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彡┆7

he steps closer, lowering his voice slightly. "why don't we discuss this properly over a cocktail?"

before i can respond, another voice cuts through the air.

"that won't be necessary."

i don't have to turn around to know who it is.

the front man.

his presence alone shifts the energy in the room, the easy confidence of the deer-masked vip stiffening just slightly.

i finally turn, finding him standing a few feet away, arms folded behind his back.

"am i interrupting something?" he asks, his voice laced with something dangerously close to amusement.

"no, of course not," the deer vip says smoothly. "we were just discussing a business offer."

"ah, yes," he muses. "i happened to overhear something about a cocktail. but unfortunately, tiger is already busy."

my brows knit together slightly as i glance at him. busy?

he doesn't give me a chance to speak before continuing. "she scheduled a drink with me."

i blink. excuse me?

i never scheduled anything with him. i would have remembered agreeing to something like that. but he says it so casually, so convincingly, that i almost second-guess myself.

the deer-masked vip turns to me, clearly disappointed but masking it well. "ah, my apologies," he says with a slight bow of his head. "i wasn't aware."

before i can say anything, he gives me one last look before stepping away, disappearing down the hall without another word.

the moment he's gone, i turn sharply to the front man, my arms crossing over my chest.

"what the hell was that?" i demand.

he stands there, unbothered, tilting his head slightly as if he finds my reaction amusing. "i was helping."

i scoff. "helping? by making up a fake meeting?"

he steps closer, lowering his voice just slightly. "i could tell you didn't want to take his offer."

i narrow my eyes. "oh? and what gave you that impression?"

his head tilts, and even through the mask, i can feel his smirk.

"your eyes," he murmurs. "they told me everything."

i roll my eyes, turning back toward the shooting range. without another word, i lift my gun, preparing to shoot again.

"your shooting isn't perfect." he says.

i pause mid-aim, my jaw clenching.

slowly, i lower the gun just enough to glance at him over my shoulder. "oh? and you think you can do better?"

he doesn't answer right away. instead, he takes a slow step forward.

i roll my eyes again and return my focus to the target, choosing to ignore him. but just as i steady my grip, i feel it.

his presence. suddenly, he's behind me.

before i can react, his hand touches mine.

his grip is firm but not forceful. "you're tensing up," he murmurs, his voice lower now

his breath is warm, brushing against my ear as he leans in slightly, and for the first time since meeting him, i feel something shift inside me - something unfamiliar.

i should pull away. i should tell him to back off. but for some reason, i don't.

"relax your shoulders," he murmurs, his voice too close, too warm against my ear. "stop trying to force it."

i inhale slowly, forcing myself to ignore the way his presence lingers around me.

"now," he continues, his fingers pressing lightly against mine, "breathe in."

i do.

"and shoot."

boom.

the bullet lands perfectly in the middle of the target, cleaner than any shot i'd taken before.

i exhale sharply, half in satisfaction, half in something else i don't want to name.

his hand stays over mine for a second longer before he finally steps back, his heat leaving me just as quickly as it came.

he says nothing. and i can't see it but i know he's smirking.

"now," he murmurs, "you really owe me a cocktail."

i scoff, finally facing him. "oh, do i?"

"seems like a fair trade." he says.

i roll my eyes, pretending to focus on reloading my gun, but i can feel him watching me. he wants to see if i'll challenge him. if i'll say no.

but the worst part?

for some reason, i don't want to say no.

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next chapter, jia and the front man are actually going to sit down and have cocktails together?? i am so ready for it.

vote if you need the next chapter asap 🌟