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Soleum vowed to never enter this ghost story with anyone this unadept ever again.
He thought this would be an easy test, after everything with Director Ho that Choi witnessed, to see if Choi would tell the bureau that Soleum was a spy sent from Baekilmong.
What a farce. Soleum shouldn't have given a damn.
He was about to die because Choi couldn't move the pieces across the board in the right way.
It was supposed to be an easy Disaster. Choi always made things hard for no reason.
"You are genuinely awful at this," Soleum said, his panic and nerves making him say things he shouldn't.
– He is rather dull, Roe Deer-ssi.
Even Braun agreed. Polite Braun was speaking ill of him, a charming host who never said anything bad about a person unless they irked him. Choi was practically receiving a death threat from the Good Friend for his horrible ability.
Choi smacked his lips together. "No one can be bad at putting together a puzzle, Grapes."
Soleum was surprised by this information too. "No... You proved it. You're the groundbreaking information that the world needs to come to terms with the fact that some people are biologically horrible at puzzle solving."
His hands were moving quickly now. His fingers were getting cut up on the jagged edges of some of the pieces, but he worked unflinchingly. He had to up his pace if he wanted to live.
Damn it, he shouldn't have tried to repair his relationship with Choi. Who cared if Soleum had Choi pinned by the neck the other day? Choi would get over it, just give it a little time.
Now they were both going to fucking die because Choi was the worst puzzle solver in all of Seoul.
Choi seemed to notice he was lagging behind. His moves turned more anxious, faster in ways he wasn't a few minutes ago. Sweat dripped down his chin even as he struck up a conversation.
"Ne, hubae, what's the downside to this Disaster again? It's not death, is it—"
"It's death, Agent Choi," Soleum confirmed, no mercy left in him now that he's at wit's end.
Choi shook his head in annoyance. He could have spat onto the floor and it would have seemed in character. "You'd think they'd get more original."
"Who?" demanded Soleum. "The ghosts?"
Choi clicked his teeth together, then nodded his head as he moved the pieces across the board in quick succession.
"Yep, them. Why aren't they doing better things with their powers?"
"They don't care about us, seonbae," Soleum reminded him, because that was his life now. Putting up with Agent Choi. He didn't know how Jaekwan had survived for years by this man's side. Soleum felt like he might end this man's career if he was going to be told to stick with him for any longer.
Choi stopped speaking, seemingly deflated like a balloon. Soleum was glad. They had to focus.
They had 3 minutes left.
The time was on the side of the board. Lights were turning off one by one, with gaps in the middle. If Soleum escaped this ghost story with his life, the first thing he was going to do was buy another puzzle to force Choi to get some practice in.
He should've bonded with Jaekwan. Soleum should give up on some branches of trust. A little paranoia and people out to get him would help set the fire under him, so he continued to work hard to go home.
It felt like advice that Director Ho would give, if only so he could smile afterward and tell Soleum to be careful of burns.
Soleum knew they were close to being done. The puzzle might not look like it, but it was coming together well. Soleum estimated just a minute more, and he might get them out of here.
But that's when, from across the table, a strange noise resounded.
"Ah~."
"... Agent Choi?"
"I don't think I'm any good at this."
Soleum's brow furrowed. He tried to decipher the words, but there wasn't anything hidden beneath them. There was no reading between the lines.
Choi lifted his hands in the air and sighed in defeat.
– Friend, your companion is doing something strange…
Soleum glanced up and felt his heart pound in thudding beats. "Don't you dare—"
Choi stepped away from the board.
Choi had given up and sentenced them to death, that bastard. Soleum was actually going to kill him. Soleum was going to be the epitome of what Saheon thought he was: a deranged, psychopathic killer.
Choi walked around the board. He swayed as he did so, like he was dancing or moving against his will, his limbs heavy like lead. He wrapped all the way around until he smiled across from Soleum's irritated face.
Soleum stared, but that was losing time to save their lives, so Soleum turned back to the table. He moved the puzzle pieces, locking them together, not giving up until the last moment.
"Oi, Grapes, if we're going to die, we should do it by clearing the air, don't you think?" Choi was speaking nonsense, as per usual.
Soleum didn't look at him. He looked at the board and tried to solve the last few pieces of the puzzle. There was only a single light left. Soleum's hand outstretched, but at the same time, he felt something tug on his shoulders.
Choi was holding him, but there was more to it. Soleum's eyes widened as he felt warm lips touch his own. It was a chaste kiss, there and then gone, but then Choi came back. He returned, his hands pulling Soleum forward, and their kiss deepened until Soleum's breath was gone, stolen from him by his murderer.
His hand lifted from the board, just after shifting the final piece into place.
Choi's eyes were dark as the lights in the room went out.
But then they turned back on, and Choi looked at him in shock.