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Writing up a report could wait— at least for now.
This week’s mission has already swallowed up most of your time, and it has been days since you last set foot in headquarters. With the travel, trashbeasts, and everything else, you truly couldn’t have been bothered to, especially running on little to no sleep.
Surely Semiu and Arkha wouldn’t mind a couple-hour delay— Semiu especially would understand. Despite the migraine pounding in your head, the least you could do is put your mind at ease with a small fix.
Leaving your room, you sealed your door shut with a gentle click behind you. It was late, and headquarters was eerily quiet during these hours; after all, it’s practically the middle of the night. However, it's usually more lively anyway, with laughs and chatter bouncing off the hall— maybe even some occasional screaming, but no voices were there to echo through the walls tonight.
Perhaps everyone was off on a mission, you mused.
Turning the corner, you made your way towards the main lobby. It’s dim, but a subtle yellow glare faintly traced a familiar figure. Your footsteps halted for a moment, the silhouette pausing abruptly at the sound.
“Semiu, you still up?” you asked lightly.
Semiu turned her head towards you. “Oh! You’re up late,” she said with a faint smile, grabbing a stray magazine on the side of her receptionist table, adding it to the stack she held in her other hand, “I’m just wrapping things up for tonight, you heading out?”
“Mm.” you hummed. “Just for a smoke.”
She tsked softly. “Agh. I’d join you, but I’m drowning in paperwork.” A brief sigh escaped her mouth before her eyes lit up. “Oh, y’know. The outside entrance is real quiet tonight. It’d be a good place for a sesh like that, since everyone’s out right now.”
Curiously, you asked, “Everyone’s out on a mission?”
“Mhm, and guess who had to organize all of that.”
A breathy laugh escaped your mouth, so your suspicions were correct.
“Y’poor thing.” Rubbing the back of your neck with your hand, guilt faintly clouded your consciousness. “Ah– about that,” you broke eye contact, “I still gotta give you my report y’kno–”
She gently raised her hand, “Don’t worry bout it, I’m tired enough.” She sheepishly chuckled, “Pass it to me tomorrow instead, ‘kay?”
You silently nodded your head at the request, feeling slightly relieved. “I’ll have a smoke outside then. Thanks, Semiu.” Focusing your sights on the entrance door.
Semiu added, “Not everyone’s gone, though, you still got some company,” she teasingly grinned.
“Oh? Who’s sti—”
Bringing her hand up again, this time to adjust her glasses, she added, “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?” and began walking away from you, “Enjoy your fix.”
Your eyebrows creased. She’s obviously hiding something.
You nodded again, letting it slide. “Yeah. Night, Semiu.”
“Nightt,~” she smiled softly, with a hint of something malice-like beneath it. The clacking of her heels soon faded down the opposite corridor.
You lingered for a moment longer after the sound disappeared, staring at the empty stretch of hallway she turned into. You exhaled through your nose and promptly headed for the exit, her words still lingering in your head.
Pushing on the large door, you nudged the lobby entrance open.
Cold air wrapped you instantly like a blanket, but it was far from being crisp. The wind picked up slightly; it was chilly, and goosebumps rose instantly on your skin. The other half of your body was still inside, still feeling the warmth of the lobby.
Maybe I should head back insid—
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” a familiar voice husked just behind the door.
This is definitely what Semiu meant earlier.
You poked your head over the frame, eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the dim glow of the streetlamps across the pavement.
Enjin stood a few steps down the entrance, shaking what seemed to be an empty pack of cigarettes upside down, as if sheer persistence might summon one last stick. Only a few sad flakes drifted out instead, getting caught in the wind before disappearing into the dark.
He stared at the empty pack like it had betrayed him personally.
You couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the sight. Enjin’s head snapped up at the sound, his blonde hair barely covering his gaze. It’s rare for him to wear his hair down like this.
“Don’t even…” he warned flatly, still holding up the pack, giving it one last desperate shake.
Stepping outside fully, you let the heavy door fall shut behind you.
Thump.
“Rough night?” you called, gently holding up your own pack. His sights dropped to what was in your hand.
“You’re messing with me,” he said.
“And why would I do that?” Easing yourself right next to him, pulling a stick loose effortlessly, letting it rest between your fingers.
He lifted his brows at you for a second before letting out a gentle chuckle, “You enjoy my suffering, don’t you?” He tilted his head, letting the corners of his lips tug.
“Mm. Nah.” You place your cigarette in your mouth, letting it hang.
Enjin clicked his tongue. “You’re cruel, y’know that?”
“And you’re being dramatic.”
Putting away the pack in your pocket, you rummaged for your lighter. He leaned in close, watching you enviously, his shoulder making contact with yours as the wind blew. Your skin felt drastically cold against his, but he didn't pull away.
Flick. The spark died instantly.
He sneered, “How tragic.”
“Shut it.”
Flick. It died again.
Flick.
You tightened your grip, sighing
Well, this is embarrassing, you mused.
Enjin let out a low whistle. “Y’know…” he drawled, “I’d help ya out but,” pulling out a lighter from his sweats, flicking it open with a snap, the flame burning brightly, “someone wants to be cruel to me.”
“Ha, cute. Well, aren’t you helpful?” you deadpanned.
He smirked, holding the flame towards your cigarette.
You accepted it, as it lit with a faint ssst, the ember of it glowing warmly in the dark. You drew in a slow, deep breath, letting it fill your lungs, the rush washing through you as it eased away the day’s tension
When you opened your eyes, Enjin’s glare lingered over you a little longer than necessary. His hand still hovered close to your face, the lighter still angled carefully as the small flame illuminated your face.
He cleared his throat, his gaze wandered away from yours, letting the flame die out. “Well…?” he hummed.
Smoke curled from your lips as you glared at him attentively.
“Don’t you owe me, sweetheart?” he teased, a smug look gleamed on his eyes
Letting out an amused scoff, you shook your head slightly. “Careful, or else I’ll charge you extra, idiot.” You pulled out the pack again and took one out.
“How sweet of you,” he said. He took the cigarette, his fingers brushing against yours slightly as he brought it to his lips. Your hands felt cold, he mused, lighting the stick with a swift flick of the lighter.
A comfortable silence settled between you two, interrupted only by the faint crackles of each other’s cigarettes. Enjin tilted his head, “Did Semiu send you out here on purpose?”
You exhaled a ribbon of smoke, “She said I had company.” The wind carried what you just let out, the fog disappearing into the air.
He smirked, knowing damn well what she was doing. “Pft. Figures.”
“Mm. Figures what?” you questioned.
“That’d she’d send you out here, she saw me coming out anyway.” He took a long drag, letting smoke bleed out of his nose, “Besides, don’t you usually smoke at the courtyard anyway?”
You stopped mid-exhale and blinked. “Jin…How’d y’know I usually smoke at the–”
Enjin coughed abruptly, the smoke hitching in his throat. Your hand quickly rushed to his back, rubbing light circles, hoping to soothe him. He waved you off with a sheepish laugh, but the faint blush creeping on his neck betrayed him.
“I’m good,” he huffed between some shallow breaths. His eyes met yours, but he broke eye contact immediately, bringing his free hand to his neck to rub it.
Your expression tensed questioningly, “For someone who smokes constantly, that's unusual for you to cough.”
He let out a quiet scoff, still rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, voice rough. “Guess I’m just out of practice.”
“Pft, you? Since when?”
“Since five seconds ago,” he countered, finally looking at you again. He had a faint glint in his eyes— it looked defensive, but he still had a playful expression on his face. “Do ya interrogate everyone like this, or are you just really interested in me?”
Opening your mouth to retort, the wind suddenly picked up between you two, chills running down your skin, your goosebumps becoming more prominent than before. Instinctively, you stubbornly took another drag instead, hoping to find some warmth.
The cold bit you harder, gnawing at your fingertips.
Enjin’s face softened. “You’re shaking,” he said suddenly.
“I’m fine,” you shot back immediately, taking another hit to mask the lie. But it did little to warm you up.
He stepped closer to you, brushing his shoulder against yours again, more deliberately this time. Your skin was freezing against his. Internally, he tsked at himself, I should’ve known sooner, he huffed.
“You’re unbelievable,” he muttered, flicking the remaining bud onto the pavement, putting it out with his shoe promptly.
Instead of standing beside you, he repositioned himself slightly in front of you. Taking your hand and intertwining it with his, he pulled you in closer, taking one more step closer to you. He was close, but not enough to cage you in, just enough to feel his warmth slightly.
Another gust of wind brushed towards you two, but it hit his back first, the cold dulling instantly. Unknowingly, you subtly shifted yourself closer to him.
He didn’t comment on that.
You felt the chill ease from your skin, but it wasn’t just the cold fading. Heat crept up to your neck, settling unmistakably onto your cheeks.
“Hey…” his voice dropped.
You looked up at him.
“Let’s head inside, ‘kay?” his expression looked at you gently.
For a second, you thought about what to say back, but the wind howled once more.
“...You’re gonna get sick,” he added quietly with no witty remarks to banter back at you.
“Really, Jin, I’m okay.”
He smiled faintly, “Shh,” he cooed, “Let me worry for a second,” guiding you towards the door. “Finish that inside, alright?”
His hand firmly grasped the knob, pulling it open for you, his fingers brushing your back to direct you towards the lobby. “You first,” he said, voice low.
You raised a brow at him. “Since when did you care?”
He looked at you again, but his glare was different— it was quiet, with no teasing intent behind it.
“Since you decided to freeze to death next to me,” he mumbled, nudging you gently towards the entrance. “Now hurry up, courtyard girl.”
Your expression fell flat at the nickname. “You still gotta tell me how you know that.”
He winced slightly at the slip-up again, his eyes darting away for a second. “Not a chance, princess,” his voice faltered slightly, betraying the ease he tried to keep.
You stepped inside, letting the warmth of the room swallow you. Enjin followed you in, closing the door behind him with a small thump.