Raizen's next coming hours passed without incident. His work at Seo Yoori's office flowed like clockwork — fast hands, blank face, sharp focus.
By the end of his shift, Raizen was still full of energy. As he stepped out, a small group of women from the office giggled and waved him off, their eyes lingering a little too long.
"See you tomorrow, Hanazawa!"
"You better not ditch us!"
Raizen gave a lazy salute as he exited. Not a word of flirtation — just presence. That was enough, for now.
⸻
Evening – Xuē Liuyue's Bar
By nightfall, he was already changed into his second uniform: a sleek, embroidered hanfu-style vest paired with black pants and gold-accented armbands. His walk remained unhurried, unbothered, his face unreadable as he approached the bar.
The bar glowed like a scene out of an old, opulent dream — soft golden lights, velvet drapes, the scent of sandalwood and faint cherry blossoms in the air. If Yoori's domain was sterile, futuristic, and white, Xuē Liuyue's bar was antique seduction—deep purples, gold, and shadow.
"Hanazawa," came a voice smooth as aged wine.
Raizen turned.
Xuē Liuyue was leaning against the bar, sipping from a teacup, not a drop of sweat on her. She wore a silk qipao in lavender with a high slit that revealed one flawless leg. Her hair shimmered under the soft lights, her purple highlights dancing like flame-touched ink.
But her gaze?
Cold.
Amused.
Predatory.
Raizen gave a smirk in return. Confidence met confidence.
"You're not late. Impressive," she said. "I expected you to crawl in after Yoori chewed you up. Or was I right? Tell me honestly — how are you still smiling after what she put you through? I know that girl. She should've made your day a living hell."
He shrugged it off. "I'm your employee, not your diary. I don't need to answer personal questions, right?"
"You're right, but let's be clear," she said, stepping closer. "In this place, I'm the law. My word is final. You follow it, no questions asked."
"Fine by me," he replied. "So what's my first task?"
"Inventory. In the back. Behind the shelf crates. Alone."
Raizen squinted. "Another one of these, huh? At least let me work closer to the other girls," he said, casually eyeing the beautiful women scattered around the bar.
Her gaze darkened. "Touch any of them, and you'll disappear without a trace. I'll personally make sure of it."
If this was the old Raizen, he might have flinched, or flashed that charming cowardice. But this time, he didn't even blink.
"It won't be my fault if the girls were the ones who wanted to get close to me, right?" he said with a devilish smile.
Then she laughed — an actual laugh, soft and layered with disbelief.
"As if that would ever happen."
With a swish of her qipao, she turned and walked off through the velvet curtain.
Raizen stared at her silhouette walking away.
"…She really does have a nice ass."
Xuē Liuyue twitched ever so slightly at the comment. Her steps didn't falter, but the tips of her ears flushed red.
She kept walking—pretending she didn't hear a thing. "Asshole"
⸻
Backroom – Xuē's Bar
Raizen rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
The backroom was dim, narrow, and humid. There was no air conditioning — just shelves of imported wine bottles, crates of premium liquor, and the occasional dead bulb flickering like it was clinging to life.
One bottle. Two. Dozens.
He restacked crates, lifted furniture, swept the floor, tightened leaking pipes, rewired loose fixtures. Every task should've worn him down.
But Raizen moved with the calm of a veteran.
Each drop of sweat slid down a body sculpted not in a gym, but through endless porn watching and lust energy he gathered. His jaw was sharp, arms coiled with lean muscle.
To anyone else, this might've felt like punishment.
But to Raizen?
This was training.
He wasn't just enduring.
He was preparing.
Suffer now, savor later. Bliss always tastes better earned.
⸻
Three Hours Later
Xuē Liuyue returned with a glass of wine in hand, expecting to find Raizen slumped over, drenched in sweat, groaning from exhaustion.
Instead, she found him shirtless, standing on a stool, replacing a broken bulb with practiced grace.
The light flickered on — golden and warm — illuminating his bare torso.
His body wasn't bulky like a gym rat. It was honed, wiry, defined. A man who had suffered, healed, and sharpened. His skin glistened with sweat and wine residue.
Xuē froze.
For a full second, she didn't speak.
Her eyes flicked down, instinctively, betraying the mask.She blinked. Once. Slowly.
Then slowly back up.
"…You're sweating," she finally said.
Raizen dropped down from the stool with catlike ease. "I'm working."
"You smell like alcohol."
"Your wine cellar's leaking. Want me to patch it?"
She clicked her tongue, annoyed. "Yes. Do it."
He passed by her to grab a cloth, wiped his neck, then picked up another crate without waiting for a response.
"Why are you always so pissed off?" he said. "I thought we were past that already."
"I'm not pissed," she snapped a little too quickly.
"You're definitely pissed."
"I'm not."
Raizen didn't argue. He simply kept walking, muscles shifting with every step.
"I'll lock the back after this," he said, already turning the corner.
She stood still for a moment.
Watching.
Her fingers swirled the wine in her glass, absent-mindedly.
Slowly.
Eyes locked.
Raizen was suddenly walking toward her, Every step deliberate, like a general surveying the battlefield.
She felt it.
That aura.
Confident. Commanding.
Attractive in a way that disarmed her instincts.
He stopped right in front of her.
His head tilted slightly, leaning in.
Her body moved before her mind could stop it—just a step back.
"Wh-What are you doing…?"
Then he reached for it—
Not her,
The wine bottle in her hand.
He gripped it firmly, his face now close, his other hand brushing hers.
"The wine," he said smoothly. "I'll store it. That's why you're here, right?"
Xuē froze for a beat.
Realization slammed into her.
She'd misunderstood.
"Ahem… Yes. Of course." She let go of the bottle quickly, trying to mask the heat on her cheeks.
A slow smile crept to her lips as she turned away.
"…What a dangerous man."