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Aiko & Heeseung
As they entered Heeseung's room, the silence between them was heavy, oppressive. Aiko sat down on the edge of the bed, her expression blank, her hands resting limply on her knees. She didn't cry or scream—she just sat there, staring at the wall, her jaw clenched tight and her eyes dark with a simmering rage.
Heeseung watched her carefully, unsure of what to say at first. He could see the storm brewing inside her, the way her fists would tighten every so often, the rigid line of her shoulders. This wasn't grief in its rawest, most vulnerable form. This was the kind of pain that burned, a white-hot anger buried beneath layers of shock.
"I should have done something," Aiko said finally, her voice low and cold.
Heeseung frowned, stepping closer. "Aiko, don't—"
"I should've fought harder. I shouldn't have let her—" She stopped, her teeth grinding as she shook her head. "They're all going to pay for this. Every single one of those monsters is going to die."
Heeseung crouched down in front of her, meeting her eye level. "I know," he said quietly, his voice steady. "I want the same thing. But not tonight."
Her gaze snapped to his, the anger in her eyes almost startling. "How can you say that?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly. "After everything we just went through—after what happened to my mom—you want me to just sit here and rest?"
"Yes," Heeseung said firmly. "Because if we don't, we'll never make it out of this alive. You want revenge? So do I. But that doesn't mean we throw ourselves into the fire without a plan. We need to be smart about this, Aiko. And right now, that means staying alive."
Aiko's hands tightened into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She looked away, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Heeseung reached out, his hand resting gently over hers.
"You're not alone in this," he said softly. "I'm with you. Every step of the way. But you need to trust me when I say we have to take care of ourselves first."
She didn't answer right away, her gaze fixed on the floor. Finally, she exhaled sharply and nodded, though her posture remained tense.
"Fine," she muttered. "But tomorrow, we figure this out."
"Tomorrow," Heeseung agreed. He stood and moved to grab a clean shirt from the corner of the room. "Here," he said, tossing her one of his extra shirts. "You'll feel better once you're out of those clothes."
Aiko hesitated, then took the shirt without a word. She turned her back to him as she changed, the bloodstained fabric of her current clothes falling to the floor. Heeseung quickly changed as well, pulling on a fresh shirt and sweatpants before turning back to her.
She was already lying down on the bed, her back to him, her body stiff and unmoving. Heeseung sighed quietly, turning off the light and climbing in beside her.
