Inside the faded backpack, something stirred.
A soft rustling. Then a yawn.
Kri blinked his wide, sparkling white eyes, completely out of place in the middle of Ria's broken world. His small black form shifted, fluff ruffled and eyes narrowed.
Kri: "You stupid girl. Open the damn zip. I'm suffocating in here."
Ria, dazed and still near the bridge, flinched like she'd heard a ghost.
She quickly unzipped the bag, and Kri popped out, blinking at the city light like he'd just woken from a nap in hell.
Kri: "What are you doing?"He paused. Her face looked like it had been through a storm. Something in her expression—like a cracked mirror trying to piece itself back together—shut him up.
For a moment, even Kri didn't have something smart to say.
Kri: "…You're sad or something, huh?"
He didn't press further. Just sighed and sat inside the lip of the bag, his soft paws gripping the edge like a cat watching the world pass.
Kri: "Walk down the alley to the left. You'll find a woman named Lisa. Tell her the code: 6341."
Ria blinked at him like he'd just asked her to jump into a volcano.
Ria: "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Just yesterday… I had friends. People. Peace. And now I'm walking backstreets with some talking puffball giving me numbers."
She clenched her fists, pain radiating through her voice.
Ria: "I don't even know why I trusted you. It was probably the dumbest decision of my life."
Kri: (with a gruff shrug) "Then don't listen. You chose this path. So own it. You want the mission? Then understand this—you don't get to cry about sacrifices after you've already lit the match. That's not how any of this works."
He huffed.
Kri: "Regret will eat you alive, little girl."
Ria: (growling under her breath) "Whatever… you don't understand anything, you old bug!"
Kri: "Tch. This girl. Clearly heartbroken but still got the mouth of a brat. I can't even talk to her nicely…"
Ria: (noticing his silence) "What are you muttering now, old bug?"
Kri: "Nothing… just wondering if you're curious where you're going or who this Lisa even is."
Ria: "Right now? I just want to shut my brain up. So yeah—I'm trusting you, blindly. I don't know why. Maybe it's you. Or maybe I've just got nothing left to lose."
They reached the house.
It stood quietly at the corner of a narrow street, almost hidden behind a climbing wall of ivy. A yellow-painted house with a green door, warm light glowing through half-shuttered windows, faint smoke curling from the chimney. LED lights rimmed the rooftop like a forgotten party that never ended.
It felt... strange. Comforting. Suspicious. Dream-like.
Ria hesitated at the door.
Kri: "Go on."
She opened it.
The inside smelled like cinnamon, burnt sugar, and something metallic. The lobby was dimly lit, except for a glowing pink sign that said "No Noise. No Nonsense." A sharp-faced woman with bubblegum-popping confidence sat behind the counter. Oval face. Piercing eyes. Long nails. Chewing like time didn't matter.
Ria stepped up.
Ria: "Um… 6341."
The receptionist didn't blink. Instead, she slowly reached under the desk and—click—pointed a gun right to Ria's head.
Receptionist (coldly): "Shut up. Now tell me who you are."
Ria froze. Blood rushed to her ears. Her heart tried to escape her chest. She stammered:
Ria: "I—I was told to come here… Kri—he told me…"
Kri jumped from the bag, landing on the desk with a hiss.
Kri: "Put the damn gun down, Lisa. It's her. We don't have time for drama."
Lisa raised a brow, gum still popping.