This is the routine

Salin was getting used to waking up and finding Jun-ho still asleep in a corner, squeezed in. He was sure that, at some point during the night, they were together, but after a while, Jun-ho would always pull away.

He had started to make it a small habit to wake the younger man up in the morning, even though they had only been in this routine for two weeks.

— Jun... Jun...

— Hm... — the younger man purred.

— Wake up, I have work, and you must have some too.

— Uh-huh...

Salin got up, slightly excited. He still felt hesitant to wake him up, afraid of scaring him, but felt increasingly proud when he woke up well.

Jun-ho got up soon after, grabbed his phone, and checked the messages. He had to collect a debt today. He walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower.

When he came out, he saw Salin finishing preparing breakfast. The dark-haired man seemed focused on how many spoons of coffee he was adding. Jun-ho felt his heart race, and a smile appeared on his face. In that instant, a small impulse came, a desire to get closer.

Salin was watching the time, waiting for the coffee to boil, when he was surprised to feel Jun-ho's body pressed against his. In a hug from behind, the younger man squeezed him with a sigh, a simple gesture of comfort, and then pulled away, still sleepy.

Park took a moment to process. His heart was racing, and his body was energized, but he was confused.

— What was that?

— Hm… I… was impulsive, and it worked. — Jun-ho said, clearly proud.

— Hm…

— Didn't you like it?

— It's not that… It's just that we really look like a couple now.

— We can be, Salin. I already love you. — He said.

Salin smiled lightly, reminding himself that this was because Jun-ho wanted to test himself, and that, in the end, they were still just in an agreement.

— This is just an agreement.

— Sure... Are you doing anything today?

— Where do you want to take me?

(...)

Jun-ho drove firmly, his hands gripping the wheel while the city passed quickly outside the window. Beside him, Salin was tense, his gaze fixed on the landscape, absorbing what was about to happen. It hadn't been long since Jun-ho arrived home, covered in blood. Salin knew that his fake fiancé's nickname, "Hell's Dog," wasn't by chance. But he had never seen up close what that really meant. And today, Jun-ho decided to take him on the mission. He wanted Salin to understand his work. He didn't intend to hide anything from him, even though the marriage was a sham.

— Are you okay? — He asked, subtly worried.

— Yeah... Just a little nervous — Salin admitted, letting out a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. — What exactly are we going to do?

Jun-ho tightened his grip on the wheel, as if the question pulled him back to reality.

— Collect a debt. My father has tried to negotiate a few times, but the guy thinks he can fool us. It'll be simple, but... at the same time, it might not be.

Park swallowed hard, noticing the seriousness in Jun-ho's tone. He was an heir to the criminal empire, and Salin knew that. He still remembered the day Jun-ho showed up in his room, wearing black clothes with his face covered by a metal mask. The fear he felt at that moment, seeing that dark and threatening figure, felt like something distant now, but at the time, he freaked out and blurted out everything that came to his mind. Jun-ho did nothing that day. In fact, he showed up the next day, almost as if embarrassed. Salin might have even thought it was cute if Jun-ho had come with a bouquet of flowers. Who knows, he might have gone out with him. Too bad he only managed to say nonsense.

That was one Jun-ho, and this was another. But they were still the same. Salin sighed, trying to regain composure. He needed to calm down. Thomas André and Lee Dong would arrive soon. For them, this was just another day.

The car stopped in front of an abandoned industrial building on the outskirts of the city. Jun-ho turned off the engine and looked at Salin before getting out.

— You don't need to do anything. Just watch. I want you to see how things work, but I won't put you in danger — he said.

Salin nodded, though his heart was pounding. Thomas approached and put his hand on his shoulder.

— Don't worry. Jun-ho knows what he's doing. He won't let anything happen to you.

— Remember, the goal is to scare them, not kill. But be ready to shoot if necessary — Jun-ho instructed calmly, while Lee Dong and Thomas André nodded, ready for anything.

Dong skilled and confident, never missed a mission. Thomas, despite his imposing posture, had a casual way of acting, but his sharp mind and strategic talent made him the brain of the group. Jun-ho was surrounded by the best.

In silence, the group approached a rusty metal door, where they knew they would find the man who owed a large sum to Jun-ho's father.

When they entered, they were greeted by three men. The debtor was standing, nervous, surrounded by two henchmen who seemed harmless compared to Lee and Thomas André. Salin was surprised. He didn't find the typical tough, bulky guy he had imagined, but rather someone well-dressed in a suit, accompanied by two henchmen who seemed more ordinary than threatening. When Jun-ho walked in, the atmosphere changed instantly.

— I think you already know why we're here — Jun-ho said, his voice calm but filled with authority.

The other men shrank back, and the leader stepped forward, trying to keep his posture.

— Jun-ho, I've already said I'll pay. I just need more time — the man began, but Jun-ho raised his hand, interrupting him.

— My father already gave you enough time. Now, either you pay what you owe, or we'll handle this another way.

Jun-ho's tone wasn't loud, but the threat was clear in every word. Salin watched closely, feeling the weight of the situation.

— Jun-ho, I... I need more time! — the man stammered, desperately trying to buy time, looking at his henchmen as if they were his only hope.

Jun-ho wasn't impressed. He had heard this excuse many times before. With a swift movement, he grabbed the leader's collar and pressed him against the wall.

— Time is something you no longer have, fucker. My father was patient, but now I'm here. And my patience is much shorter — Jun-ho said. With a brief gesture, he indicated for Thomas to approach, making the henchmen step back a pace. Lee Dong remained alert, observing everything. — Either you pay now, or we'll handle it our way.

— I already said! I don't have anything now! — the man shouted, desperate, sweat dripping down his face.

Jun-ho released him, making him fall to the floor, humiliated.

That's when one of the henchmen, in an unexpected move, pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Thomas, forcing everyone to step back. Thomas and Dong, reflexively, took a step back, their hands already at their belts, ready to draw their guns.

— Step away from him now, or you'll end up with a hole in your head, kid — said the second henchman, pointing the gun at Jun-ho, with a crooked smile, clearly feeling that he had regained control of the situation.