By Zephyria Sakdal was a unique neighborhood.
Located outside the formal residential area, it was frequently visited by people. Despite being classified as a slum, both the rich and the poor came and went.
Due to its nature as a pleasure district, unsavory things happened beneath the surface, but surprisingly, there were no noticeable crimes.
Even though it was an area densely populated by those pushed out of society, especially those close to the bottom, the security forces rarely had to be dispatched.
Sakdal had its own strange order.
“Repeat exactly what I say.”
“Umm. Don’t take off the hat. Don’t talk. Don’t eat anything even if someone buys it for you. Just stay next to Jin Mu-hae.”
The mumbling, which sounded like he was cautioning a grown adult or giving safety instructions to children, echoed around them.
Joo-oh was wearing a hoodie, pulling his hat down low, and even wearing a mask. He had covered everything he could, making him look quite suspicious.
“But what about Jin Mu-hae? Doesn’t Jin Mu-hae need to cover up?”
“Do you think I’ll get caught at the entrance?”
If Mu-hae, with Joo-oh looking like that next to him, also covered his face, anyone would see them as a duo planning a crime.
Besides, there were already several people in that neighborhood who knew Mu-hae. Some of those who became mercenaries because they had nowhere else to go often settled in Sakdal after retirement.
That is, if they survived that long.
“If I had my way, I’d leave you here right now-.”
“No!”
“I’m taking you along because you’ve done some good. So don’t cause any trouble.”
Joo-oh nodded immediately at the tired voice. Perhaps because he didn’t say he would leave him behind this time, he seemed happy the whole time.
Whoosh-.
The road to Sakdal was deserted and quiet as the day brightened. The spacious train car was not even a third full.
Joo-oh stuck to the window, watching the quickly passing scenery outside.
The only slightly annoying thing was the man sitting in the back glancing at Mu-hae and Joo-oh, but it was an uneventful trip.
Beep-.
The location Ki-seok pointed to was the center of Sakdal. The exact coordinates were unknown, but it seemed to be near 3rd Street.
According to Mu-hae’s memory, it was a shopping district where all sorts of stolen goods were traded. There was no better place to pick up and sell valuable lost items.
‘The problem is which one.’
There must be a way to find out. That’s why, despite his miserable life, he managed to find a valuable Ki-seok and mark it.
Mu-hae glanced down at the Ki-seok in his inner pocket and then turned his gaze to Joo-oh, who was sitting next to him.
He was still turned to look out the window. Every time the train passed through a high area, the faint ends of Central’s buildings could be seen in the distance.
“There’s so much to see.”
“That’s good.”
“I’m so happy.”
As he said those words, Joo-oh’s fingertips were trembling slightly. His cheeks were probably flushed red under the mask.
There was no fear of going to an unfamiliar place. A thick anticipation and excitement seemed to float around him.
‘He’s excited.’
What could be so enjoyable? While being cynical inside, Mu-hae let his somewhat conspicuous behavior go.
Joo-oh accepting everything as if it were the first time was not just a matter of memory. According to the foolish Solar City Experiment theory, he probably hadn’t even been out properly.
What he had seen, heard, and eaten for over twenty years was probably close to a blank slate. It was suspicious that he knew about the hot dogs at the simple rest stop, but it wasn’t that rare of a food, so he might have encountered it somewhere.
Nevertheless, Mu-hae didn’t get the feeling that he was like a child. Not because of his tall height or appearance, but just because.
Despite his childish way of speaking, Mu-hae often felt a strange sensation from him.
It was as if he was someone who had been frozen in time in that strange state when they first met.
“Did you see it?”
“See what.”
“There was an Aberrant.”
At the unexpected answer, Mu-hae quietly packed his things.
What Joo-oh saw was probably the large neon goblin in the center of Sakdal. It was daytime, so the lights were off, but he managed to see it.
They were almost there. Mu-hae tapped Joo-oh’s shoulder to signal him to prepare.
He pulled down the hat he was already wearing even further and turned to look at Mu-hae.
“Can you see ahead?”
“It’s okay.”
He didn’t seem to see well, but he said it was okay, so he left it at that.
If Joo-oh said it was okay, he decided to ignore it. That was better for Mu-hae’s mental health.
Sakdal in the middle of the day felt chaotic and dirty.
The flyers and trash that were hidden by the darkness were exposed, and the neon lights that dazzled the eyes were gone from the streets.
Still, as they got closer to the center, the unpleasant atmosphere was diluted by the sights, and the number of people passing by increased.
Mu-hae put his hand in his pocket and walked, glancing at Joo-oh to check on him. He was following closely, covering his face well as instructed.
“Jin Mu-hae.”
“What.”
“Someone’s following us.”
Perhaps he was worried about being told not to talk, Joo-oh pulled on his sleeve to get his attention and whispered.
When he quietly turned his head, he only saw people passing by. Mu-hae rubbed the back of his neck and replied in a low voice.
“No. No one like that.”
“But.”
“Someone might be staring. Because you’re walking around in broad daylight with your face covered.”
Joo-oh seemed to mumble something, but soon fell silent. Mu-hae shifted his gaze to his Watch.
The location he had roughly recorded should be around here, but there was no noticeable place yet.
Just in case, he peeked into the dark alleys even in broad daylight, but he only saw walls covered with flyers and graffiti scribbled on top of them.
There was no way his father’s mark, which had waited for years, would be among the flyers that changed from time to time and the scribbles that had been erased countless times.
Mu-hae now scratched the back of his head and subtly turned his head.
It was unclear who was following them, but it was clear that they were attracting attention.
If a tall mercenary and a suspicious man dressed in all black were rummaging through the alleys as a pair, anyone would be concerned.
“Hey. Do you like sweet things?”
“I like things that aren’t sweet too.”
“Let’s get something to drink.”
In the end, Mu-hae temporarily stopped the clumsy investigation and went into a nearby store.
It was a cafeteria that sold drinks and simple meals. The interior decoration was far from refreshing, perhaps because they also sold alcohol in the evening.
“Happy Coco Full Moon Drink Set.”
“Happy… what?”
“And a Joy Berry Witch Drink Set. Lavender cake, and….”
“Happy Coco Full Moon Drink Set, Joy Berry Witch Drink Set, Lavender Cake, and what you’re looking at now is the Gratin and Triple Patty Burger. That’ll be 71 gil.”
Joo-oh is crazy. Mu-hae calmed himself with that thought and held up his Watch.
Beep- A short beep sounded, and an excessive amount of money for a snack was deducted.
“Eat slowly.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll be sitting here for a while.”
“I’ll try.”
Mu-hae, who had taken a seat on the terrace, looked around without being obvious and told him.
They would still attract attention, but a cafe customer would look less suspicious than a duo loitering on the street.
Even if it was a man who ordered a mountain of desserts at a cafe in broad daylight. Because Sakdal was full of even stranger people.
“They followed us here too.”
Joo-oh, who had sucked down a drink with a lot of chocolate cream, whispered as if he were telling a secret.
If Joo-oh warned him this much, someone must really be following them. He pretended not to know and didn’t show it, but in fact, Jin Mu-hae had been feeling uneasy the whole time.
“Just eat.”
Fortunately, Joo-oh wouldn’t do anything rash because someone was following them. From the moment the food was placed on the table, his eyes went blank.
Sure enough, he stopped talking about who was following them and took a big bite of the cake.
The mask that had covered most of his face was already down below his chin.
“Mmm, um… I like this.”
“Slowly.”
“It’s soft and fragrant. It’s delicious.”
For some reason, there was cream on the corner of his mouth, and his soft tongue popped out and licked his lips.
His red and shiny lips were somehow obscene. Shocked by his own feelings, Mu-hae squeezed his eyes shut.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Jin Mu-hae?”
“You eat it.”
Joo-oh’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the annoyed tone, but soon he was engrossed in the food again.
As if trying to keep his word to eat slowly, his smoothly curved jaw moved more slowly than usual.
‘Is that him?’
Meanwhile, someone sat down on the other side of the terrace. A half-shaved head with a scratch. He was sipping an on-the-rocks glass.
There was nothing particularly strange about him, but he felt annoying. That meant his gut was telling him something.
Besides her, there was one more suspicious person. A man with a ponytail sitting inside the store.
One of them must be the person who had been following them since the entrance of Sakdal. Or maybe both of them.
Jin Mu-hae calmly looked around at the scenery outside with a nonchalant expression. Still, no special marks or plausible evidence were visible.
The assumption that they would have left something behind so that anyone involved in that incident could recognize it right away was too complacent.
“This is really good.”
When he turned his head at the mumbling voice, four empty plates were piled up in front of Joo-oh.
When did he eat that much without a single smacking sound? Had he sucked up and swallowed the food like a vacuum cleaner? A ridiculous imagination flashed through Mu-hae’s mind.
“It’s weird if only I eat.”
His eyes, which had been clear for a moment, stared blankly at Mu-hae.
When he said something right about once a day like a broken clock, Mu-hae often felt this strange sensation.
It was hard to put into words, but he felt that it would be better to follow Joo-oh obediently.
“Don’t talk to me now.”
He bit into a ring-shaped fritter, scolding him for no reason.
Crunch, beneath the crispy, cheerfully breaking crust was a sweet filling that pretended to be vegetables.
Mu-hae, who took a sip of the drink that seemed the least sweet, frowned.
He wanted to leave as early as possible, but he couldn’t help it. He would have to stay here longer than planned.
“Until when?”
Joo-oh, who swallowed what was in his mouth, asked a beat later.
Mu-hae leaned back in his chair and replied nonchalantly.
“Until sunset.”
Because the lights would come on when the sun went down.
Sakdal’s time started then.