The news hit Jisu like a big boulder and she was completely unable to answer anything. hung open slightly and her eyes reflected how shocked she actually was. The place she called home, the place were she had grown up would disappear just like that? Just disappear without any trace. Her memories, everything she hold dear, the good and the bad moments would disappear just like that?

“What are you saying?” she whispered, Jisu's voice strangely dull in her own ears. “I heard it yesterday from a few kids who live around here. They are devastated and don't know what to do. No one of them have enough money and neither do we. We can't save this place, Jisu.”
It was shocking and a bit terrifying with how much indifference Jongsuk spoke out those words and unintentionally, Jisu stepped back.

It wasn't like Jisu didn't know it but to hear those words coming directly from him, her friend, hit her pretty hard and what she had wanted to say before, stuck like a lump in . “I know.”
Jisu didn't know what kind of an answer Jongsuk expected from her but it seemed like he hadn't expected anything at all. “Do you know to whom this part of the slums will be sold?”
He shrugged with his shoulders and looked at their old house again. Why did he looked like all this didn't concern him at all.

“To the king, I guess. It's his land and property after all.”

Jisu suddenly grabbed Jongsuk's sleeve so that he had to turn his head to her. “You could at least pretend that all this affects you,” she whispered and he dropped his mask immediately. There was pain in his eyes, pain and grieve. “I am just as sad as you but let me say it again. There is nothing we can do, or do you have that much money?”
There was unintentional blame in his voice and Jisu bit her lips while she tried not to show how hurt she was. Jongsuk saw it, of course and he immediately grabbed her hand and shook his head. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It wasn't right for me to say something like this.”

The old Jongsuk Jisu knew shone through again and Jisu smiled a bit. “It's okay. It wasn't right from me to assume that you felt nothing as well.”
As Jongsuk spread his arms, Jisu gave him a bear hug, which he replied with a smile. “Let's go and sit down somewhere. I know a pretty tavern where we can eat and drink.”
Jisu looped his arm into his and together they walked towards the district of the Norgad where the Dragon Harbor was located.

It was a pretty tavern with a homey feel and they chose a table in corner.

“How is work going?” Jisu asked first and Jongsuk sighed tiredly. “It's really exhausting and some of the dragons there are no joke. Wild and rouge and hard to tame. My torso looks like a mess but nothing all too serious.”
As he raised his shirt, Jisu drew a sharp breath. His skin was traversed by scars, most of them really artificially though. “You should be more careful,” she called out but he only chuckled.

“It's alright, as long as I don't die, right?”

Jongsuk sometimes was too careless for Jisu's taste but since he seemed to like his work, Jisu wouldn't dare to talk him out of it. “How is your work doing? Still was tiring as the last time?”
He knew about her work at the palace and how much she hated the head maid. “I think she's trying to kill me... with work!” A sigh came over Jisu's lips but she was happy that she could make Jonsguk smile with her words. “I'm glad though that you are doing well. I'm sorry that I don't come by often.”