episode_0358

Swoosh…

The rain in October is sudden.

Like a shower, the raindrops arrive unannounced.

The sound of rain tapping against the window was like dark clouds knocking—knock, knock, knock—after a long absence.

Swoosh—.

The kind of weather that dampens one’s mood.

The cold rain will make everything even chillier once it stops.

The remnants of summer, clinging stubbornly like the hem of a skirt,

are washed away completely by the sound of rain announcing the arrival of true autumn.

“……What are you all doing right now?”

Meanwhile, in a certain detective agency in Euncheongu…

Five orange cats sat side by side on the couch, blankly staring at the rain outside the window.

“Currently window-gazing. It’s raining hard.”

“Why are we window-gazing?”

“No idea.”

The secret operations unit of the [Azure Dragon Guild].

Kim Yoo-hee, a B-rank Hunter from the Shadow Dragon Unit, and… four subordinates with identical faces.

After the recent “orphanage investigation,” they fled the guild and now work as part of the labor force—and Do Jong-ha’s foot-warming cats—at the Do Jong-ha Detective Agency.

Swish— swish—.

Perched together on the long couch, the five orange cats swayed their tails in unison like good friends.

Had they been enchanted by something?

The way they silently watched the rain outside was uncannily like “hairy cockroaches.”

Pfft.

Do Jong-ha—an A-rank Hunter, also known as the [Detective]—was seated at his desk, organizing case files for the day when he let out a dry chuckle at the sight of the orange cats huddled together on the couch.

Haha… Well, they’re the Azure Dragon Guild’s operations unit after all. They never fail to complete their tasks on time and flawlessly. I couldn’t ask for more reliable employees.

Like someone’s old saying—good things are good as they are.

As Jong-ha absentmindedly stroked the “reverse cross bracelet” on his left wrist, he thought of Milky Cow, who was probably working at the café right now.

……

Despite having fled the major guild as if escaping, Kim Yoo-hee and her subordinates seemed to be living happily day by day.

Was it because Do Jong-ha’s detective agency had better benefits and a kinder boss than the [Azure Dragon Guild]?

And above all…

Because the occasional visits from Eunha came with generous snacks and a hefty paycheck—making life perfect?…

The words seemed jumbled, but since both “Eunha” and “paycheck” being “plentiful” was true, Jong-ha just let it slide.

“…By the way. Aren’t you all under [Sky Sword Guild] protection now? The request today is done, so why are you still here?”

“No idea.”

“Boss. If you’re just gonna repeat yourself, give me your position.”

“If Number 1 doesn’t shut up, I’m biting her ass. Traditionally, a boss must look cool even sitting down.”

“Wow, this crazy boss. I should roll her down the stairs at quitting time to make her a cripple.”

“Shut up, all of you.”

The orange cats, who had been sitting peacefully on the couch, were now busy biting and fighting among themselves.

Lately, the detective agency hadn’t had a single quiet day.

Still, Jong-ha mused that compared to the solitary days of running the agency alone, this camaraderie was far preferable.

With a faint smile, he watched the playful squabbles of the Shadow Dragon Unit members, their orange cat ears twitching.

Unit Leader Kim Yoo-hee.

Shadow Dragons… Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, and Maknae.

Five women identical in both physique and face.

A “skill” related to doppelgängers, wasn’t it?

The “reverse cross anklet” fastened around Kim Yoo-hee’s ankle peeked slightly beneath her sweatpants.

“Sigh…… By the way, did anyone bring an umbrella?”

“You said it wouldn’t rain today, Boss.”

“……Fine. Maknae can carry us back.”

“Ugh, why always me? Last time Number 1 did the umbrella thing, so it’s Boss’s turn now!”

Swoosh—.

The sound of rain outside the window.

Yoo-hee, who had been bickering with the others, turned to glance outside again.

The cloudy sky was bleak and heavy,

and the window reflected the agency’s interior like a mirror.

The scene in the reflection.

Do Jong-ha seated at his desk, adjusting his detective cap.

The impeccably tidy office… and the “six” women sitting side by side on the couch.

Yoo-hee looked at the window.

Women with orange hair, cat ears, and tails swaying behind them… all resembling identical twins.

“……Huh?”

She froze.

As she gazed at the rain-streaked window,

something seemed off. She turned her head abruptly.

Flick—.

She scanned the room.

People on the couch… five, including herself.

Flick—.

She turned back to the window.

The reflection in the window showed… six figures huddled on the couch.

One extra.

How?

“…….”

“What’s wrong, Boss?”

Number 1 asked worriedly.

Did her expression look strange?

“…….”

But just as Yoo-hee was about to reply,

she clamped her mouth shut and fixed her glare on the window.

“Boss, what’s wrong? You okay?”

Because none of the six in the reflection had opened their mouths.

Was the reflection fake?

Or was the voice she heard the fake one?

No way to know.

“…….”

『…….』

Then, moments later—

just as Yoo-hee stared at the window with tense features…

『……Whoa!!』

Thud-thud-thud!

The “her” in the reflection suddenly leapt from the couch and charged straight toward the window.

“KYAAAAH!!”

A terrified scream ripped from Yoo-hee.

In a panic, she grabbed “Number 1” beside her and hurled her straight at the window.

All of it happened in a flash.

“UGH! Damn it, Boss, you fu—”

CRASH!!

“EEEEK!!”

Eek—?

Cute scream.

Swoosh—.

The sound of “Number 1” being flung outside through the shattered window drowned beneath the pouring rain.

『……Twins. So close… That seat’s mine.』

Amid the scattered shards of glass, a world within mirrors reflected someone.

A whisper echoed from within, staring at Yoo-hee before vanishing.

What kind of bizarre entity was that? Did it appear just to startle her regardless of “rules”?

Or did it have some grudge against twins?

“Huff… Huff… Scary!”

“Kim Yoo-hee, you’re the scary one! Why’d you break the window?!”

“No regrets!”

Hmph! Huh!

Hah! Hmph!

The usual chaos ensued.

Jong-ha frantically covered the broken window with newspaper he kept for detective roleplay,

while the Shadow Dragons pounded their boss, whose tantrum had reached new heights today.

…….

……Click—.

“Phew… We’re back, unnie.”

Right then, “Number 3” and “Maknae” returned from grocery shopping for snacks,

dragging along a soaked “Number 1” they’d picked up outside the agency.

“Just saw ‘Number 1’ falling from the office, so we grabbed her. Did the Boss throw her again?”

“…….”

“Here. The cup noodles you asked for.”

“……?”

Three had returned.

Two from the store.

One who’d just been tossed out the window.

Yoo-hee felt a chill of dissonance.

“…Why’re you staring like that?”

“……No reason.”

Yoo-hee accepted the noodles handed by Maknae.

Had five really been sitting on the couch earlier? She forced herself to ignore it.

No way to know what was real.

Swoosh—.

Peaceful daily life.

But with something eerie mixed in.

Squeeze…

With that, Yoo-hee rose from the icy cold couch

and embraced her subordinates—

the family born from her doppelgänger skill—tightly with trembling hands.

‘Eunha… How does she live alone?’

Supernatural occurrences that visited whenever boredom struck.

Like yesterday, when someone knocked on the front door, and all five huddled in the bathroom, holding salt between their teeth.

At least she wasn’t alone.

For that, Yoo-hee was genuinely relieved.

…….

“……Oh, has everyone heard the news?”

Perhaps trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere as heavy as the weather,

Do Jong-ha—who had been organizing recent cases into his notebook—called out to the Shadow Dragons, who clung to each other like anxious meerkats, scanning their surroundings.

“What news? Did [Azure Dragon Guild] stocks finally crash?”

“Hunter Association’s Vice-Chief Go Yeong-in. He’s been taken to the police station.”

The news was shocking, sudden,

and in some ways, inevitable.

“He’s done a lot of shady stuff in the Association’s potion labs. Even the normally docile [Sky Sword Guild] stood up… He might end up replaced as Vice-Chief.”

Through TV, the internet,

passing from one mouth to another—

the results of someone’s endless October 1st were finally coming to light.

…….

…….

Potion Preparation Lab.

They’d caused too much havoc already.

The bombing at [Ancient Dragon’s Rift].

Potion development using organs from human trafficking victims.

Attempted abductions…

And beyond all those,

the root of their motives…

was one soft-fisted girl.

“According to documents recovered from [The Facility], the Potion Lab attempted to recreate [Galaxy Potion]—or a potion with equivalent effects—which had been discontinued due to ‘material shortages.’”

Swoosh—.

Rainy weather.

Inside a café lounge, [Sky Sword Guild]’s Guild Leader Kim Ha-yang sat across from Milky Eunha, deep in conversation.

(Ha-yang, ma’am. Could you come by the café when you have time? It’s important.)

(Understood.)

Upon receiving Eunha’s request to meet at the café, Ha-yang arrived in less than an hour.

(Guild Leader! You can’t just drop a bombshell and leave! We need to crush those Potion Lab demons completely!)

(Let go. Eunha asked for me.)

(You— Are you blind—?!)

(Yes.)

(Ugh!! Guild Leader!!)

Clack.

Despite numerous obstacles, she reached the café victorious.

Brushing dust off her pristine white dobok, Ha-yang swelled with inexplicable pride.

“I’m not smart, so I’ll keep it brief. We raided the Potion Lab using evidence uncovered from [The Facility]. The lab director was already arrested at the scene.”

“The lab director…”

“The Potion Lab will be purged, and the Association’s leadership will suffer fallout too. They tried making potions from Hunters’ organs.”

But then…

Ha-yang paused.

From inside her dobok, she pulled out

a braille-bound script and resumed hesitantly.

“But… Well, it’ll be handled quietly. As much as possible.”

“I see… So Vice-Chief Cat—why is she at the police station?”

“She stayed silent.”

The Potion Lab was doomed.

Those involved couldn’t escape blame.

Not after what they’d done.

“At [The Facility], they used regenerative-type Hunters’ organs for potions trying to replicate [Galaxy Potion].”

“…….”

“When that came out… everyone asked what [Galaxy Potion] was made from.”

[Galaxy Potion].

Diluted from Eunha’s blood.

Once the Potion Lab was flipped, scrutiny was inevitable.

With countless documents still at [The Facility]…

“And Yeong-in remained silent to that question.”

Flick—.

Then, Ha-yang retrieved

a notebook from her pocket and placed it on the table.

A worn ledger.

Written in braille.

Eunha picked it up.

“……?”

She frowned.

Running her fingers over the raised dots,

she gave Ha-yang a puzzled glare.

No clue.

“What’s this…”

“You’d know.”

“No.”

“…Huh?”

Abruptly, Ha-yang’s cheeks flushed red.

Snatching the notebook back, she flustered.

“Ah—! Sorry. Wrong one. Blindness isn’t helping…”

What could it have said?

Flick—.

Tucking the braille notebook away, Ha-yang pulled out thick stacks of documents and laid them on the table like nothing happened.

[Regarding Galaxy Potion Production]

[Report on Capture of Original Solution]

Evidence seized from [The Facility].

All tied to Eunha.

“This…”

“Only Sa-rang read them. I kept them hidden, thinking you should decide what to do.”

Eunha took the files.

Handwritten to avoid digital traces.

Originals that, if lost, could never be recovered.

She couldn’t understand.

These were definitive proof to dismantle the Potion Lab.

Why would a major guild leader secretly hand them to her?

“If these go public, the Potion Lab and Association will collapse… but it’ll hurt you too.”

“…….”

“There’s plenty else to bring them down. Keep these.”

Vice-Chief Go Yeong-in, jailed for refusing to answer about [Galaxy Potion].

Guild Leader Kim Ha-yang, secretly safeguarding Eunha-related records.

“I owe you something far greater than my life. Yeong-in must feel similarly.”

“…….”

“Let the adults handle the Potion Lab. Just live peacefully.”

“……Thank you.”

She didn’t get it.

An unfamiliar warmth.

She’d called to offer [Original Solution Potion].

Yet here she was, receiving more than she gave.

‘Guess… the pain was worth it.’

A relief.

With a faint smile, Eunha accepted the documents.

A dull ache—

but not unpleasant.

Positivity really worked wonders.

…….

…….

“Stay cautious though. The Association’s Vice-Chief might be replaced over this.”

Ha-yang finished what she had to say.

Everything conveyed to Eunha, albeit clumsily.

Just how tough had it been?

Ha-yang treated Milky Eunha opposite her like fragile glasswork—

each motion careful, considerate.

“The Association watches you too closely. Call me if anything happens.”

“I’ll remember.”

“Good… Now, the main topic—”

Finally, the reason for Ha-yang’s visit.

Tak.

Ha-yang took the [Original Solution] potion Eunha pulled from between her breasts.

Warm.

“May I ask why you’re giving me this?”

Ha-yang’s eyes remained shut, her inquiry direct.

Eunha carefully unpacked thoughts gathered over time.

Nothing grand.

Just what she could do—

and only she could do.

Everyone deserved a happy ending.

To shake off lingering grudges lightly,

and find a little more joy.

Swoosh—.

Cold rain seeped through the open lounge window.

“I didn’t remember my childhood. Not until recently.”

“Hanbit Orphanage?”

Painful memories.

Too precious to forget, so she chose to face them.

Thus—

Ha-yang must have much to confront too.

She hoped Ha-yang could see it firsthand.

“……Eunha, sometimes you’re more foolish than Sa-rang.”

“Huh?!”

Several minutes spent persuading Ha-yang to take the potion.

Truly wounded, Eunha fell silent.

With a satisfied smirk, Ha-yang fiddled with the [Original Solution].

(Not interested in immortality?)

(It’s not just immortality. Injuries, illnesses, even permanent disabilities…)

(…Don’t you want to see your beloved daughter’s face?)

Memories resurfaced.

Once, the orphanage director came seeking donations.

(Are you Dad’s friend?)

Once, she saw a man scrambling for eternal life—

his child turned monster.

Had she buried them together with the villa?

Everything demanded a price.

Eternal life, kindness.

So she’d believed.

“……Did I ever tell you why I lost my sight?”

Thus, Kim Ha-yang—

found herself confiding hidden stories to the woman before her.

Truly miraculous.

From their first meeting till now.

Facing Eunha’s smile, Ha-yang’s lost heart found direction again.

“Antifreeze, was it? Drank something bad barely a month pregnant with Sa-rang.”

“…….”

“Woke up in the hospital… to darkness.”

Details escaped her.

Long past anyway.

Just numbness.

Someone handing her a bottle.

Someone’s betrayal.

Blindness, literal and metaphorical—

only resentment lingered.

“Sometimes I wonder, if careless me had been more careful… would Sa-rang have grown smarter?”

“……Doubt it—”

Clutch.

Eunha’s chest was seized.

Putting on a grave face, she nodded.

“So that’s what happened…”

“Too afraid to face my beautiful child, I drowned in work. A mistake.”

Ha-yang poured out regrets.

A failing mother’s remorse for raising her daughter lonely.

Wishing she’d done more.

Wished to witness “you” growing up.

The flawed mother confessed her sorrows to the North Star.

(Don’t you want to see your beloved daughter’s face?)

She hadn’t faced anything.

Lived eyes shut.

Only now realizing—

Crunch.

Ha-yang gripped the potion bottle tightly.

“……Eunha.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I have a shameless request.”

Her tightly shut eyelids trembled.

…….

…….

Ding~♪

“I’m home!”

Time passed.

4 PM.

Kim Sa-rang, clad in black dobok, strode into the café after finishing classes.

Half the tables stood empty in the cozy café.

Spotting the rabbit girl behind the counter, Sa-rang froze mid-step.

“Sa-rang~ Hi! You’re early?”

“……?”

She glanced around.

No sign of Eunha—whose ample chest bumped into everything (and occasionally into Sa-rang during training).

Even Ban Ha-rin, usually typing at her laptop, was missing.

“……?”

Flick.

Sa-rang scowled.

Backing out silently, she closed the door—

Ding~♪

“I’M HOME!”

And re-entered grandly.

From the counter, Silver Bell stifled a giggle.

“Srung~ Hi…! You’re early…!”

“……Mm. Where’s Eunha?”

Ignoring the cheerful greeting, Sa-rang marched to her sword carrier by Eunha’s luggage.

Just another October day.

Or so she thought.

Click.

“Sa-rang, you’re here?”

Eunha’s voice called from the lounge entrance.

Brightening instantly (tail wagging if she had one), Sa-rang sprinted over.

Hug!

Eunha, stepping out, was tackled into an embrace.

But Sa-rang froze upon seeing her mother seated inside—

“Ma’am’s here? Did she randomly cut something again?”

“Not that. Come in.”

Hug.

Dragged in, Sa-rang now faced her mother.

“You came.”

“Honored by your presence. My part-time job’s fine.”

Assuming her mother came to check on her work.

Ha-yang, stroking her spotless dobok,

fidgeted with the empty potion bottle nervously.

“Now, talk you two.”

Pop.

A button snapped off.

With that, Eunha deposited Sa-rang onto the couch opposite Ha-yang, fixing her apron before leaving.

“Eunha? What’s…”

“Um… A gift.”

“Gift?”

“For risking your life at [The Facility] with me… And congratulations on your rank-up exam.”

Click.

With a cryptic smile, Eunha exited.

Swoosh—.

Rain outside.

Only mother and daughter remained.

“……?”

Sa-rang blinked sharp eyes at her mother.

White dobok. Tightly shut lids.

Identical enough to be mistaken as sisters—yet in Sa-rang’s eyes, breathtakingly beautiful.

But… Why did Mother seem uneasy?

“Mother?”

“…….”

Then—

after what felt like an eternity…

……Shhh.

Ha-yang’s eyelids slowly lifted.

“……Ah.”

Whose voice was that?

Irrelevant.

(I have a shameless request.)

The bottle in her hand.

A shameless wish.

(What is it? Anything.)

If possible—

the first thing ‘I’ should see…

“……Mom…?”

is my daughter’s face.

“My Sa-rang…”

She set the empty bottle down.

Kim Ha-yang now saw—

her grown daughter clearly.

“Sa-rang……”

Pitch-black irises.

A reverse-cross pupil stared back intently.

“……You’ve grown so beautiful.”

A flawed mother’s regrets.

Shed like white waves.

…….

Eternal life, kindness.

She’d believed everything required sacrifice.

But perhaps unexpected gifts fall from the heavens—

making the world beautiful.

“…….”

The lounge door stayed shut.

Eunha leaned against the wall outside.

(Sometimes I wonder… if careless me had been wiser, would Sa-rang be smarter?)

She gazed at her reflection.

Had she looked like this all along?

“Hah… Guess she really took after her Mom. Personality too.”

Eunha forced her usual smile.

May this memory be a happy one.

“……Ah… I miss my mom.”

Imprinting the muffled voices within her heart,

she quietly returned to the counter.

An ordinary October day.

Rain falling peacefully.

…….

…….

…….

Swoosh—.

Rain pours.

Equally upon all.

— Ban Ha-rin. Team Leader, [Rare Hunter Protection-Eradication Division] Squad 1.

“…….”

Dark apartment.

Hunched on her bed, Ha-rin picked up her phone.

Skitter. Skitter.

Clickety-clack.

Insect sounds crawled across the shadowed ceiling.

— The Association’s Chief will be replaced soon. Should’ve known better than to side with Go Yeong-in.

“…….”

— Get to the point. The ‘Rare Hunter’ under your oversight… Squad 4’s taking over.

“…….”

— Direct orders from the ‘next’ Vice-Chief. Understood?

Beep.

Call ended.

Ha-rin rose soundlessly.

Skitter… Clickety…

Stopping before the hallway mirror,

someone unfamiliar—

yet familiar—stared back.

“……On tough days, sit on a park bench—was that it?”

Squeak.

October’s end.

Ha-rin stepped out into the rain.