I stood in front of the mirror, checking my appearance over and over again. I had left in such a hurry that I barely had time to pack, leaving me with few clothing options.
Still, I picked out the best of what I had—the most ordinary, inconspicuous outfit among Han Seo-yul’s clothes.
Once my hair was perfectly in place, I looked at my reflection. I pressed my fingertips to the corners of my mouth and lifted them upward. My face, which had looked gloomy, brightened for a moment, but as soon as I let go, it returned to its original state.
“Smile. Come on, just smile.”
I lightly slapped my cheeks, repeating the same words to myself. I looked back at the mirror and adjusted my expression. As always, I tried to wear a kind and cheerful look, not a forced smile but a natural one.
Click. The doorknob turned, and the door swung open. Han Jae-hoon stepped into the room and stopped briefly when he saw me standing in front of the mirror. Then, he smiled.
“You look good.”
“Thank you.”
The conversation didn’t continue beyond that. I returned my gaze to the mirror, practicing my smile, while Han Jae-hoon lingered by the door, hesitant to come any closer.
“If… if you don’t have enough money—”
“No, I think I have enough.”
I cut him off sharply. At that, he muttered something under his breath and let out an awkward laugh. The silence between us grew uncomfortable again.
I turned to look out the window, but since it was always daytime here, I couldn’t tell the time. I figured Vin must have finished getting ready by now, so I prepared to leave.
To exit the room, I had to walk past Han Jae-hoon, who was standing by the door. I was about to leave without saying goodbye but then stopped in my tracks. Looking at him, I repeated the promise I had made him swear to countless times before.
“Make sure you keep your promise.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
The moment he finished speaking, I turned away without hesitation. Even as I walked off, he called after me, wishing me a safe trip. I paused for a brief second, swallowing the surge of emotions rising inside me, and then continued walking forward without looking back.
“Seo-yul hyung!”
From a distance, Vin spotted me and ran over, waving his arms enthusiastically. Quickly wiping away the troubled expression I had been wearing, I greeted him with a bright smile.
I wasn’t sure where he had found such clothes, but Vin was dressed in a crisp shirt and ankle-length trousers. There wasn’t a single flashy decoration, yet he looked more radiant than ever.
As he shyly fiddled with his awkwardly styled hair, he avoided my gaze, seemingly embarrassed. A soft blush had begun creeping up his cheeks, turning his entire face a brilliant shade of red.
It was such a beautiful, vivid color.
“What, did you dress up because we’re going out?”
“Just… a little.”
Vin answered in a shy voice, then hesitantly asked if it suited him well. There was no need to even think about it. Without a moment’s hesitation, I replied,
“Yeah, it looks good on you.”
“That’s a relief.”
Vin tilted his head slightly and smiled. He looked so beautiful. So much so that I felt like I might cry. To cover it up, I rubbed my eyes, pretending that a speck of dust had gotten in.
Quickly swallowing my emotions, I put on a casual smile and took Vin’s hand. As he lowered his gaze, he quietly intertwined his fingers with mine.
“Let’s go now.”
He shook our tightly clasped hands slightly as he spoke.
***
With the help of a butler from Zone 1, we left the mansion and headed for the western estate. The path leading to the main gate was far longer than in Zone 5, but since it was always bright here, I had no way of telling how much time had passed.
Unlike Zone 5, the scenery on the way to the main gate was full of sights to see, yet none of it truly caught my eye. My mind was entirely occupied with other thoughts.
“Seo-yul hyung, look over there.”
Unlike me, Vin was thrilled by the constantly changing view, finding it all endlessly fascinating.
After traveling for a while, we finally arrived at the western town.
The moment we stepped out of the car, dazzling flower petals rained down from the sky to welcome us. I reached out to catch the petals drifting through the air like cherry blossoms. One gently landed in the palm of my hand.
“So pretty….”
The sight was breathtaking enough to make me gasp in awe. The flower petals fluttering in the blue sky, the street performances, the vibrantly decorated buildings—all of it was mesmerizing.
Before we got swept up in the bustling crowd, I reached out and held Vin’s hand again.
“Vin, let’s go over there.”
“Okay.”
The first place we visited was a street food stall. As expected from a grand festival, the stalls seemed endless, offering everything from familiar dishes to strange, exotic foods I’d never seen before.
This was my first time stepping out of the mansion as Han Seo-yul and blending into such a large crowd, so naturally, I felt a bit on edge. Each time, as if he could sense my tension like a ghost, Vin would check on me, asking if I was okay.
“I’m fine. It’s just that there are a lot of people.”
“If you feel overwhelmed, promise you’ll tell me.”
“Yeah, I will.”
After answering, I refocused on the food stalls. As time passed, the once-unfamiliar atmosphere started to feel more familiar, and my nerves gradually eased.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I’m fine with anything.”
Since Vin left the choice entirely up to me, I ended up taking a long time to decide. After much deliberation, I bought two skewers and a pretty pink-hued floral lemonade.
Looking for a place to sit and eat, we made our way to the fountain in the center of the plaza. Blending in with the crowd that had already settled there, we sat down and began eating our skewers.
“There sure are a lot of Shining here.”
“Yeah, there are.”
Most of the people passing by the fountain were wearing red wigs. Not only that, but almost everyone participating in the festival was dressed in some shade of red.
With such an overwhelming amount of red everywhere, it was a little dizzying, but at least it made Vin less noticeable in comparison. That was a relief.
“This is so good!”
“Yeah, it is.”
Vin finished his skewer in an instant and took a sip of the pink lemonade. He loved the sweet, sugary taste, but unfortunately, it didn’t suit my palate at all.
Once we had our fill, we wandered around the festival, letting our feet guide us wherever we pleased. There were no set destinations—just things we wanted to see and do.
Every time I saw Vin smiling with excitement, I wished I could capture the moment in a photo. If only this world had cameras.
I had checked Zone 1, hoping to find one, but unfortunately, it seemed like recording devices hadn’t developed here. So instead, I burned every moment into my memory, making sure I could recall them whenever I wanted.
“Seo-yul hyung, do you want to go over there?”
“Where…?”
Vin pointed toward a quiet lakeside, slightly removed from the bustling city center. A group of painters sat on foldable chairs, waiting for customers.
Before I even realized it, my feet had already started moving in that direction. As Vin and I approached, the painters eagerly began advertising their skills, each claiming to be the best at portraits.
Unable to choose just one, I hesitated for a moment before finally approaching the artist closest to us. Disappointed sighs came from the others.
“You’re here for a portrait, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Who would you like me to draw?”
The artist pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil, ready to begin. Instead of answering right away, I gently guided Vin—who was standing blankly beside me—to sit in front of the artist.
Caught off guard, Vin ended up sitting down without resistance. Before he could get back up, I pressed his shoulders down and spoke to the artist.
“Draw him.”
“Understood.”
Vin looked at me with wide, bewildered eyes, but I simply told him to face forward. Obediently, he turned his gaze ahead, and the artist quickly began sketching.
“It’s finished.”
Before long, Vin’s likeness was captured on a palm-sized piece of paper. I handed the artist the payment and carefully took the drawing. Running my fingers lightly over the paper, I traced the image of Vin.
“I want to see it too.”
Vin pressed up close beside me, peering at the finished portrait. He pouted, insisting that it didn’t really look like him, but to me, even if it wasn’t perfect, it resembled him enough. That alone was more than enough.
“Shall we go somewhere else now?”
“…What about mine?”
“Hm?”
Vin tapped the drawing lightly with his fingertip before repeating himself with more emphasis.
“What about my portrait?”
In the end, I had to get my own portrait drawn, just as Vin wanted.
Hugging the completed drawing to his chest, Vin beamed, saying this was better than anything else at the festival.
“But I think it’s not as good as the real thing.”
“Is that so?”
“Your nose is a little higher than that, and your lips are redder. The colors here look kind of dull, don’t they?”
“So… do you not like it?”
“No, I love it.”
Vin quickly corrected himself.
I was about to laugh along with him, but my chest suddenly felt tight. Pretending to watch the flower petals drifting down from the sky, I tilted my head back.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
Calling my name softly, Vin reached up and tucked a flower behind my ear—one he had picked from somewhere. Then, he placed an identical flower behind his own ear. The yellow petals contrasted beautifully with his red hair.
“Evening primrose.”
“Yeah, it’s the flower you told me about.”
Vin’s smile widened as if he were recalling the time we sat together in the garden, talking about flowers. I lifted a hand and touched the bloom resting against my ear.
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying the scent of the primroses blooming in the flowerbeds.
And in that moment, I realized—Vin’s scent was exactly like that of the evening primrose, a flower that longed endlessly for the moon.
