Observation Begins

“That’s true. I’ve never once seen him get angry, no matter what anyone called him.”

Iheon said in a tone full of disdain.

“With that build, too.

He panics at the slightest thing.”

Listening to Iheon, I tilted my head.

‘Well… would someone who panicked really come back with his head split open like that?’

Aside from Hyeon Jaeyul, whose head had nearly been cracked in half, no one else who came in was injured.

Jaeyul had probably been the one to step forward and face the monster before the others.

Calling that kind of behavior ‘being scared’ didn’t sit right with me.

He wasn’t really my friend, but for now, since I’d given him that title, I decided to defend Hyeon Jaeyul.

I pushed away Iheon’s arm that was still draped over my shoulder and stepped out of his embrace.

“If Hyeon Jaeyul was scared, it was probably because he thought you’d get hurt.

That’s the kind of guy he is. Right?”

“Hmm….

Guess that’s just his nature.

I thought he was acting out because he was scared of being abandoned.”

[Player affection toward capture target ‘Hyeon Jaeyul’ has increased.]

[Higher affection levels increase the likelihood of new events unlocking.]

Ah—what now.

That thing was still running?

In the brief moment I let my guard down, the system popped back up and dissected my feelings.

I had only thought, briefly, that Hyeon Jaeyul was self-sacrificing.

Did it really have to immediately turn that into text?

‘Turn it off. Now.’

I thought sharply, irritation flooding in.

[Player affection measurement system has been disabled.]

[In future gameplay, player affection will not affect event generation.]

[[TIP! That’s dangerousㅠㅠ]]

What is that tip supposed to mean…?

Does this thing seriously have emotions?

The crying emoticon was absurd, but once I’d shut down the affection tracking, I felt lighter.

The fact that it recommended keeping the default settings still annoyed me, but not enough to tolerate it judging my emotions at will.

How many people could calmly endure an unidentified system measuring their feelings?

Maybe some dull person could.

But not me.

“How’s Jaeyul doing?”

“Thankfully, no fever.

No signs of seizures either….

But there’s still no sign of him waking up.”

“He’s a healthy guy.

He’ll wake up soon.

Don’t worry too much.”

About seven hours had passed since they arrived at the bunker.

I stayed glued to the side of the unconscious Hyeon Jaeyul, all while observing the men as they surveyed the bunker and put their heads together to discuss things I didn’t know.

I deliberately wore a gloomy expression, making it hard to approach me, but Won-gyeong came over anyway, looking unconcerned with my mood.

“How did you get into this bunker?”

After checking Jaeyul’s condition with an expression that didn’t look particularly curious, Won-gyeong asked me that.

He was fiddling with something in one hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

I stayed beside the makeshift medical bed, absentmindedly running my fingers through Hyeon Jaeyul’s black hair and lowering my head.

It was to hide my expression.

Without the system’s guidance, I never would have found this place.

And even if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to unlock it.

I didn’t yet know how they had discovered this bunker, so I couldn’t answer carelessly.

If they knew the person who built this bunker, claiming I’d known about it beforehand wouldn’t hold up.

‘And it’s not like I can explain the system’s existence either.’

After thinking it over, I calmly raised my head.

Clear purple eyes were staring straight at me.

They were deep and lucid, eyes that looked like they would listen kindly to anything.

His pale blond hair lay naturally across his neat forehead.

Even knowing it was because of the system, I still wondered how these people managed to stay so clean.

As I studied his appearance, my eyes met Won-gyeong’s steady gaze.

In moments like this, deflecting was probably the safest option.

“There was someone who brought me here.”

Not a person, but the system.
Still, it did bring me here, so it wasn’t exactly a lie.

“But you’re the only one here now.”

“…They’re dead. It hadn’t been long since I got here.”

Dead in my heart.

I’d killed it there a long time ago.

Thinking that, I continued with an answer that wasn’t entirely false.

“Did they ever tell you how they found this place?”

“No.”

“I see.
Then how long have you been here?”

“About three months, I think.”

“Three months….Then that person must have stayed here longer than you.”

“Ah, yeah. Probably.”

In truth, it had been nearly a year since I’d lived alone in this bunker, but I drastically shortened the timeline.

Won-gyeong lowered his gaze and fell into thought.

He seemed to be looking at whatever he was holding, but I still couldn’t see it.

With hands spotless of even a speck of dust, I smoothed the sheet beneath Hyeon Jaeyul.

Because I didn’t get dirty thanks to the system, supplies that hadn’t been exposed to the outside, like bedding, stayed clean.

Things I scavenged from outside were dirty, though, so saying I’d used the bunker for three months wouldn’t seem strange….

‘Ah—damn it.
I should’ve shortened it even more.’

As I continued thinking while watching Won-gyeong look down, I realized my mistake.

They had already checked all the supplies in the bunker.

I’d heard them earlier, carefully taking inventory and discussing what they found.

If I’d been living here alone for three months, the state of the supplies would make sense.

But only if it had been just me.

If someone had lived here before me, then the condition of the supplies would raise questions.

Everything was far too clean.

Having noticed that, Won-gyeong looked up at me and smiled gently.

“I see.”

You’re hiding something from us.

That was what his eyes clearly said.

His wariness felt so sharp it was almost tangible, and I forced my eyes to curve into a smile.

Only people who’d lied a lot became good at it.

I’d pretended to be weak plenty of times, but I’d never had much reason to lie, so it was natural that I wasn’t skilled at handling this.

I silently lamented that I should have been more careful in this conversation.

[Capture target ‘Won-gyeong’ has designated the player as an ‘Observation Target’.]

[While ‘Won-gyeong’s observation continues, suspicious behavior will cause a significant drop in affection.
Please be cautious with your words and actions.]

[TIP! Low affection values may affect the player’s safety. Maintain an appropriate level.]

If only that had happened before that sharp-eyed man started suspecting me.

***

Observation is the beginning of suspicion.

Won-gyeong, who viewed the world with a cynical eye, was accustomed to observing.

Carefully watching even the smallest things was a habit he’d cultivated over a long time.

Every movement had a reason.

Seeing the world more sharply than others had greatly influenced his survival.

He paid attention to small objects and motions others would pass by without a second glance.

Sometimes, a single trivial movement quietly revealed something that made up the entirety of a person.

Finding the bunker hadn’t been difficult.

Spotting a tiny gap was routine for Won-gyeong.

He saw what others couldn’t.

The fact that there were traces of people coming and going at the entrance of a bunker that should have been empty made his usual, instinctive observation turn deliberate.

<Wh-who are you?>

Inside was a woman with a fragile impression.

A woman clumsily gripping a blunt knife with trembling hands.

She looked closer to a girl than an adult, her very pale, almost white hair loosely tied in a messy knot.

Her golden eyes, filled with moisture, shimmered dreamily as she looked at them.

Seeing those shining eyes, Won-gyeong found himself idly thinking that if the people who entered hadn’t been them, the woman might have been in danger.

That was the kind of appearance she had.

Her unkempt, frizzy hair only stirred emotions more.

Even wrapped tightly in filthy clothes, she naturally drew the eye.

<What is that?>

It seemed Won-gyeong wasn’t the only one thinking that.

Ju Noeul, who was severely ill-mannered but showed basic courtesy to the weak, muttered in a low voice.

He couldn’t easily tear his gaze away from the woman.

The way he kept glancing at her made it obvious.

He probably hadn’t noticed it himself yet, but his voice toward her was different from usual.

Watching Noeul’s expression, Won-gyeong spoke quietly so the woman wouldn’t hear.

<…Don’t make trouble.
We can just tell her to leave.>

Noeul sharply furrowed his brow, his eyes saying as much.

As if asking what harm he could possibly do to such a small woman.

<She knows about this place.
How do you just let her go?>

Jeong Iheon spoke in a relaxed tone.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem as taken in by the woman’s appearance as Noeul.

He was the most rational one here.

Still, Won-gyeong thought they needed to get the woman out—immediately, if possible.

The sweet scent filling the bunker bothered him.

The ventilation system was working, but how could air like this linger underground?

It almost felt cleaner than the air above ground.

The bunker felt like paradise.

As if it had become paradise because the woman was here.

Observing even himself having such an absurd thought, Won-gyeong looked at the woman with a chill in his eyes.