Published: February 1, 2026
A man was walking alone through the back alleys of the Capital City.
He looked like he carried all the world's sorrow on his shoulders, utterly devoid of confidence, and terribly timid. Each time he took a step, the wavy hair tied at the side swayed slightly as he walked with his head bowed.
"Are you okay? You seem down."
Suddenly, a gentle, alluring voice called out to him. The man stopped in his tracks.
In the depths of the back alleys of the Capital City—places where those who cannot walk in the main streets operate in the shadows—it is not uncommon for flower sellers to wait for customers in narrow lanes.
She was one of them.
"Did something bad happen?"
Stopping nearby, the woman reached out with her graceful arm to the man who remained bowed.
Her delicate fingers gently touched his shoulder, but the man did not even twitch. The fingers pressed into his palm, and the woman quietly leaned close, letting their bodies brush gently.
A scent of color—a vivid fragrance—rose from the woman's skin where they touched.
"I'm feeling the same way."
Although surprised by the coldness of the man’s arm, the woman smiled and snuggled close to him like a lover.
Wrapped in thin fabric, her limbs were warmed by his chilled body. The man said nothing. He only endured something silently, keeping his unchanging pained expression while looking down.
"Hey, just for tonight. You don’t need to pay me."
The woman's crimson-painted lips moved close to the man’s ear.
Whispering with an innocent, secretive tone—like a child sharing a secret—but so seductive it carried an irresistible poison.
"Let’s forget the bad things, shall we?"
Her voice wove a tone that would unconsciously draw in any man. Her lips curved into a faint smile.
Originally, the woman wasn’t supposed to be here. Raised as a daughter of a respectable family without want, loved and cherished for her good looks, she betrayed all that and occasionally stood in back alleys.
What she gained was only a little thrill and pleasure—and that was enough. There was nothing else she desired, for she had everything. At times, even forcing sacrifices on others, she enjoyed her life to the fullest.
Without a word, she encouraged the man with her slender palm on his shoulder. The man, still bowed, moved his feet like a lifeless doll.
Opening the heavy wooden door behind them, a flickering light revealed a room inside. The small room contained only a lamp, minimal belongings, and a neatly made bed.
Watching the man stop in the middle of the room, the woman locked the door. The rusty iron screeched in the silence.
"Don’t be afraid."
She leaned on the man’s shoulder and entwined her hand with his arm, speaking softly like a lover.
Slowly approaching the bed, she sat down close to him. The man’s tied hair slipped off his shoulder and fell.
"I want to see your face properly."
The woman reached out and touched the man’s cheek, pushing aside his hair with her fingers. When his face was finally visible, it was as timid and pained as the atmosphere had suggested.
But his features were not bad. The woman smiled more deeply and leaned her face toward the bowed man.
"Just one thing, please."
Just before her crimson-lipped mouth could touch the man’s exposed ear, she whispered from a breath’s distance.
"Hold me gently, like lovers."
With a seductive gesture, she stroked the man’s overlapped hands.
Inviting him, encouraging him. His averted gaze wavered but finally met hers.
"Love...?"
"Yes, exactly."
The woman melted into a smile as they finally locked eyes.
The man’s eyes, close and glazed, were murky with sorrow. But this was exactly the kind of people who gathered here, and for the woman, it was just another factor that heightened the excitement.
She took the shivers running down her spine as a prelude to pleasure.
"Lovers... but I... I don’t have that kind of worth."
"No. You are wonderful."
To the man’s trembling voice, the woman whispered softly.
A timid man is sometimes just fine. If you agree and show affection, he easily succumbs and holds you gently.