Kim Tae Rin forgot to breathe as she stared intently at Choi Yoon. “We”? The smooth way Choi Yoon grouped them together felt awkward to her ears.

Choi Yoon slowed down.

The previously quiet road was narrowing, and traffic was starting to build up.

Choi Yoon looked with interest at the vehicles filling the road, the colorful banners haphazardly draped over them, and the slogans opposing the census written on them.

“We just need to follow those cars.”

Then Choi Yoon turned to look this way.

His expressionless face was so dazzling that Kim Tae Rin unconsciously averted her eyes before looking back.

“It would be a big mistake to think the entire protest shares the same mindset. Can you say for certain there are no government plants among all these people?”

The answer did not come easily.

As if trying to ease the tension, Choi Yoon smiled brightly. His eyes were soft and downcast.

“Let’s say you’re on the police side. You’re always looking for an opportunity to incite violence in this protest to tarnish the title of a peaceful demonstration. But you’re frustrated because you keep getting thwarted by brave citizens. Then I take the microphone on stage. The citizens will be angry at first when they see me, since I’m the census promotion ambassador. They throw eggs and rocks, and no one tries to stop them. How about it? Does that appeal to you?”

In response to Choi Yoon’s casual tone as if talking about someone else, Kim Tae Rin answered:

“You’d become a target as soon as you get on stage.”

“If I get hurt, it’s over. It’ll make headlines. ‘Public figure assaulted by citizens while supporting protest’? Everyone would turn their backs.”

The stopped vehicles all started moving at once.

But Choi Yoon didn’t budge. He spoke while giving Kim Tae Rin a careful look.

“The protest will quickly fall apart amid the criticism, without any external factors.”

Clean.

The government doesn’t appear overtly here.

A regretful light passed through Choi Yoon’s eyes as he gazed steadily at Kim Tae Rin.

As if asking what she had believed in and expected.

He spoke quietly.

“It’s better to get used to it when going up against the government. This is how things are handled at the top.”

Beyond Choi Yoon who had started driving again, people could be seen filling the sidewalk.

They were all walking towards the county office.

There were humans, and there were yokai.

Kim Tae Rin’s gaze lingered for a long time on the ladybug wings protruding from one child’s back.

Soon the county office appeared at the end of the road. Looking intently at the census promotion banner hanging from the top of the gleaming building, Kim Tae Rin said:

“We need to park here and walk. There’s no place to park up there.”

Choi Yoon squeezed into an alley and stopped the car.

There was a sound of hitting a nearby trash can and scraping the wall, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

As Choi Yoon pretended to align with the car in front before quickly giving up and turning off the engine, Kim Tae Rin asked:

“You said earlier that the government would interfere with the protest and that you’d prevent it. What did you mean? What are you going to say and how when you get on stage?”

Kim Tae Rin added:

“We want the census to be abolished.”

Choi Yoon took out a hat from the back seat and pulled it down low. He said:

“No matter how passionately I support the protest on stage, it’ll only make the people here feel good and that’s it. We need support from the entire nation beyond Jangcheon. We’ll expand the whole playing field.”

Before she could ask how that would be possible, Choi Yoon turned his body completely towards Kim Tae Rin.

“How about this?”

The bright vitality was unfamiliar. As if belonging to someone who knew no failure.

“You protect me. Don’t let anyone harm me.”

“Then…”

“I’ll protect Jangcheon. I’ll protect you from the government.”

“Is that possible?”

Choi Yoon smiled prettily.

“Just let me sleep. When this is over, I’ll really have nowhere to go.”

The persistent request for a place to sleep made Kim Tae Rin laugh despite herself.

“If we just get through today safely, room and board won’t be a problem.”

“How kind.”

Choi Yoon made a playful expression. As if they were neighbors who had long participated in protests together, Choi Yoon added warmly:

“And answer my calls. Don’t ignore me like last time.”

“My phone is broken.”

“Ah.”

Choi Yoon blinked and then took out his phone from his back pocket. Smiling, he firmly placed his phone in Kim Tae Rin’s hand.

“I see. And here I thought you were just a rude tenant who didn’t know manners. Use this. We’ll need to contact each other to meet up later.”

“Then what about you…”

“I have another one. That’s for personal use. This is for work.”

After showing another phone from the console box, Choi Yoon got out of the driver’s seat.

Is it okay to accept it?

Kim Tae Rin gripped the phone tightly before shoving it in her pocket. Just as she was about to unbuckle her seatbelt and get out:

The door opened wide.

Choi Yoon stood outside holding the door open, watching Kim Tae Rin get out of the car, and said:

“Guide me. I don’t know the way.”

With an attitude that seemed very proud of this being his first time here, Choi Yoon emphasized again:

“This is my first time here. I really don’t know at all. Not at all.”

“Okay. Just follow me.”

Just as she was about to take the lead, someone pushed strongly from behind, and Kim Tae Rin nearly fell face-first.

She barely managed to keep her balance by grabbing Choi Yoon’s chest, but then someone stepped on her foot properly. A yelp escaped involuntarily.

“Are you alright?”

Choi Yoon pulled Kim Tae Rin’s back into an embrace with a worried face. He held out his hand.

“Take it. There are too many people.”

Just as she was about to decline, her shoulder was severely bumped. Kim Tae Rin unconsciously grabbed Choi Yoon’s arm.

Choi Yoon slightly frowned.

For a moment she thought he was displeased by her touching him, but then she realized his gaze was following the passerby who had bumped into her, not her.

With a cold look in his eyes, he muttered:

“You’ll get hurt.”

Kim Tae Rin couldn’t answer, and Choi Yoon didn’t wait any longer.

Choi Yoon grasped Kim Tae Rin’s hand. The warmth enveloping her was surprisingly large and soft, as if it wasn’t a human hand.

“Shall we go?”

Choi Yoon tugged on the hand he was holding.

Kim Tae Rin tried to twist her hand free, but then saw another wave of people rushing over and changed her mind. Instead, she firmly grasped Choi Yoon’s hand and quickly said:

“We might lose each other before even reaching the stage.”

Choi Yoon smiled. Kim Tae Rin tried not to act awkward as she pulled on their joined hands to lead the way.

“This way. It’s faster to go around the side.”

Kim Tae Rin entered along the edge instead of cutting through the middle of the protest.

Kim Tae Rin set the direction, but the strength to push through the crowds came from Choi Yoon.

Whenever she was about to bump into someone or trip, Choi Yoon deftly caught her or pulled her close.

However, the countless people compared to the small county office courtyard were really too much to handle, and at one point she was hit on the head by someone wildly swinging a picket sign.

When Kim Tae Rin let out a weak groan, Choi Yoon’s face hardened.

He asked for understanding and then let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

“Come closer. More. A little more. Just put your arm around my waist. When else will you get to hug a celebrity? Feel free to indulge your personal interests.”

“Who said I have personal interests? I told you I don’t like you.”

“That’s good then. It’ll be more comfortable since your heart won’t flutter being this close. Since you dislike me anyway.”

Though that should be true, her heart kept racing. Because she absolutely didn’t want to show it, Kim Tae Rin calmly put her arm around his waist.

“That’s right. Good.”

Choi Yoon said with a slightly amused tone:

“Watch your step.”

Because they were practically hugging, his low, soft voice resonated through her whole body rather than just her ears.

After that, the two moved as one. After nearly falling a few times when their feet got tangled, Kim Tae Rin gave up on all areas not touching Choi Yoon. Their speed picked up quickly after that.

But how clear was her pounding heart? She felt certain Choi Yoon, being so close, would notice. Her mouth was dry.

Meanwhile, Choi Yoon’s face showed no reaction at all, as if he was very used to this kind of thing.

Well, hugging women probably wasn’t rare for him, what with fan meetings and dramas. Thinking that far, her tension finally subsided a bit.

Suddenly while walking, she noticed a small shadow flickering at the corner of her eye.

When she tilted her head up slightly, Choi Yoon’s hand spread diagonally right above was within reach.

In contrast to the firm grip holding her shoulder tightly, the hand shading her forehead was careful as if worried about touching.

Sensing Kim Tae Rin’s puzzled gaze, Choi Yoon said while looking ahead:

“Watch your head.”

The protest leader began leading the demonstration from the stage visible in the distance.

“The government is trying to completely separate yokai from human society through this census! This is clearly unconstitutional, an anachronistic atrocity that goes against the constitution’s principle of humans and yokai respecting each other and coexisting!”

A unified roar erupted.

“Government!”

“Wake up!”

“This discriminatory and coercive policy that the government has nicely packaged must absolutely not be implemented! We hereby declare that we will fight until the government abolishes the census! Stop yokai oppression!”

The crowd rose up in unison, waving their picket signs.

“Yokai oppression!”

“Stop it!”

“Census!”

“We oppose!”

Suddenly Choi Yoon’s steps halted.

Kim Tae Rin followed his gaze.

The stage. The representative standing on it. The large, long board-like thing that several citizens were dragging up beside him.

Oh no.

It was that signboard that the neighbors had carried, dreaming only of this protest, when Choi Yoon was at Funbak Restaurant just hours ago.

Kim Tae Rin was quite taken aback.

Knowing in your head that so many people oppose you versus seeing it directly are completely different matters.

“Choi Yoon, immediately withdraw from being the census promotion ambassador!”

“Withdraw!”

“Withdraw!”

The protest ignited in an instant.

“Wow.”

Choi Yoon let out a short exclamation. He muttered:

“They managed to get that somehow.”

Choi Yoon suddenly looked down at her. Meeting Kim Tae Rin’s eyes, he whispered with a very serious face:

“I heard the Yokai Management Department had quite a headache because that would disappear every time they put it up, so they eventually gave up and stopped making them. It was supposedly very expensive to even get one made. I wonder how they got it?”

Choi Yoon stared at the signboard again before looking down at Kim Tae Rin. The troubled look was gone, replaced by mischief dripping from his words.

“When even boards with my photo sell for high prices, here you are seeing me in person up close. You really hit the jackpot, right?”