Hae-joon walked inside, the usual chaos of the office already in full swing. People talking over each other, papers printing endlessly, keyboards clicking in uneven rhythm.
For a moment, it all felt normal. Like nothing could possibly go wrong.
"Good morning!"
A hand landed on his back.
Hae-joon flinched so hard he almost turned around swinging.
"Jesus!!what is wrong with you?!"
"Woah, woah...relax!" Yuna laughed, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Why are we so tensed this early in the morning?"
"Yuna," he deadpanned, rubbing the back of his neck, "it's 8 a.m. and you just attacked me. Why do you think I'm tensed?"
"That was NOT an attack," she scoffed. "That was a warm, friendly greeting."
"That was violence."
Yuna rolled her eyes dramatically. "God, you need to look on the brighter side of life."
"How do you even have this much energy?" Hae-joon muttered, dropping his bag onto his desk. "Do they secretly pay you double or something?"
"I mean, I wish," she sighed, then immediately perked up again. "But honestly? I don't even care."
Hae-joon narrowed his eyes. "…That's suspicious."
Yuna clasped her hands dramatically, turning her head toward the far end of the office.
"As long as I get to see Hoseok oppa…" she said dreamily.
Hae-joon followed her gaze.
Kang Hoseok stood across the room, laughing easily with a group, effortlessly pulling attention without even trying.
"…I couldn't ask for anything else," Yuna finished, visibly melting.
Hae-joon stared at her.
"…Ew. Stop drooling. That's actually disturbing."
Yuna snapped her head back to him, offended. "Excuse me?! I am NOT drooling."
"You literally are."
"I am appreciating," she corrected sharply. "There's a difference."
"There really isn't."
She narrowed her eyes at him, then smirked slightly. "I swear, if you were gay, you'd be drooling over him too."
Badum.
Hae-joon blinked.
"…What?"
Yuna raised a brow. "What 'what'? Don't act like you didn't hear me."
"No..I mean--why would you just say that so casually?!"
Yuna shrugged, completely unbothered. "Because it's true. Look at him."
Hae-joon instinctively glanced again.
Hoseok was laughing at something someone said, easygoing as ever, completely unaware of the attention he was getting.
"…Okay, yeah, he's good-looking," Hae-joon admitted, turning back. "But I'm not drooling over him at 8 a.m. like a maniac."
"Excuse me? I am NOT a maniac,"
Yuna scoffed. "I am a woman with taste."
"You're a woman with no shame."
"Same thing."
Hae-joon snorted, shaking his head as he dropped his bag onto his desk.
For a moment, things felt… normal again.
Annoyingly normal.
"Still," Yuna added, leaning against his desk now, her tone shifting just slightly, "you look off today."
Hae-joon didn't look at her. "I always look off."
"Not like this," she said. "This is… extra."
"…I didn't sleep well."
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
She stared at him for a second longer, like she was trying to decide whether to believe that..
"…You sure?"
Hae-joon finally glanced at her. "Why do you care so much?"
Yuna shrugged, softer now. "Because you're weirdly quiet today."
That made him pause.
"…I'm not that loud."
"You talk a lot."
"I do not.."
"You do."
"…Okay, maybe a little."
A small silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… there.
"…We're going out later," Yuna suddenly said.
Hae-joon groaned instantly. "No."
"Yes."
"I just got here."
"And you already look like you need it," she shot back. "No excuses."
"…You're exhausting."
"And yet, I'm your favorite."
"That's highly debatable."
Yuna smirked, clearly taking that as a win, before pushing herself off the desk.
"Think about it," she said. "I'll drag you if I have to."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me."
She walked off, leaving Hae-joon alone at his desk.
The noise of the office filled the space again.
Familiar.
Predictable.
Safe.
And yet.
something felt… off.
Hae-joon glanced toward the window.
Sunlight streamed in, people moving outside like nothing had changed.
Like last night hadn't happened.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath.
"…Definitely losing it."
He leaned back slightly, exhaling.
And for no reason at all..
his thoughts flickered.
A voice.
Calm.
Firm.
'Stay close.'
Hae-joon frowned slightly.
"…Weird."
Arthur crossed his mind.
Just for a second.
And then, he forced himself to focus.
Like nothing had changed.
Even though, everything had.