The darkness that fell over Starlight Avenue made the street as grim and sinister as its name suggested.Jin Muhae strode swiftly down the familiar street—so well known he could navigate it blindfolded. At his side, the hooded figure scurried along like an automaton.All the way, Joo-o kept repeating the same phrases in his dull voice.“You can’t leave me behind.”“…….”“I was helpful, right?”“…….”“I’ll help you a lot.”“Watch your step when you walk. Don’t chatter.”A surge of irritation shot through Muhae’s chest, but when he tried to unleash it, his body stiffened. His emotions were more tangled than simple annoyance—the tavern scene kept replaying in his mind.…Joo-o’s frightened face. The pitiful sight of him gasping for breath.And the knife he’d dropped—crumpled beyond recognition.He’d tried so hard to do as instructed, sitting quietly. Muhae felt a pang of sympathy for that slender patience.‘Didn’t I tell you not to take off your hood?’‘I didn’t. But he kept...’Joo-o turned and glared back at the tavern, indignant. Muhae suppressed any retort—he’d simply wanted distance after calling the watch. One scruple of trouble was enough after yesterday’s battle.“It’s really not my fault.”For the next half hour, Joo-o kept muttering something—grudging or plaintive, Muhae couldn’t tell. He would persist until Muhae answered properly.Click.At home, Muhae unlocked the door. Joo-o whipped off his cap and dashed inside, eyes alight with determination as if to stake his claim before being chased out.Muhae couldn’t help a snort.“You’re not taking off your boots, right?”“I will.”Tiptoeing backward, Joo-o slipped out of his boots. His upward glances briefly flicked to Muhae before darting inside.“Go in. Don’t block the doorway.”Once Muhae nodded toward the living room, Joo-o’s expression brightened. The sulky slump in his eyes lifted, as if the muttering under his four teeth had never existed.Muhae cracked his neck and followed him into the living room. Joo-o boldly hesitated between the old sofa and Muhae’s bed—he’d never been told he could lie there, yet seized the chance.“Sit down.”Muhae tossed aside his jacket. It had long since dried, but he’d worked up a sweat rushing back.He didn’t smell bad—he naturally exuded little odor—but he wanted to finish quickly and wash up.Joo-o stared into space for a moment, then crept toward the bed.Thump. His not-small frame settled on Muhae’s mattress. Before Muhae could say anything, Joo-o grinned until his eyes closed in contentment.“At the tavern earlier…”“I did nothing.”“This isn’t about what you did. Listen: you saw it at the tavern—if you don’t follow my instructions, see how much trouble it causes.”Muhae sat on the sofa opposite, arms crossed.Joo-o’s eyes met his with that same aggrieved glimmer.“But…”“What?”“You walk around with your face uncovered, too.”A retort… Joo-o now expressed himself just as freely as he chattered. Muhae furrowed his brow—what should he say? That Muhae was more recognizable? That his face attracted worse trouble?Simply put, they were both striking in their own way. But he couldn’t bring himself to say ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) that. Instead, he arched one eyebrow and said in a stern tone:“You have a face that weirdos stick to.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”Joo-o pouted and wiggled his foot in protest.“Muhae is more handsome.”Surprisingly, he understood instantly. Then realization lit his eyes.“…Is that good to you?”“What?”“I mean—am I good to look at, Muhae?”Muhae froze, then grimaced and looked away. Good to look at? Was that a question? From the moment he rescued him, he’d seemed like someone of privilege—immaculate from head to toe. If someone like that had stayed in the slums, they’d be doomed anywhere.He couldn’t say it outright, but Joo-o had read him. He giggled and swayed lightly, then suddenly leapt up and flung himself at the sofa.His warm arm wrapped around Muhae’s waist.“Let go.”“Mmm.”“I said let go.”“I’m glad I’m pleasing to you.”Without permission, Joo-o hugged him tight and mumbled.It was a confusing closeness—sweeter than clinging to him in front of others. Muhae glanced down at his happy face and couldn’t bring himself to shove him away; he just rubbed his temple.“Anyway, tell people not to touch your hood. Keep it on unless I say otherwise.”“Okay.”“And scram.”He couldn’t kick him off the sofa but nudged him with his foot. Joo-o surprisingly released him.“I’m going to shower first. Don’t do anything weird—just rest quietly.”“Can I stay here?”“No. Go to your room.”When Joo-o tried to slink back to the bed, Muhae yanked him away. With a stern expression, he grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom.Splash—Hot water rained down on his shoulders, and the tension drained away. Muhae closed his eyes and exhaled a long, languid sigh. Clear water dripped from his sharp jawline.‘Conditional scripts in those documents…’The unexpected breakthrough brightened his outlook. His task wasn’t to fill an empty space with new info but to unearth hidden files.Huff.It was strange to think that a month ago, he’d been racing like a wild bull to save up over 200,000 dil. No one had ordered him to, yet he’d accepted it as a mission and charged ahead. That rhythm had defined him.But now he was immersed in a cause unrelated to money. Project SOLAR—though tied to his father—felt nobler and more ideal. It was the most exhilarating, unprecedented goal of his 24 years.‘So much has changed.’He’d resolved the pawnshop debt, taken on a perilous project, and now had a strange companion at his side. Though unrelated to his father’s legacy, Joo-o felt intertwined with it. Discovering that missing man had sparked all this change.Faced with such upheaval, Joo-o always stood there with knowing eyes.‘Project SOLAR… Solar City experiments…’Something about it smacked of suspicion, but Kan Rano lay far from Solar City. No one would trek that route—hovercraft or plane made more sense. So Joo-o being from there, or SOLAR being tied to Solar City, was likely delusion.As a mercenary, Muhae valued his instincts but never neglected cold logic.Beep—DONG!Wiping stray drops from his hair, he tapped his Link Watch.Whirr!A hologram flickered, displaying a new document.As expected, Shin Dae-su’s info had little to do with research. He’d handled networking and security, not Crystal Blue. Still, Muhae noted there were twenty-one collaborators in total—educated people, implying SOLAR was far larger than he’d guessed.And there was an emergency contact network—streams labeled “river,” “mountain,” “cloud,” “sun,” each nine digits long. They resembled phone numbers but differed from those used in Goryeo City.He needed to investigate more, but this was crucial intel. Towel in hand, he patted his hair dry and pocketed the watch.As he opened the bathroom door, the still, dry air brushed his skin.‘Sleeping?’The study light was off. Joo-o sometimes stayed up in the dark, but there wasn’t so much as a hum or rattle.Of course—he was exhausted. Two days of travel followed by that scene at the tavern.Muhae clicked his tongue and turned toward the living room—and stopped dead.“….”In Muhae’s bed lay a man curled up, the mattress noticeably flattened. The stranger wore Muhae’s discarded jacket like a blanket.Slowly, his closed eyes fluttered open. When they met Muhae’s, those slanted lids curved with lecherous satisfaction.His insolent face was so brazenly absurd that Muhae stiffened, then spun on his heel, scowling as he stomped toward the door.

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