CHAPTER 56: INTERACTIONS WITH THE NIGHT PART 15

"How did you two meet?" he asked casually, making it sound like harmless small talk—just enough to get them to open up about their past.

Jun wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "We were classmates. Didn’t really talk much. I mostly kept to myself, and Kana was always focused on school. The other four were the close ones."

Kana gave a quick, guarded smile. "We only started talking more after getting trapped on the school rooftop. Had to work together to get out."

Luck smirked. "So, are you two a thing? Or are you just trauma-bonded at this point?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, I’m single. Jun and I are just close friends—nothing like that. He has a girlfriend... Or had one, unless she left him for some med school guy."

This time, Jun smiled. "Probably med school. "

He didn’t seem affected, probably already assuming his girlfriend was dead.

"What about you?" She tilted her head slightly, also trying to size him up.

"Me? I don’t have time for relationships. Spent most of my life in the army—they don’t exactly hand out dating tutorials in basic training. "

Kana looked disappointed. Or maybe she was just pretending.

Jun started opening up about his gangster family. Kana, on the other hand, stuck to her story of being just a regular girl.

Luck didn’t call her out for her bullshit. He just let them both feel more comfortable around him.

After they finished, he led them to their assigned space.

Their rooms were far from each other. He unlocked both , handed out keys, and told them to yell if they heard scratching.

"Is that a joke?" she asked, acting worried.

"Mostly. Just don’t open the door for room service."

When they walked in, he returned to his desk.

Inside the Bedroom

The instant she spotted the shower, a wave of emotion nearly brought her to tears.

She didn’t expect to come across one that functioned, so the rhythmic sound of water cascading was like a symphony to her weary ears.

It was almost unfathomable to her how they achieved this small miracle, considering that most of the city’s water systems lay dormant because no one was operating them.

Zombies marked only the start of the civilization’s downfall. Electricity, water, and other necessities vanished almost immediately. People were abruptly reminded of their heavy reliance on infrastructure constructed and upheld by men.

She rushed in to freshen up.

The bathroom was a sanctuary of comfort, stocked with all the hygiene items she needed to indulge in some much-needed pampering.

Methodically, she lavished attention on every inch of her body, ensuring each part was immaculate.

After finishing, she emerged from her bedroom with a towel draped around her, her hair still glistening with wetness.

Luck gulped, his eyes widening at the delightful curves previously hidden by her baggy clothes.

"Big Boss, could I ask a teeny-tiny favor?" she asked sweetly, a hint of playful shyness in her voice.

’She’s too hot,’ He was incredibly thankful for the balaclava and goggles concealing his face, as he could feel the heat creeping up his neck and his ears turning a shade of scarlet.

"What is it?" he croaked, then hastily cleared his throat to regain his composure. "What do you need?"

Kana looked down and adjusted the towel, tugging it tighter around her chest. "My bag... I left it outside. It has my clothes. Can you grab it for me?"

"Wait here."

Outside, he could feel the others watching him as they continued their training, but he ignored it.

When he came back, the lobby was empty. Her bedroom door stood slightly open, so he gave it a gentle push.

Inside, she was already by the empty closet, searching through it. The towel had been tossed aside.

Damp skin and wet hair clung softly to her neck.

Kana spun around, eyes wide with surprise, clutching the towel in a dramatic last-ditch effort at modesty.

A soft gasp escaped her lips. "Sorry, I forgot to lock the door."

She lowered her head and sat on the floor, pulling her legs in tight to hide her lower lips.

"Just—leave it there, please," she murmured, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

It took him a moment to look away.

She didn’t seem to mind. If anything, the way she tucked her knees under her chin and wrapped the towel tighter, then loosed it again, seemed calculated to keep him from leaving.

"I’ll put it here," The bag landed softly on the carpet just inside the door as he stepped back to give her space.

She kept her eyes lowered, hugging the towel, then peeked up at him through damp lashes.

It was a good trick: look bashful, make him feel more horny.

"I’m leaving." He turned away without looking back. Staying any longer—or sleeping with her—offered nothing but a quick release.

As tempting as it was to touch a freshly bathed, pretty young girl, her background as an assassin made her too risky.

For all he knew, her code name was Black Widow, and she specialized in killing targets during intimate moments.

Just imagining it give him the shrill.

[DING!]

[Bonus Mission]

[Fuck Kana]

"What in the name of...? Are you trying to get me killed?" Luck muttered, squinting at the screen with disbelief

"Couldn’t you have chosen someone more, I don’t know, less likely to murder me?"

The system stayed silent, which only made him more annoyed. In the end, he chose to ignore the bonus mission.

[Reward: Golden Box]

"Well, she is pretty... and I guess it’s not fair to judge a book by its content,"

What he said didn’t make sense, but who cared? It wasn’t like anyone would find out about his weird thoughts anyway.

Luck tapped twice on the doorframe, then let himself in.

Kana stood between the closet and the bed, arms crossed awkwardly over her chest. A bundle of fresh underwear hung from one hand.

The pale skin on her thighs was covered in goosebumps. Her face, usually calm and blank, quickly shifted from surprise, to annoyance, then to embarrassment.

He half expected a throwing knife to come sailing at him from the shadows, but instead she just blushed.

Luck stepped in, shut the door behind him, and for a second neither of them said anything.

Then he realized she was trembling just a bit, toes curled into the carpet, her hands frozen on her panty as if she was still deciding whether to yank them up or to throw them at his face.

"Please don’t shout," he pulled off his balaclava.

She was caught off guard—not just by how young he looked, but by how devilishly handsome he actually was. None of her classmates could even come close to his looks.

"I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m just going to say it straight," Luck took a deep breath, "I like you. Not in the let’s-hold-hands-and-cuddle way, either. I mean, I want to do it with you. If that’s not your thing, forget I said anything."

Kana’s grip on her underwear slackened. She looked at him, really looked, as if seeing something she couldn’t puzzle out.

Maybe she was weighing whether this was a test, or a trap, or a genuine confession from someone who rather storm a room than make small talk. The flush on her cheeks remained, but her mouth curled into an uncertain, almost reluctant smile.

"You don’t waste time, do you?" she responded, not quite laughing, but the timbre of her voice was lighter than it had been all day.

He shrugged. "World ended. Time’s not a luxury anymore."