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Aiko
Aiko's limp had improved, but that didn't mean she was back to normal. She could walk around now, but each step came with a reminder of the injury. That morning, she'd heard from Yuna that the blood test results were still pending. Yuna didn't have the top-tier equipment she needed, just the basics, so everything was taking longer than it should. The waiting, the uncertainty—it was all getting to Aiko.
But that wasn't her only problem.
The other problem was standing in front of Heeseung's office door, knowing she was about to walk into something more than just a conversation. Heeseung had asked to see her, and every time they were alone, it was like the air got thicker, hotter, more dangerous. She could feel it between them, that tension, that unspoken pull. And she hated it as much as she craved it.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and walked in. Heeseung was behind his desk, his eyes lifting to meet hers the second she entered. The look on his face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something that made her stomach tighten.
"Aiko," he greeted, his voice low and even, like he was trying to keep it together.
"You said you needed to talk," she replied, keeping her tone casual, though she knew they were both feeling the same thing.
Heeseung gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down."
She did as he asked, even though her mind was racing. What was this about? Was it something serious, or was he just looking for an excuse to be alone with her? As much as she wanted to pretend that wasn't the case, she knew better.
Heeseung leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his eyes fixed on her. "Yuna's still working on your blood test results, but something's been bothering me."
Aiko raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly in her chair. "Yeah? What?"
"Your blood... the reaction it had, the way it almost seemed to fight back against whatever's in the Neomorphs. It's not normal. It's like there's something in you that's... different."
"Different how?" Aiko asked, her heart starting to race.
Heeseung ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. "I don't know. That's the problem. But it's got to be connected to your mom somehow, right? I mean, she was involved in this shit, wasn't she?"
Aiko stiffened at the mention of her mother. "Yeah, she was. But I don't know... she never told me anything about this."
"Maybe she didn't know either," Heeseung suggested, his voice softer now, almost like he was trying to comfort her. "Or maybe she was trying to protect you."
"Protect me from what?" Aiko asked, her voice shaking slightly. "From this? From whatever the hell is in my blood?"
Heeseung stood up, moving around the desk to stand in front of her. He was close now, too close. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, could see every detail of his face—his sharp jawline, the slight stubble on his chin, the way his eyes were dark and intense, locked on her like she was the only thing that mattered.
"I don't know," he said quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "But I'm going to help you figure it out."
Aiko looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat. There was something in his eyes, something raw and real, and it made her heart skip a beat. She didn't want to feel this way—didn't want to feel anything for him. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. "Why do you care so much?"
Heeseung's jaw clenched, his eyes never leaving hers. "Because I do."
He reached out, his hand brushing against hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. It was like every nerve ending was on fire, like her skin was burning under his touch. She didn't pull away, didn't even flinch. Instead, she leaned into it, into him, feeling the heat between them grow stronger with every passing second.
"What if..." Heeseung started, his voice trailing off as he stepped even closer, their bodies nearly touching. "What if there's something we're missing? Something we're not seeing?"
Aiko's breath hitched, her mind racing. "Like what?"
Heeseung's eyes dropped to her lips for just a moment before he looked back up at her. "Like why the hell I can't stop thinking about you." Is what he wanted to say but no words came out.
The admission hung in the air between them, heavy and dangerous. Aiko's heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it, but she didn't care. She wanted to kiss him, to close the distance between them and just give in to whatever the hell this was. But before she could do anything, before she could make a move, the door to the office swung open.
"Aiko, you in here—oh, shit, sorry!"
It was Yuna, standing in the doorway with wide eyes, looking between the two of them like she'd just interrupted something important. And she had.
Aiko jerked back, her face flushing with embarrassment and frustration. Heeseung's expression turned cold, his jaw tightening as he straightened up, the moment shattered.
"What do you want, Yuna?" he asked, his voice flat, all the warmth from before gone.
Yuna looked like she wanted to disappear. "I... I didn't mean to interrupt. I just needed to talk to Aiko about... something. But it can wait."
Aiko nodded quickly, standing up from the chair. "Yeah, sure. We'll talk later, okay?"
Heeseung didn't say anything as she left the office with Yuna, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire time. As soon as they were out of earshot, Yuna turned to her, an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry," she said, grimacing. "I didn't realize..."
Aiko shook her head, trying to push down the frustration that was bubbling up inside her. "It's fine. It's not like anything was happening anyway."
But even as she said it, she knew it was a lie. Something had been happening, something real and intense, and now she was left wondering what the hell she was supposed to do about it.
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two updates in one day!!! because i've written out super far into the story and IM SO EXCITED FOR U GUYS TO READ WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN SOON. i posted two because i wanna get there faster hehe. but yeah you guys are not ready for what is to come.
