Chapter 23: A Normal Life

DRIFFFFFT...
"..... He's... " Yuki gasped in utter shock, her face a mix of dazed disbelief and horror.
Yuki, Mio, Min-seo, and Yu-na were all sitting quietly on a wooden boat, completely frozen as it slowly drifted along the artificial stream inside the dark Dark Ride Funhouse.
They were several boats behind P and Hanabi. From their angle in the dim light, all they could see was P’s massive, broad frame completely shielding Hanabi from view. Hanabi's hips were lifted as she leaned upward into his embrace, while P’s head was bent down low over her.
"What is he doing...?" Yuki whispered.
"Hnnnnn— They're kissing...!" Min-seo squealed, her entire face turning bright red.
She quickly covered her eyes with her hands, but spread her fingers just enough to peek through, literal steam rising from her head. "I shouldn't be seeing this..."
"I thought they just met yesterday! This is moving way too fast!" Mio noted, deeply curious.
"There's no way she fell for him that easily. He's a dangerous guy... He could be muzzling her!" Yuki hissed frantically.
"Oh my..." Yu-na giggled with a juicy smile, holding her phone up to snap a picture to hide her face while biting the tip of her left thumb. Just keep going at it smoothly... she cheered in her mind.
Meanwhile, inside the front boat:
Blink.
"Why are you breathing like that?" Hanabi asked, looking up at P, who was panting heavily above her.
Why is she looking at me like that...? P questioned internally.
"Does shielding someone from a few splashes of water really cost you that much stamina?" Hanabi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh— Well— You see, the wound on my back..." P stammered out.
Hanabi blinked.
"I strained it a lot today... and also to shield you from the water," P offered quickly.
"Well, thanks, but I didn't actually ask for your protection," Hanabi said, sitting straight up and pulling her body away from his chest.
Heh... P scoffed in his mind, his mouth agape in absolute shock.
Girl, you would be dead three times over if I hadn't stepped in— P thought, completely baffled.
"Don't look at me like that. I get it," Hanabi said, looking away. "I think it's time for me to stop relying on other people so much... or relying on one person over and over again."
P stared down at her in complete silence, blinking slowly.
DRIP... DRIP...
A heavy silence filled the space between them as the boat floated toward the exit.
"Harhhh... I'm ruining the fun again. This ride is totally boring," Hanabi sighed.
She reached down to the seat where P was sitting and picked up the square-shaped box of luxury chocolates.
"...Then what should we try next?" P asked.
MUNCH... MUNCH...
"Hmmghm— so gooo-d~" Hanabi hummed.
P whipped his head over. Hanabi had already unboxed the chocolates and was casually eating them one by one.
He stared at her for a second, his eyes widening in sudden realization.
MUNCH.
Wait a minute... I haven't eaten a single thing today... P realized in pure horror.
His face slowly morphed into a dark, frustrated glare as he watched her happily enjoy the chocolates without offering him any.
MUNCH... MUNCH...
Hanabi paused, as if sensing the intense aura beside her. She turned and extended the open box toward him.
"...Want some?" Hanabi asked innocently.
P’s terrifying expression instantly dissolved into a dazed, innocent look.
"Oh— uhhhh..." P stammered.
In his mind, his dark instincts took over: he violently snatched the box from her hands and devoured the entire contents in a single, feral gulp, pouring the chocolate bars straight down his throat!
HAARRRRR—!
...But it was all just his wild imagination.
Don't do it. Be a gentleman... P fought desperately against his inner urges, clenching his trembling right hand as he reached for the box. Bit by bit. Gently...
Hanabi continued eating the chocolates piece by piece, followed by P, who took one and ate it slowly and elegantly, like a refined member of high society.
Bright white light from the outside world suddenly burst into the tunnel. Hanabi raised her hand to shield her eyes. They had reached the exit.
The boat gently drifted against the landing platform.
> "You have arrived at your destination. Please kindly step off."
>
"Ohh... That was..." Hanabi started.
Suddenly, her expression turned cold and serious. Something was wrong. She looked down at the chocolate box in her right hand, only to find a few stray crumbs remaining.
There had been plenty of chocolate bars left a moment ago. They couldn't have just vanished into thin air.
She slowly turned her head to P, her eyes narrowing into dark slits. P was staring straight ahead with absolute focus, holding up a tactical focus hand sign as if he were completely innocent.
"You wouldn't happen to have any idea where those chocolates went... right?" Hanabi asked, her dark gaze screaming: YOU DID THIS, DIDN'T YOU?!
"..."
P slowly turned his head to meet her gaze, maintaining his deadpan, serious face while keeping his hands locked in the focus sign.
"...We will never know," P said, his voice dropping into a smooth, calm, low register.
However, Hanabi could clearly see thick chocolate stains smudged across the corners of his mouth. His hands were wet with water, but faint brown marks were still visible where he had tried—and failed—to wash away the evidence.
"...Oh, really," Hanabi deadpanned, staring at him with pure disappointment.
Meanwhile, at the docking area behind them:
"Shit, they're getting off!" Yuki panicked. "We need to get over there before he does anything worse to her!"
"Hey, chill out! Our boat hasn't even docked yet!" Mio snapped.
"Just let fate take its course... we'll catch up in a second," Yu-na smirked, adjusting her camera settings.
"Damnit...!" Yuki growled.
STEP... STEP... STEP...
Hanabi tightly hugged her new teddy bear as she and P walked along the midways. Brilliant fireworks lit up the night sky above them, accompanied by the cheerful noise of families and the sounds of children kicking a soccer ball nearby.
Something is off, P noted mentally, scanning the crowds. I suddenly feel a lot lighter.
I don't notice any more assassins around. Did they withdraw, or did I manage to eliminate all of them? P pondered. I don't know, but if I spot anything out of the ordinary, I'll act immediately.
He glanced down at Hanabi walking at his right side, her previous words echoing through his mind:
> "I think... it's time for me to stop relying on other people. Or relying on one person over and over again..."
>
STEP... STEP...
"So... how did I do tonight?" P asked casually.
Hanabi glanced sideways at him, then quickly looked back ahead, a small smile breaking across her face.
"...Not bad," she admitted.
P felt a strange lightness in his chest.
"Did you have fun?" P asked.
"Yeah. A lot of it," Hanabi smiled softly. "You know, the amusement park has always been a place I was terrified of, ever since I was a little kid. Even up until today."
She looked up at the fireworks. "So having such a fun memory... in a place like this... it really means a lot to me."
She turned her head to look at him. "What about you? Did you have fun?"
P stared down at her for a moment, then shifted his gaze forward.
"...I had as much fun as you did," P said softly.
"You're lying," Hanabi countered instantly, vivid memories of P abandoning her in her bedroom while she held a tray of food flashing through her mind. She pouted slightly.
"What makes you say that?" P asked.
"Because if you actually had fun, your face would show it!" Hanabi insisted, stepping around to look directly at his expression.
P quickly tilted his head away to hide his face.
"See?!" Hanabi accused.
"It's just how my face is sometimes, even when I'm having a great time!" P said frantically, trying to defend himself.
"Oh... that's odd," Hanabi teased, her tone turning thoughtful. "Because I've noticed that sometimes you smile really weirdly, and the way your emotions suddenly jump from one extreme to another is super mysterious."
She looked at him closer. "And then sometimes you act completely cool and calm, even when your body feels super hot and tense. You're always moving fast—way too fast—and your heart beats really fast sometimes, too."
She lowered her voice, looking at him with genuine curiosity. "It feels like you're in a state of constant unrest."
P remained completely silent, listening to her.
"So tell me... is that actually fun?" Hanabi asked quietly.
STEP... STEP...
P fell quiet for a long moment, the thunderous booms of fireworks lighting up the night sky behind them. He finally looked down at her.
"...It might not seem like fun to you, but everyone has their own perspective on life," P said calmly. "And remember, I promised to make things up to you tonight, but I still had to move fast because of the injury on my back."
"Oh..." Hanabi said, realization settling in.
"Maybe because I'm straining myself, that's why you think I'm not having fun," P offered.
STEP... STEP...
"So, um... how about coming with me to see Mio so she can take a look at your—" Hanabi started.
The mere mention of Mio's name instantly triggered a terrifying mental image in both of their minds: Mio standing in a dark void, casually resting her fingers against the sharp edge of a survival axe while giving them a terrifying, bloodthirsty death stare.
A collective shiver ran straight down the spines of both P and Hanabi.
"Oh— uhh, I think I'll pass," P said, his face looking thoroughly traumatized.
"Yeah... you probably should. We can find a different doctor," Hanabi agreed quickly.
"I think I'm going to avoid doctors entirely until I can meet with my personal private doctor," P noted.
"You have a personal doctor?" Hanabi asked, surprised.
"Yeah, but she's not in this country," P explained.
"...She?" Hanabi repeated quietly, her eyes dropping to the ground.
"Anyway, until you meet sh— your doctor, you need to be careful," Hanabi corrected herself, looking back up at him.
"I'll try," P said.
STEP... STEP...
I shouldn't linger here any longer, P calculated internally.
"Is there anything specific that you want?" Hanabi asked suddenly.
A heavy suspense hung in the air between them.
"...What I want?" P repeated, his eyes drifting toward a group of children playing nearby.
"Yeah. Like, do you have a grand goal, or a dream?" Hanabi asked, watching his side profile.
P stared off into the void, getting lost in thought for a moment.
"I... don't think so," P admitted softly. "What about you? Do you have a dream?"
"I don't really have a big dream either. But if we're talking about what I want... I think I have a pretty good idea," Hanabi said.
"So what is it?" P asked.
STEP... STEP...
Hanabi looked out toward the dark horizon of the ocean.
"A normal life," Hanabi said softly.
STEP.
P's eyes snapped wide open in absolute shock at those words. He froze dead in his tracks.
He stood motionless beside a wooden bench near the ocean promenade. Behind them, crowds of people cheered as massive bursts of fireworks painted the sky above the crashing ocean waves.
BOOM!
BOOM!
WOOOOAH!
Hanabi noticed he had stopped and turned back to face him. P was standing under the moonlight, staring blankly down at the pavement.
"P? Are you okay?" Hanabi asked, stepping closer.
".......Yeah," P muttered.
"Are you sure...?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." P said, sounding dazed as he gently pulled his arm away from her reach.
"So why did you stop?" Hanabi asked.
"...I—" P slowly raised his left hand to press against his temple. "—just got a bit of a headache."
He looked at her intensely. "You want a normal life... but aren't you living one right now?"
"Yeah... I think so. For now..." Hanabi said softly, her eyes falling.
P stared at her. For now, huh...
In an instant, a strange, fragmented memory flashed across P's mind—a dark room, and a man's voice whispering a single word:
> "Epilogue...!"
>
P snapped back to reality, his gaze locking back onto Hanabi.
"Are you going to head home now?" P asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I'm completely exhausted," Hanabi sighed softly.
"How about—" P started, but was cut off before he could finish.
"I knew it! He's one of those sketchy guys!" a female voice shouted.
It was Yuki. She stood on the opposite side of the bench, pointing an accusing finger directly at P.
Behind her, Min-seo was holding Mio back like a wild dog on a leash while Mio huffed angrily. Yu-na was waving cheerfully off to the side.
"...Yu-ki?" Hanabi blinked in surprise.
Neither Hanabi nor P had even noticed them approaching.
"Get away from him, Hanabi!" Yuki demanded, stepping aggressively between Hanabi and P to block her view. "I don't trust him!"
"What are you doing?!" Hanabi complained from behind Yuki's back.
"Protecting you! Was he harassing you?!" Yuki snapped.
P stood there in the middle of the noise, completely dumbfounded. For a moment, it felt as though he didn't even exist to them.
It's this annoying one again... P thought, rolling his eyes mentally.
"Hey, give them some space, will you?!" Yu-na laughed, dragging Yuki backward by her collar.
Hanabi brushed past Yuki to stand in front of P once more.
"So, um... I guess this is where I take my leave," Hanabi said, looking up into his eyes.
"Okay. Stay safe," P said calmly, looking down at her.
"I thought you said you were homeless... do you have somewhere to go?" Hanabi asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, I'm homeless, but don't worry about it. I'll figure something out," P said smoothly.
Hanabi fell silent for a second.
"Okay then... take care," Hanabi said, turning to walk toward her waiting friends.
"Bye," P said, offering a casual wave.
She stopped after taking a few steps, tilting her head back over her shoulder.
"This was... honestly the best night I've had in a long time. So from the bottom of my—" She cut herself off, her face flushing. "I mean... one day, I promise to repay you properly!"
Hanabi turned and quickly walked away.
P's eyes widened in brief surprise, before a genuine, warm smile broke across his face as he watched her leave.
She's really not bad, P thought.
However, as the group walked away, Mio turned her head completely backward, locking eyes with P while Min-seo dragged her along. Mio’s expression clearly screamed: WHERE IS MY MONEY?!
Oh— P flinched mentally.
RING! RING!
RING! RING!
Suddenly, one of the stolen phones in P's jacket pocket began ringing loudly.
He slowly pulled the device out and looked down at the glowing screen. It was an incoming call from an UNKNOWN NUMBER.
P stared at the screen for a moment before pressing answer and bringing the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" P said.
"What the— Hey! P?! Oh my God, you're actually alive...!" a loud, jovial voice shouted through the speaker.
P's eyes widened in instant recognition. He pulled the phone away from his ear to double-check the screen, then brought it right back.
"You Son of a B**ch...?" P asked, his voice turning deadly serious.