The Equation of Hearts

√𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩ

He had shown her his small apartment. The furniture within the loft was still dusty and covered in white tarps to break through the mundane browns and blues of the place otherwise. So he either hadn't been there for long at all, or didn't have the time to settle for a comfortable living space. When she asked, his reply was aggravatingly cryptic, "function exceeds comfort. In return for safety, an animal loses its ability to survive," so whatever that meant, she was yet to figure out. Though she found it strange how he treated her. He seemed so close yet so distant to her. He kept things to himself and still was emotionally connected to her. He would smother her in passive ways, like when he played with her freckles absently, and also barely face her when they spoke in his living space. Though she was charmed at the fact he had to crouch to get through doors. But after settling a plan and returning to her husband, calming her panicked and enraged family with the proposition she did and letting the process befall them all, she felt her life return to normal.

There was something rather enchanting about the thought of Kato though. He told her the differences between her and his mother, who was still her but regardless. Like that emotional control claim. And other strange links. Like when she wore her glasses to better see the diagram he had already planned - impressive how it branched off as much as it did in each direction - he mentioned, "so my brother gets his poor vision from you. We always assumed it was father,"

The comment alone had her wondering who this man was. Though she didn't think too much of it. Difficult with her life around her and of course, the tension of the plan not working out. How would she help him? She supposed she wouldn't be able to, and she wouldn't see him again. Oh well.

So she resumed her life without thinking of it for a week. Where she didn't actually leave the house - she wasn't allowed until her bodyguard arrived. Even if that meant staying home alone.

So the day arrived when her assigned bodyguard was to arrive. A knock on the door (she was home alone) she answered. Being met brightly by Sora. An average-heighted man for a Korean, with light brown hair that was bleached by the ends. He was stylish and young, though also 38. With tanned skin from sun exposure and a built stature from how much he fought - an active soldier past the required two years all Korean men had to do.

Kato knew him from his own world by different means. Still very much similar to every degree: attitude, appearance and personality. Just in a different context.

He smiled and crossed his arms while looking down at Elena. She raised a brow and let in the man, who guided in a unit of a man behind him. She couldn't say she recognised the man instantly, who wore a baggy hooded vest and sweatpants. His arms were dotted with only a few scars, and trained to their muscular peak as it seemed. He had short, black hair with a rather discreet undercut, a fringe he parted through the middle to better frame his face and a white blindfold to cover his eyes. He crossed his arms and looked around the place, where Elena could see he wore metal wrist guards, lined with a dusty green metal or lining of sorts; slung across his torso was the strap of a duffel bag.

"Your build-a-bodyguard package has arrived!" Sora chirped and presented the man. She knew who he was when he faced her and she saw how his mouth rested in calm stoicism.

"Right, I can see!" She nodded to the man. He changed rather drastically since she last saw him. He didn't look like her son at all.

"Where's Adonis," Sora looked around, "or the kids?" He tilted his head.

"Business and out. Any reasons why you chose this one?" She decided she wanted to know how he managed to be chosen. When they planned this, he did say they had the best chance down this route, his own calculations to prove it. He took after his father.