"I—would—it's—Woo-young called me a walking minefield of triggers and he's—not wrong—but—the only way to make a minefield safer again is to explode the mines. You know? And I'd—rather not be treated like I'm—breakable. Even though—I am—I think I can deal—mostly—I don't know. Hell iPhone is saying that I'm pathetic and weak and made of fine china and I don't—want to be. I don't want to be a burden. I want to—at worst—be absent. But I don't want to be that, either, anymore.

"And it's—I'd rather you not hurt yourself to avoid hurting me."

"... I... I'll try, but. I don't think I'm going to be very good at purposefully and actively - setting off mines. When they hurt you."

"You don't need to. Just—I guess—I—" He stops and tries to think about it. "If... I were better at... No, I think I can. Um. I think I can set—boundaries—and figure out when I'm actually hurting—and otherwise I—you remember Ms. Daly?"

????

"The nurse yesterday. I guess you spent less time around her than I did..." He shakes his head and pulls away a bit from the hug again because he does not want his bingsu to melt. ...he's fucking stupid. He takes hold of the ice in the bingsu and now it won't melt. Snuggling Hye-jin here is more than enough to still make this backlash-negative.

ANYWAY.

"Oh! Her. Right. I gave her a nice tip."

Hye-jin can nibble at her bingsu while snuggled. She has this power.

"I was—not okay, there. And she noticed it, I think. I'm pretty sure. And then she didn't say anything or, she just pretended it wasn't happening, and that was—good. I, I understand why that, um, that might be difficult but... I, I often just, I mean, I'm not, I take a while. To. Think these things through. And I'd rather no one—notice—that that's happening—even if it looks like I'm upset—until I can figure it out later."

"... Okay. Pretend I don't notice. I'll, uh, try, but I might still have the urge to hug you when you're obviously sad?"

"I, I mean, I don't, um—no I—guess it depends. Um. I don't know. There are times when I would like it and times when I wouldn't and I don't know how to... explain the difference...

"...but I noticed earlier that I like hugging you to comfort you more than I liked being hugged to be comforted."

Nod.

"I... don't know if I'm going to be able to always give -" a week's notice, no, bad Hye-jin, "- a warning for when I am upset and want a hug? If I'm being extra bitchy and bitey I am probably upset and if I don't literally tell you to get away from me I will probably accept a hug about it. And I can still just always set you on fire at any time. Um. .... I do like being pampered? A little?" A lot, actually, but. ... She doesn't know how to say that and it feels like such a big ask.

"...pampered?"

"Like - being brought bingsu or being carried to the shower or - it's fine, you don't have to, I know it's silly -"

"Hye-jin-ah, I would love nothing more than to pamper you." He lifts one of her hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "Would you like to be fed some bingsu? Shall I get you some more pillows so you're more comfortable? Would you like a massage?" He's being soooooo criiiiiiiinge and what's even more cringe is that he's managing to say all of that with a completely straight face and mean every word.

"... I, I, I, um, probably the bingsu first because otherwise it's going to melt probably I, um?"

"I'm holding onto the ice, it's not going to melt." But he can, in fact, feed her bingsu.

Okay, then, she is fine with this and. Is admittedly enjoying this a lot.

(nom.)

Lee Tae-gun did not know he particularly enjoyed this but apparently he really does! He is finding out new things about himself! And some of those new things are good!

"This is really fine?" she confirms, in a small voice.

"Would I lie to you, Hye-jin-ah?" Wow what the hell was that line why can't he come up with lines like this on command. "I like seeing you happy."

"... okay," she agrees, looking delighted.

Honestly, this is all he's ever wanted. He has a way to reliably demonstrate what he's feeling and make her feel happy and loved, and despite everything they're... getting through it. Talking. Figuring it out together. 

Maybe this can work. Maybe they can make it work.

Hyun-jae watches the two stupid lovebirds leave together then turns back to the others. "Think they'll come back tonight?" she asks Juheon in a soft whisper.

"It's fine even if they don't, they can take their time," he whispers back. Besides, all of them—except maybe Woo-young—feel like they need to make it up to Tae-gun for abandoning him to Kang Jaeha five years ago and figuring out how to deal with him now is the least they can do.

"Alright, people, focus up, we've got a job to do here! More ideas!"

"Maybe we should think of more reactive ideas? For after they're found but before Jaeha has them..."