#elsword

‘It’ had a sturdy frame, capable of breaking a human’s foot if dropped on it. Coated by an elastic material, thick enough to mimic the feeling of skin and yet still giving one an uncanny feeling. Perhaps because it lacked the warmth of a living being. ‘It’ was laying in a grey carrier, large enough to take up the rest of the bench. Impossible to ignore. Yet ‘it’ was not an alien, but a fake baby, as well as her grade.

On the inside, Eve was satisfied with her current assignment. Only Elria knows how much she struggled in home economics ever since the beginning of the semester. “It’s easy.” Her friends said as they convinced her to sign up, forgetting that an average heiress of a massive tech company never cooked, cleaned, or picked up a needle in her life. After the shame of repeatedly staying after class and being asked to sit still and do nothing by her assigned partners, she finally had a task she felt confident in passing- through her own efforts. 

“I got it!” Chung yelled from the door as he jogged towards her. Strands of his golden hair glowing in the sun as he broke into a grin. A grey, plastic wristband flapping in his hand. “Ms. Rena’s desk is all over the place. Even with my help it took so long to find.” 

“Did she check if it’s working this time?” 

“Yup!” He put it on his wrist and lowered himself to look inside the carrier. His shirt had ridden up, exposing some of his back. She felt compelled to touch that, but she chastised herself. “I didn’t get a good look before, but it really does look like a real baby.”

“Not really.” Eve's attention was drawn back. That brief moment proved to be enough for her boyfriend to seize the baby’s woolen cap off of its head.”Chung!”

Without hesitation she snatched the cap and scowled at him. He raised his hands up in defense. “I just wanted to check something.” 

“What possibly-” She had to stop when she noticed the state of the baby’s head. It had hair, but only in areas where strands could be seen from beneath the cap. It looked like pattern baldness, a condition typically seen in older men. A rather peculiar sight on a baby.

“Just like dad. Sometimes the top of his head shines so well in the light I am blinded.” He stated with a laugh. “By the way, I talked to Elsword on my way. He seemed confident about it.”

Eve covered back his head, ensuring it wouldn’t fall, lest she had to see it again. “Him? Why so?”

“Because he already took care of it for Elesis before. Well, more like she dumped it onto him, since he wasn’t eligible to an opinion.”

“If he says so.” She could hardly hide her doubts. “And why are you bringing this up? Are you trying to say something? Like how you should be included?” Her voice icy, making one shudder regardless of the warm temperature.

“That’s not it. I didn’t mean it like that.” He could feel the cold sweat on the nape of his neck.

“We talked about this before and you agreed. Why else would you suddenly change your mind?”

“I don’t.” He grabbed her hands and lifted them up to his chest. “I believe you will do a great job and that you will be an exceptional mother.”

Seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes she warmed her tone. “I see.”

He grinned, then planted a kiss on her cheek. She fought off the corner of her mouth from curling as her phone vibrated. “Mmm, the chauffeur is here, come on.”

“Okay.” He picked up the infant and followed.

With the carrier doubling as a car seat they had no problem fastening it. However, with it between them, he could barely see the top of her head.

They arrived at her apartment soon after, and Chung carried the baby to the sofa. Her spacious home resembled something straight out of a minimalist’s catalogue, the only difference being the amount of technological appliances with less than shy ‘Nasod tech’ logos. "Did Ophelia leave already?"

“I told her you were coming.” Seconds after she said it, a sudden tantrum reverberated. Loud and clear. Eve cringed at the overwhelming volume, wondering if the company that made them had used the same module when testing their soundproofing equipment. That wasn’t crying, but an ear-piercing shriek they tried to pass off as crying. “It’s most likely hungry.”

“Where’s the bottle?” 

“In my school bag.” She watched as he rummaged through her bag.

When he eventually fed the child, the sobbing stopped. He cradled it in his arms, burped it, and boasted. “Not too difficult. Kinda fun too.”

“Fun… okay.” As she neared her door, she hesitated before turning on her heel. “Would you like to see?” She happened to be about to change her clothes.

“Huh? Oh,” Before he could say yes, the baby’s little blanket slipped out of his grasp. He cast a complicated gaze at her, then at the baby. His lungs took in air as if he was making a hard decision. “Next time.”

With a ‘suit yourself’ she didn’t linger.

Chung’s eyes followed her til the doors shut. “Kiddo, you better remember what I had to sacrifice for you.” He whispered.

She changed into a comfy pair of leggings, a shirt too long for a girl (that Chung willingly gave her), and put on a pair of soft, blue slippers. They purchased them together on one of their dates. Chung had the same pair of his own, but in orange. When she returned the baby was back in its carrier, and her boyfriend was absorbed with something on his phone. Curious, Eve bent over, peering at the screen. “What are you looking at?”

Silver strands brushed his cheek as he turned to face her, tickling him. “I told my dad that I’m doing the baby assignment and he sent me a bunch of photos of me when I was young.” He handed her the phone. 

“You look…” She wasn’t sure what to say about the red faced, scrunched up little creature in the picture. “Nice.” 

His melodic laughter filled the room. So close to her ear she felt warmth. “I look horrible. But it’s fine, babies freshly out of the oven never look good.” He swiped as she sat next to him. “I look so much better here, don’t you think?”

Chubby cheeks, big blue eyes, and a head full of hair going every possible direction. Indeed, he  looked much better. “You seem very silly. I like it.” 

“What about you?” He poked her with his elbow. “Any baby pictures we can look at?” 

“I’m not sure, let me check.” Neither Eve nor her father had a habit of taking photos. It wasn’t until she dug out her old laptop did she find a picture of her winning an engineering competition at the age of eleven. The sour faced little girl was too stressed to smile for the camera, no wonder magazines called her stuck up.

“You got it? Let me see.” He leaned closer, his hand making its way around her waist.

“It’s not as good as yours.” 

“What do you mean not? You look so cute. Your hair, it used to be curly?”

“No, Ophelia experimented on me that day.”

“And she proved you look good in curls too. I need to thank her for that.” He zoomed in. “Your eyelashes were really dense and are those strawberry earrings? They look adorable on you.”

“Not really.” She tried cutting in but her voice kept getting smaller.

“And that cute pout of yours, I wonder-”

“Okay, that’s enough.” She took the laptop from his hands and closed it. 

“Don’t you think you have better things to do?”

A suggestive smirk on his lips. “Like what?”

She pointed at the door. “Like going home. Your dad will know you came here if you take too long.” 

His mood deflated like a balloon. “Already?” His grimace widened as he checked the time. “It feels like I just arrived though. Hopefully we’ll have more time in the future.”

Would they? Eve wasn’t sure. Their current meeting was already what she was barely able to fit into her timetable. Between school, working at the company and avoiding their parents every moment was precious. But what about after high school? After university?

“What are your plans for the future?” She asked him casually, at least she believed so. 

“What future?” He took out his shoes from the cabinet.

“Overall. Your career, relationship status, house… family.”

“Uuh.” He furrowed his brows. “Take over after my dad. Get a house with a nice view and start a family? Nothing really that groundbreaking. I haven’t thought much about it, kind of felt like I didn’t have to, since I’m going to take over the company.”

“Okay.” She stood in the doorway.

“Why are you asking?”

“Perhaps I realised I don’t want you to leave yet, we could talk for a little longer.” She gave a defeated sigh. “Text me when you’re home.”

With a promise to message her later and a reluctant look in his paw-printed eyes, he left. Eve closed the door and picked up the baby on her way back to her room- or at least tried to, only to nearly drop it. Heavy, like a dumbbell. Her boyfriend made it look too easy. 

She was able to concentrate well on her material for the remainder of the afternoon, only stopping to feed it and rock it to sleep. And it made her think that it wasn’t that bad. When the sky turned murky and the pitter-patter of evening rain slid down the window she got up to take a bath, yet she was unsure whether it was okay to take the baby to the bathroom with her. Ultimately the baby ended up inside there. It wasn’t real after all and she had to take care of it. Placing both the baby and the pyjama set on the counter, she took off her shirt and reached to unclasp her bra when she saw the baby staring through the mirror. It wasn’t real, she told herself. But Eve still decided to turn its head away. 

In the warm water her muscles relaxed as the drowsiness creeped in. She occasionally felt that being so human wasn’t good. Sleeping, eating and suffering from pain. All of that only takes away time from a day. How much could one achieve if one truly had a full twenty-four hours? The rain didn’t seem to agree, as it let its rhythm lull her to sleep. If it wasn’t for the sudden wail she might have stayed in the water beyond its current lukewarm state. She stepped on the floor and the droplets followed. Eve covered herself with a towel and rubbed her ear. Since teacher Rena wanted them to write an impression of what they experienced she might as well report the impossibly loud volume of it. The syntex at the beginning already forming in her mind as her leg slid forward, bringing her to the ground. She swallowed a painful groan. Taking care of it wasn’t bad, but it absolutely wasn’t good either.

Inside the magicology class on the school's third floor, one could only hear the creaks of old wooden chairs and the whisper of pens driving on paper. Yes, according to Clamor that is what a perfect learning environment looks like. A good atmosphere brought many benefits, such as increased concentration and motivation. Learning in itself is a phenomenon of nature that should be considered sacred. Undisturbed, except for one thing. Peering up from his book he watched a silver haired Nasod sitting in the middle desk. One hand of hers held a pen looking every way a model student, while the other fed a little baby with a plastic bottle. “Eve, don’t you want to leave the classroom to feed it?”

“No, teacher.” It didn’t matter how stiff her hand felt, she wasn’t going to miss out on lessons. 

Clamor sighed and went back to reading. But inside he couldn’t help but complain. Every year there would be one or two students walking around with those more than cumbersome children and every time he’d wonder if there wasn’t any better way to handle it. Those children weren’t only a challenge for students who signed up to look after them, they were also a nuisance for those who came to school to study. Alas, maybe his coworkers were right and he was looking at it from the perspective of someone who didn’t have children.

Eve, unwilling to turn away from her textbook, took the baby and placed it on her shoulder, then began tapping it. Her deskmate couldn’t resist his curiosity and cast a glance towards her, only to encounter Eve’s stolid face. For a reason unknown, he felt a chill to his neck; he dared not look any farther, and the chair let out a grind as he moved away from her.

Whatever he imagined was none of her business, as she was having a headache at that moment. Although it seemed like no one was looking her way, she could feel their probing thoughts on her skin. If she could read Clamor’s mind she’d readily agree with him. 

When the bell rang she wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Eve had no desire to clash with the rushing crowd, not while carrying something as heavy as that doll. She slowly packed her bag and made her way down the corridor, the weight in her hand proving to test her strength. Not once since it landed in her care has she stopped considering getting a stroller, but the idea was shot down every time. It was unnecessary to buy something just to let it collect dust after merely a week of use.

The load on her suddenly lightened as she heard her boyfriend’s voice.  “Let me hold him.”

“Weren’t we supposed to meet directly at the cafeteria.”

“We don’t need a whole group to find seats. To be honest, I prefer to see you faster.” Chung smiled her way.

“I never knew my rival was such a sweet talker.”

“Clearly there’s a lot you don’t know about me yet.” He came closer, as if the corridor was still busy. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I tend to charm people with my attentiveness and gentleness. I might just be the best in the world in that regard.”

“Really?” 

“Well, maybe only second to your boyfriend?” 

His eyelashes fluttered, as his paw-printed eyes radiated warmth. And if not for that prowling hand of his that she caught dangerously close to her ass, perhaps, just possibly she would’ve believed him. “And where is that hand going?

“Around your waist.” His tone that of a man convinced of his innocence. 

Upon entering the cafeteria Eve immediately noticed Aisha waving at her. An exact copy of the little baby on her knees, only that hers was wearing a green set of pajamas, instead of blue. “Where are the others?”

“Lined up. They’re selling hamburgers today.” 

“Burgers? Hopefully they’re not sold out yet.” Chung swiftly put the carrier next to Eve and rushed towards the line.

Aisha snorted. “They wouldn’t have to worry about that if they brought their own food.”

Eve nodded as she took out her lunchbox.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Chung was trying to peer through the mass of bodies at the state of today’s menu when Elsword tapped his shoulder. Both him and Ain already had their trays, it didn’t matter to them how hungry the divine smell would make him.“I think you’ll make it. And if not then Granny Vapor will be more than happy to feed you her ‘health mix’.”

“Not planning on poisoning myself.” Chung waved his hand for Elsword to take the tray away from near his face. He was tempted to steal it. “You didn’t answer my message.”

“What message?” His friend slid a couple of fries into his mouth.

“You’re serious? It showed me that you saw it.” At Elsword’s confused expression Chung could only sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. “I asked what you thought of the date I planned for thursday."

“Oh, I remember now.” The redhead couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Wasn’t he just bragging in that message?

“Can you even go on a date when you need to take care of that child?” Ain, whose dark locks cast gloomy shadows across his face, added. He was a rare sight in school. Especially since he became interested in the occult.

“You know we rarely have time to hang out outside of school. I’m not passing on it just because of a kid.” Chung remarked. Their families weren’t pleased to see them date. But at their age, who listens to their parents?

“Dates, huh.” Elsword mused, squinting his eyes in thought. “ It reminds me of when I took Aisha to the Rune Museum. Remember the videos I sent you?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t expect them to actually do rune themed shows. Nor that flames could burn so many colours. Or that summoning rune section where I saw a massive ghost-hedgehog thing.”

“Eldrian hedgehog?” Ain chimed.

“Yeah. I think so. It was really fat.” He demonstrated the natural proportions, almost knocking over his own food.

“I remember. I did think about taking Eve there, but she is more of a nerd that likes robotics than magic.” 

“Mmm.” Elsword scratched his chin in thought. “Nasod battles.”

“What?” Chung turned to him with an expression of someone who wasn’t entirely sure he heard correctly.

“Nasod battles. I saw them on the internet, it’s a show.”

Chung didn’t know what to make of his friend’s words. “You must be joking. Eve wouldn’t like watching Nasods destroy each other.”

Elsword patted him on the back. Voice full of amusement. “Are you sure? You know, girls might say they don’t like brutal things and all, but if you take her to a fight arena she might actually cheer louder than you. I learned that through experience.”

“I’m sure.” Chung wondered if that pat was meant to wipe the grease off of his hand as he moved to pay.

“How was your first day with the child?” Since the boys were not around, Eve took a chance to inquire. Aisha’s fingers have been drumming the table without a set rhythm for a while.

“Simply wonderful.” She responded with an angry laugh.

Eve was not surprised. In fact, her money was on him screwing up on the second day, not third. Fortunately, it wasn’t a real bet. “What did Elsword do?”

“And what did he not do?” Aisha fumed as the feelings she barely reigned in yesterday broke free again. “When he told me that he can take care of the kid I honestly didn’t fully believe him, after all I know him well, but somehow he still went beyond my already low expectations. I found him in the living room, alone. Without the child! Not even a hair strand in sight. And when I asked him where it was? He looked at me like a dog that doesn’t understand basic commands. We searched in the living room, bathroom, his own room, and do you know where we found it? In the kitchen, right above the sink that it nearly fell into! The worst thing is that the sink was full of water because Elsword didn’t wash the dishes after his dinner and they blocked the drain. Forget the grade, we were about to pay the school for the damages instead.”

“Didn’t I say it would be like that?” Eve was always the first to nitpick her friend’s boyfriend.

Aisha’s anger melted instantly, like ice at the height of summer. She did so every time Eve said something negative about him. “After I told him off there weren't any more problems… And besides, isn’t a child like a test for every relationship? To give up on the first hurdle would be laughable. Especially since I don’t want to lose a guy that can cook for me.”

“If you say so.” Eve could only give up, because Aisha wasn’t planning on listening to her anyway. Nor would she have the time, as the party in question arrived shortly after.

“I don’t get it, aren’t black cats more occult than goats?” Chung said as he sat next to Eve. 

“Black cats are familiars of witches, I’m not a witch.” Ain patiently explained. “You should give Betty another chance.”

“Not sacrificing another pair of shoes to be that thing’s chewing toy.” He grumbled.

“It didn’t touch my shoes though. What about yours?” Elsword added and asked Aisha. She shook her head. “See?”

“So it targets me specifically, because it likes me? Is that it?” His words dripped with sarcasm. “Are you even feeding that thing properly?”

Ain frowned. “Betty is very picky. You underestimate how much effort it takes for me to take care of her.”

Chung smiled. “Of course not, I just think that if you left your door open at night she’d happily munch on your hair.”

Eve, amused by her partner’s words, noticed the less pleasant sight of her best friend’s boyfriend. He ate with bites large enough to make every dentist ecstatic, while sauce dirtied the corners of his lips. A band-aid hung on his elbow, loosened from sweat. One he didn’t bother to replace. Why would Aisha choose someone like that to date? She really couldn’t understand it.

Only seconds later she had to take back her hidden sneer when she saw her own boyfriend with sauce on his face. After handing him a tissue, which he thanked her for, she went back to her lunch. 

As soon as they finished eating they bid goodbyes to the others and made their way towards their next class. It was still relatively early and the corridors weren’t packed. Their hands slowly intertwined. 

“I’ve got a message from my dad.”  Eve began.

“What did it say?”

“He won’t be coming home this week.” 

Chung cleared his throat. Caring to not sound too happy. “I guess it means I could come by and, you know.”

She tilted her head. “I don’t. Care to explain?” 

One upping the tease he was dating always took quite the effort, he mused. “I think we could circle back to the business we discussed the last time.”

“We could.”

“Yes, I believe during our last deep dive I was too passive in my… input.”

“Oh, were you?”

“Despite that, I think our synergy was already pretty good. Next time, as long as the deadline isn’t too fast, I’m sure we can reach new heights.” 

Eve let the corners of her mouth raise. “Your arguments are sound, but I’ll have to examine your proposal later.”

Maybe it was the conversation, or maybe her beautiful smile, Chung didn’t notice when they made it to the class, nor when the bell rang.

Once they sat in the class, Chung took out the baby and held it to his chest. One hand holding up its head. With a smug look he rocked the baby gently. “I’m pretty good at this, aren’t I?”

Eve didn’t know whether to scoff or feel amused. “Where’s your bracelet?”

He looked at his wrist, then reached into his bag but couldn't find the gray plastic needed to trigger the baby’s task. “I forgot.”

“Just give it to me.” She adjusted the baby's cap so that it did not cover its ever judgemental eyes. The little one was too well behaved for too long. It was better to check on him. 

“But you saw how I held it. I did well, right?”

“Is that important?” 

“Well, you know, babies have to be held in a specific way. My dad taught me and I believe I look good like that.” Who wouldn't desire their girlfriend's attention? Chung could talk nonsense for hours if it meant her eyes wouldn’t leave him. 

“You and your father are very close.” She had nothing negative in mind when she said it. She didn't even notice that Chung became unusually silent. He thought for a long time, turning his pencil right and then left. Watching her check the baby's condition in a contemplative manner. By the time Eve finished dealing with the baby and began taking notes, Chung had made up his mind.

“I’m sorry.” His whisper brought her away from Teacher Daisy’s hypnotising lecture.

“For what?”

“I keep talking about my dad. You probably find it irritating since…” Since her father was rarely even home. Adrian was someone who treated his daughter like a tool. A man who names his only daughter an heir on the outside, but sneakily tries to find a perfect groom to be the actual beneficiary. Someone who treats the romantic feelings of his daughter the same way one would treat a fool? Chung couldn’t think of one positive thing about her father, no matter how hard he thought.

“Not at all. I like listening to you.” She wasn’t the one for talking, but that didn’t mean she disliked when others did. Especially Chung. Even when what he had to say was less than smart.

“Still. I’d love to-”

“Mr. Seiker, if you have something to say, say it to the whole class.” Daisy stood in front of the blackboard, her expression fierce enough to make a gargoyle jealous. 

“I was just talking about the baby.” A lie already escaped his lips almost immediately. 

“You can do it after the lesson! This is the time for learning, not talking.” She turned back, chalk in hand. 

Great, Chung thought, to be berated by a teacher when his girlfriend is sitting right next to him. But Eve didn’t look too bothered. She was busy writing, pages filled with her neat handwriting. It made him remember that he too should be taking notes. Glancing at the blank page of his newly bought notebook, he picked up the pen and joined the rest of his class in copying the board.

It didn’t take long, however, for him to turn again with a grind of his wooden chair. “What I meant to say is-” 

“Mr. Seiker!”

“We’re next.” Chung nudged Eve’s shoulder. 

She stifled a yawn as she mumbled a response. Someone ahead of them had had ticket issues, and they'd been waiting for about 15 minutes before the aquarium’s ticket booth. 

It was a sunny day, and Chung couldn’t help but give her a couple of sidelong glances through his sunglasses. She wore a cotton tube top with an elegant bow at the back, a long forest-green skirt and a pair of ballerina flats. A sunhat covered her face from any possible prying. Chung adjusted his cap as he stared. 

“Disappointed you can’t see my legs today? You’ll have to swallow that. We’re here on a date today and nothing more.”

A chuckle escaped his lips as he tried to cover up his embarrassment at being caught. “I’m not disappointed! I just thought you looked very good.”

“Oh.”

“And also.. Is everything alright?”

“I’m just a little tired.” More than that, she was fighting the urge to rub her eyes.

“Oh.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the another. One of his hands held the carrier, while the other grasped her hand. If Eve said it was fine…

As they passed the entrance with their tickets in tow, they visited a lot of exhibits. In the area labeled ‘Ocean’s wonders’ the interior resembled the seabed, with dim lights slithering on the ground as if light was bouncing off of waves above them. Seeing his girlfriend enamoured with the sight, Chung smiled, satisfied. For a moment he worried that only the main attraction would interest her, but it proved to be a useless concern.

Soon they were greeted by a hedgehog in a mermaid costume, flapping its small, plump fin as it swam. A school of tropical fish nimbled on algae waving from between the rocks right under. Their stiff eyes unbothered by the people on the other side of the glass, or the land animal wading around the enclosure. Eve squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "I don't remember hedgehogs being able to breathe underwater."

He squeezed back. “Because they’re not. Mermaids are trendy right now, but not only are they rare, but also which one of them would want to work for an aquarium? That’s why they hire people to dress up and swim with the fish. It’s not as easy as it looks, people have to have really strong lungs- Or, well, a hedgehog needs to have strong lungs.”

“I see.”

They walked further along the path when a long, yellow eel swam by. Its eyes resembled two navy buttons that had been sewn too tightly. “And that’s a moray eel. This light makes it look yellow, but it’s actually a species called green moray. This particular specimen seems to be over two meters long. Massive, right?”

She answered with a pinch of distaste. “And ugly.” 

“Spare its feelings.” 

Further ahead, the floor turned to glass. A smack of jellyfish floated below, sparkling a lovely violet hue. Eve hesitated before the 'surface' of water, but eventually stepped forward with Chung's encouragement. Later, after a meeting with a less than friendly turtle, witnessing a shark with a sharp pair of fins that appeared capable of cutting stone, and watching otters being fed, they made their way before the roughnose cowtail ray exhibit. Now housing not only the winged, endangered species, but also the current stars of the aquarium. The main event.

Eve was enjoying herself. However, no matter how amused she was at Chung’s jokes, or taken by the sigh of the sea creatures, there was always this nagging itch at the back of her head, reminding her to check the time, to make sure the baby isn’t being neglected. And the itch became worse as the time passed. 

The queue to the event's special viewing area wasn't too lengthy, there weren't many seats available. Groups of individuals would come, sit for ten minutes, leave, and only then would the staff move on to the next group. Knowing they would have to wait nevertheless, Eve saw it as a suitable moment to suggest taking a break. 

"Now?" Chung looked up from the placard explaining the several types of manta rays one can see locally and eyed the queue.

Her hand led him to a nearby bench. “If not now then when?” 

Chung noticed her pointing at the baby with her gaze. He raised the carrier and took a peek inside. “But it’s not crying.” 

Her answer was a blank stare.

It made him feel a little bit foolish.  “I just thought he’ll cry once he makes a mess. It’s not a feeling that could be described as comfortable and babies are, well, delicate?” As he spoke, the confidence behind his words dwindled.

Her lips strung into a line.“Not always. Not when I’m early enough. And I don’t want it to start crying here.”

Although he wasn’t sure, Chung was unwilling to go against his girlfriend. He unbuckled the seatbelts, took the baby out of the carrier and handed it to her. She, in turn, unbuttoned the cloth diaper, exposing the baby’s naked buttocks. Having nowhere to sit, as the bench was being used as a makeshift changing station, Chung crouched in front of her to watch. Gradually, his eyes couldn’t help themselves, they travelled from her deft hands to her pale face, partially hidden by a shadow. With eyes reddened and puffy, she dutifully managed her everyday tasks, messages never showing that she needed his help. Yet, there was a weight on his chest, a rather difficult feeling to ignore. He found her to be somewhat… wilted.

“Oh my, Is that your baby?” Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice when someone approached them.

“Yes?” He answered, confused. A quick glance towards Eve whose face the ever expression of neutrality and he looked at the newly arrived woman. 

“He’s so well behaved! I have four grandsons myself and I’ve never seen such a calm and quiet baby. What’s his name?”

“Uhh.” The belts rustled as Eve fastened the baby back to its carrier. Doing his best to not sound like he’s brushing her off, he remarked. “Kayden. It means he’s a fighter.”

But the woman only frowned, the space between her brows thin enough to catch flies. “That’s a… Are you sure about this name? Such a well behaved boy really needs a more intelligent name, like Laquan, or Manoah!” 

“I’m sure.” His polite smile losing any semblance of being genuine. 

“It’s not too late yet, It’s young so it won’t even remember.” That’s when, as if realising something, the woman widened her eyes. She looked closer at his face, then at the child, and as if confirming a terrible hypothesis, her expression shifted into one between anger and disgust. “You look quite young for a father… Boy you can be honest with me. Was this baby planned? Or is it…”

It took him a second to digest the outrageous statement, but when he did, he gave a dismissive chuckle. “Found him in the trash, he’s our little miracle.” 

She didn’t like that, “You teenagers shouldn’t be taking care of a baby, even if you committed a mistake, you’re too young to properly take care of it! How could your parents allow this?” Then, as if struck, “Do they even know?” 

If before that there was an uncomfortable itch down his throat to curse, now he wanted to spit nails at her. Chung took a breath to calm himself. People around them dwindled as the staff started letting in the next wave of visitors. For a second he felt silly, taking a stranger’s nonsense so personally. After all, the baby was just silicone, and Eve… Not good. Although her expression appeared blank, Chung knew better than to test her patience any further. Hurriedly, he clarified. “It’s a doll. A high school assignment.”

The baby sat well-behaved inside its seat, as the woman’s gaze scrutinised it. Regardless of the truth she just learned, her face remained sour. “I see. However, you said something else before.”

“Just a joke.” 

“That is very impolite towards the elderly, young man.” 

“Haha, yes.” He bit his tongue, managing to stop himself from saying anything truly rude until the woman, with an air of someone who was wronged, strode away.

Chung ran his hand through his hair, mentally drained from the ordeal. “Sure, I was the impolite one. Totally.”

“You shouldn’t have entertained her for so long.” Eve stated.

Chung defended himself, “ I’m more used to covert jabs, or people being passive aggressive. Talking to someone this rude is rare… wait, now that I think about it, is it because I’m the future leader of Hamel corp?”

“Mhm.” She nodded.

“That’s, haa.. Forget it. Let’s not waste any more of our date on this, it’s not worth it.” 

“I’m done changing his diaper, let’s go.” 

“Yes, my queen.” He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You…” She rolled her eyes. “Tease.”

“Me? No. In this relationship, I’m clearly the one at a disadvantage most of the time. Yet for some reason, my friends never believe me when I tell them how much of a tease you are.” 

Eve shot him a knowing look, then went ahead with a lighter step. Having at least half succeeded at lifting the mood, Chung exhaled in relief.

The exhibit was in a spacious, dark hall reminiscent of a cinema theatre. Red, nylon chairs facing the only light source in the room, the glass wall separating one from what appeared to be the bottom of an endless ocean expanse. The room, rather than showcasing a kept animal, created a feeling of stepping into an underwater facility. 

As they took their seats, the cowtail rays started their burying dance, heads less and less visible as the grains of sand joyfully took them in. Chung still held Eve’s hand, even as he felt his worries about her mood coming back. He wondered if she was having a good time. She didn’t notice, as her tired gaze watched the animals swing, her responses to his occasional comments curt. He chastised himself inside. Who cared if the tickets were hard to get, or if the exhibit might not be here anymore next month. Knowing Eve was busy he should have rescheduled. 

“I see, this design went for a more streamlined head shape- it doesn’t really resemble an octopus.” She commented.

“What?”

Her head rested on his shoulder. “Stop spacing out.”

“Was just thinking about what to get at the restaurant later.” 

“Mm.” 

The mechanical octopuses were a new creation, meant to help with transportation of goods from the underwater mines. And they were huge. Two beautiful specimens floated in sync. Each with eight, slender, but powerful tentacles. Cold, silver shine of their exterior attributed to glacia dug up from the treacherous seas of Rigomor. As one octopus takes swimming off, it bent its limbs into a round shape, then straightened them with enough momentum to propel itself further. 

With his attention fully stolen by the machines, Chung said, “Look at those pincers! Even a raging sea monster would have a hard time throwing those off once they took a good grab.” Chung’s mind raced as an imaginary battleground unfolded in front of him. “They could take apart and reach the flesh with half of its hands while it trashes around.”

“They’re too expensive for that. And you need a good grip to pull cargo.” Eve stifled a yawn with her hand. A gleam of interest in her amber eyes. “But what’s more interesting is the way they move. If you look closely there’s a latch under its head that hides a cavity. It is filled with water. Said water is then forced out through the siphons depending on which direction they want to go. But there’s no reason to make the tentacles act only as limbs, not adding siphons on them to increase the speed is a loss.”

“It sounds difficult to do.” 

“Nothing that Nasod tech cannot handle.” She mused with pride. 

“Mm, I think they’re already pretty cool. They remind me of that one weapon, what was its name.” He stroked his chin, careful not to move the shoulder on which Eve rested.

“The urumi, or the more popular name, the whip sword.” 

“Yeah! Although you can’t see the wire inside as well as in the sword.”

“Most likely because the ‘blades’ look to me like a defensive factor, rather than an offensive one.”

As they talked, trapped in their own small bubble, their earlier troubles faded away. The troubles, however, chose to burst it. The sudden cry of a child disturbed not only the surprised ‘parents’, but also the other people in the room. For Eve it felt nothing short of a public humiliation. Her glare could both make children cry and stop them from crying depending on the moment, but the creature in front of her proved immune. Chung apologised for the disturbance before leaving together with Eve and the baby. The few people in the corridor merely glancing as they passed.

“It might have been too early for a diaper change after all.” His steps followed her closely.

Eve didn’t comment, merely redoing its diaper on the same bench as before. His guess was correct, it stopped crying once she finished.

“Seriously though, our kid here really knows when to pick a timing, right?” He joked.

“Is that funny to you?” Eve retorted.

Sweat forming on his temple. “No, not at all. It’s just that it’s kind of how children are, can’t really expect them to pick a moment.” 

She crossed her hands and snorted. “Truthfully speaking, when is it not ‘like that’? It constantly demands attention, constant chore after chore, not even letting you eat. I don’t understand how anyone would want to care for such a loud, defecating, devouring machine. They’re crazy.” With every remark, more and more resentment poured out. 

“Because they’re not supposed to be a machine, but your beloved child. And I think the whole point of love is to be worth the inconvenience, isn’t it?” 

She stared at something beyond him, her silence hanging above them, lasting up until they were passed by a group of cheerfully laughing visitors. In the display in front of them, a curious turtle peeked from its shell. With a tone of self-loathing, she stated, “Maybe you’re just a better parent than me.”

“Eve don’t say that.” He immediately denied.

“No- You know what, let’s just go eat.”

He hesitated, wishing to continue. He wanted to change her mind and explain that once she met a real baby they would be much more likeable than a doll. But as he gazed into those tired eyes, eyes that held no real bitterness but exhaustion… He changed his words. “Maybe we shouldn’t? Like let’s just go home.”

"Why?" She fired back. Did he no longer want to hang out with her?

“I was really inconsiderate. You’ve been so busy, clearly worn-out. As your boyfriend I should have noticed sooner. Yet here I am taking you out-”

“No. We are going to eat at that restaurant you reserved. Now.” She turned, her face in a frown. She wasn't planning on listening to any of his protests.

“Okay.” He answered slowly. But the feeling that crawled into his stomach as they left the aquarium couldn’t be washed away with any drink, or meal he tasted that day.

“I couldn’t use E, I didn’t have enough mana!" After sending the message, Chung tossed his head back onto the chair. The summer heat aggravated his already poor self. If he didn’t use the wrong combo, he’d instead fall right under the boss’s attacks. But he couldn’t help his eyes slowly sliding back towards his phone, expecting a notification ears didn’t quite catch. Nothing, every time.

With a sigh, he slid off his headphones and ran a hand through his hair. She was definitely busy right now and he, as an understanding boyfriend, shouldn’t bother her with too many messages. Especially since a few have already sunk into the water without as much as a ripple.

The chair rolled back as he got up and headed towards the kitchen. 

Helputt sat at the kitchen island. Eyes on the tablet in front of him, expression stern. He had a sandwich in his hand that smelled of tuna.

“I was just about to call you.” 

“For?” Chung took a cold can from the fridge, nice and freezing to the touch. It dispelled some of the uncomfortable heat. 

“When will you come to the company to help? Do you even care about it?” Helputt was a robust man. The suit, despite being tailor-made, always has a few buttons ready to jump off. Yet even that wasn’t quite as eye-catching as his head. Chung has heard his father grieve every time a hair strand fell off of his head, and yet it grew at the back of his neck with extraordinary rapidity. 

“I was just there today.” He answered, not quite getting what his father was trying to say. After all, the blonde teenager took joy in his position as an heir. In his more hot-headed days it was common for him to take all the words about their business personally, and if not for his poor health maybe he’d even have a few fights behind him too. What changed is merely that he reached his teenage years.

“Who goes to work for just two hours?” Helputt scoffed. 

“The boss’s son.” 

“Alas, too bad the boss’s son is grown and no longer cares for his old father.” The painful creak of the chair under him sounded more convincing. The teenager in question didn’t take it seriously, no matter how much his father complained about him, he’s yet to disown him. “I remember when you were small, not even high enough to reach my knees. You’d organise the supplies on my desk, then borrow paper and draw the ships you saw passing outside. You said that when you’re older you will help me ‘fight’ the things that take my time, so we could spend it together instead. But now you’d rather go on dates!”

So this is what he was truly leading to, Chung thought. It was about Eve again. “You're exaggerating, It’s not as big of a deal as you make it out to be.” In fact, there would be no problem at all if they didn’t branch out from ship manufacturing to electronic appliances. 

“Not a problem? You completely ignore what your behaviour means for the company when you stroll around with her! How is that not a problem?

“Dad, I'm not some celebrity for the paparazzi to chase after me.” An answer full of confidence. 

“No? then what am I looking at?!” His father held the tablet to Chung’s face. On the screen the words read; ‘Heirs of Altera Inc. and Hamel Corp, teenage parents?!’ He shouldn’t have read this while taking a sip. Bubbles nearly came out of his nose as a violent cough assaulted him. Yet Helputt, ignoring his struggling son, continued. “I almost had a heart attack when I saw it. I've explained it to you more than once, even begged you to use condoms.”

Chung barely recovered, pain akin to having his nose scratched from the inside, when he took away the device and clicked on the article. Once loaded, it proudly showed off a candid photo of him and Eve holding hands as they strolled through the aquarium. Even with the poor lighting, their features were still undeniable. And so was the pair of small feet visible from inside the carrier. “But it's not our child, it's that doll from school! The assignment I told you about.”

“You think I'd be so calm if I didn't know that?”

The few keywords he caught were enough, it was full of nonsense, so he skipped to the photo gallery. The first one was of him pointing at the jellyfish swimming under them. In another one, he could see Eve’s unease filled poker face as she stood on top of the glass. None of the pictures captured the baby well, despite being included in all of them.

“We do look like your everyday family.” Chung clicked to enlarge the photo. Whoever took them wasn’t half-bad. His eyes couldn’t help but soften as he gazed at the details.

“Well, that's the problem.”

“That's-Wait, where is it?” The site, which was boldly professing its wild claims just seconds ago was now replaced with an error message.

“You might not care. But your father does! The second my assistant informed me about this I had it taken down. No need to thank me.”

“…I won’t.” He didn’t even get to save the pictures before they were gone.

Eve stepped out of the elevator, the carrier almost swinging towards the frame before she redirected it back in a hurry, hitting her own leg in the process. A silent curse left her lips, minding the doorbell camera.

It was the last day of her assignment, Eve reminded herself as she entered. She scanned her fingerprint and shuffled inside the house. It was, as always, silent. It smelled of cleaning chemicals and citrus freshener, which she didn’t really like and today, her nose was bothered by it more than usual. Light summer shoes slid off her feet with ease, swapped for the usual pair of slippers. The food waiting for her was barely warm, but for her it was a miracle she made it in time before it had completely gone cold. Her work today took twice as much time as it usually did, all her thoughts occupied by the end of the assignment coming the next day. A worry etching itself in her heart, as she’s unsure if she’ll get a good grade this time. And that worry only continued to haunt her as she nearly brought the spoon to her nose. 

A quick wash later, she was back in her room, ignoring the homework she didn’t finish over the weekend and taking the baby in her arms instead. She finished feeding it quickly, but then the baby just refused to burp. Her eyes wanted to shut down on their own, while limbs slowed down their patting motions with each second. From a corner of her eye she noticed her bed, soaked in the orange glow of the setting sun. It was so… inviting. 

The baby finally burped and Eve didn’t waste time putting it down and crawling onto the soft mattress. As she laid on the queen sized bed, the warmth it absorbed during the day cloaked her mind with fogginess. She curled her toes as she brought her knees up, and once she was satisfied with her position, closed her eyes for a brief moment. The last thought crossing her mind wasn’t that she forgot to text her boyfriend, but ‘it’s merely a quick nap’. 

When Eve woke up to the sounds of wailing, the outside of her window was dark. Pitch black. Her head was ringing, throat dry. She turned on the bedside lamp and blinked a few times to let her eyes adapt while massaging her aching forehead. What was supposed to be a brief nap felt like a next day hangover instead. The baby wasn’t shy about its hunger, or messy diaper. She couldn’t remember clearly.

The bag she’s been using recently was big and filled with items. Not her regular choice for a bag, but useful when transporting items for the baby. Inconvenient however, when one tried finding anything within it. As she took out more and more, she put stuff on the floor, yet the bottle wasn’t there. Her floor now cluttered for no reason and- the crying! It was so loud!

“Can’t you be quiet?” She hissed, but the child, predictably so, ignored her. 

She'd barely stood up to search when she stepped on her lip gloss. The pain in her foot momentarily made her forget her headache, while a piece of the plastic lid broke off and disappeared into the depths of her soft carpet. Her chest blazed with frustration. Like a loaded gun, it just needed an ant to blow on the trigger.

Why was she doing this to herself? Were the abysmal results from the home economics class so far not enough for her? Why did she have to show others, no, show herself that she’s not a complete disaster in this subject instead of accepting the truth? Eve took a few calming breaths and placed everything back into the bag. The bottle stood on her desk, so it didn’t take long to find. 

For what felt like an eternity, Eve fed it until it stopped crying. But the silence that came wasn’t empty. It was filled with buzzing that she guessed was coming from inside her head. It was a new feeling, as she has never been quite this tired before. A mere thought of going back to bed passed her when the baby cried again. The trigger went off. 

In another part of the city Chung was engaged in a romantic dream, only to have the fantasy blur as his phone, which should have been obediently charging started ringing. Dragged out of deep sleep, his mind was still drifting as he answered. “Yes?”

“Come to my house. Now.”

“Huh?” He checked the caller, seeing Eve’s name on the phone clarity returned to his eyes. “Is something wrong?

“He keeps on crying! I can’t even close my eyes for a minute, I don’t know how long I haven’t slept properly. Just come here and help me.” She says in a shrill voice, so unlike Eve.

Flustered, he grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt from the closet. His phone on the speaker as he changed. “Okay, okay, I’ll be there real soon.”

“Yes. No, wait.”

“No?” He asked. One hand on the frame of the window he just opened.

“You can’t enter through the front door. My dad will get alerted.” 

“Then how-” 

“I’ll open my balcony. It’s not that high up, you’ll manage.”

“A-are you sure?” 

“Come!” She threw at last as she hung up. 

It wasn’t his first time sneaking out, so whether it was jumping through the fence, or hailing a cab, it went smoothly. Problems arose however as he stood underneath her balcony.

Chung glanced up. Eve's room was upstairs; even if he wanted to, he couldn't just fly there. A nearby rain gutter caught his eye. He could step on the scraps attaching it to the building and before he even properly considered things, his foot was already causing it to creak under his weight. But it didn’t break, which meant it could hold on, at least for a moment. He made his way up swiftly, taking care not to stay on one step for too long, and arrived at his destination before kneeling to catch a breath. Eve opened the balcony door at that very time, most likely because she could hear him outside. Chung couldn’t help but flush as her loose tank top rode up in the breeze. If he'd looked up  a little, he may have spotted her—he paused at that thought.

“What are you doing here? It’s cold, go inside.” He gently pushed her back into the room and closed the door behind them. 

“I was just letting you in.” She said, albeit Chung could see the question in her impassive orange eyes. “There was a ladder on the side, why didn’t you take it?”

“Haha, so, what did you need me for?” 

There were two sections to the room. The area that was livable and the area that appeared to be an engineer's accident site rather than a workplace. Although everything appeared to be haphazardly arranged, it was all carefully positioned for convenience. That's what Eve told him, anyway. The sole clue that indicated it was a girl’s room were the two Nasod dolls Moby and Remy, sitting dutifully on her desk and ‘guarding’ its contents. Chung doubted they could do anything more than flash their eyes when you got too close.

“It’s calm now, but any moment it’ll be the time to change its nappy. Then you, I don’t know, just tend to it.” She sounded deflated.

“Oh, okay. That’s it?”

“That’s it?” She repeated with contempt. “A newborn cycles through the routine of eat, discharge, sleep about every two hours. But babies, unfortunately, aren’t machines, they’re organic beings. In practicality it’s impossible to stick to any routine or actually guess whether you’ll get at least one hour or not. You’ll change the diaper now and twenty minutes later it will need changing again, because it’s a newborn, because it can’t control its own bowels.”

“That sounds rough.”

"I've been so exhausted that I believed I could smell the foul odour emanating from it. It's not natural.”

“O-Okay.” 

“At first I was fine. I’d set an alarm and wake up to tend to it, but even then it would still start crying before my alarm. Is that really how an organic baby behaves? It’s impossible to function like this. I find it impossible to function. My head hurts all the time, I keep getting dazed at work, and my legs are bruised from hitting them with the carrier. I even cracked the lip gloss.” She sat heavily on the bed.

"It's okay, I can get you another one." Chung took a seat beside her and looked at her cheek. Her expression was blank, but he could tell she was frustrated. More than that. There was resignation, defeat.

“Your favourite one.” She muttered.

“The peach-  it’s really fine.” 

"I should've let you do it, Chung. You have the patience for this, which makes you a better parent than me.”

He couldn't stand her self-mockery. "Please, Eve. If being a good parent only required patience, taking care of a child wouldn't be such a well-known challenge." After a moment of hesitation, he put his arms around her waist. His head almost resting on her shoulder. "Originally, this was a job for two parents. You simply did it alone. Of course, it seems even harder."

"There are single parents, Chung."

"And it's not without reason that we praise them for managing on their own."

“Maybe.” 

They sat there in silence. Like a hand in a glove, bodies fitting one another in harmony. Her warmth, seeping into his chest and right into his heart. The hugs he had with Eve felt so much more different than with anyone else, and he cherished that feeling. 

He considered his words for a moment, then spoke, "I'm not sure about certain things either. Like whether you truly like me."

“Of course I like you. That’s so… silly. I wouldn’t be in a relationship with you against my father’s wishes otherwise.” Eve turned her head to him. Her cheek pressed against his forehead. He blinked, his lashes tickling her chin.

“Yeah but, you always tend to complain about Elsword whenever we talk about him and, I kind of feel like a lot of the things you dislike are things I'm also guilty of.” It had been difficult for him to admit at first, but today, with Eve so close to him, the words simply flowed out of his tongue like water under pressure.

“Don’t compare yourself to some Tom, Dick, or Jerry.” 

“But he’s not just some Tom, he’s my friend. And friends tend to have things in common.” 

Eve shifted in her seat, and Chung moved away to give her some space, still keeping his arms around her. Now they were looking into each other’s eyes.“I've seen that the individuals around me are quite susceptible to their emotions. To the point where they occasionally ignore what their partner does. Love blinds, they tell me. As a Nasod I find that concerning, that’s why when talking to Aisha I point out what she might be ignoring. But don’t mistake my decision to date you as some blindness. I was fully and entirely rational when I made that decision.” 

“Really?” He tried to fight off the rising corners of his lips.

“Really.” 

He doubts others will agree with her, but if she believes so... Even if nothing about the Hamel and Altera heirs dating made sense.

“And thank you.” She added. “For coming when I called.” And then she stole a kiss from him. Quickly enough to catch his dazed smile.

In that moment, in the dim glow of the bedside lamp, with that flowing tank top on, Chung kissed her again. And again. Her hands laced into his hair as he whispered between the kisses, “I really like you too.” He laid her on the bed and reached for his shirt, but just as Eve caught a glimpse of her boyfriend's toned body everything came to a stop due to loud baby cries. The baby was not amused, rather, it sounded like revenge for being forgotten. 

“Seriously?!” Chung slid down off Eve, reluctantly removing his hand from under her shirt.

The words ‘didn’t I tell you?’ reached the tip of her tongue and were promptly swallowed back.

He stood above the child. “Diaper change, huh?”

“Mmm.” 

“Where do you keep them?” He glanced around, embarrassed, but all he saw was frankly nothing. Her nightlight really wasn't ashamed of its dim glow.

“In my school bag.” She rested her head lightly on the pillow and her eyes followed the blond. “Not inside, the outside pocket. The left one.” 

“Here?”

“That’s not left.” 

Chung pulled a pair of diapers out of his bag. He instantly stooped to pick up one that had fallen. With haste, he undid the cotton diaper and took it off the baby. As a matter of principle, he ran a wet tissue over the plastic, then placed the second diaper underneath. The baby calmed down, and he pulled the thick part between his legs. However, when he tried to attach the sides to the velcro, they proved too long. Should he fasten them diagonally? Left side to right velcro? But when he tried, they didn't reach. Oh well, there must have been some room left at the waist. And voilà! Done. When Eve did it, it looked more professional; his version was… a little crooked. But the important thing is that it worked.

He looked at the bed where his girlfriend lay motionless.“Eve, are you awake?” He asked quietly.

“Resting my eyes.” She expressed it in a muddy voice.

“See, did I do it right?” Delighted, he lifted the doll to show her his creation. The diaper immediately slipped off of the plastic buttocks and landed on the carpet. 

“No.” She said, but her hand covered what he was sure was a smile on her face. “You have to pull the rubber from behind to tighten it. It doesn’t fit perfectly.” 

Chung turned the diaper over, and sure enough, the elastic connecting the two wings was visible. Adjusting it he said, "Well. I guess I'm not as good at this as you think, huh?”

After a moment, only murmurs and shifting could be heard between them. Eve hesitated, but eventually spoke up. “I’m not sure how to explain it. I merely… feel it.”

“That I should be skilled?” There was a little surprise in his voice. 

“You would be a good father.” She stated.

His face flushed as he blurted out. "Like, objectively speaking, or…?"

Eve simply rolled over and covered herself with the blanket. After receiving no reaction, Chung left her alone and started tidying up. Everything found on the floor was returned to her purse, and the remains of the lip gloss were buried in a trash can. He glanced around the luggage for a time, then her room, but couldn't find what he needed.

“Where’s the bottle?” Silence. “Eve?” 

The girl's breathing was slow and rhythmic. Her eyelids closed, as she drifted off into a beautiful dream. Chung wisely shut his mouth. He searched discreetly, and when the bottle was found, sat down in a tiny chair beside the mirror. He glanced at her silent profile for a bit; she appeared so calm that he felt like yawning. He sat awake by her side until the sky grew more navy blue than dark. Chung changed its diaper again, fed it, patted it back for a burp and rocked it to sleep before returning to the balcony.

The descent was more challenging than going up. The metal groaned uncomfortably as he pressed his foot on it. Yes, this was not built to support a weight like his, was his last thought as the metal detached from the wall beneath his foot and a sense of weightlessness overtook him.

“Does it still hurt?” 

“A little.” His girlfriend’s concern really touched him. And he would have enjoyed it more if he could properly sit in his chair without wincing. “Normally I would have landed just fine, but I happened to be sleepy. Really.” 

“Sure.” 

“I didn’t plan on triggering the alarm either.” He added, somewhat guilty. 

“I figured.” A smile tugged at her lips. “My father was pretty angry, hopefully he didn’t cause too much trouble for you.” 

“Oh it’s fine. I got grounded for a month. Or rather, for as long as dad remembers I’m grounded.” 

“That…” She hesitated. “It’s my fault too, you came only because I asked you to.”

“And I’m glad you did! I know you wanted to take care of this assignment yourself, but I couldn’t help feeling kinda useless. Watching you take care of it while doing nothing… It felt wrong.”

She became silent. It was exactly how she felt in this class from the beginning of the semester. Unknowingly, she made him feel just as worthless. Eve grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it. "You were not useless. Just knowing you were there for me made me feel better.”

Chung entangled their hands further and smiled. “I’m glad. But will you finally tell me what grade we got?”

As nonchalantly as she could, she took out the paper from her backpack. Not betraying her feelings at all. “Check for yourself.” The paper slid on the desk towards him.

After glancing at it, Chung couldn’t help breaking into a smile, genuinely happy for his girlfriend. “You did it!”