The sun was starting to set, when Ji-ho and Dae-chul finally returned to EDC HQ. The building was pretty much empty now, aside from a few cleaners and a couple of security guards leaning against the wall, half-asleep.
"Let's go," Dae-chul said, nodding toward the hallway. The two boys made their way toward the Captain's office, their footsteps echoing down the quiet corridor. As they got closer, a sudden loud yell made both of them jump.
"ARGGGG!" They burst through the door, ready for a fight, only to see Captain Ryu-hwan slouched in his chair, eyes glued to his phone screen. "…You good?" Ji-ho blinked. The Captain grunted, clearly annoyed. "This damn boss keeps dodging my attacks." "How are you even a Captain again?" Dae-chul muttered, shaking his head with a sigh.
"I see you're here," Ryu-hwan said, still tapping his screen. "Take a seat." They sat down slowly.
Dae-chul leaned forward, then cleared his throat. "We'd like to know more about the demons." The Captain paused. The light mood from seconds ago vanished instantly. He placed the phone down, eyes sharp now. "Demons, huh?" He looked at them both carefully. "What have you seen exactly?"
Dae-chul opened his mouth but no words came out. "We would like to know if the demons are more than just beasts," Ji-ho stepped in.
His voice was low, but steady. Ryu-hwan stared at them. He wasn't playing with his phone anymore. "I see," he said after a moment. "Is there a reason for this question?" Ji-ho shook his head. "No… not really." He forced a small smile, hoping the Captain wouldn't press more. "There have been some reports," Ryu-hwan said. "Rare cases of demons with human-like appearance. A few beast-class demons capable of speaking, and capable of communication. But no one's ever confirmed it."
Ji-ho's mind drifted. He knew a little about their existence, but there was no way he could say anything at this point … The Captain leaned back, picked up his phone again. "If you ever see anything unusual… let me know." He started playing again, like the conversation never happened. As the boys got up and walked out, Ryu-hwan glanced at them one more time. "…Those two are clearly hiding something."
Outside the office, Dae-chul let out a breath. "Damn. Thanks for butting in." Ji-ho smirked. "Anytime." They started walking toward the exit. "So what was this really about?" Ji-ho asked. Dae-chul shrugged. "Nothing much.
I guess I was just curious… but I still don't get why you didn't tell him about the mountain incident." Ji-ho stopped walking. He Looked at him. "I believe you already know why." Dae-chul smiled a little. "Yeah… I do." Ji-ho turned back, eyes tired. "It will be dangerous." "And I'm already a part of it," Dae-chul replied, voice calm. "Don't you dare hide things from your teammate again."
Then, without warning, he punched Ji-ho in the shoulder, hard enough to hurt a little.
Ji-ho winced. "Ow. I guess I deserved that"
"Give me a call, idiot," Dae-chul grinned, waving as he turned the other way. Ji-ho stood there for a second. Then smiled softly.
Ji-ho quietly slipped into the house, careful not to wake Ye-rin. She was already fast asleep on the couch. She had been waiting for Ji-ho, her body curled up with a blanket over her. He smiled, watching her for a moment before quietly making his way to the kitchen.
The next day, Ji-ho woke up early, a plan forming in his mind. He wanted to get Ye-rin out of the house for a bit, have some fun. After everything that had happened, he felt he owed her that much. He gently shook her awake. "Ye-rin, wake up. We're going to the amusement park."
She groggily blinked, stretching. "Amusement park? Just when did You start knowing about those kind of places?" she said, curiously. "Do You want to go or not?" Ji-ho asked. "Yeah, I do. It'll be fun." A smile spread across her face, though she was still half-asleep.
A short while later, they were on their way. The amusement park wasn't too far, but Ji-ho was already excited. He wanted to see Ye-rin laugh, to see her relax.
When they arrived, Ye-rin was still adjusting to the bright sun and loud music that echoed throughout the park. But as soon as she saw the rides, her mood seemed to shift. She grabbed Ji-ho's arm and pulled him toward the roller coaster. "First stop, roller coaster!" Ye-rin exclaimed, practically pulling him by the hand toward the towering structure.
Ji-ho followed with a smile, though he wasn't sure how much he'd enjoy it. He had only seen it from his phone, heck he had never heard of it before until he came to earth. But seeing the way Ye-rin's eyes sparkled as they neared the line made him realize this was exactly where they were supposed to be.
They waited in line, the air buzzing with excitement. When their turn came, they hopped into the coaster car. Ye-rin was bouncing in her seat, her laughter infectious as the ride began its slow ascent. Ji-ho tried to stay calm, though his stomach was doing flips. The moment they crested the top, the entire world seemed to fall away as the coaster plunged down. "AHHH!" Ye-rin screamed, her hands in the air. Ji-ho gripped the safety bar, his face split with a wide grin.
The coaster whipped them around sharp turns, and for a few minutes, they were thrown into a blur of wind and speed. When they finally came to a stop, Ji-ho's heart was still racing, but he couldn't help laughing, It was an experience he had never felt before. Ye-rin too, was grinning "That was awesome!" she shouted, jumping up from the seat. "Again!"
Ji-ho laughed, shaking his head. "One more time. After that, we'll get something to eat."
They went back for another round, this time sitting at the very front of the car. Ye-rin was already laughing before the ride even started, her carefree energy contagious. Ji-ho found himself losing track of time, completely immersed in the moment. It felt like all the weight of their responsibilities, the past events, and everything that had happened disappeared. Just two friends, having fun.
After the roller coaster, they wandered through the park, trying every ride that caught their interest. There were bumper cars, and Ji-ho couldn't help but get a competitive streak going, ramming into Ye-rin's car whenever he had the chance. Her laughter echoed every time she bumped into his car, and at one point, they were both laughing so hard they could barely drive straight.
As they walked past a stand with brightly colored cotton candy, Ji-ho couldn't resist. "Want some?" "Yes!" Ye-rin answered immediately, her eyes wide with excitement. She took the fluffy pink treat, taking a big bite, and making a face. "This is way too sweet." "It's cotton candy," Ji-ho said, shrugging, "Even i know, it's supposed to be sweet."
They moved on to the next activity, which was face painting. A small booth with a cheerful artist stood near the Ferris wheel. "What do you want?" Ji-ho asked as they stood in line. Ye-rin thought for a moment before pointing to the design of a cute little cat face. "This one," she said, grinning. Ji-ho raised an eyebrow, surprised. But, when he sat down to get his own face painted, he couldn't deny the charm of the cute designs.
They walked away from the booth, both now sporting colorful cat faces. Ye-rin looked more playful than he had ever seen her, her expression a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Ji-ho couldn't help but laugh. "Do you think we look ridiculous?" Ji-ho asked, trying to tease her. Ye-rin gave him a side glance. "I think you look ridiculous."
"You look ridiculous too," Ji-ho shot back, grinning. They continued their walk through the park, the sun slowly beginning to dip. They took photos at every corner, Ye-rin with her cotton candy, them on the bumper cars, and even a silly selfie with their face paint. Ji-ho noticed how comfortable she looked, her usual walls starting to fall away with each laugh, each moment of carefree joy.
They reached the Ferris wheel, and though Ye-rin hesitated at first, Ji-ho convinced her to get on. They rode to the top, the whole park spread out beneath them, lights twinkling like stars. Ye-rin leaned back in her seat, letting out a deep breath. "This is nice," she said, her voice soft. "Yeah," Ji-ho agreed, his eyes meeting hers.
For a brief moment, everything felt normal. But as they descended, Ye-rin's smile faltered slightly. Ji-ho noticed her grabbing her chest. Her fingers lingered there for a moment before she let it drop, returning to her usual expression. Ji-ho glanced at her with concern, but she just smiled and looked away, as if nothing had happened.
"Let's go grab dinner," she said, trying to change the subject. Ji-ho didn't push her. He knew she'd tell him when she was ready. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the rest of the day. They spent the next couple of hours at the park, eating dinner, and trying out a few more attractions. By the time they left, it was dark, and the park was lit up with different types of lights.
Ye-rin leaned against him as they walked back to the car. "I had fun," she said quietly.
"Me too," Ji-ho replied, glancing at her with a soft smile. "Let's do this again sometime."
"Yeah," she answered, her voice distant. "Maybe." They left the park, but Ji-ho couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more she wasn't telling him. But for now, he'd let her enjoy the moment.