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The dawn began to cast a serene light over the remnants of the completely collapsed city.

Just last night, a bizarre gathering resembling a fairy festival had taken place, but the Mini Reaper, who was handing out hot chocolate and snacks, was nowhere to be found, like a trace of a dream that had shattered.

The embers of the campfire now appeared cold, replaced by the newly rising sun’s rays.

Was it truly just a dream?

The only evidence of the night before was the campfire, which left behind nothing but remnants.

But it didn’t matter if it was a dream or not.

Despite the sorrow staining the faces of the survivors from the city’s collapse and the loss of homes and families, the indescribable warmth and hope gifted by the Mini Reaper seemed to revive their weary souls.

It was like a magic of sorts.

Yet, even with such magical hope, the skeletal remains of buildings turned to ruins left people feeling lost and overwhelmed.

At that moment, a man spoke in a low voice to the gathered people near the traces of the campfire.

“We can do this.”

His words seemed out of context, yet they carried a sense of hope.

“Our city has turned to ruins, but we can rebuild it once more. This city was originally built from the ashes of destruction.”

The man urged them to find intact buildings to create temporary accommodations and to carve out their own new village.

“Of course, it will take years to regain the old forms. There will be many hardships.”

“But we can rebuild our lives together, not just buildings. We will transform this desolate place into a sanctuary of hope.”

His words, while not entirely sufficient, were enough to stoke the fire of hope left by the Mini Reaper.

One by one, people began to rise from their spots, gathering around the man.

Such a sight was rare in a world where countless cities were crumbling.

In this city shrouded in the shadow of loss, bricks of hope were beginning to stack up.

The man engraved a symbol of the new city into the debris of the ruins.

A symbol honoring the magical hope brought by the night before.

It was a Marshmallow Hungry Ghost with a pitiful expression as it burned.

*

The backyard of the Sehee Research Institute, softly illuminated by the early morning sun, was enveloped in a tranquil calm.

Dewdrops shimmered on the freshly trimmed grass like tiny jewels, and the leaves touched by the morning light sparkled.

The sky shifted from navy blue to sky blue, heralding the start of a new day.

To fend off the chill of the morning air, I sat in a chair holding a steaming coffee cup and watched the Golden Reapers playing on the flat marble floor in one corner of the backyard.

As the rich aroma of coffee blended with the earthy scent of the morning air, I felt a delightful awakening marking the start of a pleasant morning.

With each sip of coffee, a soothing warmth washed over me, a lovely contrast to the cool air.

The crinkling sound of the Golden Reapers’ colorful paper provided a gentle background tune.

On the peaceful morning when the Reaper finally returned, an unexpected trend of origami was sweeping through the backyard of the Sehee Research Institute.

For reasons unknown, children suddenly began folding paper, and on the way to get coffee, I brought back a pile of colored paper.

The Golden Reapers were pressing down on colored paper larger than their own bodies with all their might.

Once they finished folding the paper, one of the Golden Reapers rushed over to me with an eager look as if wanting something.

So cute, like a baby bird yearning for food!

I smiled warmly, petting the head of the Golden Reaper and placing a piece of colored paper on top of its head.

The Golden Reaper, receiving the new colored paper, beamed and raised its arms in victory, darting back to its spot to start folding paper again.

The Reaper who returned just before dawn was curled up with a blanket on a mat and had been asleep until now.

It looked like nothing more than a pile of blankets.

The only evidence that this blanket bundle was indeed a Reaper was the antenna swaying gently from the crown of its head.

Nearby, a Golden Reaper appeared uninterested in paper folding and was making an effort to grab the swaying antenna.

Hehe, that swaying antenna sure has an indescribable charm.

Touching it was wonderfully soft, and the Golden Reaper’s antenna brought double the satisfaction.

Eventually, the Golden Reaper succeeded in grabbing the antenna, enjoying its texture in both hands.

Looking around, it then brought the antenna to its mouth and playfully nibbled at it.

In the meantime, I heard the pattering sound of a Mini Hungry Ghost racing across the grass.

On top of the hungry ghost, a Golden Reaper was beaming with a cheerful expression.

A spinning pinwheel!

The Golden Reaper who made it looked extremely happy and excited.

Pitter patter.

While watching the charging Hungry Ghost and Golden Reaper, I felt a tapping on my thigh, and turning around, saw a swarm of Golden Reapers gathering around.

They had abandoned the paper they were making and rushed over.

It seemed they wanted to make pinwheels too.

I took out some colored paper from my bag and handed it out to each Golden Reaper.

Soon enough, the backyard of the research institute was filled with the sounds of the racing footsteps of Hungry Ghosts and the cheerful whirling of pinwheels.

*

On the TV in the Detective Agency, a popular show program was playing.

In a corner sat Junior No. 2, staring at the screen with a dazed expression.

The host of the program was an impressive figure with a peculiar presence.

With hair dyed in deep purple, styled meticulously back in a slicked-back look.

Likewise, the flamboyant purple suit matched his hair color, creating an intriguing yet slightly odd impression.

With the purple man in mind, Junior No. 1 chuckled and spoke up.

“Sunbae! Isn’t he like your brother? Your fashion sense is totally the same.”

Comparing my carefully chosen, neat yellow suit to that overstated purple suit was hardly worth a response.

Perhaps Junior No. 1 had not intended to seek an answer, as he chuckled and turned his attention back to the TV screen.

“Today’s guest is the chairman of the New Seoul Promotion Policy Committee! Hello, chairman!”

As the purple man introduced the guest energetically, a rather clumsy-looking man stepped onto the screen.

The purple man had a peculiar tone and exaggerated actions, giving an almost theatrical atmosphere.

As the discussion unfolded, various topics emerged.

Soon, the focus shifted to a more serious issue, the recent destruction of a city known as “RS.”

“Recently, there have been reports that a city referred to as ‘RS’ has been devastated. It’s truly a horrific matter. Observing outside of Seoul, this isn’t the first incident where a city has collapsed.”

The purple man continued, looking seriously at the chairman.

“But do we really need to move Seoul? Why is that necessary?”

While the chairman began to speak about the tragedy, pulling out prepared materials, the master of the show, the purple man, skillfully dodged the conversation and began to emphasize Seoul’s safety.

Interjecting the chairman’s statements and interrupting him made his expression tighten, but the purple man seemed unconcerned.

In fact, the show’s usual tone felt suspicious, leading one to ponder why there was a need to so unnaturally emphasize Seoul’s safety.

Such an unnatural show always seemed to draw in audiences, which felt a bit strange.

Somehow, it smelled like a “big incident.”

After the show, Junior No. 2, who had been sitting vacantly, approached me with a serious expression.

“Detective Sunbae! I have something to say.”

Was it something serious?

I had told him not to mind stories of request failures…

To have a quiet conversation, Junior No. 2 and I moved up to the rooftop.

On the rooftop of the building where the Detective Agency was located, I lit a cigarette and turned to face Junior No. 2.

“So, what’s on your mind?”

Junior No. 2, who seemed to hesitate, squeezed his eyes shut and pulled something from his chest to present it before me.

In his palm was a Mini Golden Reaper that smiled as if it were pleading for attention.

“To be honest, I smuggled an object out of the Sehee Research Institute!”

“Oh, was that the story? I already knew. Don’t worry about it.”

“Huh?”

Thinking he had done a good job hiding it, Junior No. 2 looked surprised.

“Well, Junior No. 3 probably knows too. Except for Junior No. 1, who cares about nothing but hammers, everyone else probably knows.”

Seeing the flustered face of Junior No. 2, I exhaled smoke towards the sky.

*

When I woke up, ten Golden Reapers were clinging to my antenna like fish caught on a hook.

Having ten light Golden Reapers stuck to my head was quite bothersome.

I swung my antenna vigorously, shaking off the Golden Reapers.

The expressions of the Golden Reapers flying away resembled that of a child losing their cherished toy.

Ugh, the antenna addiction seems to be growing.

The backyard of the Sehee Research Institute was a mess from the origami escapade, and the Yerin, who had been beside me until I fell asleep, had vanished.

Pitter patter.

I wandered through the institute looking for Yerin and some amusing activity.

“Huh? No matter what, America is….”

Then, I spotted Sehee, Yerin, and James having a conversation in the corridor near my isolation room.

I had intended to prank James when I saw him, but here he was, coming over in person!

Wondering what kind of prank would be fun, I slowly approached them, only for James to spot me and eagerly hold something out with a delighted expression.

“Here’s the new ‘Large Gray Reaper Pudding.’ I brought it for you before the release.”

James shoved a pudding larger than my body toward me.

Wow, it’s huge.

With the sweet scent wafting from the pudding, I decided to forgive James with a generous heart.

Peeling off the packaging of the giant pudding, I scooped up the soft pudding with a spoon.

Om nom nom.

Ah, it’s bliss.

Why is pudding so delicious?

While indulging in the delightful large pudding, I couldn’t ignore an insistent statement.

“Once again, I must ask, won’t you consider visiting America, including the Gray Reaper?”

America?