By the time press conferences had finished, and the rest of the work day had passed them by in a flash, it was already late in the evening. Jihoon trudged past Seungcheol when they got back to the house, falling down on the couch by the window, a gift from his guardian angel, Jisoo. Despite it being the absolute bear minimum of hospitality, he was glad to have somewhere to sleep other than the floor, even if it was just a temporary fix until Seungcheol came around to buying him a bed. He was tough, but acting like a stray dog in the house of his mortal nemesis was humiliating.

Although, even with the awkwardness, Seungcheol's bed was still a hundred times more comfy than this. No couch cushion could beat a firm, posturepedic mattress.

His mind was buzzing with thoughts as he laid, barely allowing any of his energy to be spent on trying to sleep, not when the mystery of Copycat Vulcan was still up in the air. Something was screaming at him to drop everything and look into it... But he couldn't. He would have to wait until his next counseling session to get any kind of insight.

The doctor had probably heard about what had happened by now, and knowing how much of a stickler that guy was about ‘everything going to plan, he definitely won’t be happy. But worse than anything, what if the guy in the suit really ends up being Chan?

Before making any decisions, he’d have to confirm whether or not Chan was still in Seoul.

His vision darkened with the presence of a person stepping before him. Jihoon squinted up, taken aback to see Seungcheol, looming over him with an embarrassed frown.

"What?"

Seungcheol coughed into his sleeve, looking away. "I think... We should talk about last night."

His eyes widened at the reminder, smothering his obvious surprise with a teasing smile. "I mean, We don't have to... We could convince head-ups to erase my memory instead."

"Jihoon, please be serious."

He huffed in defeat, sitting up to face him properly.

Seungcheol took the gesture as initiative to sit beside him on the couch, all while staring forward, as if looking into Jihoon's eyes while he spoke would set off a bomb in the apartment.

"So, uh... Do you remember everything?" he asked, hands folded at his knees.

"It's hazy but..." He swallowed. "Yeah, pretty much everything."

Jihoon watched as Seungcheol sighed into his palms, obviously distressed at the news.. which, honestly? It kind of made him feel like dog ... Sure, it was a drunken mistake, but was the idea of sleeping with him really such a nightmare to this man? He didn't like Seungcheol, but he'd be lying out his if he said he didn't find him attractive... And if had to get deflowered by someone, it might as well be with a hunk like him.

His eyes flickered down to his lap self-consciously.. Was he... not his type or something?

"How far did we go?" Seungcheol asked quickly, somehow hopeful they'd just kissed like teens instead of bumping uglies through the night.

Jihoon crossed his arms, mumbling through a pout. "We went all the way, Captain Obvious..."

Seungcheol turned to him, finally. And taken aback by the sudden confrontation, Jihoon felt himself leaning away, heart thudding in his chest unwillingly.

His gaze held his firmly, with an almost concerned expression knitting at the divots between his eyebrows. "Did I do anything that made you uncomfortable? Or.. anything you didn't want me to do?" He asked without a hint of humour in his voice, leaning towards him with an earnest sense of concern.

Jihoon flushed up to his ears as he did. He knew what he was asking, but it really felt like Seungcheol wanted him to come out and tell him that he'd... enjoyed it. Again, he'd be lying if he said it was a horrible experience, but... He coughed away his thoughts, attempting to explain the way one would in a business setting. "I.. gave you consent, if that's what you're asking."

Finally, Jihoon wasn't the only one in the room who looked visibly uncomfortable.

Seungcheol looked away, again. "If you're okay with it, I think we can just.... let this matter go."

"That's the best idea you've ever had."

"But, uh... It would be best for the both of us that this matter stays between us."

Jihoon blinked, confused. "Isn't that obvious?"

Seungcheol twined his own fingers together at his lap, looking at Jihoon with an anxious frown. He'd seen very few emotions in this man since he'd known him... Anger, annoyance, and drunken lust were the three most memorable of the bunch; Nervousness was rare.

"Yeah, but... You'd be surprised how loose-lipped some people can be. It's just, I can't get into any more big scandals this year. It's one thing that you're my ex-nemesis, and my current partner, but it's... I need to uphold my image, you know?..."

Jihoon kept his mouth shut as he spoke, but he felt his chest tightening despite holding onto a dispatched front. The problem wasn’t what they’d done... It was who he’d done it with. He chewed his lip, finding some difficulty in holding eye contact when the topic felt so personal.

"You mean, they can't know that you're gay, right?"

“That’s...” He held his tongue, unable to find a better excuse as to why.“Yeah, exactly.”

“I’m surprised that’s even an issue for you..” Jihoon mumbled, slightly peeved. “I don’t think anyone would harass you even if you were out... Couldn’t you just knock their homophobic asses into the sun and call it a day?”

Seungcheol sighed. “I can’t just go around beating up anyone who wants to criticize me.” He explained. “All I can do is minimize the parts of me that people could pick apart.”

He recognized a hint of insecurity within that somber expression, which was odd too see in a man who had nothing less than the greatest power and influence out of anyone he knew. On the outside, he was the cookie cutout of a nuclear family-man... Hardly anyone knew what Sergeant Coups was like behind the scenes... And in regards to his orientation, Jihoon might be the only one.

This... was a weakness, wasn’t it?

He dug his nails into the fabric at his knees, biting back the nauseous feeling pooling at his gut. “I"m not going to tell anyone... We're in the same boat, here.”

He sighed, turning away to conceal the hint of a smile. “I guess you're right.... Thank you, Jihoon; I'll see you in the morning.”

Jihoon nodded, watching as Seungcheol stood from the couch and left for his bedroom. When the door clicked shut, Jihoon snatched the blanked off the back of the couch, rolling up under the covers with an anxious feeling bubbling at the pit of his stomach.

It should be a good thing that he knew... This meant he was one step closer to being done with this whole stupid plan.

But, this didn’t feel fair. What kind of a cheep bastard outs a guy to try to take them down?

He sighed into his palms, whining for a while until the light-bulb in his mind flickered with an idea to avoid that guilty sensation poking him in the .

He could just... not say anything. Seungcheol had to have other weaknesses he could exploit, right? This kind of petty weakness would inconvenience him at most, so it wasn't worth telling the doctor.

With a sense of relief brushing away the worries at the back of his mind, Jihoon forced himself to get some shut-eye.

~

When morning graced him with the blinding stream of lights peeking past the tops of mountains, Jihoon found himself harrumphing back to work at the -crack of dawn, grumbling exhaustively in Seungcheol stupid, fancy- car, and plopped down in his tinkering garage, tweaking a new pair of guns to replace the ones that’d been squashed beneath a metal foot the day before.

The worst part about not having powers had to be the maintenance...

He sat in the garage without anyone bothering him, as any engineers around him were busy like bees, maintaining Mansae’s facilities day-in and say-out. Seungcheol left him alone here as long as they weren’t being called in for jobs, or getting summoned to write permissions. Not that Jihoon minded having some alone time, anyways.

But even though their morning together was brief, Jihoon couldn’t help but notice some strange behavior..

Rather than getting kicked awake and dragged around by an angry, unwilling Sergeant douche-wad... He’d woken up to the light beyond the windows, a tap on his shoulder, and the savory smell of toast, plopped down in front of him along with a fresh change of clothes, and enough time to take a proper shower.

An air of awkwardness was burning between them, as Seungcheol’s usual dickish vocabulary was bare, replaced with something completely unfamiliar to him. There was no bossing him around the house today, no threats, no insults, nothing besides a placid prompt to get ready, and a reminder to wear his suit in case of another emergency.

A part of him was screaming in warning. Why the would Seungcheol be acting polite towards him all of a sudden? What happened to the ‘I hate criminals, especially the one named Jihoon’ attitude?

Of course, there was one obvious possibility... He’d told Jihoon to keep a secret for him the night before. It could be insurance to make sure Jihoon wouldn’t spill the beans in a bout of petty rage. But then again, did Seungcheol really think he was shallow enough to do such a thing? Had he not proven himself to be trustworthy at all??

To be fair, Seungcheol was right to be cautious... He was his enemy, but it still felt ty to realize that the line he was walking on was so ing thin.

On the other hand... There was another possibility. Although very unlikely, and probably just a result of Jihoon’s overzealous optimism.. Could it be that he was starting to like him? Even just a little? That could explain why he’d started warming up a bit since their little ‘bonding’ session.... Looking at it realistically, he went from threatening to kill him and making him sleep on the floor, to kissing him against a window and making a plate of buttered toast for him in the morning. Yeah, the kissing was intoxicated and clearly driven by anger, and the toast was a bit burnt, but it was progress!

Jihoon really had to wonder if that was a good thing, though. After a few weeks of being tied together as partners, he couldn’t help but find himself facing a completely unexpected and jarring discovery.

As much as Seungcheol was a stubborn, hard-headed, ... He also wasn’t the cliche’, one-dimensional super-jackass he’d painted him as all this time... If he had been, telling Yoon about his ual orientation would be a breezy walk through the park.

Under layers and layers of mistrust and cover-up, the inhuman figure which played the role of Sergeant Coups was just... a person.

“Mr. Park?”

Jihoon looked up from his work, which had undergone a staggering lack of progress, seeing as he’d been spending his time pondering rather than sawdering.

The moment his eyes reached the voice calling him from above, he froze.

“Seok-”

“I-It’s nice to meet you!” The man interrupted in a fit of fluster, extending a hand of greeting. “My name is Mr. Lee, I’m Doctor Yoon’s assistant. I’m here to you to today's counseling session.”

Jihoon shut his mouth, remembering quickly that in this scenario, he and Seokmin should be strangers. Though seeing him here out of the blue was more surprising than he cared to admit. Of course, anyone working with doctor Yoon must also have some connection to Mansae.

“Yeah, nice to meet you.” He humoured his act with a smirk, taking Seokmin’s hand in his own and pulling himself to his feet.

Seokmin returned the smile discreetly, gesturing to the door. “Follow me.”

When they got to his office, Seokmin bowed at the entrance, leaving them alone for their session. Once he was out of sight, Jihoon crossed his arms, looking up at the Doctor with a glower. “Why didn’t you tell me he works here?”

“Who, Seokmin?” The doctor asked with a playful smirk, feigning innocence.

“Who else?”

He chuckled. “It’s not as though I hid it from you. He only just started working here yesterday.”

“Give me a warning next time, then...” Jihoon sighed, leaning back nonchalantly in his chair.

In response, Yoon leaned forward, resting his elbows against his desk as he laced together his fingers at his chin, peering past his spectacles with a warm expression. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

He answered with a nod, not bothering to straighten up.

“Since we didn’t get a chance to talk privately last time, why don’t tell me how your prescribed break really went.” He prompted with a teasing tone to his voice. “Did you two really bond as you’ve claimed?”

He found his eyes flickering to the wall in a sudden fluttering of his chest, anxious. The doctor had told him to get close to the Sergeant, so he’d surely be thrilled to find out Jihoon had already coerced the guy into bed with him... But this wasn’t really something he’d care to admit. “We’ve definitely gotten closer.”

“How so?”

After straightening in his chair, Jihoon’s hands fell to his knees, fiddling with a loose string on his pants below the table. “At first he was pretty unwilling to cooperate... But Mr. Hong brought us some alcohol and convinced us to talk it out. I was surprised, but he actually sat and drank with me.”

The doctor hummed, eyes tracking down to his lips subtly. “And what did you two talk about? Anything interesting?”

“A few things... But, there was only one thing he'd said that stood out to me.”

He clicked his pen, intrigued.

“When I mentioned something about his parents, he got pretty pissed off. He wouldn’t elaborate as to why, but you can probably look into that on your end. I’m guessing they’ve got a bad relationship or something.” He ignored the squeeze of discomfort in his gut. If he was going to hold up his end of this deal, he’d have to get over this strange sense of betrayal holding him back.

But, to be honest, his relationship with the doctor was a lot less personal than his current relationship with Seungcheol. It made it difficult for him to push past the wall of loyalty he'd forced himself to build.

“Hm...” He looked up after writing, smirking. “You say he got angry... Does the cut on your lip have anything to do with that?”

Jihoon, looked away, heart spiking. “Yeah... He punched me.”

“Oh my, are you okay now?” Yoon’s eyes widened, leaning forward to hold Jihoon’s chin in a gentle grip, angling his face towards him again. He stared down at his lip concernedly. “Thankfully, it seems like he didn’t put much power into that punch... I’m not sure if you’d have survived if he had.”

Shaking away the puzzle in his expression, Jihoon pulled away from the doctors touch. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. He’s not the kind of guy who’d kill someone so easily.”

“Well... I’m not so sure about that.”

Jihoon turned to the doctor in surprise, watching as his expression shifted, so briefly dark that Jihoon had to wonder if he’d imagined it. Because in a blink, the doctor was smiling again.

“What do you mean?” He asked quickly.

“Well, none of us really know Seungcheol that well. I can’t say for certain what he would and would not do.” He shuffled through his papers, ignoring the curious gaze of the boy before him. “Now, lets talk about yesterday.”

Finally. “Yeah, right. Why the hell am I being impersonated?”

The doctor sighed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out...”

Jihoon watched as the doctor’s face fell from teasing and calm, to something frustrated. Just as he'd expected, Yoon wasn't happy about this development.

“I knew that you had an underground following... But it feels too soon for a copycat to make an appearance.” He explained. “Not to mention, you, the Vulcan, never made any indication of retirement before you left. If another Villain wanted to take your place, they’d be stupid to do so while the Vulcan’s status remains ambiguous.”

“Why? If they waited, wouldn’t people just assume they’re a fake, then?”

He shook his head. “The design and functionality of their suit is similar enough that people wouldn’t question it. It’s just reckless for them to make an appearance now. As far as they know, the real Vulcan could reappear and take back their place at any time.”

He watched as the doctor fiddled with his papers, tapping a nail against the wood of his desk in consideration....

“Then why would they show up now?” Jihoon asked, swallowing.

“I don’t know... That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. Maybe they’re after the fame that the Vulcan left behind.” His eyes flickered up, expression serious. “Or maybe they’re trying to provoke you into coming back.”

Jihoon sat back in his chair, thinking. Obviously, another guy showing up out of nowhere wasn’t something the doctor had taken into account when he made this plan. And if this person starts to become a bigger issue, they’d be smart to take care of it early on.

Except... what about the possibility of the guy in the suit being Chan? There was nobody outside of Mansae better acquainted with how the Vulcan worked. If anyone was going to recreate that suit, it would be him.

“Did you notice anything strange about this copycat? The fact that he called you out specifically is worrying to me...” Doctor Yoon looked at Jihoon with a firm gaze, faintly cynical. “Could it be... somebody you know?”

He wiped the sweat on his palms against his knees, swallowing back overflowing nerves. “They acted as if they knew me... So, I think you’re right. But how am I supposed to know who they are when they're wearing the Vulcan?” He scoffed. “I guess I shouldn’t have used such a foolproof method to hide my identity, huh?”

Doctor Yoon let out a laugh at that, picking up his pen again. “I guess you’re right...” He clicked the back, expression tightening as he thought. “If they show up again, pay close attention, And if you have any idea as to who they are, I want you to report back to me as soon as you can.”

“Roger that.”

“But you absolutely cannot let Sergeant Coups capture him.”

Jihoon’s smile fell, heart beating. “Why?”

He chewed the nail of his thumb as he spun in his office-chair, staring off. “The Vulcan’s DNA is still on-file. If this copycat gets caught, they’re going to cross-examine the samples to see if it’s the same guy.” His eyes turned back to Jihoon, squinting. “And now that your profile has been updated, it will all rebound back to you, Jihoon.”

The sweat of his palms rested against his sweats, withholding a calm demeanor despite his worries persisting. “Got it... Though, I don’t know how you expect me to hold the Sergeant back. I’m like an ant compared to him.”

He chuckled. “Just do your best. Knowing how clever you are, I’m sure you’ll think of a way.”

Jihoon sighed... yeah right.

The doctor stacked his papers together at his desk, a sign that their meeting was over. But before he could stand and direct him to the door, Jihoon gathered up some courage to speak his mind.

“Hey, Doc? I have a favour to ask...”

His eyes turned to him with a sweet expression, eager to oblige. “Yes?”

“I’m... curious about how Chan’s doing at university. Is there any way you could hack into their systems and check his grades and stuff?” Jihoon chuckled, chest tightening as he stared down at his lap. “I just... I want to make sure he’s doing okay...”

The doctor comforted him with a hand against his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Of course. I’ll send somebody to go check up on him immediately. Don’t worry, okay?”

Jihoon nodded, turning up to smile at the doctor, looking into his eyes. His expression was calm and empathetic, his hands were warm, but the anxious thudding of his chest rung in his ear like a silent warning. If word got back that Chan hadn’t enrolled at school, he’d know for sure.

Though if it turns out that copycat really is Chan, he'd have to think up a plan asap. He wasn’t about to let him fall into the hands of Mansae...

~

Seungcheol listened to the ticking of the clock idly, tapping a nail against the wood of his desk as Jisoo’s daily afternoon report began to fade against the background noise.

It was only afternoon now... But still, it was quiet. He hadn’t been called in for a job all day, which he should be grateful for. It meant that the people of the city were safe for the moment, and it gave him time to take a much needed break.

The problem was that... nobody had bothered him at all. By now, he usually expected to be paged down to where Jihoon worked, forced to sign away at permission papers, or nagged about food and supplies, or... Well, anything. The lack of communication made him nervous... It made him think that rascal was off getting himself in trouble again.

“Seungcheol?” Jisoo asked, leaning see his face clearly. “Did you hear what I said?”

He straightened up, waving away those menial distractions in an attempt to focus. “Sorry, what was that?”

“As I was saying, the media has been overwhelmingly supportive of your current partnership with Jihoon. According to our numbers, approval rates of the program soared after yesterdays battle! He fought with your arch nemesis on nearly equal footing, and proved that he had more than just tricks up his sleeve. I think joining this program has been a blessing in disguise, don’t you?”

“uhuh..”

“Not to mention, we’ve started to receive sponsorship offers from numerous universities. His lack of powers makes him a perfect role-model candidate for aspiring young kids, so the company plan's on using him in our upcoming recruitment campaign.”

Seungcheol nodded faintly. “Right...”

“Is something wrong, sir?”

He looked up from his desk, and although Jisoo was still smiling, it was obvious that he was getting sick of his sudden inability to concentrate.

Seungcheol sighed. “Sorry, uh.. Where’s Jihoon?”

“Oh...” He made a face of brief confusion, flipping through his clipboard to check the schedule. “He was scheduled for a meeting with Doctor Yoon at 11am this morning, and now he should be working on his suit in the garage.. Shall I call for him?”

“What? No...” He looked down, expression hidden. “Was anything reported back?”

“Well... The contents of those meetings are strictly confidential, but Mr. Lee reported to have escorted him to and from the meeting without a hitch.”

He turned his eyes up to his assistant, curiosity peeked at the mention of an unfamiliar figure. “Mr. Lee?”

“Lee Seokmin, sir. He was hired on Mr. Yoon’s recommendation just yesterday, so he’s quite new to the company.” Jisoo explained.

As expected, his knowledge of the ongoings at the company was flawless... There was a reason Seungcheol had chosen him as his assistant.

“I’ll introduce you next time we meet with Dr. Yoon.”

“Then how’s the status on civilian safety? The city seems quiet today.” He stretched his fingers out, flipping through the status report from yesterday, displayed on his desk.

“There haven't been any major incidents today, and the B-class hero’s patrolling the area have been reporting back regularly. It’s been smooth sailing so far.” Jisoo finished with a smile, resting his clipboard at his side. “You have nothing scheduled until later in the afternoon, would you like to order lunch now?”

Seungcheol considered the offer with a hum, shooting his gaze down to the rapid buzzing of his pacer.

Direct Message from Private Hoon: I’m hungry.

 

“Speak of the devil..” Seungcheol stood from his desk, grabbing his suit jacket from the coat-rack as he made his way past Jisoo. “I’m going out for lunch, today.”

“Oh, alright! Should I call your chauffeur?” Jisoo questioned, trailing close behind.

“Yes please.”

“And should I order some lunch for Jihoon as well?”

Seungcheol shook his head. “No need, I’ll just take him with me.”

“Okay sir...” Jisoo slowed to a stop, blinking in confusion as he watched Seungcheol’s figure trudge ahead.

Was he just... smiling?

~

The nudge of a shoe against the small of his back had him twisting over from his work, eyes rounded as they focused on Seungcheol, stood above him with crossed arms.

“What’s up?” Jihoon asked as he lifted his visor, blowing away the hair sticking to his forehead with a puff of air.

“Get up, we’re going to lunch.”

He set down his tools, hopping up to dust away the dust and dirt littering his sweatpants. “Why don’t we just order? I’m not done with repairs yet.”

Seungcheol scoffed. “So what, you want to keep wasting my money on takeout? You can finish after lunch.”

“I really doubt my measly takeout order puts a dent in your finances, Mr. Moneybags.... And don’t you get paid to take care of me, anyways?”

Jihoon frowned up at Seungcheol in defiance, who matched his gaze with a stern expression, unmoved.

“Come on, I need to get back before 3.” he insisted, turning away without sparing the argument another thought.

Pulling on his boots in a rushed fashion, Jihoon obliged, skipping forward to follow him. Seungcheol hid his face behind a mask and sunglasses as they walked, nudging Jihoon’s side with a handful of similar disguises to choose from.

“Your hair makes you stick out like a sore thumb, so wear a hat at least.”

He slipped on the accessories without protest, knowing damn well that he’d rather wear a hat than risk getting recognized by the press. The most time he spent outside these days was the brief moment of freedom he had between the company building and Seungcheol’s car. he hadn't gotten recognized outside his suit yet, and He'd like to keep it that way.

They drove to a place close by, a small, fancy brunch place in the snobby McRich district of downtown Seoul. A part of him wanted to tease Seungcheol for being so obnoxiously lavish, but walking in his shoes put things into an interesting perspective. He could kind of understand why Seungcheol would choose such a high-bill restaurant over somewhere easy and cheap.

Looking around, the restaurant had plenty of private tables and booths... And of the patrons he could see, hardly anybody spared them a passing glance as they made their way to the front. They were all rich and/or famous enough to mind their own business, leaving the chance of them being discovered slim to none.

“Table for two, thanks.” Seungcheol spoke to the waiter, who bowed, directing them to their table in a secluded corner of the restaurant.

He handed out the menu’s, describing the specials articulately, and in such a snobish fashion that Jihoon hardly understood a word he was saying, instead opting to read through the titles of the entrees to find something to eat.

But rather than food, the price-tag is what drew his attention on the page.

“Sheesh... Forget about my takeout draining your wallet.” He griped, feeling dizzy at the sheer amount of zero’s printed beside each dish. “Why is this so expensive? Is the steak dipped in gold?”

“Are you really going to complain? It's my money, so just order whatever you want.” he waved the waiter over with a hand, reading through the menu with a nonchalant expression. “I’ll have the Croquet Monsieur, and a glass of water.”

he shut his menu, nodding to Jihoon as a prompt to order as well.

“Uh... I’ll have the same.” He spoke in a rushed fashion, unfamiliar with the french names of the dishes, and lacking confidence in his ability to pronounce a dish chosen a random.

“Would you like soup or a salad as an entree? Today’s soup of the day is Tourin à l'ail.”

“I’ll have the soup.” Seungcheol answered.

Jihoon sighed, closing his own menu. “Same for me..”

Even though he didn't have a clue as to what they'd ordered, he was sure anything with that many zero's would be prepared deliciously,

After jotting down their order, the waiter left them alone, Shooting Jihoon a final passing glance to seal in his growing sense of incompatibility. He must look ridiculous sitting in front of his suit-and-tie partner in grease-stained slacks and a hoodie.

He tugged at his sleeve, shrinking in his chair. The worst part about this job had to be the inconsistency of his schedule... If only he knew when they’d get called in for a job, he wouldn’t have to keep his suit on underneath his regular clothes. It was uncomfortable as hell.

And what's worse... was the inconsistent behaviour of his partner.

He peeked up at Seungcheol, who sat before him in silence, the direction of his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. It was unfortunate that nobody else was aware that Seungcheol was hiding his identity, because anybody looking would assume he was just a douche-bag who wore sunglasses indoors...

“What?”

Jihoon jumped, just now realizing that Seungcheol was aware of his staring. “N-nothing..”

The quiet chatter of restaurant goers and piano music whirred in the background as Jihoon shot his attention to his lap, thinking. Why would Seungcheol invite him out to lunch, anyways? He usually avoided him at all cost...

“How was your meeting with Yoon?” Seungcheol asked in a low voice.

Jihoon waited to answer, as drinks and soups were set down before them on the table, along with a hefty basket of fresh bread for them to share. He watched the waiter walk away, buttering a slice of baguette as he spoke. “It was fine... I told him about out beautifully blooming friendship, and he ate it up like a pig.”

Whether or not Seungcheol was angry at his wording was ambiguous, but Jihoon couldn’t help but smirk as he watched Seungcheol pushing back his glasses, staring him down like a villainous mob boss.

“We talked about yesterday, too” He continued with a breath of frustration, chewing on bread as his mind wandered to that new source of burden.

Seungcheol seemed to notice, taking a shot at what he thought was weighing Jihoon down. “Don’t worry about yesterday... The Vulcan is on a level of his own, so It’s not surprising that he got away. Next time, you can leave him to me.”

He blinked up in confusion. Did this really believed that guy was the Vulcan?... Sure, the model and fighting style was practically identical, but couldn’t Seungcheol at least differentiate between their personalities? They’d been enemies for years, and he couldn’t tell the difference... Figures...

“Are you sure he was the Vulcan? I mean... I don’t remember the Vulcan having the ability to camouflage itself.” He spoke past a curious glance, hoping to break through that rock-hard skull with some logic.

Seungcheol hummed, expression unreadable. “That kind of small change in the Vulcan isn’t unusual...” He explained, lifting his spoon to his lips. “The Vulcan has often undergone mechanical changes between fights, but the basic design was always the same.”

Jihoon looked off, feeling awkward. “But, what if this time it’s different? What if it’s a different person altogether?”

Seungcheol was stuck on his words for a moment, almost as if he was reluctant to answer. He put down his spoon and took a drink of water, setting the glass down with a thump. Behind those sunglasses, Jihoon could see the slightest tinge of blue peeking through.

Although he didn’t show it through his actions or words, it was obvious that he was angry that yesterday’s Vulcan had gotten away.

“I’ll only know if I get the chance to take him on... I know his fighting style better than anyone.”

“Then, you’re not sure yet?”

He sat back, replying pointedly. “You act as though you already know.”

Jihoon flailed. “No way! I’m just... I got a weird feeling from that guy when I was fighting him yesterday.” His heart thumped up to his ears, anxious. “He seemed different from the Vulcan on TV.... Less funny.”

“There’s nothing funny about him. I’m sure you already know that watching through a screen is a lot different than the real deal; His words are nothing more than cheep aggravation tactics.”

“I... guess so.” he frowned, blowing angry bubbles into his water as he thought. He was right, but... He wasn’t funny? Not even a teeny weeny little bit funny?

The waiter returned with the main course, bringing their brief conversation to a hold as he set down plates and refilled waters.

He looked up at Seungcheol through his lashes, heart thudding. The direction of his gaze was hidden, but the illusion of eye-contact through the veil of his sunglasses sent an unwaranted flutter of butterflies through him, which was annoying more than anything.

He shouldn’t be feeling this way... Seungcheol was eating in front of him as though Jihoon wasn’t even there. But no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on eating the delicious, free, and steaming meal placed below his nose, his mind was stuck on the idiot in front of him.

Maybe it was the fact that Seungcheol couldn’t remember, which allowed him to be so indifferent... And maybe it was the fact that he did, which made Jihoon feel so offended.

Because after meeting with him now, a third reason for Seungcheol’s actions was lingering in his mind... One which he’d forced back and shook his head at to save his fleeting sense of pride.

Maybe it wasn’t insurance to keep Jihoon from running his mouth, and it wasn’t that he was growing fonder of Jihoon... Maybe, the simple reason for all of this was that Seungcheol felt sorry for him...

“Why did you invite me to lunch?” He asked quickly, staring down at his plate with a bitter feeling overwhelming his common sense.

“Do I need a reason to eat lunch with you?” He sighed. “It’s convenient to eat together since we’re partners, don’t overthink it.”

Jihoon looked up. “Then what about this morning?”

“What?”

“The... toast.” He grumbled, embarrassed. “And your attitude. What’s with the sudden one-eighty, huh?”

Seungcheol scoffed. “Seriously? You’re mad that I made you toast?”

“I’m not mad, I just want to know why you did it.”

he set down his utencils, rubbing at his temple as he spoke. “Why should I have to explain anything to you? I’m just trying to play my role... You know, as your mentor?” He picked up his cup in annoyance, ignoring Jihoon's burning gaze as he drank.

Jihoon chuckled begrudgingly, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “Play your role, huh? Last time I checked, nothing in your contract said anything about taking me out to lunch... Shouldn't you have done this before you popped my cherry?”

Seungcheol choked, spitting up water onto his lap as he coughed up a lung, complexion reddened.

"Jeeze, slow down on the water.” Jihoon stood up with a tsk, bundling up napkins in his hand.

“Wha-” Seungcheol’s voice caught when he leaned forward, shielding his expression with his palms. “What the hell are you doing??”

Jihoon furrowed his brows as he sopped up the mess, patting at his lap with napkins like it was second nature. He was used to this happening with the kids, after-all... But he’d really never imagined he’d be cleaning up after his mortal enemy in the middle of a fancy- brunch spot. “You really need to stop choking on your drinks. This is the second time you’ve... Uh...”

Jihoon froze, realizing with another tentative pat of his hand, that he’d just been rubbing at Seungcheol’s over his pants, and hadn’t even realized until Sergeant Junior had woken up from his aggressive attempt at 'cleaning'.

Secrebleu...

“Sorry!” he stood with his hands up, backing away with a frazzled expression.

Seungcheol sighed. “It’s fine, Its... Did... did you just say I took your-”

“Everybody get down with your hands in the air! This is a mothering stick-up!”

A gunshot sounded, blasting through the roof in a flurry of dust, drawing an outcry of fear from the others. Jihoon was pulled into the booth beside Seungcheol before he could even register what had happened, avoiding the blood-thirsty gaze of the restaurants intruders by the skin of his teeth. He peered past the room at the leader of the crook's, strutting around with his posse of goons, waving machine-guns around like they were trophies.

“...” Jihoon looked back at Seungcheol, whispering. “What should we do?”

Seungcheol bit his lip, seemingly caught with an unexpected case of cold-feet. “I’ll think of something, just... wait.”

“Wait? For what? Let’s just take care of them quickly..”

Jihoon watched as Seungcheol looked away with a sheepish expression, flushed up to his ears.

“I.... can’t”

He made a face of confusion, following with his eyes as he gestured towards his lap, until Jihoon finally realized why.

“, oh ... That's uh...” He looked away, ashamed. "Sorry..."

Seungcheol sighed. “They don’t seem that smart, but their weapons look dangerous. I need you to make a diversion, long enough to keep them from getting trigger-happy. I’ll come in from behind and take them out in one go... once I’m, you know.”

Jihoon nodded. “Gotcha, leave it to me, partner.”

Usually he wouldn’t comply to a plan so easily, but as long as Seungcheol was in this state, he couldn’t change into his uniform...

No matter how slash-proof, bullet-proof or fire-retardant their spandex uniforms were, there was one thing they couldn’t protect them from... Something far more serious than any outside threat.

These stupid, flimsy suits were far from -proof...