Luktan's hand slapped across his face as hard as he could. The sound echoed but Toad didn't flinch. He just smiled, dark amusement in his eyes like he enjoyed every second.
The engine roared, and suddenly the car shot forward, Luktan still sitting awkwardly on his lap, alarm rising at the dangerous speed.
"Toad, stop! Stop the car! Let me down, right now this is insane!"
"Oh, now you're scared? You weren't afraid to hit your creditor, were you?"
His chilling voice brushed against Luktan's ear, sounding disturbingly thrilled by his fear.
"You're sick! Let me out, now!"
"Keep your mouth shut and worry about yourself. You really think I won't do anything just because you're a teacher? You don't know me at all."
"Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything except owe lottery money everyone in this province owes lottery money! Leave me alone! I hate people like you!"
The luxury car sped through the dark rural road, turning sharply with no sign of slowing down. Luktan clung to Toad's shoulders in fear, breath hitching.
His eyes filled with tears, burying his face in the man's shoulder as panic finally hit him. All the good feelings from that first night the tenderness he thought he saw were all a lie. Just a moment on a bed, nothing more, with someone who didn't have a heart to begin with.
He came here to be a good teacher, to protect little kids not to be tormented like this in his very first year. Heartless… Why could someone be this heartless…
"I can't take this anymore!"
The shout right next to Toad's ear made him tighten his jaw. He slammed on the brakes.
Screech
"Let me go! Just let me go already! I'm done, I don't want to stay here anymore! I'll go back to Bangkok, I'll bring the money and pay everything back, I swear!"
"Hey—"
He starts sobbing.
"Luktan, breathe for a second."
more crying
"Luktan, I said quiet. Falling apart already? How are you supposed to be a teacher if you can't handle anything at all?"
"You're a monster! I've never met anyone this cruel you awful underground lottery guy!"
"Hnh. You look terrible when you cry."
Thump.
The seat reclined. The smaller body was pushed down with Toad hovering above, staring at that tear‑streaked face, impossible to read.
"Where do you think you're going? I'm not letting you."
"I'm leaving. I don't ever want to see you again."
"So you're running from your debt, that it?"
"Take my motorbike then, it cost forty thousand!"
"Not interested."
"I'll ask my parents and pay you back!"
"No."
"So… then what do you even want? I don't know what else to do!"
"Stay. Earn it back here or… we keep doing what we've been doing. Whatever you want, I'll give just… stay. You like being close to me anyway, don't you? Being with someone like me makes your boring life a little less dull, right? You have no idea how good it is being close to the guy who runs the numbers."
Luktan froze at those careless words just grabbing whatever he wanted like it was nothing.
Become some sort of personal errand toy for a lottery boss?
Seriously?
Ridiculous.
That sharp gaze looked almost sincere, but every word jabbed like a knife.
"…Really."
His eyes blurred, a faint mocking smile breaking through at how cheap his dignity suddenly felt.
"Really what?"
The loose shirt was pushed aside, as if Toad assumed Luktan would accept that shameless proposal like it was nothing.
"Fine then if that's what you want. Name the price, name what I get, Mr. big mighty lottery boss and his prestigious assistant position."
His lips spat the words like poison anything just to get through this moment. He felt empty. He just wanted this whole night to end. Exhausted. That was the only feeling left.
"Hah… now you sound more reasonable. Whatever you want anything."
"The debt…"
"Thirty thousand is a lot. Tell you what since you're already under my… supervision, you can help me write down winning numbers or whatever needs doing."
"What…then?"
"As for… the other thing if you want it, you'll say so. If I want it, I'll say so. What you get depends on how… cooperative Teacher Luktan feels.
Fair enough?"
His tone softened like he'd just acquired a favorite toy. He pressed his cheek against Luktan like they were suddenly some affectionate couple while his words were anything but.
"On the roof ? How are you?"
Luktan only cursed because he was furious and trapped, saving the real resistance for later fighting Tod head‑on never ended well anyway. But Tod simply nodded, a sly smirk forming. "On the roof… sounds fun."