Work Text:
For as long as Kim Soleum has known Agent Choi—in person, at least, he’s been reading about him for much longer—the other man has worn many layers at a time.
It’s the most noticeable in his standard work outfit, in which the agent wears a blue Bureau jacket, white collared shirt, and a black undershirt beneath it all.
Soleum hasn’t questioned it to his senior. After all, little quirks are what eventually build up to make a person. Agent Choi is no outlier.
Though, it’s still surreal to see it. To witness the small, insignifigant aspects of the named character he used to hold so dear to his heart.
He hopes the Agent Choi doesn’t notice how Kim Soleum steals glances when he’s not looking.
While he had yet to question the layers up until now, Winter poses a new problem, because Agent Choi is currently so bundled up that he looks ridiculous. It’s impossible to ignore.
“Good morning~~” Agent Choi calls, dressed from head to toe in completely unneeded apparel. It’s not even that cold outside, and yet he’s practically drowning in a puffer jacket and scarf. He raises a gloved hand to wave, adjusting the beanie on his head with the other.
Kim Soleum and Ryu Jaekwan simply stare for a moment, before turning their heads to make eye contact.
A silent message passes between them.
“Sunbae—”
“Agent-nim—”
They both speak at the same time.
Ryu Jaekwan coughs, going quiet.
Thank you, Agent…
“Sunbae-nim, what’s with the, um…” Kim Soleum tries, pushing up his glasses.
“Hm?” Agent Choi hums, tilting his head to the side with a smile.
“I think what Agent Grapes means is if the—” Ryu Jaekwan gestures vaguely to Agent Choi’s everything, “get-up is necessary.”
“Of course it is.” Agent Choi says simply.
……
Does he not realize how out of place he looks right now…?
The most anyone else has on is standard Bureau issued jackets.
“Sunbae-nim, it’s only a little chilly outside, why—”
“Well, see, it actually only has to make sense to me for me to do it.” Agent Choi beams, already slipping past both of them and towards the coffee maker.
“What?” Ryu Jaekwan mutters, eyebrows furrowed like he has no idea what’s happening at this point. “What does that even mean?”
Kim Soleum can sympathize, because he feels similarly baffled often when he interacts with their senior.
“If it makes you happy, Sunbae-nim…” he resolves, sighing.
Eventually they’re able to get Agent Choi to tone down the obnoxious Winter gear, but their senior still bundles up more than necessary—with at least a scarf, and carries around small hand-warmers in his pockets at all times.
By now, Kim Soleum has come to the conclusion that Agent Choi must really dislike the cold, even if his enigmatic smile doesn’t betray much of his true emotions.
He has his own suspicions about this, namely regarding Agent Choi’s backstory. He got his neck scar in a cold storage backstory, so the aversion to cool weather isn’t unfounded.
When Kim Soleum enters the cozy office space that day, he finds Ryu Jaekwan crouched down, working on something.
He tilts his head, trying to get a look from behind the kneeling man.
“Agent Bronze?” He asks, voice tentative. Truthfully, he feels more at ease talking to Ryu Jaekwan than Agent Choi, but he still needs to keep the timid rookie image up.
The civil servant startles slightly—almost imperceptible, but visible in the just barely noticeable jolt of his shoulders. It’s a bit endearing to see such a composed man caught off guard by his hoobae.
“Ah,” he turns his head, meeting Kim Soleum’s gaze. His movements are always measured around him. Careful, as if he’s giving a skittish animal time to adjust to his presence. “Agent Grapes.”
With Ryu Jaekwan’s having moved to the side to look at him, Kim Soleum is now able to see what he was doing.
The heater?
No, actually…
It’s a completely new heater.
Kim Soleum blinks, glancing from Ryu Jaekwan to the heater, and back to Ryu Jaekwan again. Hesitantly, he asks, “Why are you installing a new one? Didn’t the last one work fine…?”
Ryu Jaekwan’s expression does something very interesting then.
First, his eyes widen, just a bit. Then they sharpen and his gaze drops to the floor. Lastly, his ears tint a subtle pink as he lets out a heavy sigh.
...Is this real?
Kim Soleum would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little starstruck…
Is this just the affect Bureau agents have on people in real life?
“The weather’s getting colder,” Ryu Jaekwan says, his youthful voice betraying none of what Kim Soleum just witnessed on his face. “I thought a stronger heater would be best.”
Before Kim Soleum can process the explanation or reply to it, he registers the sound of the office door swinging open behind him.
In fact, the door hits the wall, and he can hear it swinging back inwards afterwards.
Only one person enters a room so disruptively yet so confidently…
“Aiiyaa~~” Agent Choi calls out in a sing-song voice. “My poor juniors must have missed their senior so much. Luckily for them, I got goodies!”
…Kim Soleum is a little terrified at what ‘goodies’ might mean to someone as unpredictable as Agent Choi.
He turns to look at him and is met with—pastries?
Agent Choi is holding a plastic bag in one hand. It has the logo of a bakery Kim Soleum enjoys frequenting every now and then, when he has the money.
“Treats for my diligent hoobaes,” Agent Choi shakes the bag lightly, jostling the contents inside.
Sunbae, don’t do that!
Kim Soleum wants to reach out and grab Agent Choi by the shoulders, because who in their right mind jostles around a bag of pastries…!?
But that would definitely be ungrateful. After all, even if Agent Choi is… difficult sometimes, the gesture is undeniably sweet
“Thank you.” He says, bowing his head slightly. “We appreciate it, Sunbae-nim.”
He expects Ryu Jaekwan, who is a much more ‘color inside the lines—follow the rules’ type of person, to follow in his footsteps with a similar thank you.
Except, only silence comes from behind him.
As Kim Soleum leans back up, his eyes catch not only on Agent Choi’s beaming expression, but also on the thick scarf wrapped around his neck.
He stills at the realization.
He glances back at Ryu Jaekwan, one eyebrow raised, only to see that the pink tint on the man’s ears has spread to his cheeks.
Agent Choi is observant—scarily so at times—and their usual routine is no exception. He catches on in less than a minute.
“Oh, what’s this for?” He steps past Kim Soleum and directly beside Ryu Jaekwan, leaning over to peer at the new heater in an exaggerated display. “Wow, our Jaekwan-ie is working hard this Winter, huh?”
Ryu Jaekwan’s face flushes down to his neck.
…Kim Soleum is actually a little concerned. He’s never seen a person blush this hard before… Is that normal?
Ryu Jaekwan looks to him, as if trying to silently plead for help.
Kim Soleum looks away.
As Agent Choi continues to pester Ryu Jaekwan, evoking reactions uncharacteristic of a composed civil servant, Kim Soleum can’t help the fond huff that leaves his lips.
Sunbae won’t be so cold anymore.
Agent Bronze is a really nice person.