Mai Tran, you could say, was someone who liked the rules. She felt as if the rules were there for a reason, and that every citizen should follow them. She liked them especially because following the rules meant less trouble, and when she said rules, not only did she mean the law, but also the rules and guidelines to proper behavior as well. That being said, one cannot help but understand the deepening scowl on her pretty face as she walked into Schatten’s office that noon.

“Has anyone seen Junho?” she asked, for the ninth time since lunch break began.

Taecyeon and Seulong both looked up from their office tables, the former sitting on his chair, while the latter was literally on Taecyeon’s table. Mai stood by the door tapping her foot, waiting for an answer. Both men were in the middle of lunch- takeout boxes, and Mai shook her head as they both took a spoonful of rice before even considering her question.

“No,” Seulong said, crossing his legs and making himself more comfortable.

“I think he’s talking to Fuu about something, he was looking for her earlier this morning. Why?” said the other.

Mai pressed her lips in a tight line before speaking, “We have patrol duty today,” she replied tersely, almost as if it was not a piece of information she wanted to divulge.

The two senior officers snickered to themselves obviously in on some inside joke, and Mai’s scowl turned into a frown.

“Where are you patrolling?” Taecyeon asked.

“Fourth Ave.”

Again the two seniors officers started laughing to themselves, and Mai crossed her arms on her chest, eyeing the two. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing fun ever happens at Fourth Ave., that’s like the boringest place in the district,” Seulong answered.

“Is boringest a word?” Taecyeon asked and Seulong shrugged. “Anyway, since you’ll be there rookie, as an initiation to Schatten, there’s something you need to do for us.”

This did not make Mai happy at all, and while clowns her two senior officers may be, they were seniors nonetheless, and she sighed in resignation.

“There’s this Fourth Avenue cafe, Aff(x)tion, they sell the best banana muffins,” Seulong said, smacking his lips together. “A box would be nice.”

“Oh! And there’s this flower shop right across from it, a dozen red roses, please? I have plans tonight,” Taecyeon added.

Seulong was obviously amused by this and started nudging the other’s shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows. Taecyeon flashed a toothy grin in return, saying ‘tonight was the night’. Mai rolled her eyes and turned to leave, only to stop short as she staggered backwards. Wooyoung had entered the room just as she was leaving, and the two bumped against each other.

“Don’t you have something to say to me?” Mai asked, eyes flashing with irritation as Wooyoung walked past her.

Wooyoung slightly turned towards her, looking at her, judging her. “Your hair is too long.”

Floored, Mai could only watch as Wooyoung silently walked towards his desk. It was beyond understanding how someone like Jang Wooyoung could exist. Senior officer or not, Mai had no patience for him- especially not when it came to her hair. That was a very personal blow. Still, her mind was more focused on getting her duties done, and she rightly let the issue go in continue of her search for her missing partner.

“Don’t forget the muffins!”

“And the flowers!”

Like a dutiful junior, Mai raised a hand as she turned around. She was as respectful as they came, but those two would have to earn their share of the respect first before Mai acknowledged them. Unconsciously, Mai her waist length braid. She, like every other female on the planet, felt a great sense of pride maintaining her hair the way she did. While some may say it was highly inconvenient for her line of work, she refused to have it trimmed.

She made a beeline for Fuu’s office, hoping she would find Junho there, but the computer lab was empty, and as a last resort, Mai pulled out her phone.

“Where are you?”

“At the office, where are you? We’re going to be late for patrol.”

And for the second time in that hour, Mai was utterly floored, smacking her forehead with her palm as she stuffed her phone into her pocket. As Junho had said, he was inside the Schatten office with the rest of the unit members, their captain included.

“Ready? I was looking for you,” Junho said, picking up his gloves and equipment belt from his table and walking towards her.

Mai ignored Taecyeon and Seulong giggling in the background like little girls. They were definitely going to have to earn her respect, and Mai was going to make sure that it wasn’t going to be easy.

Fourth Avenue, just as her senior officers had said, was a strip of road with several establishments lining it. There was nothing more interesting about it than just that. It was by far the most peaceful street in district VII.

“Did you really volunteer to get them muffins from Aff(x)tion?”

Mai gripped the handles of her patrol vehicle tighter as she and Junho parked their motorbikes on the front curb of the shop. “Define volunteer.”

Junho laughed. “I hate being the new kid.”

Mai checked her watch. “You get the muffins, I’ll get the flowers.”

“Another one of your time management strategies?”

Mai ignored Junho’s comment as she crossed the street. She slowly walked into the empty shop, even with the door wide open, the sweet smell of flowers instantly flooded her nose. Different arrangements filled the walls of the shop, every flower in every color she could imagine lined the racks. Why settle for boring roses when there are so many choices?

“Is there a problem officer?”

Mai blinked a couple of times as the owner of the voice wheeled towards her. She was surprised, to say the least. She wasn’t expecting a boy in a wheelchair- she imagined an old lady with a cat. “Just here to run some errands.”

“Errands?”

“Newbie,” Mai smiled, pointing at herself. “Are you...do you work here on your own?”

He laughed. “No, but that’s what happens when you’re the youngest. No regards to disabilities at all.”

Mai didn’t think he meant the last part, but who was she to tell. “I just need a dozen roses and I’m off. I can...I can go get them myself.”

He smiled again, all the way to his eyes, and a smile crept up her face as well. “I’m perfectly capable, thank you.”

Mai watched him push himself towards the back, there were no roses on display, and she was about to ask when something hit her hard on the back. She lurched forward and immediately caught her balance.

“So sorry!”

She looked behind her to see a tall man whose face was obscured by the large flower arrangement he had in his hands. “It’s...okay? Do you need help?”

“I’m fine, did Jinwoon take your order yet?”

Mai’s brows shot up at the question. Jinwoon? The boy in the wheelchair? She opened to speak, but he spoke ahead.

“Never mind, I’ll go find him myself.”

Confused, Mai watched as he disappeared into the back room. She heard some light arguing at the back before the boy in the wheelchair, Jinwoon, resurfaced with the roses on his lap.

“Is everything okay?” Mai asked.

“Sorry you had to witness that,” Jinwoon beamed, a small blush tinting his cheeks, “delivery fail.”

Mai shook her head slightly, again succumbing to Jinwoon’s contagious smile. “It’s fine, so...”

Jinwoon handed her the bouquet, and Mai awkwardly accepted it, wondering how she was going to bring up the issue of having to pay for her purchase.

“Uhm, you know what, just take them,” Jinwoon said, “consider them a gift.”

Mai was about to protest, she wasn’t about to take something for free, especially not when it wasn’t even for herself. In her mind, Ok Taecyeon did not deserve this kind of treatment at all. “I couldn’t possibly just take these.”

She couldn’t think of one moment when Jinwoon wasn’t smiling. “Really, it’s fine. Consider it a way for citizens like us to repay your kind service.”

Mai very seldom bowed- the act was antiquated, forgotten during the war and the numerous colonizations, but there was something about Jinwoon that compelled her to do so. Even though they’ve only met, Mai respected him a great deal. She bid him goodbye, and stepped out of the shop.

…

Taecyeon was the first thing Mai saw the moment she and Junho returned to their unit’s office. He looked agitated, fiddling with the collar and tie of his navy blue uniform. The uniform only making an impact when she saw Wooyoung again. Unlike the others, Wooyoung did not wear his standard uniform, opting to walk around the office in plain clothes and clipping his badge on his belt. Mai had a very strong opinion about him, but whatever it was had to wait as Taecyeon suddenly squealed and scrambled back to his desk. Even Seulong appeared to be behaving.

Mai placed the bouquet on top of his table wondering what could cause such a change in his behavior. The answer came soon enough as Taecyeon suddenly stood from his seat. By the door stood someone Mai was never expecting to see: a woman dressed in a traditional hanbok carrying a basket of what looked like sticky rice cakes.

“Eunhee-ah!” Seulong said, stepping out from his desk and taking the basket from her arms. “So nice of you drop by.” He brought the rice cakes closer to his face and smiled. “These are for us? You’re so nice!”

Im Seulong, Mai concluded, was the most shameless person she had ever met.

Lee Eunhee formally bowed as she greeted the unit, “Good afternoon, I hope I’m not intruding.”

Taecyeon stood up and ushered her in. “Of course not, you’re always welcome here!”

Seulong stepped towards Mai and Junho and offered them the delicacies. “Isn’t Taec’s girlfriend the best? These are homemade, you don’t find stuff like these as easily anymore.”

Junho took a piece. “I didn’t know Taec had a girlfriend.”

Mai frowned at Junho’s use of Taecyeon’s nickname to refer to him. While she didn’t consider him an authority figure, she didn’t consider him as someone close enough to refer to him in the familiar sense either. It should have been the same for Junho as they both met Taecyeon at the same time.

“Just watch what happens next,” Seulong whispered, “show’s about to start.”

Taecyeon cleared his throat loudly, his eyes widening more as their unit captain entered the room.

Changmin nodded at Eunhee’s direction before sliding in right next to Seulong. “Looks like I came in time.”

Taecyeon took a big gulp of air, and dropped down on one knee. After a moment’s thought, he stood up again, and grabbed the roses on top of his table. He looked like he was reciting something in his head, and once he was done, he repeated his earlier actions.

Mai’s eyes widened at the sight of Taecyeon down on one knee, she was probably just as shocked as Eunhee was. The other members of the unit, however, didn’t seem surprised at all. Seulong was actually taking a video of the whole thing while Changmin gave commentary, whispering into the camera mic. Junho just watched in rapt interest, and Wooyoung? Mai’s eyes slid to where he was sitting. He looked bored as usual, and when Taecyeon handed Eunhee the roses, he stood from his seat and left the room, brushing past Mai’s shoulder.

Taecyeon pulled out a small box from his pocket and a small gasp escaped Eunhee’s lips. Mai gasped too, though only to herself, much unlike the exaggerated gasps from the remaining seniors at her side.

“Lee Eunhee,” Taecyeon said, eyes watering and voice breaking. “This is me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you.” He opened the little red velvet box, revealing a silver band with a brilliant princess cut stone set in the middle. Another loud gasp resounded across the room, and Mai clenched her fists tightly behind her back.

“I’ll protect you and be with with you forever. I’ll risk my life for you, bet every breath for you, will all the power in me I’ll love you. This is me kneeling in front of you telling you I’ll make you happy.”

When Eunhee didn’t answer immediately Taecyeon stood up and cleared his throat again. “I-I prepared something for you.” He pushed a button on his computer, and a slow piano ballad began to play. “The only thing I can give you is this song-”

“Just say yes!” Seulong blurted out. “Unless you want to hear him sing?” he added, shrinking behind Changmin as Taecyeon glared at him.

With Eunhee’s back turned to her, Mai didn’t know how she was going to gauge the reaction, until Taecyeon released a huge sigh of relief, clutching at his heart in the most exaggerated way Mai thought possible.

Loud cheering emanated from beside her, and Seulong and Changmin jumped at Taecyeon to congratulate him, the video camera shoved into Junho’s hands and the younger officer followed his seniors around.

Mai smiled to herself as she watched her boys- her? Just yesterday, just a few minutes ago in fact, she was unable to refer to them in association with her. She shook her head slightly at how much had changed in a matter of minutes. Taecyeon wasn’t so bad, she thought, and maybe even Seulong had some hidden charm to him. Feeling a cold rush of air at the back of her neck, her smile faltered somewhat. Surreptitiously she glanced behind her, outside their office, near the large wooden announcement board, stood Wooyoung with his hands inside his pockets. Mai leaned back against the wall, this time fully turning her head to look at him, wondering how someone could be so distant. He was a mystery, and no matter how much she disliked him, she couldn’t help but be drawn to him at the same time.