October 4th, 3027.
1:00 AM.
The room rested in a strange balance of light and silence.
The cold glow of Jin’s laptop cut sharply across the bed, illuminating only what it needed—his hands, the keyboard, fragments of his face.
Beyond that, the soft neon of Itwatsuki seeped through the massive window, painting shifting colors across the walls and floor like quiet waves.
Outside, the city hummed faintly.
Distant.
Unreachable.
Inside—
Only one sound persisted.
Typing.
Steady.
Controlled.
Unbroken.
Jin sat against the headboard, one leg slightly bent, the other stretched just enough to balance the laptop resting across his lap.
His posture remained straight despite the hour, shoulders relaxed but focused, eyes locked onto the screen.
Serious.
Annoyed.
Unmoving.
Beside him—
Lily.
Sitting quietly on the same bed, a slight distance maintained between them.
Her legs were drawn in gently, her back resting against the headboard, her silver hair falling softly over her shoulders.
She wasn’t looking outside anymore.
She was looking at him.
Not intensely.
Not intrusively.
Just… watching.
Observing.
Trying to understand.
Jin already knew.
He didn’t need to look.
He could feel it.
That quiet attention.
It lingered for a few more seconds.
Then—
Without lifting his gaze from the screen—
“If you’re not sleeping… at least don’t stare.”
His tone wasn’t loud.
Not angry.
Just… annoyed.
Lily blinked once.
Then looked away briefly.
“…I wasn’t staring.”
A small pause.
Then, softer—
“I was just looking.”
Silence.
The typing continued.
But she didn’t retreat.
After a moment, she spoke again.
“What are you working on?”
Her voice carried simple curiosity.
No pressure.
No force.
Jin didn’t respond immediately.
A few more keys pressed.
Then—
“Work.”
Flat.
Minimal.
Lily tilted her head slightly.
“…do you always work this late?”
“Yes.”
Another short answer.
Her eyes shifted toward the screen, though she couldn’t really see anything clearly.
“…is this how your nights are?”
Jin’s fingers paused for half a second.
Then resumed.
“It doesn’t concern you.”
The words were clean.
Dismissive.
Final.
For a moment—
Silence.
But Lily didn’t stop.
She changed.
Her gaze moved over him again—not his face this time.
His posture.
His hands.
The untouched space around him.
“You don’t take breaks.”
No response.
“You didn’t even eat after coming back.”
The typing slowed.
Just slightly.
Barely noticeable.
Then—
“You talk a lot for someone who just got here.”
Jin’s voice carried a faint edge now.
Not anger.
But awareness.
Lily didn’t react defensively.
She simply adjusted her position slightly, pulling her legs closer.
“I’m here to understand you.”
Her voice was steady.
Honest.
“That’s what your mother said.”
A pause.
Her gaze lowered briefly.
Then returned to him.
“…so I’m trying.”
That—
Made him look.
For the first time—
Properly.
Jin’s eyes lifted from the screen.
Turned.
And settled on her.
Not a glance.
Not a flicker.
A full look.
He studied her.
Silver eyes—clear, steady.
No fear.
No hesitation.
No pretense.
Just… sincerity.
It lasted a second longer than expected.
Then—
His gaze narrowed slightly.
“You won’t last long.”
The words came low.
Measured.
“People don’t stay around me.”
No explanation followed.
No emotion.
Just a fact.
Lily held his gaze.
Didn’t look away.
Didn’t flinch.
“Then I’ll decide that myself.”
Calm.
Balanced.
Unforced.
Jin watched her for another moment.
Then turned his gaze back to the laptop.
Typing resumed.
But slower now.
The silence returned.
But it had changed.
The distance between them… felt smaller.
Lily’s eyes lingered on him again.
But this time—
Something else was there.
“…do you always live like this?”
Her voice was quieter now.
Less curious.
More… personal.
Jin didn’t look at her.
“Yes.”
A short pause.
“…it’s easier.”
The words were simple.
But they carried something beneath them.
Something he didn’t explain.
Lily didn’t respond immediately.
Her gaze softened slightly.
She looked at him longer than before.
Not analyzing.
Not questioning.
Just… noticing.
The way his shoulders stayed firm even at this hour.
The lack of rest.
The quiet isolation around him.
“…it doesn’t look easy.”
Her voice was soft.
But it landed.
Jin’s fingers paused.
A brief stillness.
Then—
They resumed.
Faster.
Sharper.
“Don’t assume things.”
His tone dropped slightly.
Controlled.
But edged.
Lily didn’t look away.
“Then show me I’m wrong.”
Silence.
The words lingered between them.
Jin didn’t respond.
Didn’t argue.
But his focus on the screen had shifted.
Not entirely.
But enough.
The room settled again.
Both of them still awake.
No more words.
No more questions.
Just—
The quiet hum of the city.
The glow of two different lights.
And something unseen… slowly threading between them.
Not comfort.
Not conflict.
Something in between.
Something… unspoken.
After 10 minutes
It was 1:57 am..The steady rhythm of typing came to an end with a soft click.
Jin closed his laptop.
The sound, though quiet, felt final—like a line drawn across the moment.
A faint trace of irritation lingered in his eyes, subtle but present, as if the silence beside him had weighed more than he preferred to admit.
Without saying a word, he moved the laptop aside and stood up from the bed in one smooth motion.
He didn’t look at Lily.
Didn’t acknowledge her.
He simply walked toward the washroom, his steps calm, controlled, the faint glow of the city trailing behind him across the floor.
The door shut.
Softly.
Lily exhaled.
Quiet.
Almost unnoticed.
The room felt different now.
Still.
But not empty.
Her eyes moved slowly around the space, taking in details she hadn’t before.
The room was… immaculate.
Everything placed with precision.
Nothing out of line.
Sharp symmetry ruled the space—every object exactly where it should be, every surface untouched by disorder.
Her gaze drifted to the wall.
Framed photographs.
She leaned slightly forward, studying them from where she sat.
Awards.
Formal meetings.
High-profile gatherings.
Jin stood in each of them, dressed sharply, surrounded by people—but never with them.
Same expression.
Every time.
Calm.
Distant.
Untouchable.
Lily didn’t feel intimidated.
If anything—
Her curiosity deepened.
She shifted slightly on the bed, pulling her knees closer.
Her eyes flickered once toward the closed washroom door.
Waiting.
Not impatiently.
Just… aware.
Then—
Her gaze drifted again.
To the side.
A file rested near the edge of the bedside table.
Simple.
Unassuming.
But the word on it caught her attention.
“Investigation.”
Her brows narrowed just slightly.
Curiosity stirred.
She leaned forward—just a little—her hand almost lifting from her lap.
Then—
She stopped.
Her fingers curled back.
“…no…”
A quiet decision.
She leaned back again.
Not touching it.
Not yet.
The sound of the washroom door opening broke the stillness.
Lily looked up.
Jin stepped out.
His hair slightly damp, a few strands falling loosely over his forehead.
He had changed into a black robe, the fabric dark and clean, matching the quiet intensity he carried even now.
He looked composed.
As always.
But beneath it—
Something softer.
Something tired.
He walked back toward the bed, his movements unhurried.
Sitting down at the edge, he paused briefly before glancing sideways.
At her.
“You’re still awake?”
His voice was flat.
Not harsh.
Just… direct.
Lily met his gaze.
“I’m not sleepy.”
Simple.
Honest.
Jin held her gaze for a second longer.
Unreadable.
Then looked away, a quiet exhale slipping through his nose—mild annoyance, barely there.
Silence followed.
Then Lily spoke again.
Gently.
“You work… this late every day?”
“Yes.”
Short.
Unchanged.
She nodded slightly.
Processing.
Not judging.
Another pause settled between them.
“You don’t talk much… do you?”
Jin glanced at her again.
“I talk when needed.”
His tone remained steady.
Controlled.
Lily looked at him a moment longer than necessary.
Then looked away.
“…hmm.”
A small sound.
Thoughtful.
Jin shifted slightly, pulling the blanket up as he leaned back onto the bed.
He turned onto one side, his back angled slightly toward her, creating distance without fully rejecting the space.
“Go sleep on the couch.”
His voice came calm.
Firm.
Lily froze for a second.
Not hurt.
Just… thinking.
Her eyes moved to him.
“I’m your fiancée.”
Soft.
But steady.
Jin’s eyes opened slightly.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his expression as he turned his head just enough to look at her.
“That doesn’t change anything.”
Lily didn’t look away.
“It does… a little.”
Silence.
Jin studied her for a moment.
She wasn’t pushing.
Wasn’t arguing.
Just stating something she believed.
He clicked his tongue softly.
Turned away again.
“…Just sleep.”
Reluctant.
But allowed.
Lily exhaled quietly.
Then stood up.
Her movements calm, unhurried as she walked toward a side shelf.
She picked up a soft white robe, holding it gently before turning toward the washroom.
The door closed behind her.
Jin stared at the ceiling.
Eyes slightly narrowed.
“…troublesome…”
The word remained unspoken.
But clear.
A few minutes passed.
Then—
The door opened again.
Lily stepped out.
Her hair slightly looser now, falling more naturally around her shoulders.
The white robe wrapped softly around her frame, contrasting the darker tones of the room.
She walked back without a word.
Sat down on the bed again.
Maintaining distance.
Respecting space.
After a brief pause, she slowly lay down on her side.
Facing away.
Jin remained on his side as well.
Facing the opposite direction.
A noticeable space remained between them.
Not large.
But present.
Defined.
The room fell into silence once more.
Only the distant hum of the city remained, its neon glow flickering faintly across the ceiling in shifting patterns.
Lily’s eyes stayed open for a moment longer.
She glanced once—
Toward his back.
Her expression softened.
Something quiet.
Something gentle.
Beginning to form.
Jin’s eyes, still open, stared ahead into the dimness.
Aware.
Fully aware—
That she was there.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Yet—
The distance between them no longer felt the same.
Two strangers.
Same bed.
Same night.
And somewhere between silence and presence—
A thread had begun to weave.