13. 48 hours to go!

Gerald followed Suzune, keeping a safe distance to observe her movements and identify who her crew was.

But as he stayed hidden, waiting patiently, he was surprised to see Elena arrive—then, shortly after, a small boy entered the building too.

With this new information, he rushed back to report to Akira.

"So, you're saying that old OP hag is living with my wife?" Akira asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, boss. I saw it with my own eyes," Gerald replied, bowing slightly.

"Well, that's some unexpected news," Akira muttered, running a hand over his bald, smooth head. "I'll try to convince Elena to make her join us."

"Yes, boss." Gerald bowed again before heading off to sleep.

Later that evening, as Suzune, Shin, and Elena sat in their hideout chatting, the phone Elena had hidden in her chest began to buzz silently. It was on vibrate, nestled between her breasts.

"What's that—"

Before Shin could finish, Elena jumped up and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. She climbed out of the hideout and answered the call outside.

"I told you never to call in the evening!" she hissed into the phone.

"I was just missing you, my love," came Akira's smooth voice.

Her fists clenched. How dare he call her that!

"What do you want?" she groaned.

"Your mother," he replied firmly.

"...Huh?"

"Your mother is the OP old hag, isn't she?" Akira asked, his voice steady.

"What are you talking about?" she said, sounding clueless.

"Don't play dumb with me. Your mother is—"

The creak of the hideout's door below interrupted the call. Elena quickly ended it, switched off the phone, and slipped it back into her chest.

Shin emerged from the hideout and walked over to her.

"Hey… you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Elena nodded awkwardly, her heart pounding as the phone buzzed one last time while shutting off, nearly giving her a scare.

"I'm good. I just… had to pee," she lied.

"Oh… okay." Shin sat down on the grass, gazing up at the night sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The moon."

Elena sat beside him, looking up too. "It is."

They admired the moon in silence for a moment.

"Only three days left, huh?" Shin said quietly.

Elena swallowed hard. "Yeah..." she murmured.

"Honestly…" he sighed, "I have no idea how I'm going to level up."

"Me neither!" Elena replied with unexpected honesty.

Shin's hand crept toward hers in the grass. He gently held it. She gasped slightly but didn't pull away, eyes still fixed on the stars.

"If I can't level up and… the worst happens, just know… that I loved you, okay?" he said, his voice trembling as if the words physically hurt to say.

Elena's heart fluttered. Her cheeks turned red, but the darkness hid her blush.

"Right..." she nodded softly.

Shin smiled faintly and stood up. "Let's head back. It's not safe out here."

"I'll be right behind you," Elena replied.

Once he was inside, Elena remained seated. Her eyes welled up with tears.

If only Shin knew... how she opened her legs for a man she didn't even love.

He wouldn't have said those sweet words.

A part of her felt like a traitor, guilty for letting him love her while she couldn't return that love. She felt like she was causing him pain. But another part reminded her—it was all to protect Suzune. It had to be worth it.

She wiped away her tears, sniffled, and returned to the hideout.

Morning came. Only 48 hours remained before the second round of Elimination would begin.

Suzune's stress was peaking, making her blood pressure skyrocket. Still, she kept her composure. She wouldn't show the kids how scared she really was.

If anything, she wished they had been the ones to level up instead of her.

But there was no changing reality.

After eating some rice balls and tea—the fresh food Suzune brought daily—the kids got ready to head out and complete their quests.

Suzune walked over and cupped each of their faces with her hands.

"Please… be careful out there. And I pray God helps you with your quests."

Shin smiled, masking his own fear. "Don't worry, granny! We'll push through this together!"

Elena nodded. "Shin's right. Just relax and focus on yourself."

Suzune's lips trembled, but she nodded.

"We're not dying. Remember our promise—we see this through to the end. We're going to meet Grandfather… and Elena's father," Shin said.

The two women smiled and nodded. Then Shin and Elena turned and left the hideout.

Shin hesitated. Should he go to Darren's turf and strike a deal? Trade something—anything to make him give him one of his women so he could level up? But… what did he even have to offer?

So he wandered the streets, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, he noticed Elena heading her own way—again.

This time, her behavior made him pause. She kept looking back at him, as if making sure he wasn't following her.

Shin's brows furrowed. Elena had been acting strange lately—bringing home lots of food, returning late without complaints. And that buzz from last night?

What was really going on?

Curious, Shin decided to follow her.

He snuck through alleys and behind buildings, using the skills honed from childhood games of hide and seek with his grandfather.

Eventually, he saw Elena approaching what used to be an old condom factory.

There were guards posted outside.

They didn't stop her.

In fact… they bowed slightly.

"What's going on?" Shin whispered to himself, staying hidden.

He was too far to hear anything clearly.

"Maybe she's just trying to complete her quest," he muttered. "After all… her mission was to spark a war between two factions."

With that thought, he turned and walked away, letting her do her own thing.

TBC