Just a Whim

"Um... President. How long are you planning to keep this up?"

Jehwi, who had recognized at a glance that Tissue was Siwoo, was worried for him. Part of it was surely fear of what Eunha might do, not knowing the dog was Siwoo at all. More than that, though, it was because he knew how deeply Siwoo hated assuming an Incarnation at all.

Incarnation was one of the special abilities granted, Authority included, to only a single avatar. As a rule, it meant reshaping one's outward form into the likeness of the contracted being.

"I'll watch a little longer, then I'll head back."

"The hunter truly believes you're just a dog, you know."

"Of course she does. Anyway, keep your mouth shut."

"But..."

Siwoo knew it himself. He had no business lazing about here in the peaceful shape of a dog. And yet.

"......"

He had been gazing at Eunha's sleeping face. Slowly he raised himself. This time, he really did have to go.

For a long while he stood beneath the indifferent moonlight, as if frozen there. Then, without a sound, he slipped away.

"......?"

Eunha opened her eyes in the early morning, looked at the empty carpet beneath the bed, and slowly rubbed her eyes. Tissue had vanished overnight.

Where did he go?

She came out into the living room and checked under the dining table, the bathroom, the dressing room, even the balcony. Tissue was nowhere to be found.

The front door was shut tight. It could be opened from the inside without a key, but she could not easily picture a dog turning the handle and walking out.

Eunha picked up her phone and called Jehwi.

"Manager. Tissue is gone."

At that unconcerned reply, Eunha's face hardened. She pressed him, almost accusing.

"The dog is gone. I'm telling you. Alone. No leash, no ID tag."

Only then did Jehwi stumble on in a rush.

"...What?"

Eunha's brow drew in.

"So what you're saying is that he opened the door himself and walked out of here?"

"......"

Eunha fell silent. Tissue had escaped on his own, chanced upon Jehwi outside the officetel, and been left with some acquaintance of his? It was not a story she could easily believe.

Eunha didn't so much as glance at the yellow message windows floating in front of her. She spoke toward the phone.

"You said your acquaintance is looking after Tissue, right? Can I confirm that?"

If Jehwi was telling the truth, she could rest easy. Even so, making sure the dog was safe came first.

With that, he hung up. About five minutes later, a message really did arrive with a photo attached.

Eunha tapped the photo and zoomed in. A white dog lay curled into a ball in what looked like an office, and those clear blue eyes were unmistakably the Tissue she knew. Seeing for herself that he was safe let her set a little of the worry down. How he had gotten out of the officetel on his own, though, was still a mystery.

The top floor of Silver Moon headquarters.

"That's a wrap."

Finished with the shoot, Jehwi lowered his phone. Only then did the white dog, sitting neatly by the window, return in a blaze of blue light to a human shape. To Siwoo.

"Did we really have to go this far?"

Siwoo grumbled under his breath as he tightened his loosened tie. There had been a time, not long ago, when he held a Manifestation in Eunha's home without anyone asking. Now, it seemed, the whole thing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠displeased him again.

"What else can I do? The hunter asked after Tiss— ahem. After you, President. She won't be easy until we at least take a photo and show her, will she?"

Jehwi scratched his cheek and smiled as if the whole thing pained him.

"She says she'll want photos now and then from here on, just to check that you're well, so I'd appreciate your cooperation, President."

"......"

Siwoo looked as though he couldn't understand it at all, but he didn't flare into a temper either. He only crossed his arms, distaste plain on his face, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and kept his mouth shut.

"A dog you picked up off the street. What's there to worry about."

"Whenever she looked at Tis— at you, President, she smiled so brightly. I'd never seen the hunter smile like that. It wasn't for long, but she clearly thought of you as family."

Jehwi saved the photo of "Tissue" to his phone's album and grinned.

"Please go see her from time to time."

"...I'll handle it."

Siwoo whipped his head toward the window. The answer had thorns in it, but Jehwi didn't wipe the smile from his mouth.

Honestly. He can't be frank about anything.

Once Siwoo had proven his strength to Gwi Hun, Wolf's pressure had eased compared to before. Even so, Gwi Hun's eyes and ears were still planted all around him. Siwoo could hardly be unaware of that. And yet he had gone out of his way to shake them, and had even taken the Incarnation he usually avoided, choosing to remain at Eunha's side.

At first, of course, he had only meant to see her face and leave. But.

"They said I have a talent."

Eunha, smiling faintly as she told him what had happened at the academy. A smile she had never shown Shin Siwoo.

"I hope so."

He called the memory back piece by piece, sharp and clear: the rise and fall of that murmuring voice, the look on her face. The way she had listened so hard in class. The awkward smile when the instructor praised her. Coming home to stay up all night, brushing out fur. And—

"Look after Tissue, please."

—even the way she had run, without a moment's hesitation, toward the gate that appeared in front of the academy.

That was the senior Siwoo had watched. Someone who would gladly hold out a hand the moment a person in front of her needed help. And now that same woman was dreaming of another life.

"I'll be going, then. If the hunter asks for another photo, I'll come back."

"Wait."

Siwoo caught him without warning.

"The S-rank summons. That was the day after tomorrow, wasn't it?"

"Yes? Ah, yes... If you mean that, Director Choi should already have turned it down for us, tactfully."

"Tell them I'll go."

"...What?"

Jehwi blinked hard, as if he had misheard. Siwoo kept his eyes on the window and said it again.

"That I'll go. To the Association."

"Y-you're serious?"

"Tell them there's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a condition."

Those blue eyes slid toward Jehwi.

"Baekrang wants a one-on-one with the Association president. Separate from the other S-ranks."

"And see that it doesn't reach Wolf's ears," he added, brief.

Jehwi looked as though he could hardly believe what was happening. Fair enough. As Baekrang, Siwoo had set foot in the Association only once or twice.

"May I ask why you've suddenly changed your mind?"

Jehwi asked carefully, watching his mood. Leaning at an angle against the glass, Siwoo stared without interest at the Seoul spread out beyond it.

Wouldn't it be all right for her to go on living as Lee Yura?

He watched the view outside for a long while, then slowly dug through his pocket.

A crumpled tube of ointment.

"......No reason."

He quietly closed his hand around the ointment lying small and alone in his palm, and flicked a glance at Jehwi.

A university hospital near Legion Headquarters.

A huge shadow stepped into the second-floor dispensary. Yu Hwan, in a martial uniform. The top was closer to something draped over him than worn, and it left his abdomen bare. Harder to miss than the solid muscle was the scar: two long parallel lines slashed diagonally across him.

His eyes swept the disordered room. Between the documents heaped like a mountain on the desk, he met Rose's tired gaze.

"You're here? Bit of a mess, isn't it? Sit wherever."

"The kid?"

"Getting better, little by little."

Rose stood, tying back the hair she had left loose any which way. She cleared a gown off the chair and tipped her chin at Yu Hwan, telling him to sit there.

"Unless something we didn't expect comes up, at this rate the kid ought to wake within a few days."

"Good."

Yu Hwan answered short, sat, and glanced at her. Her dry hair was pinned up roughly, and her color was so poor she looked ready to collapse. She probably hasn't slept in days, going on like this.

"The kid's stable now, so why don't you get some rest yourself. You've got the Association tomorrow, don't you?"

At that, Rose shook her head.

"I've still got work left."

"And if you collapse in the middle of it, then what—"

"You've already heard the rumor, haven't you? That GIA visited Korea recently."

A cabinet clicked. Rose cut the end off his words, opened the one nearby, and took out a medicine bottle. Capsules spilled in a rush across her palm. Yu Hwan had no idea what all of them were. Supplements and vitamins, he guessed.

"And you of all people know that rumor isn't entirely empty."

She tipped the lot into her mouth at once, drained a glass of water clean, and only then lifted her eyes to him.

"......Word is they went to the Association president and delivered a prophecy."

"A prophecy?"

Yu Hwan looked up from the bottle and asked it short. His expression turned strange.

"Yes. The thing they also call a Holy Word. According to them, a massive gate is about to appear on the Namhae Coast."

So that was it. The reason for this sudden S-rank summons. Yu Hwan, sunk for a moment in thought, slowly raised his gaze.

"Rose. What do you think?"

That was what mattered most to him.

"I agree with half of it."

"Meaning you don't agree with the other half."

Yu Hwan muttered it. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perched on a nearby chair, crossed her legs lightly, and folded her arms.

"It might not be only the Namhae Coast. My guess is—"

Rose slowly opened her palm.

"......!"

Yu Hwan's eyes shook.