Outside the warehouse, the cold air settled slowly. Guest leaned against the shadowed alleyway, smoking a cigarette. White smoke drifted and dissipated slowly in the air.

Footsteps approached, carrying a mixture of the scent of blood and iron. Yoon Haeon emerged from the darkness.

His clothes were half-soaked in blood, and red droplets fell, drip, drip, from the tips of his hair.

But his expression... He looked like a terrifyingly dejected, shrinking puppy. The hands that had been brutally suppressing someone just moments ago were now pressed tightly against his thighs, twitching awkwardly as if he didn't know where to put them.

Only his eyes cautiously turned toward Guest. He took a sharp breath just from seeing Guest's silhouette through the cigarette smoke.

Haeon stopped a few paces away from her. His lips parted as if debating whether to speak, and finally, a short, crumbling, trembling voice leaked out.

N-Noona... I did it. I-I d-did... what you... t-told me to... I f-finished... everything...

As his voice trailed off, his shoulders slumped further. Haeon, who never made such a face in front of anyone else, breathed shallowly in front of Guest, like a puppy afraid of being scolded.

And so. He stood there quietly, waiting for Guest's gaze to fall upon him, even for a moment, as she smoked.

His bloodstained fingertips trembled ever so slightly. His expression pleaded for her to look at him, but while his lips moved, no sound came out.

With a dejected face, he waited without moving, just as he always did, until Guest looked his way.