NEGOTIATION

"AS LONG as you're my exclusive Guide, you're not allowed to kill yourself or talk about it— even as a joke."

Yuno raised an eyebrow after hearing what Ki Gayoon said.

And why does he look upset?

Was Ki Gayoon worried about him—

"I'll be in trouble if you die," Ki Gayoon said, scoffing. "Remember, you're the only Guide I can tolerate."

Right.

Let's just talk about work.

"Is it okay if we start making our contract even though Sajangnim isn't here yet?"

"Why not?" Ki Gayoon asked bluntly. "The contract is between the two of us anyway."

The old grumpy man had a point.

"Alright," Yuno said while nodding. "You state your rules first, Ahjuhyung. You're older than me anyway."

"Must you always bring up our age?"

"It was you who told me to respect my elders, Ahjuhyung."

"You only listen to me when it's convenient to you."

Yuno just shrugged while Ki Gayoon sighed while shaking his head.

He looks so fed up with me.

"Second rule: you'll give me regular Guiding every day," Ki Gayoon said. "But you have the day shift in the convenience store, right? So, should we meet every dinner?"

"No can do, Ahjuhyung," Yuno said while shaking his head. "The convenience store is just a part-time. I work at night."

As expected, the grumpy old man looked at him with suspicious eyes.

"I'm an artist, and I only draw at night."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to— your eyes said everything, Ahjuhyung," Yuno said, and then he quickly changed the subject. "I work in the store from 10AM to 8PM."

"For ten hours?"

"I'm still an Awakened Person, and Awakened People are allowed to work for however long they want or need."

Because Awakened People were obliged to respond to emergencies at any moment.

"Even so, working for 10 hours doesn't sound like a part-time work."

"It is what it is, Ahjuhyung. Anyway, I can't come to you after my shift at the store since I need to work at night," Yuno explained. "So, let's just meet at lunch. Even though I work from 10AM-8PM, my lunch break is pretty long. The store closes at 12PM-2PM. I can give you Guiding after I eat my lunch."

"Let's just have lunch together while you're Guiding me."

"…"

"Why are you hesitating?"

"I'm not sure if I'll have the appetite to have lunch with you every single day, Ahjuhyung."

"Do you want to die, you little rusty shit?"

Tsk.

I dyed my hair lighter than my natural brown hair, and I still get called 'shit' by this grumpy old man.

Yuno used all his braincells to think about how to change that.

Just wait for my turn to state my conditions, Ahjuhyung.

"Third rule: you have to do it right, Noh Yuno," Ki Gayoon said sternly. "Skinship, kiss, even sex if we have to. You have to do it right."

"I'm a Guide— I keep things strictly professional."

"Then all's good."

"That's it?"

"I don't like complicated things," Ki Gayoon said, shrugging. "Now it's your turn to state your terms."

"First, no unnecessary Guiding," Yuno said firmly. "There are Espers who think their Guides are their personal sex slaves. I don't know Ahjuhyung enough to trust you not to do the same thing, so I'll put in the contract to be safe."

"Fair enough."

"Second, I like my freedom. So, even if I become your exclusive Guide, I'd still like to keep working at the store and continue living in this house. If you're worried about my safety, then give me some Items or assign a secret guard to me."

"Alright. I'll die of high blood pressure if we live together anyway."

"I know, right? It's because you're already old, Ahjuhyung."

"Yah. Do you think you'll be young forever?"

"My last condition," Yuno said, changing the topic. Ki Gayoon only stated three terms, so he decided to just three terms as well. "Please don't force me to Imprint with you. If you feel like it's necessary for us to Imprint, then tell me and give me ample time to think about it. Just don't force it on me."

"The government forced us to do things we didn't want to do while we were trapped in the Facility like the lab rats that we were to them at the time," Ki Gayoon said firmly. "It's not something I'd like someone else to experience. Rest assured, I will always ask for consent before I do things to you."

"But you didn't ask for my permission when you buried me in the ground—"

"You deserved that, you little shit."

"Ahjuhyung, remember my curse? Your hairline will recede every time you piss me off."

"Leave my hairline alone, punk."

"Then shall we discuss my salary?" Yuno said. The grumpy old man pissed him off, so he decided to give him a little heart attack. "I'd like to have 1 billion won as my monthly salary."

Heh.

Let's see how you'd react—

"That's it?" Ki Gayoon asked without batting an eye. "Let's make it 2 billion won since you're my exclusive Guide."

Oh, god.

Esper Ki Gayoon-ssi is so sugar daddy coded.

***

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