Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 31: Team Bacon

Zephany shut the door behind her, the soft click echoing through the empty space. The bedroom was bare, with nothing but the essentials — a bed, a small table, and her laptop. No personal touches. No framed photos. Just another temporary stop.

She sighed, dragging her fingers through her hair before dropping onto the bed. The springs creaked beneath her. Her laptop blinked to life, the login screen of The Archive glowing in the dim room. For a moment, she hesitated.

The familiar logo, featuring a black ace inside an open book, brought no comfort. The ache of failure clung to her like a shadow.

But across the apartment, Kendrick was facing the same burden.

He sat at his own desk, the hum of the desk lamp barely cutting through the silence. His hands hovered over the keyboard. The tension in his shoulders refused to ease. Even after hours of trying to distract himself, the mission’s failure played on a loop in his mind.

Alliance: Partnered with Eclipse – Team Bacon.

The words stared back at him.

"Team Bacon," he muttered under his breath, the name tasting even more ridiculous than it looked.

Zephany, just a room away, whispered the same words: "Team Bacon."

A name that had once been nothing more than an embarrassing accident now seemed like a cruel joke.

Kendrick clenched his jaw. He hated it. Not really the name — though it felt a bit lousy to him, it wasn’t bad enough — but what it represented. They had lost. The progress they had worked so hard for was gone, back to Level 0. And worse, he had dragged Eclipse down with him.

Stupid.

He slammed his fist on the desk, the force rattling his laptop. He hated himself for getting involved. If he had just focused on himself, none of this would have happened. Now, he had ruined not only his own career but someone else’s too.

On her side, Zephany sat frozen, guilt twisting her stomach. She could handle failure. She was used to it. But knowing someone else was paying the price because of her? That was unbearable.

Why did I even think I could do this?

She bit her lip, the weight of regret pressing down. Her hands hovered over the keyboard. She wanted to say something. Anything.

Do I reach out?

Kendrick had the same thought. But neither could find the words.

Yet, as if their minds were aligned, both began typing.

Obscura: Eclipse...

Eclipse: Obscura...

The same pause. Neither of them could bring themselves to backspace.

Then, almost in sync, the next words followed.

Obscura: Do you still want to keep this alliance?

Eclipse: Do you want to dismiss this alliance?

The messages blinked back at them.

Seconds dragged by.

Zephany’s fingers trembled slightly. Her chest tightened as uncertainty clawed at her. Kendrick ran a hand down his face, frustration evident in his furrowed brow.

But both of them typed again.

Eclipse: It was my fault for failing the mission. I won’t blame you if you want to end our alliance.

Obscura: I’m at fault. Won’t blame you if you dismiss it.

Zephany’s breath caught. Her heart pounded in her chest.

On his end, Kendrick clenched his fists, hating the sinking feeling that came with admitting defeat.

But then, Obscura’s next message came through.

Obscura: Do you still want to keep this alliance?

Zephany blinked. She read the words over and over. Kendrick, too, felt a strange wave of relief wash over him.

Even now, after everything, Obscura wanted to try again.

Her eyes flickered to the bold text on her screen.

Alliance: Partnered with Obscura – Team Bacon.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips, surprising even herself. The absurdity of it all. How had they even ended up with this name?

---

Flashback

It was one of those rare mornings when her older brother, Reynold, was actually home. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, and the distant sound of coffee dripping filled the quiet air.

Zephany sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop balanced on her knees. The message popped up without warning.

Obscura has accepted your alliance request.

Her eyes widened. She could hardly believe it. Obscura, the elusive strategist, had agreed. She grinned, quickly navigating through the interface to finalize the process.

"Okay, okay," she muttered, excitement buzzing through her. She clicked through the prompts, rushing to complete the process.

"Team name," she murmured, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Team Efficient. That had been her plan — practical and straightforward. It reflected what she hoped their alliance would be.

But just as she typed Team, a knock sounded at her door.

"Zeph, what do you want for breakfast?" Reynold’s voice echoed from the hallway.

Zephany’s stomach growled. Without thinking, she called back. "My favorite sandwich! The one with fried egg and crispy bacon!"

She didn’t even realize her fingers had moved. Instead of typing out Efficient, she had accidentally entered a single word.

Bacon.

Then — Enter.

Congratulations! You are now partnered with Obscura. Team Bacon alliance is successfully formed.

Zephany’s eyes widened in horror. "What!?"

Reynold, hearing her outburst, rushed back. "Zeph! Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah! I’m fine!" She slammed the laptop shut, her heart racing.

"You sure?"

"Yes! I was just— uh, watching a thriller. Got surprised."

"...Okay," Reynold replied with a skeptical glance before walking away.

Across the city, Kendrick had nearly choked on his coffee as he stared blankly at his own screen.

Team Bacon.

He blinked. "Team... Bacon?"

It had to be a mistake.

With narrowed eyes, he typed furiously.

Obscura: What a lousy name is this?

Zephany read his message, her lips twitching. Despite the humiliation, she fired back.

Eclipse: Why? Do you have a problem? It’s too late for you to back out. Besides, it’s cute.

Of course, she didn’t mention that Team Efficient had been the original plan. She just had to live with the mistake now. Changing the name came with a hefty penalty — 25,000 null points each.

That wasn’t an option.

So, Team Bacon it was.

---

Back to the Present

Zephany shook her head, the memory pulling a reluctant smile from her. Despite how ridiculous it was, she couldn’t deny that it eased the tension in her chest.

Maybe this isn’t so bad.

She typed.

Eclipse: Let’s keep the alliance. And accept missions again.

The response came quickly.

Obscura: Okay. Will do it.

It wasn’t much.

But it was enough.

No further words were exchanged. But in that silence, an unspoken understanding lingered. They had failed once. But maybe, just maybe, they could rebuild.

For now, Team Bacon remained.