Hae-joon let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck.
"…Great," he muttered, the words lacking any real energy this time. "So now I have to be paranoid in broad daylight too. Love that for me."
Arthur didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed, sharp, calculating, tracking every movement around them as people passed by, completely normal on the surface. Or at least… they looked normal. Hae-joon shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flickering from a man walking his dog to a woman talking on her phone.
"…You're not going to tell me every single one of them could be…" he lowered his voice, "one of those things, right?"
"I don't know," Arthur said without looking at him.
That didn't help.
"…You don't know?!" Hae-joon whispered harshly. "That's your answer?"
"They don't always show themselves," Arthur replied calmly. "Not unless they need to."
Hae-joon stared at him for a moment before exhaling in frustration. "…I hate everything about this."
Arthur finally turned slightly. "Then stay close."
"I am close!!" Hae-joon shot back.."What you want me to be inside you now??". A pause. "Shit! I mean...uh not like that heh.."
Arthur didn't comment.
They started walking, the city fully waking around them, shops opening, traffic building, voices overlapping into a constant hum. Everything felt alive. Too alive. Like the world had moved on without asking if Hae-joon was ready for it.
"…I need to go home first," he muttered after a while. "I can't just show up to work like this."
"Like what?" Arthur asked, glancing at him.
Hae-joon gestured vaguely at himself. "…Like I just survived a horror movie?"
Arthur looked him over once, briefly. "…You look fine."
Hae-joon stopped for half a second, staring at him. "…That's not the point."
Arthur didn't argue.
They turned a corner, the streets growing quieter, more residential. The noise of the city faded into something softer as Hae-joon slowed slightly. "…It's this way," he said, and Arthur followed without question.
A few minutes later, Hae-joon stopped in front of a small apartment building. "…This is it."
Arthur's gaze swept over the structure, windows, entrances, the people coming and going. Nothing unusual. Or at least nothing obvious.
"…You live alone?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah," Hae-joon replied, pulling out his keys. "Why? You planning to move in?"
Arthur didn't react. "…I need to see inside."
Hae-joon paused mid-motion. "…Excuse me?"
"To make sure it's safe."
Hae-joon stared at him, disbelief clear on his face. "…You're serious."
"Yes."
"…You're not coming inside."
Arthur didn't move.
Hae-joon sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "…You can't just follow me everywhere. I have boundaries."
Arthur tilted his head slightly. "…And those boundaries won't matter if you're dead."
"…Wow," Hae-joon deadpanned. "Great argument."
A brief silence passed before Arthur spoke again. "…Five minutes."
Hae-joon blinked. "What?"
"I check. Then I leave."
"…You promise?"
"…Yes."
Hae-joon narrowed his eyes slightly. "…You don't seem like someone who lies."
"I don't."
"…That's somehow more concerning."
Another pause, then a resigned sigh. "…Fine. Five minutes."
The door clicked open and they stepped inside.
The apartment was small and simple, a couch, a table, books scattered in neat disarray. There was a quiet sense of routine in the space, something lived-in and familiar. Arthur moved slowly, his gaze sweeping across everything, not casually, but carefully, like he was searching for something that didn't belong.
Hae-joon watched him from the side, arms crossed. "…If you start sniffing things, I'm kicking you out."
Arthur ignored him.
He moved from the window to the kitchen, then the hallway, his movements precise and deliberate.
Everything looked normal. Too normal.
"…It's clear," Arthur said finally.
Hae-joon raised a brow. "Wow. Inspection complete?"
Arthur turned back to him. "…For now."
Hae-joon rolled his eyes. "…Yeah. That's comforting."
A moment passed before Arthur spoke again.
"…Get ready."
Hae-joon frowned. "For what?"
"Work."
Hae-joon blinked. "…You're still on that?"
"Yes."
"…You're unbelievable."
Arthur didn't argue. Didn't explain. He simply stood there, waiting.
Hae-joon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "…Fine. Give me ten minutes."
Arthur nodded once. "I'll be here."
Hae-joon pointed at him as he backed toward his room. "…You're not watching me change."
"I won't."
"…You better not."
He disappeared inside, the door shutting behind him.
Silence settled over the apartment.
Arthur stood still, unmoving..but his gaze slowly shifted toward the window.
Across the street, a figure stood there.
Perfectly still.
Watching.
Arthur's expression darkened, just slightly. "…So you followed," he murmured under his breath.
The figure didn't move. Didn't react. It simply stood there, watching.
And then..
it smiled.