#sofia01

"..."

"...Right, and what is your business...again?"

It had been four and a half months since he'd found himself alone once again, at first wondering where he'd gone wrong again or if he was just meant to not really get what he wanted out of life. The last months however had been easier to get through once Mikael came back and moved in with him, even changing a few stuff around the townhouse and erasing touches that Sofia had put through the years, giving it more of a Winters' home look and messiness. And working extra hours at the ranch also kept his weekend full, taking a few days off throughout the months to go party with friends or colleagues. He'd hooked up with a few women on these out-of-town trips, be it for bachelor parties or just a gambling weekend away.

He'd grown into a rhytm of keeping away from most places they'd spend together and had started visitng the bar near the outskirts that he'd mostly gone to in his teens as a place where they'd score booze, and on nights where he'd want to see no familiar face. He ate mostly at home and honestly spent the majority of his time working. And that's what he'd been doing this week, helping Mik out at the bar with what he needed after work, having shaved while waiting for his brother to introduce him to a girl as he'd promised, going over to their folks to check a roof leak and ending it all always with a beer or two. He'd just parked in front of a bar, ready to finish the day just that way, a cigarette in his hand, having taken the habit back up even though he'd quit for almost two full years. He stared into nothing, thinking that he'd just go in, get some drinks, drive the few streets home slowly and then be done with the week.

She didn’t know what her brother would consider a bigger betrayal: the dinner she had the night before with their absentee father and half-sister, or the fact that she was about to meet up with the guy who was in love with her brother’s girlfriend. Standing by the entrance of the Seoul Museum of History, she fiddled with the keychain hanging off of the strap of her bag, a lame attempt to focus on anything but the growing guilt inside of her. Sofia knew that even if Luca were to get angry, he wouldn’t hold a grudge against her or anything, and perhaps that was what made things worse. Or -- perhaps it was the fact that she could feel guilty over such things, but can’t help but do them anyway. She convinced herself that it was because she didn’t know anyone else in the city. Haru and their father had flown to Taiwan that very morning, and while she enjoyed the company of her step-sisters, she wasn’t really sure if the feeling was mutual. So, to keep herself from losing her mind just staying in the hotel room, and she wasn’t really in the mood to tour the city herself, she contacted the only other person she knew in the city. The fact that she may have been bothering him wasn’t lost on her, but she figured if that was the case, he wouldn’t show up.

The person in question wasn’t hard to spot, even from where she stood. Kim Seungwoo towered over almost everyone around him, and Sofia could easily see his face from afar. She had to admit, he was cute, but there was nothing but friendly intentions in her mind. After all, with school and the competitions she was joining, she barely had time to date. And she could only imagine how her brother would react if he found out that she was hanging out with him, let alone even consider liking him. “Annyeong!” she greeted as he neared, hand raised in a tiny wave and her lips stretched in a smile. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I was about to go crazy in my hotel room, and my competition partner wasn’t exactly feeling tourist-y. I hope I didn’t take you away from anything?”

“Y-you... aren’t you--?” Her words stopped short as only a first name came to mind. Sofia. Terumi couldn’t remember for the life of her if she had helped Shido toss her into the pit beneath the school or not, and she didn’t want to be overly friendly if that had been the case.

Her eyes narrowed cautiously, a hand gripping her core gadget in the pocket of her overalls for safety just in case. It wouldn’t do her much good considering Disaster Force could only strengthen her eyesight at best thanks to their wonderful scientific hosts.