[Three weeks later]
Catte went through the same routine every day — taking orders, washing dishes, and delivering food to every customer who came to the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Colin only needed to handle office work and wait for the next heavy-duty mission.
Their lives seemed to be running smoothly, but... at what cost?
Colin could only stay silent, often finding himself thinking about Catte's situation, while on the other side, Catte too wondered how Colin was doing.
Without dwelling too much on it, Catte focused on finishing his tasks, choosing to ignore the thoughts that weighed on him.
As for Colin, he poured all his energy into work alongside Caleb, forcing himself not to get distracted.
---
[On the road]
Catte was walking with Ruby for a while because Ruby had asked to experience the outside air.
Agreeing, Catte decided to take her out for a walk to the park.
As they passed by the playground, Ruby's eyes lit up when she saw a swing nearby. She eagerly asked to play, and Catte, with a small smile, let her go. He then found a bench nearby to sit and rest.
"Maybe I should also start thinking about my brother's debt..." Catte thought as he stared up at the sky.
He couldn't help but wonder how the debt had grown so much. If left unpaid, it could only increase — or worse, he could be hunted down by his brother's so-called "friends."
"Why... why did my brother develop such a bad habit? Where did he even pick it up from?" Catte asked himself silently.
From his seat, he watched Ruby playing happily on the swing. Suddenly, a young girl approached Ruby, and they started chatting excitedly.
Catte observed from afar, and a thought struck him — maybe his brother's bad habits were the result of the people he surrounded himself with... but who exactly?
Without wasting another moment, Catte called out to Ruby to come back.
Ruby, still beaming with joy, waved goodbye to her new friend before running back toward him.
[Situation: Caleb and Colin]
As usual in their daily lives, they carried out raids on kids who were selling drugs — not because they wanted to, but because they needed money.
"I've been thinking... why do they sell drugs for money? I mean, they could just rob people instead," Colin said casually.
"I think that would be even worse..." Caleb replied, shaking his head.
"But I'm not wrong, am I?" Colin insisted.
"I swear, your brain is worse than a drunk man's," Caleb said with a sigh. "In this world, most people are easily tempted by drugs and medication alike."
"Alright, enough fooling around. Let's head back," Caleb added, cutting the conversation short.
[Colin's Office]
After finishing his work, Colin went straight to his private sofa and collapsed onto it, letting out a deep sigh. His thoughts drifted to Catte.
"Maybe... I was a little too rough when talking to him," Colin admitted silently to himself.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to rest for a while, while Caleb remained at his desk, continuing the paperwork assigned by his mother.
---
[Catte's Apartment]
Meanwhile, a weary Catte finally took a break, telling Ruby to clean herself up on her own.
After washing up, Ruby quickly climbed into bed beside Catte, her mind full of happy thoughts about making new friends.
In truth, Ruby was the only one who remained joyful in their lives, having been cared for by her brother for as long as she could remember.
Grateful and full of love, Ruby snuggled close to Catte, hugging him tightly — a small but powerful gesture of love for the person who had protected and raised her since childhood.
[Chapter 23: End]