“It’s hard to be inconspicuous when you’re hanging upside down.”

My eyes fluttered open instantly to this familiar voice, and I instantly grinned at the upside down sight.

“Aha, my favourite friend!” I called out. “Here to save me, I assume?”

“No,” he responded bluntly. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Yet here you are… in front me.” I continued half teasingly. “C’mon, for old time’s sake. Please?”

“Stop teasing me.” He responds coldly. “I know you could have just rescued yourself ages ago.”

“Haha,” I replied, grabbing the knife from my pocket to cut the rope. “You know me too well.”

Hearing this, he slammed down the control to cut the rope himself, and I spontaneously fell to the hard floor with a violent thud.

“Ow!” I cried, clutching my head. “That hit me head on! That was my head, y’know.”

“There’s nothing in there anyways,” he said casually, beginning to walk away. “For your information, I was never here today.”

“So why did you come to see me if you knew I could save myself?” I called out after him.

He didn’t respond.

“Aw, you missed me, didn’t you?” I realised, my eyes widening, running after him still slightly stunned from the impact of the floor.

“Be quiet.”

“I will not.” I bounced after him, calling, “You care, don’t you?”

He continued walking, not facing me.

He was my best friend and biggest rival. He was the other half of our iconic duo. Together, we were the most feared and respected guys out of the whole department.

After being assigned on our first mission years ago and spending so much time together, this arrangement inevitably resulted in some sort of bond, be it hate or love.

Pretending to trip, I clutched onto his arm.

Half jokingly, I exclaimed, “Dang, you gave me quite the head injury from that fall. I can’t quite walk—.”

Instantly, he placed his arm around my shoulders, providing me with support.

Feeling my heart rate speed up without warning, I instantly escaped from his grasp and sprinted away, saying in my usual joking tone, “I was kidding, man!”

I faced away from him, trying to conceal the slight blush creeping up to my face.

He could never know.