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“Found out!”

The moment Lee Ha-yeon’s gaze met that of the Ghost Blade, her body froze. However, it turned out to be a stroke of luck for her.

“What is that? Who is that woman?”

If Lee Ha-yeon had reacted immediately, the Ghost Blade would have recognized her as an enemy and charged at her, especially right after he had just sliced through members of the Cheonho Gang.

Yet, the sight of her nervously fumbling about disarmed his wariness. Of course, this alone didn’t make him let down his guard completely.

Thud, Thud.

The Ghost Blade slowly approached Lee Ha-yeon. As she hid awkwardly behind the vehicle, countless thoughts raced through her mind.

A critical situation. Her brain was working overtime.

What if it turns into a fight? Without a doubt, she would lose. Kwon Tae-ho was already wounded. There was no way she could win.

Flee? Would she even be able to? Trying to be generous, her physical abilities were below that of a rookie enforcer. She’d be caught in no time.

“Uh…”

Just as she was lost in thought, the Ghost Blade was suddenly right in front of her.

“E-excuse me….”

“Did you come from the Cheonho Gang?”

“N-no! That’s not it! I’m not like that…!”

“Then why are you suspiciously watching me?”

“I-I’m not watching you!!”

Flustered, Lee Ha-yeon stumbled over her words. Though she appeared clumsy and harmless, her awkwardness piqued the Ghost Blade’s curiosity.

Why was this person watching him or even Pay Pay’s house?

“…Is it wise to cut down on future troubles?”

But that thought remained just that. The opponent wasn’t evil, and she wasn’t a killer. Only the wicked should be dealt with. Since she didn’t know who he was, she couldn’t just haphazardly brandish her weapon.

If it had been the usual her, she might have turned and walked away.

Swish.

The Ghost Blade’s tension peaked after his recent battle with the Cheonho Gang and the enforcers.

“Speak up when I kindly ask you. Who are you? Why are you suspiciously watching me?”

“W-well, uh…! I mean, it’s….”

Words raced through Lee Ha-yeon’s mind.

In this urgent situation, she didn’t have the luxury of rethinking her words. Before long, she blurted out the words that crossed her mind.

“I-I’m a-a f-friend!”

“A friend? Do you have a friend living here? What’s their name?”

“Pay Pay!”

“What?”

The Ghost Blade’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Oh, whatever. I’ve already blurted it out; let the chips fall where they may.” With that thought, Lee Ha-yeon hurriedly continued to speak.

“So, um, my name is L-Lee Ha-yeon! I work with Pay Pay at the same store…! But after Pay Pay was taken by the Cheonho Gang this morning, I came home because I was worried…”

“What?! Pay Pay was taken!? What does that mean?!”

“Huh?”

The Ghost Blade’s reaction was more intense than she expected. As he grabbed her shoulder and shouted, Lee Ha-yeon instinctively swallowed back a gasp.

However, moments later, her mind calmed, bringing about a new question.

“D-did you not know…?”

The Ghost Blade didn’t know Pay Pay had been abducted?

That couldn’t be.

Kwon Tae-ho had definitely mentioned it. He said the Ghost Blade sent his avatar to the Cheonho Gang.

Was it not to save Pay Pay?

“Oh no… Those damn criminals… I hoped it wouldn’t be true, and now they’re targeting a girl who knows nothing!”

Kwon Tae-ho’s group had assumed the attack was to save Pay Pay. But the reality was a bit different.

The Ghost Blade sent an avatar to the Cheonho Gang solely to eliminate future troubles. He wanted to ensure that what he had done to their officers wouldn’t incur revenge on Pay Pay.

He aimed to cut off any potential future issues.

For such a reason, the Ghost Blade was looking to eliminate the Cheonho Gang.

What did this mean?

It meant he wasn’t trying to save the captured person, but instead wanted to annihilate a group that could potentially cause an abduction to eliminate future troubles.

To the Ghost Blade, it meant that Pay Pay was valuable.

“This can’t be. When did this happen? When was she taken?! When did they take that girl?!”

“Um, maybe this morning….”

“Damn it, I didn’t even realize…!”

The Ghost Blade trembled with rising anger.

From his perspective, he had just wiped out the Cheonho Gang and returned, but he couldn’t protect Pay Pay.

If only he had known about the abduction beforehand, he could have threatened their members to rescue her. But he hadn’t been able to do so. Not knowing about the kidnapping, he simply cut down those who blocked him.

He wondered. Where could Pay Pay be now?

Was she still at the Cheonho Gang’s base, where only corpses remained? Or was she confined somewhere else? How could he find her? Were there any living Cheonho Gang members left? Even if there were, would they know where Pay Pay was?

“Umm….”

Lee Ha-yeon, watching the trembling Ghost Blade, felt a pang of sympathy.

This man before her was undoubtedly a killer. Yet, to Lee Ha-yeon, that was impossible to reconcile. Instead, she thought:

The way he seemed anxious about Pay Pay was just like a father who had lost a beloved daughter.

“My shoulder hurts. Can you let me go, please…?”

“Oh.”

Only then did the Ghost Blade realize he was gripping her shoulders tightly. With a startled expression, he stepped back and bowed his head in apology.

“I’m sorry. I must have threatened an innocent person out of misplaced suspicion. I sincerely apologize.”

“N-no, it’s fine. You were just worried about Pay Pay…! Don’t worry about it…!”

Chuckling, Lee Ha-yeon took a step back, putting on a smile.

Alright, I succeeded in deceiving him. Now I just need to quietly slip away and report to Kwon Tae-ho that the Ghost Blade is at Pay Pay’s house.

“Wait?”

But just then, a voice rang out from afar.

“Uncle!”

Both Lee Ha-yeon and the Ghost Blade turned their heads simultaneously.

“Pay Pay…?”

“Pay Pay!”

In the alley, Pay Pay waved her hands as she dashed towards them. With bandages on her bruised limbs, it seemed she had just come from the hospital.

“Pay Pay! You’re safe! Thank goodness! I heard the Cheonho Gang kidnapped you….”

“Huh? How do you know that…?”

The panic on Pay Pay’s face immediately switched to shock as she spotted Lee Ha-yeon standing nearby.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“Oh no!”

This was bad.

Lee Ha-yeon instantly arrived at a conclusion without any need for contemplation.

I’m in deep trouble.

Thinking that, she moved her body. Before her brain could catch up, her survival instincts kicked in, and she bolted.

“Pay Pay! I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Eh?”

Before Pay Pay could even respond, Lee Ha-yeon enveloped her in a tight hug. As Pay Pay winced from the pain, Lee Ha-yeon quickly released her with a apologetic expression.

“Oh! I’m sorry! You’re hurt! It was those Cheonho Gang bastards, wasn’t it? But I’m so glad you made it out safely! I was so worried when I heard you were kidnapped!”

Lee Ha-yeon desperately spewed out heartfelt words.

“Wh-what? No, um, what are you…?”

However, obviously, Pay Pay had no way to follow along since this wasn’t pre-agreed upon.

But that part was covered by Lee Ha-yeon’s audacity.

“Hey, didn’t we decide to be on friendly terms? We’re colleagues working together, so let’s get along. You didn’t forget that already, did you?”

“Eh?”

Pay Pay’s eyes widened nervously.

Just a few hours before, the person from the enforcer’s office was suddenly pretending to be her friend. As she tried to discern her motives, her gaze landed on the Ghost Blade standing nearby.

‘Could it be…?’

As Pay Pay looked back to the Ghost Blade, the image of Lee Ha-yeon smiling at her with a cold sweat pouring down her back finally clued her in.

‘She’s trying to play along to deceive the Uncle.’

The thought that flashed through her mind was: ‘Why me?’

The Ghost Blade was her benefactor. Why must she cooperate in deceiving the one who saved her?

“…”

But then, the words Kwon Tae-ho had said echoed in her mind.

The Ghost Blade was a murderer. A killer who had taken countless lives.

‘If I reveal the truth here… maybe the Uncle might kill him…’

Pay Pay wanted to believe he wouldn’t.

But at the same time, the words of the enforcers who had saved her felt undeniable. This was a person who could kill without hesitation.

Still, going along with the deception would ultimately betray her benefactor…?

“Pay Pay, what’s wrong? Is this woman lying right now?”

Sensing something strange from Pay Pay’s reaction, the Ghost Blade placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

…Was I wrong?

Feeling resigned, Lee Ha-yeon gathered the strength in her legs to flee. But just then, Pay Pay looked back at the Ghost Blade with a smile.

“No, she’s my friend! We got close working at the same place!”

After thinking deeply, Pay Pay chose to go along with the act.

If the Ghost Blade was her benefactor, then Lee Ha-yeon was also her benefactor. She didn’t want to bring harm to the one who had protected her.

“Thank you for worrying about me. But it’s okay. The enforcers came and saved me. So I wasn’t too hurt.”

And she made sure to clearly state that it was Kwon Tae-ho’s group that saved her to help ward off any immediate threats.

That way, even if Lee Ha-yeon’s true identity were to be discovered, the Ghost Blade wouldn’t immediately draw his weapon against her.

“Well….”

‘Thank you, Pay Pay! Thanks to you, I’m alive!’

Lee Ha-yeon thought she might cry at Pay Pay’s consideration. Leaving the still slightly doubtful Ghost Blade behind, she stepped back and said.

“So, um, since I’ve seen that Pay Pay is okay, I’ll take my leave now. Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow, Pay Pay!”

Alright, that was natural.

Lee Ha-yeon smiled brightly and tried to leave. Once she distanced herself from the two of them, she planned to report Kwon Tae-ho about the Ghost Blade’s location.

But,

“Since you’ve come all this way, why not have a meal with us before you go?”

“Huh?”

Pay Pay had no intention of letting her go just yet.

‘If I let her go now, she’ll directly contact the enforcer…’

She was worried about Lee Ha-yeon’s life, so she had cooperated with the lie for now, but she couldn’t let the Uncle get captured.

After deep contemplation, Pay Pay decided to draw Lee Ha-yeon into her home first and then persuade her somehow.

To Pay Pay, Lee Ha-yeon seemed like a weak-willed person, so she thought that a little verbal persuasion might make her comply.

“Eh? No, that would be too much trouble…?”

“Let’s eat together, okay?”

Lee Ha-yeon, eager to escape, tried to refuse, but Pay Pay firmly grabbed her hands with determination.

Gulp.

To Lee Ha-yeon, it felt like an ominous threat, as if saying, “If you try to run, I’ll expose your identity.”

Questions filled her mind. Just a moment ago, she had matched her lies so well, so why was she suddenly trying to keep her here?

No answers came forth from her mind. However, she did know one thing for sure.

“…Y-yeah! Alright! I’ll eat with you then!”

At least she had no choice in the matter.

So the three of them headed up to the room where Pay Pay lived.

It was the topmost floor of the villa, in the very corner. No signs of other residents on the same floor. From the dust on the floor in front of the entrance, it was clear that she lived there alone.

“Despite being a humble abode, please make yourself at home.”

Was it a trained line from her work in hospitality? Pay Pay said with sincerity as she ushered Lee Ha-yeon inside.

The interior was a small two-room apartment, more cramped than expected. The living room was adjacent to the kitchen, with a large room for living and a small bedroom side by side.

Rather than shabby, it felt more desolate, with barely any furnishings. While Lee Ha-yeon surveyed her surroundings, the Ghost Blade seemed familiar with the place and confidently strode to the living room, plopping down onto the sofa.

“I’ll get you something to drink. Sit over there. Um, Ha-yeon…?”

“Uh, yeah…!”

With a somewhat awkward reply, Lee Ha-yeon headed for the living room.

Sit where?

She looked around but, since it was a home for one person, there wouldn’t be much seating to be had. The only empty spot was beside the Ghost Blade on the sofa.

“Uh, e-excuse me….”

“Mm.”

Walking on eggshells, Lee Ha-yeon sat beside the Ghost Blade.

An awkward silence filled the air. Perhaps because of her nerves, her heartbeat thudded noisily.

“What’s your name again?”

“Huh?! Oh, it’s Ha-yeon! Lee Ha-yeon….”

The Ghost Blade was the first to break the silence. Leaning his back against the support, he bowed his head and spoke to her.

“I apologize again. You must have been quite startled earlier. I have my reasons for reacting sensitively to outsiders.”

“Ah… yes, no, I understand… it’s okay….”

“Thank you for understanding.”

The Ghost Blade answered pleasantly with a polite smile. Despite his appearance as a killer, his warm smile made Lee Ha-yeon feel an incongruity with the image of a murderer.

“Um, if it’s not too rude, may I ask why you were at Pay Pay’s house?”

“Well, you must have heard about the commotion that happened yesterday since you work at the same place, right?”

“Yes, I heard that Pay Pay—”

“The teacher? Please just call me uncle.”

“I-I know that uncle saved Pay Pay, but I don’t know what happened after that. I had a day off and didn’t go to work yesterday.”

“Is that so? No wonder your face looks unfamiliar.”

Goosebumps ran down Lee Ha-yeon’s spine at the Ghost Blade’s comment. She tried to keep her composure and asked again.

“So, uh, what happened after that yesterday?”

“Well, after I chased the Cheonho Gang’s officer away, Pay Pay was advised by the owner to return home and rest. But with everything that happened, she must have been worried? If it’s okay with you, I offered to escort her home. After that, I was treated to a meal in gratitude, and somehow ended up staying the night. Coincidentally, I didn’t have a place to stay that day.”

“So you’re leaving tonight?”

“Originally, I planned to, but after hearing that something happened to Pay Pay this morning….”

He briefly glanced towards the kitchen where Pay Pay was. His eyes conveyed genuine concern for her.

“I was thinking of keeping an eye out for a few days. But of course, if Pay Pay is okay with it. After all, it’s not easy to bring a stranger into her home. Even if she doesn’t show it, it must be uncomfortable.”

“Well, it seems like Pay Pay really thinks highly of you, Uncle.”

Even when the enforcers had requested help, she had flatly refused—there must be more than just gratitude behind that.

“She thinks highly of me? How do you know that?”

“Um, I just got that impression! It’s not every day a grown woman lets a man she just met stay over! Haha….”

Lee Ha-yeon quickly tried to recover from her slip of tongue with an embarrassing smile.

“Well, that’s true. I shouldn’t be the one saying this, but as a man, it’s generally instinctive to be protective. If I had a daughter and she did that, I would’ve yelled at her to send him away immediately—”

The Ghost Blade’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“Oh, you have a daughter…?”

“….”

Lee Ha-yeon sensed the shift and tried to probe, but the Ghost Blade remained silent. Just as she was about to speculate that there seemed to be some backstory there, Pay Pay came into the living room with tea.

“What were you all talking about?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Yeah. No, um, just making small talk. Asking how Uncle is staying here, that kind of thing….”

“I told you, I’m going to repay the favor even if it takes generations. I owe you for rescuing me, and I’ll definitely repay you somehow. Though this house isn’t much of a place to offer… But since two guests are here today, I’ll do my best!”

Pay Pay said, rolling up her sleeves as if set to work.

“You may not believe it, but before I opened this place, I worked at an authentic Chinese restaurant. I quit after a year, but I promise my fried rice will leave you speechless!”

With that, Pay Pay headed to the kitchen, and soon a savory oil scent began to waft through the air.

After some time, three appetizing plates of fried rice were placed on the table.

There wasn’t any table where the three could sit together, so Lee Ha-yeon and the Ghost Blade started their meal right where they stood, holding their plates. As Pay Pay had promised, the fried rice tasted quite good.

“Mmm, this is delicious….”

However, Lee Ha-yeon couldn’t tell if the grains were entering her mouth or her nose. The pressure of having a criminal right next to her, alongside the overwhelming need to extract information, caused beads of sweat to roll down her body.

“Does that uncle’s name happen to be…?”

“Name? He hasn’t told me either. He just wants me to call him ‘uncle.’ It’s not uncommon for someone around here to not speak openly about their name, right?”

“Yeah… I suppose so.”

It was almost as if he was ensuring Lee Ha-yeon wouldn’t obtain any information. The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she felt about whether she could trust her.

“So, Uncle, is the food any good?”

“It’s tasty.”

“Right? Didn’t I tell you? Maybe I could open my own shop with this skill?”

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

The Ghost Blade nodded along as Pay Pay nestled against the armrest of the sofa, grinning. A startled look crossed his face as he tried to move away, but with Lee Ha-yeon right there, he couldn’t manage it.

“Uncle! If you’re staying a few more days, please let me know your favorite dish! I’ll make it for you if I can.”

“I appreciate you letting me stay, but I couldn’t impose by asking for something like that—”

“Imposing? Come on! You’re going to stay here to protect me, right? Don’t be shy and tell me! I can make Korean food too, not just Chinese!”

“Really? In that case, maybe… seaweed soup would be nice…?”

“Let’s do seaweed soup! It’s savory and refreshing, perfect with greasy food! If you pair it with some spicy mapo tofu, it goes great together! How about I make it tomorrow?”

“…I’ll look forward to it.”

Watching the two enjoy their banter, it was as if they had known each other for more than just a day.

Lee Ha-yeon thought there was truly something special about the connection they shared. But every time she attempted to ask questions about that connection, Pay Pay intentionally stepped in to change the subject, leaving her with no meaningful information.

With the meal finished without any gain for her, Lee Ha-yeon felt Pay Pay approach her.

“Ha-yeon, you have work tomorrow, so you should probably head back, right? I’ll walk you partway.”

“Uh? Uh, yeah….”

“It might be dangerous for just women to be out late at night. I can go with you—”

“The uncle can stay here and relax. It’s not like we’re going far. We’ll have some girl talk.”

Girl talk, she thought.

At Pay Pay’s urging, the Ghost Blade emitted a discontented grunt and once again plopped back onto the sofa.

Yet, until the moment they stepped out the door, he reiterated that if anything happened, he’d be right there to intervene, reminiscent of a doting father worrying about his grown daughter.

“Whew.”

Breathing out, Pay Pay stepped outside the villa and exhaled slowly. It was still cold in March, and her breath formed a cloud before dissipating into the air.

“So, what were you doing in front of my house?”

That was when Pay Pay’s tone returned to formality.

The charade of friendliness was over.

Her cold demeanor pierced Lee Ha-yeon’s chest.

“I was worried about you, so I thought I’d keep watch….”

“That’s a lie. It’s because of the uncle, isn’t it? You thought he might come to my house, so you were here to monitor it?”

“….”

She hit the nail on the head. When Lee Ha-yeon nodded hesitantly, Pay Pay sighed deeply.

“If we leave it at this, you’ll report straight to that enforcer, won’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“Can’t you refrain from doing so? Just a moment ago, if I revealed your identity, the uncle might have killed you. I owe him my life, so I think there’s a kind of debt there…”

What she said was valid. Had Pay Pay not cooperated, Lee Ha-yeon likely wouldn’t have been able to walk out with her own two feet now.

But,

“…I can’t do that. I’m sorry. I’m grateful to you, Pay Pay, but….”

“I understand. You’re just a rookie enforcer. You have to uphold justice and social order. And that uncle, while he did save me, is still a murderer…”

Sorrow swirled in Pay Pay’s eyes.

Lee Ha-yeon gingerly asked her about something that had been on her mind for a while. “Did you really just meet that criminal for the first time yesterday? Because to me, it seems like there’s more to your connection.”

“It’s true that it was our first time meeting yesterday. But we talked a lot in that one night. So I guess we grew closer. People in similar situations usually bond well.”

“Similar situations?”

“….”

After a moment’s hesitation, Pay Pay slowly murmured, “We’re both alone. My parents passed away. And the uncle lost his wife and daughter. You know the reason, right?”

Since the Great Incident, losing family became a commonplace occurrence.

Families either got caught up in the incident and couldn’t return, or were lost due to crimes committed by the returned—

The reasons varied, but the dimensional rift that had emerged fifteen years ago had left its mark on everyone’s lives in one way or another.

“Had my daughter lived, she would be around the same age as that girl. So when I saw you being picked on by the Cheonho Gang, I couldn’t just ignore it. I could relate to you. The uncle also reminds me a lot of my dad….”

“I see….”

Realizing that was what made their atmosphere so intimate just moments ago, Lee Ha-yeon understood what had happened.

Their shared connection was not anything like close friends or lovers, but rather a haunting memory of lost family.

They both must have known the other was not their actual family, yet still, they couldn’t help but cling to that bond.

Indeed, their wounds ran deep, which is why the significance of their relationship stood out so vividly.

“….”

Recognizing this truth, Lee Ha-yeon could not bring herself to say she would capture the Ghost Blade in front of Pay Pay.

Having lost a father once, she didn’t want to make her feel that pain all over again.

She knew she needed to persuade her but was entirely at a loss about how to go about it.

‘I wonder what those two would do.’

Though she still didn’t know them well, the thought occurred to her as she tried to seek answers the same way.

If it were Yoo Seol, she might calmly reason with Pay Pay. Meanwhile, Kwon Tae-ho, with his assertive personality, wouldn’t bother to persuade anyone and would just charge straight ahead.

‘So what do I do…’

However, for Lee Ha-yeon, both options seemed impossible. As just a rookie, she didn’t possess Kwon Tae-ho’s decisiveness or Yoo Seol’s reasoning.

What she could do was simply share her genuine thoughts.

“…Although it was a short time, I can tell. That person isn’t as bad as he seems. The people he’s killing must be due to some sort of painful backstory.”

Lee Ha-yeon was human too. Therefore, she understood.

People living in this era carry their own injuries and scars. She could understand because her own life was the same.

But,

“However, he is still a murderer.”

She was well aware that personal trauma doesn’t give anyone a free pass to harm another. Her conventional reasoning drew a frown from Pay Pay.

“Don’t you get that it’s not right to judge his circumstances?”

“Even if you consider his circumstances, murder is still murder. And it’s not a mistake made once or twice. If you care about that uncle you love so much….”

“It’s just about those criminals who are naturally deserving of punishment, right?”

“…Honestly, I do think that to a degree. A rookie enforcer shouldn’t feel that way, though.”

Leaning back in surprise at Lee Ha-yeon’s honest reaction, Pay Pay’s expression wavered.

That wasn’t a lie. When she heard that he was only killing criminals, she recognized it was wrong but couldn’t help but feel a little exhilarated or impressed.

But still,

“If our enforcer had been here right now, I believe he would say this.”

Had Kwon Tae-ho been present, he would likely have countered Pay Pay’s statement.

There are no people in this world who deserve to die.

That was why they had enforcers. They had to suppress those criminals by force while simultaneously giving them a second chance to redeem themselves.

And,

“That would apply to the uncle you want to protect as well…”

“I….”

“As I mentioned, that man may not be as terrible as he seems. However… if he’s not a bad person, isn’t it all the more reason to stop him now? To give him a chance for redemption….”

It is only when one realizes their mistakes that they can choose to stop before crossing the line.

That’s when someone nearby must point out their errors and assist them in stopping.

“Pay Pay, if you truly cherish that uncle, you must stop him from making more mistakes. Don’t you think?”

“…I don’t know. The uncle saved me. What I see before me is simply a kind uncle… and you want me to betray him….”

“If that kind side of him is real, then that man will surely regret his actions in the future.”

At Lee Ha-yeon’s words, Pay Pay looked up to meet her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she became overwhelmed.

“I… I… um, that…”

Seeing Pay Pay in turmoil, Lee Ha-yeon quietly took her hand.

She had said everything she needed, voiced her heart’s true thoughts. Now she could only hope that her sincerity would reach Pay Pay.

“….Ha-yeon.”

Then, as the tremors in her trembling hands began to settle, Pay Pay quietly asked.

“…What can I do?”

“…Nothing.”

She just needed to let Lee Ha-yeon head off to report to Kwon Tae-ho quietly.

At those words, Pay Pay hesitated, then eventually nodded with difficulty.

“Pay Pay, you haven’t done anything wrong. Please don’t think of it as betrayal, or anything like that. What you’re doing is the right thing….”

“….”

Though she wondered how much her words would truly help, Lee Ha-yeon picked up the phone. She noticed a glimmer of hesitation appear on Pay Pay’s face, shortly before she lowered her head, turning away.

Then Lee Ha-yeon dialed the phone.

Rrring, rrring…

Click.

“What is it?”

Before long, a voice echoed through the receiver.

“Enforcer! I found the criminal.”

Lee Ha-yeon tried to suppress her discomfort as she made the report.