After that, I continued to see Min Yugeon from time to time. We usually met at his house or somewhere outside rather than at my place inside the restricted zone, although technically, as a close colleague of my parents and a fellow researcher, Min Sanghan had the clearance to bring his family into our home.
But just as Yugeon said, he was someone with a packed schedule. He barely had time to attend gatherings, let alone stop by our house.
Since Min Sanghan was frequently absent, my parents grew closer to Lee Minha through many conversations. When an occasion came up where they had to leave home, they asked her to look after me.
“What do we do about this?”
And things went wrong on the very day of the event.
Today was the academic conference attended by all the researchers from the ship, including my mother, my father, and Min Sanghan. Lee Minha, who had agreed to watch over me, suddenly sent word that she wasn’t feeling well. She had such a high fever that even moving was difficult—there was no way they could burden her with taking care of me on top of that.
“She must be struggling just taking care of Yugeon.”
“Exactly. She sounded terrible.”
Looking worried and at a loss, my mother tapped on her watch, just having finished a call with Lee Minha. My father then tried contacting a few acquaintances, including the babysitter who had looked after me before, but no one was available.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
“Mom, Dad.”
“Hm?”
“Just go. I can stay home by myself.”
“What…?”
Startled, my parents immediately shook their heads and wrapped their arms around my shoulders. They looked devastated, blaming themselves for putting me in a position where I felt the need to say that. I fell silent. I really was fine… but my opinion was quietly dismissed.
In that situation, the one who came to our aid was Ji Chanwoo. We were already outside, preparing to leave for Min Yugeon’s place, when he noticed my parents struggling to figure out what to do. Curious, he approached with a subtle presence, and upon hearing a brief explanation of the situation, he offered to take care of me himself.
“I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this of you, Lieutenant. I feel like we’re imposing.”
“It’s no problem. Technically, it’s not even a violation of duty.”
“Thank you so much.”
My parents repeatedly thanked Ji Chanwoo, gave me a tight hug, and finally left. As I watched them go, Ji Chanwoo tousled my hair, saying I was brave. In an instant, my hair became a complete mess.
“…Hm?”
We had come back inside and were sitting in the living room watching the kids’ channel when it happened.
Suddenly, Ji Chanwoo stared down at his feet. I followed his gaze and looked down as well. All I could see was the neatly laid carpet. I looked at him, puzzled.
“What is it?”
“……”
He muted the TV. With neither of us speaking, the living room went completely silent.
Then he slowly shook his head.
“Never mind. I must have imagined it.”
“?”
Imagined what? Blinking in confusion, I turned my eyes back to the animation, now playing again with sound.
On the screen, the protagonist was setting off on an adventure, holding a blunt spear and shield, only to run into a monster. Standing on a small mountain peak, the monster stared menacingly while the flustered protagonist broke out into a cartoonishly exaggerated sweat. Apparently terrified by the creature, his pupils spun wildly.
—KROOOAR!
The monster suddenly leapt from its perch and landed right in front of the protagonist. Thud! A heavy sound effect accompanied its impact, and it felt as if the floor beneath us had shaken slightly.
“Suho.”
“Yes?”
“I’m just going to step downstairs for a bit. Keep watching this.”
“Okay.”
Still immersed in the animation, I answered without thinking. Ji Chanwoo quietly got up. I felt the sunken sofa rise as he left.
Time passed, and the scene I’d been watching so intently came to a climax. In the end, the protagonist defeated the monster and jumped for joy. The story wasn’t very long, but it was entertaining. As the upbeat ending music played, I suddenly noticed the now-empty seat beside me.
Come to think of it, where did he say he was going?
“…Downstairs.”
Muttering to myself, I blinked in realization and glanced down at the floor Ji Chanwoo had examined earlier. If he said downstairs…
Without hesitation, I hopped off the sofa and scampered off to a place I’d only peeked at now and then.
Unlike the staircase that connected the second and first floors, the stairs leading from the first floor to the basement were designed to be hidden. The basement entrance, which normally looked like just another part of the flat living room floor, was now wide open.
It didn’t really strike me as strange that Ji Chanwoo had managed to access a place secured with a password. I’d seen him go down to the basement with my father on the day we moved in. As the commanding officer of the soldiers stationed near our home, he had clearance to enter the basement in case of emergencies.
I looked down at the softly lit space below. I had always been curious about that place, and now I had the chance to look inside. A wave of curiosity—so strong it felt almost uncontrollable—swept through my head.
In the end, I carefully placed my foot on the stairs.
“……”
But the first obstacle came immediately. The stairs seemed to go on forever. I kept moving my arms and legs, descending step by step. I nearly tripped a few times, but managed to keep my balance and reached the bottom unscathed.
Once I stepped off the last stair and onto solid ground, I looked around. A small gasp slipped out between heavy breaths. Even though it was technically a basement, it was still part of the ship, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how such a space could even exist within the structure of a vessel.
It was larger than the upper floors. Sturdy pillars rose throughout the area, and doors lined the walls, each one sparking curiosity about what lay beyond. Still, the unfamiliar emptiness of the space carried a subtle tension.
My hands, now cool with sweat, slipped into my pockets. My fingers brushed against something hard.
“Ah.”
It was the cube Min Yugeon had given me. I pulled it out and turned it over in my hands, feeling a bit more at ease.
I wandered aimlessly, glancing around, my footsteps soft and steady. That was when I discovered a single corridor, cleverly hidden behind one of the pillars. I instinctively knew that this was the most important place in the entire area. Without hesitation, I headed toward it.
Bang!
A sudden boom rang out from somewhere. I flinched in surprise, and at that moment, something at the end of the corridor locked eyes with me.
“……!”
It wasn’t human. Its forehead was pressed against a transparent barrier, glaring straight at me.
A broad face wrapped in a thick, tawny mane. Almond-shaped yellow eyes. A massive body covered in sleek, flowing fur.
…A beast.
They’re real. My mouth slowly fell open in shock. It was nothing like the rounded, cute images I’d seen in books or videos. This creature exuded a sharp, palpable menace. It wasn’t funny or entertaining at all—anyone faint of heart would lose sleep for days after seeing it.
And yet, instead of fear…
I stared intently at the creature beyond the barrier.
The entirely inhuman physique, the chilling aura that radiated from head to toe—what I saw wasn’t terrifying, but majestic. Far from being disappointed that it didn’t match my expectations, I was utterly captivated.
I walked toward it, meeting its gaze. The beast clicked its jagged teeth.
“Hi.”
—Grrrr…
The growl was low and unclear, but audible. As I drew closer, the beast’s wide, glaring eyes slowly narrowed. It lifted its forehead from the wall and matched my gaze with narrowed pupils.
From those massive forelegs, which looked strong enough to swat me away with a single blow, the razor-sharp claws gradually retracted.
“I’m Seo Suho.”
—……
“What’s your name?”
—……
The beast said nothing, only staring directly into my eyes.
Thinking about it, that was a pretty dumb question. There was no way a beast could speak human language. A sigh slipped out, disappointed by the realization that we couldn’t communicate. Just in case, I looked around, hoping there might be a label or a name tag for the creature—but it was a waste of time.
I stepped even closer to the silent, watchful beast. Pressing my hand against the barrier, I felt a chill spread across my skin.
Why was it so angry just moments ago?
“If you charge like that again, you could get hurt.”
I glanced up at the creature’s massive form—too large to take in all at once. Maybe Ji Chanwoo had come down here after hearing the crashing sounds. I didn’t know where he had gone, but he had to be somewhere nearby.
“Were you just frustrated?”
The creature turned to look behind itself. It wasn’t that the space was too small for its size, but it didn’t look like it had the freedom to move around either.
“Or… are you hungry?”
The once-calm creature perked its ears. I froze.
