Then Rishar came running in with a very worried face.
"Jin!"
I jumped up and whispered in Rishar's ear. I had to stop him before he made a slip-up.
"Rishar, Jin doesn't remember meeting Arachne, so don't mention it."
Even the rigid Rishar would understand if I said it like this. Seeing his startled rabbit eyes looking at me, he seemed to get it.
"Are you feeling okay? You collapsed suddenly and scared us."
...What was this, reading from a language textbook?
Rishar stiffened his already stoic face even more and spoke very awkwardly.
I learned not to ask Rishar to act. Watching him, I felt like I'd die from secondhand embarrassment. Totally... an acting droid. Android doing acting.
"Even if you grill me, I don't remember a thing."
Jin burst out laughing at Rishar's botched acting face.
Ah, really! Lion bro, you're no help. At this rate, Jin would definitely notice we were hiding something.
"Doctor, I need to talk to Rishar alone for a bit. Could you give us the room?"
Jin said to me. Half of me didn't want to leave them alone, worried Rishar might mess up, and half wanted to flee fast before that unbearable botched acting killed me with shame.
But with Jin asking like that, I couldn't refuse. I left Jin's bedroom and headed to the clinic.
* * *
Watching Astrid leave the bedroom, Jin couldn't hold back his bursting laughter. Even when he said his heart was racing because of her, she never once thought, 'Does this guy like me?'—Astrid was just too cute.
Plus, her freezing up and racking her brain to make excuses for him was hilariously funny.
'I'm not usually this dumb.'
How many times had he thought that? Ever since starting to fall for Astrid, all his actions—despite his sharp mind being his only asset—were childish and stupid.
Seeing her whisper to Rishar stirred jealousy subtly. He knew she was tipping him off that he didn't remember meeting 'that woman.'
'How foolish. I'm a foolish human too.'
Realizing something was off only now was part of it.
"It's weird. Isn't it weird, Rishar?"
As Jin spoke, Rishar made a face like, 'I have no idea what this guy's talking about.'
"What?"
Rishar blinked slowly in bewilderment.
"How did that woman know I'd be there at that time? It's suspicious."
The bounty on Jin's head was a whopping 10 million lumen. Ten million lumen.
Astrid might not know, but their walks were under strict security. Only a few knew the route and timing.
Of course, escorts were only those Jin and Rishar trusted implicitly. Yet the result was this: an uninvited guest appeared out of nowhere, shaking Jin who was recovering well.
"Doctor Ober said you don't remember that incident..."
A subtle hurt showed on Rishar's honest face. Probably bummed about being made to do that pitifully awkward acting. Rishar really couldn't lie.
"It's true I don't remember. My memory cuts off right at meeting 'that woman.'"
He didn't recall how they got back or what happened after. So claiming no memory wasn't a total lie.
"I decided to play dumb so the doctor wouldn't worry. So, what did you say so far? Rishar."
Astrid clearly knew about his relationship with Arachne. In the Underground City, only Rishar, Jin, and Lui—who grew up with them in the same village as kids—knew the secret.
Lui wouldn't have told Astrid.
"Doctor Ober only knows 'that woman' gave birth to you. The witch called you 'my son' herself."
'I'm extremely displeased right now' appeared on Rishar's transparent face. Jin couldn't help chuckling. She still thought of him as her 'son,' huh.
"Why did that witch come?"
Rishar said sullenly. Jin let out a small sigh, expelling the stuffy feeling in his chest at the question.
That's just how she was. Arachne, Jin's birth mother. Impulsive and whim-driven.
Jin's sharp mind was inherited from her, but unlike cautious, planned Jin, Arachne was bold and mood-swayed.
If such an Arachne got a chance to meet Jin after 16 years—
"To mess with my insides. Don't approach it so seriously. That's just how she is."
Jin answered curtly.
"Anyway. Continuing where we left off, I've been too distracted by other things lately to notice..."
He phrased it as 'other things,' but it meant Jin's attention was completely stolen by Astrid Ober.
"...There's a spy. And close by."
The armory incident, and every operation since—always thwarted by the Black Spider.
"...Jin."
Rishar looked extremely shocked at Jin's words.
Understandable. Jin was suspecting comrades fighting—and brothers—side by side, staking their lives.
"Rishar. I know what you're thinking. But..."
No matter how he thought, a spy was the only possibility. Someone was leaking Jin's info and plans to the Black Spider. Someone had betrayed them.
"...Fine. I'll investigate starting with those who know the walk routes."
Rishar said in a subdued voice.
Jin gave a bitter smile, feeling conflicted. A traitor among his close circle.
At least not for money. If money-driven, they'd sell to the Empire for Jin's 10 million lumen bounty, not the Black Spider.
That thought brought slight comfort.
* * *
"Mm, fragrant."
I savored the aroma from the coffee cup. For a caffeine addict like me, discovering coffee existed in this world was a huge relief. Though it was ridiculously expensive.
I had no idea how much money Jin was making, but my assumption that life in the Underground City would be rough was way off. Food, clothes, everything touching the body was luxurious.
This level rivaled nobles or royalty in all those possession stories I'd read—no jealousy there.
I sipped the freshly brewed aromatic coffee. As caffeine entered my body, my drowsy mind sharpened a bit.
I set the cup down, covered my mouth, and yawned softly. Lui, sharing tea time with me, looked at me curiously.
"You seem really tired, Teacher."
Lui was right. I was far more fatigued than usual. After belatedly learning Jin's birthday, I'd been skimping on sleep to prepare a gift by his special day.
Arachne at the lakeshore yesterday said his birthday was soon, so after digging around, I found it was in a few days: August 24th.
'No wonder Betty and the kitchen were bustling lately. They were preparing for Jin's birthday.'
I felt a bit deflated. Everyone in the Underground City was preparing for Jin's birthday, and I was the only one clueless. Despite spending so much time by his side, I still didn't know him well.
I knew his morning temperature in ℃, sleep schedule, meal portions intimately. But not his likes or dislikes.
Scribbling what little I knew about Jin led to one conclusion: he liked plants. He knew every flower name in the Greenhouse and paid attention to plants on lakeshore walks.
So I decided on a handmade handkerchief embroidered with pretty flowers. Tiny embroidery in one corner wouldn't be too hard with a few diligent days.
"I'm preparing a birthday gift for Jin. Haven't slept much. Found out too late it was his birthday."
Lui looked surprised at my words.
Why so shocked? Surely she knew, having been like family for 16 years.
"You're making it yourself? Wow, such dedication."
Lui said, amazed. I panicked at her words. Oh, that's why the surprise. She wasn't thinking I liked Jin because of this, right?
Astrid loved gifting handmade things, so I didn't see it as special.
"N-no... I just like giving handmade gifts."
Before I knew it, my face was beet red, making excuses to Lui. Ask Rick or Finn! They'd gotten handmade dolls or embroidered handkerchiefs from Astrid before.
"Actually... Leader's birthday this time means a lot to everyone."
Huh? What did that mean? Calming my flushed face, I listened to Lui.
"Everyone... thought Leader wouldn't live to see it."
Lui continued cautiously.
Understanding her meaning, a chill ran down my spine.
In the original, Jin died about two months ago. He never reached thirty-three.
Right. If the story followed original flow, Jin's thirty-third birthday would've never come.
Other doctors treating him had given up, saying he'd die soon, so the Liberators probably thought he'd die before his birthday too.
"It's all thanks to you, Teacher."
Lui grabbed my hand gratefully. Seeing her always-bright eyes well up, I felt an indescribable emotion.
"...Lui."
Watching her reddening eyes made mine sting too. Sigh, our flounder... Alive, about to turn thirty-three soon. So moving.
Though turning thirteen instead of thirty-three was a bit problematic. That thought shattered my poignant mood.
