**Arc 2: Chapter 7 – A Game of Trust**
Jae-min hadn't heard from So-ra in two days. After walking her to her door during the storm, he half-expected her to avoid him entirely, retreating into her usual aloof shell. Instead, he found himself standing outside the café again, unsure of what to expect when he walked through those doors.
Elyra floated beside him, invisible to everyone else but always present in his thoughts. "You're overthinking this," she said, a note of exasperation in her voice.
"Am I?" Jae-min muttered, staring at the glass door.
"Yes," Elyra said firmly. "She's not going to bite your head off just because you showed a little kindness. If anything, she might actually appreciate it. Shocking, I know."
Jae-min smirked despite himself. "Thanks for the pep talk."
"Anytime," Elyra replied with a mock salute.
Taking a deep breath, Jae-min pushed open the door.
---
The café was quieter than usual, with only a handful of regulars huddled at their usual spots. So-ra sat at her desk in the corner, headphones on as she leaned over her keyboard. She didn't glance up as he entered, her focus entirely on whatever game or project had her attention.
Jae-min approached cautiously, unsure how to break the ice. Elyra floated behind him, whispering in his ear.
"Say something casual. Don't come on too strong."
"Like what?" he whispered back.
"Figure it out," Elyra said, rolling her eyes.
Jae-min cleared his throat. "Hey, So-ra."
She glanced up, her expression neutral. "Oh. You again."
"Don't sound so excited," Jae-min said with a grin.
So-ra smirked faintly and pulled off her headphones. "What do you want?"
"Just checking in," Jae-min said, leaning against the desk. "Haven't seen you since the storm."
"I've been busy," she replied, shrugging.
"Anything I can help with?"
So-ra raised an eyebrow. "Help? With this?" She gestured to her screen, where a series of complicated code strings scrolled by.
"Okay, maybe not that," Jae-min admitted. "But I'm good at moral support."
So-ra snorted, shaking her head. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."
"Always," Jae-min said, taking the seat across from her. "So, what are you working on?"
For a moment, So-ra hesitated, as if debating whether or not to answer. Then she sighed. "It's a game mod I've been working on. Something to… pass the time."
Jae-min tilted his head. "Pass the time? Or prove a point?"
So-ra stiffened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Jae-min said carefully, "you don't strike me as the type to do something half-hearted. You've got a chip on your shoulder, and this—" he gestured to her screen "—looks like more than just a hobby."
So-ra's eyes narrowed, but there was no anger behind it, only curiosity. "And what would you know about chips on shoulders?"
"More than I'd like," Jae-min said, his voice softening. "But this isn't about me. It's about you."
So-ra leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Alright, psychic. What's your theory?"
Jae-min hesitated. He didn't want to push too hard, but he also didn't want to dance around the truth.
"I think you're trying to prove to yourself that you're still worth it," he said finally. "That you're more than what happened to you. And I think you're scared because deep down, you know you are."
So-ra stared at him, her expression unreadable. For a long moment, the only sound was the faint hum of the computers around them.
Finally, she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're annoying, you know that?"
"So I've been told," Jae-min said, smiling.
---
The rest of the evening passed in relative silence. So-ra worked on her mod while Jae-min watched, offering the occasional comment or joke to lighten the mood. Slowly but surely, the tension between them eased, replaced by something more comfortable.
By the time the café closed, So-ra was actually smiling—a real, genuine smile that lit up her face in a way Jae-min hadn't seen before.
"Thanks for sticking around," she said as they stepped outside.
"Anytime," Jae-min replied. "Besides, I like a challenge."
So-ra rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
As Jae-min walked home that night, Elyra appeared beside him, her expression smug.
"Her likability just hit 65%," she said.
"Good," Jae-min said, smiling to himself.
"You're really invested in this, aren't you?" Elyra asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Jae-min admitted. "I think she's worth it."
Elyra's gaze softened, and for once, she didn't make a snarky comment. Instead, she simply smiled and disappeared, leaving Jae-min alone with his thoughts.