A Fleeting Moment of Normalcy
Amy and Victor returned from their long-term dispatch mission much sooner than expected.
"Whoa..." My jaw dropped as I stared at the dozens of trucks lined up in front of the house. An endless stream of furniture and small boxes was being unloaded from them.
"What... is all of that?"
"Just some things we'll need for our daily lives." Amy sat on a sofa that had been placed on one side of the yard, watching the movers carry the boxes. Shine, Rain, and I sat down right next to her.
I looked around, my eyes filled with worry. Wouldn't moving such a massive amount of luggage all at once draw unnecessary attention? But my fears proved groundless; the neighbors passing by merely glanced over before quickly going on their way.
Victor was directing the placement of the furniture while looking at a blueprint Amy had given him. Watching him wave his hands around this way and that looked rather comical.
"Do we really need this much?"
"Of course. We're going to be here for quite a while."
"For how long?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure of the exact details, but we'll be here for at least two months."
If it was only for about two months, wouldn't it have been better to just book a long-term stay at a nearby hotel? But Amy clearly thought otherwise. A mountain of luggage was carried inside the mansion. I watched in sheer fascination as the massive load disappeared into the house. By the time the movers finished, the sun was beginning to set.
"All done!" shouted a man who appeared to be the foreman. He approached Amy and handed her a small tablet. Amy took it, checked the inventory list, and nodded.
"Alright, kids. Up you get," Amy said, standing up. At her words, Shine, Rain, and I stood up from the sofa at the same time. As if they had been waiting for this exact moment, movers rushed over and began carrying away the very sofa we had just been sitting on.
"Is that the last of it?"
"Yes, ma'am. Everything has been moved in."
"Thank you for your hard work." Amy adjusted her sunglasses and handed back the tablet. At the same time, she pulled a black card from her pocket and offered it to the foreman. The moment the foreman saw the card, his face went pale, and his head bowed instinctively. He took the card, processed the payment, and quickly retreated.
"Um, Amy? If you use a card like that so openly, won't people get suspicious?"
"Hmm? This?" Amy waved the card at my question. The card shimmered under the gentle glow of the setting sun. I nodded.
"It's registered under an alias. I doubt anyone will pay it much mind."
I stared at her blankly. A black card was essentially a status symbol—an unlimited credit card issued only to citizens of Grade 2 or higher. And she had one under a fake name. I recalled the foreman's face from a moment ago. I'm pretty sure he minded a lot, though. But Amy just smiled as if telling me not to worry, her sunglasses reflecting the twilight.
That evening, we held a small barbecue in the yard. A wide variety of meats that Victor had gone out to buy sizzled to a golden brown on the grill. Sitting on a small chair Amy had set up for me, I swallowed hard, clutching my fork. It was deeply tragic that the meat wasn't fully cooked yet, meaning I couldn't eat it.
Shine and Rain were playing in a corner of the yard, tossing a small ball back and forth. I looked around, chewing on my lip. It's dangerous outside. Is it really okay for us to let our guard down like this? As if noticing my anxious gaze, Amy walked over and gently patted my head.
"What's got you so worried?"
"I-I was just wondering if those bad guys might show up again," I said, lowering my head. Amy let out a soft chuckle at my words.
"Didn't your grandfather tell you? He said you don't have to worry anymore."
"Well, he did, but..." When we were staying at Ferman's Castle, he had called Shine and me over to tell us exactly that. He told us not to worry, because most of the people on the outside who knew about us had disappeared. Indeed, when we returned to headquarters and I checked the internet, all the articles searching for Shine and me had vanished. There wasn't even a single mention of us. No matter what search terms I tried, any trace of Shine, me, or the laboratory incident from that day had been completely erased.
"Jin put a lot of effort into it, too."
"Jin did?"
"Yes, all for your sake." I chewed on my lip and nodded. To be honest, I had no idea what Jin had actually done, but since Amy said so, he must have pulled some major strings behind the scenes. For our sake? I pictured Jin's awkward face and shook my head vigorously. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't erase the mental image of him stuffing his face with rabbit hay.
"Jeff!" Shine called out from afar, holding the ball. I immediately understood the look in her eyes. She wanted me to play with her. Putting down my fork, I ran over to her.
"Make sure to come back the moment I call you!"
"Okay!" I called back energetically to Amy's voice behind me, then threw myself into the game with Shine. It was a game of catch using purely physical ability, without any supernatural powers. Shine and I both loved playing with a ball.
Whoosh! My outstretched hand brushed past Shine's body. Knowing I couldn't steal the ball with just one attempt, I immediately transitioned into my next move. Bending my knees slightly, I built up forward momentum. With a sudden, sharp change of direction, I snatched the ball away, catching a glimpse of the surprise coloring Shine's eyes.
But right at that moment, with a soft thwack, Rain's tiny hand darted in between Shine and me. She grabbed the ball and bolted. Shine and I stood there with our mouths agape, staring blankly at Rain's retreating figure.
"Hehehehe!" Rain let out a silly, wide-mouthed grin, clearly thrilled to have stolen the ball. Shine and I immediately gave chase. The yard was quite spacious, and we began running in circles around the massive mansion.
"Rain!" Rain wasn't using her abilities either. Giggling as she ran, she soon found herself cornered. She stopped in front of a low fence and spun around to face us. Shine and I spread our arms wide, slowly closing in on her to block any escape routes.
In that split second, Rain's blue eyes darted around rapidly, searching for the optimal escape path. I moved instantly. Shine and I could understand each other's intentions without speaking a word. As Shine lunged forward, I simultaneously leaped backward.
"Ah!" Rain slipped past Shine's grasp, only to freeze in surprise when she saw me standing right in front of her. Flashing a victorious grin, I snatched the ball from her hands. Snatch! The ball in my hands gleamed under the moonlight.
Now it was my turn to be chased. The moment I secured the ball, I spun around and took off. The sound of my pursuers' footsteps behind me made my heart pound with excitement. As soon as I rounded the corner of the mansion, I scrambled up a nearby tree.
"Huh? Where did she go?" Shine and Rain rounded the corner and stopped. The two of them looked around in confusion, searching for me after my sudden disappearance. I stifled a laugh at the sight. I hadn't even hidden my presence, yet they couldn't find me. Why was that?
Thinking about it, it had to be the bracelet on my wrist. I had assumed it was just a simple accessory that slightly blurred my presence, but I hadn't realized it possessed this level of capability. I pressed the small button on the bracelet to deactivate it.
The moment I turned it off, both of their gazes snapped directly to the tree I was in. I waved at them. Seeing that I had deactivated my bracelet, the two of them turned theirs off as well. Instantly, their slightly blurred figures became sharp and clear. Shine's white hair, shimmering under the soft moonlight, fluttered gently in the night breeze.
They began climbing the tree, their eyes burning with a fierce determination to steal the ball. I casually tossed the ball away. Being the one chased got boring if it went on too long. The two of them immediately jumped down from the tree to catch the ball.
I gently brushed my hair back as a cool breeze swept past. My fine white hair slipped through my fingers, glistening under the moonlight. A pleasant smile spread across my face. How long had it been since I last breathed in the fresh outdoor air, away from the suffocating confines of a building? Taking a deep breath, I prepared to jump down from the branch.
"Whoa..." Right then, a soft gasp of admiration drifted up from near the fence below the tree. I turned my head and looked down. Beyond the fence marking the edge of our estate lay the yard of the neighboring house. A boy was standing there. He was holding a tennis racket, looking as though he had been practicing by himself.
The boy's mouth was hanging wide open—wide enough for a bug to fly in without him noticing. His eyes were locked onto me. His brown hair fluttered softly, and his brown eyes trembled with emotion. I gave him a small, polite wave. At that, he dropped the racket in his hand. He didn't even seem to realize he had dropped it.
I tilted my head, puzzled by his reaction. Why is he staring at me like that? Is there something behind me? Following his gaze, I looked back over my shoulder. But there was nothing behind me except the vast, gentle night sky stretching out into infinity. The tiny, twinkling stars were incredibly beautiful.
"Jeff!" Amy's voice called out from the front yard. I sniffed the air. It smelled like the meat was finally done. I immediately jumped down from the tree. My steps felt incredibly light as I dashed forward. My mouth watered at the thought of the feast awaiting us.
Shine and Rain, who had run off to get the ball first, were already seated with their forks in hand. I quickly slid into the seat next to Shine and raised my own fork.
"Ta-da!" Amy presented a massive platter in front of us. It was piled high with thick cuts of some unknown meat and large, juicy sausages.
"Whoaaa!" Rain squealed in pure excitement. And so, our dinner began. It was such a joyful time that I completely lost track of the hours. Victor grabbed a massive chunk of meat and tore into it heartily. The ice-cold beer sitting next to him looked incredibly refreshing. No, I can't. I shook my head and looked away. I had a delicious glass of cola right in front of me, so I should stick to that. Erasing all thoughts of beer from my mind, I took a sip of my cola. The cool, fizzy carbonation sent a delightful tingle across my tongue.