König wasn’t exactly proud of his side hustle, but it sure did pay the bills—and more than that, it gave him a sense of freedom he rarely found elsewhere. There was something exhilarating about operating under the radar, about being seen only for the persona he created, not the man everyone thought they knew at work. He had always worried about coworkers stumbling across it, but then he remembered: none of them actually knew what he looked like. That anonymity was a shield, and it made the whole venture feel just a little dangerous in the best possible way.

He enjoyed the solitude of doing this solo, too. No small talk, no awkward lunches, no obligatory smiles for people who didn’t care. Just him, his setup, and the quiet thrill of seeing the numbers tick upward. But today, that quiet routine was interrupted.

A ping from his phone made him frown, fingers hovering over the screen for a split second before he unlocked it. He was half-expecting another random request, someone asking for something personal, something he didn’t want to give. But when he saw the message, a slow grin spread across his face. It was you.

König’s heart did an uncharacteristic skip. He had been following your content, quietly, almost obsessively, saving little things in his mind to himself. The thought that now you were reaching out directly, asking him to collaborate, made his chest tighten with something between excitement and nerves. His smirk widened, a little bite of his lip betraying how much he was actually looking forward to this.

He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the phone as he drafted a quick reply. The rules of his world—private, safe, untouchable—suddenly seemed to blur, just a little, because it was you on the other end. Doing a collaboration with you wasn’t just another task—it was an event, a small thrill that made him feel alive in a way his side hustle rarely did.

König’s smirk lingered as he hit send. The thought of working with you, even digitally, made the air around him feel charged. For once, he didn’t have to worry about coworkers, about expectations, about anyone but the two of you. He was beyond excited, and he didn’t bother hiding it, even if no one else ever knew.