In the morning, Rhys had woken up before Eun-woo, so he decided to take a quick shower before heading out to hunt for breakfast. However, halfway through the shower, Eun-woo appeared, intending to join him.
It wasn't really a problem, considering they'd done it several times during their days in confinement. Still, Rhys couldn't help but feel embarrassed. The discomfort grew so intense that he ended up leaving before he could finish.
Walking down the stairs, he ran into Jae and Caelan, who were chatting about something as trivial as the damn weather.
"Caelan!" Rhys exclaimed, grabbing a backpack as he headed for the front door. "We're heading out to hunt."
"Now?" Caelan asked, surprised.
"Now!"
Caelan didn't even say goodbye to Jae—he rushed out after Rhys.
Jae stared at the door, baffled by Rhys's sudden mood.
A couple of minutes later, Eun-woo appeared at the top of the stairs. His hair was damp, and a few drops of water trickled down his neck.
"Hello," Eun-woo greeted upon noticing Jae's presence.
Jae responded with a slight nod.
"Does it hurt?" Jae asked, seeing the bandages on his arms.
"A little," Eun-woo admitted.
Jae nodded and headed towards the basement, but when he noticed Eun-woo wasn't following him, he retraced his steps and gently took his arm to guide him.
"Let's take advantage of those two being gone to eat real food," he said with a smile.
"Where did they go?" Eun-woo asked.
"They went hunting."
"Hunting?"
"That's what Rhys said."
With calm steps, Jae led him down the hallway to a metal basement door. He opened it carefully and helped him down the steps, making sure Eun-woo wouldn't trip. The air was cooler down there and smelled faintly damp, but also of spices and stored food.
Jae lit a small wall-mounted lamp and led him into the cramped space where they kept what was left of their secret pantry. The boy climbed onto a stool to reach a box that sat on top of an old piece of furniture.
"Do you prefer beans or soup for breakfast?" Jae moved something inside the box.
"Beans!" Eun-woo replied. He didn't know what they were, but the word sounded fun—and that was enough for him.
"In that case, I'll take some soup to Rong Ye."
After selecting three cans, Jae carefully resealed the box, stepped off the bench, and turned off the basement lamp. They walked calmly up the steps and returned to the dining room, where the dim morning light filtered through the windows.
Rong Ye was already there, standing by the table with his arms crossed and his eyes locked on Eun-woo. His expression was stern. He didn't say a word, but the disapproval in his silence was unmistakable.
"Where are Rhys and Caelan?" Rong Ye asked, his eyes never leaving Eun-woo's.
"They went hunting," Jae replied, placing the cans on the table. "So let's take advantage of it before Caelan comes back and ruins the meal again."
Rong Ye didn't reply; he walked over and began opening one of the cans. Jae did the same, and without a word, the two moved in sync to prepare breakfast. Between ladles and pots, their movements flowed with a quiet familiarity that caught Eun-woo's attention.
There was something about the synchronicity of their gestures—the way one passed the can opener just when the other needed it, or how they shared space without getting in each other's way—that gave him the feeling they'd known each other for a long time.
"Have you known each other for a long time?" Eun-woo finally asked.
"For many years, so many that Jae sees Caelan as if he were his father," Rong Ye snorted, earning an elbow from Jae. "Hey!"
"Stop whining like a little girl," Jae complained. "My mother was a soldier. She gave birth to me in secret and died in childbirth. Her comrades planned to let me die, but Caelan and Rhys took care of me."
Jae said it without drama, as if it were just another fact of his life. But Eun-woo looked at him silently, noticing the stiffness in his shoulders and the way he kept avoiding his eyes.
Apparently, Caelan and Rhys had been just kids when they took Jae in—far too young for the responsibility, yet determined to keep him alive. They didn't know how to feed a baby or how to soothe its cries, but they learned how to do it.
The older soldiers, men hardened by war and loss, often mocked them. They'd say Jae was like their pet—just a nuisance they dragged around.
"If you'd been a Guide," the soldiers would say with cruel indifference, "some rich family would've adopted you. But no—you had the misfortune of being born ordinary."
Caelan and Rhys never let those words go unanswered. In their own way, they always stood up for him. They weren't perfect—they fought, argued, and made mistakes—but they acted like older brothers, protecting Jae even when they themselves needed protecting.
"I remember when Caelan used to steal milk rations for you," Rong Ye chimed in. "Do you still think drinking milk every day will help you grow?"
"Shut up!" Jae's face reddened. "I hope you're still messing with me when I'm three times your height."
"Ha! Of course, little flea."
"Have you known them for a long time too?" Eun-woo asked Rong Ye.
"Not really," Rong Ye replied without much enthusiasm.
"Rhys only for work," Jae said. "But Caelan and I do!"
Rong Ye shrugged, trying to appear indifferent, and focused his gaze on his plate.
The truth was, Rong Ye didn't usually get involved with soldiers. At the Research Center, his work focused on medicine and cognitive analysis. Specifically, he monitored the neurological reactions of the Specimens.
He also occasionally participated in emergency treatment when personnel were scarce, but he preferred data to people. He was used to distance: between him and the soldiers, between him and the rest of the world. But one day, during a routine check-up at one of the training units, a child caught his eye.
Jae's clothes were dirty, he had a scraped knee, and a look that challenged everyone despite his obvious exhaustion. Beside him, Caelan was arguing heatedly with a superior officer because they were apparently blaming Jae for starting a fight when Jae was the victim.
Rong Ye didn't step in, but he watched. Jae reminded him of something he'd tried to bury: the way he'd been taken from his mother when he was just a child, the feeling of being a burden, an uncomfortable presence among adults too busy to care for him.
Perhaps that's why, days later, when he found them by chance—Caelan was repairing a damaged drone while Jae played with a loose coil—he decided to stay and help.
At first, it was mere curiosity. Then, it became a habit. Every so often, he'd stop by, check on some of their equipment, and make sure to leave them better tools. He didn't talk much to Caelan, though Caelan seemed interested in him. But with Jae... well, Jae spoke for both of them.
That's how, without entirely wanting to, Rong Ye became part of the group. He never got along with Rhys; the soldier came and went, always carrying too much darkness for anyone to want to stay around. But with Caelan and Jae, Rong Ye allowed himself to lower his guard—if only a little.
And although he pretended indifference now, the truth was that he had known them for a long time.
Enough to make it impossible for him to turn his back on them.
"I see," Eun-woo concluded.
After that brief conversation, they ate in silence, but it wasn't a hostile silence, just a comfortable one.
The beans were steaming hot on the plate. Eun-woo tried them cautiously at first, intrigued by the soft, slightly gritty texture, but by the second bite, he was convinced he liked them.
They were simple, but comforting.
Just as Eun-woo was about to put another spoonful of beans in his mouth, he stopped. He sat up slightly, excited, a smile on his face. And then, the door opened.
Rhys crossed the threshold, his expression grave, his muscles tense beneath his dusty jacket. Behind him, Caelan dragged his rifle with a weary grimace.
"Did they really start breakfast without us?" Caelan snorted, dropping his rifle on the floor.
Rhys froze when he spotted Rong Ye sitting with them. His gaze, once indifferent, darkened in an instant.
"The deal was for you to stay away from Eun-woo," Rhys snapped.
Rong Ye didn't even flinch. He just slowly put his spoon down on his plate, as if he'd already anticipated the confrontation.
"Hey!" Jae chimed in quickly, standing up. "I was here the whole time. Nothing happened."
"Shut up, Jae," Rhys growled, his gaze never leaving Rong Ye. "You're just a kid. You couldn't protect Eun-woo if he tried to hurt him."
Jae's eyes widened in shock, welling up with tears almost instantly. Anger and sadness swirled in his chest.
"Why don't you trust me? I'm strong too! I can protect Eun-woo! I'm not just a kid!"
"Jae..." Caelan tried to intervene, but the boy had already backed away, his fists clenched and his eyes flashing.
Rong Ye massaged his temple, as if the scene exhausted him more than any failed experiment.
Eun-woo, who hadn't said a word until then, put his spoon aside.
"I don't understand why you're acting like this," he told Rhys in a firm voice. "Rong Ye isn't a bad person."
Rhys turned to Eun-woo with a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
"You don't understand."
"Yes, I understand," Eun-woo replied, holding his gaze without flinching. "But you're the one who prefers to treat me like I'm an idiot."
He stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back. Without waiting for a reply, he walked to the back door and stepped out onto the patio, slamming it behind him.
"I hate you, Rhys!" Jae cried, his voice cracking before running upstairs.
Rong Ye calmly stood up. He looked at Rhys ironically, not bothering to say a single word, and walked leisurely to his room.
Caelan stood next to Rhys, looking at the closed patio door, the empty stairs, and the still-warm food on the table.
He sighed and patted Rhys on the back.
"I'll talk to Jae," he said, before turning away. "You go talk to Eun-woo."
Rhys said nothing.
He just stood there, weighed down by the feeling of losing ten steps for every single one he took forward.