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The weather was nice.
Clear sky. Light breeze. The kind of day people should spend outside.
Which was exactly why Ijin had agreed to this.
“…Oppa, you’re walking too fast.”
He slowed immediately.
Beside him, Dayeon adjusted her pace, hands tucked into her sleeves, looking around the forest trail with quiet excitement.
“It’s pretty,” she said.
“…It is.”
Dayeon smiled, glancing up at him.
“You’re not working today, right?”
“…No.”
“Good,” she said, satisfied. “Then today you’re just my brother.”
A Peaceful silence settled between them.
And then—
A branch snapped.
Ijin stopped.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
Dayeon blinked. “Oppa?”
Too late.
Figures dropped from the trees.
Weapons drawn.
Surrounding them in seconds.
Dayeon froze.
“…Oh.”
Pause.
“…Wait.”
Another pause.
“…Aren’t those your—”
002 stepped forward, rifle lowered—but not relaxed.
Behind him—
004 twirled a knife lazily, grinning like this was the best day of his life.
032 stood quietly, eyes scanning the area.
Others were already moving into position.
Dayeon looked around.
Then back at Ijin.
Then back at them.
“…Oppa.”
“…Yes.”
“…Why are your friends in full military gear.”
Silence.
004 snorted. “Friends?”
002 ignored him.
Dayeon pointed.
“…And why does he have a knife.”
004 raised it slightly. “You like it?”
“004,” 002 said flatly.
“…Fine.”
Dayeon pointed again.
“…And why do you have a gun.”
Pause.
Everyone looked at 002.
002, for once—
hesitated.
Then, calmly—
“…Paintball.”
Silence.
Dayeon blinked.
“…What?”
006 immediately caught on.
“Oh yeah,” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “Very intense paintball.”
032 nodded once. “Extreme version.”
Ijin closed his eyes briefly.
This was going terribly.
Dayeon looked between them.
“…With real guns?”
“They’re replicas,” 018 added from somewhere behind a tree.
“…That look real.”
“Very realistic hobby,” 006 said.
Dayeon squinted.
“…And the knives?”
Pause.
004 grinned.
“…Also paintball.”
“…You stab people in paintball?”
“Advanced level.”
Ijin finally stepped in.
“…It’s a training exercise.”
Technically not a lie.
Dayeon looked at him.
Then at them.
Then back at him.
“…Oppa.”
“…Yes.”
“…Why are they aiming at you.”
Everyone froze.
Because they were.
Subtly.
But very much so.
002 lowered his weapon slightly.
“…Habit.”
Dayeon frowned.
“…Your friends are weird.”
“…Yes.”
004 leaned closer to 002, whispering loudly, “Can we still kill the target?”
“Not now.”
“Why not?”
002 glanced at Dayeon.
004 followed his gaze.
“…Oh.”
Dayeon perked up.
“Target?”
“No,” Ijin said immediately.
“Yes,” 004 said at the same time.
Silence.
002 pinched the bridge of his nose.
“…New rule,” he said calmly.
“No mission in front of civilians.”
004 groaned. “That’s boring.”
Dayeon crossed her arms.
“I’m not a civilian, I know you guys.”
Pause.
That… made it worse.
002 looked at Ijin.
Ijin looked back.
A silent conversation.
We need to end this.
Agreed.
002 straightened.
“…Change of plan.”
All the Numbers stilled.
“…We are leaving.”
004 blinked. “We just got here.”
“…We are leaving.”
A pause.
Then,
they began to disappear.
One by one.
Back into the trees.
Gone.
004 was the last to leave.
He crouched in front of Dayeon.
Grinning.
“…Next time, I’ll show you real paintball.”
“004.”
“…Leaving.”
And then he vanished too.
Silence returned.
Like nothing had happened.
Dayeon stood there.
Processing.
“…Oppa.”
“…Yes.”
“…You have the strangest friends ever.”
“…I know.”
She looked at the trees.
Then back at him.
“…Also, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t paintball.”
Ijin paused.
“…Yes.”
“…Are they going to kill someone?”
Silence.
“…Not today.”
Dayeon sighed. Too used to these cryptic answers by now.
“…Okay.”
Then she grabbed his sleeve again.
“Let’s keep walking.”
Like it was normal.
Like none of that just happened.
Ijin glanced once at the trees.
Where he knew they were still watching.
Still the same.
Then he looked down at his sister.
“…Okay.”