Lin Shuo: Even Lao Mo Couldn't Escape the "True Fragrance" Law

Lumina Square's fish market, five thirty in the morning.

The air held a mixture of the sea's fishy smell, the moisture of melting ice, and the low rumble of diesel generators.

Vendors were busy unloading their stock, metal carts screeching across the concrete.

Lin Shuo stood in front of the Mo's Seafood stall, watching the man in a navy-blue waterproof apron.

Lao Mo was crouching on the ground, preparing a tuna. His movements were clean and efficient-deboning, skinning, slicing, his blade making almost no sound as it passed through the flesh.

A strawberry lollipop bobbed slightly at the corner of his mouth, its wrapper reflecting cheap colors in the morning light.

"Morning," Lin Shuo said.

"Mm." Lao Mo didn't look up. "Want fish?"

"Information."

"What kind?"

"About the Thymefield Family's recent activities."

The blade stopped.

Lao Mo raised his head, swept his dark gray eyes over Lin Shuo, then lowered it again to continue preparing the fish.

"Reason."

"Alice mentioned yesterday that a 'new partner' recently got involved with her family's corrosion inhibitor patent," Lin Shuo said. "Her expression wasn't quite right when she said it-like she wanted to hide something, but also like she was worried."

"So?"

"So I want to know who that 'partner' is."

Lao Mo fell silent for a few seconds, then his blade began moving again.

"Wait."

He pulled a small waterproof terminal from his apron pocket and operated it one-handed.

A stream of encrypted data flashed across the screen before finally settling on a document.

Lin Shuo glanced at it.

The document's heading read [Thymefield Family · Memorandum of Cooperation on Patented Technology (Revision 3.7)].

There were two signatories:

Party A: Thymefield Family. Representative: Alice Thymefield (represented by guardian)

Party B: Codename "M," fully authorized technical consultant and security contractor

Lin Shuo's pupils contracted slightly.

"M... is you?"

"Mm." Lao Mo switched off the terminal and packed the sliced fish into a food storage container. "Started not long ago."

"Why?"

"Money."

Lao Mo's answer was simple and direct.

"They offered enough to buy three sets of Scott Outpost standard equipment, plus five years' worth of strawberry lollipops."

"That's not all, is it?" Lin Shuo stared at him.

"When have you ever been short of money?"

Lao Mo said nothing.

He stood, walked to the small refrigerator behind the stall, and took out a can of chilled beer-not for himself, but to hand to Lin Shuo.

"Sit. Let's talk."

They sat on plastic stools behind the stall. Lao Mo lit a cigarette, temporarily resting his strawberry lollipop on the cigarette pack.

"Before Elidel died," he began slowly, his voice lower than usual, "he left me two things to say."

Lin Shuo tightened his grip on the beer can.

"The first was: 'Take good care of Lin Shuo. That kid takes responsibility onto himself far too easily.'"

"...I know."

Lao Mo brought that up in front of him every few days. He'd heard it so often his ears were practically growing calluses.

"The second was: 'If you ever find something worth protecting, don't hesitate like we did back then.'"

Lao Mo exhaled a mouthful of smoke, the gray haze slowly rising in the morning light.

"It took me years to understand what he meant by the second one."

He paused, then added, "Alice Thymefield... that girl's eyes are a little like Elidel's."

"Her eyes?"

"Not the color," Lao Mo said.

"The look in them-clearly frightened, but forcing herself to be strong."

Lin Shuo understood.

Alice must have worn the same look when she lost her parents that Elidel had worn when he lost his comrades.

That look that said, I have to keep going, because there's no one else.

"So when her family ran into trouble, you approached them?" Lin Shuo asked.

"Not exactly."

Lao Mo shook his head.

"Her family's butler came to me-probably learned my codename from some Defense Force veteran.

"The offer was high, and the job was simple: keep their patented technology from leaking and help deal with their business rivals' 'unconventional methods.'"

"And you took it."

"Mm." Lao Mo tapped the ash from his cigarette.

"In the first week alone, I dealt with three groups of corporate spies, two attempted data thefts, and an attempted laboratory arson-all people hired by TOPS competitors."

Lin Shuo frowned. "TOPS is putting pressure on them?"

"Pressure? They want to swallow them whole."

Lao Mo sneered. "The corrosion inhibitor patent the Thymefield Family holds is the only ether corruption neutralizer that can be mass-produced at a manageable cost. TOPS wants a monopoly on Hollow resources. They have to get that patent."

"So now you're..."

"Technical consultant is a cover."

Lao Mo spoke.

"The actual work is building a defense system-cybersecurity, physical security, counterintelligence. And teaching that girl a few... self-defense skills on the side."

Hearing this, Lin Shuo couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting.

"Self-defense skills? You?"

"Problem?"

"No." Lin Shuo took a sip of beer.

"Just remembered someone once saying, 'Teaching people is too much trouble. Might as well solve their problems for them.'"

Lao Mo turned his face away.

"...Special circumstances."

"How special?"

"That girl..."

Lao Mo paused, seemingly weighing his words. "Trusts people too easily-thinks the world is symmetrical, and people's hearts are too."

He stubbed out his cigarette, picked up the lollipop again, and put it in his mouth.

"She needs to understand that the world isn't a fairy tale."

Lin Shuo watched Lao Mo-the man who was always expressionless, never spoke more than three words at a time, and claimed his "emotional circuits were damaged." Now, with a strawberry lollipop between his lips, something flashed through his dark gray eyes... a helplessness that was almost gentle.

"Lao Mo," Lin Shuo suddenly said.

"Mm?"

"I remember last month, when I told you to 'hurry up and find someone while you're still young,' your answer was-" He imitated Lao Mo's tone. "'Troublesome. Don't need it.'"

Lao Mo froze.

"But now," Lin Shuo continued, "not only have you accepted a long-term commission, you've become their 'technical consultant and security contractor,' and even started teaching someone 'self-defense skills'..."

He paused, then said each word distinctly:

"Does this count as... the 'true fragrance' law?"

Crack.

The lollipop shattered between Lao Mo's teeth.

Expressionless, Lao Mo spat out the stick and pulled another one from his apron pocket-strawberry again.

"...We're not on the same wavelength."

"Really?" Lin Shuo smiled.

"Because I think we're perfectly in tune-both on the 'your mouth says no, but your body is honest' frequency."

Lao Mo didn't respond.

He stood and went to the front of the stall to serve the early customers-though "serve" amounted to little more than a nod before handing over the fish they wanted.

But Lin Shuo noticed that Lao Mo's movements as he prepared the fish were 0.3 seconds slower than usual.

That was his habit when he was thinking.

Ten minutes later, the customers left.

Lao Mo walked back and sat down again.

"Alice is coming this afternoon," he suddenly said.

"To pick up a batch of improved ether sensors-I modified them for her. They can detect subtler corruption fluctuations."

"And?"

"You can 'run into her.'" Lao Mo glanced at Lin Shuo. "Check how she's doing while you're at it-she doesn't necessarily believe everything I say, but you... she'll probably listen to you."

"Worried she's pushing herself too hard?"

"Mm." Lao Mo nodded. "Last weekend, she spent thirty-six hours in the lab, keeping herself going on nutrient supplements. When I went in, she'd fallen asleep over the data terminal, still holding an asymmetrical cookie-one bite taken from the left, the right untouched."

"...Her obsession with symmetry acts up even over cookies?"

"Worse," Lao Mo said.

"The first thing she said when she woke up was, 'I haven't finished analyzing the data,' then she tried to keep working-so I forcibly cut the power."

Lin Shuo imagined the scene: a blonde, rabbit-eared girl slumped over a workstation, her mismatched eyes bloodshot, a cookie bitten on one side in her hand, muttering, "Asymmetry is terrifying, but the data matters more"...

It certainly sounded like something Alice would do.

"I'll talk to her," Lin Shuo said.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Lin Shuo stood, preparing to leave, then turned back when he reached the edge of the stall.

"Oh, Lao Mo."

"Mm?"

"Strawberry lollipops... what flavor does Alice like?"

Lao Mo's movements stopped again.

A few seconds later, he said quietly, "...Mint chocolate."

"Ohhh." Lin Shuo drew out the sound.

"You've even investigated her preferences~"

"Work requirement." Lao Mo's face was expressionless.

"Sure, sure, work requirement~"

Lin Shuo waved with a smile, turned, and left the fish market.

Behind him came Lao Mo's voice through gritted teeth:

"Lin Shuo-"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop~"

Three in the afternoon, Lumina Square's main street.

Lin Shuo sat by the window at Yum Cha Sin, a glass of iced lemon tea in front of him.

Through the glass, he could see what was happening across the street-

Alice was getting out of an understated black sedan.

Today, she wore a light gray casual outfit-well-tailored, but distinctly conservative, like clothes an elder had chosen for her.

Her blonde twin ponytails had been carefully combed, and her rabbit ears stood stiffly upright with nerves. Her mismatched eyes scanned left and right. Only after confirming there were no "terrifying asymmetrical sights" nearby did she hurry toward the fish market.

Lin Shuo set down his glass, stood, and followed.

He didn't call out to Alice right away, instead watching her from a distance.

The girl walked quickly, but there was obvious fatigue in her steps-her body leaned slightly forward, her shoulders slumped a little.

She carried a briefcase, probably containing patent documents or experimental data.

At the fish market entrance, she stopped, took a small mirror from her pocket, and tidied her hair in it.

It wasn't vanity.

She was checking her "symmetry."

Her left ponytail, her right ponytail, the part in her bangs, even the positions of her earrings-only after confirming that everything was perfectly symmetrical did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue forward.

Lin Shuo followed her to the vicinity of the Mo's Seafood stall and found a concealed corner to stand in.

He saw Alice walk up to the stall. Lao Mo had his back to her as he cleaned a water tank.

"M-Mr. Mo..." Alice spoke softly, her voice tense.

"I'm here to pick up the goods..."

Lao Mo turned, swept his dark gray eyes over her, and nodded.

"Wait a moment."

He went into the small storeroom behind the stall-though called a storeroom, it was actually a modified shipping container, piled full of all sorts of "non-seafood" items.

Alice stood where she was, clutching her briefcase with both hands, her rabbit ears twitching uneasily.

Lin Shuo could hear her muttering:

"...The third crate on the left is 0.5 centimeters higher than the one on the right... Asymmetrical... So scary... But I can't let it show... Be professional... Professional..."

Just then, Lao Mo came out carrying a metal case.

The case wasn't large, but it looked heavy.

He set it on the stall counter and opened it-inside were six modified Ether sensors, their casings bearing the Thymefield Family's emblem.

"Modifications complete."

Lao Mo said, "Detection accuracy is up 40%, power consumption is down 30%. The sixth unit has a special module that flags 'anomalous data sources'-if someone tampers with your system, it'll sound an alarm."

Alice's eyes lit up.

She leaned closer to inspect the sensors, a professional gleam in her mismatched eyes.

"The circuit layout... Perfectly symmetrical! The ports... Exactly the same on both sides! Even the indicator lights have symmetrical color gradients!"

She raised her head to look at Lao Mo, her expression one of rare, pure happiness.

"Mr. Mo, you're amazing! These modifications... They're even better than what our lab engineers do!"

"...You flatter me." Lao Mo turned his face away, but his ears reddened slightly. "The instructions are in the manual. The key points are marked on page 17."

"I'll read it carefully!"

Alice nodded emphatically, then took an envelope out of her briefcase. "This is this month's consulting fee... Grandfather said that if it isn't enough, we can add more..."

"It's enough." Lao Mo took the envelope and stuffed it into his pocket without looking at it.

"Also, this is for you."

He pulled a small box out of his apron pocket-not metal, but cardboard, with the logo of some upscale dessert shop printed on it.

Alice froze.

"This... What's this?"

"Mint chocolate," Lao Mo said expressionlessly.

"Last week, you said you wanted some, but the shop near your lab had sold out."

Alice's eyes widened.

She took the box and opened it-inside were six exquisite chocolates, each made in a perfectly symmetrical shape, with matching mint-green icing decorations on either side.

"Th-thank you..." Her voice caught a little.

"You actually remembered..."

"I was passing by." Lao Mo turned back to cleaning the tank.

"You should go back and rest-the dark circles under your eyes are asymmetrical. They look awful."

Alice instinctively touched her eyes, then smiled.

It was the first time Lin Shuo had seen Alice smile so freely-not a pretense of composure, not a polite smile, but a smile that truly shed her burdens.

"All right, I'll head back now."

She picked up the case and the chocolates. "Will you come to next week's regular meeting?"

"...We'll see."

"Then... I'll be going. Thank you again!"

Alice bowed, then hurried away with everything in her arms-her steps much lighter than when she had arrived.

Lin Shuo emerged from the corner and walked up to the stall.

Lao Mo didn't look up. "Seen enough?"

"Seen enough," Lin Shuo said with a smile.

"You 'happened' to buy mint chocolate, 'happened' to remember she wanted some, and 'happened' to remind her to rest... Lao Mo, you sure have a lot of coincidences."

"Shut up."

"But..." Lin Shuo turned serious.

"You did the right thing-that girl really does need someone looking out for her."

Lao Mo was silent for a few seconds.

"Her grandfather is gravely ill, her family's businesses are on the brink, and their competitors are watching like hawks... At a time like this, an eighteen-year-old girl is shouldering everything."

He paused, then added, "It shouldn't be this way."

"So that's why you took this job?"

"More or less."

Lao Mo tossed aside the rag in his hand and took a new lollipop from his pocket-mint-flavored this time.

"Elidel once said... Don't hesitate to protect what's worth protecting."

He unwrapped the lollipop and put it in his mouth.

"That girl's eyes... They're worth it."

Lin Shuo looked at Lao Mo for a long while, then nodded.

"I understand."

He turned to leave, then remembered something and looked back to ask:

"By the way, how far have you gotten with teaching her 'self-defense skills'?"

"The basics," Lao Mo said.

"How to spot someone tailing her, how to get away quickly, how to make a commotion if she's taken hostage-all theoretical."

"What about practical drills?"

"...Starting next week."

Lin Shuo smiled.

"Need a sparring partner? I can play the 'bad guy.'"

"No."

Lao Mo glanced at him.

"Your acting is terrible."

"Hey..."

"And..." Lao Mo added.

"If it ever comes to the real thing... I'll be there."

He said it very softly, but the words carried great weight.

Lin Shuo knew this was Lao Mo's promise-as long as he was there, Alice would never truly be in danger.

Just as Elidel had been for them back then.

"All right." Lin Shuo waved.

"I'll head back, then-the ramen stall still has to open tonight."

"Mm."

As he walked out of the fish market, Lin Shuo heard Lao Mo call from behind him:

"Lin Shuo."

"Hm?"

"...Don't tell her I made a special trip to buy the chocolates."

Lin Shuo looked back and saw Lao Mo bent over cleaning fish scales, his profile looking a little awkward in the afternoon sunlight.

"Why?"

"...Troublesome."

Lin Shuo smiled.

"All right, I won't."

He turned and left, thinking-

No one really can escape the law of true fragrance.

Even a guy like Lao Mo, whose "emotional circuits were broken," would start doing "troublesome" things because of a girl with a similar look in her eyes.

Sometimes, this world was pretty warm.

That evening, at the ramen stall.

As Lin Shuo cooked noodles, he told Yuzuha what he had seen that afternoon.

When Yuzuha finished listening, her eyes went wide.

"Mr. Lao Mo... and Alice?!"

"It's not that kind of relationship," Lin Shuo corrected her. "It's a protector and someone he's protecting-at least for now."

"But it'll turn into that kind of relationship, right?!" Yuzuha said excitedly. "Look! He made a point of remembering the chocolate she wanted! He's worried she isn't getting enough rest! He's even teaching her self-defense! That's practically-"

"Stop right there." Lin Shuo set a bowl of ramen in front of her. "Eat your noodles. Don't make wild guesses."

"Oh..." Yuzuha pouted, but soon smiled again. "Still, it's pretty nice~ Alice needs someone to look after her, and Mr. Lao Mo needs someone to keep him from 'getting bored'~"

She paused, then added, "Just like you and me, Lin Shuo~"

Lin Shuo's hand shook, and he nearly spilled the broth.

"...Eat your noodles."

"Hehe~"

Just then, Bangboo Shukaku hopped onto the counter, a gossipy expression displayed on his screen face.

"I heard that! That deadpan fishmonger finally got a clue?"

"Little Shukaku, eavesdropping is rude," Matatabi said, swishing her tails elegantly.

"Who's eavesdropping?! You were talking too loudly!"

In the corner, Isobu rolled over. "...Quiet... Trying to sleep..."

Xiao Kong-the Four-Tails Bangboo-was studying a newly purchased power bank without looking up. "Human emotions are so complicated... Charging is much simpler."

Kokuō-the Five-Tails Bangboo-lay by the window, the squinting expression looking very content. "But this kind of everyday life is pretty nice~"

Lin Shuo looked around at this roomful of "family," the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously.

Yeah, it was pretty nice.

[Note: Honestly, if I really went by the game's setting, everyone in Spook Shack except Idhila is a minor-to avoid getting taken down, I naturally had no choice but to change that on the fly. Phaethon hasn't appeared yet mainly because there are still lots of characters I haven't written enough about. I'll bring them in once I've written enough.

There's really no other reason for explaining this. I'm just worried fans of the original won't be happy when they read it.

Also, I recently wrote a doujin about Lao Mo and Alice (it took a week). If you want it, visit my profile, join the group, and DM me.]