“Why are you here?”

Eunha opened her mouth as if she couldn’t believe it.

“You called me.”

“…….”

In contrast, Jun remained silent. Wearing a mask made it impossible to know for sure, but he seemed lost in thought.

“I didn’t call you here.”

After a pause, that was what he said.

There was no way to confirm whether his words were true or not. The only certainty was that there was no need for her to be here anymore.

“Really? Then I’ll go back.”

Eunha coolly turned away. Jun, however, suddenly blocked her path.

“Wait a moment. Did I call you? I need to understand what you’re talking about.”

“No, didn’t I say? I’ll just leave.”

“Did you come here because I called you?”

“…….”

Eunha responded with a silence heavier than words.

Jun stared intently at Eunha behind the mask. Whether he was laughing, looking surprised, or expressionless, it was still impossible to tell.

After a long silence, he quietly pursed his lips.

“You’ve changed.”

“What?”

“You used to dislike crowded places.”

“…….”

At Jun’s words, Eunha laughed silently beneath the mask. The situation of him saying she had changed was ironic. After all, who was the one who had really changed?

“Follow me for now.”

“To where? I said I was going back.”

“Not that way. By now, reporters might be waiting in the hotel lobby. If you want to go back, use a different exit. I won’t stop you if you really want to have an interview with reporters.”

“…….”

“There’s a hidden elevator behind the banquet hall. I know the location.”

Without waiting for Eunha’s response, Jun turned around. Eunha stared at his back for a moment before slowly following him.

With different strides and speeds, they walked the same path.

Exiting the banquet hall, walking through the empty corridor, turning corners, the two of them didn’t exchange a single word.

“…….”

While chasing after Jun, Eunha stared through his back. She didn’t agree with the cat’s opinion that Jun might be trying to kidnap her, but it was clear that the human presence around them was diminishing.

When they finally left the last corridor, Jun finally stopped walking. Standing still, Eunha calmly looked around.

The ceiling, walls, and even the floor were reinforced glass, making it feel like they were floating in mid-air.

The cityscape beyond the glass window was distant. The forest of buildings in Seoul, viewed from above, sparkled faintly like a Milky Way in the dark sky.

The music that filled the banquet hall was now so distant that it couldn’t be heard. In the silence, Eunha spoke.

“In my eyes, I don’t see any elevators here.”

Jun, who had been gazing outside, responded shortly.

“Yeah. Actually, that was a lie.”
“What did you say?” Eunha’s brow furrowed behind the mask. At the same time, a yellow message window from the cat flashed. It seemed like she was taken aback.

Eunha was about to say something to Jun but closed her mouth again. She just turned her back without saying anything.

“I heard you were hospitalized.”

Jun, running his fingers over the glass window, spoke quietly.

Eunha, who had stopped moving, turned around. Jun, still not looking at her, spoke again.

“You seem healthier than I thought.”

─Indeed, Jun seemed to know about Eunha’s entrance through Busan Gate and her hospitalization. How he knew about it, and why he kept silent about it in the association, remained a mystery.

But she didn’t expect him to answer even if she asked. So, she just said it like this.

“You speak as if you’re really concerned.”

“The person I knew never even went to the hospital for anything minor, let alone being hospitalized.”

Jun’s gaze turned towards Eunha. Both of them were wearing thick masks.

“Do you plan to continue being a hunter?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I hope you quit.”

Eunha closed her mouth at the straightforward answer.

Hope I quit? Being a hunter?

“Why?”

“As you know, the world you knew and the world now are not the same. You seem to continue the role of a hunter with that absurd appearance, trying to adapt to the modern era. Do you really intend to be a concept hunter?”

No, maybe I already am. Jun muttered quietly in front of the silent Eunha.

“I’m curious. In modern times, there are plenty of hunters, why do you insist on continuing to be a hunter to that extent?”

He took a step closer.

“I don’t like the fact that someone like you is a hunter.”

A low-pitched voice like whispering a spell. His scent also came closer. It was a thick pheromone scent that made her dizzy.

Simultaneously, a voice with a similar tone brushed against Eunha’s ear.

“I like you just the way you are now.”

Not much had changed.

Standing with his back against the moon, Jun raised his head towards the moon. Come to think of it, it was a full moon that day too. Eunha stared at the elevated full moon with her eyes wide open.

Beside Eunha, staring blankly at the moon, Jun spoke again as if whispering.

“I told you before, didn’t I?”