Min-Jae directed Han Semi to a restaurant in the upscale district of the city. When they pulled up, she immediately noticed the sleek glass exterior and the valet parking attendants waiting at the entrance.
"Wait, this place?" She turned to look at Min-Jae with wide eyes. "This is way too expensive."
Min-Jae shrugged as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "It's fine. You said you know a good restaurant."
"I meant like... a casual place. Not this."
"Well, we're already here." He opened his door and stepped out.
Han Semi hesitated, still sitting in the passenger seat. "Min-Jae, seriously—"
"Come on," he said, leaning down to look at her through the open door. "It's just lunch. Plus, I'm paying anyway."
"That's exactly why I—"
"Han Semi." He gave her a look that was both firm and amused. "Let's just eat. Don't overthink it."
She let out a reluctant sigh, then finally stepped out of the car. "Fine. But only because I'm really hungry."
"Good enough for me."
They walked inside, and the interior was just as elegant as the exterior—soft lighting, minimalist decor, and tables spaced comfortably apart. A host greeted them and led them to a table by the window overlooking the city.
Han Semi looked around, clearly a bit out of her element but trying not to show it. Min-Jae, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered, casually browsing the menu.
"You've been to places like this before?" she asked quietly.
"Nope. But who cares."
"Easy for you to say."
He smiled slightly. "Just order whatever you want. Don't hold back."
She glanced at the menu, then back at him. "You're really okay with this?"
"Wouldn't have brought you here if I wasn't."
She finally relaxed a bit and focused on the menu.
They ordered—Han Semi went with a pasta dish, while Min-Jae chose steak. The food arrived beautifully presented, and despite her initial reluctance, Han Semi had to admit it tasted incredible.
"Okay," she said after her first bite. "I'll give you this. It's really good."
"Told you."
They ate at a leisurely pace, conversation flowing easily between bites. They talked about everything—past raids, funny moments with their respective teams, random thoughts about the hunter world. It was comfortable, natural, like they'd known each other far longer than they actually had.
By the time they finished, the sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting a warm golden light through the window.
Min-Jae paid the bill despite Han Semi's half-hearted protests, and they left the restaurant.
---
Instead of heading straight back to the car, they decided to take a walk through a nearby park. The afternoon air was pleasant, not too warm, with a light breeze rustling through the trees lining the pathways.
They stopped at a small café cart and bought iced coffees, sipping them as they strolled along the winding paths. Families and couples were scattered around—some sitting on benches, others walking their dogs or jogging.
"This is nice," Han Semi said, looking around. "I don't usually take the time to just... do this."
"Same," Min-Jae admitted. "Always feels like there's something else I should be doing."
"But not today?"
"Not today."
They walked in comfortable silence for a bit, just enjoying the atmosphere.
At one point, Min-Jae pulled out his phone. "Hold on. Stand there for a sec."
Han Semi stopped and turned to look at him. "What? Why?"
"Just taking a photo."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Wait, no—I'm not ready—"
He snapped the picture before she could protest further.
"Min-Jae!" She covered her face with one hand, laughing. "I wasn't even looking!"
"That's what makes it good," he said, grinning as he checked the photo. "See? Candid. Natural."
She walked over and peeked at the screen. Despite her protest, she had to admit it was a decent shot—her caught mid-laugh, the park in the background bathed in soft afternoon light.
"Fine," she said, snatching his phone. "But now it's your turn."
"What? I don't—"
"Nope. Fair is fair." She held up the phone, and Min-Jae sighed, standing still but looking slightly awkward.
"Don't just stand there like a statue," she said, laughing. "Do something natural."
"I am doing something natural."
"No, you're doing the 'I'm-being-photographed-and-I-hate-it' pose."
He rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling slightly, and she quickly snapped the photo.
"There. Perfect."
"Let me see."
She showed him, and he had to admit—it wasn't bad. He looked relaxed, almost like he was genuinely enjoying himself.
"Alright, not terrible," he admitted.
"See? I'm a natural photographer."
They continued walking, taking a few more candid shots of each other along the way, teasing and laughing as they did.
---
As they wandered further, they came across a small street food vendor selling tteokbokki. The spicy, savory smell wafted through the air, and Han Semi's eyes lit up immediately.
"Oh, I love tteokbokki," she said, already walking toward the stall.
Min-Jae followed. "Your favorite?"
"Definitely. Have you had it before?"
"A few times. Not often though."
They ordered a serving to share, and the vendor handed them a steaming cup with two wooden skewers. They found a nearby bench and sat down, digging in.
Han Semi took her first bite and let out a satisfied sigh. "This is so good."
Min-Jae tried a piece and nodded. "Yeah, it is."
They ate slowly, enjoying the snack and the fading warmth of the afternoon sun. The park was starting to quiet down as evening approached, and the atmosphere felt even more peaceful.
"Thanks for today," Han Semi said after a while, looking at him. "I didn't realize how much I needed this."
"Same," Min-Jae said. "It was... nice. Just doing normal things."
"We should do this more often."
"Yeah. We should."
---
After they finished the tteokbokki, they made their way back to the car. The drive back was quiet but comfortable, both of them content after a full day.
When they reached Han Semi's apartment, Min-Jae stopped the car. But before she could get out, he spoke up.
"Actually, do you want to come over for a bit? There's a rooftop at my place. The view's pretty good."
She looked at him, a bit surprised. "Your place?"
"Yeah. I mean, if you're not busy."
She thought for a moment, then smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
---
They drove to Min-Jae's apartment, and after parking, he led her inside and up to the top floor. They took the stairs to the rooftop access, and when they stepped outside, the view opened up before them.
The city stretched out in every direction, lights beginning to flicker on as the sun set on the horizon. The sky was painted in shades of orange, pink, and deep purple, and a cool breeze swept across the rooftop.
Han Semi walked to the edge, leaning against the railing. "Wow. This is amazing."
Min-Jae stood beside her, hands in his pockets. "Yeah." He looked back at her. "There's something more amazing than this. Wanna try?"
"More amazing than this?" She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
He extended his hand toward her.
She looked at his hand, then back at his face, confusion clear in her expression. But after a moment's hesitation, she placed her hand in his.
The moment their hands connected, she felt a strange lightness wash over her. Her feet left the ground.
"Wait—what—" Her eyes widened as they began to levitate, slowly rising above the rooftop.
"Relax," Min-Jae said, his grip steady. "I've got you."
They continued to rise, higher and higher, until they were floating well above the rooftop, suspended in the open air. The city spread out beneath them like a glittering tapestry, the lights twinkling like stars against the deepening twilight.
Han Semi looked down, then around, her breath catching. "This is..."
"What do you think?" Min-Jae asked, watching her reaction.
"It's incredible," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've never seen the city like this."
The wind was gentler up here, and the sounds of the city below were distant and muted. It felt almost peaceful—like they were in their own little world, separate from everything else.
They stayed there for a while, just floating in silence, watching the city transition fully into night.
"You know," Han Semi said after a while, "today was great."
Min-Jae glanced at her. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She smiled, still looking out at the view. "I didn't expect it to be this good."
"To be honest," Min-Jae admitted, "even I didn't think it would go this well when I called you this morning."
She laughed softly. "So you were just winging it?"
"Pretty much."
"Well, it worked out."
"Yeah. It did."
They stayed there a bit longer, neither of them in a hurry to come back down.
---
Eventually, they descended back to the rooftop. Han Semi was still smiling as her feet touched solid ground again.
"Thanks for that," she said. "Seriously. That was... something I'll remember."
"Anytime."
They headed back down to the car, and Min-Jae drove her back to her apartment. The drive was quiet, but it was the kind of quiet that felt comfortable—like neither of them needed to fill the silence.
When they pulled up in front of her building, Han Semi unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to him.
"Thanks again. For everything today."
"No problem. I had a good time."
"Me too." She opened the door and stepped out, then leaned back in for a moment. "See you at the raid tomorrow?"
"Yeah. See you then."
She smiled, then closed the door and headed inside.
Min-Jae watched her go, then put the car back in drive and headed home.
When he finally walked through the door of his apartment, the place was quiet. Cha Hae-In was probably still out or already asleep.
He kicked off his shoes, tossed his jacket on the couch, and headed upstairs to his room.
As he lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he found himself replaying the day in his mind.
It had been... good.