"You're handling this very well, I appreciate it," Haru tells Yoo-min.

"Man this sounds incredibly tough for both of you, I couldn't do anything else."

...they barely know each other. Why...

"Well, you know, it's not thrilling but at least I am so cool that I could redeem him without having even known what I was redeeming him from, or something, so that's validating."

Eyebrow lift.

"What was it you said the other day in chat? 'Guiding dick too bomb'?"

"Oh so you do read it!"

"Mostly over Haru's shoulder."

"I like to think that my aura of incorruptible integrity was helping at least as much."

"It was also your thoughtfulness, thoroughness, self-awareness, and ability to inspire me to become a better person."

"Oh, well, now you're just trying to make me blush."

"I would actually love to cause you to blush someday. Stretch goals."

"Good God, you two, I'd tell you to get a room but you are already in a room."

"Anyway, is there anything else you feel like the guild could help you guys with? I just came up with those ideas on the fly but maybe you had something else in mind... Oh, and I assume I have your permission to share stuff to the extent it's necessary with the people you vet, once I've got those?"

"...yeah."

"Still substantially in the brainstorming stage over here too. I think we're stable, just not redundant enough for my tastes. Thank you so much for your help."

"Yeah, of course. And thank you for trusting me. I—wish I had someone specific I could point to and be like, hey, that person will definitely be able to get you the resources you need, but this problem is... kind of unique."

"Yeah. That it is."

"I believe in you guys. You'll get through it. If you think of anything else feel free to come bug me."

And he hangs up.

Jaeha lets out a breath he'd been half-holding throughout the conversation.

Haru kisses him.

Jaeha kisses him back.

(Look, this isn't the behaviour of someone who isn't romantically interested in him. He'd know, because his past partners weren't interested in him, and very much did not kiss him except when needing guiding. They didn't—hug him like this. Take care of him like this. Worry for him like this. He isn't sure what the difference between this and dating is, exactly, except for the—relative security. If they're not dating and Haru leaves, it's not breaking up. It's something less serious. And Jaeha doesn't like it. But Haru kisses him when he doesn't need any guiding at all, and seems to like spending time with him, and—might be settling for him instead of the man of his dreams, because Jaeha isn't the man of his dreams.)

(Jaeha doesn't like himself very much right now. And he definitely doesn't like being inside his skull either.)

(He wishes he could undo... so many things.)

"How're you holding up?"

"Kind of wishing I could skip to the part where I've figured out what I need to do" for you to like me "without having to suffer through the intermediate steps but, you know, could be worse," you could've already left.

"Yeah, I don't see a good way to speedrun the process or I'd be all over it."