7:30 p.m.
Ren was sitting on the couch in the living room, fully leaning back with his head hanging backward as he stared at the ceiling. An empty house and silent nights seemed like the same old routine for him, just another ordinary night. But tonight was different, because he wouldn't be alone in this house.
Ren smiled and stared at the system window floating in front of his eyes.
Name: Ren
Rank: Devil-Born
Corruption Essence: 0
Skills: [Eyes of Desire], [Deal Maker]
Partners: [Aoi]
[Enhancements][List of Partners][Status Window]
The partner field wasn't empty, which meant that Aoi was bound to come since she had accepted the deal. The skill description only said that the target needed to agree to the deal to become bound to it. This meant that Aoi had no choice but to come to this house at the exact time.
Letting that sink in, Ren closed his eyes, and his smile deepened. There was something sinister about it. At that moment, he felt a chill in the air around him. When he opened his eyes, he saw a tall figure floating in front of him, with a belt covering its entire head.
"CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST DEAL, REN! TO BE HONEST, I NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD MAKE IT HAPPEN THIS FAST, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE SUCH A TWISTED PERSON."
Ren didn't protest or deny the devil's comments because he knew that the devil could already tell what kind of person he was. With his limited access to the Authority, Ren himself was capable of seeing many secrets. Instead, Ren asked a question that had been on his mind ever since the previous night.
"Mister Devil, I want to ask you a question."
"WHAT?"
"Why me? Why did you choose me?"
The devil stared at Ren for a second and tilted his head.
"NO, I DIDN'T CHOOSE YOU. IT WAS COMPLETELY RANDOM, AND YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO USE THE SYSTEM."
"YOU SAY YOU WERE LUCKY? YOU REALLY ARE AN INTERESTING ONE, REN. MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN I CHOOSE SOMEONE, I PICK TWISTED PERVERTS AND MAKE A RANDOM DECISION. BUT OUT OF ALL THE PREVIOUS USERS, YOU ARE THE MOST PROMISING ONE RIGHT NOW."
"Is that a compliment? I'll accept it."
Ren had never been a good person. All the years he had spent alone in this house had changed him a lot. Since he had no close relationships, Ren spent most of his time in isolation, which exposed him to all kinds of content and media. Slowly, these things changed him, especially when it came to relationships.
Ren knew how strange he was, so he kept himself cold and never got close to anyone. That only allowed those tendencies to grow in the dark.
For example, his first girlfriend, with whom he had his most sincere and genuine relationship, had ended in disaster. That experience had led Ren to fully accept his twisted side, and now, knowing that he had the power to bring part of it into reality felt like a miracle to him.
"YOUR PARTNER IS GETTING CLOSE, REN. GET READY. WE WILL MEET AGAIN WHEN THE DEAL'S TIME IS UP. UNTIL THEN, ENJOY YOUR NIGHTS!"
With that, the devil vanished from the room, leaving Ren alone once again.
At exactly 7:45, the door opened, and Ren covered his face with one hand, trying to suppress a cruel laugh that was about to escape his mouth. Instead, a strange, muffled noise slipped through his fingers.
'She's here. She actually came. This feels like a dream. I wonder what her facial expression will look like. Probably angry. Oh God, what should I do with her tonight? I want to see her embarrassed face when we do it. I can't...'
Ren could hear her footsteps as she moved through the house. The entrance and the living room were close to each other, so if she followed the hallway, she would arrive in just a few seconds. And she did.
Aoi entered the room with slow steps. Unlike what Ren had expected, she was calm, with a cold expression on her face, as if she had prepared herself for whatever was going to happen that night.
Looking around, her eyes fell on Ren, who was lying back on the sofa with his head tilted backward, staring at the ceiling and covering his mouth with his hand. Small, indistinct noises escaped him. His expression was twisted into an eerie smile, and his eyes were sharp. He looked like the devil himself, smiling.
Aoi followed his gaze and looked toward the ceiling, but there was nothing there. Her eyes slowly moved downward as she observed the room. A couch, a TV, and a table were the only things she could see. It was just a simple living room, and the lights were off. Not only this room, but most of the house was dark. She immediately understood that he was the only person in the house.
'An empty house. He's really serious.'
Aoi took a few steps and stopped beside the table near the couch, staring at Ren.
Ren lowered his head and uncovered his mouth. His eyes landed on Aoi. She had shoulder-length black hair, pale skin, and amethyst-purple eyes visible through her glasses. She wore a long blue denim dress and carried a brown leather handbag. Her expression remained calm and cold.
He smiled.
"Hey, so you came after all. I thought you would run away, but it seems like you..." Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
"I'm not here for chit-chat, Ren. Let's just get this over with."
Aoi abruptly interrupted Ren mid-sentence, making it clear that she wasn't there to play around.
Ren was surprised, but at the same time, he wasn't. He had known from the beginning that Aoi was the kind of person who liked to take the lead, and he wasn't going to welcome that. He needed to put her in her place.
"Why are you in such a hurry to start?" Ren asked, making her determination sound like desperation. "But remember, Aoi, this is my time, not yours, and I can use it however I want. If that much isn't clear, we can't proceed with this deal. Do you understand?"
Aoi flinched slightly at his words.
'Here it comes again. This guy...'
Aoi didn't like the way he made her feel. The sudden change in his tone, while his expression remained the same, was creepy.
Aoi nodded silently in response, and Ren was pleased that he had established a boundary.
"Now that you understand, let's get started, Aoi."
Ren patted his lap with his hand.
"You want to get this over with soon, right? Come on and sit on my lap."
Aoi maintained her calm expression, but inside, she was a mess. Her nervousness was at its peak as the reality of the situation was about to unfold. However, she couldn't back out now, so she forced herself to take steps she didn't want to take. She didn't want to show him any weakness, but her legs felt unsteady beneath her.
Ren watched everything with a smile. He could see how nervous she was, and he waited patiently until she was only inches away from him. They locked eyes.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to do it?"
Ren pressed her.
"I... will,"
"
Aoi replied and slowly took her handbag off, putting it down. She lifted her leg and put her knee on the couch, right beside where Ren was sitting. Leaning forward, she placed both of her hands on his shoulders to support herself before lifting her entire body to sit on Ren's lap.
Ren felt her soft warmth press against his thighs and knees. Her scent reached him—a nice, mint-like scent. Her chest was close to his, and her face was lined up with his. From where he sat, it was a nice view.