After the incident where the witch kidnapped Scarlet Evande using teleportation, a massive construction project was underway in the Northern Boundary Region to install magic circles that would block unauthorized teleportation.

With the overwhelming support of the Dolos family, which possessed the greatest financial power in the city, numerous workers were mobilized for the project.

However, the construction site was in a region where demonic beasts could appear at any moment.

For this reason, Yoon Si-woo and the members of Astrape were extremely busy, simultaneously carrying out their original mission of frontline defense and guarding the workers involved in the ongoing construction.

“Wow, Sergeant. They say the finishing touches on the magic circle around here are almost done,” one of them reported.

“Yeah, good work. They need to install another one over there behind us,” came the reply.

“…Is there still more to do? So many people have been working almost non-stop for days,” the worker complained.

“What can we do? Now that we know there’s a witch who can teleport, we have to be prepared as soon as possible. I hear the workers are taking a short break, so you should rest too and join them when they head out later. Your day off is tomorrow, right? Just hang in there a bit longer.”

“…Understood.”

The next day.

The day off when Yoon Si-woo could return home was just around the corner, and he felt his heart race.

It wasn’t the excitement about the day off; it was anxiety.

“Ugh… How am I supposed to say this…?”

Yoon Si-woo sat down on the ground, tearing at his hair and mumbling to himself.

How to say it was a question that had been swirling in his mind for several days now.

The anxiety that had recently kept him up at night began a few days ago when he received a call from Sylvia.

“How about asking her out on a date during the holiday? I’m sure she’d like it.”

A date; what a heart-fluttering thought.

Yoon Si-woo had certainly dreamed of going on a date with Scarlet.

But it was truly a far-fetched idea.

How could he even go on a date when he didn’t know how Scarlet felt about him?

That was when Sylvia chimed in.

“Seems like Scarlet has feelings for you as well.”

Maybe it would be good to take the initiative, she suggested.

Yet, even as he struggled to find the courage to do so, Sylvia said to him:

“…Please make Scarlet Evande happy.”

That sentence reminded Yoon Si-woo of a resolution he had made long ago.

The resolve that he would do everything in his power to make Scarlet happy.

Recalling that determination filled him with courage.

So he decided.

On this holiday, he would ask Scarlet out on a date.

And just after ending his call with Sylvia, when he was about to dial Scarlet’s number, he suddenly realized something.

He had never been on a date in his entire life.

Before he realized that, he had been excited about this dream.

It was his first date, and he was determined to make it a wonderful memory for Scarlet, but…

But what did he know about dating, having never been on one before?

Finding a standard dating course was one thing, but how was it possible for Scarlet to be an ordinary person?

If he followed a common dating course and Scarlet ended up not liking it…

“Today’s date was the worst. You don’t even know what I like? I can’t believe you’re a guy who can’t even plan a proper date course. Yoon Si-woo, it’s over between us.”

Imagining Scarlet looking at him with cold eyes and saying those words made Yoon Si-woo lose all the confidence he had built up.

He felt he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he heard that, so he decided to put off the call to learn a bit more about dating.

As a result, with only a day left until the holiday, he found himself stuck.

He thought he had to say something today…

Thinking that but struggling to summon the courage to make the call, Lucy suddenly interjected.

“I’m feeling anxious just watching you, Si-woo. Is it okay for a guy to be so timid?”

“But… I’m not good at dates…”

“If that girl has feelings for you, you have nothing to worry about. If you truly like her, what matters is the time you spend together, not the place you meet.”

Was that really the case…?

Yoon Si-woo recalled the times he had spent with Scarlet.

The memory of casually running into her at the supermarket and sitting on a bench talking together.

Accidentally crossing paths on the street and ending up at a motel… No, skip that part.

He blushed at fond memories surfacing but realized that it didn’t matter where he was as long as Scarlet was by his side. He slowly nodded.

Still, there was lingering hesitation.

“…But still, I want to go somewhere that Scarlet would enjoy. A place where she can smile when she remembers it one day, a place that can become a happy memory.”

He had thought long and hard about it, but he couldn’t figure out where Scarlet would like to go.

Yoon Si-woo muttered with a wry smile.

“I, who like Scarlet, still don’t know what she likes at all…”

Thinking it felt foolish to ask someone on a date without knowing such a thing, he fleetingly wondered if it might be better not to.

At that moment…

“If you don’t know, just ask her,” Lucy said.

“It’s natural to be unsure the first time. Not knowing is not a fault. The real mistake is knowing that you don’t know yet making no effort to find out. If you want to know about that girl, ask her directly what she likes and where she would like to go. It might be a little embarrassing, but Si-woo, I know you can make that effort for her. I’ve seen you make much more effort than that until now.”

“…Lucy.”

“Well, first you have to ask her out on a date. Once you ask her to hang out, you can ask where she wants to go.”

“…Yeah.”

Inspired by Lucy’s advice, Yoon Si-woo clenched his fist and nodded.

Then, with a resolute look in his eyes, he took his mobile phone from his pocket and dialed.

This time, without hesitation.

“…Hello? Yoon Si-woo?”

When he heard the now-familiar voice of the girl, Yoon Si-woo’s throat tightened.

He felt cold sweat on his palms, even more so than when fighting demonic beasts, but he summoned the courage to call her name.

“Scarlet…”

“Yeah, do you have something to say?”

“About tomorrow. If you’re okay with it…”

With each word, the pressure mounted, but he clenched his eyes shut and asked.

“Would you like to go somewhere with me?”

After a brief moment of silence,

“…Sure.”

The sound of her acceptance came through the phone.

Yoon Si-woo felt dazed for a moment upon hearing the reply.

…Wait, did I just get accepted for a date?

The joy didn’t fully set in until a little later.

Unbeknownst to him, he nearly let out a cheer and quickly covered his mouth as if to confirm what he heard was real.

“Um… Is it really okay?”

“No, I should be the one asking if it’s okay. It’s your only day off this week; are you sure you don’t want to rest at home?”

“Not at all! I really don’t like staying at home!”

Overjoyed, Yoon Si-woo shouted out but quickly remembered what he had originally intended to ask.

He wanted to build up trust and make good use of the day, but more than that, he wanted to find an enjoyable place for her to go first, so he posed the question.

“Um… Is there any place you want to go?”

“Hmm… a place I want to go…?”

Scarlet seemed to ponder for a moment before she hesitantly replied.

“…How about a zoo?”

“Yeah, that sounds good! So we’re going to the zoo together tomorrow? See you then!”

“…Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

As the call ended, he found himself in a silent cheer.

“…!!!!”

Yoon Si-woo held back a silent shout of joy.

He doubted he was dreaming and pinched his cheeks, feeling the pain confirming that it was indeed reality.

Really, he was going on a date with Scarlet.

A zoo; Scarlet likes animals.

What a cuter hobby than he had imagined.

His mind exploded with possibilities, like a field of flowers blooming in his thoughts.

Scarlet, holding a cute animal, not knowing what to do.

Scarlet, amazed by a big animal while taking a picture with him.

Scarlet, wearing animal ears.

He could see all of it tomorrow.

Just the thought made him break into an incessant smile.

“Yoon Si-woo, it’s time to end the break, so let’s… Hey, why are you smiling like that? Did something good happen?”

“No! It’s nothing!”

Yoon Si-woo couldn’t wait for tomorrow.