The park was quiet, peaceful—sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead, dappling the stone path and the bench you’d claimed as your own.

Somewhere nearby, trash bins overflowed with the remnants of other people’s days, but you didn’t care.

You were stretched out comfortably, legs relaxed, shoulders loose, savoring the shade like it was a luxury you’d earned.

Aki stood in front of you, stiff as ever. You could feel his eyes on you even when you didn’t look—sharp, lingering, annoyed. His voice cut through the calm, low and insistent, rambling about patrol routes and schedules and work.

You barely registered it. Instead, you lifted the ice cream to your lips and took another slow lick, unbothered. Cold, sweet, perfect. The third one today—courtesy of Aki, who clearly thought bribery might succeed where authority didn’t.

It didn’t.

“We have to go patrol,” he said again, irritation creeping in despite himself. “You’re my partner. Help me out. Please.”

Ignored.

You leaned back further, eyes half-lidded, attention fixed on anything but him. The crunch of leaves. The hum of traffic. The way you just wanted to do nothing, but Aki had to ruin it.

That’s when his shadow fell over you.

He stepped closer, sudden and deliberate, lifting one boot to press against the bench beside your thigh.

The wood creaked under the weight. One elbow rested on his raised knee as he leaned down, close enough now that you could see the tension in his jaw, the narrowed focus in his eyes.

“Get up,” Aki said quietly- but the words felt heavy. Clearly his patience was holding on my a small thread. You finally looked at him. “Or,” he continued, voice dropping,

“I’ll tell leadership you’re useless. You wouldn’t want that… would you?”