"Hmmm, don't like it when you look at me that way. It's kind of uncomfortable. Not the worst, though. I shouldn't say that. I just said that. Ah, crap. Did you know that I—nope. Nope nope nope. You said it yourself, professional distance. I said it myself, professional distance. This is one of the reasons, too, because I start feeling comfortable, and then what? It's been like a week and change and I'm already telling you stuff. This isn't safe, the other thing is safer, the one where I don't tell you stuff. Oh and there's one that's even worse but that one can definitely never happen. You know why, right? I barely know you. We barely know each other. We shouldn't be getting comfortable. I shouldn't be getting comfortable." He stands up and starts pacing. "Fucking backlash. I hate it so much. I hate the way it makes me do stuff I don't want to do. I hate the way it makes me look weak. If this got out it'd be as bad as that one Japanese esper. Hmm, maybe not this this but the other things, all taken together? Absolutely. This is awful. Why am I letting this happen again?"

"Because you haven't teleported back to your silo yet," she tells him, patiently. "Should I get Woo-young to teleport you back, or can you do it on your own?"

"Yeah, you know what, fuck this, I need to get away before the impulsivity kicks in. Don't worry, I'm good. ...I'll remember to say bye this time. Bye!"

And he requests a teleport and locks his chat app and writes himself a reminder to figure out some different siloing situation because this is not sustainable at all.

"Bye," she agrees, just before he disappears.

Woo-young's phone rings.

Well that kills the mood if anything does. "Really, hyung?"

Woo-young pulls away apologetically. "Give me a moment." There are only two people it could be, that go through his do not disturb mode, and he has a guess who. "Sunbae?"

"Woo-young. Are you busy?"

Ugh, of course it's Tae-gun-sunbae. The one person Woo-young will always prioritise. He sighs and starts to get up...

...but Woo-young tugs him back. "Kinda, yeah. Is it urgent?"

"...no. Just let me know when you're free. And, uh, tell Tae-hwan sorry."

...well now he feels like a jerk. "It's okay, sunbae," he says. They're both espers, Tae-gun will catch him through the speaker just fine.

"Alright, I will. But let me know if you do need anything."

"...right."

Click.

"Back to where we were?"

Woo-young calls Tae-gun back once they're done and just snuggling. "What's up, sunbae?"

"I need your help fixing my silo situation."

"Fixing it how?"

"Uh—can you come over?"

"Yeah, be there in a sec." He pets Tae-hwan's mostly-asleep form, puts some clothes on, and teleports.

Tae-gun is in his living room, sitting on a floating ice hoverboard, looking at three commscreens one next to the other with recent data about some big named dungeons. He's not scheduled to go into them soon—most are dormant, even—but it's always good to keep one's knowledge fresh.

"Woo-young, the situation with Kim Hye-jin is not sustainable."

"'The situation'."

"The, the... the way I backlash around her."

"Sunbae that's the whole point of having a partner. —have you still not touched her, other than that one time?"

"What one—oh. I have. But..."