"I hate performative care."
Kyorin's words rang with a quiet finality. He detested displays of affection that felt insincere — even if offered with the best of intentions.
"...Kyorin..."
Rover started — or rather, she wished to say his name, to reach out — but her voice faltered. For some reason, her chest tightened, her heart sinking with the feeling that an icy wall was rising between them.
"What nonsense are you rambling about now?" Scar snapped, clearly irritated.
He had no interest in Kyorin's sentiments. And truthfully, Kyorin hadn't spoken for anyone else's understanding — these words were meant for himself alone.
That was why he didn't bother explaining himself — there was nothing more to say. He loathed performative gestures. That alone had been the point, and he had said it for no one but himself.
"...Phew..."
With a long breath, his body eased, and the intensity of his Overclock state began to settle. His mind and heart grew still before he slowly turned toward Rover.
Rover, still shaken from the exchange, couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. Her head hung low, shadowed by a heaviness she couldn't name.
But Kyorin, unbothered by this, spoke in a calm, almost indifferent tone. "Will you go?"
"G—go where?" Rover stammered, a creeping unease coiling inside her like the onset of a cold dusk.
"With the Fractsidus," he clarified, his voice steady now.
"I—" Her response faltered. It took a long breath and a quiet war with herself before she managed, "I don't want to leave. I don't want to go anywhere. I just..."
"I want to stay by your side."
The words formed in her heart, but she couldn't bring herself to speak them aloud. Even though she had no desire to be anywhere else, voicing such emotions felt like exposing a part of herself still raw, still unready.
'We're not even friends, he says,' she scoffed silently, her thoughts laced with quiet bitterness. 'And yet... here I am, foolishly wishing for something more.'
She caught herself laughing inwardly — not out of amusement, but in a sharp, self-mocking tone. 'We've only known each other for a day.'
And suddenly, she understood Kyorin. She could see the absurdity of it all, the fragile illusions they were building around each other.
How did we start projecting so much onto each other? It was a strange sort of intimacy, fast-born and untethered.
'Maybe it's just conditional affection,' she thought with a twinge of bitterness. 'A bond formed only because we're both lost — amnesiacs clinging to each other in the dark.'
Yet even in this reasoning, something in her rebelled — a quiet indignance that refused to accept such a shallow explanation.
"I just... what?" Kyorin asked, his voice now stripped of the warmth she had felt from him only moments before.
"I just want to live a happy life," she replied — a trace of indignation in her voice.
"I see," Kyorin said simply, glancing toward the Fractsidus. "You all heard her, didn't you? Or do you need her to handwrite a letter saying she's not going with you?"
"Keh," Scar clicked his tongue, clearly displeased, while Phrolova silently accepted the answer. But noticing Rover's unsteady state, Scar added, "She looks pretty shaken."
He stepped toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why not come with us? You will not regret it."
Rover met his gaze with a sharp glare. "Go away."
"Listen, I'm saying this for your own good. Just come with—" Before he could finish, a blade shoved straight into his mouth — Kyorin had driven it in without hesitation.
Scar recoiled instantly, stumbling back. He lost a few teeth and a scar now marked his face. Blood spilled as he choked out in a mangled voice, "You bastard — what the hell was that for?"
Kyorin calmly flicked his wrist, shaking the blood off his sword. "I believe she made it clear she doesn't want to go."
Kyorin stepped in front of Rover, raising his sword toward the Fractsidus while shielding her behind him with his other arm.
"Leave her be," he said firmly.
Rover looked at him, that cold unease inside her slightly beginning to crack — the wall of distance starting to fracture.
"Quite the hypocrite, aren't you?" Phrolova snapped, her voice laced with venom. "Why defend her? Didn't you say she's not your friend?"
"Exactly," Scar added, both of them glaring at Kyorin.
"She isn't my friend," Kyorin replied plainly.
The warmth Rover had felt from him earlier vanished once more — replaced by an even thicker wall of ice.
The Fractsidus's scowls deepened, but Kyorin paid no mind as he continued, voice steady, "But what that man just did — that was wrong." He pointed at Scar.
"I didn't like it," he said simply. "So I punished him for it."
"A law enforcer, are you?" Scar spat, launching a volley of insults. "You're just like those types — always needing to have the final say."
He narrowed his eyes and accused Kyorin of virtue signaling, using the usual act of "playing the noble one" to impress others.
"You act all high and mighty about not being friends with those two girls — but everyone knows you're just putting on a show. Classic hypocrisy," Scar spat. "You're just like any other guy — desperate to look good in front of the pretty girls."
But Kyorin said nothing.
Without warning, he stepped forward — calm, cold, and unhesitant — and wrapped his hand around Scar's neck, lifting him slightly off the ground.
Scar blinked in surprise, his brow furrowing as the pressure on his airway tightened.
Phrolova scowled, her disdain visible. 'He's no different from any thug,' she thought. 'Just another brute using violence to protect his pride.'
But Kyorin remained unaffected by their judgment. His eyes locked onto Scar, glowing with quiet, unrelenting fury.
"First, you try to take someone against their will." His voice was low, sharp with restrained rage. "And now, you insult me?"
He leaned in slightly, voice turning cold. "Do you know the consequences?"
"Do you?" Scar shot back, summoning a black card. With a swift motion, he swung it down — aiming to sever Kyorin's hand.
Clang.
"—!!?"
Scar's eyes widened. His attack had struck something — a translucent lotus bud had sprouted on Kyorin's arm, right where the blow had landed.
'Is he about to—?' Scar thought, his eyes visibly widening.
[Bloom Break]
Just as he feared, the lotus bloomed fully — and both of them were caught in its eruption. Razor-sharp petals slashed through flesh and tendon alike, the damage immediate and deep.
Kyorin's grip loosened as pain shot through him, and in the next moment, Scar drove a kick into Kyorin's injured arm, as a sickening crack echoed. His arm dropped, now limp and useless.
But Scar didn't escape unscathed. Deep, precise cuts streaked across his body, muscles torn, blood seeping from fresh wounds. He gazed at Kyorin, who was also marked by faint slashes from his own unleashed power.
"Enough of this foolishness," Phrolova finally said, her voice sharp as she turned to Scar. "Let's head back."
Scar let out a low growl. "Things aren't settled yet," he muttered, voice taut — each word dragged across the edge of his temper.
"Besides," he turned his glare on her, his eyes flashing dangerously, "didn't you promise me some alone time with Rover?"
Phrolova met his anger with a cool, unimpressed stare, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "On one condition," she reminded flatly. "I trust you haven't forgotten?"
"Heh!" Scar's lip curled. With a reluctant sigh, he let the card he had just formed dissolve in the air.
"Don't let your improvisations become other people's problems," Phrolova warned, her tone laced with steel.
"Ugh, listen to you," Scar groaned, rubbing one ear like her words had physically stung. "Always rushing to protect your precious Perfect Movement."
Still, he took a step back. The tension in his shoulders began to ease. With a flick of his wrist, he recalled his remaining cards and turned toward Rover.
"Rover," he said, his tone lighter — though it still carried a bitter undertone. "Looks like our little date… is over." He tilted his head slightly, meeting her eyes.
Then, turning toward Kyorin, he added coldly, "Next time I see you, I'll dismantle you—brick by brick, and blow you to bits in hellfire."
Kyorin didn't flinch. He replied dryly, tone unbothered and flat, "I'm not looking forward to neither an edge nor a blowjob."
There was a pause. Everyone just stared at him.
"...What?" Kyorin asked blankly.
"Is he playing dumb, or actually innocent?" Scar asked, glancing between Rover and Yangyang as he gestured toward Kyorin — who simply raised a brow in response.
Yangyang offered a straightforward response, trying to break the escalation. "Don't mind him, he is amnesic."
"I see," Scar muttered, accepting the explanation. He, too, didn't want any reason for the sudden escalation to worsen.
His attention shifted back to Rover, and with a half-smile that carried a trace of warning, he said, "Don't forget what I told you, Rover."
His gaze sharpened, the edge in his voice unmistakable. "Let me know what you decide — whether it's an unexpected gift, a true exchange… or a wager with everything on the line."
He stepped back as a swirling black doorway unfolded behind him, its surface marked with red and white sigils that pulsed like dying embers. Without a word, Phrolova stepped through and vanished into the shadows beyond.
Scar lingered a moment longer, his presence heavy with intent. He gave the group a sly, knowing wink. "You're smart, Rover. I doubt you'll jump in without thinking."
Then, with a final step, he disappeared into the darkness — his voice echoing faintly behind him, both a promise and a threat: "We'll meet again… sooner than you think."
"What a creep," Kyorin muttered, like the words tasted bad. "Winking at strangers."
'I do not think that you're the one who should be saying that,' Yangyang thought, but held her tongue.
Her mind kept returning to Kyorin's earlier words, his amnesia, and the timing of it all — leaving her deeply conflicted.
"Yangyang," Rover whispered, drawing her attention.
Yangyang turned to her, and Rover asked softly, "Was there something wrong with what Kyorin said to Scar earlier?"
"My Sentinel," Yangyang said softly, closing her eyes as a headache crept in. She hesitated, unsure if she should explain about the wording Kyorin had used earlier.
After a long pause, fortunately the sound of a certain individual interrupted them — the painful cries of the TD reached their ears. "B-brother... Brother..."
The Tick Tack approached the trio, and Yangyang called out, "Eh? Why are you here, little one?"
"It probably hid out of fear," Rover suggested.
Kyorin nodded in agreement. "I believe so."
Yangyang studied the TD, resting her hand under her chin, finding its behavior peculiar.
She noticed unusual emotional responses from the Tacet Discord as the group came to a theory that the "brother" mentioned might be Scar, who had been there before.
They analyzed the recent events, piecing together the clues, concluding that the tragedies in Qichi Village were connected to a mysterious ritual. They suspected Scar had been manipulating information to support his twisted beliefs.
Yangyang stressed that they couldn't trust Scar's words and insisted on finding the ritual site themselves.
She raised her hands into the air, feeling the Streams. Her expression shifted as she detected two distinct Tacet Discord frequencies flowing within them.
She pointed toward the south — the direction from where the signals originated — and the group began heading that way.
As they walked, Kyorin suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His gaze drifted briefly toward a certain point in the distance.
At the same time, Rover glanced in the same direction. Their eyes met for a moment — a shared unease passing between them — but neither said a word.
"Are you coming with us?" she asked. She wasn't sure why she was even asking — perhaps still rattled by his earlier words about not being friends.
Kyorin tilted his head slightly and replied, "Didn't I promise to follow you for the day? Or… should I leave?"
"Do what you want," Rover sighed, clearly exasperated. She was done trying to figure him out — his blunt honesty and unreadable demeanor only made things more frustrating.
As the trio departed, at the spot where Kyorin and Rover had briefly glanced, the Ice Maiden stood — relaying and exchanging a series of quiet transmissions:
"They're unharmed. Please rest assured."
"As you predicted, Scar didn't attempt to kill them... Yes, I stayed out of it, just as you requested."
"Is everything alright on your end?"
"...Please, take care and stay safe, My Lady."
***
The day had come to an end. Evening broke over Jinzhou, casting the city in a soft amber glow. Kyorin stood slumped on a bridge, staring down at the strange, star-shaped core resting in his hand.
It was a Whispering Core — the one left behind by the Tick Tack after it had faded. The Tacet Discord had died, freed at last from the maddening amalgamated frequency that had tormented it.
'At least there's a remedy for those maddening whispers,' Kyorin thought with a faint, inward chuckle. His gaze drifted toward the horizon, washed in golden light, and his mind wandered to someone — Rover.
She had slapped him earlier — perhaps out of confusion, perhaps because his words had struck a nerve. Whatever the reason, it had stung — more than he expected.
Whenever he thought of her, his heart trembled. A strange tightness gripped his chest, binding him with a pressure he didn't understand. She was the only one for whom he felt he could turn a blind eye to everything else around him.
"Haah... these are just wishful thoughts," he tried to tell himself, attempting to calm his nerves, thinking: 'They are only a passing feeling — just unbidden attraction, nothing more.'
"What thoughts?" a familiar voice interrupted.
"Ah—!" Kyorin yelped, taking a step back in surprise. He hadn't sensed her approach.
It was Rover.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice still slightly startled.
"I thought... maybe you'd want to get dinner together," she said, trying to sound casual.
"I already ate," Kyorin replied quickly.
He hadn't. In truth, he was simply feeling too conflicted — too unsure — and wanted to avoid seeing her.
"Well..." Rover replied softly, her voice tinged with sadness as she whispered, "That's a shame."
Seeing her expression — the quiet disappointment in her face — Kyorin's heart clenched.
'Don't be sad,' he wanted to say. But he held the words back.
Rover turned on her heels to leave, but just before walking away, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Kyorin... can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" he asked.
"How can I become your friend?" Rover asked in return.
"…"
Kyorin paused. He hadn't expected her to be so direct — and for once, he found himself unsure how to answer.
Mistaking his silence for lingering resentment, Rover fully turned to face him again.
"Please," she said softly, her voice steady but laced with vulnerability. "I genuinely want to be your friend. Just... give me another chance."
Kyorin turned his head away, unwilling to face her — a faint uncertainty began to creep in, and his cheeks warmed with color.
Rover, disheartened by the gesture, turned to leave again — but that's when Kyorin finally spoke. "I only demand honesty and respect."
"…"
Rover stopped in her tracks, heels pressing into the stone beneath her.
Kyorin repeated, more firmly this time, "If you're genuine about wanting to be friends… then that's all I ask — honesty and respect. Nothing more."
There was a pause between them, yet in that small moment, it felt as if time had frozen — as if only the two of them existed in the noiseless world.
Then, Rover's lips curled into a soft smile. "I'll keep that in mind," she said brightly.
With her answer found, she turned and left, heading off to find Yangyang and the others.
Kyorin sighed, his stomach rumbling as he turned in the opposite direction in search of food. Eventually, he stumbled upon a cozy vendor stand selling sweets.
'No way someone would actually have sweets for dinner, right?' he thought.
"Eight Loong Whisker Crisps, boss," Kyorin said.
"Coming right up," the vendor replied.
He waited for a moment, then unwrapped one of the crisps and was just about to take a bite when — drop — it slipped from his hand. His eyes widened.
Rover had appeared again.
Apparently unsuccessful in finding Yangyang and the others, she had wandered back — only to find Kyorin happily eating alone, despite having said earlier that he'd already eaten.
She glanced at his hand, which still held seven Loong Whisker Crisps. Awkwardly, he extended the bag toward her and asked, "Want some?"
Rover looked at the bag, then at Kyorin, then back at the bag. Her gaze lingered on him. But something in her expression changed.
A scornful look crossed her face as she clicked her tongue — "tsk" — and turned away.
Kyorin felt a full-body headache crash over him.
'Why is everything going downhill today…?' he thought, exhausted.
He looked down at the Loong Whisker Crisps in his hands. They suddenly didn't seem all that appetizing anymore.
With a sigh, he handed the bag over to a nearby group of children. His appetite had completely vanished just now.
To be continued...
***
A/N: Sorry for the late chapter! I've been busy since I was switching my old laptop from Windows to Linux, which ended up taking the whole day since I got a bit carried away with ricing.
Also, I know the chapter quality's been dipping a bit, and I'm planning to go on hiatus soon since my finals are coming up. I'll share more details in the next chapter. I might take a break, but I'll still post one tomorrow and decide then.