"Ex-ex-excuse me… are you Jill Valentine?"
"Yes. I'm Jill, a member of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. team."
Jill was a little surprised to see the man in front of her stammering, his face flushed red with excitement. But as a member of a special tactics team who had dealt with all kinds of people, she quickly regained her composure. She had that way about her—cool and reserved on the surface, a woman of few words, but warmer than she let on.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
Ah. Like a cold star cutting through the dark—like a song carried on northern lights—her voice in person was every bit as captivating as he'd imagined. Noah felt almost dazed, caught in it for a second, unable to pull himself back. Meeting a Resident Evil heroine face-to-face for the first time hit harder than he'd ever expected.
"Hey, Jill. This is the shop's new hand—Noah."
A thick, deep, cheerful voice cut in. Seeing Noah's heart racing and his stare growing a little too fixed, Kendo stepped in at just the right moment to smooth things over.
Of course, Kendo understood why Noah was reacting like this. If he were younger, seeing Jill's poised, graceful figure and a face that looked effortless even without makeup, he might have been just as stunned. And as a S.T.A.R.S. member—an elite RPD officer—Jill carried a natural authority. The uniform didn't just suit her; it sharpened that presence.
No wonder the kid looked like he'd misplaced his soul for a second.
"Looks like business is booming if you're too busy to handle it alone," Jill said with a faint tease. "I always said your gunsmithing skills were neck and neck with Barry's."
Jill casually picked up a handgun and settled into a firing stance.
"Now every gun enthusiast in Raccoon City is going to become your most loyal customer."
Her stance was clean and practiced—confident, athletic—and the movement showed just how comfortable she was with a weapon. It was a simple motion, one Noah had seen countless times in the Resident Evil games. But seeing it happen right in front of him was something else entirely.
Noah, who had just managed to steady himself enough to speak like a normal person, felt heat rush to his face all over again. He brought a hand up to his nose on instinct, terrified he might embarrass himself. It was ridiculous. He wasn't some sheltered kid who'd never seen women before—yet her every small movement still hit him like a flash of electricity.
"You don't need to tell me that," Kendo retorted, amused.
"Alright, look at you," Jill said, grinning. "Smiling like you just won the lottery."
Then she walked over to Emma and handed the girl a magazine filled with colorful pictures. Noah caught the cover: Raccoon City Guidebook. It had an image of a raccoon mascot on it—one he recognized instantly. It reminded him of the Mr. Raccoon collectibles from Resident Evil 2 Remake, the little figures you had to shoot to unlock an achievement.
Tucked inside the magazine were two tickets—paper admission stubs, like something you'd get for a concert. Noah didn't catch what they were for at a glance, because his attention kept snapping back to the woman in front of him.
"This Samurai Edge," Jill said, getting down to business. She unclipped the pistol from her duty belt and handed it to Kendo. "Can you tune it to be lighter for me?"
"The overall weight feels heavy," she continued. "The muzzle dips a little when I aim, and the recoil doesn't feel right in my hands. I wanted to see if you could trim the weight."
Then she added, "Chris and Barry keep saying it's perfect, but compared to those muscleheads, I still want something lighter."
She wasn't criticizing his work—she was making sure Kendo understood there was nothing wrong with the batch for S.T.A.R.S. It was just her build and her handling preferences.
Kendo took the pistol, examined it, clicked the safety, ejected the magazine to confirm it was clear, and then weighed it in his hands. To him, it felt just right. But when he looked at Jill—slender, compact, built for speed rather than brute strength—he nodded immediately.
"No problem. I'll adjust the balance and see if I can swap in some lighter materials."
"That would be perfect." Jill smiled, clearly relieved.
And Noah—of course—was caught off guard by that smile all over again. At this point, he'd forgiven himself for being a mess. Next time they met, he told himself, he definitely wouldn't act like this again.
"But I need to pick it up in three days," Jill said. "July 8th."
"In such a rush?" Kendo asked, still studying the Samurai Edge. His eyes barely left it—another sure sign of how much he loved the craft.
"Yes." Jill nodded. "On July 9th, the mayor's daughter, Katherine, is hosting a banquet on the outskirts of Raccoon City. It's to ease people's worries about the recent violent incidents—and to commend Chief Irons for his 'proactive' response."
July 9th. The outskirts.
July 9th was exactly one week after July 2nd. And the outskirts…
In that moment, the truth hit Noah like lightning.
The pale, aristocratic woman he'd seen on TV the night he transmigrated—Katherine Warren. That was her.
Noah forced his thoughts into order, digging through memory. He remembered her now. In Resident Evil 2 Remake, she was only mentioned in passing. By the time the player "meets" her, she's already a specimen—waiting.
He could still recall the taxidermy-style entry.
Pig. Female. 22 years old. Captured: Raccoon City. Height: 5'3". Weight: 110 lbs. The specimen's body is soft and pale—entirely white. She belongs to me forever.
Noah's stomach turned.
Converting the numbers in his head, he came up with something he understood: about 160 cm, around 50 kg. From the interview he'd seen, those 110 pounds were distributed in all the right places. Fair skin. A striking figure. Elegance that practically radiated off her.
He couldn't understand what kind of twisted monster Chief Irons had to be to turn a living person into a "specimen"—and to call her "Pig." But Irons had long since sold his soul to Umbrella. At this point, maybe he didn't even look at people like a human being anymore.
The more Noah thought about it, the angrier he got. It was a reckless waste of someone who never should have been dragged into that fate.
If he had the chance, he would try to save Katherine too.
Saving a character with so little presence in the main canon wouldn't shake the major plot points too much. And if he could earn the goodwill of the mayor's daughter, her connections might open doors to resources he couldn't even dream of.