I'm Scared When I'm Alone
Once the remaining warehouse work was finished, the sound of helicopter propellers echoed through the air shortly after. Esteban, having confirmed the mission was complete, had landed.
Sion and Phantom walked out as if nothing had happened.
The interior of the warehouse was filled with corpses and pools of crimson blood, yet there wasn't a single trace of fatigue on either of their faces.
"You finished it cleanly."
Esteban, who had stepped out of the helicopter, scanned the two of them as he spoke.
"Especially you, Null. Your processing speed is still as flawless as ever."
Sion replied curtly.
"It's just work."
"Even if you call it work, ordinary killers can't do it like that."
Esteban stared at Sion with eyes full of awe. Then, Phantom shrugged with a small smile.
"Esteban, I feel really hurt when you say that! I finished mine incredibly fast, too."
"Phantom-nuna, you were fast, but... not as fast as Null."
"Hmph. It was only a five-second difference."
Phantom grumbled while tapping the floor with her foot, but Esteban boarded the helicopter as if he didn't really care.
"Get on. We should be heading back now."
"Yeah."
"Look at him ignoring me."
As the three entered the helicopter, Bishop, who had been waiting inside, welcomed them.
"You've worked hard. Phantom, Null."
At the short and blunt greeting, Phantom waved her hand playfully.
"'Hard work,' my foot~. If anything, I feel like I just came back from having a fun time after a long while."
"Well, I suppose. For a killer of your caliber, this is closer to play."
Bishop chuckled.
Meanwhile, Sion was organizing his equipment. At a glance, it looked like he was doing it roughly, but the organized gear was without a single misalignment.
"You finished this mission without any problems, too, Null. It was only possible because you were there."
"...I just did what was necessary."
"You always say that. But if you hadn't been there, this plan might not have succeeded, and if that had happened, the illegal drugs here would have spread even further."
At Bishop's heavy words, the inside of the helicopter fell silent for a moment.
Sion pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips without a word. However, he didn't light it; he rolled it lightly with his fingers before putting it back in his pocket.
"Even if I hadn't been there, Phantom was present, so the plan itself would have succeeded."
Phantom, who had been listening from the side, furrowed her brows slightly and said,
"Ugh... Seriously, you're so stiff. At times like this, you're supposed to say we all worked hard and go out for drinks together. There's such a thing as 'atmosphere,' you know."
"...I have no particular interest in after-parties."
"I know, I know. I'll just go to the after-party and chat away in place of a blunt person like you."
As Phantom shook her head and pouted, Esteban burst into a small laugh.
"It's a really strange combination. One side is always blunt, and the other is always noisy."
"That's what you call balance."
Phantom winked playfully.
Bishop looked back and forth between the two and nodded.
"Regardless, you are the most stable team. Null is blunt, so he doesn't lose focus, and Phantom is noisy, so she relieves the tension. And with Esteban here, there's coordination."
"Bishop-ajusshi is right! We're the best team."
Phantom said it proudly and nudged his shoulder with her arm, but Sion was indifferently looking out the window. His expression remained rigid.
To anyone who saw him, Sion looked deep in thought.
Watching him quietly, Phantom spoke to him again.
"Sion, are you going to go straight to sleep when you get home?"
"...Probably."
"Hey~ don't be like that! I'm telling you, let's really have a drink together today. Or let's go eat some meat. After fighting so refreshingly like today, you need to refuel."
"Not necessary."
The answer was cut off like a blade.
Phantom looked dejected for a moment, then grinned again.
"Yeah, yeah. I was the fool for expecting anything. That's the cold, heartless, and blunt killer Null for you."
While Phantom was rambling on as if complaining,
The helicopter, having arrived at the headquarters landing pad, saw its propellers gradually lose speed and settle down.
As the violently whipping wind died down, Sion silently lifted his equipment bag. Phantom waved her hand playfully until the very end while sharing a few more words with Bishop, and Esteban went straight into the container to write his report.
"Then, I'll be heading in first."
Sion, having stepped off the helicopter, gave a short greeting and turned his body to head home.
"Are you planning on leaving right away?"
"Yes. I have some business to attend to."
"But we've gathered after such a long time, at least one after-party..."
"I apologize."
Sion moved his feet immediately before more words could be exchanged. The sound of the propellers faded, and the cold night air brushed against his ears.
Sion, who had gotten out of the car and passed through the familiar alleyway, stepped into the villa.
He climbed the stairs to the second floor and opened the door locked with two deadbolts, releasing the familiar scent. Sion stepped into the house indifferently, but he stopped his steps immediately at a small sign of movement.
In one corner of the living room.
In the space where the lights weren't on, a small girl was huddled in the corner.
"...Yoon Garam?"
The moment her name was called, Garam's shoulders heaved.
"......Why are you only coming now?"
Her voice was cracked and trembling. Soon, as she turned her head, Garam's face with red-rimmed eyes came into view.
"I had some business to take care of... By the way, did you cry?"
"I was scared."
Garam, who had risen from her spot, raised her gaze sharply and continued.
"I woke up and you weren't there, I tried to go out to find you but the door wouldn't open, and I didn't even know your phone number...! Because of that, I couldn't contact you and didn't know when you'd be back...!"
"......"
"I thought you abandoned me. I thought you teamed up with Obelisk and were trying to send me back..."
Clear water that had been pooling in her eyes flowed down her cheeks. Even so, Garam stubbornly raised her eyes and glared at Sion.
'A kid is still a kid.'
No matter how much she had become desensitized to murder to survive...
She was still just a fourteen-year-old girl. It was only natural that she would be afraid of the current situation and of death.
"Do you even know how scared I was...!?"
"I'm sorry."
Before Garam could finish her words,
Sion hugged Garam and patted her back as he spoke.
"It was urgent work, and I thought you'd be sleeping, so I didn't say anything... I should have at least left a note."
At those words, Garam felt her resentment crumbling to pieces. She bit her lip hard, trying to hold back her tears, but she couldn't stop the tears that were pouring out endlessly.
Garam eventually erased her crooked gaze, moved closer to Sion, and grabbed his clothes tightly.
"...From next time, leave a note. You really scared me."
"I got it. I will."
It was a long time later that Garam's tears stopped.
Her eyes were quite swollen from crying so much, but... her breathing was now quite stable.
Sion brought a wet towel and roughly wiped Garam's face. During that time, Garam accepted it quietly while her eyes continued to follow Sion.
"......Are you okay now?"
"Yeah."
Garam, who had answered shortly, bit her lip and called out to Sion.
"Ajusshi."
"Why."
"Did you go do some night part-time job? Seeing as you came in quite late, it seems certain you went to work..."
Garam looked at Sion with eyes full of worry. At that sight, Sion was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
"...The work killers do at night is obvious."
"So you went and killed someone."
"Yeah."
"But didn't you retire, Ajusshi? You're an S-class killer, so you must have a lot of money; is there really a need to keep doing this kind of work...?"
At Garam's question, Sion bowed his head slightly. His face was still indifferent, but for a moment, his eyes wavered.
"......You're right. I've earned enough money to spend for the rest of my life."
"Then why do you keep killing people? Don't tell me you're a pervert who feels pleasure while killing people..."
"It's not what you're thinking."
Sion said, looking serious.
"Hey, I'm joking. I know at least that much."
"You were bawling your eyes out until a moment ago, but if you're joking, I guess you're feeling a lot better now?"
"I'm feeling a bit better."
Garam let out a small laugh, then narrowed her eyes and looked at him with suspicion.
"By the way, you're really not, right?"
"If you want to live outside this house, keep asking me that."
"That was the end of the joke. I won't do it anymore."
As Sion held his forehead as if he couldn't stop her, Garam sat closer to him.
"Ajusshi."
"Why."
"From now on, tell me when you're going somewhere. I was really scared."
"I'll think about it if you stop teasing me like that."
"...You're surprisingly petty. An adult being mean to a kid."
"In this industry, there's no such thing as a kid or an adult."