Bad Life

I didn’t resist. Instead, I lifted my head obediently. I tried to look into the mask’s eye holes, but shadows blurred the view. The man’s fingertips began to push the mask slowly upward at my chin.
“……”
I could hesitate no longer. I grabbed his wrist to stop him. He tilted his head in puzzlement—but kept lifting the mask. My strength drained; I could not stop him. As the mask rose, my lips were revealed. The mask’s eye holes slid up so I could see nothing. I trembled in fear, waiting for the moment my face would be fully exposed. First my nose appeared, then the light beyond the mask spread to my eyes.
At last the mask rested atop his head, fully revealing my face. The man in the white mask stared intently at me.
“……”
“……”
The white-masked figure whispered,
“What are you doing here?”
His voice—brimming with surprise—was Jerome’s.
Relief washed over me; I staggered against the wall and slid the mask back down to hide my face. Jerome stepped back, arms folded, and surveyed me. He stood cocked to one side, appraising me from head to toe with an expression that seemed displeased at the interruption. I leaned back against the wall, heart hammering, gasping for air. Teddy poked his clumsy bear head between us.
He glanced between Jerome and me, then lowered his voice:
“Do you know each other?”
“……”
Jerome—still tipped to one side—only turned his head slightly to look at Teddy. In a cynical tone he asked,
“This one doesn’t look at all like Simon.”
“……”
“Explain, Raymond. Who is this?”
Jerome spoke again. I looked at Jerome’s white mask and Teddy’s goofy bear mask. This was awkward. I never imagined a day when I’d introduce Jerome to Teddy—let alone know what to say.
“Well… he’s…”
I opened my mouth but words failed me. As I struggled for an explanation, Teddy stepped forward.
“This bastard was ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ living off me—my little parasite. Sucking my blood.”
“When did I ever live off your blood?”
I asked incredulously. Teddy snapped back shamelessly,
“You lived off money that was like my blood. No different from bloodsucking.”
“……”
“And who are you?”
Teddy asked in his usual punkish tone. Jerome, white-gloved hand on his chin, watched us before replying,
“He’s the parasite’s princess.”

Both Teddy and I were speechless, staring at Jerome. Jerome turned back to me and began peppering me with questions.
“So what are you doing here with him? Where’s Simon? Are you here to rescue Christopher?”
I said nothing, instead looking at Christopher—still bound to the toilet with limp limbs. Jerome strode to the stall door and shut it, blocking my view. His voice was hard as he faced me with his back to the door.
“Raymond, find Simon before it’s too late. Once Simon enters the Club, with masks on, you won’t find him. And you…”—he gestured at Teddy—“continue your work.”
“What if I refuse?”
I asked defiantly. Jerome only stared through his white mask. I met his gaze evenly and asked coldly,
“If I rescue Christopher and walk away, will you let me go?”
Jerome said nothing. Then, slowly, he removed his mask. Weary, he rubbed his face with his palm and gave me a cynical smirk—a mocking smile I’d never seen before.
“What do you think I’ve been doing here? Standing around breathing cheap perfume?”
“……”
“Stick to the plan. Find Simon and stay by his side. When you meet the big lord, stall for time, then escape when you can. Is that so hard?”
I couldn’t tell him about Simon ignoring me. I realized Jerome’s true aim had been to rescue Christopher all along. While I had sought to distract Timothy by finding Simon, Jerome had remained here, waiting for a lapse in vigilance to save Christopher.
Jerome swept his hair back, donned his mask again, and spoke in that unreadable white face:
“Leave Christopher and go upstairs at once—before Simon descends.”
Whether Simon would ignore me or not, I had to stay with him—even if I had to grab his hair to keep him by my side. And what of Teddy? As I pondered, Teddy again blocked our path with his bear mask.
“This guy’s lying.”
I stared helplessly at Teddy. There was no time to warn him not to blurt out insults in front of Jerome. Teddy—born a back-alley punk, living off strip-club blow-ins—was already firing off in his rough, blunt way.
“Great talk, but in the end he’s the one calling the shots, right? Slick face, all shimmer and shine—got scammer written all over him. Yeah, a con artist. That fits perfectly.”
“……”
Jerome said nothing, only watched Teddy. I wanted to strip Jerome’s mask off to see that smirk again.
“I know these kinds—fake as hell. Spin a tale, reel you in, then gut you and run. That’s this guy. See his eyes? All shifty.”
Teddy slid in front of me, barring my path to Jerome.
“Ignore that bastard and let’s do what we came to do. If we speak to a con artist, everything gets exposed.”
When Teddy fell silent, a tense hush settled. Jerome tilted his head and looked at me. His gaze was part reproach, part interrogation—I merely shrugged. I didn’t feel relief; if anything, I wanted to laugh. Hiding behind Teddy, I said,
“If we’re going to rescue Christopher anyway, why not do it now?”
“Absurd. The moment we leave the restroom we’ll be caught. You, Raymond, and this idiot.”
Teddy bristled—so I kicked his leg to shut him up. Berating was fine, but our priority was escape.
“As long as you don’t run straight to Timothy, we might be okay.”
“……”
“Any fallout is on you. Who knows? If it gets dangerous, maybe the prince will come to save you.”
“……”
“Understand? Move.”
The only way to free both Christopher and Teddy was like this. With Jerome covering our backs, the risk would be far less—this could be our one chance.
Jerome watched Teddy and me, then opened the stall door and entered to check on Christopher. He handled him roughly, as if wary of CCTV. A moment later, Jerome emerged without looking at us and walked past the partition. From the other side came his raised voice:
“The stench makes the toilet unusable. Better to wash him off.”
Soon the masked guests clustered around us, peering into the stall. They jabbed Christopher with broom handles, forced his eyes or mouth open, then nodded. Teddy and I unwound Christopher’s ropes before their masked gaze. Supporting him between us, we stepped out—and they recoiled, pinching their masks from the urine smell. Teddy muttered under his breath,
“Bastards.”
“Let’s go.”
As we left the restroom, I fought down a rising dread—this time for Jerome. Having helped us escape, what price would he pay? What aftermath awaited him?
We emerged to stares but no hostility. The white-masked guests had followed us from the restroom, pointing and chattering. It sickened me. Christopher—naked, filthy, unconscious—was nothing but spectacle. Some brazenly snapped photos. I traversed the Club expressionless.
“Where are you going?”
Teddy hissed. I followed the route Jerome had shown me on the plans, answering only with my forward steps. The bothersome white masks trailing behind us shrank back from Christopher’s odor. After winding through multiple salons, we found a second corridor—thankfully deserted. We lost any pursuers and reached the farthest room unimpeded.
The chamber, decorated like a lavish bedroom, was empty. We laid Christopher on the bed, and Teddy collapsed beside him.
“Ugh, it’s so damn hot.”
He must have exhausted himself supporting Christopher’s limp form—sweat drenched him. He wiped his brow and sighed deeply. We had a long way to go, so I left Teddy to rest and began to inspect the room. Following Jerome’s directions, I found the wardrobe with marble handles.
I crawled inside and tapped every panel—nothing unusual. Frustrated, I began to knock more firmly. Then, with a sharp click, one panel swung open like a revolving door, revealing a dark, spacious passage. I looked back at Teddy, half rising on the bed, eyes wide.
“A secret passage! How did you know?”
He hurried over, and I removed his mask. His flushed face shone with curiosity. Brushing his sweat away, I said,
“That con artist told me.”
“Who the hell is he, really?”
Teddy feigned scolding as I ruffled his hair.
“You said he was a scammer—an especially nasty one.”
Teddy sighed.
“Got it. Don’t get mixed up with him again.”
An idiot who’d stumbled into the Club without a clue—Teddy lecturing like a grown-up was endearing. I returned his gaze affectionately, then rose.
Christopher’s urine had soaked the sheet, filling the room with a foul stench. I carried him to a clean part of the bed and wrapped his naked body carefully in the sheets. Covering his battered form eased my heart a little. I knew how strong and healthy Christopher had been; now he lay suffering, and it pained me. Tenderly stroking his face, I had no time for sentiment. I removed my mask and tucked it behind me, then hoisted Christopher onto my back.
I crawled into the secret passage first, and Teddy passed Christopher through to me. Then Teddy closed the wardrobe door from behind and followed. The panel would not close; we left it open. I carried Christopher while Teddy led the way down the passage.
Drips of water echoed. Carrying the unconscious, heavy Christopher was no easy feat. Sweat poured down me; I finally removed my jacket and handed it to Teddy. The passage was dimly lit by emergency lights set into the stone floor at intervals. We followed their glow step by step, our footfalls sounding hollow in the empty corridor.
Only Christopher’s soft breathing broke the silence. When I grew too tired, Teddy took over carrying him—and because my stamina was better, the shifts were brief. Exhaustion mounted, but we pressed on in silence. Christopher’s body, growing colder against my back, made me anxious.
The long corridor ended with the sound of flowing water. We had reached the mansion’s drainage channel. First I removed my shoes and waded in—the water barely ankle-deep but dangerously slippery. With Teddy’s help, I carried Christopher slowly. Teddy held my arm, steadying me.
We followed the channel until we found steps leading to the surface. I let out a relieved breath. The steps were just rebar rungs in the concrete wall, but they were salvation. At the top, a barred hatch opened onto star-filled sky. To keep Christopher from the cold water, I braced myself and climbed, Teddy holding him tight behind me. We reached the hatch above, and Teddy swung it open. The night sky, studded with stars, greeted us.
Before climbing out, we prepared: wrapping Christopher and myself snugly in the sheets, testing the bindings…