Jaeha's less acutely backlashed than last time, but with the amount of chronic backlash he's always carrying on his back, there's still a lot of guiding he can do and get done. He'll go as long as Haru wants to; he doesn't have a partner to go back to, anymore, so they can just keep doing this.

Yamanaka hasn't sent him any emojis so she'll keep! They can snuggle all afternoon long.

This is nice.

Haru is nice.

Jaeha wants to keep him. This is kind of nuts.

Eventually Haru grabs a book - not one on his shelf, there's one on the nightstand he's halfway through - and little-spoonifies himself to read it.

Oh okay.

He doesn't have anywhere to be. And Haru isn't kicking him out. Even though Haru said he's an introvert and prefers alone time.

Jaeha isn't going to question it.

It feels nice.

Oh good he didn't take breaking out a book as a dismissal even though Haru didn't say anything about it.

Unfortunately Jaeha has no idea what Haru is feeling because Haru is impossible to read aughhhhhhh—

—wait hang on time out.

Haru is impossible to read. 

And Jaeha has been making all of these plans about getting him as a partner, but. 

...maybe it's not a problem? If this is all they'll do as partners? He doesn't have to figure out what Haru is feeling when all they're doing is fucking.

Yeah. 

This is fine.

He can keep doing this. 

He just has to make sure to never do or say anything fraught.

"If you wanna stay for dinner I need to tell Ren."

"—ah, sorry, I didn't mean to overstay my welcome." Yeah, this is normal. This is how it goes. They guide each other a bit and then go their own ways. He can start to unsnuggle and go find his clothes.

"I'm not kicking you out, she just needs to know for grocery shopping purposes if you do wanna stay?"

Oh amazing, great going, he guessed wrong. This is making him want to go have a smoke.

He kind of does want to stay, is the thing, but he literally just decided that he was going to only have sex and nothing else. Meeting this guy's mother is a whole new step, too—he's definitely not ready to introduce Haru to his father. Probably wouldn't be regardless, fuck that old man, but still.

He needs to figure out what to say and he's running out of time.

"No, I should probably get going, anyway, I need to figure out what Juno's plans for me are now that Do-in's not going to be around anymore, and..."

"Okay." Haru hands him a sock that got kicked under the bed. "But you gotta kiss me goodbye."

"Wouldn't dream of going without." And because he is himself that's not going to be a tame peck on the lips, however much that gets his motor revving again.

Mmmmmm he's a good kisser. "See you Friday?"

"Can't wait."

Vworp.

Ren gets the usual complement of groceries on her way home - fish and viscera for Cricket and donburi stuff for her and Haru. Haru does not offer to help her cook. He does not explain why. She knows. She knows and he doesn't have to tell her, that this means he's feeling great.

On Friday he makes himself available for teleportation to Korea.

Hey gorgeous

Ready to go?

I am not only gorgeous but also ready, yep!

He gets the teleportation request and, when he accepts it, finds himself in front of a very very large house. Calling it a "mansion" would not be a huge stretch.

"I wanted to walk there with you," he explains.

"House," says Haru, blinking at house. He goes for the handhold while blinking at the house. "Wow, I am so used to Tokyo shoeboxes and single story I-can't-believe-it's-not-a-trailer-park in Charlie's hometown."

"Well if you're fine with getting there a half hour late or still have energy afterwards I could show you around."

"I don't want to be half an hour late to a prospective work event, but I was thinking that if you still have any backlog to clear I could spend the night, get you fixed up? And I would probably see some of the house between the front door and the bedroom."

Fucking some more tonight is not gonna clear his backlog but he can pretend.

"Only a complete fool would refuse someone like you."