“That might be because we’re on a cruise ship,” grits out Seokga, wanting to rid himself of his old, sagging stomach as soon as possible.

The woman rolls her eyes. “I mean, who knows?” She sucks coquettishly on her straw, eyes unfocused. “Maybe somebody fell overboard. Wouldn’t that be so sad?”

“Not what I’m looking for,” Seokga grumbles, and leaves before the woman can annoy him further. Convinced he won’t be getting anywhere useful, Seokga waddles (the indignity) into the candy store on Deck 6 and emerges with a giant bag of Kopiko.

Aside from the candy and it being a humiliating experience for his vanity, Seokga gains nothing from the expedition. At the urging of Somi (who can fuck off) and Kisa (who wields the art of puppy-dog eyes against him), he’ll be diving back in tomorrow. But for now…

In his suite, Seokga hides his underwear as a precaution, extremely conscious of the fact that the SRC Flatliner hosts not one, but two, Godly Gossip spies—and a murderer. Some fucking vacation this has turned out to be. He’s glad to take his anti-depressant at seven.

In the hallway, Kisa knocks on his door—a knock that has his heart thundering in his chest. Before opening the door, he smooths down his hair and makes sure the underwear he stuffed under the bed isn’t visible. Is it wrong to play house in the middle of a murder investigation? Undoubtedly so. But Seokga simply gives no shits.

She’s radiant in the softly glowing hallway, and when she slips inside, she brings with her an intoxicating scent of cinnamon, and—who knew Seokga could find the smell of lemon antiseptic so alluring? “Hi,” she greets in a whisper as he closes the door. She’s wearing her usual scrubs, but has a tote bag with pink pajama pants peeking out of the top. “Where’s Hwanin?”

He gestures to the bed. Hwanin dozes in the middle, a tiny chubby blob surrounded by a white sea. As if sensing Kisa’s attention, the baby opens his mouth and lets out a scream. Seokga grimaces as the night begins.

It comes to him, between being shown how to soothe the child and crush Hallakkungi’s flowers for his drink, that Kisa is preparing him—for when she’s gone and he’s left alone with this wailing demon. The realization has him clenching his jaw and attempting to force the grief and regret down before the thread reveals it to Kisa.

When Hwanin is finally asleep (in Seokga’s bed, he might add), they slump in the room’s overstuffed armchairs, both exhausted but not yet ready to sleep themselves. After Seokga’s performance as Hwanin tonight, the murderer might return for a second try. As Seokga scrubs his eyes wearily, Kisa draws her notebook out of the bag, and begins to write.