The light on the radio dial flickered and the bartender raised an eyebrow; it stopped and he went back to leaning his forearms on the bar.

"It's easy to live when you're in love, and I'm so in love..."

Mizu rolled his eyes and tried to find something to do; however, the bar was empty, and it was still four hours until closing. He knew better than to close early, though.

You never know when someone is going to want to come in for a drink.

His boss, Mr. Chien, was spendthrift, but he seemed to think having the bar open 13 hours a day was a good thing. They had another bartender, sure, but that didn't matter. Slow days still got to him.

He pulled an unlabeled bottle out from behind the bar and set it down, grabbing a glass. The Waterbender sighed as he poured a shot and threw it back, feeling a dull warmth washing over him. Some nights, he'd go through one glass; some nights, he went through half a bottle. He'd bought it two months ago and only broke it out on very slow evenings.

Focus turned to the door when a man wearing metal armor walked in. Mizu's muscles tensed as he stood up straight.

"Officer Nakura." He gave the other man a curt nod.

Nakura, five years Mizu's senior, was part of the Metalbending Police force. "Katashi. Have you been staying out of trouble?"

Mizu crossed his arms. "Have you heard anything?"

Nakura's eyes narrowed. "You've got a smart mouth, you know that?"

"More smart than you have."

Nakura pointed at Mizu. "I'll be keeping my eye on you, Katashi." The cop turned and left the bar.

"I'll be keeping my eye on you, Katashi." Mizu mocked the officer under his breath and took another shot. This was going to be a long night.

“Ah, Nakura-ssi*!” Jin Ho shook hands with the police officer who was most definitely his senior, giving him a bright and friendly smile. Nakura moved on quickly, still working, while Jin Ho slid sideways past him through the door and into the bar. Still relatively new to his own beat, Jin Ho liked to check in with all the shopkeeps if he had time – and that included bars. After meeting Mr. Chien last week, he had promised himself to come back to The Serpent’s Head for at least one drink. It seemed a courteous thing to do, after all. He had no feelings either way about the Serpent’s Head yet, but he did like the song on the radio.

The young man was wearing simple clothing of the casual trousers and tunic sort, the top a jewel-like green and the bottom chocolate brown. His braid was free since he was out of uniform, mid-back and thick as a man’s wrist. He had always had long, thick hair, as long as he could remember. His father had thought he might cut it once he joined the force, but he just tucked it up and into the police uniform instead.

He heard the barkeeper mumble something under his breath. Mocking? Raising an eyebrow but saying nothing, Jin Ho gingerly took a seat at the bar, taking a good look at the tall young man behind it. Pretty, wasn’t he? Icy blue eyes and messy black hair. It was the same young man who'd been behind the bar the last time Jin Ho had come by, though he'd been on duty then. The man smiled, but only a little. Some appreciations were best kept hidden, after all. “Whiskey,” he requested, “neat.”


* -ssi is a Korean honourific, pronounced more like “shi”.

Mizu's eyes were blazing by the time someone else walked in. Because he'd had to deal with the local police force on more than one occasion, he'd made it a point to memorize the faces of every cop he saw, and the man coming in was one of them. He ducked behind the bar long enough to take another shot; at least that might make dealing with this Metalbender easier.

He hated the fact that the only thing that made life a little bit more bearable was alcohol, but there weren't really many alternatives; aside from sleeping around, that was. He'd done that at one point in time, but an...incident...made him more careful. He didn't find it particularly necessary to keep a weapon on his person because of his bending, but he hated even more that it felt like that was the only good thing his bending was for.

His eyes had drifted away from the (hopefully) customer, but when they focused again, he wasn't thinking of the other as a cop because he wasn't in uniform. He found the hand he was using to wipe the counter slowing as he took everything in, and he snapped out of his reverie when the cop asked for a whiskey.

He looked downward at his private bottle, and took a breath, breaking it out and pouring two shots.

"Normally, I don't do this for cops like every other shop in town, but this one's on the house."

He slid one of the shot glasses across the polished bar to the officer and picked one up, poising it to his lips and waiting.

On the house? Why? Because the man knew he was on the force? Even though the man said he didn’t ‘normally’ do so for policemen, Jin Ho wasn’t so sure that was true. After all, he obviously remembered him as one. Jin Ho paused for a moment but then smiled brightly, a smile that reached and warmed his green eyes. “Oh no,” he said, “I really appreciate that, but I’m afraid I must insist – I’m happy to pay for it.” It wasn’t honourable to take tips from anyone for work that he was already paid fairly to do. Jin Ho stood by that, truly believed in it. It wouldn’t do to back down.

Shaking his braid back a little, he took the glass, raising it to his own lips. Jin Ho didn’t take his whiskey like a shot, the way some people did. He preferred to drink it slowly, in attempt to taste the whiskey and feel out its undercurrents and flavours. He’d learned to drink whiskey from his father, and then two often shared a glass when he went home for dinner. The point with whiskey was not to knock it back, but to appreciate it for all its fiery nuances. At first, it just tasted like tongue-numbing liquor. But he’d gradually gotten used to this and started tasting all those things that whiskey lovers talk about: spicy notes, vanilla, caramel, peatiness, smoke, and on and on. It was a nice tradition, and Jin Ho’s father usually put down the money for good whiskey.

Raising the glass a bit in salute, he took his first sip. “Thank you, Mr. – ?”

The shot hung frozen in his hand as his brain registered what the other man had said. A police officer turning down a free drink; not only that, but offering to pay? He took a moment before sipping his whiskey and setting his glass down on the bar.

"I never thought I'd see the day." He took another sip and really studied the customer's features. A corner of his lips pulled up as he realized that this cop might not be so bad after all.

What, what in the Avatar's name was he thinking? Cops were cops; that never changes. One officer who had tried to arrest him was just like every other one that had done that, but this one seemed...different. Like he was different. He brushed his hair behind his ear.

"Bartender," His azure eyes locked onto the man's emerald ones, "Officer." He took yet another sip of whiskey.

"So, what brings you here of all places? There aren't many people who know where we are." Truth be told, their entire customer base were regulars who started coming when the bar opened, and their coin kept them alive and serving them exactly what they wanted. A part of Mizu felt guilty about some of the people who kept coming in, like an old man whose body was shutting down because he drank too much. As much as it pained him, it put food on the table and coin in his pocket to afford things; like the bottle of whiskey he was engaged in sharing.

When the minute silence between his question and the man's reply became too much to bear, he took a drink and felt himself starting to relax. Thank the spirits. He couldn't image what dealing with this cop would be like sober.

Jin Ho wasn’t sure whether or not he should be insulted. Obviously this man had no high opinion of the police and, given Jin Ho’s upbringing as a police officer’s child and his choice to be one himself, that wasn’t the happiest thing he could have discovered about any new acquaintance. As the man brushed his hair behind an ear, though, the young man couldn’t help but smile. He had pretty hands.

But of course, then the man refused to tell him his name. Now a bit annoyed, Jin Ho took another sip of his whiskey and set it down, propping one arm on the bar while the other reached up to his neck, next to his braid. He always carried tension in that left shoulder – it was sore already. “It’s Jin Ho,” he said. “Not that you asked. As for what I’m doing in here, this bar is on my new beat.” He smiled again, seeming very happy about the whole circumstance.

“I think it’s nice to do business with the shops I watch over. After all, I do work for all of you, don't I?” That was, indeed, how he saw it. As a police officer, Jin Ho worked for every citizen of the city. He was mindful of their opinions and tried to take notice of needs. He’d already handed in a note about some roadwork that needed to be done just around the corner, near a large pothole in the street.

Jin Ho rested a pale hand under his chin, gazing at the bartender. “Will it offend you if I ask how long have you been working here, Mr. Bartender?” The radio began to play a popular song, and Jin Ho's eyes shifted to it immediately.

I'll be loving you... always...

"Oh," he said, "I love this song," and the radio became the focus of that gentle smile.

The Waterbender's eyebrow went up slightly when the officer smiled; by the Spirit World, it was a gorgeous smile. When that happened, things didn't seem bad at all.

The cop, Jin Ho, as he was apparently named, informed him that the Serpent's Head was on his beat. He felt a jolt in his chest. Normally, he would have made a mental note to be conveniently sick after a week of memorizing the officer's route; normally. The muscles in his hands twitched as he took another sip of whiskey; it seemed the encounter was minutely physically upsetting. The alcohol hit hit stomach and it churned.

"You work for Cheif Bei Fong. You serve us." The half-smile grew as he looked at Jin Ho. "But in either case," his gaze went to the bar, "I'm glad it's someone besides that--" he had to catch himself, "...Nakaura. He's given me nothing but trouble since--" he took another deep breath, "since I met him."

He idly scratched his neck when Jin Ho brought up the subject of offense. A police officer who was considerate of a citizen's feelings? He tried to remember the last time he'd seen that or had it happen to him, but failed. His heart gave another jolt when the radio started playing a different song.

I'll be loving you...always...

When he looked back at Jin Ho, the song stopped playing. His mouth hung open slightly, and his heart seemed to have taken a cue from the song. The only sound he heard was a sharper intake of breath than normal; after what seemed like an eternity, the song slowly started back up, as did his heart. He knew the song was decent, but definitely not as good as it sounded right then and there.

"Me too." The whisper floated off of his still-parted lips, and he shook his head while clearing his throat.

"It's Mizu."

He couldn't believe what he'd just said.

The Serpent's Head Bar

[/center]

Was his presence really that upsetting to the young man? Jin Ho frowned a little as the bartender knocked back another shot. He felt bad — obviously he was making the man uncomfortable. The was last thing he'd wanted to do! And clearly they had vastly different ideas about the police force.

"Well," said Jin Ho, "I beg your pardon, but I really do have to disagree. I work for every citizen of this city. Who the Chief of Police is doesn't change that." He was surprised to hear the man say he didn't like Nakura, but then again, Jin Ho had to admit he didn't know his fellow officer that well. He took another sip of his whiskey, the shot glass now almost — but not quite — empty. He'd have only the one. Jin Ho hardly ever had more than one. The light on the front of the radio flickered a little as he watched it, the song continuing.

Not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year... always...

It was such a romantic song. Jin Ho had a soft spot for romantic songs or novels. Of course, normally he didn't go about talking to people about how he liked those novels, but he liked them all the same.

I'll be loving you, always... with a love that's true, always...

Mizu, eh? Looking away from the radio and back to the man, Jin Ho's next smile lit up his face. "It's nice to meet you!" he said, clearly pleased he'd gotten the man's name out of him. That was a job well done, wasn't it? His father had taught him that one should only say nice things or not talk at all, and he'd easily seen how well that manner translated in normal situations. In a fight it was different, but he still tried to go out of his way never to be hateful or mean-spirited. Sometimes in anger he had a bad habit of saying something he deeply regretted later, but he always apologized. As the song finished playing, Jin Ho slowly sipped the last of his whiskey and laid only a little more than it was worth down on the bar. "Thank you," he said, and stood. "I'll be going now. But thank you for talking to me. I had a nice time." He smiled again and turned to leave, meaning to go home and make dinner.

Semantics, semantics. At the end of the day, the Police Chief was the one who signed their paychecks, not the citizens. It didn't matter, really; it seemed like the problem lay with the police force itself rather than the individual officers. Nakura, of course, was the exception, but Jin Ho...was quite a different story. His whiskey suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world as he knocked back the last of it, especially since another love song came on over the radio. What was this, Romance Night?

His mouth broke out in a tentative smile when the other man beamed again. It wasn't so bad, seeing this man smile, especially when all the Waterbender had done was give his name. It faded, however, when the cop mentioned that he had to go. Mizu swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Wait." The word startled him given how loud he'd said it. "Wait, please. I just...one thing...real quick. Wait. Please." Mentally, he was hitting himself repeatedly for how he'd sounded just then, and he let out a sigh, craving the sight of Jin Ho in his (pretty much) bar when he returned. With bated breath, he turned around and made his way up the stairs in back near the storeroom, and they took him up to a landing with a door at the end. He knocked a few times and stepped back; the door opened to reveal a shorter man with wild white hair.

"Chien-sama." Mizu bowed, eliciting a smile from his boss.

"Mizuko^*, why so respectful? I thought I told you to call me Jiro." The older man rested his chin in the cradle formed by his thumb and forefinger. "Unless you want something. That's the only reason you've called me Chien-sama in the past." The man's eyes twinkled.

Mizu locked eyes with Chien. "I have to go. I forgot about something I need to take care of."

Jiro's smile widened. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the young police officer downstairs, would it?" Years ago, the Waterbender had confided his difference with the owner, but nothing had changed. Jiro had come to care for the bartender as a son, and if his employee's former trouble with the law wasn't enough to change their relationship, that wouldn't either.

"Yes."

"Fine, fine." Jiro waved his hand. "Lock up before you leave. We won't see any real business for two days until the street fair sets up down the road. Make sure and lock up before you leave."

Mizu took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around Chien. "Thank you, Otosan." The Waterbender was beaming as he turned around and went downstairs, holding his breath again.

_{^*A hybrid of Mizu and the Japanese honorific for "son," musuko.}

Wait? Whatever for? Jin Ho was getting hungry by now, and the thought of a nice meal of bibimbap* was starting to spin around in his head. Yes, bimbimbap, with rice and egg and fiddlehead fern and some other vegetables, maybe a bit of meat.... it would be very satisfying. What he really wanted was tteokbokki**, but he was no good at making it. Perhaps at the next family dinner he'd ask his mother to make it? Jin Ho had grown up on her cooking, bibimbap and bone soup and kimchi and bulgogi and doenjang jjigae.

And of course, now that his meal was totally planned in his head, he really felt hungry.

"Okay," he said, still standing. Jin Ho had no idea why he was waiting, but he guessed it couldn't hurt. After all, whatever Mizu wanted surely wouldn't take long! And then he could go make his dinner.

Mmmm. Dinner.

While he waited, the young police officer toyed idly with the end of his braid and looked around at the building, noting its decor and what state of repair it was in. Nobody else had come in, which seemed odd. An empty bar? Who'd ever think of that? But then again, maybe patrons came on regular nights and this wasn't one of them. That seemed likely.

The radio played another song, this one with a more dance-like beat to it. Toying with the end of his hair — wrapping the loose bits over one finger, under another, so on and so on, like weaving — Jin Ho tapped a toe on the floor. Why was he waiting, again?


* Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish, served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste).
** Tteokbokki is a Korean dish, kind of a hot and spicy stewed rice cake dish.

Spirits be praised!

He'd have never let on that his reaction was such when he walked downstairs and saw Jin Ho still standing there. Though he couldn't figure out why Jiro wanted to close early, he didn't particularly care.

"I'm sorry about that. I had to talk to my boss. We're closing early tonight." He stood before the cop, looking downward and toying with his hair. Taking another deep breath, he looked back up at Jin Ho.

"Look, I don't know if I'm being too forward, but I'm off after I lock up; would you maybe...I dunno...wannagrabsomedinner?"

How ridiculous did he sound? Asking a police officer on a date, of all things? He kept trying to separate Jin Ho from the police force, and the man's lack of armor definitely helped things, but there was still a hurdle he had yet to get over.

"I mean, you don't have to...I know this really good place down the road...I..." He clamped his lips together and exhaled through his nose. Why? Why? Was he looking to give Jin Ho more and more of a reason not to accept the invitation? This wasn't going well at all...

(Sorry for the short post. Couldn't drag this one out any further.)

Jin Ho raised an eyebrow. Closing early? Well, that must be nice. But why was he — oh. Oh.

The police officer took in a sharp breath. He usually kept his sexuality on what he hoped was, if not exactly the down-low, at least a very not discussed and rarely acted upon level. And yet somehow this person must have figured it out. Right? How could that be? Had Jin Ho's eyes lingered too long on him? Had he been too obvious? There had to be something that had given him away. His appreciation of the radio?

Obviously Jin Ho would have to work on blending in more. So far he had escaped rumour at the station by virtue of not being seen with anyone and not discussing romantic things with co-workers. His parents certainly thought that he was "over it". To have someone ask him on a date within moments of meeting him meant that it was obvious to other people exactly what kind of person Jin Ho was.

And the young man was, quite honestly, not entirely all right with that fact. Could he accept a date? In public? Thinking of how it would hurt his parents to hear of him out with another man, he weighed that thought against his desire to say yes.

Not hurting his parents won out. This time. And not by as much as he'd like to think it did.

At the same time, he didn't want to insult the other man by assuming his intentions were romantic. Maybe Mizu didn't have many friends and found Jin Ho's friendly nature refreshing? Even to the police officer's desperate mind, that seemed a laughable rationalization. As the silence stretched, Jin Ho became acutely aware that he desperately needed to say something.

You don't have to, Mizu said. Well, of course he didn't have to! Though it wasn't like he didn't want to, either...But that phrase seemed to jumpstart the metalbender, who laughed a little.

"I was just thinking," Jin Ho said, "about how I wanted to make bibimbap for dinner tonight. I don't really eat out very often." In case an extra assurance was needed, he quickly added, "it's really expensive!" to the end of his sentence. "But thanks for the invitation."

Mizu drank in Jin Ho's answer, but immediately recoiled at a taste that almost made him physically ill. How could the cop do this? To him?!

They were all the same. Show the tiniest bit of weakness, and they trampled you to dust. Things never changed, and they never would. He was a fool for thinking otherwise.

His mouth pursed as his fingers tensed; he stared at Jin Ho.

"Get out. Now." He spoke the last word louder than the others, and he could hear his breath hissing in and out of his nostrils. "And take your excuses somewhere else." It felt like electricity was shooting from his eyes, and he was glad for his own sake that the bar wasn't too close to him.

Without actually touching Jin Ho, he used his arm to herd the cop out the door and, without a word, shut the door and locked it. He turned around and leaned back against the door; burying his face in his hands, he let out a muffled scream.

He was shaking as he made his way to the back of the bar. He had to open the next day, which meant that he was free to leave, and leave he did.

He never noticed Jiro watching from the top of the stairs as he left.

He made sure to lock the back door and immediately went around the bar to the street. He needed a drink.

The Serpent's Head Bar

[/center]

Jin Ho dropped the end of his braid, absolutely not having expected the response he got back. Obviously Mizu hadn't meant the invitation as solely friendly, then. That made the policeman even more sorry that he'd had to say no. How long had it been since he'd been out on actual date? Years. And forget about anything besides just having dinner with someone — he wasn't even sure how long ago that could possibly have been.

The man wanted him to get out? It seemed silly to order him to do so when Jin Ho had already made it plain that he was leaving. In fact, he would already have been long gone if Mizu hadn't asked him to wait! He understood that he must have deeply hurt the other man's feelings, but at the same time, that didn't give him a right to be so rude.

"I was already leaving," he reminded the other man, brushing aside Mizu's herding arm. For a moment, Jin Ho's green eyes snapped an equally hot anger. "And as for my excuses, maybe you're made of money, but I'm not. It must be nice." He stepped out and let the door slam behind him, seething a little. He had tried to be nice about it! He had even given the man a legitimate reason for his answer of 'no' — which, by the way, he had not had to do.

Jin Ho glared at the door for a moment. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he was mad because of how Mizu had acted or if he was mad because he had actually wanted to accept. It didn't matter much either way at that point — he'd heard the bolt shoot home.

Not that he couldn't unlock the door easily if he wanted to, of course.

Turning on his heel, Jin Ho stalked down the street towards his apartment, hands tucked into his pockets. Once he got home, he busied himself and his emotions with the simple motions of making his food, though it seemed lonely eating it all by himself.

((next point: theavatarrp.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=rc&thread=6594&page=1#112131 ))

He was starting to wonder if something really was wrong with his head, and perhaps there had been, but not now. He didn't know why this man was able to trip him up so much, but he needed to get to the point where he didn't even factor that into the equation.

He said nothing but, before he left, he saw the dog, Sweeper, looking back at him. He smiled and began following Jin Ho to the place they'd be having tea; as they walked, he turned his focus inward and tried to remember a lesson his Waterbending tutor had taught him.



The older man stood before his pupil, hands clasped.

"Now, Mizu, the most important thing to remember is that chi flow is the essence of Waterbending. The great Masters can sense the flow of chi through a person or a room without even trying, but those blessed with our gift can sense it through meditation and focus."



He'd done enough meditating in his life to make him sick, even when he didn't want to, and he closed his eyes. Letting a breath out, he focused his energy in his center and sent it snaking out, lightly probing the air around the other man. His breath caught in his chest when he could have sworn he felt the other man's chi...recoil. He brushed the thought aside and kept walking.

It was all he could do to keep quiet in the café when he heard the conversation between Jin and Mrs. Jeon. He learned more about the policeman in the minutes they were talking than he probably could have after months of actually getting to know the cop.

It became very apparent who Hoshi was, what had gone on, how things had ended with that whole fiasco, and possibly why Jin Ho didn't accept his offer to go out to dinner. He bowed to Mrs. Jeon and sat down, trying not to gape at the other man.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't know." His hands became very interesting just then.

The Lotus Cafe

Jin Ho was relieved when Mrs. Jeon went to the back to fetch the tteokbokki and tea. It was all too embarrassing. Of course Sweeper felt right at home, flopping onto the cool floor and stretching out behind the policeman's chair.

When Mizu apologized, Jin Ho just shrugged.
I didn't know.
"You didn't ask," the young man pointed out, but then looked up as Mrs. Jeon came back. He thanked her and poured the tea for both Mizu and himself, giving a rapturous look at the orangey-red spicy bowl of tteokbokki. His favourite food. Did Mizu like it? Had he ever even had it?

"Um — do you know tteokbokki?" he asked, looking at the Waterbender. "It's spicy, I don't know if you like it, but — it's my favourite food." He smiled and pushed a cup of tea across the table to the other man. "Here."

Mrs. Jeon was hovering close by, making Jin Ho feel intensely uncomfortable. Thankfully, a few more customers came in then, and she became occupied with taking their orders and settling them in.

Glancing at the blue-eyed man, Jin Ho sighed. "It's okay," he said, his voice noticeably softer. "Really. Um. I hope you know I didn't turn you down because I didn't want to go..."
As Mrs. Jeon walked by, he became very interested in his food, taking a bite. He didn't want her to overhear anything he said to Mizu if it was personal. So... maybe he should change the topic.

Sweeper came and laid his head in Mizu's lap longingly as Jin Ho asked, "are you from the city?" The dog desperately hoped his Human's friend would be foolish enough to give him some People Food, which Jin Ho always diligently denied him. He let out a soft, lingering puppy-sigh, hoping to incite some sympathy.

You didn't ask? What, had that become something one just asked another, especially a policeman, without his notice? He continued to look down at his hands, but another moment had him aware of his surroundings, especially Jin and Sweeper; he needed to be on his toes. He looked down at the bowl Jin Ho had in front of him.

"Never. I'm not really big on spicy. Water Tribe food is kinda bland." His eye caught Mrs. Jeon hovering around them, then picked up on Jin.

So, he wanted to go to dinner, he just didn't; though the latter was all that mattered. You can want to do something all you want, but if you never do, the wanting was an exercise in futility. What also mattered was the reason behind the rejection. Another quick probe of Jin coupled with a glimpse of Mrs. Jeon solidified it. His mouth opened slightly and he softly gasped upon the realization, then licked his lips.

He raised a hand and Mrs. Jeon came over.

"What can I get you?" She smiled warmly.

"Udon noodle soup and steamed gyoza, please. Oh, and some water mint tea if you have it. If not, jasmine."

She nodded and left them. He noticed Sweeper, who had apparently decided that his leg would be a good resting place and he patted him idly.

"To answer your question, yes, I'm from Republic City. Are you?"

"Yes," said Jin Ho, "born and raised. My dad was a police officer, too." He smiled and chewed some of his food, clearly enjoying it. What else could he ask that wasn't very personal? "Um, how long have you been a bartender? Do you like it? I bet you meet some really interesting people." Jin Ho leaned his chin in his hand.

Mizu seemed to have picked up on the fact that Jin Ho didn't want to talk loudly about... the situation. Thank goodness for that! But at the same time, wasn't it kind of sad? Jin Ho felt like he would be alone, closeted, forever. Was it worth it? Was it worth giving up any hope of partnership and happiness just to please his parents?

They'd brought him into the world, loved him, taught him everything he knew. They wanted to see him settled down with a woman, having children, making a life for himself. It wasn't that Jin Ho didn't want some of those things... he liked children. He wanted to have a house some day with someone to come home to. But he didn't want that someone to be female, and that was the biggest problem.

He sighed and ate some of tteokbokki, noticing suddenly that Sweeper was trying to climb into Mizu's lap. It was so unusual! The dog never took to people so quickly.
"Sweeper!" he chastised the animal, who whined.
Jin Ho stood up a little and took hold of the animal's collar. "I'm so sorry — he's not usually like this, I don't know why he's acting this way..." the dog resisted him for a moment but then gave up, coming to curl up directly beside Jin Ho's chair and rest his head in the policeman's lap.

Mrs. Jeon appeared again with what Mizu had ordered. She set it down, glancing between the two men. Jin Ho coughed a little and she sighed, walking away.

Even if he didn't want her to, the old woman knew what was going on. She could see it on Jin Ho's face — she knew him too well, had known him for too long, to think that he wasn't building a crush.