she drags her tongue over her teeth before she kisses them and then inclines her head in a gesture that can only be read as confrontational.

"yeah," jarringly matter-of-fact, it's a gauntlet thrown at mira's feet. "yeah, i do. so, what now? how about that? should i try to predict your next move?" she barks out a laugh. "easy."

haeun glances aside, pretending to think for all of two seconds before her searing gaze pins mira down again like some crude science experiment on cardboard.

"you'll make one of the jokes you rehearsed when you were alone, anticipating this exact moment; you'll look down your nose the way you were taught, because - despite the estrangement - some things never change; or, in an exciting, new twist, you'll tell yourself i'm lying, because - in your defense - that is what i'm best at."

she smacks her lips and lowers her chin to appraise mira with a scrutinizing stare.

"huh. you know, it's funny. the execution may change, but the end result is the same: you'll bury it. because, and let's not mince our words here for either of our sake, where your life seems to have presented you with a notable lack of consistency, you have surely found it in your penchant for cowardice."

there's a tell in that tick in her jaw.