Substitute-Chapter 46

For the First Time in Four Days

For the first time in four days, they had gathered somewhere other than their own rooms after lights-out.

Jiwon had just finished his shower and was resting while eating his allotted late-night snack when Park Gunwoo and Kim Yunho knocked on his door. After a brief hesitation, he reluctantly let them in.

He’d been working out since dawn, had to keep pissing in front of everyone, and even got a tattoo on his chest. He had no energy left. Even without the snack, it was already the kind of time of night when sleep would normally start pulling him under.

And yet, tonight, he was strangely wide awake. Not sleepy at all—completely alert. In fact, maybe the last three days, when he’d passed out like the dead, had been the real anomaly.

Jiwon had once worked almost twenty hours a day for over eight months straight. He barely got four or five hours of sleep a night, and even that was more like short bursts than real rest. And yet he’d never felt this kind of exhaustion.

More than that, today had been an overstimulating, sensory overload of a day. Still, the moment he returned to his room, he hadn’t had even a flicker of energy for jerking off, let alone getting aroused.

Was it the painkillers?

In the end, he chalked it up to the only difference between him and the others—those pills. That so-called “experimental drug” worked too well. Three tablets made the pain vanish for a full day, but like clockwork, after 24 hours, the ache in his arm would return with maddening intensity. It hurt worse than before. But going without them was unbearable, and taking them made him suspicious. A catch-22.

And there was another reason he felt so oddly alert tonight.

Despite his earlier rage, despite swearing revenge, Jiwon found himself... sexually aroused.

During the final round of honey collection after dinner, he’d noticed the bruise on his inner thigh. The distinct finger marks left by Number 3. The moment he saw them, the memory came rushing back—being grabbed by the shoulder as the guy came, the smooth, naked body pressing against his under the water.

Was he actually starting to want that guy? Or was it just plain frustration?

Whatever it was, the heat in his body wouldn’t go away. With nowhere else to go, that heat kept pooling in his ruined genitals.

Even a cold shower hadn’t helped. At this rate, being alone in his room seemed like the worst idea.

Maybe that’s why Park Gunwoo and Kim Yunho had come out too. Ever since the tattoos, they’d also been visibly overstimulated.

There were no pajamas or casual clothes, so all three of them were wearing shower gowns.

“How are you supposed to not get hard like this?”

Kim Yunho laughed and threw open the front of his gown in front of Jiwon and Park Gunwoo.

“My eyes!”

Park Gunwoo screamed and covered his face dramatically.

Jiwon laughed out loud for the first time in ages. That initial reluctance he’d felt had faded into something like relief.

Just like Chief Kim had said—visiting other crews’ rooms was prohibited, but moving to other parts of the building was allowed. Only restricted and forbidden zones were off-limits.

On B2 and B3, there were leisure facilities—billiards, arcade games, a bowling alley, even a coin karaoke room. There was a convenience store, unmanned café, and a bar that served beer and cocktails, though only non-alcoholic for now. There was also an audiovisual lounge for movies and books.

Of course, the only media there were porn, erotic films, and smutty literature. Not exactly ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ accessible, since sex and masturbation were forbidden for crew members. Might as well have been a locked room.

The three oldest in the crew had no energy to sing, so they chose cocktails instead. They’d assumed the place was unmanned, but there was a bartender—wearing a mask, predictably. So they avoided the counter and sat at a table.

Out of space large enough to fit all 29 members, only six people were there, including them.

There were security cameras in every corner here, too. But at this point, they were so used to it, it barely registered.

“On the first day, the coin karaoke was packed. Probably still is.”

Kim Yunho talked about going there on the first night.

“You went to karaoke on day one? I was half-dead with exhaustion. You guys are machines.”

Park Gunwoo looked at him in disbelief.

“Come on, hyung. I was dying too. I only went because that guy asked to meet there. I didn’t even finish three songs before going back.”

The “guy” he meant was one of the muzzled ones.

“Wait, how do you even know him?” Park Gunwoo asked, referring to one of the more memorable muzzled recruits—Wild Dog 4.

His name was Gwak Chan. He was twenty-six, two years younger than Kim Yunho.

Another Gwak.

After meeting Gwak Jun—the one he suspected was behind this whole project—Jiwon felt like he was running into the Gwak name as often as Kim.

“His mom’s friends with my mom. Textbook ‘perfect son.’”

“Jesus, your mom’s friend’s son turned out to be a total pervert? Does your mom know?”

Park Gunwoo snorted.

“Hyung, come on. Better than living next door to a serial killer.”

“Fair enough.”

Park Gunwoo was very interested in Gwak Chan.

Even knowing the muzzled boys were into SM, he said the guy was his type and kept grilling Kim Yunho for details. Yunho didn’t know much, but Park was unusually enthusiastic.

Meanwhile, Jiwon quietly sipped his cocktail like a rock sitting in the middle of a party. It might’ve been non-alcoholic, but it tasted decent. The music wasn’t bad either. It helped clear his mind.

“Hey, Jiwon—who do you have your eye on? I can never tell what your type is,” Park Gunwoo suddenly asked.

“Right? You barely even looked up during honey collection.”

Yunho couldn’t understand how Jiwon could ignore such a visual feast.

“...Just not really my thing. But I mean, I do have preferences.”

“Like what? Come on, what’s your type?”

“...”

“Forget that. Who are you into? Son Gunwoo?”

Jiwon shook his head vaguely. If it hadn’t been for what happened yesterday, he might’ve picked Son Gunwoo. But if he had to choose now, it was probably Number 3. A safer choice, all things considered.

“Ah, then who?”

Yunho leaned in, annoyed.

“...Number 3?”

It was the kind of answer you gave when someone asked your celebrity crush and you just threw out a universally popular actress to be safe. Number 3 was that guy around here.

And just then—

“Were you looking for me?”

A familiar voice made all three of them look up.

Number 3 appeared, still in his police uniform. But unlike before, he’d undone the top few buttons—his chest openly on display.

Jiwon squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment at the timing. Yunho and Gunwoo silently screamed, waving the guy over like long-lost family.

“Want to join us?” Yunho twisted his body with excitement.

Park Gunwoo made a show of grimacing like he’d just seen something obscene.

“What do you like about me?”

Number 3 dropped into the seat next to Jiwon like it was the most natural thing in the world and turned to him.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

“Uh... well...”

Jiwon stammered, unable to form a proper sentence.

“You’re singing a different tune from yesterday. I got ten penalty points because of you, Sailor.”

Number 3 gave a charming pout, lips curled downward.

Park Gunwoo and Kim Yunho clapped their hands over their mouths, catching the meaning.

“No way. Jiwon—he’s the guy you touched when you came?”

Kim Yunho gasped.

Park Gunwoo smacked him on the back. Why didn’t you say so earlier?!

“I figured something was going on, but damn. That’s wild. Oh, and I’m gonna drop honorifics, alright?”

Gunwoo, the oldest of the crew at twenty-nine, now spoke more casually.

“Of course.”

“Looks and personality—total package, huh?”

Park Gunwoo was in full social butterfly mode.

“So, did you two... you know?”

That’s what he really wanted to know.

“Hyung, seriously?”

“You did, right? That’s why you were all over each other in the pool, huh?”

Jiwon tried to shut it down, but it was too late.

Number 3 didn’t deny it—just smiled vaguely.

“Ah, they totally did. You sneaky little bastard.”

Kim Yunho chimed in, glaring at Jiwon with open envy.

“No, we didn’t.”

“I wanted to. I know I did. But you didn’t? Right?”

Number 3’s words overlapped with Jiwon’s, effectively drowning him out.