The 2nd shift had ended, but this time, no one waved goodbye.
Xuē Liuyue's rules were tighter than ever — no one from the bar even made eye contact with Raizen unless it was strictly business. That meant he spent the entire work shift buried in the back rooms: lifting boxes, cleaning shelves, inventory logging. No interaction, no exposure, no opportunity.
And yet… his eyes still held a gleam.
Raizen walked back to his apartment, peeled off his uniform, and collapsed onto the bed the moment his body touched it.
Dead.
The moment his powers faded, his real self emerged — a body worn out, aching, exhausted like any normal man.
But still… smiling.
His body screamed in exhaustion. He wished he could stay in bed all day tomorrow — to rest, to disappear into the sheets.
But deep inside, the fire still burned.
The grind didn't scare him.
Not when the reward tasted this sweet.
He was so tired… he didn't even watch porn.
Now that's a first.
——-
Next morning
No classes today. Just work.
He picked up the office uniform he had prepped earlier and headed out.
On the second floor of Yoori's building, Raizen once again cloaked himself in a light sheen of lust energy — just enough to sharpen his scent, heighten his charm, and boost his stamina. Just for a day, the effect became more apparent. The longer he stayed around women — and the more he impressed them — the more lust energy gathered in the building.
His temptation aura was working, steadily stoking their desire and admiration like kindling catching flame.
But nothing happened. No exhausting tasks, no endless errands — just silence and routine. It made him uneasy. When things were too quiet, something was always wrong.
Too quiet.
Too easy.
Something was off.
It was already lunch break. A few of the girls called him to eat with them in the cafeteria — but he politely declined. Today wasn't the day for socializing.
Today was for cultivating.
He made his way to the rooftop, hoping the quiet would help him focus and cultivate. The lust energy lingering in the air needed to be harvested — like a farmer collecting his crops. He had spent a lot yesterday, and now it was time to recover and grow stronger.
But the moment he opened the rooftop door—
He saw her.
Seated on a bench like she owned the sky.
Seo Yoori.
She looked like a perfectly staged fashion campaign. Her white corset hugged her torso, elegant yet daring. A thigh slit in her skirt revealed smooth, pale skin, one leg lazily crossed over the other. A delicate silver chain dangled from her ankle, catching the light every time her stiletto tapped the concrete. The oversized white blazer hung off her shoulders, and her neatly pinned hair exposed the signature beauty mark below her eye.
She didn't even glance his way, but her voice rang clear.
"You're already there, why not join me?"
Raizen blinked.
Trap.
A big one.
He turned to leave. "Actually, I'm kinda busy—"
"I'm your boss. Sit," she said sweetly, patting the space beside her without even looking.
Inside, Yoori was screaming.
"Stay calm… casual… flirty… don't blow it," Yoori chanted inwardly, her fingers gripping the edge of the bench just a little too tightly. Her perfectly composed exterior masked the storm inside — pounding heart, stiff shoulders, a tight flutter in her chest that wouldn't go away.
She had raced up here the moment she saw him heading toward the rooftop from her monitor. She couldn't make it too obvious — just early enough to pretend she was already here. Already relaxed.
But this wasn't a coincidence.
This was her move. Her setup. Her chance to confirm the truth.
Was this man — the effortlessly charming, annoyingly unfazed Raizen — really the same bastard who had assaulted her that night?
She needed answers. And she was going to get them — with a smile on her lips, and a plan in her eyes.
Raizen walked over, slowly, carefully, watching her every move.
He sat.
She then asked, "where's your food?"
He actually forgot to get food in the cafeteria.
She needs him to stay longer so she just gave some of her food and another juice box to him
Raizen felt surprise and happy, he was actually starving.
"Didn't expect to see you here, boss," he said with a half-smile whiling munching on his free food.
"I always eat here. It's quiet. Better than the cafeteria chaos," she replied.
He looked around. "Really? Doesn't seem like your style. Plus don't you have a big ass office?."
"Ah—well, y-you see… the office air conditioning wasn't working properly, so… someone's fixing it!" she blurted out, ending with a loud, awkward laugh. "Hahaha…"
It was the kind of laugh that tried to sound casual but landed somewhere between nervous breakdown and malfunctioning robot.
"She's acting weird… This feels like a trap—just a really clumsy one. Like a newbie trying to set up their first sting operation."
He didn't call it out. He just smiled and played along.
She smirked, but inside, her mind was racing.
Alright. Start small.
"So… you work part-time at night too?" she asked casually, sipping from her juice box like a kid.
"Yeah. I work at Xuē's bar at night," Raizen said coolly. "Why? You planning to poach me for some shady night shift?"
"No! I was just asking—don't make it weird," she huffed, turning her face away with a pout that didn't quite hide her embarrassment.
Then, after a pause—so casual it was clearly rehearsed:
"Bet you get tired juggling two jobs."
"Depends. One gives orders like a general. The other tries to lure you in with juice boxes and thigh peeks."
Yoori choked.
He noticed the slit.
"W-What do you mean? Hehe…" she said, voice slightly higher than usual, eyes darting away for a second before returning with a shaky smile.
Raizen's instincts stirred — that old, primal hunger humming just beneath his skin.
Being this close to a woman, casually talking, watching her squirm under her own nerves… it was arousing in a way he hadn't expected.
Her charming smile, those flushed cheeks, the way her eyes flicked up to meet his before darting away — hesitant, unsure, but undeniably alluring.
He could feel it. The heat rising. The temptation crawling under his skin.
He was getting turned on.
Seems like a lot of girls are into you. Some of the employees won't shut up about you."
Raizen shrugged casually. "Well, what can I say? I just exist."
She narrowed her eyes, then smirked. "So… how do you deal with women who get a little too clingy?"
He didn't miss a beat. "Easy. I give them juice boxes.
She let out a laugh despite herself.
But her next question dropped lower. "Ever had a girl touch you without permission?"
Raizen's smile didn't waver — but his brain fired instantly.
"There it is. The test. She's suspicious." He thought.
"Hmm. I did have someone try to grope me during a fire drill," he said thoughtfully.
Yoori blinked. "Seriously?"
He leaned in, voice low. "Yeah. Turned out it was just someone handing me a fire extinguisher. But hey — consent's important."
She almost laughed — then caught herself.
No slip-ups. Stay on track. She needed to double down. She was not aiming to look friendly.
She leaned in beside him, the distance between their bodies shrinking with each passing second. Her voice came out low, playful — but laced with tension.
"So… how about you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her face inching closer to his. "Is consent important to you?" Her breath brushed lightly against his cheek. "If a woman was this close to you… what would you do?"
She tried to keep her tone sultry, seductive — eyelids lowered, lips slightly parted.
But inside, she was screaming.
What the hell am I doing?! This is so embarrassing!
Still, she held her pose, daring him to flinch, trying to act like she wasn't on the verge of melting into the rooftop floor.
Raizen felt it — the heat behind her words, the tremble she tried so hard to hide. She was nervous, clearly. But damn… even the gods would've melted with a woman like her this close, whispering things like that.
It was a trap.
But it was the kind of trap that made your mouth dry and your blood rush.
Still… he wasn't Takumi right now. He was Raizen — the Incubus who'd danced through hell. He tightened his grip on his own energy, forcing it inward before he cracked. No slip-ups. No dumb lines. No giving in to temptation just yet.
He was in control.
Raizen tilted his head.
Then gave her the most innocent smile he could muster. If she wants to play games, then he will play the game.
"If I were just a normal guy," Raizen murmured, his voice low and slow as he leaned in slightly, eyes locked on hers, "I would've kissed you already. Your eyes… they're dangerous. Magnificent. And those lips—look soft enough to get drunk on. Even your scent is pulling me in."
His breath brushed against her cheek.
Yoori's heart skipped.
Shit… did I just give this wolf permission to eat me?
She opened her mouth, panic rising. "N-No—"
But Raizen suddenly pulled back with a cool smile, voice shifting to something casual — almost bored.
"But me?" He leaned against the railing like none of it mattered. "I'm not that type of guy. If a girl I barely know tried that hard in front of me, I'd just assume she's… desperate."
He shot her a smug glance, one brow raised.
Yoori's breath caught in her throat.
Speechless.
He'd flipped the script in an instant. And now… she didn't know what pissed her off more — being wrong, or being called out without him even raising his voice.
She had sounded desperate.
And the worst part?
She was.
Silence.
Yoori wasn't stupid — not even close.
By now, she was sure he knew this was a trap. She hadn't exactly been subtle, and he was playing her like she was the amateur.
Trying to steady herself, she took a slow bite of her sandwich, chewing carefully as if buying time.
Then she shot him a sideways glance.
"You're better at dodging questions than I expected."
Her tone was light. But her pride? Punched in the gut.
Raizen leaned back.
"And you're cuter when you're scheming than when you're yelling."
She turned away, cheeks tinged pink.
"Shut up, I'm not scheming."
"…Your legs are showing again, by the way."
She immediately pulled her skirt down a bit.
Raizen stood and stretched. "Thanks for the food, boss. I feel interrogated and full."
"You're not off the hook yet."
"Oh? More lunch tomorrow?"
"I'm still thinking about it."
As he turned toward the door, Yoori watched him go with narrowed eyes.
Her plan hadn't worked — not entirely.
But it wasn't a loss either.
"…Dangerous man," she muttered.