On the rooftop of a fairly tall building in Mapo District.

I lay on the rooftop railing, watching the crowd gather below as the bright morning sunlight streamed down.

Even though I was basking in the sunniest spot, the air felt a little chilly, so I summoned the warm Red Reaper and hugged it tightly against my chest.

Ah, as expected, the Red Reaper is the warmest.

The Red Reaper wriggled uncomfortably in my arms but eventually gave in, settling on my stomach to soak in the sunlight with me.

It’s been three days since I unleashed the Golden Reapers all over Mapo District, and people from outside are starting to notice. Broadcast stations have begun sending teams over to cover the strange phenomenon.

Right now, I could see a group from a fairly large broadcasting company setting up below.

There were researchers wearing large helmets, a female reporter, and people holding various camera equipment.

This looks fun...

I picked up the Red Reaper, bringing it in front of my face, and playfully poked its cheek, sharing my thoughts.

"Shall we go down and take a look? Sneaking in should be fun."

The Red Reaper eagerly nodded as if it found the idea amusing.

After jumping off the rooftop, I crouched behind some bushes in the park, where I had a clear view of the broadcast team.

"Look, we’re playing hide-and-seek with Mom!"

The Red Reaper seemed to be having a blast just hiding with me. It perched on my shoulder, cheerfully sending me its thoughts.

“How about changing the interview location? Mapo District is too dangerous right now.”

A researcher with a large helmet, sporting a name tag that read Object Association, glanced around anxiously as if they were venturing into a den of tigers.

“We can’t do that.”

The reporter shook her head, rejecting the researcher’s suggestion, and then listed off her reasons.

She explained that other stations had already entered Mapo District for coverage, and they couldn’t be the only ones reporting from outside. She reminded him that the plan had been pre-approved, questioning why he was suddenly objecting. And if it were that dangerous, wouldn’t the Object Association have issued warnings earlier?

Clearly, they’d clashed on this issue several times before, as the reporter responded to the researcher’s concerns with a composed but annoyed expression.

“Well, still…”

The researcher, looking exasperated, opened his mouth to argue but quickly gave up and began quietly waiting for the broadcast to begin.

As they settled into position, preparing for the broadcast, a Golden Reaper suddenly popped out with a cheerful bop, striking a victory pose on the reporter’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

Soon after, Golden Reapers began appearing one by one around the broadcast crew, darting toward them and attaching themselves in various places. They were dutifully carrying out my order to stick to each human in Mapo District one-to-one.

Some clung to cheeks, others to pant legs or coat pockets.

At first, the broadcast team looked startled, but after realizing the Reapers were harmless and friendly, they opened their hearts and welcomed the little creatures.

“Oh, is this the famous ‘Golden Reaper’ that’s taken over Mapo District?”

The reporter gently placed the Golden Reaper from her shoulder onto her palm, observing it with curiosity, as if she were looking at a cute animal.

Without any preconceived notions, she stared at the little creature with pure fascination.

When she extended her finger toward it, the Golden Reaper grabbed it with both hands and smiled brightly.

Startled by the sudden action, the reporter reflexively pulled her finger back, but the Golden Reaper clung tightly, dangling from her fingertip as if declaring, “This finger is mine!”

Seeing the Golden Reaper's determined expression, the reporter let out a light-hearted laugh.

“It’s adorable. I can see why the association has been so lukewarm about this situation. It’s completely harmless, isn’t it?”

The reporter, now smiling, nuzzled the Golden Reaper against her cheek, turning to look at the researcher. However, the researcher stepped back, his voice full of alarm.

“Please, put the Golden Reaper down and step away. If you make your intentions clear, they won’t approach any further!”

It was as if he were warning them about a terrifying alien creature.

But his frantic reaction had no effect and seemed to fall on deaf ears. The broadcast team didn’t understand his panic and instead gave him strange looks.

“Are you telling me to throw this sweet Golden Reaper to the ground? How could you make such a good little one sad?”

The reporter was too busy playing with the Golden Reaper, tickling its chin and laughing, clearly smitten with the creature.

Watching the scene unfold, I felt a sense of relief. It seemed like we wouldn’t need to worry about any slanderous articles from this reporter, unlike the last time with Daily Object.

The morning buzz continued in a peaceful household.

The smell of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon filled the air.

As soon as the woman placed food onto a plate in the kitchen, the Golden Reapers quickly lifted it from below and rushed it to the dining table.

After completing their task, the Golden Reapers dashed back to the kitchen, looking up at the woman with eager eyes, hoping for a reward.

The woman smiled at the adorable sight and patted a Golden Reaper on the head before handing it a well-toasted slice of bread.

Delighted, the Golden Reaper sat down with the oversized toast, nibbling on it with its tiny mouth.
 

Crunch. Crunch.

The sound of the toast being nibbled echoed through the kitchen.

The Golden Reaper giggled, clearly enjoying its meal, looking as if it was savoring the best food in the world.

Once the woman had finished tidying up, she sat at the dining table, turned on the TV, and began her breakfast while watching the news.

As expected, the current situation in Mapo District dominated the headlines. With so many objects scattered throughout Seoul, it was difficult to even estimate their number. Every news channel was constantly discussing the Golden Reapers.

The anchors kept repeating the same neutral sentiment, like parrots, “We need to keep monitoring the situation further.”

“They’re just so cute though…” the woman thought, poking the Golden Reaper’s chubby cheeks, which puffed up like a hamster’s.

Despite the gravity of the situation, with the Golden Reaper sitting cutely beside her, she couldn’t grasp the true concern behind the news reports.

On the screen, a researcher from the Object Association wearing a large helmet appeared alongside a reporter, and the setup seemed a bit odd.

The researcher insisted, “Mapo District is dangerous! Evacuate as soon as possible!”

The reporter countered, “But there haven't been any casualties, and the serial murders have stopped, haven’t they?”

It had turned into a sort of debate, with the reporter questioning the researcher’s claims.

In the end, when the researcher refused to make the positive comments about the Golden Reapers that the reporter wanted, the broadcast abruptly ended.

The reporter concluded by stating that while objects can be dangerous, the Golden Reapers scattered around Mapo District seemed safe enough.

As the reporter spoke, a pair of golden antennae peeked out from her pocket, happily swaying.

“It’s peaceful.”

Mapo District was, indeed, peaceful.

The fight against the Yellow Moon Object had only occurred on the first day. Even when the yellow moon rose again, nothing happened.

The once ominous full moon no longer felt so foreboding.

Did the Yellow Moon flee because there were too many Golden Reapers?

Feeling bored, I sat on the edge of the rooftop, passing the time watching TV—the one the Blue Reaper had fixed for me.

The news repeatedly aired announcements from the European Object Association.

Their message was clear:

“Seoul is currently in a very dangerous state.”

“Friendly objects have always betrayed humans in the most fatal ways.”

“Golden Reapers? Do not trust them. If you feel inclined to trust them, you absolutely should not.”

Due to these statements, tension began to rise in what had been a happy and cozy Mapo District.

Given the reputation of the European Object Association for making cautious and measured statements, their words carried considerable influence.

Even domestic broadcasts, which had been mostly positive, started shifting to a more cautious tone. Some channels outright declared the situation to be dangerous.

Within Mapo District, a few people began ignoring the Golden Reapers entirely. Some of the Reapers, saddened by the lack of human interaction, hid away with forlorn expressions.

Of course, even those that hid remained in their ghostly forms, silently watching over the humans they were assigned to protect.

Today marked the sixth day.

Tomorrow would be the last.

If things ended like this, it felt like the “Moon” would have been too boring.

In a dimly lit room, the only source of light was the TV, which illuminated the space. A man lay under his blanket, staring blankly at the screen.

The room was a mess, a disorganized studio apartment.

Despite Mapo District’s one-person-one-Reaper policy, this man had believed the European Object Association’s warnings and had thrown his Golden Reaper out the window.

The TV continued to air the Association’s statements.

“Mapo District is dangerous. It’s a real problem. Why doesn’t anyone else see that?”

The man muttered to himself as if justifying his decision.

He compulsively sprayed disinfectant alcohol on the floor and his hands, as if he needed to erase any trace of the Golden Reaper.

Suddenly, the TV flickered off with a soft pop.

“What the... A blackout?”

Annoyed, the man grabbed his phone and was about to stand up when a strange yellow light shone from the window.

A silhouette resembling a Golden Reaper clung to the glass, peering inside.

But this wasn’t the usual bright glow of a Golden Reaper. The light flickered ominously, and its skin seemed to melt like candle wax.

“Wh-what the hell!”

Startled, the man pointed his phone’s flashlight at the window, but the figure vanished in an instant.

“I knew it. I knew I was right. Golden Reapers are dangerous.”

He mumbled in fear, trying to dispel the terror creeping into his mind. He turned on all the lights in the room, making it as bright as possible.

Then, he began searching the apartment, looking for any traces of the Golden Reaper.

Outside, the yellow light of the moon beamed through the window, growing ever more ominous.