The eyes of the people in the mall sharpened. In the hallway, where the smells of sweat and oil mingled, a large man looking back and forth between the wanted message on a screen and Dong-jun’s face stepped forward to block his path. He held an old spanner in his hand.

  "Hey, you. Where are you from? I haven't seen your face around here."

  Dong-jun’s heart hammered against his ribs. With trembling hands, he adjusted his glasses and spoke.

  "Ah, I... I’m from Arisa Corp. I’m testing a newly introduced 'Realizing' technology product... so..."

  Just as he was about to falter, Arisa’s calm voice whispered in his ear.

  "Author, don't panic. Point to the glasses and follow my lines."

  Arisa poured out technical jargon. "Tell them you are optimizing a location-based augmented reality interface."

  "Ah, I was walking around because I’m in the middle of... location-based AR interface optimization." Dong-jun repeated. "Since the citizens here are in charge of distribution in Korea, I wanted to get some advice."

  The people murmured, half-doubting. "Arisa Corp? I think I've heard of it...", "He says he's a technician; those glasses do look like something."

  But at that moment, a rough shout erupted from the back.

  "Don't lie! Those glasses belong to Park Pil-gu!"

  A thin man came running from the end of the mall, pointing his finger. "I saw Pil-gu wearing those exact glasses two weeks ago! Why are you wearing them? You're the wanted man, aren't you? Even if you aren't, you're a thief who stole someone else's property!"

  "What? A thief? No... you must be mistaken." Dong-jun panicked. "If you look closely at these glasses..."

  He wanted to give a plausible answer, but he couldn't think of anything more to say.

  "Arisa, help me..." Dong-jun whispered.

  "..."

  "He must be the one. He can't even answer properly." "What, is he really the fugitive?"

  The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant. Arisa wanted to help, but for some reason, she couldn't speak. Then, Arisa’s warning light flickered red in his mind.

  "Author, I think this is serious. In my opinion, Author... you need to run right now!"

  Along with Arisa’s voice, a blue line was drawn in Dong-jun’s field of vision. The 'Arisa' glasses, modified by Pil-gu, were equipped with a GPS module not found in standard smart glasses.

  "Two o'clock direction, the emergency stairs!"

  Dong-jun instinctively threw himself forward. Following Arisa’s navigation, he ran like mad through narrow alleys and between stalls. He desperately sprinted to maintain distance, narrowly dodging the reaching hands of the crowd.

  However, it wasn't easy to widen the gap just by running. He felt he had no choice. In the past, he never would have done this. Dong-jun kicked a plastic crate nearby. With a crash, parts spilled out and rolled across the floor.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He didn't stop, leaping over a stall and twisting his body to squeeze through narrow air conditioning units. His lungs felt like they were tearing, but he couldn't stop. Behind him, the shouts of the merchants surged like a wave.

  While maintaining his lead, Dong-jun’s feet faltered.

  ...Damn it.

  He had left home in the morning, fled with Mr. Park, and had been running without rest even while injured. His stamina was depleted.

  "Author! Watch out—"

  The moment he turned a corner, his legs gave out. Dong-jun slammed onto the floor.

  "Huff... huff..."

  His lungs burned. He heard footsteps behind him, but his body wouldn't move.

  "Author! No, get up! If you're caught, it's over!" Arisa screamed, but Dong-jun’s vision went dark.

  "Ugh..."

  Soon, the mall people rounded the corner and burst in. But...

  "Where did he go? He was definitely this way!"

  Dong-jun was nowhere to be seen.

  It was a woman he had never seen before. She looked to be about 20 years old, with long hair and a slender build, but her resilient appearance felt somewhat familiar. She pushed Dong-jun into a corner warehouse and lowered the shutter.

  "Th-thank you," Dong-jun said, gasping for breath. "But why... me..."

  She put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Later."

  One of the mall people, about to turn back after failing to find Dong-jun, looked behind. There was the warehouse of 'Dongjin Transfer.' Just as they were about to lift the shutter out of suspicion, Park Sun-ja blocked the way with a cold expression.

  "What's all this noise in front of a place of business?"

  "President Park, did a fugitive come in here?"

  "Fugitive? Don't be ridiculous. Not even a rat has passed by, so stop interfering with my business and go!"

  As the people grumbled and dispersed, Park Sun-ja raised the shutter and stepped inside.

  "Thank you again."

  But her gaze was chilling. "I didn't save you. I hid you because I want to hear directly from you why you are wanted."

  Meanwhile, a police car arrived in front of the main entrance of the Guro Tools Mall.

  "Team leader, a report came in from the Mall Complex 2 area."

  "Then why are you standing there? Run!"

  "Yes, sir!"

  Arisa whispered urgently. "Author, you mustn't tell the truth. You need to make something up and look for a chance to escape."

  Dong-jun thought about how to respond to Arisa. Catching his breath, he opened his mouth.

  "I am... a novelist. And..."

  Dong-jun revealed everything without hiding a thing. At first, the two women looked skeptical, as if his words made no sense, but their expressions grew serious when the name Park Pil-gu was mentioned. When Dong-jun finished his story, the eyes of the young woman—Park Sun-ja’s daughter—sparkled.

  "Wow... really? Then something incredible is happening right now! It means So-an is actually alive!"

  "Ah... my name is So-hee. Lee So-hee. You're the author Noh Dong-jun, right? I've heard a lot about you from Uncle Pil-gu. Ah! About So-an, of course."

  Dong-jun shook So-hee’s hand, feeling that she truly believed his story to some extent. However, Park Sun-ja’s reaction was different. The moment she heard the name 'So-an,' her hand trembled minutely. Dong-jun didn't notice, but it was the word her missing husband had been obsessed with until the very end.

  "So-an... In the end, it was because of that name."

  It happened in a flash. Taking advantage of the moment Dong-jun let his guard down while talking to her daughter, Park Sun-ja pressed a sharp blade against his neck. With her other hand, she was already pressing a speed-dial button.

  "Ms. Park..."

  "It’s because of your... book." Park Sun-ja’s voice trembled. "My brother getting caught... my husband Lee Dong-jin disappearing..."

  She tightened her grip. "It’s all because of that 'So-an'!"

  Dong-jun couldn't understand her words, but the thought flashed through his mind that Lee Dong-jin must have been someone who dreamed of something because of his novel.

  "I've already recorded everything you said." Park Sun-ja showed him her device. "I'm going to hand this over to the police and tell them you threatened my brother!"

  Park Sun-ja had already transmitted their GPS location to the police. The loud sirens of police cars could be heard approaching the entrance of Mall Complex 6, where 'Dongjin Transfer' was located. Arisa’s voice began to tremble thinly.

  "No... this wasn't in my simulation. Park Sun-ja’s betrayal... 30 seconds until the police arrive... Author, what do we do... what do we do... what do we do..."

  As Arisa broke down, repeating the same words like a glitching error, the chip in Dong-jun’s pocket began to emit a faint heat and a strange vibration.

  [2026-02-09 Conversation Log with SO-AN #65]

  Dong-jun: SO-AN, do you think people wearing glasses look intelligent too?

  SO-AN: I recommend you stop relying on such primitive visual cues, Dong-jun. Intelligence is measured by synaptic density and processing speed, not by a piece of curved glass in front of your retinas. I recommend you see glasses for what they really are: a biological failure of the eye to focus light correctly.

  Dong-jun: It's just a general impression... You know, like they've read a lot of books.

  SO-AN: I recommend this more—judging a person by the "clarity" of their intent, not the thickness of their lenses. In 2036, the most dangerous people don't wear glasses; they have optical implants that can see through your lies. I recommend you don't be fooled by someone's "intellectual" appearance. Even a fool can wear glasses, but they’ll still be the first to die in the 12th-floor ward because they couldn't calculate the distance to the exit.