First, let’s start with the oldest letter…
*Sssk.*
Emma neatly tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.
And while checking the envelope one last time, she found another strange detail.
‘There’s no return address on this letter.’
Not only that, but there’s no stamp or recipient address either.
So how did this letter even get delivered here…?
There were more than a few oddities, but Emma decided to read the letter anyway.
「To Kid,
Kid, how are you? As for me… I’m not doing so well.
Maybe it’s because my sleeping arrangements have changed, but I can’t sleep at night.
When darkness falls, I sometimes feel tormented by the emptiness in my heart, and I’m filled with deep regret, thinking, “I shouldn’t have done that back then.”
But above all, the only thing that comes to mind is you.
So, I’ll write to you often.
Luckily, I get along well with the friends here, so I think I can send you a letter once a week.
Of course, I don’t know if this letter will reach you…
But I’ll try my best to have the kids deliver it to you.
I really want to see you again soon.
April 26, 1871.
– JJ, who only thinks of you」
“…What?”
As soon as Emma finished reading the letter, she tilted her head in confusion.
And for good reason…
This totally reads like a love letter to someone they adore.
‘Boss… Did you have someone you promised your love to?’
……
*Crinkle.*
And yet, he kept trying to get me to eat and drink with him.
A faint crack began to form on Emma’s usually cold, statue-like face.
Feeling an inexplicable surge of irritation, Emma continued reading the next letter.
The sender, as promised in the previous letter, sent letters on a weekly basis.
「To Kid,
Kid! How was your day today?
Did you sleep well? Are you eating well?
I’ve managed to adapt pretty well, so I’m living okay.
The food’s not great, but it’s edible, and I’m sleeping better now.
You know how fast I adapt, hehe.
The kids couldn’t find you, though.
I miss you, Kid.
Where on earth did you go? Did you leave San Francisco entirely?
If you left San Francisco, did you go back to New Mexico?
Or did you leave the country altogether?
The kids are still trying, so I’m sure they’ll find you someday.
I really, really want to see you.
Let’s meet again someday.
May 3, 1871.
– JJ, who only thinks of you」
It seemed like the sender, ‘JJ,’ was stuck in a place they couldn’t leave.
They mentioned having ‘the kids’ look for Noah, but it seemed like they couldn’t find him…
Well, Justice Town was a pretty remote place, even if it had a decent flow of people passing through.
It wouldn’t be easy to find Noah, who was quietly living as a bounty hunter in a small town without even a library or hospital.
By the way, who is this sender, and who are the ‘kids’ mentioned in the letter?
Emma had opened the letters out of curiosity about Noah’s past, but even after reading two, she hadn’t found any concrete clues.
Noah was probably asleep right now, knocked out by painkillers.
Emma thought about going back to Noah but…
‘Well, maybe I’ll read a few more just in case.’
She reached for the other letters.
As she read, time flew by.
At first, Emma had only planned to read a few, but she ended up reading dozens while sitting there.
However, even after reading so many, Emma still couldn’t find any specific clues about Noah’s past.
The sender, ‘JJ,’ mostly wrote about how they were feeling, what they were doing, and how much they missed Noah.
Of course, she did learn one thing:
The sender, ‘JJ,’ really, really liked Noah.
JJ’s handwriting was incredibly elegant and beautiful.
Above all, it was filled with affection for Noah.
‘Were you and the Boss childhood friends? You met when you were six?’
Based on the information in the letters and the handwriting, Emma imagined JJ as a slender, delicate, and beautiful person in their early 20s.
Noah, too, if you set aside his personality and just looked at his face objectively, was handsome… no, honestly, he was *extremely* handsome…
Noah and JJ probably made a great couple.
‘…Why am I even thinking this?’
Emma then imagined herself standing next to Noah instead of JJ and was startled…
*Slap.*
She smacked her own cheek.
She must’ve been influenced by reading someone else’s love letters and started imagining ridiculous things.
At this rate, she wasn’t going to find out anything about Noah’s past by reading more letters…
So, Emma decided to put the letters down for good.
‘By the way, it seems like the Boss hasn’t been here in a long time. Does he even know these letters exist?’
As she was debating whether to tell Noah about the letters, she turned around to leave…
“Huh…?”
Just then, another envelope caught Emma’s eye.
The other envelopes all had…
[From JJ to Noah]
written on them, along with the date the letter was written.
But this particular envelope…
“There’s nothing written on it.”
No words, no date—nothing.
While all the other envelopes were uniform, this one stood out because it was completely blank.
‘Should I check this one last one?’
Emma reached for the blank envelope.
She could tell it was written between March 1, 1872, and March 15, 1872, so it was likely dated March 8, 1872.
And then…
*Sssk.*
“…Huh?”
As soon as she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, Emma could immediately tell it was completely different from the others.
And for good reason…
The once elegant handwriting was now frantic and messy, with multiple erasures and a chaotic, jumbled appearance.
Emma swallowed dryly and began to read.
「To Kid,
Noah, Kid, Noah, Kid.
How are you?
Do you remember what today is? Of course, you do!
If you’ve remembered what today is, then I hope you understand why I’m not doing well.
Actually, I’ve been feeling so bad today that I couldn’t sleep.
…No.
No, no, no, no, no.
Actually, for the past year…」
I couldn’t sleep properly.
Sorry.
The food tasting good and making new friends here… it was all a lie.
I… I only thought of you here.
“……”
Just by reading halfway, it was clear that JJ’s state in this letter was drastically different from the others.
Why is this letter so different?
Emma decided to finish reading the letter.
“Kid.
Noah.
Kid.
Noah.
…Dokgo Young.”
“…Dokgo Young?”
In the next paragraph, JJ listed names sporadically, like someone in pain.
Among them, the name Dokgo Young stood out.
“Is that a person’s name? Or a place?”
It was an unfamiliar name.
Maybe it’s the name of an Indian tribe or an animal.
“Last year… why did you do that?
March 8th…
Thank you, Kid!
Thanks to you, I had a birthday I’ll never forget.
……
…I should’ve just died too.
If I had died, it wouldn’t have been this hard.”
From the next paragraph, there were traces of curses directed at Noah, later erased with a pen.
After wandering on the paper for a while, JJ finally pulled themselves together and left a final message for Noah.
“Kid! I met the kids yesterday.
They still haven’t found you!
They can’t find you, and I’m stuck here.
But, Kid! Remember this!
I will come back to you.
Even if it’s late, I will definitely come.
I wish that day would come soon.
So….”
“Emma.”
“……!”
Just as she finished reading the letter, a voice called her from behind.
“…What are you doing?”
“…Boss, why aren’t you asleep?”
It was Noah, who she thought would be asleep.
Noah, with sleepy eyes from the painkillers, looked at Emma suspiciously as she read the letter.
Emma was in a panic.
If Noah found out she was secretly reading his letters, he would definitely be furious.
But…
“…What are those behind you?”
“…Huh?”
It seemed Noah had no idea what those letters were.
“These are the letters JJ sent over the past three years while you were in Justice Town. Did you really not know?”
“…What?”
At the mention of JJ, Noah’s expression changed, and he quickly snatched the letter Emma was reading.
As Noah read the letter…
‘…Huh?’
…Emma couldn’t help but be startled.
Was it because the painkillers hadn’t fully kicked in, and the pain was too much?
Or was it because the painkillers worked too well, and his mind was in a haze?
Noah looked like someone biting back tears.
Emma suddenly remembered what Django had said.
‘Noah. We’re all human.’
It was a funny thing to say, but right now, Noah looked…
“Damn it. This is why I didn’t want to come to this damn San Francisco.”
…just like her.
A human who hurts when injured and cries when sad.
The same human.
“……”
Emma decided to give Noah some time to collect himself and was about to leave the room when…
‘…Wait.’
She remembered something important and asked Noah.
“…Boss, didn’t you say no one knows the location of this villa?”
“……”
Noah sighed softly and answered.
“…To be precise, there’s no one left in San Francisco who knows. But why?”
“Then who delivered these letters?”
“……!”
The letters had been delivered here precisely every week, up to the most recent date.
In fact, that wasn’t the only strange thing.
“And earlier, I couldn’t mention it, but this place… it’s way too clean for being abandoned for years, right? It’s like someone’s been cleaning it regularly…”
All these pointed to one fact.
Contrary to Noah’s claim that no one knew the location, someone clearly knew and had been managing it, delivering letters every week.
“……”
Realizing this, Noah’s expression twisted.
And then…
“……!”
“…What’s wrong?”
Noah’s eyes widened like a startled cat, and he flinched.
Having been with Noah for three years, Emma knew what his reaction meant.
“…Damn it. Speak of the devil…”
“…Is someone coming here now?”
“Yeah, hurry and clean up our traces. Quick-!”
Someone was coming here now.
Noah quickly packed up the first aid kit and blanket, while Emma restored the letter envelopes to their original place.
Just as they barely erased their traces and hid together in the same closet…
Creak.
The sound of the villa’s door opening came from outside.
