Raphael continued his hearty laughter, quite uncharacteristic of him, for a good while. He even wiped away the slight tears that had welled up in his eyes. He hadn’t meant to be funny. She replayed their conversation from a moment ago, wondering if she had missed some context.

In the meantime, Raphael, having regained his composure, opened his mouth.

“Nox.”

He emphasized each syllable clearly.

“That’s how you pronounce my older brother’s name. There are three family names and the name of a great dynasty before his name, but I can’t tell you those.”

Was it a sensitive topic? It seemed like a cultural difference. Yoon Tae-ha nodded in agreement and stood up.

“Gray hair, red eyes, and Nox. That’s enough for me.”

“Are you planning to do some investigation around here?”

“If your brother has also adapted here, wouldn’t he be using a pseudonym like Raphael?”

“Hmm. He’s a stubborn person with a strong sense of identity, so I doubt it.”

“Then that will make things easier.”

Raphael smiled subtly and stroked Kuakua’s moving cage. Having heard the answer, Yoon Tae-ha immediately returned to her car.

Alpha Team, having finished their preparations, began driving towards Cocytus again.

The journey to the next point was not easy as expected. They encountered a large group of long-bodied mole monsters traveling together head-on. The moles, with long, flexible bodies like earthworms, rushed menacingly at the cars.

The attacks of these man-eating moles were one of the main reasons hindering passage between Acheron and Cocytus. Fortunately, they were not a protected species this time.

— Need help? Or should I give you a chance for a one-man show?

“I’ll do it alone. Just keep them from coming to the side. Everyone else, save your strength. I heard chimeras come out after we cross the canyon.”

Yoon Tae-ha went to the cargo bed of the truck and drove them away with her psychokinesis. When she levitated and flung away a torso at least twice the size of a caravan, cheers erupted from the communicator in her ear. Blue blades circled as if escorting Alpha Team.

— Doesn’t look like we’ll be having a regular meeting inside a mole’s belly. Good work.

She overcame one obstacle and returned to the passenger seat. She had lifted animals of enormous weight several times, but nothing hurt.

Cheon Geon-young immediately offered his hand. She took it without hesitation, and guiding gently seeped in.

“Do you have to go to the cargo bed every time?”

He asked without letting go of her hand yet.

“It’s more accurate to see the whole thing. If there’s a blocked view, the accuracy inevitably decreases.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Still, dealing with it cleanly in one go prevents the trouble of having to use strength again later.”

He sighed lightly. Anxious signs could be read on his profile, which looked like a sculpture. Her partner’s anxiety was bound to lead to her tension. It had always been the case in work. But right now, the tension that felt like it was gripping her lungs didn’t come.

“That’s what ‘I’m worried’ sounds like.”

Just then, her body jolted upwards due to the bumpy road. Cheon Geon-young unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.

“Are you okay? Didn’t your head hit the ceiling?”

“It didn’t.”

“Looks like we’re getting closer to the mountain range. I’ll hold the steering wheel with both hands for a bit.”

“Of course.”

As she hurriedly released his hand, Cheon Geon-young’s fingertips brushed over the back of her hand.

“I’ll hold it again when the road gets better.”

His voice was relaxed. It felt like a luxury to hear such a voice on this harsh land.

The black cars moved without slowing down. The mountains, which had felt so far away, were now close. As they entered the rugged mountain range, the air became noticeably cooler.

How long had they driven along the narrow, winding road surrounded by trees on all sides? The scenery outside the window changed.

The passing scenery felt unusual, and then a turquoise lake appeared between the majestic canyons. Yoon Tae-ha, who had been looking outside, couldn’t help but utter a silent exclamation of admiration. The long lake, stretching for dozens of kilometers, looked like a river when viewed from above. It deserved the nickname “blue blood vessel.”

She hadn’t had the chance to see such a spectacle before because she had been deeply asleep. She leaned her body and etched each scene into her eyes. Cheon Geon-young drove a little slower for her sake.

During the journey, a rockslide occurred from the cliff above, but Choi Bo-mi, a earth-type esper, handled it cleanly. The rockslide broke into small grains of sand and rolled down.

“Bo-mi unnie is also good at making barriers. They’re incredibly strong.”

“Did you go to the field with her often?”

“Not often, just very occasionally. Only when our work overlapped.”

While they were talking, the car completely left the dangerous area.

They didn’t encounter the chimeras Guillermo had warned them about. So, they were able to arrive at the second destination earlier than scheduled.

What greeted them upon arriving at the camp were raindrops that began to fall one by one from the sky. The blue sky instantly darkened, and the raindrops grew thicker. It was a downpour that felt almost stinging.

People screamed and got out of their cars. Thanks to the rain that soaked them from head to toe in just five seconds outside, Yoon Tae-ha and Cheon Geon-young arrived at a seemingly old accommodation looking like drowned rats.

“How is it harder to get from the parking lot here to the accommodation than it was to come all the way from Acheron to Cocytus? This rain is brutal.”

Yoon Tae-ha lamented in front of the porch door under the roof. The raindrops that hit the wooden floor bounced up frantically.

Cheon Geon-young wiped away the raindrops flowing down his chin and opened the door. Entering, he scanned the interior warily.

“The inside is clean.”

“That’s a relief.”

“It’s slippery. Come in carefully.”

Cheon Geon-young quickly took out new indoor slippers from his carrier and placed them in front of her. For Yoon Tae-ha, it was like receiving kindness in a defenseless state. He was doing something no one needed to do.

Yoon Tae-ha squeezed out as much water as possible outside before slipping her wet feet into the slippers. If Cheon Geon-young hadn’t urged her to come in, she might have stayed outside squeezing out water for much longer. So that the slippers he had given her wouldn’t get too wet.

The accommodation was smaller than Acheron and was a duplex. They took their carriers and went to their respective rooms to wash up.

The first to come out of her room was Yoon Tae-ha, who had postponed unpacking. With a new towel on her half-dried hair, she was looking around the kitchen when a call came from the camp’s administration office.

Going outside the front door, she found groceries in a transparent plastic container. She brought it in and filled the refrigerator and pantry. Having done it many times, there were no unnecessary steps in the organizing process.

She was patting her stiff back and tearing open a seaweed package when Cheon Geon-young approached without the sound of dragging slippers. He chased her out of the kitchen, telling her to go dry her hair. Even when she tried to go back in, he blocked her with his body, leaving her with no choice.

“I’ll make dinner, so go rest. You used too much of your ability today.”

Chased out, she quickly dried her hair so as not to get scolded. When she came out after applying lotion, the unfamiliar house was filled with a familiar and delicious smell.

Entering the kitchen, where the only light was on, Cheon Geon-young said without turning around,

“Don’t say you’ll help.”

“It’s like you have mind-reading abilities.”

“Your patterns are just monotonous.”

She quietly sat down on the dining chair, pulling her feet up and hugging her knees on the hard seat. And she stared blankly at Cheon Geon-young’s back. It struck her anew that his back was broad.

It was a back she had once defined as an intruder. She had defined it that way on the day she found him at the black market on the outskirts of Seoul. A self-invited intruder. A confused light flickered in Yoon Tae-ha’s eyes, which had deepened like the night.

Is he still an intruder?

Perhaps because a similar situation was repeating itself, she felt somewhat lost, like that day. Just then, Cheon Geon-young turned around.

“Should I stir-fry it with soy sauce? The chicken.”

“Huh? Yeah.”

She answered like a fool. Watching his back become busy again, she was overcome with a strange and uncomfortable feeling. The air surrounding them was warm. So cozy that she didn’t know what to do. He was moving for her sake. That day too, and today too.

Is this all an act? Of course, he’s a man who can do anything if he sets his mind to it. He seems capable of saying sweet things even to people he dislikes. But really, is that the case? Was it like that for her too?

Yoon Tae-ha rested her forehead on her neatly folded arms and closed her eyes. She kept expecting exceptions from him. Even though she could guess how he had lived. Only for her. Only for her to be a little more lenient. For things that were natural for others to be a little difficult for her. Just like she was. The more she thought about it, the more forced her feelings seemed.

The beliefs she had lived with until now directly contradicted those feelings.

Why would someone who came from the outside be kind to me? It’s not like I’ve lived a purely good life. Her heart and beliefs were locked in a fierce battle, going back and forth.

In the meantime, Cheon Geon-young peacefully finished preparing dinner. Yoon Tae-ha also lowered her legs and straightened her posture.

Not wanting to reveal the fight that had taken place inside her, she lowered her head. As she picked up her chopsticks, Cheon Geon-young pushed a plate of side dishes towards her. It was a rolled omelet with fragrant chopped green onions sprinkled on top.

Slowly, emotions mixed and stained her face unevenly. Soon, Yoon Tae-ha impulsively tested the waters. It was a very childish way, even to her own thinking.

“I don’t like green onions in my rolled omelet.”

Cheon Geon-young, who had picked up his spoon, froze like ice. After being frozen for exactly three seconds, he met her gaze and said,

“......You like them.”

For a moment, her heart welled up. The fear and anxiety she often felt in front of him receded for a moment. A new emotion leaped onto the stage. The name of the emotion that took the lead in the confusion seemed to be anger.

He’s kind in unnecessary ways, and it’s hard to handle. He doesn’t move as predicted. Are all people my age like this? She suddenly wanted to blame his age out of the blue. Yoon Tae-ha suppressed her wavering heart and said,

“That’s right.”

“Should I make it again for you?”

“No. I like the ones with green onions.”

“I’ll eat this one, and I’ll make you a new one.”

“I told you three times that I like green onions.”

She raised her voice slightly higher than usual. But even then, her usual voice was calm, so she just sounded a little wronged. Yoon Tae-ha moved her chopsticks silently.

Cheon Geon-young stared intently at the woman who was suddenly acting like she had a deep-seated grudge against green onions. A piece of rolled omelet slipped into her mouth.

“Yoon Tae-ha.”

Cheon Geon-young called her name in a slightly playful voice. The woman, who had been diligently moving her cheeks with her mouth closed, stopped abruptly.

“Only the center of your forehead is red.”

Slowly swallowing what was in her mouth, she poured cold water into a cup. Only after swallowing the cold water down her throat like someone taking a hard pill did Yoon Tae-ha open her mouth.

“I know.”

That was all she managed to say.