Kin woke on Lina's couch again—this time with a blanket tucked around him and a pillow under his head. He didn't remember falling asleep. The last thing he recalled was sitting on the edge of her bed, shoulders touching, watching the sunlight crawl across the floor.
She must have moved him after he drifted off.
The apartment smelled like coffee. He sat up. His thigh ached. His shoulder was stiff. But the wounds were healing faster than they should—the System's legacy, probably.
Lina was in the kitchen. She had a mug in one hand and her phone in the other. The TV was on, volume low.
"—unconfirmed reports that CEO Elias Vane was found dead in his estate early this morning. Authorities are not releasing details, but sources indicate the death was violent. Police have not named any suspects—"
Lina looked at Kin. Her expression was unreadable.
"You're up," she said.
"I'm up."
She handed him the coffee. He took it. Black. Bitter. Perfect.
"They're talking about your work," she said quietly.
He didn't argue.
On the screen, a reporter stood outside Vane's estate. Yellow tape. Police cars. A crowd of onlookers.
"Possible suspects include disgruntled borrowers, organized crime, or even foreign agents. Vane's business dealings were... complicated."
Lina turned off the TV.
"Breakfast?" she asked.
"I'm not hungry."
"You're always hungry. You just don't notice because you're too busy bleeding."
She made him eat. Toast. Eggs. More coffee. He sat at her small table—the one with the yellow flowers still in the jar—and chewed mechanically.
"Lina," he said.
"Mm?"
"Why aren't you more surprised?"
She set down her mug. "About Vane?"
"About any of it. The killing. The blood. The fact that I came home with bullet holes."
She was quiet for a moment.
"My brother was a journalist," she said. "He wrote about men like Vane. He knew what they did. He knew someone should stop them." She looked at Kin. "I'm not surprised someone finally did. I'm just surprised it's you."
"That's not a compliment."
"It's not an insult either."
He finished his eggs.
***
After breakfast, Lina said she needed to go out.
"I want to buy a bike," she said. "For commuting. The buses are unreliable and the trains smell."
"I'll come with you."
"No."
"I'm coming."
"You can barely walk."
"I can walk fine." He stood up to prove it. His knee wobbled. He caught himself on the table.
Lina raised an eyebrow.
"That was a test," he said.
"You're a terrible liar."
"Fine. I'll limp. But I'm coming."
She sighed. "Why?"
Because I need to keep an eye on you. Because the Quiet Commission might be watching. Because I don't want to be alone in your apartment thinking about the head I cut off last night.
"Because I want to," he said.
She studied him. Then she grabbed her coat.
"Limp quietly."
***
The bike shop was on the edge of the market district.
Rows of bicycles hung from the ceiling. Bright colors. Thin tires. Thick tires. Some with baskets, some without. The smell of rubber and grease.
Lina walked straight to a blue commuter bike with a padded seat and a small rack on the back.
"This one," she said. "It was fifty percent off yesterday."
Kin looked at the price tag. 37,000 SN.
"How much do you have?" he asked.
"Twenty."
Seventeen short.
A salesperson appeared. Young man, maybe thirty. Sharp jaw. Sharper smile. His name tag said "Tomas."
"Can I help you?"
Lina pointed at the bike. "This one it was fifty percent off. I saw it yesterday."
Tomas's smile didn't waver. "The promotion ended last night."
"You said it would be on for three more days."
"I said maybe three more days. The manager changed his mind."
Lina's jaw tightened. "That's not fair."
"Fair doesn't sell bikes." Tomas looked her up and down. "Look, lady, if you don't have the money, you don't have the money. Don't blame me for your budget."
"I have the money. I have twenty thousand."
"Then you're seventeen short." He shrugged. "Maybe try a secondhand shop. Or a payment plan. Or a different hobby."
Lina's face went red. "You're rude."
"I'm honest. There's a difference."
She grabbed Kin's arm. "Let's go. I don't want it anymore."
Tomas laughed. "Smart move. Take your boyfriend with you. He looks like he's about to collapse on my floor."
He pointed at Kin. At his limp. At the dark circles under his eyes. At the sweatpants that were too big and the shirt that was wrinkled.
Kin's arrogance flared.
"He's not my—," Lina said quickly.
"Of course not," Tomas said. "My mistake."
Kin stepped forward. His leg screamed. He ignored it.
"We're not here for the bike," he said.
Lina looked at him. "Kin—"
"My girlfriend wants a car." He put his arm around Lina's shoulders. Squeezed. Play along. "We're just looking at bikes for her little brother."
Lina's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened.
Tomas laughed. "A car? With that dress code? You look like you can't afford a street meal, friend."
"Show me your cheapest car."
"Kin, what are you—" Lina started.
"Cheapest car," Kin repeated.
Tomas smirked and pointed through the window. A small grey sedan sat in the lot. "That one. Seventy thousand. Comes with a warranty. And a spare tire. And a prayer that you make the first payment."
Kin looked at it. "Too cheap."
Lina grabbed his arm. "Are you crazy?"
"I'm calm."
"You're not calm. You're doing that thing where you pretend to be calm so you can do something stupid."
"I don't do that."
"You're doing it right now."
Tomas was watching, amused. "Listen to your girlfriend, buddy. She knows you're broke."
Kin smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"She was actually saying that's cheap," he said.
Lina dug her nails into his palm. Stop.
He didn't stop.
He pointed through the window. A black sedan. Leather seats. Tinted windows. 140,000 SN.
"That one," he said.
Tomas raised an eyebrow. "That's double the price."
"I know."
"You can't afford it."
"Probably not." Kin pointed again. A silver SUV. Big. Shiny. 200,000 SN. "That one."
Lina's nails dug deeper. "Kin—"
"That one," he said to Tomas. "Start the paperwork."
Tomas laughed. "You have to pay first, genius. This isn't a library."
Kin pulled out his card.
His bank card. The one connected to the System's money. 230,000 SN from last night's mission. Plus the leftover from before.
"Run it," Kin said.
Tomas stared at the card. Then at Kin. Then at Lina.
"You're joking."
"I'm not."
Tomas took the card. Swiped it. The machine beeped.
Approved.
Tomas's face changed. The smirk vanished. His voice cracked.
"I... I'll get the paperwork."
"Please."
The next ten minutes were a blur. Tomas was suddenly very kind. Very helpful. Very eager to please. He brought coffee. He explained the warranty. He detailed the financing options (none needed). He handed Kin the keys with both hands.
"Congratulations," Tomas said. His smile was strained. "You're going to love this vehicle."
Kin took the keys. Turned to Lina.
"These are for you."
Lina stared at the keys like they were a snake.
"No."
"Take them."
"No, Kin. I'm not—"
"I will kneel," he said. "Right here. On this floor. And I will propose to you with a set of car keys in front of this very nice salesperson who was just so helpful."
Lina's face went pale. Then red. Then something between fury and laughter.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me."
Lina snatched the keys from his hand.
"I hate you," she said.
"You're welcome."
She walked out of the shop. Kin followed, limping, grinning.
Behind them, Tomas stood frozen.
***
Lina stopped at the silver SUV. It was bigger than anything she'd ever driven. Leather seats. Tinted windows. The keys felt heavy in her hand.
"You're serious," she said.
"I'm always serious."
"You bought me a car."
"I bought you transportation. There's a difference."
She unlocked it. The lights flashed. The doors clicked. She stood there, hand on the handle, not moving.
"Well?" Kin said.
"I don't know how to feel about this."
"Feel grateful. Feel annoyed. Feel whatever you want. Just get in the car so I can sit down. My leg is killing me."
She opened the driver's door. Kin limped around to the passenger side. He climbed in. The seat was soft. Warm. It smelled like new plastic and air freshener.
Lina started the engine. It purred.
"Seventeen kilometers on the odometer," she said. "Brand new."
"Tomas will have to explain to his manager why he sold a two-hundred-thousand-SUV to a man in borrowed sweatpants."
"That's the best part of this whole thing."
She put the car in gear. Pulled out of the lot. The SUV handled smoothly. Too smoothly. It felt like floating.
They drove in silence for a block.
Then Lina said, "You're insane."
"I know."
"This is the most reckless thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Probably."
"You don't even have a car."
"I don't need one. I have legs. "
She shook her head. "I'm going to scold you the whole way home."
"I expect nothing less."
"You spent two hundred thousand Spirit Nether on a car I didn't ask for."
"You needed one."
"I needed a bike. A bike that cost thirty-seven thousand. Not a luxury SUV that drinks fuel and requires insurance and will get stolen in a week."
"Then park it somewhere safe."
"There's nowhere safe. I live above you. You live in a building with a cracked ceiling and a water stain named Gerald."
"Hey , Keep Gerald's name out of your mouth…..Gerald is my emotional support stain."
"Don't make jokes. I'm angry."
"You're not angry. You're overwhelmed."
She turned to face him.
"I'm both, Kin. I'm angry and overwhelmed. And I'm confused. And I'm tired. And you keep doing things that don't make sense."
He said nothing.
"You don't have a proper house. Your apartment is a box with a mattress. You wear my dead brother's sweatpants. And the first thing you think about is buying me a car?"
He looked at the ground.
"Why?" she asked.
Because I need you to be distracted. Because if you're thinking about the car, you're not thinking about the sword. About the scream. About how close you came to dying this morning.
"Because I wanted to," he said.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
She stared at him. Then she shook her head and looked forward .
"You're impossible."
"I've been told."
"And reckless."
"Also told."
"And you're limping."
"I noticed."
Kin listened. Nodded. Smiled.
Inside, he was relieved.
She's not asking about the sword, he thought. She's not asking about the scream. She's talking about money and cars and bad decisions.
Distraction worked.
They pulled up to the building. Lina parked perfectly between the lines. She turned off the engine.
"I'm still angry," she said.
"I know."
"And I'm still going to scold you later."
"I know."
"And you're still going to tell me what actually happened last night."
His stomach tightened. "We'll see."
She looked at him. Her eyes were tired but sharp.
"You can't buy me off with a car, Kin."
"I wasn't trying to."
"Then what were you trying to do?"
He didn't answer.
She sighed. Grabbed the keys. Got out of the car.
He followed her inside, limping, the new-car smell still in his nose.
[System Notification – Hidden from Lina]
[Lina Trust Level: 38%. She accepted the car. She is confused. She is not asking the right questions yet.]
[Distraction successful. Temporary.]
[Warning: The questions will come. Be ready.]
[Next mission in: 164 hours, 10 minutes.]
Kin limped up the stairs.
Behind him, Lina locked the SUV with a beep.
The keys stayed in her pocket.