Chapter 18

Summer days are long, and when Shiho Miyano finally stepped out of the laboratory building after what felt like an eternity, the sun in the sky was still blazing and radiant.

She walked out into the sunlight, her pace unhurried, quietly merging into the bustling crowd.

Along the way, she passed by nothing more than ordinary city scenes:

Cars, throngs of people, towering skyscrapers, densely packed shop signs—noisy and chaotic.

But somehow, all of this made her feel an unusual sense of relaxation.

Unlike the cold and monotonous laboratory, walking among these ordinary people under the sun gave her an illusion of freedom.

An illusion, because this sense of freedom was destined to be nothing more than a fleeting dream.

"Why do you keep walking behind me?"

Shiho Miyano suddenly stopped, hands in her pockets, turning back with an expression as cold as ice.

Lin Xinyi: "…"

Well, if I don't follow behind you, how am I supposed to know where to go?

After a brief thought, he quickly formulated a reasonable response that fit his "private bodyguard" role:

"Staying behind ensures that you're always in my sight."

"That way, I can better protect your safety."

Shiho Miyano fell silent.

A shadow of gloom flickered across her face—

"Better protect my safety?"

—probably just a more polite way of saying that if she ever showed any signs of trying to escape, he could immediately draw that Beretta M92F, identical to Gin's, and send a 9mm copper-jacketed bullet through her back, right?

Heh, when she really thought about it, wasn't being constantly watched with a gun pointed at her back something she should have already been used to?

Why bother showing unnecessary emotions toward Lin Xinyi? He was just another weapon in someone else's hands.

With that thought, a wry smile tugged at the corner of Shiho Miyano's lips.

Come to think of it, this guy had just been saying some rather ambiguous things to her in the office earlier…

Was that feeling genuine?

If it was, then that would be truly pathetic.

Because a gun doesn't need emotions—especially not emotions toward its prey.

To hold both killing intent and affection for the same person... Lin Xinyi might just be more complicated, more human, and more tragic than she had previously imagined.

"Sigh."

Shiho Miyano let out a soft sigh, looking at Lin Xinyi with a hint of pity in her gaze.

—If she stopped seeing him as just a tool sent by the organization to monitor her and instead regarded him as someone equally trapped in this nightmare, he did seem slightly less unpleasant.

Of course, just because he seemed a little more bearable didn't mean she actually liked him.

Shiho Miyano quickly adjusted her expression, not wanting Lin Xinyi to notice even the slightest change in her attitude.

Since she had no interest in him and there was no possibility between them, she absolutely couldn't show any warmth that might give him the illusion of "having a chance."

This wasn't being heartless—this was being responsible.

Unfortunately, Shiho Miyano had clearly overestimated Lin Xinyi's ability to read minds.

"First she looks annoyed, then she smirks, then she sighs, and now she's cold again..."

"What the hell is this woman thinking?!"

Lin Xinyi was completely baffled.

Shiho Miyano's inner world was far too rich—far beyond what he could comprehend.

—Compared to unpredictable women like her, dead people were much easier to understand.

A moment later, Shiho Miyano's expression returned to its usual cold, slightly frail demeanor—like a beautiful but distant ice queen.

Yet instead of walking ahead, she elegantly covered her mouth and stifled a yawn.

After wiping away the moisture at the corners of her tired eyes, she spoke to Lin Xinyi with a slightly weary tone:

"Give me some money. I want to buy some coffee from that vending machine."

...Wait, she didn't bring any money?

At the mention of money, Lin Xinyi suddenly felt a pang of distress.

After hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly pulled out his wallet and carefully picked out a single 500-yen coin.

—Would this kind of expense even be reimbursable by the company?

"Not enough." Shiho Miyano held out her hand, blatantly demanding more.

"Not enough?" Lin Xinyi frowned. He'd been to convenience stores—500 yen was more than enough for a bottle of coffee, even a premium one.

"I'm not just drinking one bottle." She yawned again.

Lin Xinyi pondered for a moment before seriously stating, "Drinking that much coffee isn't good for your health."

—And this wasn't him being stingy; it was a legitimate concern.

Excessive caffeine intake while fatigued could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

And considering he hadn't practiced CPR much since med school, his technique might not be reliable...

"Oh?"

Shiho Miyano's gaze turned slightly intrigued.

This guy actually cared about someone else's health?

Maybe she really hadn't understood him well enough before.

If what he said in the office earlier wasn't just an act, then maybe, just maybe, it was real.

Thinking back, Lin Xinyi had always looked at her strangely before. She had just never paid attention.

Now, he might have finally decided to make a move, which was why he was starting to show his concern.

But did it matter?

—Not to mention that she had no interest in him.

—Even if she did…

Given their situation, what was the point of talking about things like romance or health?

"And what if it's bad for my health?"

After a brief silence, Shiho Miyano threw him a cold look.

"We're just walking corpses pretending to be alive anyway."

"Dying a little sooner might actually be a blessing."

With those chilling words, she reached into Lin Xinyi's wallet and snatched another 500-yen coin.

"...Ugh." Lin Xinyi froze, feeling his heart ache.

Now he finally understood what his colleague, Yamada, meant when he said, "That woman always speaks in such a sinister way."

Cold, aloof, sarcastic—utterly difficult to deal with.

Was this why the original Lin Xinyi had chosen to end his life?

For a brief, absurd moment, that thought crossed his mind.

"Forget it. This job pays 890,000 yen a month."

"A minor annoyance like this is nothing. I'll just get used to it."

Shaking off his complaints, Lin Xinyi began mentally reviewing his rusty CPR techniques while following this difficult woman to the vending machine.

The vending machine was located across the street from a department store, naturally drawing heavy foot traffic.

By the time Lin Xinyi and Shiho Miyano arrived, there were already two people ahead of them in line—

A young man and woman in blue high school uniforms, standing side by side, chatting and laughing as they selected their drinks.

Soon, the boy inserted a coin and bought a can of ice-cold cola.

Then, taking advantage of the girl's distraction, he suddenly pressed the freezing can against her cheek as a playful prank.

"Ah!" The girl let out a startled yelp, shivering from the cold.

The boy chuckled mischievously, watching with amusement as she turned to glare at him in mock annoyance.

"...Huh. So that's how teenagers flirt these days?"

Lin Xinyi observed the scene thoughtfully.

He had spent his youth focused entirely on martial arts and academics, leaving no room for this kind of experience.

Now that he had changed jobs and had more free time, maybe it wasn't too late to catch up?

—Now, he had time.

—He had learned a trick.

—He could buy a cold cola anytime.

...All he lacked was a girlfriend.

For some reason, the moment that thought crossed his mind, he subconsciously glanced at Shiho Miyano.

—But he immediately dismissed the idea.

"Forget it. If it's her..."

Lin Xinyi could already imagine it:

Any normal girl would react with playful irritation.

But if he ever tried that on Shiho Miyano—assuming he even had the chance—

She'd probably just take the cola, drink it without expression, and then coldly remark, "Are you a child?"

...Definitely not cute at all.

Shaking his head, Lin Xinyi pushed those ridiculous thoughts aside and refocused on reality.

Then, he suddenly noticed something familiar about the couple ahead of him.

Especially the girl.

"Wait a minute..."

Lin Xinyi hesitated before calling out, "Miss Mori Ran?"

"Huh?" The girl turned around in surprise.

"Lin Xinyi-san? Is that you?"

—It really was her.

The same Mori Ran he had met just this morning.

He hadn't expected to run into her again so soon.

Though, to be fair, recognizing her wasn't the hard part.

—After all, even from behind...

—He could still see those distinctive horns.