Chapter 33: The Lingering Scent of Ash

“Mommy told Rua to wait a moment.”

“Is your name Rua? That’s a pretty name.”

“Yeah. Lee Rua. Oh, there she is. She waited over there.”

The child pointed to a coffee shop parasol quite a distance away. It was astonishing that no one had stopped this little girl from walking all the way here alone.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you.”

“Okay! Since you’re pretty, oppa, I’ll allow it.”

Judging by her neatly dressed clothes and audacious tone, she was a child raised with meticulous care. Sa-yoon, who had spent his childhood in a provincial area beyond the capital’s influence, recognized her identity at once.

Such a level of upbringing suggested she was likely the child of an organization that controlled the Busan area.

Sa-yoon’s own background was similar. Myeong-ah’s family had been quite well-off, but they were far from the standard of a regional leader. Those families lived surrounded by luxury goods imported from the capital, driving rare foreign cars, just like this child.

“Here. Drop me here.”

As they neared the shop, the child stomped her feet, expressing her opinion. Sa-yoon brushed the sand from Rua’s shoes and set her down on the steps in front of the store.

Through the glass window, adults inside were bustling about. They seemed busy preparing something, perhaps unaware that Rua had wandered off.

“Are there no adults to look after Rua? Is it okay for you to be alone?”

“Usually my uncles are with me, but today they’re very busy. It’s okay. Rua is all grown up.”

Rua trotted on her small feet and hopped onto a chair. The beach was deserted, whether it was always like this or just today, Sa-yoon couldn’t tell.

With other people inside the building, there seemed to be no immediate problem.

“Alright, I’ll get going then. Have fun, Rua.”

“Okay! Pretty oppa, see you next time.”

Rua waved her small hand in farewell. Since her family’s organization was based in Busan, Sa-yoon knew he probably wouldn’t see her again, but he responded with a child-friendly smile.

“Yes, yes. If we meet again, say hello first.”

“Okay!”

Leaving Rua, who was waving even more enthusiastically, Sa-yoon returned to the workshop where his fellow agents were.

What struck him as somewhat odd was the noticeable lack of other people along the rather long stretch from the beach towards the hill. Had the current situation deteriorated to such an extent?

Indeed, with the population gradually declining, perhaps such places were the first to show the signs.

Sa-yoon caressed the perfectly cylindrical structure, checking for any imperfections or areas needing repair. As always, it was flawlessly clean, without a single crack.

It was a building that perfectly embodied the instruction: ‘Construct it as sturdy as possible, with utmost care.’ Satisfied with his creation, Sa-yoon returned to his accommodation.

Night had fallen late. Despite having indulged in enough raw fish to sate a lifetime’s craving, followed by spicy fish stew, his stomach had long since settled. After a refreshing shower, Sa-yoon lay on his bed and, for the first time in a while, turned on the TV, flipping through channels.

With no regular programs he followed, there was nothing particularly engaging to watch. The only notable event was a fleeting moment of alarm when an Esper documentary, touted for its high ratings, flashed across the screen, nearly prompting him to hurl the remote in disgust. Otherwise, it was a dull evening.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, a subtle, gentle tremor brushed beneath Sa-yoon’s feet. More precisely, the ground beneath the building vibrated faintly. Sa-yoon rose from his spot and hurried out to the terrace.

Looking towards the direction from which the tremor had emanated, he saw nothing unusual. Yet, something had definitely passed by. Could there be a problem underground?

He closed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Even surveying the entire area he could comfortably extend his senses to, he found no particular issues. No one else seemed to have felt this tremor either.

‘Was it just my imagination?’

Curiously, the mountain in the direction Sa-yoon had been looking appeared hazy. There was no reason for fog in the middle of the night, yet one section of the sky seemed oddly overcast. It was precisely the direction from which Sa-yoon had completed his mission earlier today.

A moment later, a faint scent of something burnt wafted on the air, tickling his nostrils. Was it fireworks, given the little lady’s family gathering today? While the thought seemed plausible, a sense of foreboding stirred within Sa-yoon.

Returning to bed, Sa-yoon turned off the distracting TV and lay down. He closed his eyes and concentrated intently, but no further tremors were felt.

Only when the oppressive darkness that had swallowed the sea began to recede, and the faint light of dawn clung to the terrace window frame, did Sa-yoon finally drift into sleep.

That night, however, Han Do-hoon did not come to Sa-yoon’s room.

It was a truly ambiguous feeling. Sa-yoon awoke late, blinking his eyelids as he stared at the ceiling. He could chalk up his sleepless night to the strange sensation, but why had Han Do-hoon said he would come and then not shown up?

Of course, having been thoroughly exhausted that morning, a quiet evening had certainly been a welcome respite. Thanks to it, he even had time to enjoy the breakfast buffet today.

After casually changing his clothes, Sa-yoon headed to the first-floor breakfast buffet. He wandered past the food, an empty plate in hand. It was hard to pinpoint why, but he felt out of sorts.

Even at the much-anticipated breakfast buffet, he found himself without an appetite.

“Customer, do you perhaps need any assistance?”

“Ah…”

As Sa-yoon stood blankly in the middle of the buffet, holding a plate, a passing staff member politely inquired.

“No, thank you. I was just contemplating what to eat. The variety of food is quite impressive.”

Offering a polite remark, Sa-yoon simply returned to his seat, carrying only an empty plate and a glass of orange juice. He felt the gazes of those around him.

His life was already under constant scrutiny, and now, acting so strangely, it felt as though every eye in the room was fixed upon him.

He needlessly retreated into the most secluded private room in the restaurant and leaned back in a chair. As he slowly sipped his orange juice, Sa-yoon noticed a crowd gathering near the buffet entrance beyond the glass wall.

Curious, he looked closer and understood why.

Han Do-hoon, whose presence was striking wherever he went, was entering the buffet, conversing with someone Sa-yoon didn’t recognize. Han Do-hoon, too, spotted Sa-yoon alone in the private room and approached with long, purposeful strides.

“Were you having breakfast? Would you care to join me?”

“I was just about to leave.”

“Your plate is quite clean, though.”

Han Do-hoon acted as he always did. Before Sa-yoon could refuse, he had cutlery set on the opposite side and brought over a few light dishes. He also thoughtfully selected some food Sa-yoon might enjoy, placing it naturally onto Sa-yoon’s plate.

“The omelets here are quite famous.”

Cheese oozed from the warm omelet, making it look as appetizing as promised. However, Sa-yoon’s attention was elsewhere. As Han Do-hoon’s arm reached across him to arrange the food, Sa-yoon caught a very faint scent of burning.

A potent scent of burning that, even mingled with his body wash, refused to dissipate. And then there was Han Do-hoon’s specialty: using heat. If he had indeed detonated something with his immense firepower, it would explain both yesterday’s tremor and the faint, lingering smell of ash.

“……”

“Is something the matter?”

“Did your mission last night happen in the early morning?”

“It ran later than expected, making it difficult to visit your room last night, Sa-yoon. I felt it would be too rude to wake you two nights in a row.”

Han Do-hoon replied in a low voice, barely audible to others. Then, he leaned in, whispering close to Sa-yoon’s ear.

“I apologize for breaking my promise. Did you wait long last night?”

“No, that’s not it. I didn’t wait at all.”

Sa-yoon, nearly bristling, lowered his voice to a whisper in kind. He certainly wouldn’t tolerate the misunderstanding that he had been pining for Han Do-hoon’s arrival.

“That’s a shame. I had hoped you would wait.”

“You dream too big.”

Sa-yoon said calmly, crossing his arms. All missions personally assigned to Espers were confidential. Han Do-hoon didn’t know what mission Sa-yoon had completed, and Sa-yoon didn’t know his.

“But it seems you burned something again, Han Do-hoon. I can still smell the smoke.”

“…Is that so? I showered, but the scent must have lingered.”

He did not deny the act of burning. While Sa-yoon didn’t know the specifics of his missions, Han Do-hoon was constantly tasked with demolishing things. The faint scent of blood Sa-yoon had caught the early morning before might not have been his imagination.

‘What could Han Do-hoon’s evening mission have been?’

Knowing it was a question that would likely go unanswered, Sa-yoon swallowed it. He poked at the untouched egg omelet with his fork. The slowly crumbling egg began to stick to the plate.

“Is it not to your liking?”

“I just don’t have much of an appetite. I actually had a restless night. Oh, and I certainly wasn’t waiting for you, by the way.”

Fearing a misunderstanding, Sa-yoon quickly added a clarification.

“I felt a vibration, almost like an explosion, towards Songjeong in the early morning. I was worried there might be some damage there. My mission yesterday was also in that vicinity, so it’s strangely bothering me.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Han Do-hoon finished his last piece of omelet and set down his cutlery.

“That area has been a restricted access zone since yesterday morning. It’s a demolition site, and all residents were evacuated, so even if something did happen, there would have been no casualties.”

Sa-yoon’s face hardened. A civilian-restricted zone. The strangely deserted buildings now made sense. Simultaneously, he recalled the little lady he had encountered on the beach.

Lee Rua, whose hair was tied cutely into pigtails with large red ribbons, and her entourage. It was clearly a family gathering of the prominent organizations that held sway over this region. And indeed, Sa-yoon had personally seen many people.

Yet, it was a restricted zone.