Noon

Whitney was a classmate, and she pestered Irene endlessly.

Irene really had no idea what about her could possibly attract the attention of someone like that.

But with how rarely she attended school, Whitney didn’t often see her anyway.

Still, with the new semester starting, the two of them would probably be seeing each other a lot more often…

After all, school was the only safe place to hide from being wanted.

“Get lost, you piece of trash.”

Irene had never had anything to say to bullies.

She raised her middle finger without mercy and wiped her hands disdainfully with the wet wipe Sydney handed her, then tossed it onto Whitney’s head.

“Hah… fine, you’ve got guts, Irene.

Just wait.

In a week, when school starts, I’ll make your life worse than death…”

Whitney looked like she was already boiling over, but after a deep breath, she steadied herself.

She supported her injured companions, yanked the wet wipe off her head, crushed it in her hand, and finally shot Irene a look.

Her red eyes—so different from her blonde hair—stared hard at Irene’s face before she slowly walked away.

Come on then.

Irene didn’t care.

She returned a cold glance, then turned toward Sydney.

Sydney was still panting, her wrist reddened from being grabbed so hard.

Looking closer, there was even broken skin—clearly the work of those three earlier.

“Are you alright?”

Irene’s voice was carefully softened, worried that her violent display just now might have shattered the image Sydney had of her.

“Ah~”

But when Irene gently touched Sydney’s injured wrist, a breathy sound, almost like a moan, escaped Sydney’s lips.

She immediately realized what she had done, and her face flushed bright red.

Taking advantage of Irene’s stunned moment, she quickly pulled her hand back.

“I—I’m fine! Um… thank you, Miss Irene… I—I’m really fine, haha…”

Sydney tried hard to look at Irene, but it was obvious she couldn’t keep her eyes steady.

So she’s the M-type…?

Irene’s mouth twitched, but she could understand it… probably.

Shaking off those stray thoughts, Irene smiled and spoke:

“As long as you’re fine.

Miss Sydney, I actually came to thank you.

Thank you for stepping in front of her that time, and for helping me escape from the bloodsucker.

This is something I brought for you—you must take it.”

“Apples? And snacks!

Thank you so much, Miss Irene!”

Sydney looked delighted, smiling as she accepted the food.

Irene smiled back, but for some reason—probably her catlike instincts—she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her from behind.

She had felt it ever since Whitney showed up, but now the sensation was stronger than ever.

Hopefully… it wasn’t some kind of mental problem.

The last thing Irene needed at this critical time was to go insane.

“But… Miss Irene, it’s me who should be thanking you.

You’re the one who saved me.

And I still haven’t been able to save you from that strange person…

I read the news.

If you really are being bullied, please tell me.

Even if it’s just… in the prayer room.”

“The church may not be big, but we’re a whole.

So… we can definitely help you.”

Her eyes were earnest, but Irene only smiled faintly.

“Thank you, Sydney.

She… she might be a little violent, but she’s still a good person.”

That “she’s a good person” sounded painfully forced, even to Irene herself.

Sydney’s pure eyes clearly showed disbelief.

But she kindly didn’t press further, only nodding lightly and tucking her worry away.

“So… Miss Irene, where are you going next?”

Sydney asked carefully, her fingers unconsciously rubbing at the red marks on her wrist.

“I…”

Irene hesitated.

Her original plan was to drop off the gifts and leave.

But after Whitney’s sudden appearance, and with that constant prickling feeling of being watched, she instinctively felt that leaving this chaotic area immediately might not be wise.

Besides, Sydney still looked a little shaken.

“If you don’t have urgent business…”

Sydney seemed to sense Irene’s hesitation.

She gathered her courage, her face lighting with a warm, hopeful smile.

“Would you like to come sit in our church?

It’s not far ahead.

Saint Maria isn’t big, but… it’s warm inside!

Today happens to be community mutual aid day.

It’ll be lively—you can rest and have some hot tea.”

“Lively?”

Irene was surprised.

In a lawless slum like this, could a church really be lively?

She had imagined a cold, run-down place, with only a handful of elderly believers praying silently.

“Yes!”

Sydney nodded hard, pride sparkling in her eyes.

“Our parish may not be wealthy, but everyone is united!

The priests and nuns always do their best to help people.

So… the church has become the most vibrant place here!”

Seeing Sydney’s sincere, expectant gaze, and considering her own situation, Irene hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“…Alright then.”

Going somewhere crowded would indeed reduce the risk of whoever was tailing her.

And she was genuinely curious about what Sydney meant by “warmth” and “liveliness.”

Sydney immediately brightened, her earlier fear swept away.

She took the lead, her steps light, glancing back often to make sure Irene was following, her face lit with a pure smile.

Irene followed silently, keeping her guard up as usual.

But Sydney’s ease did relax her taut nerves slightly.

After weaving through several narrow alleys cluttered with junk, a building unlike the gray prefab blocks around it appeared before her eyes.

Saint Maria Church.

It wasn’t big.

In fact, it was a little shabby.

The structure was brick and stone, clearly old, its exterior walls patched with crude cement repairs.

The cross on the spire was a bit crooked, but polished clean, glinting faintly under the gray sky.

Compared to the looming apartment blocks around it, the church looked small.

But it gave off a stubborn sense of rootedness.

What truly shocked Irene, though, was the scene and sounds spilling from its doors.

People.

Lots of people.

The heavy wooden doors stood wide open, with a steady stream of people going in and out.

There were elderly men and women in patched clothes with worn faces.

Mothers holding babies, weary and exhausted.

Workers in cheap uniforms, dragging their tired bodies.

Even a few better-dressed middle-aged folks, though their expressions were no less burdened.

Their faces all differed—but the moment they stepped into the churchyard, their tense bodies seemed to relax, just a little.

And then—something else shocked Irene even more.

As she approached the church, the cat ears under her hood twitched.

Radiation?

This place had radiation?!

And not just a little—it was immense.

But some unknown force blocked it completely.

The Geiger counter couldn’t detect a thing.

Only her supernatural sensitivity to radiation let her sense the anomaly.

Irene’s instincts went sharp immediately.

The source of the radiation…

Her eyes snapped to the cross atop the church.

If she wasn’t mistaken, it wasn’t welded at all—

It was floating.

And the only thing that could float like that…

Was a supernatural body.

“We’re here!

This is my home, Saint Maria Church.

If you’d like, you can also call us ‘Noon.’

That’s the name our leader gave it—she built this entire parish all on her own.”