[Soleum startles but so does Choi - albeit for very different reasons.]
Ahh... That charm!
[He takes a heavy drag before puffing it out to the side. Regret colors his features.]
I was going to use that to track it... You know you can follow the energy from those, right? In case you go missing, we can use that kind of charm to locate you. But I gave it to a ghost that you settled!
[And it would have offered much more benefit to follow this kid. So annoying, this junior. Always solving problems! Choi shakes his head with a kind of low laugh, only looking up with he mentions the cigarettes.]
Ah, you're not thinking about starting, are you? I just smoke Esse. [They're in every convenience store and Choi isn't picky.] Soleum-ah, I gotta say, I don't peg you the smoker type. This is the one time I might say it, but don't copy me or anything.
[He says this with said cigarette dangling from his lips as he climbs over the front of the bike, gripping the handles and trying to figure out the balance. He said it's been awhile since he rode one of these and he isn't kidding... It's probably been since he was a kid, if ever.]
[ That wasn't even a thought in his head. But it could be better that Agent Choi believe that to be the case, rather than explain his plush doll wanting to breathe in secondhand smoke for whatever reason. He has enough misunderstandings plaguing him right now. ]
…I guess it's impossible for me to be like you. I knew that, I just… thought I could try.
[ Come on, Agent Choi. Just give him one cigarette to take home so that Soleum won't have to spend money on buying a whole pack to please a demanding ghost.
Feigning resignation, he hoists himself over the second seat of the bicycle in glaring silence, positioning his feet against the pedals. A long moment passes, then, acting as if he just realized something, Soleum jolts, as if recovering himself. ]
A-Ah! I'm sorry, let's see… The way the senior explained it to me was that leading involves steering and controlling the brakes. The only thing I can do from the back is help with the pedaling, so if you're prepared to do that, we can go.
[As Soleum explains the method to maneuvering the bike, Choi barely takes any of it in. He's turned around in the seat, smiling widely with a sense of worry in his brow.]
...Now, that's just overkill, don't you think?
[With a sigh, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves the cigarettes and a lighter. Both are tossed toward him as Choi shakes his head.]
Do you know how often Jaekwan-ah begs me to quit? Now you'll get the same attention from him. Aren't you happy?
[Turning back around, he grips the handle bars and takes in a breath. Okay. Steering and braking. He can do that.]
[ The carton and lighter smack against Soleum's open palms. Is he thinking that they're going to smoke and bike at the same time? That wasn't precisely what he had in mind, and he was only wanting to just slip a single stick away for a later time, but…
It's been a while since he quit.
Leaving the rest of the carton pocketed, he holds a cigarette in his mouth, a little flame sparking from the lighter — ] Urk?! [ — right as Agent Choi starts to pedal ahead. Soleum just barely manages to keep a hold on the thing as they speed off. Hands slamming down on the bars with lighter wedged beneath, his lips crush down on the cigarette, mouth filling with tobacco, and obviously too much of it. His other hand hastily fetches the cigarette from his mouth as he dryly hacks up several coughs to the side, his eyes and nose stinging from expelling the smoke. ]
[Choi laughs when he hears Soleum start to struggle, politely slowing down as they approach an intersection. He looks behind himself with a grin, coasting slow for a moment before the light changes and they can go again - at which point he turns back around and continues on at his usual pace.]
Don't worry, don't worry! Just do your best, you said I was the one navigating! Now, which way is north...
[And so, with the front basket full of contaminated items and a more-or-less reliable sense of direction, Agent Choi bikes them through the city. He looks back every now and then, mostly to make sure Soleum hasn't fallen off or something, but generally keeps his usual pace. Soleum said it himself, after all - he's mainly there for extra power, not the braking or directing. So Choi is more than happy to manage all three parts by himself. He's moe than used to taking on every single part of a mission without expecting the others to do anything. Much less risk involved.]
[Along the way, he points things out. Places he's been, some restaurants he likes. Mentions an area he used to live in being nearby, before he joined the bureau. But as always, most of his past is obscured, unshared. It's never occurred to him to go into any of it. He's just trying to share information that his junior might find useful, is all.]
[As they get closer to the market, he slows his pace - since, honestly, he's getting kind of tired. Two disasters, both of which required him to take a good long walk to get to, and now riding tandem with his junior... It's kind of a lot on him. His old bones or whatever. He should have taken off his jacket, but whatever. Where would he have put it, anyway? The basket's full.]
Soleum-ah! Think you can make it? We're almost there!
[ Appearance, background, personality, relationships, trivia. None of these categories on Agent Choi's wiki page encompassed any of what the agent shares with him on their bike ride through the streets of Seoul; either that, or it was so vaguely alluded to that users were constantly battling interpretations in the forums.
— In agent chois newb days, he said something like "I just got a haircut how does it look?" do you guys think he was trying to make a good impression on his sunbae when he first joined??
— Are you stupid? lol Agent Choi doesn't care about first impressions, he's always carefree and himself no matter who he's with.
— ^ that
— go kill yourself
Like that.
So it's surreal to hear him reveal these small facts about himself as candidly as he does. But more so, it's — exciting. He wants to know how he felt taking his aptitude test or what his initial first impressions were of his teammates. Did you always plan to become a government employee? When you entered the Cold Storage story, were you scared? However, except for a few polite questions here and there about how his current neighborhood compares, if the restaurant staff is nice, Soleum does a lot of listening throughout — even if his whole body weren't aching, this is what he'd choose to do. ]
I'm trying… my best.
[ At some point in the conversation, his legs were so exhausted he stopped pedaling altogether, but he can't do that now! They're so close to an unmoving seat — he forces himself to cycle, half-standing, leaned forward, and panting his ass off the entire time.
Eventually, the one of the entrance ways into Namdaemun Market shows itself, peeking free from behind a painfully sharp turn and brightly lit with glowing signs and storefronts. Soleum keeps his yelling contained to his own mind as they pull in. The area is teeming with people just getting out of work, tourists stopping in the middle of the street to take photos, harried shopkeepers running from place to place. They would have to slow down regardless of the fatigue pinching at their muscles and joints. On the bright side, the smell of good food is abundant, instantly making the ride out there worth it.
Soon enough, they stop in front of a crowded bike rack and what he presumes is the amazing tteokbokki stall Agent Choi was speaking of. Briefly, Soleum sits there disoriented, then realizes he still has that cigarette hanging from his mouth. It isn't even burning anymore. Whatever, he keeps it rolled to the side for now, unsaddling from the bicycle. ]
Is this it?
[ Are they free from bike purgatory, Agent Choi? ]
[Oh... He might have pushed him a little too hard, huh.]
[Choi grins at him as they disembark. He strips off his jacket and sets it over the basket to conceal the contained items, then stretches his arms with an overdone groan.]
Hoo, that was a workout!
[He's sweaty, sure, but he feels good. Exercise feels good, doesn't it? His heart is pumping and it reminds him he didn't work out this morning, he was in such a rush. Nice and stretched, he leans forward and plucks the unlit cigarette from his mouth, waving it in between his fingers. It's pretty much ruined. Can't have his first smoke be this terrible.]
You wait here with the bike. Can't lose two in one day, right? Aha - Ajumma!
[And he's waving to one of the stalls, greeting the older woman working there like she's an old friend. She greets him similarly and they engage loudly in the transaction, Choi pointing out what he wants and her adding extra garnishes for him, making suggestions, asking if he's eating properly - it's a conversation he's had hundreds of times and will have hundreds more. He left Looky Mart alive, after all.]
[When he returns with the bag of food, Choi holds up an ice-cold bottle of water, fresh from a cooler, and presses it to Soleum's cheek, bypassing any attempts to accept it via hands like how normal people give things.]
You did great work today, hubae. [Now he finally lets him take it, a sort of prideful look in his eye. He's got another full bottle in the bag for him if he downs this one.] I put you through a lot, but you never complain. Thanks for putting up with me.
[Kind of joking, kind of not. He's aware of his overbearing manner but he also believes it's a means to an important end. Soleum is doing well despite all of this, and that means he's something special.]
[ Peering up at the other agent in startle, Soleum's hand snaps to his cheek, rubbing at the cool condensation clinging to his cheek. He has a hard time refuting Agent Choi when he's acting like a proper senior employee looking after his junior, giving him credit where credit is due. It always takes him by surprise when he gets like this, the way even the sharpest edges of him seem to soften, as if he truly means it, as if all his hard-won experience can't outmatch the gentleness inherent to him. But that's just part of why he's so well-connected with others in this universe, why even an unnamed ajumma is chummy with a guy like Agent Choi.
His troubled gaze shifts to their feet, head bowing down a half-step. ]
A-Ah, yes, me as well! Thank you for putting your trust in someone like myself.
[ Not that he did much besides work on forms for half the day and walk around in the sweltering heat. Without thinking to take a drink, he sets it aside in the holder and rushes to retrieve his wallet from his back pocket, slipping out a few bills. ]
This is what I have on me right now, but if you need more I can pay the remainder tomorrow.
[Still on his senior-kick, Choi sets his hand over Soleum's wallet before he can even pull the bills free.]
No, no, you can pay next time. [He says this every single time.] This is a treat, remember? I called you all the way out to deliver a bike, so you deserve something to repay your effort. Here, eat, eat.
[Choi holds open the box of food, still red hot. There are tons of fish cakes mixed into the rice cakes, doused in spicy-sweet sauce which Choi holds up eagerly for Soleum to take a taste of. There's even a couple eggs in there, split down the middle and bright red all throughout, fully marinated in the stew.]
You know how Jaekwan is, you have to enjoy some now before we get back. He'll eat the whole bag, he's got the stomach of a bear. [Is that the saying? Regardless, he uses a toothpick to stab up a few of the rice cakes - and, yeah, it's hot, but isn't that a good thing on a hot day? You're supposed to eat spicy, hot things when it's sweltering outside, right?]
Hoo... [His tongue hurts, actually.] Besides - She gave me the waters for free! [Because she said "Are you still torturing your juniors, Choi-ssi" and he couldn't really deny that but that's okay it's free cold water!]
Um, if it's hot for you, you should blow first. And I doubt Agent Bronze would appreciate that comparison… [ But he's not in disagreement; the other agent does eat quite a bit. ] Will the leftovers be enough for him?
[ The spices wafting up from the to-go tray smack his senses like a baseball bat hitting a home run. Agent Choi's egging wins him a weak, unconvinced look in return from Soleum before he daintily pricks at an egg slice with a toothpick. The astounding heat is what seeps into his taste buds first, then the immense flavor of the gochujang, but rather than wince or reach for his drink, he hums thoughtfully. ]
It's good. The sauce really sticks well.
[ Even though his tongue is sweating from inside his mouth.
He sucks on the toothpick to savor the last of the droplets, digging back in with a few of the thinner cuts of fish cake. ]
Mm, that's good, too — have you tried one of these yet, sir?
[ Soleum tips up one of the cakes closer to Agent Choi's face, just a hair's breadth away from poking his lips with the tiny skewer. ]
[He has given Jaekwan much worse comparisons, he should be happy to get something as tame as "bear-like." Soleum has surely seen that guy shirtless by now, anyway.]
Well, it's just a snack, so it's not like he'll have to survive off it... Hmm, this place cuts them up instead of folding them, and I like that way better, myself. [Without a thought, he leans forward to accept the food, taking it in one tug of his lips and chewing thoughtfully. His tongue and lips feel like they're going to char.] Yeah, it's good, right? And it's not that far from the bureau. You should come here sometimes, too.
[It's hard to tell how long Soleum has been in Seoul, given the total dearth of information that the bureau has found on him, so in a way Choi finds it oddly necessary to show him these things. As if he's never been a student, or lived in the city - which, given how he acts and speaks, surely can't be the case, right...? But who even knows.]
Spicy food makes me want to smoke, you know. Have you ever before? I made an assumption earlier, but then you tried to light up right away.
[ Soleum focuses on eating as the agent carries on speaking, his throat itching, skin tacked with a special sort of sheen that could only be thanks to the spice of their meal catching up to him. But he manages to maintain his composure, watching Agent Choi chew on the fish cake and talk at the same time. It's a little like watching a dog successfully perform a trick; he nearly wants to tell him 'good job,' and offer another as a reward.
But then Agent Choi indirectly reminds him: He's still got his pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He starts to hand the box over, only to pause, fingering at a single stick jutting out from the group. ]
Do you mind if I keep one? I quit smoking some time ago. [ He doesn't remember when. ] I wouldn't say I was the best at it, but it was… nice to have something to fall back on after work.
[ Oftentimes, during, he suspects. Corporate work was just like that. ]
I suppose I saw you doing it and thought I'd be able to go back to how I was before. I was wrong, though… How'd you get into the habit?
[So he was a smoker, huh? Choi listens while chewing slowly, his eyes dragging over the sweat sliding down Soleum's brow. He must have really over-worked him, didn't he. Setting the box of food on one of the bike seats, he reaches into the bag to pull out a bottle of water and takes a drink.]
How did I get into the habit... [He repeats the question, seeming to think about it as he accepts the box back. He taps two out and hands one to Soleum, the other going to his mouth.] I don't remember. I probably picked it up from a senior, or from going to social events. Hmm, I feel like I've smoked for a long time, though. [The box is held back out to him, offering it back.] It's nice to have something like that, but you shouldn't lean on it, you know? It's a nice thing to take the edge off sometimes. But it doesn't solve any problems.
[So, if he plans to use it to relax or calm down after work, Choi will disagree with its effectiveness. He's aware he only smokes due to an addiction.]
Thankfully, the only person who doesn't like it is Agent Bronze. [And from his pocket he pulls a second lighter, offering its flame to Soleum first.] But I think he just doesn't like the smell, so don't worry. He won't bother you about it if you're caught. [Like he's a high schooler caught with a pack.]
Agent Bronze let's you get away with a lot. I hope he stays strong.
[ Reaching for another cigarette, a younger version of the agent — still as sly-faced as he is today, but less abraded by his line of work — sits in his mind, passing the same joint back-and-forth with someone who was never identified in the original wiki, and who Soleum may never meet. He lowers himself closer to Agent Choi's scarred fingers, mouth briefly illuminated by the lighter's flame, drawing in a breath.
There were plenty of nameless characters like that in the stories he read before coming to this world. People who die early and out of sight, people who fade into obscurity, their fate condemned to fan interpretation. That's just the nature of fiction. Soleum would even go as far as to say that's the safer way to be. If the reader doesn't know your name, they can't be troubled by your absence. Can't come to a meaningful judgment about a person that's only passing through. ]
I don't plan to become a chain smoker, if that's what you're worried about.
[ The smoke sieves through more smoothly this time around, blown out from the corner of his lips with more skill. After all, he doesn't really like it. The bitterness lingering on his tongue, the engulfing heat pressed to his lungs. There's a wrongness to to the air that spills out, a shame to it; at the same time, this is the calmest he's felt all day. ]
Like I said, I wanted to be a little more like you, not so — [ The hand holding his cigarette slightly waves in the air, pale ash dropping against his knee. He wipes at it, leaving one more smudge on his pants. ]
…It won't solve anything. But isn't it okay to try?
["A little more like you"... It's odd to hear it so bluntly.]
[It's not that he has any misconceptions about the kind of silhouette he strikes in the bureau - the way people see him, the character they've established from his deeds. But... This kid. His motives are as muddled as always. It's impossible to get any clarity on his plans, on his intentions. It's clear when he's lying, it's clear when he's avoiding something, when he's trying to force a specific reaction. Even Jaekwan can notice those moments sometimes. But right now, it's almost impossible for Choi to believe he's telling the truth.]
[Well, that's fine. He'll take it at face value for the time being.]
...I guess it's your decision, in the end.
[He's still watching him with a smile, snapping the lighter once more to light his own cigarette. Yeah, Bronze is definitely going to be annoyed when they both show up reeking of tobacco, but he has food so he can't be that upset. Choi leans against the bike rack and looks upward.]
I can't fault a rookie for thinking his sunbae has it all together. But don't let that keep you from growing, either, okay?
[The smoke leaks out as he speaks until he finally exhales fully, tapping the ashes onto the ground.]
The moon shouldn't envy the sun during the day, they say - or something. One day I'll be relying on you, right?
[ The lie isn't that he doesn't admire Agent Choi. Somehow all the contributors to his stories agreed upon the fact that he was a good person, through and through. He could be funny. He could be brave. Seemingly obtuse one moment, then the ideal employee the next. He could be quick-witted where others would freeze in place, and he could visualize the exact path his bell-adorned blade could cut forward with the tempered resolution of someone ready to light the sky on fire. And then he could walk it. There are reasons why he kept close track of the agent's adventures to the very end.
No, it's in the possibility that Soleum could believe that he could come close to a person like that. That's where Agent Choi has every right to doubt him.
Haha… He slips the end of the cigarette back into his mouth again, suddenly needing another dose of nicotine to loosen the tension in his shoulders. ]
Moon? [ he says quietly to himself, lips curved in a skeptical smile. Satellite, more like. ] I'll try to live up to your expectations, but you're… being too generous.
[ Seriously. What is Soleum supposed to say to something so sincere? 'When I eventually fall short down the line, please don't take it to heart'? ]
I mean, besides this way, do you see another avenue I could grow?
[Oh, he sees hundreds, if not thousands of paths for Soleum. But they all start from a singular fork: The bureau down one way, and the other leading to Daydream.]
[There's no use saying that, however. He knows that even though there is a knowledge gap between them, that there are secrets they are both aware each other is actively keeping. Choi gazes at him out of the corner of his eye, unable to keep a knowing sort of smirk off his lips, like Soleum just set him up for a great punchline.]
More honesty, when you need help.
[That's where he'll leave it, anyway. It's always good to keep him on his toes, this dance between senior and spy.]
Ah, but I've been thinking of quitting lately. Smoking, I mean. [He says as he takes a drag.] If I'm in a disaster for too long, I don't like the headache from withdrawal. So, like I said, it's better not to have these kinds of dependencies.
...But your friend - Your little one who you started bringing around. [He points to the bunny, seated in his pocket.] I think that's not a problem. [Somehow he decided it must be for comfort.]
Soleum wants more than anything to flick his eyes elsewhere, somewhere that isn't ahead at the senior agent, somewhere that doesn't make his heart rate quicken and his brain flood with anxiety. Instead, he doesn't move. He lets him control the conversation as he sees fit, moving on to talk about quitting the habit he's most known for by fans, then to an aspect of Soleum that should be above his notice. His suspicion. ]
He's… a good friend of mine. But he can be a bit of a problem child from time to time, so I'm glad you think so.
[ Though Agent Choi is a bit like that as well. Perhaps they'd get along up to a point.
— Mr. Roe Deer, while I realize we've had our differences, I do believe that is quite backhanded of you to say…
I understand, but please continue enduring.
Another trail smoke pushes past his lips. The butt of his cigarette is starting to shorten. ]
Have you tried anything other than smoking before? I know you wanted to avoid dependencies, but what about using something as a distraction? I hear some people like candy.
[There's something kind of charming about Soleum being attached to a stuffed rabbit toy.]
[But only kind of. He's curious, but he still doesn't probe deeper. Choi sucks on the filter as he considers the suggestion of candy - or rather, of finding something else to distract him with.]
Mmm... Candy wouldn't be too different, I think. One reason I don't like smoking anymore is because less people do it now.
[This isn't quite the case. The truth is that Agent Choi takes his smoke breaks by himself for a reason. He uses the excuse that less people smoke, but it's more that he knows no one in Hyunmu 1 does. In the past he had seniors who he would smoke with, he wasn't lying about that. But now, he's the only one, and the silence on the smoker's deck is what he needs sometimes. When the stress gets too stifling, it's a relief to know that area will be empty and waiting for him.]
[But it's lonely, to isolate yourself. He knows it's not how he should handle this. But it's so easy - So simple. The way his pulse will thrum softer, the scent cloaking away everything else...]
[Speaking of isolation.]
We'd better get back, before the food is cold. [He drops the cigarette into a tray on top of the trash can, coughing slightly.] Are you ready to bike a little further? I'll hold onto the bag. Make sure you drink some water, you sweat out your whole supply on the way, Grapes. [More like raisin.]
[ If only Soleum knew what thoughts lived in Agent Choi's head. The reason why he teases him so much, the secrets he refuses to give away easily — then, he wouldn't have to wonder. And then he wouldn't have to wonder why he's wondering, the question gnawing at him like a daily riddle.
But he doesn't know, and he can't. So once the conversation hits a natural lull, his cigarette bud joins the senior agent's, the two sticks left behind in the ash tray seeming to send them off with a wave of the remaining wisps as they head back on their way. The ride's smoother, in no small thanks to the cooling temperatures as night spreads itself across the sky in a thick shroud. Bright streetlights gild their commute back to the bureau, the chime of their bicycle alerting pedestrians that they're coming from behind. The roads are still heavily populated with vehicles but that's how the city is, and it doesn't impede upon their eventual arrival through the gated entryway.
They make a quick stop by Human Resources to drop off the the weathered bike with a different inventory specialist. The other one most have finished his shift.
Inside the elevator headed down to their designated team waiting room, Soleum's leaned up against the side wall, hanging on to the railing. The sweat from the side of his head smudging the reflective surface. His water bottle's almost down to the bottom. At the very least, there's air conditioning. After this, he's heading straight to his locker, hanging up his coat, and catching the next bus ride home.
The elevator dings. The doors sweep open. ]
It was a long day, sir, but I hope you have a good rest of your night, [ he says, slipping off his uniform jacket and folding it over his arm. ] I'll see you tomorrow.
[It's an easy trip back. The setting sun is still warm and the air is still humid but there's a pleasant breeze as they zip through the city center to the bureau. Some kids point at the bike and laugh, others watch with half smiles as they pass. It's an odd sight for sure, two adults riding a tandem bike with a bag of tteokbokki over one handlebar, but Choi doesn't mind the attention. Seeing civilians smiling is nice. It's a friendly reminder to why he likes his job as much as he do.]
[Inventory glances at Choi with a questioning look as he shrugs at them while they turn in the bicycle, like, No clue how I ended up with that thing! He'll have to fill out the paperwork for the lost bike before the end of the week, but he's not thinking about it right now. The contaminated items are dropped off and signed for and when they're headed into the waiting room to strip off their jackets and leave the day behind, Soleum already seems well and ready to head home.]
[Which, home for him is interesting, since Choi is aware it isn't a set place at the moment. So what is there to be so excited to return to? He opens the door to the waiting room with a cheery greeting, but inside it's empty. No Bronze. He hangs in the doorway for a moment, surprised, then sees a message on the whiteboard:
Agents Choi & Grapes: Headed home first, see you tomorrow Good work today. -Bronze
Ahh... He's already gone. [He lets the door close behind Soleum, padding over to his desk slowly.] Hmm, want to finish this with me? I put some beer in the fridge. We're off the clock, should we have a drink?
[ So that was Agent Choi. He could have guessed that one. With all their post-mission dinners so far, he's starting to get a feel for his preference in alcohol.
Soleum stays close to the door, uncertainty fluttering in his gaze, but his jacket starts to droop lower down his arm and that appears to prompt him to move. He readjusts the sling of it as he pushes inside, drifting nearer to the dry erase board to read Agent Bronze's note for himself. ]
Does that feel like a good idea to you? [ He turns just so that the unsure look he sends Agent Choi can't be missed. ] We may be off-clock, but we're still — here, on the premises.
[ Wasn't there a rule about alcoholic consumption in the handbook? That thing was over a hundred page, and he read all of it from front the back after his admission into the bureau, not wanting to risk termination over a mere break of protocol. ]
Do you and Agent Bronze do that often in the waiting room?
[Soleum gives him an unsure glance and Choi returns it with a too-innocent blink. What's wrong with a couple beers after a long day?]
It's fine, it's fine. I mean, after a few long recovery missions, Bronze and I have tossed a few back, sure...
[He trails off, his mind wandering as he closes the fridge, a beer in each hand. Usually they've both been too exhausted to speak on those days. Ache and exhaustion seated over them, freed from medical check-ups and on their way to normalcy. Seated beside each other in this waiting room, a liminal not-quite-real space. A thought coming every time - Is another call going to come while we just sit here? And then, Surely someone else will take that one.]
...Sometimes, it's what you need. To take a seat in a place you know is secure, somewhere with nothing to trick you.
[Choi sits down on the couch, cracking one beer open. The foam fizzles and the liquid inside bubbles and he takes a slow, gradual sip before sighing and leaning back. A cold beer and hot food in air conditioning - It's definitely a good situation.]
Today wasn't too bad, but - It's a little grounding, being here, isn't it? You feel a little steady, right?
[He invitingly pats the spot beside him. Come on, humor him a little, hubei.]
[ Somewhere with nothing to trick you, he says, as if he isn't talking to the biggest trickster in the room. If this place isn't safe from Soleum, then it isn't safe from anything. His coat lands on top of his desk. Soleum doesn't take him up on his offer of the place right beside him, but he does sit on the arm of the couch, a safe distance apart. He can stay, just for a short while.
The dark outline of his scar quivers along the notches of his throat as he surely empties a quarter of the can into his stomach. He really has done this a number of times, without repercussion, hasn't he? ]
There are a lot of items left behind by others here, [ Soleum says, politely glancing about. Right before their mission into the ocean palace, they had a similar conversation about this place. The haunted painting one of his old teammates brought in. The leftover notes, not just scrawled on the board, but left all over the room: in old case files, stuck to the bottom side of his desk drawers, even etched into the wood of their coffee table. It's a place that's never solely belonged to one person, but seems to have indiscriminately welcomed all sorts of people these past several years.
Back then, he'd called it pleasant, but — yes, Agent Choi is right. It is steadying, knowing it's somewhere that will be here long after Soleum has left.
Finally, he takes the other can left on the table, pinching the tab open. ]
Whenever I come here, it has a warm feeling. It's no wonder you leave a bunch of home goods lying around.
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Ahh... That charm!
[He takes a heavy drag before puffing it out to the side. Regret colors his features.]
I was going to use that to track it... You know you can follow the energy from those, right? In case you go missing, we can use that kind of charm to locate you. But I gave it to a ghost that you settled!
[And it would have offered much more benefit to follow this kid. So annoying, this junior. Always solving problems! Choi shakes his head with a kind of low laugh, only looking up with he mentions the cigarettes.]
Ah, you're not thinking about starting, are you? I just smoke Esse. [They're in every convenience store and Choi isn't picky.] Soleum-ah, I gotta say, I don't peg you the smoker type. This is the one time I might say it, but don't copy me or anything.
[He says this with said cigarette dangling from his lips as he climbs over the front of the bike, gripping the handles and trying to figure out the balance. He said it's been awhile since he rode one of these and he isn't kidding... It's probably been since he was a kid, if ever.]
So... I'll lead? [He has no idea how this works.]
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[ That wasn't even a thought in his head. But it could be better that Agent Choi believe that to be the case, rather than explain his plush doll wanting to breathe in secondhand smoke for whatever reason. He has enough misunderstandings plaguing him right now. ]
…I guess it's impossible for me to be like you. I knew that, I just… thought I could try.
[ Come on, Agent Choi. Just give him one cigarette to take home so that Soleum won't have to spend money on buying a whole pack to please a demanding ghost.
Feigning resignation, he hoists himself over the second seat of the bicycle in glaring silence, positioning his feet against the pedals. A long moment passes, then, acting as if he just realized something, Soleum jolts, as if recovering himself. ]
A-Ah! I'm sorry, let's see… The way the senior explained it to me was that leading involves steering and controlling the brakes. The only thing I can do from the back is help with the pedaling, so if you're prepared to do that, we can go.
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...Now, that's just overkill, don't you think?
[With a sigh, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves the cigarettes and a lighter. Both are tossed toward him as Choi shakes his head.]
Do you know how often Jaekwan-ah begs me to quit? Now you'll get the same attention from him. Aren't you happy?
[Turning back around, he grips the handle bars and takes in a breath. Okay. Steering and braking. He can do that.]
Now, off we go!
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It's been a while since he quit.
Leaving the rest of the carton pocketed, he holds a cigarette in his mouth, a little flame sparking from the lighter — ] Urk?! [ — right as Agent Choi starts to pedal ahead. Soleum just barely manages to keep a hold on the thing as they speed off. Hands slamming down on the bars with lighter wedged beneath, his lips crush down on the cigarette, mouth filling with tobacco, and obviously too much of it. His other hand hastily fetches the cigarette from his mouth as he dryly hacks up several coughs to the side, his eyes and nose stinging from expelling the smoke. ]
Slow — slow down, sir —
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Don't worry, don't worry! Just do your best, you said I was the one navigating! Now, which way is north...
[And so, with the front basket full of contaminated items and a more-or-less reliable sense of direction, Agent Choi bikes them through the city. He looks back every now and then, mostly to make sure Soleum hasn't fallen off or something, but generally keeps his usual pace. Soleum said it himself, after all - he's mainly there for extra power, not the braking or directing. So Choi is more than happy to manage all three parts by himself. He's moe than used to taking on every single part of a mission without expecting the others to do anything. Much less risk involved.]
[Along the way, he points things out. Places he's been, some restaurants he likes. Mentions an area he used to live in being nearby, before he joined the bureau. But as always, most of his past is obscured, unshared. It's never occurred to him to go into any of it. He's just trying to share information that his junior might find useful, is all.]
[As they get closer to the market, he slows his pace - since, honestly, he's getting kind of tired. Two disasters, both of which required him to take a good long walk to get to, and now riding tandem with his junior... It's kind of a lot on him. His old bones or whatever. He should have taken off his jacket, but whatever. Where would he have put it, anyway? The basket's full.]
Soleum-ah! Think you can make it? We're almost there!
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So it's surreal to hear him reveal these small facts about himself as candidly as he does. But more so, it's — exciting. He wants to know how he felt taking his aptitude test or what his initial first impressions were of his teammates. Did you always plan to become a government employee? When you entered the Cold Storage story, were you scared? However, except for a few polite questions here and there about how his current neighborhood compares, if the restaurant staff is nice, Soleum does a lot of listening throughout — even if his whole body weren't aching, this is what he'd choose to do. ]
I'm trying… my best.
[ At some point in the conversation, his legs were so exhausted he stopped pedaling altogether, but he can't do that now! They're so close to an unmoving seat — he forces himself to cycle, half-standing, leaned forward, and panting his ass off the entire time.
Eventually, the one of the entrance ways into Namdaemun Market shows itself, peeking free from behind a painfully sharp turn and brightly lit with glowing signs and storefronts. Soleum keeps his yelling contained to his own mind as they pull in. The area is teeming with people just getting out of work, tourists stopping in the middle of the street to take photos, harried shopkeepers running from place to place. They would have to slow down regardless of the fatigue pinching at their muscles and joints. On the bright side, the smell of good food is abundant, instantly making the ride out there worth it.
Soon enough, they stop in front of a crowded bike rack and what he presumes is the amazing tteokbokki stall Agent Choi was speaking of. Briefly, Soleum sits there disoriented, then realizes he still has that cigarette hanging from his mouth. It isn't even burning anymore. Whatever, he keeps it rolled to the side for now, unsaddling from the bicycle. ]
Is this it?
[ Are they free from bike purgatory, Agent Choi? ]
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[Choi grins at him as they disembark. He strips off his jacket and sets it over the basket to conceal the contained items, then stretches his arms with an overdone groan.]
Hoo, that was a workout!
[He's sweaty, sure, but he feels good. Exercise feels good, doesn't it? His heart is pumping and it reminds him he didn't work out this morning, he was in such a rush. Nice and stretched, he leans forward and plucks the unlit cigarette from his mouth, waving it in between his fingers. It's pretty much ruined. Can't have his first smoke be this terrible.]
You wait here with the bike. Can't lose two in one day, right? Aha - Ajumma!
[And he's waving to one of the stalls, greeting the older woman working there like she's an old friend. She greets him similarly and they engage loudly in the transaction, Choi pointing out what he wants and her adding extra garnishes for him, making suggestions, asking if he's eating properly - it's a conversation he's had hundreds of times and will have hundreds more. He left Looky Mart alive, after all.]
[When he returns with the bag of food, Choi holds up an ice-cold bottle of water, fresh from a cooler, and presses it to Soleum's cheek, bypassing any attempts to accept it via hands like how normal people give things.]
You did great work today, hubae. [Now he finally lets him take it, a sort of prideful look in his eye. He's got another full bottle in the bag for him if he downs this one.] I put you through a lot, but you never complain. Thanks for putting up with me.
[Kind of joking, kind of not. He's aware of his overbearing manner but he also believes it's a means to an important end. Soleum is doing well despite all of this, and that means he's something special.]
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His troubled gaze shifts to their feet, head bowing down a half-step. ]
A-Ah, yes, me as well! Thank you for putting your trust in someone like myself.
[ Not that he did much besides work on forms for half the day and walk around in the sweltering heat. Without thinking to take a drink, he sets it aside in the holder and rushes to retrieve his wallet from his back pocket, slipping out a few bills. ]
This is what I have on me right now, but if you need more I can pay the remainder tomorrow.
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No, no, you can pay next time. [He says this every single time.] This is a treat, remember? I called you all the way out to deliver a bike, so you deserve something to repay your effort. Here, eat, eat.
[Choi holds open the box of food, still red hot. There are tons of fish cakes mixed into the rice cakes, doused in spicy-sweet sauce which Choi holds up eagerly for Soleum to take a taste of. There's even a couple eggs in there, split down the middle and bright red all throughout, fully marinated in the stew.]
You know how Jaekwan is, you have to enjoy some now before we get back. He'll eat the whole bag, he's got the stomach of a bear. [Is that the saying? Regardless, he uses a toothpick to stab up a few of the rice cakes - and, yeah, it's hot, but isn't that a good thing on a hot day? You're supposed to eat spicy, hot things when it's sweltering outside, right?]
Hoo... [His tongue hurts, actually.] Besides - She gave me the waters for free! [Because she said "Are you still torturing your juniors, Choi-ssi" and he couldn't really deny that but that's okay it's free cold water!]
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[ The spices wafting up from the to-go tray smack his senses like a baseball bat hitting a home run. Agent Choi's egging wins him a weak, unconvinced look in return from Soleum before he daintily pricks at an egg slice with a toothpick. The astounding heat is what seeps into his taste buds first, then the immense flavor of the gochujang, but rather than wince or reach for his drink, he hums thoughtfully. ]
It's good. The sauce really sticks well.
[ Even though his tongue is sweating from inside his mouth.
He sucks on the toothpick to savor the last of the droplets, digging back in with a few of the thinner cuts of fish cake. ]
Mm, that's good, too — have you tried one of these yet, sir?
[ Soleum tips up one of the cakes closer to Agent Choi's face, just a hair's breadth away from poking his lips with the tiny skewer. ]
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Well, it's just a snack, so it's not like he'll have to survive off it... Hmm, this place cuts them up instead of folding them, and I like that way better, myself. [Without a thought, he leans forward to accept the food, taking it in one tug of his lips and chewing thoughtfully. His tongue and lips feel like they're going to char.] Yeah, it's good, right? And it's not that far from the bureau. You should come here sometimes, too.
[It's hard to tell how long Soleum has been in Seoul, given the total dearth of information that the bureau has found on him, so in a way Choi finds it oddly necessary to show him these things. As if he's never been a student, or lived in the city - which, given how he acts and speaks, surely can't be the case, right...? But who even knows.]
Spicy food makes me want to smoke, you know. Have you ever before? I made an assumption earlier, but then you tried to light up right away.
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But then Agent Choi indirectly reminds him: He's still got his pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He starts to hand the box over, only to pause, fingering at a single stick jutting out from the group. ]
Do you mind if I keep one? I quit smoking some time ago. [ He doesn't remember when. ] I wouldn't say I was the best at it, but it was… nice to have something to fall back on after work.
[ Oftentimes, during, he suspects. Corporate work was just like that. ]
I suppose I saw you doing it and thought I'd be able to go back to how I was before. I was wrong, though… How'd you get into the habit?
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How did I get into the habit... [He repeats the question, seeming to think about it as he accepts the box back. He taps two out and hands one to Soleum, the other going to his mouth.] I don't remember. I probably picked it up from a senior, or from going to social events. Hmm, I feel like I've smoked for a long time, though. [The box is held back out to him, offering it back.] It's nice to have something like that, but you shouldn't lean on it, you know? It's a nice thing to take the edge off sometimes. But it doesn't solve any problems.
[So, if he plans to use it to relax or calm down after work, Choi will disagree with its effectiveness. He's aware he only smokes due to an addiction.]
Thankfully, the only person who doesn't like it is Agent Bronze. [And from his pocket he pulls a second lighter, offering its flame to Soleum first.] But I think he just doesn't like the smell, so don't worry. He won't bother you about it if you're caught. [Like he's a high schooler caught with a pack.]
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[ Reaching for another cigarette, a younger version of the agent — still as sly-faced as he is today, but less abraded by his line of work — sits in his mind, passing the same joint back-and-forth with someone who was never identified in the original wiki, and who Soleum may never meet. He lowers himself closer to Agent Choi's scarred fingers, mouth briefly illuminated by the lighter's flame, drawing in a breath.
There were plenty of nameless characters like that in the stories he read before coming to this world. People who die early and out of sight, people who fade into obscurity, their fate condemned to fan interpretation. That's just the nature of fiction. Soleum would even go as far as to say that's the safer way to be. If the reader doesn't know your name, they can't be troubled by your absence. Can't come to a meaningful judgment about a person that's only passing through. ]
I don't plan to become a chain smoker, if that's what you're worried about.
[ The smoke sieves through more smoothly this time around, blown out from the corner of his lips with more skill. After all, he doesn't really like it. The bitterness lingering on his tongue, the engulfing heat pressed to his lungs. There's a wrongness to to the air that spills out, a shame to it; at the same time, this is the calmest he's felt all day. ]
Like I said, I wanted to be a little more like you, not so — [ The hand holding his cigarette slightly waves in the air, pale ash dropping against his knee. He wipes at it, leaving one more smudge on his pants. ]
…It won't solve anything. But isn't it okay to try?
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[It's not that he has any misconceptions about the kind of silhouette he strikes in the bureau - the way people see him, the character they've established from his deeds. But... This kid. His motives are as muddled as always. It's impossible to get any clarity on his plans, on his intentions. It's clear when he's lying, it's clear when he's avoiding something, when he's trying to force a specific reaction. Even Jaekwan can notice those moments sometimes. But right now, it's almost impossible for Choi to believe he's telling the truth.]
[Well, that's fine. He'll take it at face value for the time being.]
...I guess it's your decision, in the end.
[He's still watching him with a smile, snapping the lighter once more to light his own cigarette. Yeah, Bronze is definitely going to be annoyed when they both show up reeking of tobacco, but he has food so he can't be that upset. Choi leans against the bike rack and looks upward.]
I can't fault a rookie for thinking his sunbae has it all together. But don't let that keep you from growing, either, okay?
[The smoke leaks out as he speaks until he finally exhales fully, tapping the ashes onto the ground.]
The moon shouldn't envy the sun during the day, they say - or something. One day I'll be relying on you, right?
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No, it's in the possibility that Soleum could believe that he could come close to a person like that. That's where Agent Choi has every right to doubt him.
Haha… He slips the end of the cigarette back into his mouth again, suddenly needing another dose of nicotine to loosen the tension in his shoulders. ]
Moon? [ he says quietly to himself, lips curved in a skeptical smile. Satellite, more like. ] I'll try to live up to your expectations, but you're… being too generous.
[ Seriously. What is Soleum supposed to say to something so sincere? 'When I eventually fall short down the line, please don't take it to heart'? ]
I mean, besides this way, do you see another avenue I could grow?
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[There's no use saying that, however. He knows that even though there is a knowledge gap between them, that there are secrets they are both aware each other is actively keeping. Choi gazes at him out of the corner of his eye, unable to keep a knowing sort of smirk off his lips, like Soleum just set him up for a great punchline.]
More honesty, when you need help.
[That's where he'll leave it, anyway. It's always good to keep him on his toes, this dance between senior and spy.]
Ah, but I've been thinking of quitting lately. Smoking, I mean. [He says as he takes a drag.] If I'm in a disaster for too long, I don't like the headache from withdrawal. So, like I said, it's better not to have these kinds of dependencies.
...But your friend - Your little one who you started bringing around. [He points to the bunny, seated in his pocket.] I think that's not a problem. [Somehow he decided it must be for comfort.]
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Soleum wants more than anything to flick his eyes elsewhere, somewhere that isn't ahead at the senior agent, somewhere that doesn't make his heart rate quicken and his brain flood with anxiety. Instead, he doesn't move. He lets him control the conversation as he sees fit, moving on to talk about quitting the habit he's most known for by fans, then to an aspect of Soleum that should be above his notice. His suspicion. ]
He's… a good friend of mine. But he can be a bit of a problem child from time to time, so I'm glad you think so.
[ Though Agent Choi is a bit like that as well. Perhaps they'd get along up to a point.
— Mr. Roe Deer, while I realize we've had our differences, I do believe that is quite backhanded of you to say…
I understand, but please continue enduring.
Another trail smoke pushes past his lips. The butt of his cigarette is starting to shorten. ]
Have you tried anything other than smoking before? I know you wanted to avoid dependencies, but what about using something as a distraction? I hear some people like candy.
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[But only kind of. He's curious, but he still doesn't probe deeper. Choi sucks on the filter as he considers the suggestion of candy - or rather, of finding something else to distract him with.]
Mmm... Candy wouldn't be too different, I think. One reason I don't like smoking anymore is because less people do it now.
[This isn't quite the case. The truth is that Agent Choi takes his smoke breaks by himself for a reason. He uses the excuse that less people smoke, but it's more that he knows no one in Hyunmu 1 does. In the past he had seniors who he would smoke with, he wasn't lying about that. But now, he's the only one, and the silence on the smoker's deck is what he needs sometimes. When the stress gets too stifling, it's a relief to know that area will be empty and waiting for him.]
[But it's lonely, to isolate yourself. He knows it's not how he should handle this. But it's so easy - So simple. The way his pulse will thrum softer, the scent cloaking away everything else...]
[Speaking of isolation.]
We'd better get back, before the food is cold. [He drops the cigarette into a tray on top of the trash can, coughing slightly.] Are you ready to bike a little further? I'll hold onto the bag. Make sure you drink some water, you sweat out your whole supply on the way, Grapes. [More like raisin.]
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But he doesn't know, and he can't. So once the conversation hits a natural lull, his cigarette bud joins the senior agent's, the two sticks left behind in the ash tray seeming to send them off with a wave of the remaining wisps as they head back on their way. The ride's smoother, in no small thanks to the cooling temperatures as night spreads itself across the sky in a thick shroud. Bright streetlights gild their commute back to the bureau, the chime of their bicycle alerting pedestrians that they're coming from behind. The roads are still heavily populated with vehicles but that's how the city is, and it doesn't impede upon their eventual arrival through the gated entryway.
They make a quick stop by Human Resources to drop off the the weathered bike with a different inventory specialist. The other one most have finished his shift.
Inside the elevator headed down to their designated team waiting room, Soleum's leaned up against the side wall, hanging on to the railing. The sweat from the side of his head smudging the reflective surface. His water bottle's almost down to the bottom. At the very least, there's air conditioning. After this, he's heading straight to his locker, hanging up his coat, and catching the next bus ride home.
The elevator dings. The doors sweep open. ]
It was a long day, sir, but I hope you have a good rest of your night, [ he says, slipping off his uniform jacket and folding it over his arm. ] I'll see you tomorrow.
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[Inventory glances at Choi with a questioning look as he shrugs at them while they turn in the bicycle, like, No clue how I ended up with that thing! He'll have to fill out the paperwork for the lost bike before the end of the week, but he's not thinking about it right now. The contaminated items are dropped off and signed for and when they're headed into the waiting room to strip off their jackets and leave the day behind, Soleum already seems well and ready to head home.]
[Which, home for him is interesting, since Choi is aware it isn't a set place at the moment. So what is there to be so excited to return to? He opens the door to the waiting room with a cheery greeting, but inside it's empty. No Bronze. He hangs in the doorway for a moment, surprised, then sees a message on the whiteboard:
Headed home first, see you tomorrow
Good work today. -Bronze
Ahh... He's already gone. [He lets the door close behind Soleum, padding over to his desk slowly.] Hmm, want to finish this with me? I put some beer in the fridge. We're off the clock, should we have a drink?
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Soleum stays close to the door, uncertainty fluttering in his gaze, but his jacket starts to droop lower down his arm and that appears to prompt him to move. He readjusts the sling of it as he pushes inside, drifting nearer to the dry erase board to read Agent Bronze's note for himself. ]
Does that feel like a good idea to you? [ He turns just so that the unsure look he sends Agent Choi can't be missed. ] We may be off-clock, but we're still — here, on the premises.
[ Wasn't there a rule about alcoholic consumption in the handbook? That thing was over a hundred page, and he read all of it from front the back after his admission into the bureau, not wanting to risk termination over a mere break of protocol. ]
Do you and Agent Bronze do that often in the waiting room?
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It's fine, it's fine. I mean, after a few long recovery missions, Bronze and I have tossed a few back, sure...
[He trails off, his mind wandering as he closes the fridge, a beer in each hand. Usually they've both been too exhausted to speak on those days. Ache and exhaustion seated over them, freed from medical check-ups and on their way to normalcy. Seated beside each other in this waiting room, a liminal not-quite-real space. A thought coming every time - Is another call going to come while we just sit here? And then, Surely someone else will take that one.]
...Sometimes, it's what you need. To take a seat in a place you know is secure, somewhere with nothing to trick you.
[Choi sits down on the couch, cracking one beer open. The foam fizzles and the liquid inside bubbles and he takes a slow, gradual sip before sighing and leaning back. A cold beer and hot food in air conditioning - It's definitely a good situation.]
Today wasn't too bad, but - It's a little grounding, being here, isn't it? You feel a little steady, right?
[He invitingly pats the spot beside him. Come on, humor him a little, hubei.]
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The dark outline of his scar quivers along the notches of his throat as he surely empties a quarter of the can into his stomach. He really has done this a number of times, without repercussion, hasn't he? ]
There are a lot of items left behind by others here, [ Soleum says, politely glancing about. Right before their mission into the ocean palace, they had a similar conversation about this place. The haunted painting one of his old teammates brought in. The leftover notes, not just scrawled on the board, but left all over the room: in old case files, stuck to the bottom side of his desk drawers, even etched into the wood of their coffee table. It's a place that's never solely belonged to one person, but seems to have indiscriminately welcomed all sorts of people these past several years.
Back then, he'd called it pleasant, but — yes, Agent Choi is right. It is steadying, knowing it's somewhere that will be here long after Soleum has left.
Finally, he takes the other can left on the table, pinching the tab open. ]
Whenever I come here, it has a warm feeling. It's no wonder you leave a bunch of home goods lying around.