Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Whisper a dangerous secret to someone you care about. Now they have the power to destroy you, but they won’t. This is what love is.”

Cha Haein loved the sun, never felt at home without the touch of it on her skin, and loathed the winter for the way it made it disappear. For the way, it turned days into nights before their time. The sun peeked into her penthouse, shining through rounded windows to soak the room in warm rays. 

Or at least, she loved the sun when she hadn’t made the kind of choices the night before that lingered on her breath. The underwire of her bra poked at her, and she unclasped it, dropping it to the ground and closing the blinds. Wandering to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and washed the makeup from her face.

When she grabbed her phone, the notification screen was empty, save for one text from their guild liaison. A reminder about next week’s raid. She snaked a Gatorade from the fridge and a protein bar, slamming into the couch.

She sniffed herself, immediately disgusted, and went to take a shower. Second time’s the charm. She settled into the couch and pulled up Chief Woo’s number to let him know she didn’t have any post-liquor regrets about working for the Association. As soon as it was cleared with Go Gunhee, she would put in her notice with Hunter Choi. 

She was immediately hit with a thumbs-up in reply, which worked for her.

Sipping the healing elixir, she tapped on the celebrity app Àirén. She had re-downloaded in a fit of morbid curiosity right before passing out. It was better to handle whatever awkwardness might happen now than to put it off till later. It was inevitable that Hunter Liu and her would meet again, especially as these high-level gates continued to appear. 

Àirén loaded up, the stack of boring faces popping up first. She immediately checked her messages and saw one missed notification from Liu Zhigang. The man, the myth, the international heartthrob.

Liu Zhigang to Cha Haein
> Hi.

How charming. She could just ignore this entire debacle if this was the outcome.

She went over to her matches, tapping on Liu Zhigang’s profile to explore it more in-depth. His profile photo was just a shot of him looking over his shoulder in profile, dual swords strapped to his lower back. It was a professional shot. There were a couple more photos, one of him at the gym, another at the beach holding a million skewers, and a final selfie of him and a white-haired cat rolled over on its back in some city street. He flashed the camera a debonair grin, the same one reflected in all the other photos, so she could overlay them and have all the lines match.

His likes were translated automatically into Korean and included working out and fighting. Not much more. There wasn’t a witty phrase or anything in his bio.

Liu Zhigang is typing…

Her eyes locked on the screen. The last message was sent at midnight last night.

Liu Zhigang (8:35am)
> I snapped my phone by accident.
> But to answer your question, 800m in 1:35.03
> Guess you have me beat, but not by much.

Huh, guess he had read her bio. She wasn’t into oversharing on her profile, everyone already wanted to know everything about her. Was she as sweet and cute as her face and blonde hair? Or cold and brusque as her reticent attitude? But she had posted her top time for track and field, just out of curiosity. No one ever responded to it directly.

She tossed the phone to the side, unrolled her yoga mat, and reopened the blinds. The hunter moved through the motions of her day, buying groceries, doing laundry, anything that caught her eye. Choi Jongin wanted her in the office for a leadership meeting, but she just ignored the message. They were always texting her things like that as if her opinion mattered.

As if she even cared.

Night rolled in and she tossed her hair into a low bun, stripped, and sank into the bath. A glass of white wine sat on the pale tiled floor which took on a sunny hue thanks to the bright yellow backsplash. A TV show was cued on the computer in front of her. Yet her thumb hovered over Àirén. It was no wonder she’d found him on here, it was, after all, a Chinese-based app.

She clicked on the message.

Cha Haein to Liu Zhigang (8:05 pm)
> I don’t mind some competition.
> Catch me if you can.

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed. Seoul was an hour ahead of Beijing, so it shouldn’t have surprised her, the way the setting sun shone on him as he worked up a sweat. The beginnings of twilight caught on his skin and colored him like fine wine, dripping in reds. She’d really set him up for the perfect photo opportunity. From the training course he aimed a boyish grin at the camera. One arm was extended to take the selfie, and the other flexed at eye level.

Liu Zhigang (8:10 pm)
> *photo*
> Already making my way to you.
> ミヽ（。＞＜）ノ
> But wait, where are my manners? I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.
> Liu Zhigang, hailing from Beijing, at your service.

Cha Haein (8:11 pm)
> Cha Haein, hailing from Seoul, currently in service of the Hunter’s Guild.

Liu Zhigang (8:11 pm)
> How is that bastard Choi doing? Still playing chicken with the healer and the lion?

She snorted her wine. Those guys were making Korea an Eastern incident with their horrible flirting. Since it didn’t breach her confidentiality agreement, she sent a photo of Choi Jongin in the midst of a heated public argument with Baek Yoonho, the two of them suspiciously close. Min Byung-gyu wasn’t in it because he was sat beside her sipping a chai.

Cha Haein (8:13 pm)
> *photo*
> Does this answer your question?

Liu Zhigang (8:13 pm)
> My eyes!
> T
> A
> K
> E
> 
> I
> T
>
> A
> W
> A
> Y
> Y
> Y
> Y
> Phew, that was a close one. You almost exposed me to something indecent there Hunter Cha.
> It’s important for my dignity and reputation to stay intact.

Cha Haein (8:15 pm)
> What about my dignity Hunter Liu?
> They told me chivalry was dead, but I expected more from the Seven Star Hunter.

 Liu Zhigang (8:15 pm)
> Don’t let the tabloids fool you, Ms. Cha.
> The truth is I’m an irreputable scoundrel.

Cha Haein (8:15 pm)
> Funny.
> So am I.
> Seems we have quite a bit in common.

Liu Zhigang (8:16 pm)
> (｡･･｡)
> You are?

Cha Haein (8:16 pm)
> Wouldn’t you like to know?

And with that, she turned her phone on silent, tossed it onto the plush carpeting, and patted herself on the back. This had solved none of her problems, but it had been entertaining. And maybe it would provide Chief Woo with more of this ‘girl talk’ he was desperate for.

But as she sank into the suds and tapped her computer on, she pressed her fingertips into her cheeks and felt the heat in them. It just confused her. When it came to most things in life, it was easy to power through them. Her coworker's antics didn’t bother her, she brushed right past them. People annoyed her sometimes, but she found being direct was the best remedy. 

Dealing with people was like a dance, one she bobbed and weaved through with ease. She made it across the dancefloor and was back in bed before the clock struck 8:30. But she lost her footing a bit when it involved matters of the heart, as evidenced by the debacle with Hunter Sung.

She’d never made such a fool out of herself before. Barging in, fighting a shadow ant. But what had she been supposed to do? Just wait around and vie for his attention.

The hunter eyed her phone. At least texting wasn’t so bad. That way, the other party couldn’t see how she transformed into some blushing maiden. It was easy to keep her stoicism, which was supposed to be as natural as breathing.

Somehow, her phone ended up back in her hand just moments later. Just a peek.

Liu Zhigang (8:16 pm)
> I can be patient.
> I haven’t even bested your track and field time yet.

(8:30 pm)
> *photo*

This one was of him serving side-eye to a stopwatch reading 1:33.56. Down a solid second from earlier, not bad. It wasn’t like he had a runner’s build either. His face was pinched up in displeasure, intentionally a little off. And it was the first photo she’d seen of him not smiling at the perfect angle, kind and charming for the tabloids. Or a little rough and tumble for the newspapers and power-scaling op-eds.

It was followed by his personal number.

She thumbs-downed the photo and let it be for the moment. If it was meant to happen, she’d undoubtedly find something to message him about again in the future. Hearts were silly like that.

+++++++

She ended up adding him on LINE when she inevitably got called into the guild to be bitched at about the giant vortex of doom over Japan. Not that it was her business. Well, not yet. Maybe it would be once she joined the Association, and wouldn’t that be interesting?

Someone should really deal with it, though. But Hunter Choi declared it wouldn’t be them, not after Jeju, not unless a National Rank Hunter fell out of the sky and into their guild’s lap. No money or publicity was worth the eradication of their whole guild.

Cha Haein to Liu Zhigang (12:28 pm)
> This could have been an email.

Liu Zhigang (12:29 pm)
> Tell me about it.

He was in a conference room. It was empty and barren, tucked away at the tip of some skyscraper. His reflection in the glass was caught on camera highlighted by the sun's rays, his large frame tucked neatly into a dark button-down tapestry red jacket. Black long hair flowed freely down to his waist, pinned back delicately from his face. He looked like a mobster.

She hit him back with the opposite, a blown-up photo of Hunter Choi’s face mid-rant. Close enough to cut off their guild secrets and fall within company bounds. 

Cha Haein  (12:31 pm)
> He’s still going on.

Liu Zhigang (12:31 pm)
> Is it about the Tokyo Gate?

Cha Haein (12:35 pm)
> I think you know I can’t tell you that.
> What about you?

Liu Zhigang (12:35 pm)
> Same, more or less. They try to keep me on a tight leash here.

Cha Haein (12:36 pm)
> I thought national hunters couldn’t be leashed. Just led on occasion.

Liu Zhigang (12:38 pm)
> Someone has blackmail on me and is using it to twist me to their wicked ways.
> (˃̣̣̥︿˂̣̣̥) Alas, what’s a stunning man like me to do?
> Save me Hunter Cha!

Cha Haein (12:39 pm)
> Which official's daughter did you impregnate?

Liu Zhigang (12:39 pm)
> 〣 ( ºΔº ) 〣
> How did you know?

She snorted, very unladylike. Someone cleared their throat, alerting her to the room full of people staring her down. Choi Jongin adjusted his glasses and fixed her with a concerned stare. He was a good guy, truly, he just annoyed her. 

“Do you have any opinions on the matter, Hunter Cha?”

She slipped her phone into her bee shaped purse, standing up. “No, I agree with the decision not to accept any request from Japan for assistance. It’s simply too dangerous, at least until further notice. Is there anything else?”

Hunter Choi gave her an impressive eyeroll and crossed his arms, but she’d always been this way when it was just their guild. “Not concerning you. You’re dismissed.”

She thanked him and headed back out into the day. Their raid wasn’t until next week, but she still hadn’t heard from Chief Woo, who was now probably dealing with the Tokyo Gate. She could be too if he texted her back with her acceptance letter to the Association. Or whatever it was. Did guys show up in ski masks to black-bag you in the middle of the night, making you vow a pledge of fealty to their organization?

Wouldn’t be the first time. They were government after all.

She stopped at a park bench, unsure of what to do with her now free day. She could… go home. And take a nap. That did sound kind of nice. Plus, she was in the middle of a great book.

Her phone buzzed.

Liu Zhigang (12:59 pm)
> I see Ms. Cha doesn’t care about my plight at all.
> I knew I was meant to walk this world alone.

Cha Haein (1:00 pm)
> I’m sorry, Hunter Liu. I’m not interested in men who already have families.
> I do pray for your privacy, if just for your family's sake.

Liu Zhigang (1:01 pm)
> Oh, so you were interested before I had a family?
> Noted.
> Then I must confess, this has been all a joke.
> Simply done to make you smile.
> Did it work?

A smile crawled onto her face as she pulled her leg up to her chest and rested her head atop her knee. She looked down at the messages, scrolled back up to the one of his running time, and considered whether to tease him more. Or ghost him entirely.

Fuck, he probably smelled so bad.

Cha Haein (1:05 pm)
> Yes, to all of the above.
> How’s your Korean?

Liu Zhigang (1:06 pm)
> Very poor.
> My apologies.
> I am ashamed.

Cha Haein (1:06 pm)
> I ask because my Mandarin is surely far worse.
> And your English?

Liu Zhigang (1:07 pm)
> Much better!
> I’m somewhat of a diplomat these days.

Cha Haein (1:07 pm)
> An Eastern diplomat who doesn’t know Korean?
> You should be ashamed of yourself.

She was already pressing call, standing off the bench to begin pacing. He only gave her half a ring to prepare.

“Hello.” His voice was cocksure and confident as it came through her speaker. He probably fielded a million women off a day. “I must say it’s lovely to hear from you, Ms. Cha, on such a gloomy day. You must be the sun, here at last.”

“It was sunny in your photo,” she pointed out. Then clicked her jaw shut, already ruining it. She loved being alone. Maybe she should just continue with that?

“Then I must have been unable to feel its warmth till I heard your voice.”

“Hah.” She shouldn’t have called. It was a rash decision, but she also wasn’t fond of wasting time if they only had chemistry over text. “Let me apologize upfront. I’ve been told I’m shy or cold in person. I’ll let you choose.”

His voice quieted a bit, some of the bellowing confidence leaking out into a normal rhythm. “Oh, that’s fine. I’ve been told I’m a handful no matter what medium they try to market me in.”

“Even in photos?”

His voice exploded again as if to prove the point. “Especially in photos. They tell my biceps to quiet down and cover up, they slut shame me you know? And it’s an impossible task because they burst off the page. They wish to be free, Ms. Cha.” 

“Sounds tough. Poor little guys.”

“Little, hardly. But enough about me, I have to talk about me all day. I want to hear about you. What are you up to? What do you like? Do you have any tips on how to beat you in track other than sabotage? I could trip you.”

“I’ve done hurdles. I’ll be fine.” It was an easy retort; she didn’t have to think about it too much. She looked back at the kids running around the park and turned to stroll back to her place. “Did you know a bee can only produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in their whole life?”

“No way?”

“It’s true. So, every teaspoon of honey we eat is like eating twelve bees. I think it’s kind of sad because they can recognize our faces too. But we can’t recognize them. And they throw themselves at us, trying to protect their hive, trying to warn their fellow bees by injecting us with venom. Only for them to die and us to live. They might have known our faces, but we die one day, generations of them later, never knowing theirs.” She was rambling, she knew she was, but it didn’t bother her. He could hang up if he wanted, and if he was going to hang up, he might as well do it now.

“That sounds like a tragedy.” His voice broke across the phone in a quiet murmur, the sound of Mandarin echoed in the background. A door swished. “Do you think they ever learn to accept their fate?”

“Would you?” Her apartment approached in the distance, and she gazed all the way up to the top floor. Saw her reflective glass windows blink back, one of hundreds on that building alone. “I wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t either,” he agreed.

She blinked, mildly surprised. Not that she’d run thought experiments on anyone else. “Even if all your guts got ripped out? Because that’s what happens to bees when they sting someone. And in the end, it’s completely futile. All that struggle for nothing.”

“Yeah,” he replied as his voice ramped up with burbling enthusiasm. The smirk in it was audible, and she wondered if she’d missed some earlier cloud of malaise on him. She tended to miss things like that. “You know what, even if it’s futile, I’d fight till the end. When it comes to protecting those you love, is there even another option?”

She quipped back as she hit the button for her elevator. “You should put that in your dating bio. Women love bee facts and useless romanticism.”

A full belly laugh echoed across the line, and she found her mouth ached from a smile held steady. “Tell me you’re not cutting me loose already? I promise I can learn more bee facts.”

“You don’t want to…” She trailed off as she tried to put it delicately, then gave up almost immediately. “Talk to other people in case there’s someone better out there?”

“Someone better? Ms. Cha, for as long as I have eyes in my skull and a brain in my head, how could I ever think such a thing to be true?” He let out another deep throaty laugh. “Unless you want to talk to other people, then by all means, I support a woman’s right to choose. But I promise, I’m a catch. People don’t snag a fish like me on their line every day.”

What a charmer. Really. She was charmed. “I’m charmed. And I enjoy a risk, so I’ll refrain from, how do you say it...”

“Cross-pollinating,” he said.

“Casting a wide net,” she said.

She kicked off her shoes, plopping onto her couch and tucking her legs up to her chest.

“Did you know,” he started. “Despite the fact motorcycles are so awesome these days, the first one was named the Reitwagen and only went 20 kilometers per hour. Could you imagine me picking you up for a date and I roll up, leather jacket on in a puff of smoke, riding two pieces of plywood with a motor attached to it?”

“And then a child on a scooter outpaces you? Yes. And I’d agree to anything you asked, right then and there.” And she even giggled, he had her giggling, oh no.

“See, I don’t believe you, Ms. Cha.” His voice rumbled over the line with a teasing lilt. “Something tells me you’d have me doing laps around the block for your amusement.”

And miss out on hearing his laugh, or on seeing him smile in ways that weren’t camera perfect and trademarked. It wouldn’t be worth it.

“If so, I’d like to ride on the handlebars. It sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Yeah, because we’d both promptly explode. But oh, what a way to go.”

+++++++

Liu Zhigang (12:15 pm)
> Check this out!

Appended was a photo of a bee dipping its abdomen into a flower, covering itself in pollen. More bees buzzed around in the background.

Cha Haein (12:20 pm)
> Seems like a cutie.
> What’s her name?

Liu Zhigang (12:20 pm)
> Her name is Beck, from accounting, a struggling mother of a million. She’s out here, every day, working hard for her family. And for what, 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey?
> They’re not even her kids. They’re the queen's children because in colonies, only the queen lays eggs.
> Another fun fact, did you know that bees are symbolically represented as industrious and community focused creatures?
> How’d I do?
> (//∇//)

Cha Haein (12:22 pm)
> 8/10
> Good hustle. I appreciate the effort.

Liu Zhigang (12:22 pm)
> Thank you, thank you.
> I endeavor to bring more bee facts to you.

+++++++

Hunter Cha darted around, a little nervous that morning, not exactly comfortable with what she was about to do. And it wasn’t helped by the fact that her heart had begun to flutter every time she checked her messages. 

She rolled out her yoga mat on the porch, setting up her speaker system. A clear sunflower water bottle sat next to it, cork yoga blocks adjacent. Wiggling her toes into the corkboard, she took her hair down from the half-up and ran her fingers through it. In a desperate and brief moment, she considered putting on makeup. 

Instead, she sat down on the yoga mat, feet pressed together, and snapped a photo of herself.

Hunter Cha to Liu Zhigang (8:05 am)
> *photo*
> Good morning.

Liu Zhigang (8:06 am)
> Good morning sleepy head!
> Is Seoul finally waking up?
> You look gorgeous by the way. But I’m sure you get that all the time.
> *photo*

He was smiling, sweat beaded on his forehead and soaking through a sleeveless cherry red workout shirt, surrounded by piles of corpses. Or more likely, tuckered-out hunters. It was seven am there too, which meant he’d been up for a while. She was an early riser too, but could never dedicate herself to a six am gym session.

Hunter Cha (8:06 am)
> I do, but mostly from strangers. So, thank you.
> How many guys did you manage to beat up before breakfast?

Liu Zhigang (8:07 am)
> Give or take, I don’t know?
> There was a lot of hunters around this week in case of Tokyo reasons.
> So maybe a hundred or so.
> Got to keep my skills sharp, what with the gate on the coast.

A few minutes later, another photo came in, this one of him posing next to a motorcycle. The visor on his helmet was down as he hugged the machine.

Liu Zhigang (8:15 am)
> Heading over to pick you up for breakfast.
> See you in thirty.

The how of it all was answered thirty minutes later when a FaceTime call rang in, his face flashing across her phone. She bit on her lip, sipping from a smoothie she’d made and opened the call. 

“Oh, awesome, we have matching smoothies. Now I really do feel like we got breakfast together.”

She tilted hers towards the screen in the universal symbol for cheers. He snickered and made clinking noises

“You know,” he took a sip from his drink, straw turning pink. “I could be in Seoul in under three hours and take you out for real.”

As if. “I think if either of us got on an international flight, we’d cause an incident. I thought they kept you on a tight leash there.”

“They do! I am being conspired against at every turn.” He bemoaned his plight, faltering his pace this way and that as he walked, hair swishing in a high ponytail. 

“Maybe I could come to Beijing. Even customs officers look at me and see a sweet girl. I’ll be able to get clearance no problem.” She’d always been able to sweet-talk her way into permissions like that. Not that it took much from her.

“I don’t think you’ll like it here. The people in my detail all have sticks up their asses and trigger-happy fingers.” The camera tilted outward, where he was trailed by a man in a suit just a few paces behind. “Oh, I know! You should go to the International Conference with Hunter Choi this year. We can meet up in Free-DC!”

It did sound cute, but unfortunately, plans had changed for her. “As lovely as that would be, taking an eighteen-hour flight, I have recently parted ways with the Hunter’s Guild. It should be hitting the news any hour.”

“Stop, you’re making me jealous. Congratulations.” His voice picked up rhythm, the cadence washing over her with gentle exuberance. Whenever he spoke to her, there was something organically kind about it.

Whenever she saw him on the news, his voice was placid and charming, just enough to lend to his mythos. It was interspersed with the arrogance typical of a human weapon, which kept his persona dangerous and sharp to the touch. She wondered who the man on the phone with her now was.

“Mmhm,” she acknowledged. It was nice to have a change of pace. She wasn’t fully aware of how things worked in China, but it couldn’t be too much different from here. “I got recruited by the Korean Hunter’s Association.”

His grin made his eyes slit as he looked down at the phone. “Does this mean you’ll have to wear a suit?”

“I suppose,” she acknowledged. 

Then his grin fell away, FaceTime blacking out as he groaned in frustration. He popped back on the screen a second later and ran his hand through his hair.

“Duty calls. Or texts, I guess.” It was an apology. 

She looked around her apartment and sighed. It would be nice if they could meet for real. Usually, she loved her alone time. But… 

“Oh, don’t look like that. I’ll tell you what, you call me anytime of the day and I’ll pick up for you.” A man in a suit appeared beside him and attempted to get him into a car. But he pushed him away and shouted something back at him, motorcycle keys jingling. “Don’t mind these guys, they're worried I’m about to ghost them.”

Somebody else came up to grab him and she could feel his glare leveling them through the screen as he said something in Mandarin. Whatever it was, it got the people to back off.

Putting down her finished drink, she cocked her head at the man who was still not looking back at the phone. His eyes darted around like if he took them off of anyone, they might try to jump him. She figured someone of his rank was awarded a little more respect. Haein knew if anyone dared to do that to her, well.

“You should castrate them.” The comment was as serious as could be. The men around him were behaving abhorrently, and his eyes still hadn’t found her again.

He took off at a sprint, sliding over a car hood and down the street. The camera went black then, the call switched to audio, and the revving of a motor vibrated across the phone. “You’re of course correct, Ms. Cha. But morning tag is actually part of my training regimen, so I can catch up to you. Call me soon!”

The motor roared once more and then cut out completely. 

What a strange guy, she thought. Whatever was going on in China seemed much more interesting than her own life. And here she thought run of the mill S-ranks were strange.

With not much else to do that day, she slid on her disguise baseball cap and made her way into the city. There was a bookstore a couple of blocks from her apartment that she popped into, the doorbell tinkling above her. Someone shouted a kind ‘welcome’, but she kept her head down and beelined her way to the language section.

Once there, she searched the books for a highly rated Korean to Mandarin dictionary and workbook. Briefly, she considered looking into classes in town, but that was way too serious. She couldn’t be wasting her time like that over some guy.

And then it occurred to her that truthfully, she had nothing else going on these days anyway. If things didn’t work out between the two of them, what was there to be embarrassed about? She’d be able to speak a third language and have a new job. There was no downside, she could only win. 

So, she went back home, signing up for a Mandarin night course in their neighborhood. There were only five people in the course, so she hoped her presence wouldn’t be a big deal.

Plus, it couldn’t be that hard to learn Mandarin now, could it? It wasn’t that different from Korean.

+++++++

“Fun fact,” she started off the call. “I hate learning Mandarin.”

The sound of gunfire came over the speaker, someone screamed, the familiar noise of a chopper flying overhead caught her attention. She must be on speaker.

“Sorry, is it a bad time?”

He grunted over the receiver, then took a big audible breath in. She could hear the smile in it. “Not at all. I’m just on some boring job with guys who can’t tell whether their safety is on or off.”

Another bomb went off, and she held the speaker away from her ear. “Sounds like a snooze.”

“Yes, I’d rather be back in Mandarin at school. At least those challenged me.” He let out a big fake yawn. “Any reason you're taking classes? 是因为我吗，美女?”

She rolled her eyes, feet splashing in her pool and book folded in half at her side. She pushed her sunglasses back up her face. “I’ve got ‘我不会说普通话,’ for you. I’ve gotta let the people know I can’t speak Mandarin. And of course there’s a reason I’m taking the class. I bet you can guess.”

He laughed and managed to reply in the most broken Korean she’d heard in a while. “저도 한국어를 못해요. 하지만 수업은 재밌어요.”

“Oh!” She touched her cheeks and knew they were bright red. “You’re taking classes too. Any reason?”

She’d honestly thought she’d just get on the call and make a fool of herself for a bit. Reveal her cards too fast as something to do. But he’d doubled down. So far, any challenge she offered, he met head on. Pressing her fingers to where her heart was, it galloped under her flesh and bones.

“Well.” More machine gun fire sounded, closer this time. He bit out a curse, yelling something out. “Whoops, one of those tried to bite me. That’s always annoying. But yes, there’s this girl I met online and she’s Korean. I need to be able to impress her somehow and it won’t be by breaking her track and field record.”

“There’s nothing a girl loves more than a man who beats her at every competition.” 

“Just one would be nice.” His voice got all fake pouty and she wished she could see his face. So she tried to FaceTime him and to her surprise, he accepted. 

There was dirt and blood smudged on his face, not his though, and she could see the butt of a gun poking up from behind his shoulders. What on Earth was he up to? He took his eyes off the horizon and glanced at the screen, a brutish smile adorning his face. It was cocky and uncaring and almost perfect. She was sure it helped him work his way into many bedrooms. But it stalled as he caught her image, hair tied up, yellow bikini on, and cute matching bumblebee sunglasses. Just as planned, she pushed them to the top of her head so he could get the full view and smirked.

“Where’d your grin go? I was appreciating it.” Look, she was allowed to flaunt on occasion.

“Uh.” A beeping sounded and his eyes blinked slowly, looking toward the noise. “Whoops.” And then something exploded, the camera picking up dirt and debris as he was sent up into the air and slammed back into the dirt and cobble field. 

She could hear him cough and pushed her face closer to the phone as if she could break through and help. “Hunter Liu? Are you ok?”

He raised the phone to his face from where he was lying flat on his back. Blood trickled from his nose, but other than that he was fine. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. “Never better, sunshine.”

For someone who was always smiling or smirking, always joking around, he compared her to the sun quite a bit. No one ever called her that.

She rolled her eyes at him and backed away from the camera again. “You better be. I can’t date a guy who gets blown up by human technology.”

“When was the last time you took a grenade to the chest?” His smile relaxed into a dopey grin and she took a screenshot. It deepened to a smirk as he preened when the notification dinged.

“Nine years ago.” She replied honestly, showing off a persistent scar on her collarbone as proof. “It’s why I stay out of the military's way. Their weapons might be shit, but they’re real dicks for guys who can barely kill a goblin.”

“Tell me about it.” He snorted, then dropped his arm to the side so the camera looked up at the sky. A whispered, “Play dead,” crackled over the line.

Unsure how to comply, she kept silent and took a sip of water.

A man in army clothes hovered over them, kicking his boot into Liu Zhigang’s chest hard. It didn’t bother him because he didn’t move one bit. The man began to yell, his face turned red, and he reached down toward her. On instinct, she backed away even though he was hundreds of miles away. The man was grizzled and sweaty as he strained to pick up the phone, but it must have been locked tight in Hunter Liu’s grip.

Because that’s when the man really started screaming his head off.

“It’s called rigor mortis.” She said in English, just wanting to be helpful. Or rude. Whichever was funnier. “He’s dead.”

The dead body snorted at that, Liu Zhigang’s face coming back into frame as he cackled ruthlessly. He just kept pointing at her and going, “You!” before collapsing back into laughter. She took another screenshot of his ugly face.

And then the camera cut off entirely, the screen black. She tried to call back, just to see what would happen, but it immediately went to voicemail.

A text later confirmed her theory.

Liu Zhigang to Cha Haein (12:03 am)
> They shot my phone.
> (｡-_-｡)

Cha Haein (12:08 am)
> Another one bites the dust.
> Sorry for your loss.

Liu Zhigang (12:08 am)
> They said you're a security risk and I shouldn’t talk to you anymore.
> They’re so stupid. 

Cha Haein (12:08 am)
> Who are they anyway?

Liu Zhigang (12:09 am)
> My handlers. The trigger happy ones with sticks up their butts.
> So if anyone asks you, you’re a friend from college, ok?

Cha Haein (12:09 am)
> What college did I go to?

Liu Zhigang (12:10 am)
> Dealer's choice?
> All my records got destroyed when the portals broke, so I’m an enigma on paper.
> *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:(**ﾟ**ﾟ▽ﾟ*ﾟ*ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･**
> The only licence I’ve got is to carry these guns.
>*I’m flexing right now*
> It’s important to me you know this.

Cha Haein (12:11 am)
> That’s funny. My records are the only parts of my past that still exist.
> Them and a stuffed animal.
> His name is Mr. Spot.
> It’s important to me you know that.
> But now I’m curious, what college did you go to?

Liu Zhigang (12:12 am)
> Oh
> I didn’t go to college.
> But I’ve got street smarts, sunshine. I promise!

Cha Haein (12:12 am)
> It doesn’t matter to me, I don’t think you’re stupid.
> I didn’t go to college either

Liu Zhigang (12:12 am)
> What!
> You’re like the smartest person I’ve ever met. No one knows more bee facts than you.

Cha Haein (12:13 am)
> Guess we’re the blind leading the blind.

Liu Zhigang (12:13 am)
> While I hold onto the assertion that you’re the smartest person I know.
> Even if we were both dumb as rocks and it wasn’t just me
> We could probably punch everyone so hard they developed traumatic brain injuries. Then we’d be the smartest by default.

Cha Haein (12:14 am)
> That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.

Liu Zhigang (12:15 am)
> My handlers may disagree but
> I can’t stop winning!!
>（＾ω＾）

Chapter Text

Cha Haein got inducted into the Association right before the Tokyo Gate broke. And they didn’t even give her a lifetime supply of suits and sunglasses. 

Now, she wanted to say that things were immediately smooth and easy for her at the Association, but when she said she wanted to be Jinchul’s equal she hadn’t meant to take his entire job. Hunter Sung had agreed out of the blue and in the dead of night to join the raid on Tokyo, despite the Chairman’s attempts at negotiation.

But if he was going to go, Go Gunhee had insisted on providing him with an entourage of men just to grease hands and act as support and Korean goodwill. Generally, to also keep an eye on him while he was abroad. And it was easy optics to send people when you knew you weren’t putting their lives on the line. Not really, not with Jinwoo there.

Now, the headache Hunter Sung was causing in the middle of the night was enough for her to realize why Jinchul had those sad, depressing, under eye bags. But then in front of Go Gunhee, Jinwoo had the audacity to turn down the assignment of Jinchul to the case, threatening to leave without them if Jinchul came.

Which was just all levels of uncomfortable for everyone in the room. And must have been a new professional low for the Chief. As co-Chief, she got assigned instead which is why she was now flanking a despondent looking nepo baby despite having a tenure of two days. The rest of their entourage was focused on getting them through customs, with her there specifically to keep them in line and Jinwoo if possible.

Her phone had buzzedd earlier and she’d put off checking it. It was her first real day after all. And despite the need to stay in protective character, her hand itched toward it. Jinho was the only flight risk, right? Jinwoo would be himself no matter what, so she just had to keep the younger man in her sights.

“Sit down.” She pointed at the airport chair and his eyes got wide as he dropped into it. “Don’t go anywhere unless you ask me first.”

His jaw worked up and down in bafflement, but he obediently pulled out his computer to do some work. Was that too protective? She wasn’t sure, but probably.

She looked for Jinwoo again and saw he was melted into a seat like a puddle of shadows, staring out into the abyss. Which was fine with her.

Posting herself at attention outside the doors of the lounge, she furtively pulled out her phone.

Liu Zhigang (11:10 pm)
> Standing guard is so boring.

A beautiful backdrop came in, a lighthouse beam in the distance as dark black waves crashed into the bluffs and stars twinkled overhead. Hunter Liu sat in a squat facing the camera giving it two thumbs up, snuggled into a coat. The entire photo off center.

Ugh, it made her smile so pitifully.

Cha Haein (1:46 am)
> Tell me about it.

Liu Zhigang (1:46 am)
> Little birdie told me a certain necromancer might be joining the fray.
> Can you neither confirm nor deny this?

Cha Haein (1:47 am)
> I can neither confirm nor deny this.

Liu Zhigang (1:47 am)
> Can you confirm or deny the fact that you’re in a black suit and tie wearing little sunglasses?

Cha Haein (1:47 am)
> Affirmative. And I look damned good.

Liu Zhigang (1:48 am)
> Ugh, I bet you do.
> If you were hypothetically headed to Tokyo to kick some giant’s butts with a mysterious man, I could confirm I would be insanely jealous.
> I want to kick giant’s butts too!
> What an injustice.

Cha Haein (1:48 am)
> If I was, which I can neither confirm nor deny, I would say you should just come.
> There seems to be plenty of giant’s butts to kick.
> And it’s not my government agency you’d be causing issues for.
> Did I mention how good I look in this suit?

Liu Zhigang (1:49 am)
> Stop!
> You know I can’t go.
> You’re going to make me cry if you keep teasing me so.
> Ms. Cha, if you encounter a giant, please send me a finger as a good luck charm. I’d embalm it and make it into my desk chair I could show off and everyone would know the most amazing woman in the world was responsible for it.

Cha Haein (1:49 am)
> Affirmative.
> Please inform me as to which postal service will deliver the package and what address to deliver it too.

Liu Zhigang (1:50 am)
> Just put it in a bottle and toss it in the ocean. It will find its way to me.
> The address is my heart!
> Because it’s always open to you.
> Did that make sense?

Cha Haein (1:50 am)
> No.
> But I do feel romanced. I’ll make sure to sign the letter with a kiss.
> Don’t share it with anyone, it’s just for you.

Ok, her face was on fire now. And she was so incredibly distracted by her phone, if someone abducted Jinho, he could scream the whole way and she wouldn’t even notice.

Liu Zhigang (1:50 am)
> (≧∀≦)
> The crowd is booing me.
> But I can’t stop winning!

She put her phone in her pocket and double-checked on Jinho. He was still plugging away on his laptop, headphones now over his ears. Jinwoo had disappeared and she knew he hadn’t just casually tried to walk by, he’d been being sneaky. Can’t stop inconsiderate though. It did as it does.

When the plane began boarding, the necromancer reappeared as if out of thin air and gave her a smile of apology. It was not accepted after the way he’d thrown his boyfriend under the bus in front of their boss. Especially when you had a boyfriend that loved their job as much as he did. 

After deboarding, they had clear instructions to only act as an aid in clearing citizens out if they felt so inclined. Her main purpose was to keep Jinwoo from causing an international incident. It was reiterated to her that she was under no obligation to fight and when she saw one of the giants, she kind of shit herself. For the first time in a long time, she thought, ‘I miss Hunter Choi’. 

An avalanche rained down. Jinho acted on instinct and shielded an elderly couple from the downpour. Her estimation of him skyrocketed, only having seen his softer, childish side before. From the look of Jinwoo’s army, he didn’t have to be here.

She looked west, back toward Korea and the Chinese coast, then back at Jinwoo. His boyfriend had chosen to come and he’d rejected him. Her person wanted to be here, but was leashed to his handlers. It wasn’t fair.

Joining the other Japanese hunters, the man in charge split them into groups focused on clearing out any stragglers of which there were plenty. Relief was offered by the truckload at the end of each day, an area of the city now officially cleared out thanks to Sung Jinwoo, although the damage was reltively easy to conta substantially less since he’d show up just in time. 

They all took turns pitching tents. Then hunkered down for a solid four before getting back to it the next day.

Realistically she knew she wasn’t getting paid more for helping people and could be making the same amount by following Jinwoo’s heels. But it did feel nice, to help people. And for the first time she thought that maybe Jinchul had really been onto something with that.

By the fourth day in the field, she finally got to sink her sword into a giant with the backup of a few shadow soldiers. Between them, it was almost too easy to take the monster down. But it did feel good to get a bit bloody for a change. 

The palm of its hand was face up when it slammed into the ground, the rumble of it creating a cloud of dust. When it settled, she scampered over and seriously considered what it would take to cut off the thing’s finger. A shadow ant started trying to eat it and she gave up. Instead, she sat down next to the nail portion of the finger and snapped a photo of herself giving it a kiss.

Cha Haein to Liu Zhigang (4:45 pm)
>  On its way to you.

Liu Zhigang (4:46 pm)
> It’s cute how in sync we are!
> Everyone else should be jealous.

He was perched atop the butchered corpse of a giant, blowing her a kiss from behind a blood-splattered face.

Jinho gave her a weird look and she got back to work. It’s when she was hit by the scent of something foul in the air, quick and then gone. It was as if a sudden bluster of wind had left the gate, on it the decaying scent of mana. It smelled like the boss.

She looked over at Jinho. “Seems our time’s almost up.”

“Oh, did it happen already?” He asked curiously, helping a young woman up.

She nodded.

An hour later, their group was split again. Half flew back to Korea with Jinho due to his family crisis. The other half stayed here to help tie up loose ends. Jinwoo chose that time to disappear as well and she worried for the first time since she was a teen about stress lines.

Cha Haein to Woo Jinchul (6:12 pm)
> I’m going to kill your boyfriend slowly.

Woo Jinchul (6:15 pm)
> Not if I do it first.
> Still jealous?

Cha Haein (6:15 pm)
> I don’t want to talk about it.

Sung Jinwoo was her type, he had saved her life, and he looked like a badass clearing this gate. He was cool, amiable, and a million other things. And above all, he didn’t smell bad to her, not one bit. 

She would throttle him if he did half the things he did to Jinchul to her. Not to brag, but she now had matching giant slaying photos with her person. But she wouldn’t kick him when he was down.

+++++++

She was on the phone with Hunter Liu when she got a visit from none other than Woo Jinchul who just kind of barged in and threw himself on her couch in his work clothes. Unsure of what to do, she poked at him a bit. “There, there.”

He groaned pitifully and she immediately gave up.

“Whose that?” crackled over the phone.

“Some guy I’m friends with. His boyfriend likes to tell him what he can and can’t do.” She said each word clearly so Jinchul could hear her from where his head was buried in her pillows.

“He sounds like a dud.” Liu Zhigang bit into an apple juice dribbling down his chin as he sat atop a ledge. She knew his legs were hanging down over the city as he evaded his handlers. “Cut him loose.”

Every time she thought that word, handlers, her skin crawled. She had half a mind to go over to Beijing, track him down, and show these ‘trigger-happy assholes’ how far their claim extended. But any talk of trips to Beijing, the man seemed to dodge and parry with professional brilliance every time she brought it up. She’d know.

So speaking of people not allowed to do things, maybe she should cut Jinchul some slack. Just because her person wasn’t being direct about it, didn’t mean she too wasn’t being yanked around.

She stared the handsome man down, who stared back oblivious. With a raised eyebrow, she cleared her throat and he cued in, sitting up a bit straighter. “Are you sure you want to say that? Because I’m looking at tickets to Beijing right now and-”

“You know I’m busy this weekend.”

“And next?”

“I have a prior enagement.”

“I’ll wait in a hotel.”

“It’s in the woods.”

“I’ll hang out in a tent.”

“There’s no tents.”

“I’ll bring one.”

Jinchul’s head had popped up as he eavesdropped. “Please continue, you’re both making me feel so much better.”

“I think the same thing when I see you,” she shot back. Jinwoo had tried tracking her down to figure out how to fix things, but hadn’t loved her suggestions of ‘be 100% truthful’ and ‘let him do what he wants’. So she wished him luck with Plan Bubblewrap and asked to be left out of it.

“You know.” She propped up her phone so he could watch as he busied herself making tea. “Whatever you’re protecting me from, I am strong enough to handle it.”

His boyish charm somehow got more intense as he laughed, carefree and easily. “If it were about strength, I wouldn’t be worried for us. We’re the strongest after all.”

So there was something, she felt the danger. She did. But someone had him tied up in knots, tugging at a too short leash. Dark figures darted in the background sometimes, people interrupted their conversations no matter the hours. It was odd.

“It’ll be better if we can find a solution together.” She knew he just didn’t want her involved in whatever was going on. But whatever he was keeping inside, he always doubled down on the cover up and charmed his way out of answers.

Just like the last time she’d asked, he ran a hand through his hair. His face maintained that trademark grin right off a magazine and he shrugged helplessly. “Don’t worry about anything, sunshine. I’ve got it all under control.”

A figure popped up over his shoulder as if to prove him wrong and the call cut off.

She placed tea bags into the cups of water. 

He knew she was worried, but didn’t want to let her in. Fine, so be it. She shoved Jinchul’s legs off her side of the couch and she handed him his cup of tea so they could bemoan the aches and pains of romance.

+++++++

Sung Jinwoo’s showcase came at the perfect time to bump Hunter Choi off the guest list for the International Guild Conference and put his name there instead. Which also meant, she was now on the list of people attending as co-chief. Apparently, Jinchul was allowed to attend this one, although she didn’t know where anyone got the audacity to imply that to him.

Maybe she needed to use their girl talk pep-sessions to bring him some more self-esteem. It wasn’t really her area, but she wanted to help a friend.

The airport when they landed smelled disgusting. She had been hoping for better after being trapped on a plane full of people eeking out mana and starting problems they couldn’t finish. It was just that time of year. Everywhere was teaming with hunters. 

She poked her head around nosily, looking for one in particular, but she didn’t catch even a glimpse of long black hair. If he avoided her at this function, they would have issues.

One thing led to another and Jinwoo ended up absconding with some American men. Which left her and Jinchul as the professional Jinho babysitter for the day plus the girls, Jinah and Songyi. Not that she minded. The kid was kind of growing on her, but they did have two nights to kill until the conference began. 

Unlike last time, Jinchul was here for the babysitting portion and she was here to show face, gather information, and charm people. So she was under no obligation to follow Jinho around but didn’t really know what else to do until the function. Jinchul seemed equally as lost without his boyfriend around to be all cryptic and hot. She didn’t know what people usually did during these things and wasn’t eager to find out.

Cha Haein to Liu Zhigang
> Where are you?

The message didn’t even go through. The trip was already turning into a nightmare.

Jinchul and her trailed Jinho and the Sung entourage back to the penthouse where she stood by the door. The girls flitted out to explore the city. When their lurking made him uncomfortable, she sat on the couch for his sake and Jinchul flopped down next to her. Jinho ended up calling some American friends from his time in boarding school, and soon the entire room was full of snotty socialites.

Even though the Americans had killed all their billionaires French Revolution style after the dungeon break when they tried to seize power, money found a way to accumulate at the top again and again. Not that she could complain, her own pockets heavy with it. She was unwilling to part with it either, driven slowly insane by the ‘just in case’ of it all. 

Jinchul and her shared a look, all of a sudden surrounded by beautiful international women and men who were all scantily clad. The both of them were buttoned all the way up and ruining the vibe. So they headed back to their hotel. Instead of hanging out and painting each other’s nails, he ended up going out with Jinwoo despite her best efforts.

By the second day, she got the hint that the girls (Jinwoo and Jinchul) had gotten into a huge blow out fight. When she went to the hotel Liiu Zhigang was supposed to be at, her snooping was interrupted by things going terribly wrong. And it should be put on the record that it was not her fault. Hwang Dongsoo was dead? Thomas Andre the Goliath was hospitalized. And then everyone important disappeared. All parts of this were related to the word ‘incident’, something she and Jinchul had been here to prevent if possible. Which it hadn’t been. But thanks to him, she had been fielding meetings all day because had it been mentioned that Jinchul had disappeared?

He must have caught the inconsiderate disease from his boyfriend.

So on that second night, she made the executive decision to take some time off for real. She’d only agreed to come in hopes of seeing Liu Zhigang, whom she hadn’t seen yet, plus she’d been overworked all day. She deserved it. Jinchul could handle any more morons by himself when he got back since babysitting Jinwoo was a fake and pointless job.

So if anyone had anything to say about it, they could shut the fuck up.

Maybe this job wasn’t for her, although it was giving her a new perspective on things. She should have just retired. Like ‘thank you Jinchul, I appreciate the opportunity, unfortunately I just hate working and most people’.

Taking the elevator down, she sighed as she stepped onto the chill streets. The way this place was set up was kind of ass because she needed to call a car to get anywhere. Even just outside the city. Or maybe she just wanted to be lazy and was privileged enough se didn’t need to figure out their transit system here. Probably both.

She pulled out her phone to call an Uber when the foul stench of mana wafted toward her undercut by a hint of smoke. It was accompanied by the purr of a motorcycle. And her heart picked up immediately.

“This doesn’t look like the Reitwagen!” She shouted over the drone of it, tucking her phone away. Seems her ride had arrived.

His helmet popped off, tucking it under his arm as he dropped the kickstand. “It’s just a gorgeous rental. But somehow not even the most beautiful thing in five meters.”

She knew her face was flushed as she closed the distance to the bike and cocked her hip. “Can I still ride on the handlebars?”

He snorted. “I think you’ll find it more comfortable to cling to my back, Ms. Cha. And more legal.”

“You men and your broken promises. And phones.” His sheepish look was all she needed to confirm what she already knew. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the spare helmet. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

They took off down the street and she did cling to his back. Not out of fear or anything, the motorcycle was like a house cat, but just because she could. She did have to hold on with just her thighs part way while she tied his hair into a braid. Pantene did not taste as good as it smelled.

As she lassoed the renegade hair, a puckered scar in a perfect raised circle revealed itself right at the juncture of his spine. She pressed it like a button and was treated by the motorcycle jerking them into oncoming traffic. So she kept her hands to herself after that.

The motor grumbled to a halt outside the ruins of the White House. During the day, it had turned back into an active tourist hotspot. But it seemed at night, everyone cleared out from wounds too fresh.

A rug was rolled over the barbed wire and had been for a while if the way it sagged meant anything. Liu Zhigang perched himself atop the mat, offering her a hand. One she didn’t need but took anyway. 

Set up next to a decapitated statue of some old guy, was a checkered picnic blanket, flowers, music, the whole nine yards. It was incredibly cheesy and enhanced by the far off laughter of a group of teens spray painting a pillar. A cat call whistled out to them and he sent them a little salute.

She picked up the flowers, sticking her nose into them. Yeah, that was nice. When she turned back to him, he was still shuffling from foot to foot. But he held a bottle of wine in his hand and a cork opener with the other.

He bowed. “Ms. Cha, may I interest you in a drink?”

She nodded her approval and walked back to be closer to him. For the first time ever, she was able to take him in. He was wide all over, from biceps, to chest, to thighs. Built for the good fight, someone sturdy. His hair was silky smooth, loose strands perpetually falling into his face. But the braid she’d crafted slid down his shoulder and licked at his waist.

He was shorter than she’d thought. As someone who had stood next to the Goliath before, he wasn’t even half his size. When she got closer, she noticed they were basically at eye level, him just a scant few inches above her. 

She looked closer into his eyes, just to gauge their color. A light hazel brown, flecked with bits of yellow met hers. They were nice eyes which stared back at her curiously.

“Something on my face?”

“Just your face.”

He got back to work pouring the wine. “Elusive as ever, Ms. Cha.”

They clicked glasses, settling onto the picnic blanket.

“I don’t think you mentioned yet how good I look in the suit,” she teased, nibbling on a cracker. She’d taken to wearing her hair in a ponytail, but it was too short in places and had to be held together with bobby pins. By the end of each day wisps of it framed her face.

“I believe that’s actually the first thing I mentioned.” He pushed the loose pieces of hair out of his face so his wolfish grin was more prominent. But they all immediately fell back into place. “I said, between this motorcycle and you, only one shone brightest. But if you’d have me say it again, you look delightful in that suit. I can’t believe the Association just lets you walk around looking so buttoned up and beautiful.”

“That’s better.” He was really good at giving compliments. Or maybe, she was smitten enough to enjoy hearing them from him. “You’re rather handsome yourself. I like that you’re short enough that I can kiss you whenever I want.”

“Oh, ho, ho. First time I’ve heard that one. I look forward to being kissed at will.” He puffed up, even as he yanked at his shirt sleeves to pull them further down. Which just wouldn’t do.

So she scooted closer, unbuttoning the wrist cuffs and folding each sleeve up carefully. If they only had tonight, she deserved to stare a bit. “Fun fact, for each bite of food we eat, bees are responsible for one out of the three. Thanks to pollination.”

The nervous energy around them finally began to dissipate as a goofy smile eased onto his face. She tried to match it, but her own face didn’t love the expression so she let herself fall flat again. “Fun fact, bees actually have a waggle dance they use to communicate directions to their fellow bees. Did you know that one?”

She nodded. “I did. But I prefer hearing it from you the best.

He somehow continued to expand in size as he burst with immodest pride. “Of course, I’ve been told my looks are only matched by my charm and strength.”

“I want to go on a dungeon raid with you.” She said honestly.

“Haha,” he scratched at the back of his head nervously. “Maybe I can sneak away to Korea one day and we can do one together.”

“Sure. But before that, I’m coming to Beijing and beating up some of your handlers. Then maybe that way you won’t have to sneak away.” She was seriously on the verge of raiding Beijing. Maybe if she called Sung Jinwoo’s Bubblewrap Plan super smart, he’d come too.

He laughed good naturedly to obfuscate his begging. “Will you stop talking about coming to see me if I promise to come see you?”

“No.” She said seriously. “Not unless you’re staying forever.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Then you know I can’t let this go.”

He creeped toward her, an evil gleam in his eyes. His corded body radiated mana and unsuppressed energy in an attempt to intimidate her, but she could handle it. “Should I scare you away? Convince you I’m some bad man who deserves to be left behind? I could sever things now while they’re still fresh.”

“I think we’re both far too selfish for that. And I’ll have you know,” she started, climbing onto her knees to push his chest back. He allowed the movement, falling back onto his heels. “That it’s already too late. You’re either with me, or I’m running behind you to catch up. And I think we both know which of us is faster.”

He gulped, eyes catching on the streetlights and taking on a feline glow. They twinkled and blinked as if starlight poured out from him. His head came forward, just a smidge, to rest against her forehead. “What did I do to get so lucky?”

Ever honest, she spoke freely. “I was drunk and swiped right by accident.” 

“You were-“ He reared back all of a sudden overcome by a fit of laughter she found herself giggling alongside. “You were- And here I thought. Oh my god, the best things in life really are up to dumb luck aren’t they?”

The best things in life, huh?

“Come back here.” She ordered and he obliged. He came close enough that it was easy to press her lips into his own.

When they eventually began to head back, this time she perched herself atop the fence, offering him a hand. She was worried he’d reject her. But she should have known better by now, his calloused palm slipping into hers and allowing her to pull him up.

Whatever risk she put up, or gamble placed, he met her halfway. Each and every time.

While the White House might have been destroyed, a giant reflecting pool pinned on either side by historical monuments was still up and running. People teamed around them, everyone too wrapped up in their own world to pay them much mind.

They walked around, hand in hand. “So, when do I get to meet your friends? Make it official?” He waggled his eyebrows pointedly.

“You already know Chief Woo. And Hunter Choi if I stretch. I know a few people from my first guild too, but we don’t really talk like that.” She shrugged, already having run through the list. She wasn’t embarrassed about not having any friends really, even preferred it that way. But he gave her a sad little look and she knocked her shoulder into his. “And you, Mr. Sociable? You must have at least 1000 people in your contacts list, chirping your ear off.”

He snorted, swinging their hands dramatically. “Well, there’s Liu, he’s the chauffeur, great man with five chaotic little gremlins. And there’s Liao from the med base, he stitches me up sometimes. Although I don’t know if he really likes me, all ‘stop coming back here!’. But I think he’s just a worrier. Oh, and Ma from my favorite barbecue place. She makes the best soup a man could ask for, so good I’d fall in love with her if she weren’t already in the depths of her fifth marriage. Alas! And there's Jinpei. He does my finance stuff. And the girls from the coffee shop are always super nice to me when I come in. But I think it’s just their job to be, since usually most girls are kind of scared of me or incredibly obsessed. I mean who wouldn’t be.”

He twirled out of her reach and struck some poses fit for a bodybuilding stage. Cha Haein had gotten worried he was about to list the entire neighborhood of people, just go down the block house to house. 

“Ok, then who's your best friend?” He opened his mouth with a smirk and she cut him off. “I don’t count.”

It clicked back shut and he began to pout and tossed his hands into the air. “Fine, you got me. But I wish Ma from the barbecue place and I were best friends. She gave me extra dumplings once for being so sweet, but that was before she knew who I was and tried to bar me from the place. I’ve been showing up in fake moustaches and wearing her down though.”

And as he rambled, she was overcome by a wave of incredible sadness for him. 

“Hey, Ms. Cha, check this out.” He scampered over to the edge of the pool, doing a cartwheel as if he just contained so much it had to pour out from somewhere, before he faced her. Then he centered himself and took a deep breath. He lowered his center of gravity, hitting a traditional battle pose down on one leg with the other extended. His face was stuck in a grin as his body flowed through some movements. “I was watching some of your recorded battles and noticed both our styles draw from Wushu, but yours had a more Korean influence, especially borrowed from Taekwondo.”

He kicked his leg out to mimic one of her strikes, but his body didn’t have the flexibility necessary to hit the same high. “Of course, when you employed your long sword, you didn’t use any kicks at all, which makes sense. But even with the sword, sometimes it seemed as if you were dancing. I was trying to mimic one of your sequences the other day, but-”

He leaned back, as if dodging a blow and his stance wobbled, threatening to send him toppling over into the water. She jumped up, placing her hand under his back to support his weight. “Relax and trust me. I’ve got you.”

And he tensed for a moment, almost as if taking the offered support might burn him. As if her arms were lava and him a helpless civilian. He threatened to roll right off her hand and into the pool. But then followed her lead as she lowered her hand further and he sank his weight to match. She then took her hand away and mimicked his movement to see if she’d gotten the angle right. Which it seemed she had.

She looked over to him, still holding the pose, and managed a grin. “Hi.”

“Uh, hi.” His face reflected her own, both of them turning red. “I don’t think I’ve ever sunk down this low before.”

“It takes some practice. Since my fighting style is based on staying nimble and quick, it’s helpful to be flexible. No way to learn it though if you’re afraid of the fall.” She teased him as she straightened back up.

His eyes lingered on her as she straightened and then he followed so they stood chest to chest. Their mirror images followed their movements in the water below as they faced each other off, each following into a defensive pose.

She raised her eyebrow. “From what I’ve seen of you,” she mimicked unsheathing two swords from her waist and held them aloft. Her approach was decisive as she mimicked the movements she’d studied. “Your style is all about efficiency. You can probably last longer than the average person in battle, but you put yourself at more risk by conserving so much energy.”

“You watched my fights, too?” He was caught out. As if she’d swiveled some giant spotlight onto him that peered into his soul.

And it was nice to surprise him for once as she resheathed her imaginary swords and gripped his button down tight between her fist to yank him down to eye level. “Mark my words, Hunter Liu. Whatever you’re doing somewhere in the world, be it slaying giants, practicing Korean, or wishing to be near someone.” She raised her arm and he mirrored her, till they rested elbow to fingertip against each other. “That I’m doing the same thing.”

He was breathing hard at that moment. And she knew her chest was following the rhythm, high on endorphins. When he tangled their fingers together, their reflections followed suit.