Chapter10 My Garden

It had been over a week since the duel at Mr. Geon-woo's anniversary. Ji-ho had passed out after the fight and woke up the next morning, sore and confused. By then, everything was already over. They'd returned to their hotel the Next day, although Ji-ho had tried hard to avoid it. But arguing with Ye-rin? A battle he could never win.

Since then, he had started adapting to this strange world. The noise, the gadgets, the food, even the weird glowing billboards. He even began to enjoy some things. Though Geon-woo had called him several times, practically begging him to join the EDC, Ye-rin had something else in mind. Now, Ji-ho lay spread out on their shared double bed. Suddenly, he let out a loud scream.

"Aaahh!" Ye-rin, who was nearby, burst into laughter. "What was that?" she teased. "What could make you scream like that?" Ji-ho quickly sat up, trying to play it cool. "Nothing! Just… this thingy. You called it a phone, right?"

His eyes were locked onto the small screen.

Ye-rin raised a brow. "You're seriously addicted to that phone now. When's the last time you even touched a book?" Ji-ho was about to clap back, but another video popped up on his screen, and he got distracted again.

Ye-rin rolled her eyes and jumped onto the bed with him. "Alright, hand it over," she said, grabbing the phone while sitting on top of him. "Let's see what you're so into."

"Hey, hey, wait! What are you doing?!" Ji-ho protested, trying to wrestle the phone back.

In the chaos, he slipped and ended up on top of her. For a moment, everything froze.

Ye-rin's breath caught. Her wide eyes stared up at him, cheeks turning red. Ji-ho's heart thudded in his chest. They stayed like that awkward, close, unsure.

Then the phone buzzed with a loud ding! and an announcement blared from the screen. Ji-ho snapped out of it, quickly rolling off and sitting on the edge of the bed. His face was burning. Ye-rin sat up too, trying to catch her breath, brushing her hair behind her ear.

The video on the phone showed a crowd cheering as EDC rookies were brought onto a stage, bright flashes from the cameras lighting up their faces. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Then Ye-rin broke the silence with a grin.

"I've decided." Ji-ho raised a brow. "Decided what?" "I'm not telling unless you beg," she said, puffing out her cheeks. "Spill it already," Ji-ho sighed, smirking. "Hmph. You're no fun," she pouted. "Anyway we're going house hunting today." Ji-ho's face lit up. "Finally!" He dropped back onto the bed, arms spread wide.

Ye-rin stood and pointed to the bathroom. "So, bathe, get dressed. We leave in an hour." As she headed down the stairs, Ji-ho stayed on the bed a little longer, staring at the ceiling.

His smile faded into something softer, calmer. He let the silence wrap around him, letting everything he had experienced so far sink in. This world was strange. But maybe… just maybe, it wasn't so bad.

Later that day, they had just gotten out of the taxi, the city lights of Seoul glowing softly around them. Ji-ho wore his usual outfit,baggy pants, a hoodie with the cap pulled low, and sneakers that had seen too many streets. Ye-rin, by contrast, looked fresh and bright in her simple casual dress. She adjusted the strap of her small bag and took a deep breath of the city air.

Ji-ho looked around and smiled. "Seoul always makes me feel alive," he said, taking in the buzz of the evening. But just as he was about to take a step forward, someone shouted, "Ohh, isn't that White Blade?!"

Ji-ho's smile froze. That name… it rang louder the second time. "White Blade!" another person shouted. "Oh no," Ye-rin muttered, turning to look at him. "You've gotten famous." She grinned and gave him a playful nudge on the arm.

Ji-ho rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think people would recognize me so easily."

They were still bickering when a group of girls started running towards them like a pack of excited fans. One of them tripped over her own feet but got up quickly, shouting his name with stars in her eyes.

Ye-rin's eyes widened. "Uh-oh. They're coming fast."

Ji-ho panicked. "Let's make a run for it!" Ye-rin shouted, grabbing Ji-ho's hand. They sprinted through the busy street, dodging people and jumping over a small row of potted plants. Ji-ho nearly crashed into a food cart, mumbling a quick apology as they kept running. After several blocks, they turned into a narrow alley, hearts pounding. Ji-ho leaned against a wall, panting. "Did we lose them?" he asked between breaths.

"I think so," Ye-rin said, her cheeks flushed, hair slightly messy but her grin wide.

As he caught his breath, Ji-ho noticed a small shop across the street. Something about it pulled at him. "That energy… feels familiar," he whispered. Ye-rin followed his gaze. "You know the owner?" He blinked, then looked at her. "Me? No. Do you?" Ye-rin smiled. "Yeah, I do. That's Yoon Je-hyeok's place. I buy food from there sometimes. Why?" Ji-ho's expression changed, just for a moment, as he stared at the shop.

"Anything wrong?" Ye-rin asked, watching him. He shook his head with a small smile. "Oh no, nothing at all." He looked at the shop once more, almost like he was seeing someone inside. "So this is what you do here…" he murmured under his breath.

Then he turned to Ye-rin. "Let's go. We've got houses to see."

The first house was big. Like, really big. "Whoa," Ji-ho said as they stepped in.

It had creaky wooden floors, a chandelier that looked like it might fall at any moment, and a hallway that went on forever.

"Why does this feel like the opening to a horror movie?" Ye-rin asked, clinging to his arm.

Ji-ho poked a dusty piano in the corner. There was a letter attached to it "Dine with the underworld." "Nope," Ye-rin said, turning around. "Hard pass," Ji-ho agreed, already halfway to the door

They had moved to another location, where they came across another house, this one was more modern, "Why are there plants everywhere?" Ji-ho whispered. There were vines hanging from the ceiling, a full-on tree growing in the living room, and the kitchen had a pond next to the fridge. "It's like someone tried to live inside a greenhouse," Ye-rin said, poking a hanging fern.

A butterfly landed on Ji-ho's nose. He froze again. Ye-rin burst out laughing. "You look like a princess," she laughed. "Let's go before a parrot starts giving us a tour," Ji-ho muttered, shooing the butterfly away.

The third one was nothing fancy. Just a small, simple house with white walls, wooden floors, and soft lighting. It smelled like fresh paint and faintly of coffee. Ji-ho walked around silently, hands in his pockets. Ye-rin followed from behind.

watching the sunset through the glass.

"I like this one," she said. He nodded. "Me too." They moved together through the small rooms, imagining where they'd put their things. Ji-ho stopped in front of a small fireplace. "seems nice," he whispered.

Ye-rin leaned on his shoulder. "Yeah. Not perfect, but… perfect enough."

They had issues with the greedy realtor who tried over-pricing the house, eventually they signed the papers. The bills would be covered once the contract was done, and for the first time, it felt real. They had a place to call their own.

That evening, back at the hotel, they sat on the rooftop, watching the city one last time. A gentle breeze swept Ye-rin's hair as she sipped from a bottle of soda. "This might be the last time we're here like this," she said softly. Ji-ho looked at her. "You'll miss it?"

She nodded, smiling. "We did meet in this hotel or rather You met me." She stretched her arms wide. " meeting You, making my sister jealous, to Running from fans, haunted houses, plant attacks" she giggled," it's always fun with you."

Ji-ho reached over and took her hand. "I'm glad we met." She leaned her head on his shoulder. " look at us, we'd go back to total strangers after a year, rather just You would be going back, her voice carried by a sharp pain in her gut. Ji-ho remained silent, he looked down at her. There was silence for a while, filled only by the distant hum of the city.

Meanwhile, Somewhere far from the bright lights of Seoul, in a forgotten village surrounded by thick forest, the moon hung low and silver in the sky. A man knelt in the dirt, trembling. His hands were bound, his face soaked in sweat and blood. "Please, boss," he begged, voice cracking. "Just give us more time…"

A shadow moved. A man-like figure stepped forward. Tall. Pale. His eyes glowed red under the moonlight, sharp teeth glinting like blades. "Time?" the figure repeated, voice cold. He raised one hand. In a flash, the man screamed. His right arm dropped to the ground. The pain was instant and unbearable. He fell over, rolling in agony.

"Take this pig out of my sight," the red-eyed man said.

Two others came out of the shadows, dragging the bleeding man away. The pale man stood still, eyes watching the moon.

"Very soon," he said to himself. "I will not fail."