Chapter 13: A Deal Over Breakfast

The diner smelled like coffee, butter, and exhaustion—exactly what Evelyn needed.

She slid into a booth and stretched her legs, sighing dramatically. "God, I forgot what civilization looked like."

Ji-Ah sat across from her, as composed as ever, scanning the menu with an almost analytical gaze.

Evelyn smirked. "Don't tell me you're about to run a cost-benefit analysis on pancakes."

Ji-Ah didn't even look up. "I was considering the nutritional balance."

Evelyn snorted. "You're exhausting."

The waitress arrived, looking just as sleep-deprived as they felt. "What can I get you two?"

Evelyn didn't hesitate. "Pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns. And coffee. Black."

Ji-Ah paused. "Oatmeal. And green tea."

Evelyn made a face. "Seriously?"

Ji-Ah raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Evelyn gestured at her. "After five days of surviving on vending machine junk, you're ordering oatmeal?"

Ji-Ah closed the menu. "Yes."

Evelyn shook her head. "Unbelievable."

The waitress jotted it down, looking unimpressed, and walked off.

Evelyn leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Alright, serious question."

Ji-Ah sighed. "Do I get a choice?"

"Nope." Evelyn grinned. "Are we actually done with this Pentagon nightmare, or are they gonna pull us back in for some 'urgent security patch' in forty-eight hours?"

Ji-Ah considered that. "Unlikely. The fixes we implemented should hold."

Evelyn groaned. "I don't like that you said 'should.'"

Ji-Ah smirked faintly. "Nothing is absolute."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Great. Love that for us."

Their food arrived, and Evelyn wasted no time digging in. Ji-Ah, of course, ate with measured precision, like she was calculating each bite.

Evelyn watched her for a second before saying, "Alright. New deal."

Ji-Ah looked up. "A deal?"

"Yep." Evelyn pointed her fork at her. "You let me take you to a real meal at least once a week. No tea. No oatmeal. Actual food."

Ji-Ah blinked. "Why?"

Evelyn shrugged. "Because you're one step away from becoming a robot, and I refuse to let that happen."

Ji-Ah stared at her for a moment, as if trying to decipher the logic.

Finally, she sighed. "Fine."

Evelyn grinned. "See? You're learning."

Ji-Ah shook her head, but there was something almost amused in her expression.

Maybe—just maybe—this wasn't the worst partnership in the world.

Maybe, it was just the beginning.