As the footsteps drew nearer, Seri's muscles coiled like a spring. She leapt out from behind the tree, blade in hand, eyes sharp and unrelenting. The air split around her movement, leaves scattering in the sudden burst. Her target was close…too close for hesitation.
The wind whipped her hair as she landed, weapon pointed directly at the intruder's neck.
"Whoa—Seri, yaaaa!" Taehyun exclaimed, stumbling back with both hands raised in alarm.Behind him, Junho froze mid-step, eyes wide.
Seri's chest rose and fell sharply, the adrenaline still surging. She lowered her blade at once, though its edge trembled faintly from the sudden rush.
"…What are you two doing here?" Her voice came out half-whispered, breathless.
Taehyun pressed a hand to his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Junho blinked, still rooted in place. Seri turned away, sliding the blade slowly back into its sheath, but her pulse hadn't calmed. They had found her and the proof was still hidden in her bag.
Taehyun brushed dirt from his shoulder, a grin curling at his lips. "Why are you so fearless? What if it was a bear, huh? Were you planning to wrestle it and ask for directions after?"
"How did you even find me?" she asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips as her gaze swept the trees. She slipped the blade into her waist, then turned toward Junho. "…Why did you bring him? He shouldn't be here." Her tone was quiet but firm.
"He insisted," Taehyun replied, glancing at Junho.
Junho stepped forward, eyes steady. "I couldn't just stand there… and watch everything fall apart."
"You're not supposed to be out here. It's not safe…"
"I know," he cut in. "But letting you face this alone? That would've been worse."
"Alright, enough with the emotional lines," Taehyun interrupted, folding his arms. His gaze swept the canopy. "What are you doing in the middle of these trees alone anyway? Looking for some special leaf? Or… did Takeda's men start growing on trees now?"
"No," Seri exhaled, the corner of her lips twitching. "But I wouldn't be surprised if they did." She knelt, voice lowering. "I found something… something I've been looking for."
She brushed away moss and loose soil, revealing a small, weathered metal case…its edges scorched, the lock still intact. As she lifted it carefully, dust and dried leaves scattered around her boots.
Junho's eyes weren't on the box.
They were on her arm. Now covered with a fresh, long-sleeve layer, he couldn't tell if the wound was deep, serious, or barely there. The way she moved her hand made it seem like nothing had happened at all.
Seri rises slowly, holding the metal case close. The weight of it isn't just physical, it's years of silence, lies, and betrayal compressed into a single object.
"It's from the old science division. Iwao mentioned once… if anything survived the fire, it would be stored in a carbon-sealed casing," she says, voice low but firm.
She kneels again, unlocking the latch with a soft click. Junho and Taehyun step closer, the forest holding its breath with them.
Inside lies a scorched mission report stamped Project Yuen, signed by Takamine Daigo and Iwao. A bloodstained mini voice recorder. And a torn, ash-covered piece of a lab coat…possibly her mother's.
Her hand trembles slightly. She lifts the recorder but doesn't press play. "It's real. Iwao's signature. My father's… Everything they tried to bury—this proves they knew."
Junho crouches beside her, eyes scanning the contents but his gaze keeps returning to her expression. Her breath trembles, but she doesn't cry. Not now.
"This proves something," Seri continues quietly, "but it's not enough. Not to bring Takeda down. He's protected by influence, by secrets, by people willing to die for him. If we move recklessly, we'll be crushed before the truth even touches daylight."
Silence. Only the wind rustles the leaves above.
Junho steps forward, his voice soft but resolute. "Then I'll use my power."
Seri turns to him, startled. His eyes are steady, burning with quiet conviction. "If this is what it takes to end it… if it's the only way to protect you, and the truth then I'm not afraid."
Taehyun, off to the side, watches them both, his gaze lingering on Junho longer than usual.
"No," Seri says sharply, almost too fast.
She faces him fully now, eyes fierce, the wind tugging at her hair. "We can handle this… without using you."
Junho blinks, taken aback not just by her words, but the way she said using. There's something deeper beneath her refusal ,guilt, fear, maybe even care.
"You don't have to speak like I'm just a thing, Seri," he says quietly, hurt but calm. He steps a little closer, voice softening. "I'm not fragile. I'm not helpless. I'm willing to help you. Willingly…because I trust you."
Her lips part slightly, but no words follow.
"So don't push me away," he finishes, "not when I've finally found something worth protecting too."
Taehyun glances around the forest, unease sharpening his tone. "We shouldn't stay long."
Seri closes the container tightly and looks up. "I've seen enough. We go back." She turns, steps firm…just as a rustling sound comes from the thick trees.
"…Is that a bear?" Taehyun mutters, tensing.
"I can't read a bear's mind, if you're wondering," Junho whispers flatly.
"Shhh. Stay low," Seri orders, raising a hand.
They all crouch, eyes locked on the moving shadows. The rustling grows louder.
A wild chicken bursts out from the bushes, flapping awkwardly past them.
"…Ferocious," Taehyun says, blinking.
"At least it's not armed," Junho murmurs with a smirk.
"Let's move before we get attacked by a squirrel next," Seri mutters, rolling her eyes as she starts walking again.
Meanwhile, in the narrow, bustling streets of Gion, tourists filled the walkways, and lanterns swayed gently in the breeze. Locals in yukata moved past souvenir stalls and matcha cafes, their voices weaving into the hum of the night.
In a corner table of a small matcha cafe, Bora slurped her third matcha parfait of the day, eyes wide and dramatic.
"I knew Japanese desserts were good, but this… this is spiritual healing, Daejin," she said, fanning herself.
Daejin stirred his tea with a deadpan look. "I thought we came here for cultural exploration."
"Culture is dessert. And kimono selfies. Where's your sense of adventure?"
He gestured toward the small pile of shopping bags beside her. "I lost it somewhere between the third pair of chopsticks and the cat-print fan."
Moments later, they were back on the street, walking side by side as Bora dragged him toward a kimono rental shop.
"Ooooh! Let's dress up like historical lovers! I'll be the princess and you—"
"Let me guess. I'm the mysterious warrior who betrays you?" he asked.
Bora blinked, impressed. "Wow. That's… actually a good idea. But no! You're the loyal guard who falls in love with me secretly."
"I'm living a secret tragedy," Daejin muttered under his breath.
Inside the shop's changing area, Daejin stepped out dramatically, decked in a traditional samurai outfit—though the sleeves were slightly oversized and the katana leaned crooked on his waist.
"Wow. You actually look… kind of cool," Bora said, grinning. She paused. "Well, if you can fight as well as you pose."
"Excuse you—! I used to be in a fight club, okay?" he said defensively, fixing the headband. "Taekwondo. National junior division. When I was… ten."
Bora burst out laughing. "Ten?! What were you fighting…your lunchbox?"
He frowned and adjusted his belt, trying to look stoic. "Hey. Don't underestimate the fighting spirit of ten-year-old me."
Bora flipped through the racks with curiosity until she paused at a soft pink floral kimono, holding it up to admire. "This one screams Hanna. At least she and I share the same taste in handbags."
"I thought you two hated each other," Daejin said with a smile.
"Fashion transcends grudges, Daejin."
She continued browsing and pulled out a sleek, black and purple assassin-style kimono, laced with silver trim. Her eyes sparkled. "Oooh. Now this… this has Seri written all over it." "Cold. Mystic. Slightly witchy. She wouldn't wear it… it would wear her," Bora said with a squint.
"If she wore that, the mannequins would bow in fear," Daejin chuckled.
"Please, even the security cameras would avoid eye contact."
Bora snorted with laughter, but Daejin's phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked it casually while she continued posing. "From Junho: We'll be back by 7. Wrapping things up," he read quietly before tucking it away.
Bora tilted her head with a sly smile. "Who's that? Secret admire?"
"It's your dazzling boss. They're coming back later. Still doing… work stuff," he replied, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
Bora's eyes lit up. "So… they leave us for another Kyoto tour? It's our chance."
Daejin groaned, already picturing the pain. "Yeah, our chance for me to develop permanent leg cramps. I'm still recovering from the last time you 'accidentally' made us walk twelve kilometers chasing a tea shop that didn't exist."
Bora gasped. "It existed!"
"It was a vending machine, Bora," he deadpanned. "A vending machine in an alley that tried to sell us soup with coffee."
She crossed her arms. "Still counts as cultural exploration."
"Cultural? I'm culturally traumatized," he muttered, adjusting his bag like a soldier preparing for battle.
Bora smirked. "Come on, samurai. Kyoto won't wait."
Daejin sighed in defeat, muttering, "Neither will my blisters." Then, despite himself, he followed.