...mrrrr. He doesn't like thinking about nuclear apocalypses. He can't do anything about those. Zombie apocalypses he can at least help with.

She giggles at this, and kisses him.

Tae-gun maybe should wait until Christmas proper, but—their schedules are unpredictable. Something could happen. He can't afford the risk. Arguably he should've done this earlier, but he spent too long dithering, so now it's Christmas Eve and if he waits until tomorrow and an emergency happens he is going to fling himself into the Han river.

He reviews the things he wants to say, makes sure his clothes are fine, checks that one text message for the hundredth time to make sure he's not fucking it up, then messages Hye-jin.

Hey.

Wow, Lee Tae-gun, that's an amazing start. Suave.

Do you have anything scheduled for today?

Wait, was that too obvious. Was it stupid. Why else would he ask—he needs to stop thinking. Also if she doesn't reply immediately he will in fact be consumed by the black hole of overthinking in his brain.

Nope! No dungeons today for me, at least as far as I know

Would it be okay for me to come over?

Such self-confidence. Much social skill. Wow.

Sure! I'm at my secret silo

You should just be able to teleport without needing approval now.

Alright. Here goes nothing.

He teleports.

He's wearing a suit. A different suit than the ones Hye-jin's seen him in before, dark blue and unbuttoned, with dark red inner linings. He's not wearing a tie, and his black shirt is unbuttoned to his collarbone. He's carrying a flowerpot with five dahlias in it, all of them different colours.

He's trying really hard not to fidget.

"Come in!" calls Hye-jin, who is in the middle of putting together... something? There are a lot of shelf like things strewn about the living area, and a set of instructions that she's meticulously following.

Then she spots him and pauses.

"...... uh?" she says, eloquently.

He had a thing to say!

He has completely forgotten what it was!

"Um." He offers her the flowers. "For you," he says, like a person who knows how to say words. That's who he is, Lee Tae-gun, a known words-sayer.

"Oh! Dahlias! Thank you, these will be lovely in, hm... I might end up splitting them up, the pink ones will look best in the second guest room, and I think I wanted some color in - um." She has self awareness, and also is aware that her partner is very dressed up and giving her (thankfully living! These flowers are not being sacrificed!) flowers and that this, perhaps, means that it is not interior decorating thoughts time.

"Yooooou did not come to hear my interior decorating thoughts, probably," she acknowledges, embarrassed.

"I, um." Fidget fidget. "I mean I love listening to you talk." Fidget. "But um. Do you. Maybe want to. Go out to have lunch with me." Fidget. "In a bit."

"I - yes? Why wouldn't I -? Oh in a date way! .... I still also mean yes just, um. ... I would like to change into nicer clothes first. If you mean, uh, literally. Right now."

"I-it doesn't need to be right, um, right now." Though it is, you know, almost lunch. So.

Giggle. "Right, but it is - yes. Um. I'll. Put this down," she carefully leaves her little Allen wrench at the part of the instructions she was on to mark her place for later, "and go get changed, hold on. I think I have something nice enough here already - uh, how nice should I dress??"

"However much you want? Um. I haven't gone out on Christmas with anyone before." Except that one guy. "So I don't know." It's easier to dress up when you're a man anyway.

"OH IT'S CHRISTMAS. ... EVE. Christmas Eve!" Christmas is, in Japanese culture especially, traditionally a couple's holiday. "Oh, um, I. Totally. Forgot. Um. I'll - I should have something nice enough. Just -" she stands up, carefully steps over her obstacle course of disassembled furniture, and very carefully gives him a peck on the cheek.

She didn't say no? Yay????

And also she is kissing his cheek! That is also a pretty good sign, probably!

"- yes. Thanks. Getting changed now," she says, before she begins scurrying off. Then she pauses and adds, "Good job, this, um. ... Is really sweet."

And then it's off to go wear real person clothes that one can go on a... date... on. Because. That. Is what they are going to be doing, she has been asked out and said yes and she is delighted and excited and also kind of terrified, she has already clearly messed everything up.