Evryn sighed, lowering his gaze. "Yeah… you could say something like that."
She hummed in response, then gracefully shifted her feet off the wooden crate and onto the ground. Digging into the pocket of her red jacket, she retrieved a small knife.
Clink.
The blade flicked open with ease. She let out a deep sigh before reaching behind her back and cutting away the tight bandages wrapped around her chest. As they loosened, she exhaled in relief, stretching slightly as if finally able to breathe freely.
Evryn watched with mild confusion. Why would anyone bind themselves that tightly? Wouldn't it be uncomfortable? Hard to breathe? He didn't understand the reason behind it, but it seemed deliberate.
Noticing his gaze, she smirked. "You like what you see?" she teased.
Evryn blinked. He wasn't gawking in admiration—he was just baffled. Deciding to ignore her comment, he asked something that had been on his mind since she first appeared.
"Why are you barefoot in this building?"
She paused while gathering the cut bandages, her expression shifting slightly. Turning her gaze back to him, she asked, "Have you heard of Seiryoku?"
Evryn frowned, thinking. Seiryoku… He had overheard the name in past conversations but never learned much about it. He did know it was located in the inner regions of the galaxy.
"I've heard of it, but I don't really know anything about it."
"Huh. Interesting," she mused, tapping her chin. "How do I put this… Seiryoku has a strong culture of respect. It's a custom there not to wear shoes indoors, and most people opt for slides instead."
Evryn tilted his head. "Then why aren't you wearing slides?"
She grinned. "Because I never liked them. I've always preferred walking barefoot."
Razek, who had been silent for a while, suddenly leaned his head back with a lazy grin. "And the women there are really pretty, hehe."
She chuckled, her voice dripping with amusement. "Your friend isn't far from wrong."
Evryn's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "And is wearing tight bandages around your chest a custom there too?"
She chuckled in amusement. "No, darling. I just wear them because I want to."
"Why? It looks really uncomfortable." He narrowed his brows.
She leaned back slightly, shrugging. "My breasts get in the way. This keeps them from being a problem. Yeah, it was uncomfortable at first, but I've gotten used to it over the years."
"I see…"
Without another word, she stood up, the soft clink of her pocket knife catching the light as she approached.
Razek immediately tensed. "H-Hey now, there's no need for this! We're friends now, right?"
"Relax, I'm not going to do anything… yet." Her smirk widened as she crouched in front of them, bringing the knife closer.
"Yet?! Please, lady, let's talk this through!"
"Razek," Evryn sighed, "she's cutting the rope."
Snap.
"Oh…" Razek let out an awkward laugh. "I knew that. Just playin' around, haha." He stretched out his arms with a satisfied sigh. "Ahh, finally, my beautiful hands are free! But my clothes…" His voice softened in defeat as he looked at his soaked outfit.
Evryn rubbed his wrists, rolling them to restore circulation before clenching his fists.
She moved back to her chair, crossing one leg over the other. "It's Kamiya Rin. But just call me Rin—I don't like people using my last name."
Evryn glanced up from his wrists. "Why would I call you by your first name?"
"Oh, right." She tapped her temple. "In Seiryoku, we address each other by last names. But since you two aren't from there, I guess you wouldn't follow that custom."
"Why last names?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "Not sure. It's just tradition. If you call someone by their first name, it means they're family or that you're really close."
Evryn watched her carefully. From the moment they met until now, something about her had shifted. The tough, domineering presence she had earlier seemed more relaxed now. Was it all an act?
After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Is there a reason you don't like people calling you by your last name?"
Rin's smirk faded. She leaned back slightly, her expression unreadable.
"Because I don't like my family."
"Oh." Evryn fell silent after hearing her words, feeling bad for bringing it up.
A hiss sounded as the door behind him slid open, followed by the sound of footsteps entering the room. Two guards stepped inside, another following behind them.
They noticed that Evryn and Razek were no longer tied up but didn't react. Instead, they handed them towels to dry their clothes.
By now, most of their clothes had already dried, though a few spots were still damp.
Evryn took the towel and ran it through his brown hair, rubbing away the lingering moisture.
The blond-haired man from earlier approached Rin, handing her a fresh pipe. She took it without a word, immediately lighting it and exhaling a slow puff of smoke.
"These two boys are fine. No need to worry," Rin said, lowering the pipe. Then, glancing toward the door, she added, "Lighter, go get his sword."
"Yes, ma'am." The blonde-haired man gave a small nod before turning on his heel and leaving the room again.
Rin took another drag from her pipe before speaking, "Now, back to the main topic. Why are you two so interested in the Black Suns?"
By this point, Evryn had seen and heard enough to feel fairly certain—Rin and her people weren't aligned with the Black Suns. In fact, ever since he explained their intentions, they had noticeably lowered their guard.
His gaze remained steady as he answered, his voice firm, "We're looking for information on their operations—how they work, what they're doing—so we can track down their base."
Rin froze mid-motion, the pipe just shy of her lips. She blinked, visibly taken aback by his words.
The two guards standing nearby turned to Evryn, staring at him like he had completely lost his mind.
Rin composed herself, standing up straight. "Are you sure you're alright in the head, darling? No sane person would be snooping around for information on them. The last person who did that… well, they didn't meet a fortunate end."
Evryn's voice was steady and unwavering, "I know what I'm getting myself into."
"Are you sure?" Rin raised an eyebrow, taking another puff. "There's only you and Razek. I don't think two boys would be able to handle them."
Evryn paused, considering whether or not to mention Cyrus and Helaine. He'd already gathered that they weren't aligned with the Black Suns, but he wasn't sure how much to trust Rin just yet. From the way the guards had reacted, though, there was a chance they could be allies.
"There's two others with us as well. I can assure you that all four of us—and," Evryn glanced back at Razek, "we'll be just fine."