And holding his hand, practically skipping to keep up with his long strides, was a young woman.
College-aged, probably twenty or twenty-one. Petite compared to Garethās massive frameāmaybe 5ā4", with a slim build and modest curves. Her breasts were noticeable but small, maybe a B-cup, barely creating bumps under her conservative blouse.
She wore a knee-length skirt and a simple cardigan over her blouseāthe kind of outfit designed to look cute and respectable. Her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, her makeup minimal, her entire appearance screaming "good girl."
She was chattering excitedly, gesturing at store windows, clearly in full shopping mode.
"āand then we can check out that new cafĆ© on the third floor! I heard they have this amazing dessert thatāoh! And I wanted to look at shoes! Do you think we have time? Gareth? Are you listening?"
Gareth grunted noncommittally, his attention clearly elsewhere. His phone was in his free hand, and he was scrolling through somethingāsports scores, probably, or team stats.
"Yeah, babe. Sure. Whatever you want." His voice was flat, disinterested, the tone of a man going through the motions.
"Thereās that football tournament coming up next week," he continued, not even looking at her. "Big one. Inter-university championship. My teamās expected to win, so I need to keep focused. Coach says if Iā"
"Thatās great, honey!" the young woman interrupted, clearly not listening either. "Oh, look at that dress! Can we go in there? Please?"
A completely typical couple. Casual relationship, going through the motions, neither really engaged with the other.
They disappeared into a clothing store, the woman pulling Gareth along by his hand.
Raven watched them go, his smirk transforming into something darker. More interested.
Then he turned to Hana.
"Get that woman for me," he said simply, his voice casual. "Thatās your task."
Thump.
Hanaās heart stopped. Her eyesāwide and terrified above the maskādarted to where the couple had disappeared, then back to Raven.
"Wh-what?" Her voice was barely a whisper, muffled by the mask. "I... I donāt understand. What do you mean, get herā"
"Make her spread her legs for me," Raven clarified, his tone suggesting he was discussing something as simple as buying groceries. "Seduce her. Manipulate her. Break down her defenses. I donāt care how you do it."
He leaned in closer, his purple eyes boring into Hanaās shocked ones.
"If you canāt make her emotionally vulnerable enough to want my cock," he continued softly, dangerously, "I will be disappointed. And you know what happens when Iām disappointed."
Abandonment.
The unspoken threat hung in the air like a blade.
Hanaās entire body trembledānot from the vibrators this time, but from pure panic.
āHow?! How am I supposed to do that?! Iām notāI donāt know how toāsheās so young, so innocent-looking, and Iāmāā
She looked down at herself. At the too-tight clothes barely containing her thick body. At the wet patch spreading at her crotch. At the twitching bumps on her chest where the vibrators buzzed.
āI look like a desperate whore. How am I supposed to approach a respectable college girl and convince her toātoāā
"I... I canāt..." Hana whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, I donāt know how toā"
But Raven had already turned away, moving forward into the mall with confident strides.
Leaving Hana standing there, trembling, watching his back disappear into the crowd.
Min-jung passed by her without even a glance.
The younger womanās eyes were fixed on Ravenās retreating form, her body automatically following him like a moth to flame. She didnāt spare a thought for the "hooker" standing there having some kind of breakdown.
āWhy would I care about her?ā Min-jung thought dismissively. āSheās just... competition. Competition I need to eliminate. If heās testing us, I need to prove Iām better than her. Need toāā
Her thoughts spiraled with desperate rationalization as she hurried to catch up to Raven.
Leaving Hana alone.
The thick woman stood there, one hand gripping her dressāwhich kept riding up her thighsāher face flushed and sweaty behind the mask. Her breathing came in short, panicked gasps.
Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz
The vibrators continued their relentless assault, keeping her on edge, keeping her desperate, keeping her needy.
āI need to... I have to... or heāll leave me. Heāll abandon me and Iāllāā
Images flashed through her mind.
Her dead husband. His fists. The stench of alcohol on his breath. The tiny, shitty apartment where sheād hidden from the world, from her daughter, from any chance at happiness.
And nowānow she had a chance. A twisted, degrading chance, but a chance nonetheless.
To be near Min-jung again. To have some kind of life. To feel wanted, even if it was only as a fuck-toy.
Thump thump thump thump
Her heart raced, her breathing quickened. The combination of fear and arousal and desperate need was making her lightheaded.
She looked toward the store where the couple had gone. Through the window, she could see themāthe young woman holding up dresses, Gareth scrolling through his phone, barely paying attention.
Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz
Hanaās hand slid down to press against her crotch, feeling the wetness soaking through the jeans, feeling the bandage sealing the vibrator inside her pussy.
She was dripping. Had been for hours. The constant stimulation, the degradation, the fearāit had all combined to turn her into a desperate, needy mess.
Her eyes glazed over slightly, pupils dilating as arousal overrode rational thought.
āMaybe... maybe Iām doing her a favor.ā
The thought was twisted, wrong, but it took root in her arousal-addled brain.
āHeās incredible. Heās powerful. Heās... heās everything. Maybe if she sleeps with him, sheāll understand. Sheāll feel what I felt. Sheāllāā
Hana bit her lip hard enough to taste blood beneath the mask.
āYes. Iāll be doing her a favor. Showing her pleasure sheās never experienced. That boyfriend of hers clearly doesnāt satisfy her. But Raven... Raven will destroy her in the best way. Will make her scream and cry and beg andāā
She was rationalizing. Desperately rationalizing. Twisting the degrading task into something she could accept.
Because the alternativeāadmitting she was pimping out an innocent young woman to save her own skināwas too much to bear.
With shaking legs and a head full of twisted logic, Hana began walking toward the store.
Wobble wobble bzzzz bzzzz
Each step sent vibrations through her core, making her wetter, making her more desperate, making the rationalization easier.
āIām helping her. Iām doing a favor. Iāmāā
She disappeared into the store, her thick body squeezing between racks of clothes, her eyes locked on her target.
Meanwhile, Min-jung was having her own crisis.
Sheād followed Raven deeper into the mall, her eyes fixed on his back, her mind racing with anxious thoughts.
āWhatās he going to make me do? Is he going to test me like heās testing that hooker? I canātāI donāt know how to manipulate people. Iām an artist, Iām introverted, I barely leave my apartmentāā
Her thoughts spiraled as she followed him past store after store, barely noticing where they were going.
āBut I have to succeed. Have to prove Iām useful. Have toāā
THUMP
She walked straight into his back, her face smashing into his shoulder blade, her massive tits cushioning the impact.
Bounce bounce
"Ow! Fuck!" Min-jung stumbled backward, her hand flying up to rub her nose. "Why did youā"
She looked up, following his gaze.
A furniture store. One of those expensive ones with sleek modern designs and price tags that made normal people weep. But it wasnāt emptyāthere were easily thirty or forty people inside, browsing the displays, sitting on couches, talking to sales staff.
A crowd.
A very public crowd.
Min-jungās stomach dropped as she noticed Ravenās grin. That predatory, dangerous grin that promised nothing good.
He turned to look at her, his purple eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
"Youāre introverted as an artist," he observed casually. "You hide in your apartment, draw your little comics, avoid human interaction as much as possible."
Min-jungās face flushed. It was true, painfully true, and hearing it said aloud made her want to disappear.
"So," Raven continued, his grin widening, "how about I make you a woman from a girl today?"
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Publicly."
ā!ā
Min-jungās eyes went wide, her face draining of color, then flushing bright red.
āNo. No no no no NO.ā
"Wh-what do youāI donātāyou canāt meanā"
But his hand was already on her lower back, pushing her toward the store entrance.
Toward the crowd.
Toward whatever degrading task he had planned.
And Min-jung, despite every instinct screaming at her to run, let herself be pushed forward.
Because being abandoned was worse than any public humiliation.