As Ryu reached the room with Yuuki draped over his shoulder, the atmosphere shifted palpably. The air was thick with anticipation, and a crew was already in position, cameras set up and rolling, their lights casting a clinical glow across the opulent space. Nakajima stood off to the side, a cigarette dangling casually from his fingers, his expression unreadable as he observed Ryu’s entrance.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ryu dropped Yuuki onto the bed, the boy landing unceremoniously on the plush surface. For a moment, the room fell silent as Yuuki processed the abrupt shift in his surroundings, confusion etched across his features.

“Get him wired,” Ryu instructed the crew, his voice steady yet tinged with intensity. The two crew members, clad in black and masked to maintain anonymity, stepped forward, ready to execute their part in this grim scenario. 

Yuuki’s eyes widened as the masked men advanced, a surge of panic coursing through him. The reality of being in a controlled environment, surrounded by people who viewed him as a subject rather than a person, struck him like a lightning bolt. The pulse of fear beat quickly in his chest as he glanced toward Ryu, searching for any hint of empathy—or even remorse.

Two masked, muscular men approach the bed slowly, a predatory gleam in their eyes. They loom over the trembling Yuuki, hands reaching out greedily. Yuuki shakes his head wildly, cursing words unintelligibly, pleading shining in his gaze.

The first masked man grabs the collar of Yuuki's shirt and viciously rips it open in one smooth motion, revealing the smooth expanse of his heaving, flushed chest. Yuuki whimpers pathetically.

Meanwhile, the second assailant roughly gropes Yuuki's chest, calloused fingers pinching and rolling his sensitive nipples without mercy. Yuuki screams into the gag, back arching off the bed in pain. Tears leak from the corners of his eyes.

His partner moves lower, deft fingers making quick work of the button and zipper on Yuuki's shorts, yanking them down. Yuuki thrashes desperately but it's futile.

On the sidelines, Ryu watches the sick, debauched scene unfold, a storm of emotions swirling in his dark eyes. As Yuuki's anguished screams pierce the air, a sharp jolt of unexpected sympathy and jealously flashes through Ryu instead. In that moment, Ryu's resolve began to waver. He knew that his desire for revenge was not just about punishing Hayama; it was also about confronting the twisted legacy of grief and betrayal that had shaped him. He had thought dragging Yuuki into this chaos would offer him closure, a way to resolve his own suffering, but now he saw clearly how much he could lose in the process.

“Ryu, lighten up!” Nakajima attempted to ease the palpable tension, his voice light but tinged with an understanding of the gravity at play.

He observed the interplay between Ryu and Yuuki, his expression shifting from anticipation to realization. He had seen the way Yuuki had affected Ryu earlier, the flicker of something deeper sparking in Ryu's eyes each time he looked at the boy. It was a shift that Nakajima noted with a mix of concern and understanding, knowing how dangerous such feelings could be in the context of their plan.

With a heavy sigh, Nakajima ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched across his face. “Never mind,” he said, the words carrying an air of resignation. “We’ll figure out another way.” He made a sweeping gesture, signaling the crew to stop, their movements halting with a collective sense of uncertainty.

Ryu glanced at Nakajima, confusion mingling with annoyance in his gaze. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t just force this situation," Nakajima replied, his voice even but firm. "What you're feeling… it complicates matters. If you’re having second thoughts, it’s better to reassess our approach instead of proceeding recklessly. The boy is affected by all of this, too, and it might not yield the results we want.”

Ryu clenched his jaw, a mix of frustration and longing swirling within him. He didn’t want to entertain the idea of changing the plan. Yet, he could see Nakajima’s point—Yuuki’s innocence was a stark counterpoint to the darkness he had wanted to impose upon him. If he forced Yuuki to pay for the sins of his father, would he become just as ruthless as Hayama?

The air grew heavy with unspoken tension, and Ryu’s heart raced as he contemplated the ramifications of his choices. Yuuki lay just a few feet away, a boy caught in the crossfires of a conflict he didn’t fully understand.

“Let’s not rush into something we might regret,” Nakajima urged, looking Ryu directly in the eye. “You want to draw Hayama out, but you also need to consider the boy’s well-being. We can find another way to make him pay.”