In a cabin deep within the snowy mountains, flames roared in crimson fury, sending smoke spiraling into the sky and driving flocks of crows away. The clash of steel rang out in rapid rhythm. The young guardian of the princess staggered under the crushing force of a mighty warrior's halberd.
"So this is your protector? What a waste!" the giant sneered.
The princess's guardian forced himself upright, raising his sword once more.
The warrior chuckled darkly. "Ha! Look at you, frail as a brittle twig."
"Even if my body turns to ash and bone, my spirit will not break. I will stop you, for the princess's sake!" The tip of his blade pointed straight at the armored giant.
The princess, who had long abandoned hope, lifted her face and smiled faintly at the man of noble heart. With the last of his strength, he struck his ring against the sword's spine, unleashing a golden light that filled his body and soul with hope. The giant warrior laughed, his breath like fire.
"So that's the power of the cursed spirit of water, gifted to you, eh?" His gaze shifted to the princess.
"You slew my father and mother with your blade, and now you threaten the princess I must protect. I will not let a dragon like you steal away another life I love!"
The white earth trembled as the legendary weapon returned once more—the Blade of Light—
Thud! Yoona slammed her novel shut. She hadn't touched it in ages.
"My brain's fried…" she muttered, leaning back against her pink chair. On the floor, Rose was fiddling with screwdrivers, choosing one carefully. It was the day before their grand plan. Yoona paced her room, thoughts racing about what would happen if the plan failed, while the android worked to keep its parts from breaking.
"Rose, help me out. I've got these options: clinic, tutor, nurse, writer."
"Employee at P.Pharma," Rose replied firmly.
"No! I mean if Xu Wen slips away or something like that." Yoona groaned at his irrelevant answer.
"P.Pharma is what you've already chosen in your heart. If the plan fails, I'll gut myself as penance."
"Your stomach's made of plastic and steel plating."
Crack! Rose snapped his fourth screwdriver. "Please, I need another." Yoona handed him a new one, then glanced at the chemistry set hidden under a cloth on her desk. Pulling the cover away, she sat down to think through formulas.
"Sound-triggered compounds… potassium, sulfur…" She poured chemicals into a conical flask. "How much gas should I load in?"
"Do you want combustion, or just noise?" Rose asked.
At the word combustion, Yoona's grin flared like fire.
"Combustion. Flames spread longer than sound lasts." She dialed her boyfriend immediately. "Hey, tomorrow, round up the crew. We're riding together."
"Got it!" So-hyung answered eagerly.
"Do your friends still have hoverboards?"
"Of course! Everyone's got one lying around, just dusty."
"Perfect~" she laughed wickedly.
Rose tilted his head like a curious cat, wondering what she was plotting. Yoona suddenly asked about his past.
"You know, back in school, my friends called me 'Eun Hwa, The Mad Chemist.' I was obsessed with chemistry kits, almost stole one from school. Later, I saved up and bought my own, mixing lavender with formulas until I created this!" She held up a pink spray bottle.
"Charm perfume! Spray it on someone's face, and they'll see everything in pink. It dazzles men especially. Side effect, it smells so good they faint. Oh, right! you've been to China once, didn't you? I want to go there too!"
"Yes. A lady named Feng showed that world to me."
"Hmm~ Feng… who was she?" Yoona asked curiously.
"Do you really want to know?" Rose froze.
"Just asking. If you don't want to answer, that's fine. I'm nosy, I admit it."
"Feng was a spirit… the one who taught me empathy."
"Whoa… that's deep." Yoona swallowed hard.
"I never knew meaning in life after the doctor woke me. Everything was empty until I held this sword…" Shing! Rose drew the Hitodama blade from his artificial spine.
"Every time I unsheathed it, bodies piled high. And she was the one who forced it back into its scabbard." Clack! He slid it away again.
"I asked her why. Why couldn't I kill people? She said, 'Because I am one of those people. If you want to kill them, you must step over my body.'"
Her words transformed the void inside him into a heart.
"What happened to her…?" Yoona asked, sensing tragedy ahead.
"We stood at the edge of a black abyss. The demon we thought was our enemy died by my hand. But he told me my actions were meaningless. The trust I gave to the man I saw as a father, Kevin Xu Wen, never existed. By the time I learned the truth, it was too late. The first bullet struck Feng. The second… struck me." Rose clutched the heart-shaped pendant at his neck.
"Xu Wen gave it to her, just as you received yours…" His gaze burned with grief and rage.
"That's why you help me. But when you face him in that meeting room, what will you do to the man who killed your heart?" Yoona asked softly.
"If I must kill him to atone…"
"Then you'll go back to being a heartless machine, won't you?" she pressed.
Rose fell silent.
"She forbade you from killing. If she knew you still did… would she be happy? Limits exist, Rose. Feng may have said you could be ruthless, but becoming a murderer is too far, But the most important thing is that.... life is not just about dying or living. That's the reason why we are here." Yoona cupped his face. His left eye dimmed black, while his right glowed white.
"Everything can begin anew. Everyone learns. For you, it won't take long." She held her pendant and smiled. Kneeling to meet his gaze, she whispered, "After tomorrow, you'll be free from the dragon."
"Because I started all this…" Rose nodded.
"To be honest, I don't care about my job. I just won't let the bad guy walk free. If he hadn't meddled, I wouldn't be involved. But I love detective stories anyway; I read them all the time, right guys?" Yoona winked at you.
"We can't waste time," Rose urged.
"Then tomorrow morning, we prepare the site." Yoona mixed chemicals in a beaker. The blue liquid of the moon fused into orange, like sunlight breaking through.
The next morning, just before dawn, Rose and Yoona rose early to head toward Seoul Stadium. They had arranged to meet So-hyung's four close friends, Han Dong, Im Hyuk, Chaeyeon, and Dae Ho—along with her boyfriend, who had rented a large van to haul the piles of wireless equipment. Once gathered, Yoona laid out the plan for the group of men.
"Alright, listen up! Our operation begins at 8 p.m.—right at sunset, and exactly when the concert starts. These sound-bomb crates are coated with flammable oil. Once they hit concrete, they'll ignite. Just don't toss them near the parking lot. The flames won't be huge, but they'll throw the staff into chaos."
"Whoa! Risky, but sounds fun," Im nodded eagerly.
"Exactly! I hate D\8/'s new album anyway," Chaeyeon clapped in agreement.
"Count me in! Yesterday I got fined for drinking beer in my car. Tonight I'm making trouble," Dae Ho slammed his fist into his palm.
"As for me… (pause) my girlfriend didn't get tickets." Han's reason sent the others into fits of laughter.
"Seriously, Han? You sound more bitter than anyone," So-hyung teased, patting his shoulder.
"And about the fire truck!" Clang! The sound of metal rang out. Yoona turned to see Rose dismantling parts from a fire engine parked beside the stadium. "Okay… forget that idea."
"Who's that guy?" So-hyung's friends scratched their heads.
"Uh… one of our crew," So-hyung explained. "Different one, though."
"He looks badass," Im said, impressed as Rose stomped on a water nozzle.
"Brutal to the core," Yoona smirked, recalling her own words to the android.
By late morning, the group arrived at the stadium, watching workers assemble the stage. Yoona strolled in wearing a heart-print shirt and blue jeans. Everyone snapped photos to capture the moment, while So-hyung and the boys climbed the bleachers, munching on snacks. The half-circle stage loomed ahead.
"Wow! Amazing. Tanni Jae Hoon will definitely stand right there!" Sophia, Yoona's friend, laughed.
"Please, you're miles away. He won't even notice a pimple on your nose," Eugene teased. Yoona slipped away, meeting Namgi and a man in dark glasses and a gray mask waiting discreetly.
"Here, take this…" she whispered, handing Namgi a mysterious spray bottle.
"You want me to use this?" Namgi frowned, pocketing it.
"Exactly. See that cable line up there? At 8 p.m. sharp, two bodyguards will be stationed by the gondola. That's your target."
"You expect me to handle them with perfume?"
"Do you want your job back or not?" Yoona countered. Namgi clenched his teeth.
"Fine! You're daring me, huh? Your plan is insane, but I'll play along. Tonight then." He smirked despite himself.
"That's the spirit." Yoona scribbled in her diary. The masked man lowered his glasses, revealing a fiery young artist. He handed her a schedule.
"I got the meeting agenda. At 7:40 p.m., Xu Wen's airship arrives. By 8:00, nine seats will be filled in the conference room. Your android must enter by 7:45. The meeting should end around 9:30—or maybe as late as 10. Yoona, are you sure about this?" Jinam pressed, clearly uneasy.
"It's Rose's decision. He started it, and he must finish it."
"Wait! who's Rose again…?" Namgi began, but Yoona pressed a finger to his lips.
"Later, Namgi. And you, Jinam, what if your father finds out we leaked that clip? If Xu Wen hides underground with his mafia fortress, he'll know you're behind it." Her words struck deep.
"Fine! I'll just pretend I trust that machine," Jinam snapped, storming off.
"See you tonight! Give it your all, hotshot!" Yoona waved.
"Damn it! I'm not the villain here. Xu Wen, tonight you're mine!" Thud! He punched a wall, leaving with burning resolve.
"Eight o'clock, that's when the concert starts! Yoona, will you even make it to the show?" Namgi asked.
"Relax, it's just one year. Besides, I'm more of an A'0'L fan than D\8/. No problem."
"So tell me, Yoona… who's Rose?" Namgi pressed again.
"Oh, he's ~~~~~ a friend from art school! Wahaha!" Yoona teased.
"I'm exhausted keeping up with you," Namgi groaned.
On January 15, 2070. Today is the greatest day of my life. We planned to strike Xu Wen with his own poison, even if it meant digging deep into stadium blueprints. Thanks to my new friend Rose—my brilliant cat—I believe she'll help settle this once and for all. Tonight, everyone will see that this concert will be remembered forever. Wahehe! Time for Operation PSYCHO WOLVES
After finishing her diary entry, Yoona's boyfriend gently touched her shoulder. She smiled, flipping the notebook shut.
"Let's," she whispered. As the book closed, the sun seemed to shift with it, no longer overhead, but glowing orange at the horizon's edge.
On the rooftop, the android cloaked in black knelt at the edge, gazing down at the massive stadium below. Tens of thousands of people were already streaming in for the concert. Rose drew the Hitodama blade from its sheath, carefully polishing it with a cloth. Yet the sound of bells echoed in his mind, followed by voices from the past.
"You are special…" Dr. Takiya had once said.
"You're like a son to me, Rose," Eva had smiled.
"I have no reason to live without Yueguang. This place is my home," Feng's voice lingered.
"What Feng did is unacceptable. Our company cannot tolerate this kind of action," Xu Wen's words cut sharp.
"Run…Rose, Runnnn" Bang! The gunshot replayed in Rose's memory, his face twitching at the phantom sound.
"You're me..." Eva's last word haunted him still.
"Life is nothing but lies. Hope clouded by deceit. Let the spirit consume me, so peace may return to the fallen. If I have sinned, forgive my ignorance. And if I am given another chance, I will bring blood as an offering to you." Those were the vows Rose had once sworn. Now, fragments of plastic peeled from his face again.
He tore strips of black tape, binding his mouth and arms—the way he had always been: the man in shadow. Then the wind brushed across his face.
"The truth is ugly, isn't it?" a familiar voice spoke. He turned to see Yoona, sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, her winged satchel at her side.
"I once promised myself…" Rose murmured, hesitation in his tone.
"I won't stop you," Yoona said softly. "But be yourself. Kill him if you believe it's right. Yet if it doesn't cleanse what's inside you, then what difference does it make?"
"I only want to protect my family…"
"If killing him means protecting me, then do it, Rose. Promises aren't measured by words, they're measured by action. I don't care that you're a machine. Even if people call you a monster, to me… you're an iron with a heart."
Yoona watched the sunset, then leaned against Rose, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.
"You and I are in the same boat now. You're family to me."
Rose returned the gesture, holding her close, the way Feng once had.
"If I don't come back… do not look for me."
"You'll come back. I trust you," Yoona said firmly, as the great plan began to unfold.
"Yoon Eun Hwa, Thank you.... for giving me the warmth again." He rose to his feet, staring at the burning sky.