Han Yoojin looked at his coin purse and the measly excuse of a tip the last three deliveries gave him. With all the rich apartments nearby, they could at least not act so cheap. He checked the address for the last two deliveries and grimaced. They were esper organizations, both mafia-affiliated and dangerous if you got on their bad side.
Even if Han Yoojin was the manager, people mostly saw him riding his bike and making deliveries. Espers were handsy. He couldn't let someone hassle his young waitress, Bak Yerim, or his new chef, Yoo Myeongwoo.
Bak Yerim was feisty and always the first to stop anyone from causing trouble in the restaurant, but she was so young. Yoojin wanted to hurry back to check on her. Their restaurant was not in the best part of town.
Yoo Myeongewoo had looked down on his luck and begged for a job—anything. He seemed nervous around gangsters and espers. All the mob families were strong espers who dealt with monsters, worked in illegal dealings, and looked down on anyone not awakened.
Yoojin was nervous to hire someone who had never worked in a kitchen, but the young man proved himself at every task and revamped their menu. Yoojin suspected he owed some bad people money. It wasn't his role to pry, but sending Myeongwoo to the mafia territories was a strict no.
That left only him.
Han Yoojin pedaled his bike into the Jupiter territory. It was part of the most luxurious area of Seoul. He stepped off his bike and walked around the back of the enormous building.
Being this close to a mob organization filled him with anxiety. His mind went to the dark memories of dealing with mob bosses, but a handsome face with champagne-colored eyes interrupted his thoughts.
"Yoojin-ssi." Sung Hyunjae said with a pleasant smile.
He stopped and swallowed. He always thought Sung Hyunjae was too attractive to be a gangster. He was tall with a perfect face. And even though he was a low-tier gang member, he always looked put together and well-dressed. For someone with as much power as Sung Hyunjae, he should have been a higher member of Jupiter. Of course, Sung Hyunjae couldn't challenge the head boss of Jupiter, but he could be an underboss with his abilities and rank. But Sung Hyunjae had repeatedly confirmed he was just a leg man or messenger for the higher-ups.
If he were anything higher, Yoojin would have tried disappearing or running away. He couldn't deal with another mob boss, and his dark history with them still gave him nightmares. Although the esper was handsy, Yoojin felt lucky Sung Hyunjae was the one who managed his debt.
"Mr. Sung, I have your order."
Sung Hyunjae sighed. "I have said many times that it's alright for you to call me casually."
Yoojin shook his head and locked the kickstand of his bike. "I could never call someone in your position so informally."
Sung Hyunjae was suddenly much closer. He held Yoojin's hand down on the bike's handle and brushed the pad of his thumb across Yoojin's throat. He hooked his fingers under the choker Yoojin wore. The fabric tightened around his neck, constricting his breath.
"What if I demand it?" Sung Hyunjae effortlessly lifted his fingers, forcing Yoojin to rise onto his toes and inch their faces closer.
He stared into those golden eyes, and his pulse quickened.
The difference in their strengths was obvious, as the powerful esper held Yoojin with just two fingers. One wrong move and Yoojin would be dead. The difference between an esper and an unawakened was tremendous.
Hyunjae released him and stepped back. He held his hands out, defenseless.
"Kidding," Hyunjae said with a grin.
Yoojin stepped back, his hand covering his throat. Why did it feel like Sung Hyunjae was about to kiss him? "What kind of joke is that? Do you think it's all right to mess with every delivery boy you order from? Would Jupiter approve of your manners?"
"I apologize, but how can I resist when you come all the way here to fulfill my delivery boy fantasy?" Hyunjae wrapped his arms around himself. "What if I don't have enough money for the order? I'll have to pay you in another way."
Yoojin stared at Sung Hyunjae. Was he crazy…? "What do you mean you don't have money? Your suit cost more than my entire wardrobe."
Hyunjae covered his mouth with his hand. "Yoojin-ssi wants me to undress? Not even in my fantasies were you this direct."
"Money. Pay me in money and get back to work. I still have other deliveries to make."
"Every time I see you, you're always so busy. I've often considered buying you for the evening, but that doesn't seem to be listed anywhere on your menu. Perhaps, is it a misprint?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"But an evening isn't long enough. Do you offer discounts on your monthly rates, or would it be cheaper if I booked you for the year instead?"
"Hey!" Yoojin became flustered. "Stop fucking with me."
"Though I would get jealous if I saw someone else booking you. Should I buy you outright?"
Yoojin rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Didn't I just say stop joking around with me?"
"I am always serious when it comes to Yoojin-ssi. If you agreed to a date, I would clear all your debts and give you anything you wanted."
Sung Hyunjae had known how bad Yoojin's financial situation was, and the fact he was mocking him over it pissed him off. But he couldn't say anything. Sung Hyunjae had combined all of Yoojin's debts so the other organizations would leave him alone. The interest was low, but it looked like there was no end in sight.
What would an esper want with him, anyway? As far as Sung Hyunjae thought, Yoojin was just an average citizen. This was one of the reasons he tried to stay away from him. If Sung Hyunjae found out he was an unlicensed guide... It wouldn't end well.
Yoojin held out his hand. "Money. Pay me. Now."
Sung Hyunjae looked displeased but agreed, "Yes, Yoojin-ssi."
"And tip me. A big one for holding me up here so long."
"Of course."
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothes
Sung Hyunjae's smile vanished when Yoojin practically ran away with his bike.
"He's like a cat," Hyunjae said to himself.
If I get too close, he gets scared and hides. But if I approach him little by little, he doesn't seem to notice the distance between us is slowly closing.
Sung Hyunjae lifted his face to the night sky and sighed.
"But my patience is waning."
He rubbed his fingers together, still remembering the feel of soft skin and the way Han Yoojin's pulse had jumped when he leaned toward him. How his eyes sparked with fear and defiance filled Sung Hyunjae with excitement. It thrilled him and made him want to touch him more. To challenge that strong resistance and see what other hidden surprises Han Yoojin had to offer.
Han Yoojin was obviously afraid but brave enough to stand up to him. While other espers coward away from him, this little delivery boy had no trouble facing an S-rank.
Sung Hyunjae reached for his ringing phone.
"Are you done playing with the delivery boy?" Evelyn asked. She wouldn't have called if she knew Han Yoojin was still here. No one would risk ruining their time together.
"What is it?" He snapped.
"Oh my. Normally, you're in a good mood after seeing your little pet."
"Do I not seem like I am?"
She clicked her tongue, and Sung Hyunjae headed inside. He wondered if Han Yoojin made the dessert today or if his new chef did.
"Take him if you want him so much," Evelyn said. "We can fabricate a story for the police, but it most likely won't be necessary considering where he lives and his unawaken status."
"Shall I have the dungeon cleaned, or would you have me install shackles in my home?"
"Are those things necessary?" she asked. "He's an unawaken, and you're the head of Jupiter. He will be too scared to go against you if you just tell him who you are."
Sung Hyunjae took the elevator to the penthouse suite.
"Han Yoojin needs neither chains nor force to stay by my side. This I'm sure of."
"… I see you still think that."
The elevator doors opened. Sung Hyunjae stepped through the portal to a massive, well-decorated room and set the delivery box on a marble table.
"If I'm too forceful, even someone as strong-willed as him will break."
"I am more concerned about what you will do if that happens."
"Are you scared I will destroy this building and everyone who tried to convince me to act so carelessly with my precious Yoojin-ssi?"
He heard her smile on the other end of the phone. "If something does happen to him, you will need confident people to help you exact your revenge."
"Then make sure you act like a confident person."
"Speaking of confident people… you missed the interviews I set up for a personal guide for you. Most mob bosses have two or three dedicated guides, but it seems like ours prefers to let his power manifest and threaten to rampage."
"I'm aware of my schedule," he said in a cold voice.
Espers could go mad without a guide. And he even saw some go mad for their guides. He never understood the obsession with finding the perfect one. They were all the same, and Sung Hyunjae despised them all.
Most abused their power, were cunning and slit throat about rising their position, and would betray other guides to do so. Sabotaging other guides and using negative guiding on weaker espers to raise their power.
He had grown sick of the constant touching and arrogance. If he had to touch another guide, he would kill them. And no guide was strong enough or had a high enough sync rate to release all his power backlash by themselves. If he wanted his powers to be stabilized, he would need at least three.
The thought put him in a foul mood and didn't help his constant headache. There were other pains from being without a guide for so long. His powers were inconsistent, and he couldn't heal properly. He had been using stabilizers instead. It had been eight months, and it was pushing his limits. Using his powers was tricky. If he didn't do something soon, he risked rampaging.
"I'm sure you didn't call to help my secretary. What is this really about?"
"It looks like the MCK syndicate didn't revoke the contract with the bribed police but sold it to a lower mob family. At least when MCK was working on it, there wasn't a chance for the Association to find out about our involvement."
Hyunjae sighed. "A smaller mob fraction would surely mess up such a contract."
"They have no intention of giving up the contract either. It's a new organization, so they're reckless."
"Seems I have been too lenient lately. Hmm, I'll have to talk with them."
"Is that wise? Considering the last time you were guided, I recommend sending someone else."
"There's no need to worry. My skills aren't necessary for small gangs like that."
Hyunjae sat down on a lavish sofa and rustled through the delivery box, searching for the package of little cakes. He took a bite and smiled. Han Yoojin had made them.