I grabbed Vin’s hand first. He, who was used to being the one to approach, widened his eyes in surprise, but soon smiled beautifully and quietly followed as I led the way.
We left the room and walked through the bright corridor, searching for a nearby garden. Unlike Zone 5, which was always dim and unable to use electric lights, Zone 1 allowed no trace of darkness, illuminating everything around us.
“This feels like a temple.”
The white pillars supporting the walls resembled those in pictures of ancient temples. I had thought the mansion in Zone 5 was massive, but compared to those in Zone 1, it now felt endlessly small and modest.
“Are we going the right way?”
“I’m not sure either.”
Without knowing exactly where to go, we simply followed the corridor. Since this place had no night, it was impossible to tell the time, but judging by how we hadn’t encountered a single person on our way here, it might have been this place’s version of night. The silence surrounding us was overwhelming.
“Maybe over there?”
Vin raised his hand and pointed somewhere. Following his fingertip, I spotted a greenhouse-like structure. We had finally found it.
“Let’s go.”
Grabbing Vin’s hand, I pulled him along as we ran toward the greenhouse. The quiet corridor echoed with our hurried footsteps until we arrived at the entrance. Unable to hold back my amazement, I let out a small exclamation.
“Wow.”
The sheer scale of it was unbelievable for a greenhouse located inside a mansion. A lawn filled with flowers of every color and a small lake in the center made it feel like an entire forest had been transplanted here. It reminded me of the forest in Zone 5.
I descended the low steps, staring at the unfamiliar yet oddly familiar scenery. As I stepped onto the grass, a soft rustling sound reached my ears, and the fragrant scent of leaves tickled my nose.
“This is incredible.”
Without realizing it, I let go of Vin’s hand and walked forward. Looking up, I saw the moon shining down on us. Bathed in its soft glow, I closed my eyes briefly before slipping off my stifling shoes, stepping barefoot onto the grass.
A breeze from somewhere gently ruffled my hair. Inhaling deeply, I took in the mix of grass and floral scents before turning back to look at Vin, who was still standing in place.
“Vin, come down too.”
“……”
“Don’t be scared. Hurry.”
After hesitating for a moment, Vin took my hand and stepped down the low stairs one at a time. His trembling red eyes remained fixed on his feet as they touched the grass.
Then, slowly, he lifted his gaze to the moonlight streaming down. His lips, which had briefly twisted as if he might cry, curved into a smile.
“Vin, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Vin answered with a muffled voice, forcing a bright tone as he looked at me and smiled radiantly. Not knowing what to say, I just squeezed the hand I was holding a little tighter. His long, slender fingers intertwined even deeper with mine.
“I think it’s much better than I imagined.”
“What is?”
“The light.”
Only then did I understand why Vin had hesitated in an uncharacteristic way. It was unfamiliar to him. The entire time he’d been here, he had never once been able to step comfortably into the light.
A small child who had always hidden in the shadows, avoiding people’s eyes, was now standing proudly under the open sky. This must have been his first time experiencing it. Knowing Vin’s past—that even the light, which touched everyone equally, had never belonged to him—made my heart ache.
“Let’s go over there.”
Holding Vin’s hand as he eagerly gazed at the moon, I led him toward the lake at the center of the greenhouse. Vin looked around in excitement, marveling at everything like a child on his first outing.
We settled down near the lakeshore. Rolling up my pant legs to my knees, I dipped my feet into the clear water. Vin, after watching me for a moment, did the same, pulling up his pants and submerging his feet.
“It’s cold.”
“Of course, it’s water.”
I kicked my feet, splashing the surface. As expected, Vin followed my lead, thrashing his legs wildly. Water sprayed everywhere, soaking my clothes. Even when I glared at him in warning, he was too caught up in the fun to stop.
“What the hell! I’m getting soaked!”
I showed him my drenched clothes and scolded him, but Vin just laughed, clearly having the time of his life. Annoyed, I scooped up water with both hands and splashed it right into his smug, grinning face.
“Hahaha, look at your face!”
Vin froze, water dripping from his chin, his eyes blinking slowly. Then, as if seeking revenge, he quickly gathered water in both hands and flung it at me.
“Hey, stop that.”
“You started it, Seo-yul hyung!”
“Oh, you little—!”
And just like that, our playful water fight began. Splashing each other with our hands wasn’t enough—we started pushing and pulling at each other, trying to shove the other into the lake. By the time we came to our senses, we were both drenched from head to toe, looking like a pair of drowned rats.
“Look at us. We’re soaked.”
I lifted the hem of my dripping clothes and let it go, making a wet squelching sound. We had to dry off at least a little before heading back, or we’d leave a trail of evidence behind.
Struggling to climb out of the lake onto the grass, I suddenly felt Vin grab my ankle and yank me back. My body spun as I was pulled back into the water—straight into his firm embrace.
“Vin, you—!”
“Don’t go. Stay here a little longer.”
Vin smiled beautifully as he spoke. He must have really enjoyed our little water fight—he was as happy as a child. Meanwhile, I was already exhausted.
“You can stay and play by yourself. I’m tired.”
“Why? Just a little longer.”
He normally didn’t cling like this, so he must have really taken a liking to this place. Seeing him so happy, I wanted to stay with him a bit more, but after being in the water for so long, my body was starting to shiver.
“Seo-yul hyung, please? Just a little longer.”
“Let go first so we can talk. This is uncomfortable.”
“No. If I let go, you’ll leave.”
His arms, wrapped tightly around my shoulders, kept pulling me closer. With our soaked clothes pressed together, I could feel every bit of him against me, nothing hidden between us.
Maybe because of how close we were, or maybe because the scent of water was fading, but Vin’s scent was becoming stronger. Even in the cold water, I felt like I was on the verge of burning up.
“Wait—okay, fine, so let go for now—”
“Really? That’s great.”
Vin lowered his head, and his damp breath brushed against the back of my neck. A shiver ran down my spine. His wet hair tickled my overly sensitive skin, making my vision blur and clear repeatedly.
“Vin, hold on—”
“Seo-yul hyung smells like cocoa.”
“That’s not—”
“It’s getting stronger.”
Again. He could sense a scent even I wasn’t aware of. I tried to focus on my senses, just as the old woman had told me, attempting to suppress the fragrance leaking out. But it wasn’t easy.
Rather than me controlling my scent, Vin’s was growing stronger, making my head feel hazy.
My mind screamed at me to push him away immediately, warning lights flashing in my head, but it felt like more than just my clothes were damp and clinging.
“Get a grip!”
I clung to the last thread of rationality I had left and finally shoved Vin away. Staggering backward, he lost his balance and plunged into the lake with a loud splash. Only then did the overwhelming scent dissipate.
Even as I tried to regain my composure, Vin remained underwater, not surfacing. Shit. Could he not swim? Watching the bubbles rising to the surface, I hesitated for only a moment before reaching down and pulling him back up.
“Vin, are you okay?”
He coughed violently, spitting out the water he’d swallowed, shaking his head furiously. I helped his unsteady body out of the lake, supporting him as we stumbled onto the grass.
Lying on the damp lawn, Vin let out a small groan, his body trembling.
“I didn’t know you couldn’t swim.”
“I never learned… how to swim.”
Well, that made sense. There weren’t many places to swim in Zone 5. There was a lake to the east, but it was far too vast and deep to swim in safely.
“You can’t just push someone like that.”
“You wouldn’t let go even when I told you to.”
“Still, that was too much.”
Vin pouted and grumbled. If we were going to argue about it, I had plenty to say too, but I kept my mouth shut. At least I hadn’t swallowed as much water as he had.
“Let’s dry off a bit and head back.”
Vin, still exhausted from coughing up water, nodded weakly. He wrung out his wet clothes as best as he could, and I did the same before lying down on the grass beside him.
“The moon is really beautiful.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Even though his gaze was fixed on me instead of the sky, Vin shamelessly agreed with my words. When I turned to look at him and pointed out that I had been talking about the moon, he nodded as if he already knew. Yeah, sure he did.
“Should we head back?”
Our clothes had dried enough. I got up, brushing off the bits of grass that had stuck to my damp clothes, then reached out a hand to Vin.
He narrowed his eyes in protest, as if trying to silently complain about how tired he was, but the moment he saw my offered hand, his expression softened in an instant. Just as our hands were about to touch, a sudden projectile came flying toward us.
“Seo-yul hyung!”
Vin sprang up and yanked me back just in time. A fist-sized rock hit the ground where I had just been standing, rolling across the grass.
Where the hell had that come from? My heart pounded from the shock, and as I steadied myself, I followed Vin’s sharp gaze toward the source.
“The rumors were true.”
Crunch. The heavy sound of footsteps pressing into the grass echoed through the garden. A gust of wind swept through, rustling the dull red hair of the figure standing before us.
He tossed the rock he was holding into the air, catching it effortlessly as his gaze locked onto Vin’s. A twisted smirk curled across his lips.
“The little bug came crawling back.”
