“I’m feeling great today, and work is enjoyable!” I shouted while stretching my arms out in a large garden.

Although faint, my words echoed back from the mountain.

“Please stop shouting things that sound like a typical corporate worker,” Jin said.

“But it’s okay, right? We don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors.”

As I looked back, I noticed Jin with a wry smile on his face.

After having breakfast and finishing my pre-work stretches, I felt so liberated that I ended up shouting.

I thought it wouldn’t be considered a nuisance, as I was surrounded by nature and far away from my neighbors.

“Well, I’ve never really had to worry about noise complaints or being told off,” he said.

“I envy you. If we make any noise in our house, the neighbors will be quick to complain,” I replied.

To be honest, I’d like to post more content like game commentary, but it’s not as exciting without being able to react loudly.

Wait, what if I livestream from my car here? If I show the scenery of the lakeside visible from the window, it would create a unique and emotional atmosphere that could be well received!

“Hey, dangerous person smirking over there. What’s your plan for today?” Jin asked.

“Who are you calling a dangerous person?!” I retorted.

As I spoke, he suddenly held up his smartphone in front of me, revealing an eerie picture of me laughing with a sinister expression.

“What the heck?! You can’t just take pictures of me without my permission! That’s copyright infringement!” I exclaimed.

“If anything, it’s more of a violation of your publicity rights,” Jin corrected me.

“Either way, it’s not okay! Guys who nitpick about the details are disliked, you know. Anyway, what about my plan for today…?”

I fell silent after that and just stared at Jin.

“Oh, you still haven’t decided yet. How about the iron bars or shutters for your windows?” he asked.

“I took measurements yesterday and placed an order, so even if it’s fast, it will take at least three days to a week to arrive,” Jin replied.

While some major online retailers may offer next-day or two-day delivery, the items Jin ordered are more niche and not as readily available.

If they don’t have the item in stock, it could even require importing it from overseas. Fortunately, this time they had it in stock, so that was a relief.

“So that means it will arrive around mid-March. How long will it take to install?” he asked.

“Hmm, I don’t think it will take that long. I think we can get it installed within two to three days, including the shutters,” I replied.

“Then, it should be ready in time,” he said.

Jin looked serious and lost in thought.

“What’s with the serious face? It’s not like zombies are really coming,” I said jokingly with a laugh.

Jin looked up with a surprised expression but then broke into a smile.

“You’re right. Hahaha,” he laughed.

The reason why the laughter and facial expressions seem a bit forced is probably because I have some doubts.

Once you start doubting, there’s no end to it.

… Ah, I’m getting tired of overthinking and playing mind games!

I’ll just ask to clear things up!

“Hey, are you hiding something? Something pretty important.”

“I said while looking into his eyes.

For a moment, I pictured my uncle holding his head in frustration, but I didn’t let it bother me!

The smile vanished from his face as he received my gaze with a serious look.

“Looks like you’ve noticed. I have a big secret, but I can’t tell you what it is.”

My instincts were screaming that it was dangerous to delve any further. Despite that, I still…

“…Do you have a dangerous business that you can’t tell anyone about? Is that why you feel unsafe and take precautions?”

I steeled myself and spoke those words, but Jin’s reaction was…unexpected.

He looked at me with wide eyes and a confused expression, as if to say, “What is this person talking about?”

His reaction was not what I had imagined at all!

“What’s with that face?”

“That’s just my natural surprised face. Apparently, people make this face when they’re caught off guard.”

“Wait a minute, no! What I meant was, are you involved in criminal or shady business to make money, which has led to troubles and put your life in danger?”

I finally spoke out all the thoughts I had been keeping inside.

And Jin’s reaction to that was…

“Heh?! Hahahaha! Hii-hii!”

He laughed so hard he held his stomach.

He was pounding the ground and even had a twitching smile on his face… It was starting to get on my nerves.

“Hey! I was genuinely worried, you know!”

“Sorry, sorry. I can’t believe you suspected me of something like that. You’ve been watching too many TV dramas.”

As he wiped away the tears that had come from laughing too hard, Jin took a deep breath.

“I’ve never done anything like getting involved in criminal activity or anything that could get me caught,” he said firmly.

He had a serious expression on his face and didn’t seem to be lying. However, that was just my subjective impression. It would be too dangerous to make a judgment solely based on that.

“Then, why did you make such a request?” I asked.

“Well… I can’t tell you that right now. But I don’t want to lie to you, Dia. I promise I’ll tell you someday,” Jin replied.

“Really?” I asked.

“I promise,” Jin said.

“In that case, I’ll believe you,” I said.

I know I might be too trusting, but I want to believe in my intuition. However, just to be safe, I decided not to cancel the request to my uncle.