough to make Seokmin’s heart pound furiously in his chest.

Seokmin’s lips curl into a slow smile as he leans forward slightly, the air between them humming with dark anticipation.

He's so bright and beautiful. Like a sun.

My Solnyshko.

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Vaish

Arrange marriage is about to reach 300k! I'm so happy!!!! 🫂🫂🫂