"Y-yeah. I, um. Enjoyed myself, too." U n d e r s t a t e m e n t.

(Oh, God, he hopes he hasn't ruined Hye-jin for other men (people? she might be bi, too), that sex was wildly off all charts and sex with other people will not at all be the same thing for her.)

(He has totally ruined her for other people. She's sort of aware of this and doesn't at the moment mind.)

"Right. So. I expect that to be the standard, but like, we might ever not be in the mood? Backup options are smart to have. Um. But mostly I want to get to know you as a person? And try to figure out what our, um, partnership is going to be like."

"Yeah. Um. Right. ...I'm kind of boring," he admits. "I don't really... do much... I'm usually just at home reading up on dungeons or working out or practising, when I'm not in dungeons. My hyungnim sometimes drag me outside but..."

She considers this. "... I think that just means being really very dedicated to your job, which is saving people? So, um. I guess it's bad for introductory small talk but I don't think it's boring, exactly?"

"Not just introductory, I mean, just... interaction I guess."

"Okay, so you're bad at talking about and selling yourself! And also bad at small talk," asserts Hye-jin, a little teasing. "But that's still not boring!"

"Well it's at least not entertaining."

"You're not here to entertain me, you're - you, and I'm me, and we're partners, and... I don't know, don't put yourself down on my account, please? Or in general but. You seem pretty cool."

"Well. Um. Thanks. You seem pretty cool too."

"Thanks. Um. ... I now have no idea how to describe myself either, I am seeing why you had so much trouble, um. I like gardening?"

"What do you like about gardening?"

"It's... nice?" she says, awkwardly, realizing how badly that explains things. "Um. I like having little living things that I can watch the progress of over time, and their problems are very, hm, planty? They're getting too much sunlight or not enough nutrients or they need a bigger pot or - whatever. And they're bright and cheerful and pretty, and I can feel proud of myself at helping this little thing grow bigger and stronger. Um. Usually, anyway, I have absolutely killed several plants - I don't know if you're aware of this but orchids are an absolute bitch to grow, maybe it was the species I got, but they get fussy about water temperature, not even getting into their sunlight requirements or how they need their very own special kind of soil because they're spoiled little princess plants-! Um. I'm babbling, sorry."

She's cute oh no.

"I liked listening to that, don't stop yourself talking for me."

"Oh." Smile. "Okay. Well I'll probably still give growing orchids another try once I'm done pouting about it? They're very pretty and I don't like letting the plants win. ... By dying. Which I guess is actually losing, for the plants. I don't like losing by letting the plants lose. There."

He grins. "I believe in you."

...oh wow that was such a lame response, good job, Lee Tae-gun, you're so good at doing social things.

She seems to find it a perfectly acceptable response! Probably. By how she says: "Thanks!"

But nowwwww he doesn't know what to say nexttttttt ahhhhhhh.

Yeah, she kind of doesn't either.

What will this person do when no topic is available? Talk about work!! That's it, that's the solution. She's solved all social forever, clearly.

"So I do still have some scheduled meetings for compatibility tomorrow - I am obviously now taken as a partner, but I kind of think on principle it's important for espers to check each for compatibility, in case of emergencies? So I don't want to just ditch even though I'm, uh, fine on that front now. What's your dungeon schedule look like, we should try to both be free at the same time, and ideally I'd want to get in some practice time right before you pop out of a dungeon so we can reduce backlash efficiently, hm..."

She pulls up a color coded schedule on her phone; it's just two meetings, and a doctor's appointment, with several hours of space between them.

Oh he can pull up his schedule. He has three dungeons tomorrow, the first one at 10, the second at 1, and the third at 5. Their estimated times of completion are two, three, and two hours, respectively.

That can be worked around! Her meetings are at 11 and 3, so that's very tidy. Though...

"How do you usually handle your lunch?" she asks, peering at this scheduling. "Should I have something ready for you before, um..."

"... backlash reduction activities, or think of some clever way to get calories into you, or what?"

... She supposes whipped cream might technically be calories, which she hears is something people will sometimes - okay no, bad, you met him literally today, stop it.

Heeeee will not think about that nope thanks.

"I usually have, um, meals that are easy and fast, um. And an air fryer."

"Okay. So, um. Should I try to have food ready for you? I wouldn't want to be, um, full housewife all the time, but. An hour break between dungeons is not a lot of time to eat and also, er." Bluuuuuush. She supposes she could help him with his backlash while he eats, possibly from under the stoooooop.

"Yeah. Um. Though e-eventually you'll be doing dungeons with me anyway a-and." And he did spend those breaks between dungeons, uh, largely insensate with lust, with his partners, so.