Tale of TAL: Ch 5

((Because why the fuck not. It's been established I don't own TAL, Kang Im does. WONT STOP ME AND MY SIS FROM KICKING SHIT UP. Warning: we DO spoil shit. Mostly what hasn't been translated yet from the Korean chapters, so there ARE spoilers if you haven't seen the non-translated pages.))

'...It wasn't supposed to be like this...'

[Even if you entered this place, you thought you were exempt from consequences?]

'No. That's never the case. But still, to think you'd let this happen-'

[The story must have falls for every rise. You cannot escape what must be, in one form or another.]

'Talking with you is like a bear explaining its arms hurt to a shark.'

[That sounds stupid.]

Talking with Kang Im's text was really more optional than anything, but it kept Noah sane for most of the night as everyone else slept. Sae Ha had gotten fond of the room he'd treated Yu Jin in, and had claimed that for the night. Mu Young fell sleep in the living room, and who the hell knew where everyone else had gone too (Except Maru, he knew Maru had gone home as soon as he could. Too many TALs).

When finally the sun rose, Noah contacted Min Jun by their link. 'ARE YOU AWAKE THIS MORNING MY NUNA?'

'Can you please turn down the volume...?  Docs just woke me up to make sure I was holding up okay.' She was groggy still. The drugs were really good then.

He had to ask. 'Is Boss with you?'

'Not right now. I think he went home last night.'

Made sense. Ever since taking them in, even with them helping out, two mouths to feed other than your own was stressful. 'Darn I was going to ask him to bring you here. I'll just do it myself. How's your arm?'

'Can't really tell. It's...there, at least. I've got bandages from my bicep to my shoulder and around my boobs, and they put my arm in a sling.'

Then there was hope Sae Ha could do something. 'Let me know when I can come and sneak you out.’ He gave a mental shudder.

Hated hospitals. Sterile white environments with bad memories for 'Noah' and Noah alike.

When finally she gave the all-clear, Noah teleported to the hospital wearing some of Yu Jin's clothes, asking for his sister at the front desk as he squashed down his panic at being in the building again. Once he had her checked out, Min Jun was rolled out in a wheelchair, which was promptly returned as Noah hefted her in his arms and teleported back to the house.

"Oh my god I hate that place so much." He breathed as Sae Ha pulled Min Jun's bandages away to assess the damage.

She winced, initially; the joint itself stung to high Hell, and the skin was still healing up. "Well?"

"Iffin ya alright with me openin' it up again a bit, I can save ya shoulder and make it good as new." The doctor TAL stated as his gaze focused solely on her wound.

Outwardly, Min Jun had a thoughtful frown on her face as she weighed the options. "..." Inwardly, she was a screaming mess. '...NOAH I THINK I WAS BETTER OFF RECOVERING IN THE HOSPITAL.'

'BUT IF YOU DON'T GET IT FIXED YOU HAVE TO RE-LEARN HOW TO FIRE YOUR CROSSBOW.'

Why did he have to point out facts? '....Mother fucking shit.'

'I'll buy you your own platter of red bean waffles, Nuna.' He was outwardly actually crying, which gave her a bit of a boost in accepting the offer and made Sae Ha stare at them as if they were both crazy.

'...ugh, deal.' She sighed. "Just...don't be too rough.  I almost blacked out from the pain when that bastard got me."

"I can help ya relax with a bit 'o' acupuncture 'forehand." Sae Ha held up a needle, Noah scooting behind her instantly. Given he'd been focused more on Jin, and then Sae Ha's eyes the night prior, he hadn't actually given thought to the needles.

"YOU DID THAT TO JIN LAST NIGHT TOO!"

The doctor TAL stared, and his droning tone reminded them both he was likely remembering the previous night as well. " 'S good for ya."

"...Iiiiii really don't like needles." Min Jun's body had gone milky pale.

Sae Ha stared. "...It's good fer ya, so just one." And somehow he swapped for the big one he used on Jin in an instant.

"YOU DID THAT TOO!"

Sae Ha waved off Noah's screech again. "I cleaned it, don' worry."

"I-I-I dunno about this I think I would rather lose the arm." Her face had taken on an emoji form, wide round O eyes with an X where her mouth was.

Sae Ha drew a long breath on his pipe. "Too damn bad. I already promised Young Prince I'd help ya." Noah gave a loud wheezing noise before toppling over sideways in a dead faint. "Th' hell's wrong wit' 'im anyway?" The TAL prompted as he pointed his pipe at Noah.

"He doesn't like needles much either." [Neither of you two are great with this guy, are you?] She sent a mental 'shut up' to Kang Im then abruptly panicked as Sae Ha inched closer. "I DON'T NEED A HOT GRANDPA STICKING ME WITH THINGS!!!"

He groaned. "I jus' hadda come help a buncha idiots who don' even want my help-" Her words then sunk in and he gave her the same disturbed look he'd given Noah the night before.

[Really? Hot grandpa? Not very subtle.]

'BITE ME.'

It was then Noah suddenly popped back up with a horrified expression. 'MUMU MEETS IGGY TODAY FUCK'.

'WAIT WHAT?! SHIT--' Min Jun gritted her teeth. "OKAY I CHANGED MY MIND DOCTOR DUDE, POKE ME."

"...Okay." He deadpanned, a sweatdrop on his head as he inhaled from his pipe. "Ya all are fuckin' weird, by the way."

Noah's involuntary sarcasm acted up. "Excuse you, weird and I are casual friends with benefits."

"I've been having affairs with both weird and crazy." Min Jun added in. Hey, Noah couldn't always be the one delivering funny lines.

Sae Ha gave them both a deadpan stare before he slowly put a hand over his face, and started to shake with laughter. His pipe rattled between his teeth as he coughed from the smoke going into his lungs roughly. "I think we broke him." Noah commented.

"...Well can you un-break him?  I'm not particularly comfortable just sitting here shirtless with nothing underneath since my bandages are over there." Min Jun pointed out.

It was then that Sae Ha took hold of Noah's shirt and threw him out of the room. "Iffin I'm gonna work I needa concentrate! Git!" Noah gave the smarmy answer of 'Okay Grandpa Hotpants', which made Min Jun snort.

Noah quickly checked and saw Mu Young getting up, Yu Jin and Baek Jeong already walking outside. He greeted the other Yongma user as Usagi tackled Shadow affectionately. "Gonna hang around for breakfast?" He prompted, the gunner frowning at him before recalling he'd seemingly finished his heckling of them once Maru had left.

"I would but there's things I need to do."

Yu Jin, who was attempting to escape strangulation by Ei Mae, looked over as he fixed the wrap around his neck. "Really? ...Alright Hyung. Have a good day."

"YEEEEK!" Exploded from the house, startling everyone.

'Holy shit should I come save you? I'll totally get punched through the door again if you need saving' "Nunim's getting fixed up by Sun Bi-Nim." Noah explained.

'Hoooolyy shit I feel like a melted ice cube...'

He paused upon the dreamy tone her voice turned into.'...I WANT THE MAGIC DOCTOR TO TOUCH ME AND MAKE ME MELT TOO'.

[Aren't you scared of doctors and needles?] 

The Yongma user had tears on his chibi face. 'I KNOW ITS FRUSTRATING.'

'I'd comment about you being a pervert but I'm on cloud nine and really don't feel like it...'

The stress-less quality of her voice awed Noah. 'Holy shit.'

[Even beasts can be soothed]

'Only thing that could make this better is if it was Boss and not the grandpa.'

[Loose lips sink ships-]

Kang Im was amused, Noah could tell. 'YOU TOTALLY WANT BOSS TOUCHING YOU AND MAKING YOU MELT?!'

[It's a good thing this is all in thought bubbles]

'He stuck a needle in my back, you lewd hornball.'

Noah couldn't help it. '...So you want Boss sticking you too?'

[How lewd.]

'...as soon as the old guy's done fixing my shoulder I'm using you for target praaaaaa--' She trailed off to incoherent noises because she just looked at her shoulder and holy shit that doesn't look good. "Here's an idea, stop focusin' and just relax already." Sae Ha stated as he stuck the needle across her back on the pressure points and stress knots, making her relax before he got back to working on her shoulder.

It probably wasn’t the best idea, but Min Jun sent Noah a visual of her shoulder, which looked very much like she’d been butchered. 'Are we sure this guy can fix thIIIII--'

That was the moment Noah's stomach turned, he doubled over, and threw up. Yu Jin and Baek Jeong flinched, and Ei Mae gave a tilt of his head as Usagi ran frantic circles squeaking in alarm.

Min Jun made vague sounds that were seeming to be apologies. 'Nunim you're meannnnnn...' He attempted to spit out the leftover bile in his mouth. "I'm -ulp!- good, sorry."

"Are you hurt somewhere Hyung? Here, maybe Sae Ha-Nim should-" Yu Jin began, his hands outstretched to Noah.

The Yongma user backed up like a frightened cat. "NOPE HE'S GOOD I'M GOOD NOPE!"

"IF ANY OF THEM COME IN HERE I'M SHOOTING THEM ALL THE SECOND I CAN USE MY ARM AGAIN." Min Jun's shout echoed even outside. 'DO NOT LET THEM IN HERE I AM STILL TOPLESS.'

Noah clarified. "Nunim's all bloody, don't go in."

Yu Jin made a sympathetic whimpering noise. 'Good save--YEEK!! God, can he stop sticking me with needles for ten seconds, that one hurt!'

'I can't save you anymore, I'm at my limit. -ULP-' Noah was doubled over again.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"How's it feeling now, Nunim?"

Sae Ha took in a long draw off his pipe as Noah comforted Min Jun. "Ya get full mobility back soon. Don't worry, it'll heal properly since ya got brought to me so soon."

"...One, please get that needle out of my back.  Two, where's my shirt.  Three, how the hell did you manage to do this."

The TAL doctor rolled his eyes as she spoke yet again in her usual way. "Ya forget I'm a professional doctor?" Noah rubbed her back soothingly. 'Given my theory he's a thousand year fox, he's likely had a shitton of practice.'

'We are not even going into that fanfic.' She replied. "Considering he almost took my entire freaking arm off?  I'm kinda surprised you could salvage it."

"Thankfully I got it back for ya." As he inhaled on his pipe, they thought they were home-free. "So. Who dun that to ya?"

Noah's mind made the distorted noise of a record screeching. Min Jun had a more coherent phrasing of their collective emotions at that moment. 'SHIT. SHOULD WE TELL HIM?'

'I REALLY DON'T THINK SO.' Noah replied, sweating bullets. Sae Ha was still staring at them with a flat expression. "...Ya two aren't good at hiding that ya are hiding somethin'."

Min Jun cursed the TAL for being smart. '...fuck. Well it's getting close to when they find out anyway, right?'

'They already got attacked by Bi Gak, but...Baby King, if he finds out-' The last thing Noah wanted was for Yu Jin to stress over them being harmed by the same guy he himself had been threatened by. Stress brought the seal on 'Yu Jin' close to breaking, after all. "...Well, ain't my business I suppose." Sae Ha suddenly concluded. His chibi smoked leisurely, head turned away from both of them. "Getcher shirt back on, missy." 

'....' She suddenly became aware of missing the article of clothing. "....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

"You really didn't remember?" Noah felt a sweat-drop on his head as Sae Ha groaned.

She was frantically grabbing for her shirt. "SORRY I WAS MORE FOCUSED ON THE NEEDLE IN MY BACK AND THE FACT THAT MY ARM LOOKED LIKE A CUT OF PORK AFTER BAEK JEONG WAS DONE WITH IT."

"EXCUSE YOU I DON'T EAT PEOPLE!"

Noah couldn't help but chime in. "You should practice for your hubby-" He then dodged a kitchen knife as the TAL glowered from nearby, Yu Jin soon swatting him to make him calm down. 'So Nunim, should we do anything? I mean, they do need to clash for Mu Mu to realize what Iggy is.'

'...Let's just wait it out. Plot dictates that when MuMu finds out and they have to fight, King-nim comes and stops Chau Yoong from killing Iggy.' Min Jun leaned her back to the support post outside. The weather was humid and hot, the signs of Korean summer.

'...Is it two-faced that I feel like kicking Chau Yong's ass?' Noah asked as Yu Jin outwardly prompted Min Jun. "Nuna, can I get you anything to eat? Or tea?" He was fretting over her, as was his personality. It was why they wanted, no matter what wound up happening, for Yu Jin to survive and continue existing.

'Not really.  I wanna kick his ass too, but now's not the time.' Min Jun also couldn't stand Yu Jin worrying. "Ah- You don't have to do that, King-nim, really."

"Are you sure Nuna?" Yu Jin was a wibbling worried chibi, Usagi perched on his head. 'I know. But I still want to.' Noah replied after cooing over them together.

"-oh no he's too precious as a cheeb I can't-" She uttered under her breath in small text, unable to resist. "Uh...i-if you really want to, maybe some tea?  I've only had a half-glass of water since yesterday." Noah's reply came after she got her brain out of it dazed state. 'We can kick his ass after the dust settles.'

"I'll make you some rice porridge Nuna!" Yu Jin beamed, looking much happier.

'...can we adopt him?' Min Jun prompted, staring at the happy redhead youth with a rabbit on his head.

Noah snickered. 'I really want to, but we'd have to fight MuMu.' "Just wait a little, Nuna." Yu Jin said before heading off to the kitchen, Bak Jeong sauntering after him to snitch food if possible.

'Nothing says he can't have two sets of parents.' She pointed out, before calling to Jin. "Take your time, no need to rush!" Min Jun then paused in thought. '....Hey, uh. You...did let Boss know you came and picked me up, right...?'

"Yeah...He was kinda incoherent. We should head back home to see if he's still sleeping." Noah had another sweatdrop on his head.

She nodded, her shoulder finally getting some feeling back. "Poor guy...I was unconscious for a while, so I have no idea when he left..."

"Heheh, not completely. So, his hands smell like daisies?"

"...Wha..." Her face went beet red.

'YOUR FACE OH MY GOD.'

After eating together with Yu Jin and getting the chores done, Min Jun and Noah made their way to Cho-Yi's home, finding most of it messed up, and Cho-Yi sprawled out on /their/ futons, clinging to both their pillows. "...I think we made him upset..." Noah uttered as he stared at their slumbering boss.

"Uh...h-hey, Boss...?" Min Jun was careful to use her good arm and cautiously approached the TAL to wake him up. Cho-Yi suddenly blinked awake, staring at them in a daze. Min Jun meekly waved her good arm. "Morning."

There was more blinking as he actually woke up. "...Nuna?"

"Y-yeah, it's me."

Another beat of silence, before Cho-Yi lunged and scooped her up in a hug. "NUNA~!" Little hearts were floating all around them. [He was really worried. You two should be more careful] Kang Im commented.

'You should stop being an ass.' Noah replied.

"ACK--! Y-yes, Boss, it's me--!!" Min Jun flailed uselessly. 'HOLY HECK IS THIS WHAT JIN PROBABLY FEELS LIKE AROUND MUMU AND IGGY--'

Her flailing didn't deter their Boss, who affectionately nuzzled her head. "Nuna~! You're okay! You're okay, thank goodness!"

"Y-yes, yes, I'm okay!  Oppa took me to see a Chachaoong doctor who helped me with my shoulder--!" She snarled over their link at the quivering Yongma user nearby. He was quivering in laughter. 'DAMMIT NOAH HELP!'

The TAL looked ecstatic. "Really?! That's so great!" Noah affirmed he wasn't getting between them. Once Cho-Yi had gotten food in his system thank to Noah, he called the old man, assuring that Min Jun was fine and healing well. "Mhmm. Ah, really?" Cho-Yi winced. "I see. Sorry Oppa, but-"

"Don't even, Boss. You kept your cool when I didn't, and Nunim's fine thanks to you." Noah bowed in respect, the TAL scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Let me work for the next few days in your place."

Their caretaker smiled after a moment. "Alright Oppa. Thank you." Noah left with Usagi, who the old man was slowly beginning to like, and Cho-Yi prompted Min Jun. "So, we have the day off. I already slept, but are you feeling well?" Noah's voice chimed in. 'Yes I did just score you a date with Boss. You're welcome.'

'...holy fucking shit.' Min Jun sweated a few bullets. "Well, ah...my shoulder still feels stiff since it's not one hundred percent healed, but Sun Bi-nim said it'll be good as new soon."

"I see. I think I know where a massage parlor is nearby. I could take you there for a session if you'd like. I think they do acupuncture."

She jerked back out of gut reaction. "...I literally just had acupuncture done. Sun Bi-Nim said it would relax me since he wasn't giving me anesthesia for my shoulder. It was only three needles but it...really worked well."

"Really? That's so cool! I've never had it so I wouldn't know how effective it is."

Min Jun couldn't help but remember how good it felt. "It's really cool. You kinda feel like a melting ice cube, like you'll just turn into a puddle. It's that relaxing."

"Melting ice cube???" A crow flew behind him yelling 'idiot'. Kang Im's sense of humor. "Heh, sounds nice." He smiled, seeming much better now that he was assured Min Jun was fine. "Well, what would you like to do then, Nuna?"

She hummed in thought. "Hmmm....well, I think I overheard the old man mentioning wanting some new recipes. Maybe we can try to come up with something?"

"Ah! That sounds like fun! What were you thinking?"

It felt like an old song had started playing, a bit of nostalgia pumping through her as she settled into thinking. "I had an idea for a kind of dessert-like noodle bowl.  Like with a sweeter broth and fruits instead of vegetables."

"What kind of broth would be sweet though?" Cho-Yi looked utterly stumped.

A sweatdrop rolled down her head. "Perhaps...something with fruit juice?"

"So it'd be more like a glaze soup???" Their TAL caretaker had a swarm of question marks above his head as Noah chimed in, apparently having been listening in the entire time. 'He has no idea how Americans eat does he?'

Right, Korea had different takes on 'sweets'. "N-no, no, you don't boil it down into a glaze.  You leave the juice as-is.  Maybe warm it up and add a little sugar?"

"Would that really work?" He scratched his head in thought. "Mind showing me what you mean Nuna? Where'd you get an idea like this anyway?"

"Ah--sure!  I'd be glad to!"

When Noah finally got some some time after midnight, it was to a complete disaster. "...Why is everything covered in sticky shit what were you two doing."

"Hi Oppa!" Cho-Yi happily called as he scrubbed away at the floor.

Min Jun had fruit sauce in her hair. "Experimenting with a recipe. Unfortunately it kind of...exploded."

"I'm never leaving you two alone again."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Once Min Jun and Cho-Yi were asleep, Noah headed out through Usagi. Dressed again in his 'hooker' clothes, Noah felt restless and antsy, and surprisingly not happy when Gamun Be popped up in his path.

"Ah...It's good to see you-"

Noah pinned him with a glare heavily that Gamun Be shrank into chibi form sweating profusely. "Your boss...Your boss did it..."

"...I had no idea. I swear." Gamun Be sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "When I realized the people Bi Gak was talking about included your description...It wasn't as though I could let on I had seen you..." He was cut off by Noah snorting-

Then by his throat being gripped tightly, Noah perched on top of him as he squeezed, a manic look in his eyes. "My Nunim was almost killed. If she had died, I don't care whose feelings are what. I would've hunted you bastards down and killed every last one of you." He hissed as Gamun Be choked and clawed at the hand on his neck.

'What a monster. A disgusting thing.'

Noah stiffened, suddenly coming to himself. He let go of Gamun Be's throat, the elder coughing roughly as Noah remained perched on his stomach. "..." He stood up, staring down at the elder, Gamun Be eventually recovering and struggling to get up as well.

"I -keff- I really am sorry." Gamun Be rubbed his throat, staring at Noah with sympathetic eyes.

Red eyes that would continue to give that stare until Bi Gak burned it out of him. That's right. Gamun Be. Gamun Be was a precious loving man who'd die unfairly. All of them would unless Noah kept his head on straight. "...You shouldn't be." It was an emotional high, Min Jun barely surviving, they both had faced Bi Gak.

That was why Noah kissed Gamun Be.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"...Oppa?" Min Jun blinked waking up the next morning, finding Noah perched on the windowsill.

He looked at her and smiled. "Morning~!" He looked vibrant again, and happily helped Cho-Yi with breakfast. "Nunim, does your arm feel any better?" He asked once they'd all sat down. 'By the way I may have made out with Gamun Be last night.'

'yOU DID WHAT--!?!'

[He really did.] Noah stared at Kang Im's text. 'Just thought you'd like to know I may have screwed myself into a deeper pit to Hell.'

"I'll be going on ahead to open the store today, alright?" Cho-Yi was already getting up to put his dishes in the sink for cleaning.

Noah beamed a smile at him. Nothing visibly wrong. "See you Boss~!"

"U-uh...yeah, see you there, Boss." Min Jun had a harder time. 'NOAH YOU FUCKING IDIOT BI GAK ALMOST KILLED ME ALREADY.'

'I know. And he apologized for not doing anything. And then I kissed him, and I might've lost my shirt for a few minutes uhm.' Noah was pointedly not looking at her.

She just stared flatly. '....you fucking hornball.'

'Okay in my defense, I was actually about to kill him before I made out with him. I made a better choice...Kind of.' Noah made a vague gesture. "...I mean it was hot but I feel like I might be leading him on and it's a gross feeling. BUT THEN HE DOES THIS THING WITH HIS SMILE AND ITS LIKE MANO'S ONLY CUTER ughh God help me-" He let his head hit the table.

[I won't help. This is gold] Noah threw his fork at the text. "SHUT UP KANG IM!"

As Min Jun finished her meal, she was keeping her eyes on him. That way, when he suddenly popped up, she was less startled and could keep a cool face as he freaked out. "...MIN JUN."

"...You're on your own with this shit."

He flailed his arms. "NO. MINNIE." Noah looked hysterical. "LEON."

"...oH FUCK."

They'd completely forgotten thanks to life as Chachaoongs. "IT-IT HAPPENS IN THE EVENING RIGHT? SO-" Noah panicked. "Should we go over while MuMu's still asleep? I mean, the only one there we'd need to be careful about is Baek Jeong."

...Unknown to them, unfortunately, Mu Young was actually not asleep in the daytime. He had managed a bit of dreamless restless sleep after returning to Yu Jin's home. Ignatio's face wouldn't leave his mind, and more bizarre dreams were happening, not to mention Ella's surprise attack on his life.

Then around noon, he was called to meet Maru at the park. The last place he wanted to return. "Kang Maru, mind telling me what you called me out here for?"

"..First of all. Hyung-Nim." Maru's expression was flat as he pointed to the construction crew cleaning up the destroyed portions of concrete and jungle gyms. A sweatdrop went down Mu Young's head as he realized he and Ella had done a lot more damage than expected. "Be truthful...Were you involved somehow?"

Mu Young remained silent, looking away to remain innocent. [It doesn't work that way.]

"...You totally were, weren't you-"

He snarled as he kept his gaze off his subordinate. "So what if I was?! I had a weird day yesterday!"

"Yesterday, hm?" Maru side-eyed Mu Young hard, to the point the older gunman turned to raise his eyebrow. "...When you meant to meet with me to talk?"

SHIT. Mu Young face-palmed as he realized exactly what Maru was on about. "It won't help even if I tell you I was attacked, would it?"

"No. No it really wouldn't."

There was a bite to Maru's tone that made Mu Young's stomach flip. He glanced at the blond and noticed Maru's arms were not only crossed, his fingers were digging into the material to the point Mu Young wouldn't be surprised if Maru was bruising himself without realizing it. Maru was tense about something.

"...Are you angry with me?" He couldn't help asking.

Maru bit his lip and scowled at the ground instead of bursting out with an answer. While it was cute, it wasn't normal for Maru to- '...DID I JUST CALL HIM CUTE?!' Mu Young looked haunted as he realized, yes he did.

As the older gunman twitched repeatedly, Maru finally decided to reply. "Hyung-Nim. What is this." When Mu Young began to respond with a noise of confusion, Maru turned his head, and amber irises locked onto Mu Young's pink with an intensity the gunner didn't realize his subordinate was capable of. "THIS. This...as in...You and I. Us." He looked away again, only this time his cheeks and ears were red.

"O-Oh..." Sweatdrops amassed on Mu Young, and they both fell awkwardly silent. 'This is about that bastard teasing us, isn't it? Maru's second-guessing because of all that harassment.' "If it's that idiot rabbit, I'll shut him up for good-"

Maru's jaw gritted. "NO, HYUNG-NIM." It was loud enough that Mu Young jumped, startled by the usually timid blond. "What do you think of me? What am I to you...?" As soon as it had come, the fierceness in Maru's voice had gone, the soft tone Mu Young knew was Maru finally back.

"..." Mu Young opened his mouth...and left it open. He had no immediate answer, not when Maru's abnormal behavior reminded him of every instance of Noah teasing them, his hecklings getting under the gunners' skins so easily...And why? Why was the heckling getting to them? Annoying things like rumors mildly irritated him, sure, but Mu Young normally could keep his cool, except for now, except for when Noah insisted they...That they...

Maru suddenly drew in a deep breath, Mu Young drawn out of his thoughts as he looked over and spotted the wetness to Maru's eyes.

"Never mind, Hyung-Nim. I have to go. Gotta study...test..." The blond quickly looked away, and just somehow, Mu Young knew Maru was aware he was being stared at. "Call if I find anything. Bye."

And within moments that seemed very blurry to him, Mu Young realized Maru had left, had just walked off, and Shadow was poking him back to reality. "...When am I going to get a break?" He groaned, head spinning as he decided fuck being outside today. Even if those annoying bastards were there, Yu Jin's home was where he fell asleep the easiest.

And being out cold and unconscious really appealed to him right now.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"...Sunflower?"

Noah had gone out shopping on Min Jun's insistence. Stocking up for Cho-Yi's appetite was actually a lot fucking harder than they'd first thought, and it was easier to do so while he worked and they had days off to do important stuff. That was when he encountered a very dour looking Maru in the store, the youth looking at alcohol.

"...Rabbit Hyunnnng." The blond immediately started to cry in chibi form, which made Noah panic.

After coaxing Maru from the liquor department and having him help with getting the groceries, Noah gave Min Jun the bags through Usagi, as she had been told via link that he was comforting Maru. "Oh Sunflower, honey..." Noah put his arm over Maru's shoulders, after being informed of Mu Young's 'non-answer'. "You know your Boss, he's a dimwit with emotions."

"But he wasn't even looking at me!" Maru was chewing on a waffle in dismay. "Even if Boss isn't good with emotions, he'd just up and say the answer, whether it was good or bad."

Noah hugged the blond and patted his back. 'These poor unfortunate souls are such fools.' "Sunflower, you of all people should realize. Mu Young's the kind who feels like he has to be the 'tough guy' everyone sees him and judges him to be. Whether he realizes it or not, he plays right into making himself be what everyone else sees and believes him to be."

"Really? But...I mean, Hyung-Nim's scary, yeah, and he's got a horrible temper, and is scary looking most of the time-"

Noah saw the panel of Mu Young sneezing in his sleep skim by.

"But he can be very kind, and he's very gentle and caring with Jin. I was really excited when I got to meet the kid he'd wanted to adopt for so long." Maru was staring at his waffle, not really seeing it.

The Yongma user smirked and leaned a bit. "He's been kind and gentle to you too, hasn't he?" Maru went beet red, which made Noah coo and hug him giggling. "Oh don't be shy~! I want to help, after all!" 'I knew my ship was canon~!'

[Only because you made it so, y'know?] Kang Im chimed in, Noah glaring at the text until it faded.

"Hyung-Nim...He saved my life...If he hadn't caught me when he did, I'd surely be..." Maru's voice was very soft now.

Noah stared. 'I MUST KNOW!' "Caught?" Maru scratched his cheek and chewed another bite of waffle.

"I was, uhm...Well, I wasn't one of the lucky ones. I grew up caring for myself. I wasn't the greatest at it..." Noah was treated to the most fucking adorable panels of a baby Kang Maru, fending for himself and getting beat up a ton. "Even when I got older, I sucked at it, haha. I'd get into bad fights and wind up hungry for long days. Sometimes as a child, the Nunas I'd encounter would get me food out of pity."

Noah squinted. "Is that why you wanted a girlfriend?" Well, wanting a significant other for a secure source of food or income wasn't unheard of, but still.

"Kind of, haha. Mostly it was because those Nuna's made me feel safe with them, since other Chachaoongs just beat me up relentlessly."

The sight of an approximately ten year old Kang Maru crying into an older girl's skirt was too precious for words. Noah was sure if he wasn't already trying to get him and Mu Young together, he'd totally have stolen Maru for himself. 'YOU CANT HAVE A BLOND HAREM ASSHAT.'

'Well obviously, I mean the Grim Reaper is a redhead.' He smarty quipped back.

"Then I got older, and those Nunas grew up. They got kids of their own to take care of, and I was too old to beg for handouts. That was when I resorted to stealing." Maru's eyes were darker from memories, and he'd finished off his waffle. "Stealing wasn't easy. I was really clumsy, and I sometimes chickened out because I felt bad for doing something so awful. But I couldn't get a job, without an address or training or an identity."

Noah put his hand on Maru's shoulder.

"...That was when I met him." Maru's smile was fond. "He caught me trying to steal, but he didn't hurt me when he realized I was a street orphan. He took me under his wing, and his parents took pity on me and helped me make an identity for myself. Hyung-Nim got me into some special cram schools so that I could start college at a socially acceptable age."

'Although that doesn't matter since you can't tell what a Chachaoong's age is.' Noah added mentally. [It's true.]

"...Hyung-Nim's done so much for me, it's kind of laughable that he only asks me to get information for him every once in a while in exchange." Maru bit his lip.

Noah pursed his lips in response. "...You sure?" Maru looked at him with an 'eh?' following him. "I mean, has he ever brought up you owing him for everything?" The blond opened his mouth to answer - and fell silent, blinking in shock. "Maruuuu..." Noah leaned forward more, grinning. "Maybe he's not actually keeping a scoreboard...Maybe that's all you."

"But-"

Noah smirked and cut Maru off. "But why on Earth would he keep doing so much for me if it's not just piling on things for me to pay back?!" He snickered. "Is what you're thinking, right?" Noah patted Maru's shoulder. "Sunflower, he's got money, he's got other sources, he's got everything you think you have to give him to 'repay' him. There's only one real reason he'd constantly meet up with you, only one reason he'd insist on meeting up in public, in person and not just text you and email info back and forth."

"...But he..." Maru had hope glittering in his eyes, a timid skittish hope that Noah needed to strengthen.

Noah patted Maru's head. "Sunflower, he loves you. He hasn't realized that what it is, but hey, that's what I'm here for." He then shot Min Jun's text a dirty look as it popped up in a thought bubble next to him. 'NO IT'S NOT WE'RE HERE TO SAVE EVERYONE GODAMMIT.'

"..I..." There was still a shyness to Maru.

So Noah took hold of his shoulders to make Maru look at him. "Here's a question, Sunflower. Notice how you've been acting around him lately?" Maru scratched his cheek as 'Kinda?' popped up in small text. "How's his reaction to that been?" Maru thought for a bit, then his eyes popped open and his jaw dropped. "Go get him, Sunflower."

"...R-RIGHT!" Maru stood up, stars around him. "If-If Hyung-Nim won't see it first, then I have to!"

'He's so cute when he's determined to make his boss his boyfriend.' Noah grinned. "That's the spirit Sunflower!" He waved Maru off as the gunner took off to find Mu Young.

[...Didn't you have something to panic over?]

"....FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-" Noah harshly tousled his hair as he realized the textbox was right.