Seraphiel [TCF X ORV]

VI

~what's your name?---Besties?~

Cale sighed as he walked towards his car, a corndog in hand. 'Work might be never-ending, but food... food is essential.' He couldn't help but feel a tinge of greed knowing he was back in Korea and could indulge in Korean food again. Taking a bite, he hummed in satisfaction. 'Ah, how I've missed this. So many years without it.'

Even during the apocalypse, finding ingredients to make decent meals was a luxury he could barely afford. Comparing that life to now, it was much easier-perhaps too easy. He relished the simplicity of it.

Settling into the car, Cale looked out of the window, his thoughts drifting until his gaze caught something unusual. He frowned slightly, noticing Kim Namwoon running towards him, eyes slightly red. 'Huh? Did this kid cry because I patted him? Was he upset?'

Namwoon stopped a few steps away from the car, his face brightening as he waved enthusiastically. Cale blinked, both amused and surprised. The kid was... well, kind of adorable like this.

A soft sigh escaped Cale's lips as he lazily waved back, his mind musing over the sight. 'He's like a snow leopard cub,' Cale thought. 'They look cute and harmless, but deep down, they can be vicious.' He knew Namwoon wasn't vicious by nature-he was just a hurt kid navigating his way through life. But those crimson eyes... they held a dangerous gleam that reminded Cale of the past, of people who were both powerful and broken.

As the car started moving, Cale glanced back and saw Namwoon still standing there, waving like a small child. An unconscious chuckle escaped his lips, affectionate and light, as he shook his head. 'What a strange kid...'

Cale let out a weary sigh as he sweltered in the relentless heat and humidity of Korea. The sun's rays poured through the window, scorching his face despite the air conditioning humming softly in the background. He wished he could smother his face in ice; the oppressive warmth was unbearable.

Window shades were a rare luxury in Korea-more likely illegal than not. Cale couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation towards the person who had banned them. He understood the reasoning behind the prohibition, yet the heat was enough to make him want to smack some sense into whoever had decided that sunlight should be a permanent fixture in his life.

As he glanced toward the front seats, where the driver and his butler were seated, he realized he had no idea what to call the man beside him. 'Uh... how should I refer to him? I don't even know his name,' he mused silently. An idea struck him, and he pulled out his phone to sift through his contacts. His eyes landed on a name that piqued his curiosity: 'Aiden? A foreigner? I think...'

Turning his attention forward once more, he called out, "Aiden?"

The butler turned back slightly, a hint of surprise in his expression. "Yes, Master?" he replied, the formality of his tone mingling with an undercurrent of warmth.

Cale couldn't help but chuckle softly at the contrast. 'I suppose I'll just have to remember that name, then. Aiden, my steadfast ally in this battle against the sun,' he thought quite childish, feigning solemnity. "Tell me, do you have any secrets for surviving this oppressive heat?"

Aiden smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Only the promise of ice-cold drinks, Master. That, and perhaps a good hat."

Cale laughed, the tension of the heat dissipating momentarily. "A hat? How very dapper of you, Aiden. But I fear that won't suffice. I might need a whole ice fortress to endure this sweltering day."