Roman leaned back against the wall, letting his hat tip forward to shadow his eyes. "You should go, Neo. That kid—Hyunwoo—he's strict with this stuff. Probably already knows you're here."
Neo paused, her parasol still in hand. She gave him a lingering look, not with suspicion this time, but with the faint trust she rarely showed anyone. Her eyes softened, as if silently acknowledging that—for once—Roman was telling her the truth.
"Go on," Roman muttered. "No need for both of us to get tangled up. I'll manage."
Neo's heel tapped once against the floor. Her lips curved into a small smile, though it carried a flicker of thoughtfulness. She stepped closer to the cell bars, her voice silent but her eyes speaking for her: I'll leave, but there's still something I want.
Roman noticed it immediately. "What's with that look? Don't tell me..." He stopped, groaning. "Neo, don't say you're planning something stupid."
She tilted her head, playful but serious beneath it. With a slow spin of her parasol, she mimed a gesture—pointing to her own head, then forward, as though imagining someone standing before her.
Roman squinted. "...Hyunwoo? You wanna talk to him?"
Neo's smile widened just slightly, enough to confirm it.
Roman sighed, running a hand down his face. "Figures. Out of everyone, you'd pick the one guy who doesn't play games. Just—" He pointed at her with . "Be careful, Neo. He's sharp. Too sharp. If you're not careful, he'll read you like a book."
Neo gave a small shrug, as if to say maybe that's exactly what I want. Then, with a final twirl of her parasol, she turned toward the exit.
Roman leaned back against the wall again, muttering under his breath. "Damn kid's already pulling people in without trying..."
Just in time.
The sound of the heavy door unlocking echoed in the quiet cell block. Roman's head shot up, his smirk faltering when the door swung open.
Hyunwoo stepped inside, his spear sliding effortlessly into his hand as if summoned by thought. His eyes flicked between Roman in the cell and the small figure standing too close to him.
"Seems like your dear Neo is here," Hyunwoo said, voice calm but edged with suspicion. The tip of his weapon lowered slightly toward her. "What's this, Torchwick? Didn't want to wait?"
Roman forced a chuckle, though the tension in the air was thick. "Kid, you've got the worst timing. She's just visiting, nothing more."
Neo twirled her parasol slowly, her expression unreadable. But the way her mismatched eyes lingered on Hyunwoo told him enough—this wasn't a coincidence. She had come for more than a casual chat.
Hyunwoo's gaze sharpened. "Visitors aren't allowed. Especially ones who hide behind disguises." His weapon angled closer to her, testing her reaction.
Roman stepped forward, gripping the bars. "Hey, relax. Don't go skewering her—if she wanted to free me, she would've done it already. Isn't that right, Neo?"
Neo tilted her head, giving Roman a sly glance before looking back at Hyunwoo. Instead of flinching, she smiled faintly, almost taunting, almost curious—as though daring him to read what was going on in her head.
Hyunwoo didn't blink. His eyes never left hers. "Then why are you here?"
The silence between them stretched, broken only by the faint hum of the overhead lights.
Roman leaned against the bars, forcing his usual grin though the sharpness in Hyunwoo's eyes clearly put him on edge. "Easy there, kid. Neo's not here to cause trouble. Just checking in on an old partner, that's all."
Neo's parasol clicked shut with a soft snap. She tilted her head at Roman, her gaze flicking toward Hyunwoo for a brief moment before tapping her parasol against her shoulder, questioning without words.
Roman sighed, as if already tired of translating for her. "She wants to know about you." He gestured toward Hyunwoo with a tilt of his chin. "Can't blame her, really. You've been... meddling in things. Getting in our way."
Hyunwoo didn't move, his grip on his spear steady. "If she wants to know about me, she can ask herself."
Neo's smile widened, silent as ever, eyes glimmering with amusement. She twirled her parasol once, then pointed it lightly in Hyunwoo's direction.
Roman chuckled dryly. "See? That's her way of asking. Who's the kid with the spear? Why's he sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong?" He leaned closer to the bars, lowering his voice. "And between you and me, she's curious. You don't fight like the rest of these Huntsman types."
Hyunwoo's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "Curiosity can get dangerous if you're not careful."
Roman gave a short laugh, though it sounded more nervous than mocking. "That's exactly what I told her. But you know Neo—once something catches her eye, she doesn't let go so easily."
Neo simply smiled, her parasol resting against her shoulder as if she agreed.
Hyunwoo's eyes shifted toward Neo, his voice low but steady.
"So you want to cooperate too? I know you don't care about Cinder. You only follow Torchwick, right?"
Neo's smile froze for just a beat, the playful glint in her eyes sharpening. She tilted her head, parasol tapping once against her shoulder as though weighing his words.
Roman gave a short, humorless laugh. "Heh... sharp kid, aren't you? He's not wrong, Neo. You've never been the loyal lapdog type. You follow me, not her." He leaned his elbows on the bars, smirking faintly. "And if I had to guess, you're wondering if this kid's worth listening to. If he's got something better to offer."
Neo's gaze flicked back to Hyunwoo, searching. Her silence was louder than words, but the slight tilt of her parasol toward him carried the question clear enough.
Hyunwoo tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes unflinching.
"I don't make promises I can't keep. But I don't betray people either. That's the difference between me and her."
For the first time, Neo's smirk softened—still sly, still unreadable, but not dismissive.
Neo's parasol tapped lightly against the floor as she studied Hyunwoo. Step by step, she closed the distance, her mismatched eyes narrowing with that sharp glint she always carried.
Roman leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Careful, kid. She's not just looking at you — she's trying to peel you open."
Neo tilted her head, then suddenly her form flickered. A shimmer, and in the space of a blink, she wore Hyunwoo's face. His stance, his grip on the spear, even the faint crease in his brow — copied perfectly. Her mirrored spear leveled at his chest.
Hyunwoo held steady, not a single twitch betraying nerves. His voice came low and flat.
"...So you want to see if I'm lying."
Neo smirked — his smirk, on her lips — before the disguise bled away, leaving her small frame and teasing eyes behind. She twirled the parasol once and leaned it against her shoulder, the smirk lingering.
Roman gave a short laugh. "Guess you passed, kid. If she didn't believe you, she'd have cut the air out of this room."
Hyunwoo exhaled slowly, lowering his spear but keeping his eyes on her.
"Good. Then you know I don't make promises lightly."
At that, Neo stilled. Her expression softened — just a flicker, but enough to catch Roman's eye. She raised two fingers, pointing toward him and then to herself, before tilting her chin at Hyunwoo. A silent question.
The corner of Roman's mouth tugged upward. "Ahh... so that's it. You're wondering about that promise of his."
Hyunwoo's gaze flicked between them, reading her silent message.
"...Vacuo. I meant what I said. After this is done, you'll get there. Together."
Neo's smirk returned, smaller this time, but real. She tapped her parasol once more — a quiet acceptance — then stepped back, leaving the weight of her unspoken thoughts hanging in the air.
Hyunwoo adjusted his grip on the spear, finally lowering the tip as his eyes settled on Neo. His tone was calm, but firm.
"If you want to help," he said, "then be my informant. Tell me what she's planning... and when."
Neo's parasol twirled lazily in her fingers, the faintest curl tugging at her lips. She didn't answer, only tilted her head in mock innocence.
Hyunwoo took a step closer, his voice sharper. "I'm not asking you to fight her. Just... keep me ahead of her. That's enough."
Roman chuckled, breaking the tension. "Hah! You hear that, Neo? He's trying to recruit you like you're some schoolgirl with a gossip journal."
Neo ignored him. Instead, she reached into her coat, pulled out her Scroll, and flicked it open with a snap of her wrist. She held it up toward Hyunwoo expectantly.
He raised a brow. "...So you're agreeing?"
She gave a single, deliberate nod.
Hyunwoo pulled out his own Scroll. "Then let's exchange numbers."
Neo tapped her screen quickly, then held it close until the Scrolls synced with a soft chime. A moment later, she slid hers back into her coat and gave him a sly smile, tapping her lips with one finger as if to say: Don't expect me to make this easy.
Roman shook his head, half-amused, half-weary. "Kid, I don't know if you just made the smartest move of your life... or the dumbest."
Hyunwoo locked eyes with Neo. "We'll see."
As the Scrolls synced with a soft chime, Hyunwoo slid his back into his pocket. His gaze sharpened, voice dropping low so only Neo could feel the weight behind it.
"If you somehow betray me," he said evenly, "then I can't guarantee Torchwick stays safe. Whether it's from me... or from Cinder."
The parasol stilled in her hand. Neo's playful smile didn't vanish, but it faltered at the corner, a subtle twitch betraying her irritation. Her eyes flicked to Roman for half a second, then back to Hyunwoo—measuring him.
Roman gave a strained laugh. "Tch, kid, you sure know how to kill the mood."
Neo snapped her parasol shut with a sharp clack, the sound echoing through the cell. Her expression, however, returned to its usual mask of mischief. She gave Hyunwoo a mocking little bow, as though accepting his terms... for now.
Hyunwoo didn't look away. "Good. Then we understand each other."
He tilted his head slightly, spear resting at his side. "... Do you want me to escort you outside? Ironwood's got soldiers crawling all over this place."
Neo only smirked, tapping her closed umbrella against her shoulder before pointing it toward him, like teasing a challenge. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
I know my way.
The words weren't spoken, but her smirk carried them well enough. And then—without a sound—her presence fractured, scattering like shards of glass catching the dim light, until nothing remained but silence.
Roman exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hate when she does that... feels like I'm left talking to shadows."
Hyunwoo stayed still for a moment longer, watching the last flecks of illusion fade from the air. His grip on the spear loosened, but his expression didn't soften.
"She'll come around," he murmured. "One way or another."
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