Chapter Text
Out of the slew of things Jinu and Rumi had in common, their addiction to work was the one he wished he didn't share.
Despite joining Zoey and Mira in their efforts to get Rumi to relax, Jinu had to admit he was a teensy bit hypocritical about it. He had the exact same habit — working long nights producing, brainstorming lyrics after everyone else had gone to bed, training to hone his skills in hunting. It was second nature to him. Whether it was something left over from when he was a full demon, or because part of him feared the girls wouldn't bother with him if he didn't pull his weight, he couldn't say.
Working non-stop had its consequences, though. For example, a completely fried brain at 9 A.M.
He exited his and Rumi's room in a groggy shuffle, scratching underneath his shirt as he yawned his way downstairs. As he slowly came to, he noticed Zoey on the couch, a bowl of cereal in hand, watching some sort of American superhero film. The sudden movements as the hero swung through a city hurt his eyes, so he turned away and hobbled over to the kitchen.
Zoey looked up at the sound of footsteps to find Jinu rummaging through the pantry like a cat high on catnip. "Morning, Jinu!" she greeted brightly, mouth full of cereal.
"'Morning—" yawn "—Zoey," Jinu managed, grabbing a coffee pod and making his way to the coffee maker, though not before accidentally catching his hip on the edge of the kitchen island.
Zoey winced as Jinu, a lot more awake now, yelped. "Yeesh, man. You look awful. What happened?"
Jinu groaned as he kept trying, and failing, to put the coffee pod in its place. "Was writing down — come on — lyric ideas for our next single last night. Figured I'd — dammit, stay put! — get the bridge down before I forget about it." He shoved the pod in and it, finally, clicked into place. "Yes!" The pot hummed to life.
Zoey shook her head, exasperated. "Jeez, you and Rumi really are perfect for each other. Same workaholic tendencies and everything."
"Hey! I'll have you know I'm not as bad as Rumi!" he said indignantly, his cheeks flushing slightly. Zoey looked at him, unconvinced. He flushed harder. "O-okay, maybe not so different, but still!"
Zoey giggled at his pouting. She probably shouldn't give him too much grief — if he'd already gotten lyric ideas down, she'd have an easier time brainstorming later. Besides, she had a new mission now.
"Alrighty then!" she announced, making Jinu yelp. "Clear your schedule for today, we're heading out to destress!" she declared brightly.
Jinu looked at her, a little lost. "Zoey, I still have work to do lat—"
"Nope! You're coming with me to have fun and not think about work until tomorrow. No buts!"
*I'm not getting out of this, am I?* He sighed. "Are Rumi and Mira joining us?"
Zoey shook her head. "Nope," she answered, popping the p. "Rumi's still at Celine's and Mira's at the opening of a new Dior store in Busan. It's just the two of us today!"
The coffee pot beeped. Jinu reached for it and poured himself a cup. "What do you have in mind, anyway?"
Zoey lifted herself up and sat on the kitchen island. "The aquarium! I was gifted tickets by one of the producers of our music video. Me and the girls were planning on going, but since they're busy, I'll just have to take you instead!"
Jinu turned to her. "Wait, does that mean I was your third option?"
"Yup! You better be grateful!"
"I'm flattered," Jinu deadpanned as he sipped his coffee. Zoey laughed at that.
"Get ready once you finish your coffee. We'll be leaving before lunch!"
---
Jinu did not expect the place to be so packed.
He'd known about aquariums, but had never quite understood why people would pay so much money to enter a crammed space just to look at fish. Back in his day, all anyone had to do was visit the lake. Though he supposed he couldn't really complain — for as packed as it was, the place was admittedly beautiful. The light and atmosphere made the sea life look that much more elegant, and the exhibits were genuinely fascinating. No wonder Zoey had been so giddy the entire time. They spent the better part of the afternoon moving through the different exhibits, taking pictures, and listening to her rattle off facts about every creature they passed.
After a while, the two settled into the open area for a snack break. While munching on a rice cake skewer, Jinu noticed a small storefront right beside the food stalls.
"Huh. Didn't know they had shops here," he said.
Zoey followed his gaze. "Oh yeah, that's the gift shop. They sell some cool stuff in there," she said brightly.
Jinu finished the last of his fruit milk and wiped his hands with a tissue. "Wanna go check it out?"
Zoey made quick work of her remaining rice cake, prompting Jinu to warn her not to swallow so fast.
"Yeah! Come on!"
"Zoey, wait—!" She grabbed his hand and rushed towards the store anyway.
Once inside, his senses were hit all at once — scented candles, loud music, and an assault of colour. T-shirts, plushies, and mugs lined every wall and shelf, anything they could slap an animal-themed design on. He watched Zoey zip across the store and, figuring he wouldn't be able to stop her, wandered around himself. Aside from a cap that struck him as a little silly, nothing really caught his attention until something in the corner of his eye did — a large sea turtle plushie. He picked it up and turned it over. It had a semi-realistic look, distinguished from an actual sea turtle only by its big plastic eyes and a faint, sewn-in smile. He looked at it for a moment before making a decision.
As Zoey was checking out the mugs, she felt a soft bump at the back of her head. She turned around to find Jinu holding the turtle plushie in front of his face.
He peeked out from behind it. "Heyo."
Zoey's eyes went wide as she let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh. My. GOD!" She snatched the plush from his hands and hugged it so tightly he swore he could see its plastic eyes bulging.
"He's the most perfect creature in the universe!! Where did you find him!?" she asked, rubbing her cheek against the soft toy.
"Right by the other plushies in the back. Only one left, too," he answered. "Wanna grab it?"
"Uh, yeah!? How could I not!?"
"Cool. Come on, I'll pay for it."
Zoey's eyes widened. "Woah, woah — you don't have to do that."
Jinu shot her a smirk. "Yeah, well, I want to. So, too bad." His expression softened. "Take it as a thank you for dragging me along today. I actually had a lot of fun."
Zoey looked at him for a moment, then her face broke into a warm smile as she hugged her new sea turtle a little tighter.
As the two made their way out of the aquarium and headed home, Zoey jogged up beside Jinu and linked her arm around his. "Thanks, oppa!" she said, looking up at him with a bright grin.
Caught off guard for just a moment, Jinu smiled and ruffled her hair — earning a giggle from the maknae. "No problem, Zoe."