“Get dressed and get ready.”“You going to Dr. Jeong’s?”“Yeah.”Whenever I came to Starlight Avenue, I never failed to stop by Dr. Jeong’s.Every time I learned how the world really worked from him, my once narrow perspective felt like it expanded just a little more.But I could never bring myself to ask much about Hwehang, especially the past collaborators. Unlike the ever-bickering Boss Gil, Dr. Jeong was hard to approach on that topic.Whenever it came up, he’d wall me off with a smile. So I learned to shuttle between the two of them, only asking questions that I knew would stick.Ding.As soon as I stepped into the clinic, a man in a white coat glided up from inside and pushed the door open.He was wearing gloves, so he must have been in the middle of treating someone. I gave a subtle nod toward the treatment rooms, and Dr. Jeong took off his latex gloves, nodding in acknowledgment.“It’s all done. Just go in and wait.”Soon a man with one arm in a bandage stumbled into the lobby. A mercenary, by the look of him. He raised his wrist to pay, but the moment he saw me, his expression froze.He must have recognized the mercenary everyone’s been talking about lately—“the reliable young man,” Jin Muhae.Of course, to them I was just a lucky mercenary riding a streak of fortune. But at least my reputation had spread.I didn’t want to talk to him, so I put on a cold expression. That usually kept jackals like him from lingering.“That’ll be 171 dil. Don’t get it wet, don’t drink alcohol. Come back to have the stitches removed. If you pick at it and it gets infected, it’s not my responsibility.”Dr. Jeong rattled off the obvious warnings, and fortunately the mercenary’s stare vanished.Still, I’m sure rumors would spread among mercenaries. That Jin Muhae was still at Starlight Avenue and came to the clinic with his constant sidekick.“I said go wait in there.”“I thought it wouldn’t take long to pay.”Dr. Jeong waited till the man left, then walked back inside. I followed him, making sure to bring Joo-o along, who was staring off into space.Only after a warning had he abruptly stopped his sloppy act of pretending to sleep.Now, if anyone asked what he was doing, he’d just say he was looking at dust. I thought that was better and let it slide.“Still lying on the bed today?”Joo-o tugged on my sleeve. Dr. Jeong and I exchanged a glance, then I shrugged and sat in a chair inside the treatment area.“Whatever you want.”“Then I’ll stay with you.”Joo-o settled beside me, and I habitually pulled the hood off his head. I didn’t have to say anything—the sudden pop of his face was strangely entertaining.“I found more of my father’s records.”I spoke, turning my head toward them. Dr. Jeong, who’d been watching us with folded arms, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and polished his glasses.“Okay. What’s in them this time?”“The reset button. And a coalition?”“You’re only telling me the key points, so you didn’t really get it.”“I mostly understood. It’s just that the expert jargon was overwhelming.”Dr. Jeong sighed heavily. His expression didn’t change, but he looked tired.He adjusted his glasses and lightly touched the scar on his face, lost in thought for a moment.“These records were made for you. They weren’t written expecting you to grasp all the technical details.”“Then how am I supposed to investigate them?”“They’ve already done the research. Do you really need to investigate again? Your role is scouting and execution. I don’t expect you to come up with new theories like a researcher.”“...”“You know this already. Management and fieldwork are totally different realms. No matter how you catch beasts and run around, the Company giving you contracts is running smoothly, right?”“So those explanations weren’t meant for me, then.”“They’ll be needed someday. If you ever get a team under you.”Jin Seongjo was both director and researcher himself, but I only found out about Hwehang a few months ago—my situation was different.Besides, Dr. Jeong’s expertise was far from Crystal Blue or mechanical devices. In short, he had nothing more to offer unless it was truly important.“Do you think I’ll succeed?”“I don’t know. But once things get rolling, you’ll have collaborators too.”“So it won’t be you two.”“Don’t be upset. There are constraints.”With that final hammering in, Dr. Jeong fell silent. His mention of “constraints” made it clear he wouldn’t elaborate.I nodded and pulled up on my tablet the materials I’d taken from him before.I’d known from the moment I struck out on my own that I couldn’t depend on them forever.Besides, there were plenty of other questions I could ask Dr. Jeong.“One more thing I’m curious about.”He took his hand out of his gown pocket, as if inviting me to ask. I stared at him for a moment, then spoke slowly.“Solar City. Do you know anything about it?”Dr. Jeong’s eyes quietly darkened. It was as if he’d been waiting for that question with worry.I had an unusually long conversation with Dr. Jeong. By the time I left the clinic, the sun was already setting.If I’d known it would take this long, I should’ve sent Joo-o to rest on the bed. Then he could snack or stare at the ceiling or do whatever he wanted.Even without that, Joo-o did everything he could beside me. He pulled the meat-cutlet sandwich from his hoodie pocket, chomped on it like there was no tomorrow, and kept staring at the ceiling like a troubled soul.In a barely audible hum, he even sang some random tune. Each time, I alone felt embarrassed. How many times had I had to nudge him to settle down?In truth, it was hard to get annoyed, since he sat still and quiet the whole time…Meanwhile, Dr. Jeong treated two or three more patients, then returned to me whenever he could.He didn’t tell me much about Solar City, but whenever my guesses veered off course, he’d shake his head and correct me.It wasn’t enough explanation to satisfy me fully. But compared to the sparse hints in my father’s records, it was far more efficient.“I’m heading out.”As the sky outside turned a deeper red, I said goodbye at the door, and Joo-o scurried after me.Before leaving, he dashed into the room with the bed and rattled something for several minutes.That was because Dr. Jeong said he could take a few puzzles. The blank-faced Joo-o suddenly lit up with bright eyes and rushed to choose a piece of metal puzzle from a pile of wire, chains, and small iron scraps.His lips muttered “hidden…” and reddened with excitement.Just as I turned the doorknob, Dr. Jeong, as he often did, observed Joo-o quietly, then spoke softly.“So, what’s your relationship now?”“What do you mean?”“Joo-o. Aren’t you two… something?”At the gentle question, I felt every hair on my neck stand up.My heart sank like I’d been caught in a hidden wrongdoing, and I immediately shook my head.“Not a thing. We’re just partners, living together.”“Hmm…”“Well, look at him. Does that look like the intelligence of someone in a relationship?”While I tried to explain, Joo-o continued clinking his metal pieces together.He was more spaced-out than when he’d blankly stared at the ceiling.Dr. Jeong’s mouth curved into a slight smirk. He gave me a slow once-over, then muttered under his breath, barely audible.“Who knows… he might be smarter than you.”“...Excuse me?”“At figuring things out on his own, at least.”Just then—click—the twisted wire puzzle in Joo-o’s hand separated neatly into two pieces.Dr. Jeong, as if trying to memorize the shape, carefully caressed the parts, then smiled and twisted his wrist to restore the puzzle to its original form.“This is fun.”“Isn’t it?”Dr. Jeong, ever inscrutable, agreed.“I’ll give you one next time.”He placed a hand on the excited boy’s head, calming him down as if to soothe him. His handsome eyes closed gently.I forced down the lift in my eyebrows and nudged Joo-o.“Don’t bother busy people. Come on out.”After glancing between Dr. Jeong and me, Joo-o puckered his lips, turned, and left.“You should come out quickly, too.”Ding. With an expression as if making room for me, he opened the door and disappeared.I felt a dry lump in my throat and avoided Dr. Jeong’s insistent gaze.“Muhae. About that.”Dr. Jeong slipped his empty hand back into his gown pocket and murmured softly.“He... taps his foot every time you give a wrong answer.”Unlike you, he seems to get it all in one go. It’s like I can hear [N O V E L I G H T] things he never said.I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The knowledge Dr. Jeong imparted often took the form of questions and answers; if the listener didn’t digest it properly, the lesson stalled.Like the tangled interests of any society, it wasn’t a simple 1+1. Complex inference was required…And now this “little Jin Muhae” actually understood and reacted?It was like the hamster I’d coddled, thinking it was too dumb, suddenly turning on the TV to binge social and economic issues. A chill ran down my spine, and a quiet shock swept through my head.“Anyway. So, are you staying here today?”“No. I need to head back to Jaegang District.”“Be careful. Word about you has spread around these parts, so lay low there for a while.”Dr. Jeong nodded and turned away. I gave a stiff nod and moved my frozen feet to exit the clinic.“Jin Muhae.”Outside, Joo-o, who’d been waiting, hurried over and grabbed my arm. His face was still blank and fair—like he didn’t belong in this world.A faint scent of something sweet wafted pleasantly. I tried to pull on his hood, but something made me smooth his soft hair instead.He smiled and pressed his round, warm head against my hand. Habitually, I tapped his cheek and pulled the hood over his face.A swirl of complex emotions passed through me—a bizarre, queasy sensation, as if I’d been slandered in some absurd conspiracy.

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