He looks tired, she realizes. His mouth is bracketed with lines of exhaustion, and his white shirt is rumpled. Kisa narrows her eyes as Korain sets down the coffee and pulls a cellphone from his pocket. He types in a number, waits. “Hey,” he finally says in a voice like gravel, hoarse from disuse. Whoever he’s speaking to, he’s speaking to in the informal. Kisa grimaces; she can’t hear anything on the opposite end. “Yeah. I took care of it.”

Took care of—what? Kisa hesitates before drawing closer. Although he’s the only one in the room, Korain’s voice lowers. “There’ll be no trace—yeah. As we agreed.”

She lurches back as he heads toward the door, and flattens herself around the corner. Korain’s footsteps draw near, and Kisa strains to hear as he begins to speak in a whisper. “You promised you’d put in a good word…uh-huh. Great. Thanks. Bye.”

His footsteps recede down the hall. Mind whirring with what she just heard, Kisa wastes no time slipping into the security room and—with slightly trembling fingers—filches what she needs from one of the unlocked file cabinets.

When she returns to the sick bay, a babbling Hwanin greets her from Seokga’s arms. The god looks immensely displeased with the squirming bundle in his arms, but his green eyes soften when he catches sight of her. “Good morning,” he says almost hesitantly.

—looks—beautiful—want—it hurts—

Kisa blinks, cheeks heating. No. No. Stop. No distractions. “Good morning,” she manages, struggling to meet his stare. Seokga’s gaze is like molten gold, warm and glittering. She swallows hard and holds up the snatched ship blueprints. “I, erm, I have some updates.”

Seokga’s face falls and a dart of regret shoots through her, but she hardens herself a moment later. Oak, not pine. Kisa, not Hani. It’s not her that he wants anyway. She’s doing them both a favor, really, by squashing this potential crush underfoot. Saving him from the inevitable disappointment, and her from a missed opportunity to escape this horrid ship.

It’s for the best.

“Let’s hear it,” a new voice says from behind her, and Somi waltzes in, looking refreshed. She makes her way to stand beside Hajun, whose lips twitch into what’s either a smile or a grimace. Kisa isn’t sure.