The look in the man's eyes was feral, alive with excitement, as if the mere sight of Kei Yun had set off a bomb within him. He licked the leftover blood from his lip, raising a brow in challenge. "I'll ask you again." He said, voice was cold and electric. "Where have you been?"
Kei Yun frowned, still catching his breath from the aggressive kiss the stranger had gracefully bestowed upon him. He had no memories of this man, but it was clear the familiarity between the two ran deep. So deep that they were even on "kissing terms" with one another.
Just great...
Min Jun appeared to have a knack for attracting troublesome people. But, as annoying as the current situation was, Kei Yun couldn't be too mad at it. His own life wasn't all rainbows and sunshine either. If anything, it made more sense that Min Jun's life would also be messy. Weighing his options, Kei Yun decided against anything remotely close to the truth. He still had no idea who this man really was.
Lying, was simpler.
Even if he wanted to tell this man the whole truth, he simply couldn't, he had no memory of anything that had happened before three days ago. He'd tell the stranger only what he wanted him to know and nothing more.
Kei Yun steadily composed himself, straightened his posture and dusted off his clothes, now completely unbothered by the man in front of him. "I was in the hospital for a couple of days," he replied lightly, treating his absence as something trivial. "By doctor's orders I was on strict bed rest. Why? Was there something you needed."
The man couldn't knock the feeling that it's more to Kei Yun's words than what meets the eye. But he'd entertain the younger. "And here I thought you forgot our deal."
"Deal, what deal?"
The man smiled, but didn't answer his question and instead ask one of his own. "Just exactly why were you in the hospital again?"
"I suffered a mild concussion from drowning."
"Drowning?"
"Yes. I have a bit of memory loss because of it." For the time being, to make up for his lack of memory inheritance Kei Yun's best move would be to blame everything on amnesia. "To put it simply I don't remember you nor the deal we made."
"How convenient. You don't look like the type to lie and yet here you are." The man laughed. "You expect me to believe that? A sudden fluke of amnesia?"
Just like before, this person was keenly perceptive. His smile was easy, his voice was consistently playful, but his eyes were sharp and stared straight into the soul. It was obvious he didn't believe everything Kei Yun was saying, yet for some reason, he chose to play along.
But what of it?
Kei Yun couldn't care less if his lies were uncovered or not. After all, reincarnation would be the last thing anyone would suspect. Unless, just like him, the man was also a reader of fantasy books. And was familiar with the genre of rebirth or reincarnation. Then again even if he did read such things, the idea of Min Jun's body being taken over by a foreign soul wouldn't even cross his thoughts. Even Kei Yun himself until recently had thought rebirth was purely fiction, a story to entertain the masses.
"Believe what you wanna believe, as I stated before. I don't remember you or the deal we made." Kei Yun shrugged his shoulders with an uncaring attitude. "Blowing this out of proportion isn't going to fix anything."
"Downplaying the situation won't fix it either." The stranger frowned. "I kept the end of my bargain only to be gifted nothing in return." He shook his head, resting both hands on his hips. "This won't do."
He stared at Kei Yun in contemplation, whether the amnesia card was real or not, he wasn't leaving here empty handed. Especially when the young man had approached him first, crawling on all fours, desperately begging for a chance. Only to be given the opportunity, disappear for a month, and now pretend not to know him.
It was a slap in the face, and he wasn't a fan of being used or being toyed with.
He had never been the one to lose.
"The deal was simple. I sponsor you and help you land an opening gig for a level C modeling premiere. In return, you repay me however I see fit, for whatever duration I state. The problem is, I have yet to be repaid. So..." He snickered as he lazily gave Kei Yun a full once-over from head to toe. "How are you planning to fix this?"
Fix this? How was he supposed to fix this?
Kei Yun had just been reborn and was still far from enacting his revenge. Yet, he was already tied into a contract. Not just any type of contract, but one where Min Jun had essentially sold his body for money and fame. How utterly generic.
Generic and ....annoying.
By the looks of it, if Min Jun had already gone to the gig, it would be impossible to back out now, he was already in too deep. Then again, the stranger could be lying. Kei Yun quickly sized up the man and inwardly shook his head. He hadn't known him for long, but it was clear he wouldn't lie about something like this. No matter the form the agreement came in; a bet, a deal, a contract the industry always took it quiet seriously. Almost as if they were life binding commitments.
He had to weasel his way out of this somehow. Min Jun was the one who agreed to all of this after all, not him. He was steady cleaning up Min Jun's mess.
It wasn't so much the idea of selling his body that bothered him so, it was the deal itself that ruffled him. A complete one sided deal. It was only a win-win for the other person. Succeed, and Min Jun was his. Fail, and Min Jun would still belong to him. It wasn't a clause with specific terms.
However he saw fit? How long would that last, and why weren't those details spelled out in the agreement? He was supposed to help Min Jun land a modeling gig, but how exactly? Would he secure a guaranteed position for Min Jun, or simply make the path easier? Or was Min Jun expected to earn his spot purely by sheer "talent"?
There was no guarantee Min Jun would succeed. It wasn't a deal equally benefiting both parties and Kei Yun was sure the man knew this. It was clear as day that Min Jun had been completely manipulated and taken advantage of.
The deal had to be terminated somehow.
"As much as I love admiring you kitten, I need an answer." He took a step closer toward Kei Yun closing the gap between the two once again. But this time he made no move to make contact. "What's it going to be?"
"I can't do it. Let's just cancel our deal. I'll pay you back the money you lost."
"Money?" The man laughed, as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous thing. "This deal wouldn't exist if you had money, Kitten." He covered the lower half of his face with his hand, equal parts disbelief and amusement. "Even if you have amnesia, I have no intention of voiding our deal."
"Alright." Kei Yun knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try. "Then let's make a new deal. Set up another gig with the same terms, and I'll hold up my end of the bargain this time. I also would like everything written on paper."
He didn't see any problem with this—it was a chance to bring himself closer to his goal. He'd spent fifteen years in the industry, and before becoming a manager five years ago, he had been a model himself. He'd given all that up to support Ming Yuan, which, in hindsight was a foolish decision. That decision ended with his death. But in this life, he intended to make full use of his talents for his own benefit.
"You're in no place to make any demands here. Not a single one."
Of course Kei Yun knew that, but he had to push. Sometimes the boldest moves brought the greatest rewards.
"Why should I agree to this? It'll be even more of a losing game on your end. You didn't secure the first audition, you think you'll be able to secure the second one."
"Yes."
"What's so different this time?"
"Everything." Kei Yun answered honestly. Kei Yun answered, his honesty unwavering. The soul inhabiting this body had changed. His perspective, his trust, his ideals. Everything was different now. "Compared to then I now have a goal in mind."
The young man fell silent, locking eyes with Kei Yun and taking in the determination burning within. His gaze was like wild fire, dark, destructive yet beautifully alluring. He hadn't seen that fire the first time they'd struck a deal. He didn't have to comply with the young man, he owed Kei Yun nothing. If anything, it was Kei Yun who owed. was the other way around, Kei Yun in fact owed him everything. But because of the fierce resolve in Kei Yun's gaze he chose to believe in him. After all, everything about Min Jun now was different from the man he'd known a month ago.
He lifted his hand to Kei Yun's face, brushing his thumb gently across his cheek. This time, Kei Yun didn't shrink away from his touch. "This would mean, you now owe me double the payment." he mused.
Kei Yun nodded. He knew all too well how far in dept he was to this man. But unlike Min Jun, Kei Yun had skills and had no doubt that his relationship with the stranger would not last long.
"You, poor kitten. You have no idea what your in for."
But he did. His determination was stronger because of it. The man could see it, noticing the subtle shift in Kei Yun demeanor. Since the beginning of their interaction, his gaze never left Kei Yun's, it was as if he was glued to his every move. He watched closely as he tested and pushed to see just how much he could get away with it. And every time, Kei Yun met him head-on, refusing to back down.
How exciting.
Min Jun was no longer just a pretty face.
"Fine, you win." He rolled his eyes playfully, a bright smile spreading across his lips as he clapped in approval. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Liam, Liam Bransin."