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Chapter Text

The lights flicker over the city of Jungjin, illuminating it's fallen prince. Shin Hyeok-woo had been walking around for hours now, after he had left So Mun's house. He had also snuck into his old room, packed a backpack and duffel bag with some food, money, toiletries, and clothing. Despite his fear, he had come out unscathed. 

Now he was here, wandering the city, newly homeless. He sat down at a bench, letting his legs rest. The sun was setting. His phone was out of battery.

Where did he go now? He had no home. And he wasn't going back to So Mun's. His pride wouldn't allow it. And despite Ung-min's offer, he didn't really feel like going there either. He doubted the boy wanted to help him at all anyway. He was only forced too by So Mun.

So Mun. So Mun. Hyeok-woo's face flushed with anger even thinking of him. That bastard. What had happened the day before? How had he woken up in that kid's bed? His memories were faded of the entire day yesterday. Had he been drugged? So Mun wouldn't do that, would he? He was too nice. Too busy playing hero at their school. But was it possible?

He grumbled, looking up at the sky. He held his face in his hands. All he remembered from yesterday was hate. Hate for his father. A desire to kill. Kill his father, no, Shin Myeong-hwi, that's what he had wanted. His father deserved to die. He was a monster, a murderer. Hyeok-woo had seen him kill with his own two eyes.

And Hyeok-woo was just like Shin Myeong-hwi. They didn't just share a last name. He had been told all his life that he was a carbon copy of that man. Even by his mother, bless her soul.

Blurring his vision entirely, tears streamed down his face. It wasn't the first time today he'd cried. He had cried of anger, sadness, fear, all of it today. But now there was a new feeling.

Disappointment. In his father, in himself. In his entire life. His entire life, there wasn't one thing that Hyeok-woo didn't regret. For everything he'd ever done, the universe made sure he'd pay for it. It had made sure that there wasn't a single thing Hyeok-woo could do blissfully. Happily. Without fear. 

Hyeok-woo was a terrible person. He has been and will always be. If he was just like his dad, what hope was there for him in this life?

Then a sound whistled in his ear. Hyeok-woo jumped to his feet. A continuous, almost familiar thumping. A person screaming? No, they were crying. 

"Abeoji... I'm sorry... didn't mean... Abeoji...!"

A realization caused Hyeok-woo to sprint toward the sound, abandoning his bags. It was a child.

His legs seemed to move on their own as he reached the alleyway. When he got there, his eyes widened at what he saw.

A child, a girl likely no older than 7, being hit continuously with a tennis racket, screaming at the top of her lungs. Even from a few meters away, Hyeok-woo could see the bruises on her body, blood, scrapes. And the man above her, her father, showed no leniency.

"Why are you crying, Dal-rae? Eh? Do you finally understand the consequences of embarassing your father?" the man yelled, "Every single day, Dal-rae, you embarass me! Every single day! Why? All you do is bring pain to this family, you worthless piece of shit! I wish you'd die! Die! Die! Die!"

A memory flashed through Hyeok-woo's mind. The day he had lost his soccer tournament.. 

"Really, Hyeok-woo? Really?! You couldn't do better? You stupid, useless child!" his father screamed. Hyeok-woo fell back on the floor. As the boy tried to scamper away, his father rose from the dinner table, and shoved all of the dishes off the table. 

Dishes cracked. Boiling hot liquid splattered on the boy's body. Wretched screams tore at his throat. Shin Myeong-hwi stared at his son, rolling his eyes before groaning and calling an ambulance.

Hyeok-woo could only sob.

Anger and disgust washed over Hyeok-woo. How could he? How could someone hurt his own child, his own blood, like this? As Hyeok-woo looked over at the girl, he could almost feel her pain himself. Every hit made his body tremble. His stomach churned. His head throbbed. He could feel tightness in his chest and sweat coating his skin. He saw red.

He was pissed.

All his life, Hyeok-woo had been a coward. He couldn't defend himself from his father. He couldn't defend himself from the boys at school. Hell, in his cowardice, he had started pilfering money from other kids. 

"Abeoji! I'm sorry, abeoji...! Please stop! Please! Help!"

Hyeok-woo refused to be a coward now. He ran past the child, punching the man into the wall. 

"What the hell--" The man dropped the stick. Pushing himself off the wall, he punched Hyeok-woo in the jaw. "What the hell is wrong with you, punk?!"

The man's strength was unbelievable. Hyeok-woo was sent flying to the other end of the alley. He landed on his side with a thump. 

He stood up, running towards the man again, pushing him back. He was swiftly kicked off, but Hyeok-woo held his ground. He swung his fist, and the man swiveled out of the way. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, asshole?!" Hyeok-woo yelled grabbing the man by his jacket and throwing him on the ground. Shoving his leg onto his chest to ensure he wouldn't get up, Hyeok-woo crouched down and began to punch the man again. Blood splattered across the ground. And even though each punch did little damage to the man, Hyeok-woo couldn't stop himself. 

"Why?! Why hurt your own child!? You fucking monster!" He was in a rabid rage. His face was red with anger. Hatred bit him like a snake. He was going to kill this man. He swore on it. 

He had failed to kill his father before. He should kill this man now. He wished death on both of them. On anyone who treated their children this way. He wanted them to die. Die. Die. Die! Die! DIE!

The monster grabbed his fist before he could be punched again. "You're like me... Filled with hatred. The desire to kill." Slowly, the man began to push Hyeok-woo's trembling hand back. His voice sounded... different. "Do you want to kill me, you fucking punk?"

He rammed Hyeok-woo away from him, standing up. Wiping his nose, the man spit blood out on the ground. Hyeok-woo tried to crawl towards the child, but the man kicked him over onto his back. 

Finally, fear flashed into Hyeok-woo's eyes. Cowardice once more. The man lifted up his foot and began to stomp all over Hyeok-woo's body. His muscles ached. He could feel himself begin to shatter. Again, he was powerless. Useless. As always.

Tears pricked his eyes again, and the man didn't stop. The pain crept onto his tongue, and he leaned over to sputter up some blood.

Maybe he deserved this. Maybe he could finally be put out of his misery. 

Shoving his shoe into Hyeok-woo's throat, the man began to laugh.

Closing his eyes, Hyeok-woo let the world numb around him, allowing himself to succumb to the pain.

Grinning at his friends, So Mun mixed his noodles. They were just celebrating the defeat of Shin Myeong-hwi, so everyone was in high spirits. He felt warm, happy. And most of all, at peace. He had finally set his parents free. After all these months of trying to find them, he could finally rest.

Happy tears pricked at his eyes, blurring the view of his noodles. There was almost nothing that could ruin his mood.

"Is it good, Mun?" Ms. Chu asked, gesturing at his bowl. Mun wiped the tears from his eyes. 

Jang-mul answered for him. "It tastes amazing as always, Ms. Chu."

The older woman turned to glare at him. "Aiyoo, I didn't ask you." Jang-mul pouted, before stuffing his face 

"We've finally beat those bastards," Mo Tak said, a smirk on his face. "Surely this calls for more of a party."

They continued to laugh and joke around the table. Suddenly, Ha Na flinched. The entire group groaned in unison. 

"Another one? Can't we catch a break?" Ms. Chu sighed, exasperated.

Ha Na nodded, concentrating again. "It's Level 2... And they're about to kill someone..." Ha Na's eyes widened, before looking at Mun. "Your bully, the mayor's son... He's about to die.. and there's a kid." 

So Mun sprang to his feet, swearing under his breath. Hyeok-woo? An evil spirit was about to kill him? The idea of that made him tense. Why? What was happening? He remembered the boy leaving his house that morning, after he had called Ung-min to help him out. He guessed the boy didn't take his offer. 

Before he could run to the car with the others, he could feel his chest throb in pain, and he fell to the ground. For a moment, it felt like his breath weighed a thousand stones leaving his lungs. Oddly enough, it wasn't painful. In fact, it almost felt... comforting? Like a happy memory.

"Mun!" Ha Na ran to his side, followed by Ms. Chu. He watched as a white ball of light left his body, and fear struck. Were they dismissing him as a counter again? 

He shut his eyes. "Wi-gen?! Is that you?"

He groaned in relief when he heard a wispy old woman's voice in his ear. "No, So Mun, it's not me."

"Who, then?"

"It's Dong Pal.. Oh Jeong-gu's former counterpart. Do you remember him?"

So Mun nodded. "But why is he leaving me now?" He reached out toward the orb, but 

"I... Don't know. My guess is that he's finding a new Counter. But go fight your friends for now. We will talk later."

He looked up at Ms. Chu, who was staring into his eyes with worry, and was lightly shaking him. Then at Ha Na, who waited for him to say something expectantly. Mo-tak looked at him from above.

He stood. "Let's go."

Hyeok-woo had already accepted his fate. His skin was turning a sickly shade of purple. He squinted at the man, who kept laughing and laughing.. at least Hyeok-woo brought joy to one person in this world. 

Just as his eyes fluttered close, Hyeok-woo felt a cold, hammering feeling plunge into his chest, almost like an icicle. A feeling of high over took his body. For a split second, it felt like he was experiencing everything good. Being back in his childhood room, birds chirping, on a soft, warm bed..

"Hyeok-woo? You're awake..." He felt his mother's hand brush his cheek. "Ah, you're getting so handsome, my son!"

The memory was fleeting. He'd tried to hold onto it, but he felt his body crash on the ground again. Propping himself up with his elbows, he looked up at the man, who was charging at him again. 

He sat up. What the hell happened? He felt.. different, in a way? He got to his feet, just in time to push the man away from him.

The man crashed into the wall, hard enough to crack it. "What the fuck?--" He stared at his hands. There was no way he pushed the man that hard to crack a fucking brick wall. He wasn't that strong.

That's when he noticed the black dots formed on his finger tips. Not that he had time to register them fully because the man was already getting back up. 

"Oi... How'd you get so strong in just a few seconds?" the man said, rolling his shoulder back.

Hyeok-woo knew he couldn't take any more hits. So he only had one thing left to do. Run. 

"Abeoji...? What's happening..?" 

Looking over at the girl, Dal-rae, Hyeok-woo winced. He wasn't sure how fast he could run holding her. He wasn't athletic, not since his father made him quit soccer when he was a kid.

But when he peered at her face, he saw a nasty, bleeding cut across her eye and bruises all over her body. Not to mention she likely had broken bones. He hated to admit it, but she reminded him of... when he was her age. Before the man could attack again, he darted toward her and scooped her up into his arms. He had to get her away from that man. 

Without looking back, Hyeok-woo began to run. He was scared, yes. But right now, nothing mattered more than this girl's life. 

She wasn't as heavy as he'd expected her to be. In fact, she was light. Almost too light.

He ran back over to his bench, quickly snatched his bags, and continued to run again. The cold night air began to blow through his hair, the sun had already set. It was nighttime now. A lot more dangerous. His heart raced.

His head was clear. He tried to think. He should get her to a hospital first, right? 

"W-where are we going..?" Dal-rae asked, her voice meek and fragile.

He looked down at her for a second, before continuing to run, not knowing how to respond. "Far away. Far away from that monster."

"Who are you..?"

He didn't want to say his name in fear of her recognizing it, but he did so anyway. Just to give her more closure. "Uhm... Shin Hyeok-woo. And I'm here to help you.."

The girl didn't say much more. Cursing his dead phone, he tried to ask around for the nearest hospital. 

By the time he got directions, he knew it would take a while to get there at his running speed. Still, he knew he couldn't give up.

He felt a soft tingling behind him, the direction of the alley where he'd came from. He'd turned around to get a quick peak, and what he saw... Well, he almost dropped Dal-rae.

Giant, towering rainbow lights, reaching up to the sky like beacons. And for some reason, when he saw them, he felt stronger.. the pain hurt less.. 

Whatever it was, he had to ignore it. For sake of the girl. Though as he began to run again, he heard a beep from behind him. He swore under his breath. Had the guy hoped into a car and followed him?

He tried not to look back as he heard the car stop and someone open the door.

"Hyeok-woo!" The person's voice made him stop in his tracks. "Hyeok-woo!"

So Mun. Damn him. Just the boy's soft voice made Hyeok-woo tremble. Out of anger, of course. Ever since So Mun started playing hero at school, his life had begun to fall apart. 

"Hyeok-woo, are you ok?--" When So Mun placed his hand on Hyeok-woo's shoulder, the boy fell to the ground, trembling. There were tears in his eyes again. Why did he have to always cry?

"Fine! I'm.. fine."

So Mun crouched to reach him, and took Dal-rae into his arms. He stood up again, and Hyeok-woo looked up at him. "Come on. Put your bags in the trunk." 

Hyeok-woo stayed put on the ground for a moment, as So Mun walked away. He was fully prepared to just stay here, let Mun take care of it, but then the boy came back.

"Hey! Come on, we don't have that much time," So Mun urged, holding out his hand. Hyeok-woo got up on his own.

He murmured through his tears. "I.. don't need your help..."

The other boy only rolled his eyes, taking Hyeok-woo's bags and walking over to the car. Without much a choice, Hyeok-woo got in. 

"The hospital please, Mo-tak," So Mun said, laying down Dal-rae on he and Hyeok-woo's laps. The taller boy noticed two people in the front, both he recognized from the day Mun had beat up him and his goons. A girl and an older man. Both of which were staring at him in the rear-view mirror with looks that put him at even more unease.

"He didn't have curly hair the last time we met, did he?" the man, who Hyeok-woo assumed to was Mo-tak, said. At first, Hyeok-woo of wasn't sure who they were talking about, but then he saw all eyes on him.

Running a hand through his messy, bloodied up hair, his eyes widened when he realized-- yes, his hair was in fact curly.

"What the hell..? Did I get struck by lightning earlier or something...?" He whispered to himself. When he looked over at Mun, the boy was staring at his hand.

"Hyeok-woo, can I see your fingertips?" Mun asked, and the (now curly) red head looked at him as though he was insane. "Please?" Mun asked with a small bow.

Reluctantly, Hyeok-woo held his shaky hand out to So Mun. That's when he saw those markings, which he had forgotten about again. So Mun took his hand softly, running his finger tips over Hyeok-woo's. Hyeok-woo looked away, trying not to be too uncomfortable. After a moment though, he snatched his hand back.

"Sorry," he said. Hyeok-woo gave no response. "When did you get those markings?"

"Earlier. When I was fighting the girl's dad." 

The girl in the passenger seat turned around to stare at him. "Really? You fought him?" When Hyeok-woo nodded, she scoffed and turned back around, crossing her arms. "Explains why he was so beat up when we found him."

"What.. did you do to him?" Hyeok-woo asked. When the entire group fell silent, the boy had to gulp back his fear. "Did you kill him?!"

"No, of course not!" So Mun yelled, seeming offended that Hyeok-woo would even think that. He scratched the side of his head, before looking at the man in the driver's seat. "Mo-tak.. since he has the markings, that means he's a counter, right? So I can tell him about Yung?"

"He's probably Jeong-gu's replacement," Mo-tak said. "Ah, but why would they hire such a troublesome kid?"

"Counters? What the hell are you guys on about?" Hyeok-woo asked, looking between the three with a confused expression. Were they crazy? Or did he just hit his head too hard. 

Before he could get an answer, the car parked. "Don't swear! And Hana and I will take the girl. Mun, explain the situation to him. Ok?" The man looked back at the two with a smile and a thumbs up, before getting out if the car.

Hyeok-woo watched as they took Dal-rae out of the car. He then stared at Mun with an expectant look.

"Eh... Where do I start?" Mun asked, looking around him as though that was supposed to tell him what to say. Hyeok-woo cleared his throat, waiting. "Ah, ok, ok, uhm... So, people die, right?"

"Yeah?" Hyeok-woo squinted his eyes skeptically.

"And when they die, their spirits ascend to this magical place called Yung! Or the afterlife." So Mun said, making sparkly hand gestures over their head. "But sometimes spirits escape and turn into evil spirits, ahh! Ahhh!" He waved around his fists as he continued to tell his story. "They go around, possessing evil people and killing people. It's our job as counters to find them and exorcise them so they can be punished back in Yung." 

Hyeok-woo blinked once, than twice. Yeah, there was no way he was believing that dumb story. It sounded like it came right out of a kids book.

As awkward silence fell upon them, So Mun began to speak again. "Do you get it or should I explain it again?"

Hyeok-woo turned over to leave the car, but So Mun grabbed him. Throwing his arm back, Hyeok-woo yelled. "Aish! As if I'd ever believe that bullcrap! What is this, some stupid cult?"

"Oh, well, uhm... How about I prove it to you? How about we go to Yung?" Mun asked with a smile, as though that was a great idea.

The taller boy didn't seem to think so. "Didn't you just say 'Yung' is a place for dead people? Are you trying to fucking kill me?!" 

"Ah, come on, Hyeok-woo, just try it! Here, here, here, put your hand, the one with the marks, on your chest." He said, cautiously grabbing Hyeok-woo's hand and placing it in the proper position. "Now close your eyes..."

"What is this psychic shit you're trying to pull on me?--"

"Close!" So Mun yelled, and Hyeok-woo grumbled as he closed his eyes. "Now count. One... Two..."

"I know how to count," he said, before beginning to count under his breath. It was irritating how he was following So Mun's instructions so easily. Though, soon, he could feel his head go hazy.

Mum's voice faded in and out. "Ah-- I should go with you." He heard Mun starting to count too. 

Hyeok-woo woke up on a flat, white floor. It took a second for his vision to focus, but when it did, he saw So Mun crouching over him. "What the hell...?"

"Get up," Mun asked, holding out his hand. Hyeok-woo swatted him away and stood up himself.

Hyeok-woo brushed down his clothes. "Where the fuck are we?"

"You are in Yung," an old woman's voice said from behind him. When he turned around, he saw an old lady and a man standing there. He stepped closer to Mun, who put his hand on Hyeok-woo's shoulder to steady him.

"Wi-gen," Mun said, bowing at the woman. Shakily, Hyeok-woo also bowed. "Dong-pal.. it's nice to meet you." 

"Shin Hyeok-woo," Wi-gen said, stepping closer to the boy. He let in a sharp breath, wincing at his name. "So Mun already explained what a counter is to you."

"Yes, but uhm, no offense... But they can't be real?" he said. That's when a giant white door spawned behind him. He gasped as Wi-gen and Dong-pal lead them through, So Mun holding his wrist. 

"They are very real. And so too are evil spirits."

Hyeok-woo looked around. They were now in a.. gym of some sorts? Though, when he looked around, he was shocked to see... himself, sitting at a table with a bowl of noodles in front of him. An old lady was talking to him as well. He looked down at his clothes... The two were wearing the same thing.

"You yourself were possessed by one, Shin Hyeok-woo."

He stared at himself, watching as he began to cry. Right in front of the old woman. 

"Did they head over to kill my dad?"

"Hyeok-woo.."

"He deserves to die.." His voice was shaking. "A guy like him should die."

The woman began to walk closer to him.

"But there's no use killing him now," the other Hyeok-woo said. He began to laugh. Standing up swiftly, he began to speak again.. but it was a different voice. "Weren't you all looking for me?" 

Hyeok-woo watched as the other him's eyes shifted to dark black, just as his father's once was, and began to laugh maniacally... He stumbled back, So Mun catching him from falling. 

"What's... what's happening?" Hyeok-woo asked.

Wi-gen spoke again. "All of this is in the past. It already happened."

"What?! When?! I don't have any memory..."

He flinched as he and the old lady began to fight, looking away from the situation. 

"Yesterday. It was yesterday," So Mun said quietly, looking down at the ground. Hyeok-woo looked at him.

"Eh?!"

Suddenly, he looked over at the sound of boxes falling. So Mun had entered the room. He gasped as Mun threw a weight a him, causing the evil spirit(?) version of him to the ground. 

He watched as they continued to fight, stepping away from So Mun. When the evil spirit finally had been pinned to the ground, Mun placed his hand on his chest. Though, before anything could happen, Hyeok-woo started laughing again. 

In horror, Hyeok-woo watched as a black smoke left his own mouth, and flew out of the room. 

Suddenly, they were back in the white room, and Hyeok-woo fell to the floor. "What.. so I'm an evil spirit...?"

"No. Not anymore. The spirit left you, so you didn't need to be exorcised." Wi-gen said. Hyeok-woo scampered up from the floor. 

"W-where did it go?" The old woman looked towards So Mun, and Hyeok-woo did too.

"It went to..." So Mun bit his lip. "Shin Myeong Hwi.."

"My father is--"

"Not anymore," Mun said, placing a hand on Hyeok-woo's shoulder. "He paid for what he did already. To you, and to everyone he hurt."

Hyeok-woo looked into So Mun's eyes. They were so genuine.. so reassuring... It almost made Hyeok-woo mad. How could one boy seem so.. kind to him? Especially after everything he'd done to him?

Wi-gen began to speak again, "This time, a new soul has inhabited your body. Dong-pal."

The man, who Hyeok-woo almost forgot was there, stepped forward. "Shin Hyeok-woo.. my soul went inside your body without my control." He said, looking at the white, stone ground. "Still, we'd like to ask you.."

"Would you like to be a counter? To help capture evil spirits?" 

"B-but that doesn't make sense.." Shin Hyeok-woo stuttered. "Why would you want me to be a counter if I was possessed by an evil spirit just yesterday? Isn't that contradictory?"

"To be honest... We aren't sure," Dong-pal said, nodding at Hyeok-woo. "It wasn't by choice.. But still, we wanted to ask you. Though, you should be fully aware that you could die during this job. We have almost nothing to offer you. If you don't want to, we'll.. see what we can do."

Did he want to be a counter? To defeat evil spirits? Play hero, just like Mun did? Risk his life?

In all honesty, no, he didn't. 

But then again, what worth did his life have in the beginning anyway? He's done nothing good. Nothing, ever. This could be his only chance.. his only chance to prove himself different from his father. His father who was also evil enough to get possessed...

After a long moment, he'd made his decision.

"I'll.. take the job..."

Chapter Text

"Really?" Dong-pal asked, blinking rapidly. The spirit quirked an eyebrow. "You're just going to... join? Just like that?"

Hyeok-woo sighed, before nodding. "Yes." 

Even So Mun seemed surprised. He looked at Hyeok-woo with wide eyes, analyzing him as though he had ten arms. Though, after a moment, a grin bloomed on his face.

"Thank you, Shin Hyeok-woo," Wi-gen said, smiling warmly at him, before bowing. "It's difficult hiring counters these days. I'm glad you're willing to take the risk. However, there is just a few rules you should know before you fully become a counter."

"One, you cannot use your powers for anything not related to evil spirits,

"Two, you cannot disclose the fact you are a counter or any information about Yung to anyone,

"Do you agree to these terms?"

The taller boy didn't say anything, continuing to nod. After a bit more awkward conversation, finally, he and So Mun left through the giant white doors. 

When the boy woke back up in the car again, he was beyond shocked. Barely believing what he'd just experienced, he looked down at his hand, running his fingertips over the small marks. 

"Oh? Did you guys go to Yung?" Mo-tak, who was back in the front seat, asked. 

Mun looked at Hyeok-woo, smiling softly. "Do you believe me now?" 

Taking in multiple deep breaths, Hyeok-woo tried to think clearly. First of all, all of this was real? Secondly, what the hell did he just agree to? He could barely save himself from himself, how was he going to save other people from evil spirits?

Gosh, what was he thinking? How did he agree so easy? 

"What happened?" Ha-na asked, looking at them through the rear view mirror. 

"Well," Mun said, after Hyeok-woo stayed silent for a minute, "We showed him Yung, told him about evil spirits, and asked him if he wanted to be a counter."

"Really, him?" Mo-tak asked, sounding more surprised than annoyed. "Why would you give Dong-pal's soul to him? Isn't he Shin Myeong-hwi's son?"

His father's name made him wince.

Mun sighed, "I didn't choose him specifically-" Mun looked over at Hyeok-woo nervously, "No offense! I'm sure you'll make a great counter!"

Hyeok-woo stared at him with disbelief, sinking into his seat in the car. Clearly, they didn't want him to be a part of their group. He was unwanted, as usual. Granted, he probably shouldn't have agreed to begin with.

"I'll train you myself," Mun said, trying his best at a smile.

The redhead looked out the window. "What happened to the girl?" 

Ha-na turned to look at him. "We took her to the hospital, got her checked. When she gets out, she'll go to the children's home Jang-mul fixed up."

Jang-mul...? Like Jang-mul Retail? He'd heard of the business from his father before, but he had no idea what it had to do with this counter business. Leaning back in his seat, he tried not to think. His thoughts only made him feel worse.

Soon, the car stopped in front of a shop called Eonni's Noodles, which seemed eerily familiar. Hyeok-woo stepped out, shivering in the autumn air. Even though the sign said the store was closed and for lease inquire, Mun lead Hyeok-woo inside. 

The interior was warm and cozy, with a welcoming aura that made Hyeok-woo feel more like he wasn't supposed to be there. 

"Ah, you guys are back!" A woman walked in from the kitchen, and Hyeok-woo winced when he saw her. It was the woman he had attacked when he had gotten possessed. Though he didn't remember it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. When she noticed him, he looked down at the ground. "Ah... What is he doing here?"

Ha-na sat down at the table first, and Mun moved a chair next to his seat. 

"Ms Chu, he's the new counter," Ha na said, and Hyeok-woo sat down at the table next to Mun. "Jeong-gu's replacement."

"Ah?" the woman said, eyes widening as she sat down next to Mo-tak. "But he wasn't... he wasn't in a coma, was he? Aish, what is Yung doing, hiring people who aren't in comas?"

Hyeok-woo looked down at his spot on the table awkwardly as the others continued to talk.

"They said they don't know what happened. Dong-pal went inside Hyeok-woo without his control," So Mun said.

"You already went to Yung?"

Mun nodded, looking at Hyeok-woo hesitantly. Gulping down his nervousness, Hyeok-woo began to speak.

"They asked me to be a counter," he said bluntly, "I agreed." His voice was shaky.

"Oh, you agreed?" Ms. Chu said, seeming just as surprised as all the others were. Though, she appeared to be a lot nicer than them. "Well, that's a good thing! Welcome to the group, Hyeok-woo."

"Ah, but it doesn't make sense! Why would they hire a kid who's gotten possessed by an evil spirit before?" Mo-tak scoffed suddenly, and Ms. Chu pinched his ear. "Also, didn't you bully Mun? Is that what you find fun, punk? Beating and belittling kids?"

"Mo-tak!" Mun yelled, "Stop that. He's trying to change, right, Hyeok-woo?"

But Hyeok-woo's mind was racing. The room felt like it was caving in on him, walls getting closer and closer. His heart thumped in his chest, and it felt like someone had shoved an icicle down his throat. 

Everyone awaited his answer. After a moment, Hyeok-woo nodded weakly. 

"Ah, well, whatever the case, I'll say it again!" Ms. Chu said, grabbing Hyeok-woo's hands from across the table with a smile, though she was eyeing Mo-tak and Ha-na. "We warmly welcome you to the group, Hyeok-woo. I'm Chu Mae-ok, that's Ga Mo-tak, and Do Ha-na. And you already know So Mun, right?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, hands shaking. Noticing his clear discomfort, Ms. Chu let go of his hands. "I'll... go make you a bowl of noodles."

Hyeok-woo nodded. "Thank you," he said, though it was barely audible. 

No one seemed to speak to him for a while after that. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or scared. 

"So, kid," Mo-tak said, and Hyeok-woo braced himself for whatever the man was about to say, "how's life now that your dad is back in a coma?"

Mun glared at Mo-tak, but Hyeok-woo leaned back in his chair, answering softly. "He deserves to be locked up.."

A smile crept into Mo-tak's face. "That we can agree on!" 

"Oi, stop," Ha-na said with a tease, "Mun clearly doesn't like it when you make fun of his boy crush."

Hyeok-woo nearly choked on his saliva. What the hell did that girl just call him? He looked over at Mun, who was staring at Ha-na like she'd just insulted his bloodline.

Mo-tak's eyes widened, and he looked between the two boys, "Wait, so--"

"He's not my boy crush," Mun pouted, "We're just friends."

So Mun considered them... friends? Hyeok-woo almost laughed at the idea. Hyeok-woo had pretty much never done anything to Mun that would make him eligible to be a 'friend'. In fact, he hadn't done that to anyone in a long time. But then again, So Mun was just that nice, huh?

Ms. Chu came out of the kitchen with a bowl of noodles, and placed it in front of Hyeok-woo. "I hope you like them... Most people say they're good."

Hyeok-woo tried to smile at her, nodding. When he took that first bite, it felt like heaven in his mouth.  The noodles were just the right, chewy texture. And the broth was amazingly warm, it almost brought back a memory of his mother's soup.. But maybe that was just because he hadn't eaten in a while. Still, he continued to eat, feeling everyone's eyes on him. 

"Is it good?" Ms. Chu asked, smiling at him warmly. 

"Yes, ma'am... It's good.."

"Ah, by the way, Hyeok-woo," So Mun said, and the taller boy turned to him. "Did you take up Ung-min's offer about the vacation villa?" 

Hyeok-woo shook his head, staring down at his noodles. Mun frowned.

"Oh... So then, did you find somewhere else to stay?"

Again, reluctantly, Hyeok-woo shook his head, trying to suppress a glare. Why did Mun keep having to act like he cared? Why did he have to have such a hero complex?

He wasn't well equipped to deal with such kindness. It made him feel weak, vulnerable, useless. 

"Ay, so you don't have a place to live?" Ms. Chu asked, eyebrows creasing with worry. She stood up, walking over to Hyeok-woo and placing her hands on his shoulders. He flinched, feeling the pressure of her hands on his bruises, but said nothing. The woman began to rub his back. "That won't do.."

After a few moments of silence, Ms. Chu looked at Mo-tak, who was busy shoving meat into his mouth.

"Mo-tak.. did we ever clear out Cheol-jung's old space? Maybe Hyeok-woo could live here with us."

"Ma'am.." Hyeok-woo jut in, hiding his resentment "You don't have to.. erm, offer. I can figure it out by myself. And besides, I don't work here anyway..."

"You could," Mo-tak said, "Mun comes here after school."

"And, you're a counter now! You work with us already anyway," Ms. Chu said, her warm smile seeping into her voice. Hyeok-woo looked away from them, trying to hide how much he hated their charity. 

Not knowing how to refuse, he slowly nodded, letting himself succumb further and further in this fate.

Mo-tak and Mun stood up, Mo-tak leaving the room through a door near the kitchen. Mun, meanwhile, went to get Hyeok-woo's bags. The taller boy insisted on going with him.

They walked back out, and Hyeok-woo felt the chilling night air on his skin, goosebumps trailing down his body. He ignored it as Mun opened up the trunk.

"These are heavy," Mun said, though he picked them up like it was nothing, "did you pack a lot of clothes?"

"It's none of your business," Hyeok-woo said, taking his duffel bag from Mun's hands. Truthfully, he had stuffed his bags with as much clothing as he could fit. He hated not being able to bring all of it, but then again, he really had more clothes than he would ever need.

So Mun lead him through the door that Mo-tak came out of, down stairs and into a hallway. They walked down all the way to the end of the hall, where Mo-tak was moving some boxes.

"You're lucky, kid. Your room is the only real room," Mo-tak said to him, which only made the boy's stomach churn more.

When they walked inside, and the room was smaller than you would imagine. And dark. Too dark. Hyeok-woo tried his best not to feel claustrophobic. 

"Abeoji... I'm sorry, abeoji..! Let me out!" A seven year old Hyeok-woo yelled, knocking on the inside of the closet doors. He was crowded around clothing, though there was no light for him to see, save through between the doors. The walls were compact, close. Too close. It felt like the darkness itself was wrapping around his body, trying to choke him to his death.

Hyeok-woo's knees hit the concrete floor, like he had no strength in his legs anymore. His throat was so tight.. he couldn't pull air into them if he tried. His father's voice was ringing in his ear, making him want to crawl into a ball and sleep. Forever.

"Hyeok-woo," he could hear So Mun's voice say, crouching next to him. He wrapped an arm around the shivering boy's body. "Hey, it's okay.. he's not here right now. I'll protect you. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Barely registering his words, Hyeok-woo nodded, still trembling, and he could feel himself being picked up and put onto the bed.

"Are you comfortable?" Mun asked, rubbing his back. "Close your eyes. Deep breaths, okay? In, and out.."

Trying to squeeze air into his lungs was a battle in within himself, but after a moment, he managed. With each breath, the walls seemed to stop moving. He could feel his stomach churning, and he wanted to throw up.

Gently, Mun grabbed his shaking hand, wrapping his fingers around Hyeok-woo's palm. His touch was gentle. Soft. 

After another minute, Hyeok-woo was breathing better. He wasn't trembling so much anymore, and he could feel his heartbeat steadying.

Mun smiled at him, letting go of him slightly. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes," Hyeok-woo said. When he regained his senses enough to register the situation, he immediately scooted away from So Mun, holding his hand away from the other boy.

So Mun laughed nervously, "Sorry-- I wasn't really sure what to do. I'm, uhm, bad at comforting people."

Hyeok-woo sighed, "Whatever."

"What's happening?" Mo-tak asked, and Hyeok-woo jumped. "I just moved the rest of Cheol-jung's old stuff, so you can unpack. When you're done, come back up to the restaurant."

Mo-tak left, going back up the stairs, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Hey, Hyeok-woo," So Mun said, now that they had a little bit of privacy, "Just so you know, when you become a counter, you get these kind of.. powers."

Crouching down and sifting through his bags, Hyeok-woo didn't seem too interested in the conversation. "Like what?"

"Well, uh, we're now 3 times stronger than normal humans," So Mun said, and Hyeok-woo scoffed, sorting through the many articles of clothing he brought. "Ms. Chu can heal, and Ha-na can sense evil spirits.. we can also read memories or thoughts when we touch people."

At that, Hyeok-woo whipped around to look at him. "So, you just-- did you just see--" 

"Yes," Mun admitted nervously, before standing up. "I didn't mean to, but-- I'll, uhm, leave now." 

Hyeok-woo watched as he scurried through the door, but halfway through the hall, the shorter boy stopped.

"Hyeok-woo?"

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry..." Mun said, "You probably have a lot of things you wanted to forget."

And with that, the boy walked up the stairs, leaving Hyeok-woo to his own thoughts. He sighed, taking out a phone charger and plugging it into the wall. He also took out a small night light, plugging it in as well. He placed his phone on the empty credenza. 

Sighing, he turned to his clothes, and began to sort them out by color to calm himself down.

When Hyeok-woo came back up to the restaurant, everyone stared at him. He tensed, his hair standing on end.

"Mun told us you had a panic attack," Ms. Chu said, look at him with worry. "Ah, I'll go get you a glass of water." 

When she was gone, Mo-tak began to speak again.

"Has Mun told you about our powers yet?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, leaning on the wall. Though, he still had a little bit of disbelief.

"All of us have enhanced strength and speed. Ha-na can sense evil spirits, Ms. Chu can heal, and So Mun can summon the territory. Recently, he's also mastered psychokinesis."

"Territory?" Hyeok-woo asked. "Psychokinesis?"

"The territory makes us stronger. It can amplify our power five fold--" Mo-tak said with a smirk. "There was a time when I was capable of stopping a moving truck with my bare hands." 

"Stop bragging," Ha-na sighed, crossing her arms. She looked at Hyeok-woo. "You probably have the ability to heal too, since your predecessor had it."

"Predecessor?"

"The person possessed by Dong-pal's spirit before you," Ha-na said, "His name was Jeong-gu. He died a few days ago.."

Oh. 

Hyeok-woo looked down, unsure what to make of that. "I'm, uh, sorry."

That's when Ms. Chu came out with a glass of water, complete with ice and a slice of lemon. She handed it to him, smiling. He took a small sip.

So, he potentially had the ability to heal people? How fucking ironic. He rarely ever caused anyone anything other than pain. He sighed, staring at his hands. 

He startled when he saw Mo-tak next to him.

"Punch me," he said. Hyeok-woo raised an eyebrow. Mo-tak was holding out his hand. "Come on, throw a jab."

"Okay...?" Hyeok-woo said, getting into position after loosening up his hand. He lazily threw a punch. 

"Again." 

He punched him again, harder this time.

"Good. Again!"

That time, Hyeok-woo scoffed and threw his full strength into his punch, just in time for Mo-tak to hold up a chair. 

Upon impact, it fell apart. 

"What? What the hell?" He had never been that strong. In fact, he was ridiculously weak compared to his peers. 

"Believe us now?" Mo-tak asked. Hyeok-woo nodded, sighing in shock.

"Aiyoh, you could've proved it to him without breaking another one of my chairs," Ms. Chu said, hitting Mo-tak's shoulder. 

Mo-tak pouted, "That's how I showed Mun!" 

"Oh, I just realized! I'm not the newbie anymore!" Mun said, a playful smile on his face. 

"So what? Are you offering to train him?" Ha-na asked.

Mun nodded, "Of course!" So Mun looked at Hyeok-woo expectantly.

"Ah, not right now! The boy must be tired," Ms. Chu said, patting Hyeok-woo on the back. He shivered under her touch. "You can go to sleep if you're tired, dear. It's late, anyway."

So Mun checked his phone. "Oh, I should probably go too! My grandparents must be wondering where I am." Quickly, he took out a scrap of paper and scribbled something down. He scurried over, handing it to Hyeok-woo before running out. "My number, just in case! Bye!"

"Make sure you don't run into evil spirits on the way back!" Mo-tak yelled. "Oh, and tomorrow, meet us on the overpass after school!"

Ms. Chu smiled awkwardly at Hyeok-woo. "Come on, I'll go show you where the showers are so you can get to sleep quicker." 

Looking back through the window, Hyeok-woo got one last look at Mun, who was running away through the night. Then, he turned around, following Ms. Chu down the stairs.

Hyeok-woo leaned on the countertop, just done with styling his hair. Using the straightener he'd brought, he'd straightened his hair, just so it looked normal again. He didn't want to draw any unwanted attention.

Staring down at his phone, he pressed call. Might as well get it over with.

"Hello? It's So Mun!" The boy's voice was chipper and sweet as ever. How did he do that even in the morning?

He walked out of the bathroom, running his hand through his hair. "It's Hyeok-woo. Save my number." 

"Oh! Good morning! Are you going to school today?"

"I forgot to pack my books. They're still at my house."

"I can go pick them up for you."

"Don't. You don't have too."

"Too late! I'll be by the restaurant in 15 minutes to pick you up. Get ready. Bye!"

Hyeok-woo swore under his breath in disbelief as So Mun hung up. How could that boy be so nice to him? He should resent Hyeok-woo. He probably did and was just hiding it.

Still, pulling on his uniform, Hyeok-woo got himself ready. He grabbed his now empty backpack. hen, he went up the stairs into the restaurant.

"Good morning!" Ms. Chu said, greeting him. He froze, before bowing.

"Good morning, ma'am."

"Are you heading to school?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, stepping closer to her. "So Mun is going to come pick me up."

"Aw, that's nice, you two are going together!" Ms. Chu said, "I'm glad the two of you made up."

He didn't know what else to say, so he nodded, and headed toward the door. When he opened it, he hesitated, and looked back at the older woman. "Ma'am?"

She looked at him, waiting.

"I'm, uh, sorry," he said, not looking at her in the eyes, "for attacking you that day."

She blinked, before smiling brightly at him. "Aiyoh, don't be sorry for something that isn't your fault! It was Shin Myeong-hwi and that evil spirit. You have nothing to worry about."

He stared in disbelief, a soft smile pinching his cheeks. 

"Oh, and here, have a piece of bread!" she handed him a piece of buttered toast with an egg on it, "You need to have good energy for school, Su-ho."

Hyeok-woo looked at her confusedly. "...who?"

"Ay, I meant Hyeok-woo. Sorry, I don't know what that was." She nodded. 

Suddenly, Hyeok-woo was pulled out the door.

"Oh, sorry, did I scare you?" So Mun asked. After Hyeok-woo caught his breath, the shorter boy spoke again. "Are you ready?"

"How are we getting there?" Hyeok-woo asked, looking around. He didn't see a car or anything.

"If we die, So Mun, I swear I will kill you!" Hyeok-woo yelled, his chest pressed against Mun's back. Nose buried in the shorter boy's hair, Hyeok-woo clung to him like super glue while they raced around Jungjin at what felt like 1000 kilometers per hour.

Mun laughed. "What, are you scared?" He teased.

Hyeok-woo tightened his hold around Mun. "Yes! Slow the fuck down!" 

The bike began to accelerate. It was almost as fast as Hyeok-woo's heartbeat. They were going way faster than they should with two people on the bike.

"Oi, you're going faster!"

His complaints were only met with laughter. 

When Hyeok-woo got off the bike in front of the school, he almost immediately stumbled to the ground. The world seemed to spin around him. 

After parking his bike, Mun held a hand out to him. "Are you okay?" He could hear the giggles through his voice.

Hyeok-woo should've felt mad at his laughter. He should've. Instead, somehow, he also let out a chuckle, allowing Mun to help him up.

"You're insane," he said, taking a moment to catch his breath, "We could've died, you asshole!"

"Mun," he heard a girl say behind him. When Hyeok-woo looked up, he saw Im Ju-yeon and Kim Ung-min, who he recognized as Mun's best friends. He clutched his backpack tighter, the smile wiping off his face.

"Oh! Hey, guys," Mun said, awkwardly looking between them. "Hyeok-woo is going to be hanging out with us today. Is that okay?"

"I-is it okay?" Ju-yeon asked. She looked baffled. And annoyed.

Hyeok-woo tensed. He knew they hated him. After all, he'd bullied and beat them up so many times. He knew that if he was going to change, he had to do one thing.

He stepped closer to them. Ung-min stumbled back.

"Sorry, I couldn't speak yesterday because I was flustered," he said, looking at Ung-min. "I, uh, want to let you know that I won't be taking up your offer, but thank you." He said with a bow.

Ju-yeon eyed him up and down. Her eyes were piercing, even through her glasses.

"And..." he stuttered a bit. He could already feel his eyes watering, "I wanted to apologize. For all the things I did. Sorry, Ung-min. Sorry, Ju-yeon. And you too, So Mun."

He bowed again, trying not to let the tears fall.

After a few silent, awkward moments, he tried to walk away, but Ju-yeon grabbed his sweater.

"Stop crying," she said cooly, "You look like a baby when you cry."

Hyeok-woo didn't respond. He just.. didn't know what to say. 

"I don't forgive you," Ung-min said. He was also slightly teary-eyed. "But.. I'll put up with you. For Mun."

Ju-yeon sighed again. "Ay, why are you boys so emotional! Come on, we got to go to class."

Somehow, she managed to grab all of them and began to drag them away. So Mun was laughing, and soon Ung-min, and finally, Hyeok-woo.

Chapter Text

He sat in his seat at the back right corner of the classroom, feeling everyone's eyes on him. Everyone was whispering among themselves, looking at him and at the same time hoping that he wouldn't notice. But he did. It was obvious.

"Shin Myeong-hwi's son... life sentence..."

"Hasn't been to school in a week... Heard Baek Jun-gyu wants to see him after school..."

"Heard... murders... might've assisted his dad..."

"Don't listen to them," So Mun said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You're a lot of things, Hyeok-woo, but you're not a murderer."

Yeah, he was too incompetent to be one.

He tried to shut out everyone's voices. Mun sat down in the seat next to him, Ung-min in front of Mun, and Ju-yeon to Ung-min's right, so they had their own little square in the corner of the room.

Just as class was about to start, and Hyeok-woo was sure that the bell would at least slightly silence the whispers, a voice came onto the PA system.

"Student Shin Hyeok-woo of 2-4, please report to the principal's office," the voice said, and Hyeok-woo watched as everyone turned their heads to him. So Mun looked at him worryingly. "I repeat, Student Shin Hyeok-woo of classroom 2-4, please report to the principal's office."

Trembling, he stood up, beginning to make his way to the door. Time felt like it was moving in slow motion. With each step, it felt like he was sinking further and further into the ground. Almost tripping on someone's foot, he could feel his dignity being ripped from him as though it were fabric. Even the teacher was staring.

When he got out of the classroom, he almost fell to the ground. Taking deep breaths, he began to make his way toward the principal's office, hoping he didn't pass by anyone on the way.

"Shin Hyeok-woo," the principal, Gim Dong-hyun, said, a twinkle in his eyes. He gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

He bowed at the principal, but then sat down, putting his hands on his lap.

"Do you know why I called you here, Shin Hyeok-woo?" the Mr. Gim asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. Hyeok-woo shook his head, feeling too choked up to speak. "I'm sure you're aware of your father's.. growing reputation."

The boy's stare sharpened. Of course that was what this was about. 

The man continued. "Mayor Shin Myeong-hwi has recently been convicted for murder. A life sentence, to put it simply. He is responsible for the deaths of Kim Yeong-nim, Noh Chang-gyu, and many more."

Hyeok-woo gulped down his nausea. He knew all of this. He had seen his father kill with his own two eyes. Even if he was just now learning he had also been possessed by an evil spirit.

"Naturally, his reputation is horrible now," the Mr. Gim said, "And, by association, yours too."

Nodding shakily, Hyeok-woo scooted back in his chair so that he could be as far away as possible from this man. He had the look in his eyes his father had when he would talk to civilians.

"See, Hyeok-woo, it doesn't look good for the school if you're still on our roster," said the principal. Staring down into his lap, Hyeok-woo understood.

"So, you're expelling me, sir?"

Surprisingly, the man shook his head, "Of course not! Don't you realize how bad that would make me look? I'm simply here to suggest... you should try considering dropping out. You haven't been attending classes in a long while anyway."

Only a week, but who was counting.

So Mr. Gim wanted to expel him without really 'expelling' him. Figures. 

"You don't have to decide now. I'll give you a week, and you can report to me your decision," the man said.

After a moment of silence, Hyeok-woo was dismissed. Though it was only a 5 minute talk, he felt like he had been there for hours. Days, even.

"Oh, and Shin Hyeok-woo?" the principal said as the boy opened the door to leave. He stopped, before slowly turning around again, bracing himself for whatever the man was about to say. "I hope the next time I see you, it won't be at my school."

He slammed the door closed, sighing. Did every adult make him feel like that?

When he slipped back into his classroom, all eyes were on him again, even his own little "square" in the corner. A full classroom of awkward sophomores, trying to accuse him of murder. He sat down in the back, placing his hands on his stomach to appease his nerves.

Sneakily, the entirety of So Mun's group turned around to look at him. 

"What happened?" Ju-yeon and So Mun asked, and Hyeok-woo grunted as he moved to prop himself up in his seat.

"Er.. Guess."

"Really! What happened?" It was lunch now, and they still weren't over it. When Hyeok-woo sat down with his food, Mun grabbed his hand, and blinked, before his face contorted with confusion and anger. Hyeok-woo knew that Mun had read his memories.

"They want to make you drop out?!" he yelled, seeming actually concerned.

Hyeok-woo cursed under his breath. "Might as well tell the whole world, huh?" He said, taking a bite of his food.

Ju-yeon punched his shoulder, almost equally upset for some reason. "Well, what did you say?"

"I said I'd think about it," the boy said, taking another bite of his food. Then, he leaned back in his chair, groaning as he realized he would need to give them a more in depth explanation with the way they were looking at him. "He gave me a week to think. I'm probably going to do it, anyway, if that's what you want to know. My grades are going to end up dropping at this damned place-"

"No," Ju-yeon said.

Hyeok-woo stared at her with a challenging glare, "What did you just say to me?"

"No!" she repeated, louder, "School is important, you know! All of us need it if we want to get meaningful jobs! How are you going to repay for your dad's actions if I catch you working at some noodle shop, huh?"

"There's nothing wrong with noodle shops..." So Mun whispered.

Ju-yeon flicked his head. "That's not the point!" 

Hyeok-woo looked at her as she continued ranting with a newfound respect. He scooted closer to So Mun, leaning over to whisper to him. "Is your friend.. always like this?" 

"Yeah," So Mun said, taking a bite out of his food. "Don't worry! The nagging is just part of what makes Ju-yeon, Ju-yeon!"

She stopped speaking at that remark, hitting So Mun's arm before looking back at Hyeok-woo. "Do you get it now? Why you can't drop out?" 

"Eh..." Hyeok-woo whispered as he hunched over on the table to eat his food. 

"Ay, what's the problem this time?"

"Well, I don't know. If the principal of the school doesn't want me here than maybe I should leave. I've caused the kids at this school enough terror anyway," he muttered, though it was barely audible. He looked up, focusing his eyes on Ung-min. "No one really wants me here, to put it simply."

"I do," Mun said confidently, straightening out his back so he could appear taller than Hyeok-woo. "I want you here."

The redhead scoffed.

"I do too," Ju-yeon followed up, "So long as you're not bullying people anymore." 

They both looked at Ung-min, nudging for him to say something. 

"I don't care whether you stay or leave," he said, and Hyeok-woo found his opinion the most valid. He barely knew these people. How are they trying to be so kind to them. If anything, they should all want him dead. "But.. there are people who want you here."

"Yeah, so, you're not dropping out, ok?" Ju-yeon said, "I won't let you!" 

"Me neither!" Mun joined in. 

The situation felt so dumb, but when he looked up at them, only seeing the most genuine of looks in their eyes made his chest hurt. 

"You look like you're about to cry again," So Mun said teasingly, wiping away a tear. "You cry so easy, Hyeok-woo."

"Shut the fuck up," Hyeok-woo said, shoving him off his seat.

For the rest of lunch, they didn't bring up the topic again, instead opting to talk about less heavy subjects. Joking around. How kids were supposed to do.

"Hyeok-woo," So Mun said, coming from behind the taller boy and making him jump. So Mun handed him a red tracksuit with white stripes on the sleeves and a black shirt. A copy of the one So Mun already had on. "Put this on and then meet me at the entrance of the school."

"What? Why?" Hyeok-woo asked, looking down at the jumpsuit. He wasn't the biggest fan of the color.

"Did you forget? We have counter training!"

"And I have to wear.. this?"

"I know they're ugly, but I don't have a choice either," Mun said. "Now come on, get dressed."

Hyeok-woo frowned, going to the bathroom and changing into the outfit. He kept the hoodie zipped three fourth's the way up, in an attempt to make it look at least slightly fashionable. The clothing was surprisingly light, which made sense given that they probably needed to fight.

He stuffed his uniform in his backpack and walked out of the school, hoping he didn't stand out too much.

"Ah, there you are, Shin Hyeok-woo," someone said behind him. Before he could even look, he was grabbed by the hood and dragged to a nearby alley. 

He was thrown on the floor, and he looked up. "Baek Jun-gyu.." he said, trying to get up but the ogre shoved his foot over the side of Hyeok-woo's to keep him in place.

"Where's my money, Shin Hyeok-woo? Is your daddy not giving it to you anymore now that he's in jail?" he asked, pressing his shoe over Hyeok-woo's cheek.

Jun-gyu chuckled and kicked Hyeok-woo in the stomach before the boy could get up. "Your father isn't the mayor anymore, you know. You're not getting special treatment."

Jun-gyu grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to stand up, and shoving him into the wall. Hyeok-woo didn't fight back, only closed his eyes.

"You think that just by not going to school, you can avoid me, Shin Hyeok-woo?" He threw a punch into the boy's jaw.

"I'll find you." Another punch.

"I'll find you, and I'll kill you if you keep acting--"

When he went back in for another punch, someone grabbed his fist. 

"How many times do I have to tell you..." Mun's voice rang out. Hyeok-woo could hear it shaking.

"Not to bully anyone." He moved the other boy's arm back so fast you could hear his bones splitting.

"At this school." Then his forearm. 

"Ever." Snapped his fingers.

"Again."

He threw Bael Jun-gyu on the ground, and kicked him in the face. "How does that feel, huh?" He stomped on Jung-gyu's face, before kicking him up into the wall. 

The bricks cracked.

"And you two," Mun turned around toward Jun-gyu's goons. He raised his fist. 

Before he could do anything, someone tackled him to the ground. "Don't bother," Hyeok-woo said, Mun laying down under him. The boys scurried off, dragging away Baek Jun-gyu, who was screaming in pain.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Mun asked, glaring at Hyeok-woo. "You have the power to. You saw how you broke that chair last night. Why didn't you fight back?!"

So Mun kicked Hyeok-woo off of him, and the boys stood face to face.

He looked into Mun's eyes, and saw pain. It was a look on his face he hadn't seen since that day he had kidnapped Ju-yeon and Ung-min. The boy was pissed. Honestly, it made Hyeok-woo want to laugh.

"I didn't..." Hyeok-woo glared at him. "Why do you care? Don't tell me you care about my wellbeing."

The two stayed silent, panting, scowling at each other. For a moment, no one made a move. 

"Fight me," Mun said.

"What?" Hyeok-woo laughed. 

"Come on, fight me, if you won't fight those bullies," So Mun said, looking ridiculously serious, "You used to do this all the time. Why are you hesitating?"

He charged toward Mun, throwing a punch. Mun deflected it immediately, slamming Hyeok-woo on the ground. It made his entire body ache. The boy got up, but was knocked down immediately. Tried again. And again.

Each time, he was knocked down. And for whatever reason, he was always angry enough to get back up.

"What's the point of this? To show me how useless I am?" Hyeok-woo asked, on the ground, propping himself up with his elbows.

Mun opened his mouth to answer, but Hyeok-woo swept his foot under Mun's ankles. Mun fell to the floor. Mun stared at him with wide eyes for a second. Then, he began to laugh. 

Hyeok-woo, despite the situation, despite having just been knocked down around 10 times, despite his pride, despite everything, he laughed too.

"Oi, what took you guys so long?" Ha-na asked, as the two had finally gotten to the overpass. "And why do you guys look beat up? Did you fight someone?"

"I was training him," So Mun reported diligently, and Hyeok-woo rolled his eyes.

"By repeatedly throwing me onto the concrete ground, yeah. I guess he did train me."

"Good," Mo-tak said, "it's better to start training sooner rather than later."

Ms. Chu sighed, "All these injuries will take a while to heal." 

"We don't need to be healed right now, Ms. Chu," So Mun said. Hyeok-woo nodded, but he was clearly staring at the giant wall. There were many different colored handprints. One yellow, one red, and one green. 

"Shin Hyeok-woo!" Mo-tak yelled, startling the boy. He stared up at the man nervously. It was clear he was watching his movements. Hyeok-woo straightened up his posture. "Are you ready to dedicate your life to defeating evil? Catching runaway spirits?"

Crossing his arms, Hyeok-woo nodded. "Yes."

"Then it is time for you to undergo hazing!" Mo-tak grabbed Hyeok-woo's hand, shaking it. For a moment, a hazy image flashed in Hyeok-woo's mind, but he ignored it. "Now, do you see this wall?"

Hyeok-woo was tempted to give back a sarcastic remark, but he opted not because he wanted to keep his head.

"Yes, sir, I see it," Hyeok-woo said, "What are the handprints?"

"The green one is Ms. Chu's, Ha-na's is the red one, and the yellow one is mine, Ga Mo-tak the legendary counter!" While Hyeok-woo was still somewhat confused on what to believe, he had a feeling that wasn't actually Mo-tak's title. 

He didn't say anything about that, though, "Where's So Mun's?"

"When you find it, we'll consider you a real counter," Mo-tak said, getting so close to Hyeok-woo that their noses were practically touching. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the way Mo-tak was glaring him down.

"Are you ready?" Mun asked, placing his hand on Hyeok-woo's shoulder. In his hand, a tube of purple paint. 

He held his right hand out, and So Mun squeezed some paint into it. Making sure it covered his whole hand, Hyeok-woo faced the wall. The paint was cool on his hand.

"On three, okay?" Ha-na asked, and Hyeok-woo nodded. "Three, two, one!" Then she blew her whistle, and Hyeok-woo started running.

He jumped, his legs launching him into the air, and he was shocked at how high he was going. He closed his eyes, before slapping the wall once he felt himself going back down.

"Whoa-- that's not bad!" he could hear Mun yelling in the background. When Hyeok-woo landed, he backed up, squinting to see how high he'd gotten.

On the wall, a purple handprint, just about on par with the yellow one. He gaped at it, barely registering the fact that it was his handprint.

"Good job!" Ms. Chu said, holding up two thumbs up as they all walked closer to him.

Mo-tak nodded, "Not bad, for a first try, Jeong-gu-- Ah, I mean Hyeok-woo."

Hyeok-woo looked skeptically at Mo-tak, but didn't ask. He'd heard that he was Jeong-gu's successor. Perhaps that was why he'd gotten their names mixed up.

"Not bad? Isn't my handprint higher than yours?" He said without thinking.

"Ooooh..." The three others said simultaneously. 

Mo-tak stepped closer to him, a playful glare on his face. "Ha-na, who's handprint is higher?"

The girl stepped back, squinting up at the wall. "I don't know. Can barely tell. I think... Your's, Mo-tak."

"Eh?" Mun said, also walking back, even jumping a bit too get a better look. "I think it's Hyeok-woo's."

Everyone turned to Ms. Chu, who groaned, "Ay, don't bring me into this! My eyes aren't that good anymore anyway." She said, before looking over at Mun and Hyeok-woo. "Come on, let's go back to the restaurant so I can heal the both of you."

"Mine is higher," Mo-tak said, and Hyeok-woo shrugged.

"Either way, mine is higher than both of yours," Mun said with a shit-eating grin.

Mun and Hyeok-woo grabbed their backpacks. The five of them walked back into the car (which he just realized was ridiculously fancy), where there were three rows of seats. Ha-na opted to sit by herself, Mun wanted to take the back seats, while Mo-tak and Ms. Chu sat in the front. 

Without really too much choice, Hyeok-woo crawled into the back seats with Mun. 

The car started, and for a moment, they were silent.

"You did really good," Mun muttered, and Hyeok-woo looked away from him. Even with the events of today, he still found that niceness angering.

"Whatever you say."

He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. With whatever happens next, at least Hyeok-woo knew he had at least one thing to be proud of.

"Alright, take off your jackets," Ms. Chu said as the three of them sat down at the table. Mo-tak and Ha-na watched from the back.

Hyeok-woo gulped. He never wore anything short-sleeved in front of anyone before. He watched as Mun took off his jacket. After a moment, Hyeok-woo took off his as well. 

Discolored bruises lined his arms, and new ones too. He had cuts and scrapes all over, not to mention, a giant, white scar going down his left arm. Too many injuries for it to possibly have been the fight with Mun. They all gawked, and he gulped. 

"Don't ask," he said as Mun opened his mouth, then closed it. Hyeok-woo rubbed his shoulder, which had almost a leathery type of texture.

Mun shifted his hands, and Hyeok-woo gasped as bright, colorful columns of light appeared. The exact ones that Hyeok-woo remembered seeing the night before.

"They're called territory," he said, "They make our powers stronger, and if there's an evil spirit in the territory, we'll know immediately." 

Ms. Chu nodded, "L-let me treat the ones on your face first," she said to the redhead.

She ran her hand in front of his face, and it glowed with purple mist. Instantly, the bruises cleared up. She did that to his arms as well, but at that point, her nose was bleeding. He didn't bother mention the ones on his back. He had a feeling she already knew, though.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as he stretched his arm. She grabbed a handkerchief for herself.

For some reason, Hyeok-woo felt bad for her. Of course, he should be used to it by now. Causing pain to others for his own benefit.

"Fine," he said, obviously lying. Though, he had to admit, he had almost forgotten what it was like to move his limbs without feeling constant pain. He'd gotten so used to it, it almost felt like his arms were barely there.

He tried not to smile, when Ms. Chu looked over at Mun. 

"You don't have too, Ms. Chu," Mun said. Before she could protest, he added, "Really. Don't. Please. It doesn't hurt that much."

She sighed, but put her hands up in defeat. Hyeok-woo couldn't help but feel guilty. 

"So, kid," Mo-tak said, changing the subject, "How does it feel to be a real counter now?"

Hyeok-woo thought for a moment. He didn't know how to answer. He felt scared, as usual, but he also felt stronger. 

"Fine," he said.

"It's too late to back out now, just so you know. This job is super dangerous. You could get put in a coma, or even die," Mo-tak said, "There was once a time whenever I would even talk about evil spirits, one would appear and--"

"It stepped foot," Ha-na said, and everyone groaned in unison.

Ms. Chu glared. "Why would you say that?" She said, punching Mo-tak's arm. 

"It's Level 2. At a bar currently," she reported. Hyeok-woo assumed she was talking about an evil spirit. "Come on." She said, walking outside.

They all stood up. The two boys grabbed their jackets, before going into the car.

"You guys ready?" Mo-tak asked, looking at them through the rear-view mirror. He locked eyes with Hyeok-woo. "You're about to face your first evil spirit as a counter."

Chapter Text

"Are you excited?" Mun asked after minutes of silence. Hyeok-woo sighed. He didn't really want to talk at all during this ride, but he supposed with So Mun he didn't have a choice.

"Not really," Hyeok-woo said. Apparently his answer was good enough for Mun because they didn't speak for a while. Or maybe Mun was holding himself back, he didn't know. When he finally bothered to look at the shorter boy, he could see the disappointment written on his face.

He hated how Mun made him feel so guilty so easily. "Should I be?" he asked, and the other boy smiled.

"Probably not," Mun admitted, looking at Hyeok-woo with bright eyes. "But I think it'd be cool to see your powers on the battlefield."

Hyeok-woo looked down at his lap. "What powers do you have, again?"

"I can control Yung's territories and use psychokinesis," Mun said smugly, "which arguably means I'm the strongest counter. You know, my handprint was all the way at the top of the wall."

He could hear the entire car roll their eyes in unison.

"Oi, Hyeok-woo," Mo-tak said, "You train and beat Mun, okay?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, looking back at Mun, who was chuckling. "We'll see."

That's when Hyeok-woo noticed the large scrape on the side of Mun's head, just below the mass of curls. He raised his hand, brushing the hair out of the way to get a better look at it.

"Did I do that?" Hyeok-woo asked.

Mun shrugged. "I think I got it when I fell. It doesn't matter though. I can barely feel it."

Hyeok-woo let his hand linger there for a little bit longer. He hated how much the scrape bothered him. He would've preferred it if Mun hadn't gotten hurt to begin with.

His eyes widened. He could see the same purple mist leave his palms, and he watched as the boy's wound began to disappear. It was so odd, like he was turning back time. A few seconds later, the scrape was almost gone, but Hyeok-woo's head was beginning to throb painfully. A drop of blood fell from his face.

He wiped away the blood, and then looked down at his hands, mouth agape. So he did have the ability to heal? His head was spinning. 

He realized how stupid he must look right now. Straightening up his posture, he looked away from Mun. "Take that as... playback, for saving my ass earlier."

"Thanks." Mun handed him a handkerchief. The taller boy took it, using it to dab his nose lightly.

"Hey, did you just heal?" Ha-na asked, staring at them from her seat. That got the others' attentions quick.

"Eh?" Ms. Chu looked up from her seat. When she saw the absence of Mun's wound, she smiled.

"Looks like you have a replacement, Ms. Chu," Mo-tak said with a chuckle. The older woman shoved him lightly.

"Focus on driving," she scoffed, before sitting back properly in her seat, "I'm getting old, anyway. And you all get hurt way too much."

Mo-tak rolled his eyes. "Don't blame us! Blame the evil spirits."

"Or maybe you're just clumsy," Ha-na said. 

Mun stifled laughter, and looked at Hyeok-woo. "Seriously, thank you. My head feels a lot better now."

"Yeah, no shit. That scrape was the size of a baseball." Hyeok-woo crossed his arms. "You're lucky it didn't get infected."

Mun nodded, smiling and looking out the window. "Yeah. I guess I am."

"The spirit just left," Ha-na said when they reached their destination. "He brought a woman with him. They're walking down one of the alleyways. He has giant earrings in his ears."

Mo-tak handed Hyeok-woo an earpiece. "Everyone split up. Hyeok-woo, if you spot him, don't do anything. Notify us immediately." 

He nodded, and soon, they were off. Hyeok-woo looked around. It smelled like sewage. He looked up at the sky. The moon was blocked by some tall buildings. The cold, night air blew through his hair. He could hear the buzz of the flickering lights.

Colorful lights rose from the ground, and suddenly, Hyeok-woo had a vision.

A woman wearing a pink coat, laying on the ground. There was a man standing above her, arms lined with tattoos. In his hands, a piece of brick, which he was ready to strike.

"Shit," Hyeok-woo said, running down the alleyway. He reached a cross section. Trying to focus, he tried to tell which side was closer.

Nothing happened. "Screw it." He walked down the left path. He tried not to move loudly. For whatever reason, walking down here made his heart race. Every small sound made him startle. He took a deep breath. He was greeted by the smell of blood.

Gulping, he moved closer toward the smell, peering his head past a wall. There, he saw the woman in the coat, being picked up by a man. He slung her over his shoulder, then dropped her in the back of his pickup truck.

He had neck-length, scraggly hair. He was wearing some type of work uniform, though Hyeok-woo couldn't tell what at that distance. In his ears, earrings the size of coins.

"Ah... There we go," he heard the man say, "Now to take her home and finish her off." 

Hyeok-woo gasped, clapping his hand over his mouth. The man looked behind him instantly. Pressing his back up against the wall, Hyeok-woo tried to remain as silent as possible. When he looked again, the man was looking away.

He pressed his earpiece. "I found him," he whispered as quietly as possible, "He's got a white pick up truck. North from where we started. The woman is in the back. I don't think she's dead." 

"Hold your position," Mo-tak said back, "Make sure he doesn't leave. Don't do anything else until one of us gets there."

"Got it."

He stayed behind the wall until he heard the man close the truck doors. Cursing, he grabbed a nail from off the ground and snuck over, making sure his steps weren't too loud. Hearing the car start, Hyeok-woo quickly stuck the nail into his tire, before running back around so he couldn't be seen. 

A few moments later, the man got out of the car. "Goddammit!" he yelled, kicking the tire with his foot. "Why at the worst times..."

Hyeok-woo sighed wtih relief, before beginning to whisper into his earpiece again. "Where are you guys?" 

He felt sudden shivers going down his spine. His stomach was practically folding in half. It was like the area had just gotten colder. Stiffening up, he tried not to look behind him.

"Ah, who's this?" a voice said next to him. Hyeok-woo jumped, stepping away from the man. "Stop playing with me, punk. I know that tire wasn't flat when I came here."

Eyes hardening, Hyeok-woo loosened up his wrists. His stomach clenched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man scowled at him, meaty lips pulling back from chipped yellow teeth in a grimace. He edged closer. Hyeok-woo stepped out of arms reach.

"You're going to regret running your mouth with me, pretty boy," the man muttered. Hyeok-woo read the name on his uniform. Seonu Baek-hyun.

Hyeok-woo was greeted by a punch to the face. The taste of blood simmered in his mouth. His eyes locked with the man. He deflected another hit, knocking the man's arm up and sending a fist to Seonu Baek-hyun's sternum. Hyeok-woo ducked under another hit. 

He just had to hold out. Hold out until So Mun and the others got there. 

Despite his churning stomach, a smirk tugged at Hyeok-woo's lips. "You should focus more on your own mouth, sir. What have you been eating? Shit?"

"Someone oughta' teach you some manners," the man said, his eyes turning red, charging at Hyeok-woo. He sidestepped, digging his heel into Baek-hyun's toes. The man howled, reaching down to grab his foot. Hyeok-woo took the opening, sloppily kicking the man's left abdomen. 

They traded blows. Hyeok-woo's fist crushed the man's nose. Seonu Baek-hyun staggered back, wiped the blood off his face, scowled, roared, and dove at Hyeok-woo in a long, shallow tackle. The boy fell to the ground. Baek-hyun pinned him to the ground with his knee, wrapping his hands around Hyeok-woo's neck.

Hyeok-woo choked, coughing up red. Suddenly, his mind flashed a scene in his head.

"Hyeong," a man said, looking up at a taller male. The older boy looked somewhat like a younger Baek-hyun, except without the tattoos and yellow teeth and with well-kempt hair. They were sitting at a table, a plate of dumplings between them. "are they good? Sorry, it's all I could cook up on such short notice. You should've told me you were visiting."

"Of course it's good," Baek-hyun chuckled, "My little brother made it."

"Shin Hyeok-woo!" he could hear someone yell from the other side of the alley. He could hear multiple sets of footsteps, so he assumed the gang finallly arrived. He tried to look over to the side, but his vision was blurry.

Hyeok-woo choked, straining to repeat what Baek-hyun's little brother said. When he got the sentences out, Baek-hyun's grip around his neck loosened. 

"Baek-min...? Is that you, Baek-min?" Baek-hyun whispered, eyes widening. A smile crawled onto his face. "Baek-min! Why didn't you tell me you came back from the states, punk? Don't care enough to tell your older brother anything anymore?"

"Eh..?" Hyeok-woo asked, trying not to breathe as Baek-hyun talked into his face. Why did Baek-hyun think he was his little brother?

"Oh, sorry," Baek-hyun said, removing his hands. Hyeok-woo stared. The man's eyes looked hazy, unfocused. "I don't know what got into me. I don't even know why I was so mad."

"Hyeok-woo!" someone yelled. The redhead turned to look at them. So Mun, just a few feet away from him, looking around. Then, So Mun finally saw him. The boy squinted at him skeptically.

Mo-tak groaned. "Don't tell me that punk ran off. He didn't say there were two victims either." 

Then, the older man ran up to Baek-hyun, kicking him off of Hyeok-woo. The man staggered to his feet, lunging at Mo-tak. Meanwhile, So Mun ran up to Hyeok-woo.

"Sir, are you okay?" Mun asked, before scanning his body for injuries. Hyeok-woo was getting more confused by the minute. "Sir?"

Hyeok-woo scoffed. "Fine, I'm... fine. But do you really not recognize me?"

"Sir, what do you mean by that?" Mun asked, tilting his head. Mun's eyes had the same, unfocused look for a moment. Hyeok-woo slapped him across the face, hoping to get him out of his trance. To his surprise, it worked. "Hyeok-woo..?"

"Get off my brother, you asshole!" he heard someone yell, and suddenly Mun was sent flying. Hyeok-woo crawled backwards, shocked. Baek-hyun turned to him. "Baek-min, are you okay? That jerk didn't hurt you, did he?" Hyeok-woo groaned. What the hell was happening?

He sighed. Okay, so Baek-hyun believes he's his brother. So be it. "Hyeong.. you need to go to the dentist." He said, before sweeping a foot under the man. He fell like a bowling pin, but was still laughing. 

"Maybe later," he said, acting as though Hyeok-woo did not just knock him down. Ha-na stood over the man, giving a firm kick to the jaw. Baek-hyun passed out. 

All of them walked over to Hyeok-woo, who stumbled to get up. His legs felt wobbly, and everything felt sort of.. fuzzy. His nose was bleeding again too.

"The woman is okay," she said. We barely made it, though. She then spotted him. "Oh, are you okay?"

They were all looking at them now. They all had the same misty look in their eyes, except for So Mun. He stared down at his hands, and his eyes widened. He was wearing the same clothing, but his hands didn't even look like his hands. And..  parts of them were fazing in and out, like he was glitching somehow. The glitches increased more and more, until he saw a blue mist leave his body, and he finally looked like himself again.

"Oi, how did you do that?" Ha-na asked, mouth agape. All of them looked shocked. 

Hyeok-woo mumbled, "I.. don't know." He looked over at Baek-hyun's unconcious body. "Shouldn't we.. exorcise him?"

"Right, yes, come on. I'll show you how to do it," Ms. Chu said, grabbing him by the arm and showing him to the body. They both crouched down. "Place his hand on his heart." He grabbed the man's wrist, which was grimy and bloody, and put his hand onto his chest. "Now place your hand over his." Hyeok-woo did so, and after a few seconds, he could feel something in his body pulling at him.

He concentrated, groaning a bit. The man's body began to shake, and Hyeok-woo took a deep breath. The man's head rocked back and forth, faster and faster, and appeared to be changing faces. It was.. overwhelming, to say the least. Faster and faster, the man began to shake. Struggle against Hyeok-woo. It almost hurt him to keep his hand on the man's heart. Then, he lifted his head up, dark veins crawling up his neck and popping out of his skin. Baek-hyun let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Hyeok-woo's head felt heavy. He lost control of his body and collapsed. He wasn't concious long enough to feel his head hit the ground.

When he opened his eyes, he was in Yung. He looked around, seeing Wi-gen, and another man. The evil spirit, he knew.

"Those who escape the afterlife are to be judged immediately, with no chance to explain," Wi-gen said, stepping closer to the man, and raising her hand. Hyeok-woo looked between them. A door appeared behind the evil spirit in a wave of light. "to the eternal prison."

The door opened, and suddenly, wind began to blow. To Hyeok-woo, it felt like a light breeze. But for the evil spirit, the winds were something akin to a tornado. Hyeok-woo watched as the spirit fell to the ground, trying to grab onto the cold, stone floor. His hands dragged across, and he was slowly but surely inching toward the door.

When Hyeok-woo looked inside, it was dark, and upon seeing it, a wave of terror struck his body. He flinched, looking away immediately.

A wretched scream tore at the evil spirit's vocal chords, and Hyeok-woo knew the spirit was gone. 

Wi-gen took a deep breath, before turning to Hyeok-woo. She walked over to him, taking his hands in hers, the way a mother or a grandma would. "Your first summon. Well done. Thanks to you, the spirit trapped inside that evil spirit could arrive safely."

She looked over her left shoulder, and Hyeok-woo followed her gaze, seeing a woman in a green dress standing there.

"I'm sorry, where am I?" she asked, stepping closer to them. 

"Mae Eun-sun," Wi-gen said, letting go of Hyeok-woo. "Unfortunately, you died October 16th, 2020, at 9:43 p.m."

The woman gasped, tripping back slightly. "So... then, I'm dead? Is this Heaven?" She asked, biting her lip. Her eyes glistened in the white light, and after a moment, she began to sob. "No, no, that can't be! I can't.. I'm only 22. How am I supposed to provide for my parents? I can't leave them. I can't!" 

Wi-gen's gaze hardened. Then, she gestured to Hyeok-woo. "This boy here saved you. Had it not been for him, your soul would have dissipated."

"E-eh...?" the woman stuttered. She straightened up her posture, walking in front of him, and bowing. "T-thank you.." She said, though he could tell her mind was on other things.

"Mae Eun-sun. Someone has been waiting for you." 

Hyeok-woo turned around, watching the large doors open up. It was blurry at first, but then they revealed a man in a white suit. Mae Eun-sun gasped, covering her hand with her mouth. "O-oppa.."

"Sarang," he said, a bright smile on his face. She ran over, jumping into his arms, sobbing. He picked her up, spinning her around in a way they only did in movies. "You haven't changed a bit."

Hyeok-woo watched, gulping down his sense of jealousy. He knew he would never get someone to love him the way they did.

Soon, the two left, and after Wi-gen said thank you once more, he did too.

Mun looked worriedly at Hyeok-woo, who was once again asleep on his shoulder. The boy was shivering rapidly, but when he touched his forehead, it was freakishly hot. He looked deathly pale-- one might even mistake him for a vampire. It was like Hyeok-woo had suddenly gotten some sort of flu.

"Do you think it's side-effects of whatever his power was?" Mun asked, his voice meek.

Ms. Chu nodded. "Yes, that's most likely."

Ha-na crossed her arms, looking back at the two of them. "What do you think that power was? It was so obvious it was him.. He was even wearing the tracksuit. But we all were so sure he was someone else."

"Probably illusion? Or mind control. Whatever it was, it was apparently too powerful for him," Mo-tak said. 

"Mind control.." Mun repeated.

"I feel like something like this has happened before," Ms. Chu said. "Oh. Earlier today, I feel like my head felt sort of fuzzy. I mixed up Hyeok-woo's name with Su-ho."

Ha-na nodded. "And Mo-tak did it with Jeong-gu."

That's when Mun could feel Hyeok-woo begin to stir. When he looked down, the boy's eyes were opening. Oh, boy. He'd better prepare to get an earful when Hyeok-woo realized he was leaning on Mun's shoulder.

"S-So Mun..?" Hyeok-woo whispered, looking up at him. They locked eyes. Hyeok-woo's were unfocused, though Mun could see fear and pain in them. He looked helpless. "I'm... cold..."

Mun nodded, "What else are you feeling?" After a moment of Hyeok-woo not yelling at him, Mun wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder. He noticed that the fabric there was ripped, revealing Hyeok-woo's scar. Hyeok-woo blinked a bit, before snuggling into him. Mun felt heat rising to his cheeks.

"Nauseous.. Everything hurts..." The boy's voice was rasp. He didn't say anything for a moment. "So Mun.."

"Yes?"

"Y-you're too nice to me..." Hyeok-woo said, pulling Mun into an awkward, side-hug position. "You shouldn't be.. It's weird..."

Mun raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'm too nice to you?"

"Don't.. deserve it..." he slurred, burying his nose into Mun's jacket. His hair was slightly damp with sweat, revealing the boy's new curls. "Never been... nice to you... Remember?"

Mun nodded. He sighed quietly. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't still hold some sort of resentment towards Hyeok-woo. But after seeing so many memories of him and his father.. Mun also developed a sort of understanding for him. Had his parents treated him like that.. he wouldn't know what he'd turn into. Plus, one thing was clear to him now. Hyeok-woo did have a good heart. He was a counter, after all. And right now, he didn't even seem dangerous. Just.. scared and amazingly ill.

"It's okay. Don't think about that right now," Mun told him, pressing his lips together to form a soft smile. A quiet groan left Hyeok-woo's throat, and after blinking a bit, he fell right back a sleep.

Ms. Chu looked at the two of them through the rear-view window. "Aish, that poor boy."

"He'll be fine," Mo-tak reassured her, "Just gotta work through it."

They continued to drive until they reached the noodle shop, where So Mun woke up Hyeok-woo. When the boy got down from the car, he almost fell face first into the pavement, but Ha-na grabbed him. Suddenly, Hyeok-woo's eyes widened, and he ran inside and into the bathroom.

"Shit," Mun said, quickly following him inside.

When he got to the bathroom, he saw Hyeok-woo hunched over the toilet, gagging. Crouching down next to him, he began to rub his back. "That's it.. let it all out..." The boy was sobbing.

After a few long minutes, Hyeok-woo was finally done vomitting, and leaned back against Mun. The boy grabbed Mun's arms, wrapping them around him tightly. He had tears in his eyes, but his eyelids were drooping. Mun sighed, picking up the boy, and taking him out of the bathroom.

"How is he?" Ms. Chu asked, all of them staring at the two. "Gosh, I didn't realize powers could have such.. severe side-effects."

"He's fine. Just threw his guts up, though," Mun said, adjusting his grip on the boy. "I'll take him to bed now."

He walked dangerously down the steps, and then into Hyeok-woo's room, where he placed the boy down on his bed and put the blanket over him. Sitting down on the mattress, Mun hovered his hand over Hyeok-woo's head.

Sick. He was sick. Still, he was sitting down at the dinner table with his father, eating despite his ever growing nausea. His head hurt. There were tears in his eyes. Hyeok-woo was sick. Really, really sick. Everything was fuzzy, he could barely see.

Before he knew it, he vomitted on the table. He couldn't stop it. It was just.. too painful.

His father wasn't happy about that, though. Wretching in disgust, he stood up, beginning to screech at the child. Yell in a way a child should never be yelled at. Especially when sick.

Grabbing his bowl of soup, he threw it at his son, who was still sick on the table. The boy screamed, the hot soup pouring down his body, burning his skin. He fell out of his chair, throwing up on the ground, sobbing and screaming. His father scoffed, leaving the dinner table. Leaving his son to sit there, alone, in pain.

So Mun saw red. He was livid. Breathless with anger, his whole body shook. His knuckles whitened, clenching his fists. How did someone do that to a child? And a sick one, at that? His father hadn't even been possessed by an evil spirit at the time.

He stood up hastily. Had he stayed there any longer, he might break into prison himself to kill Shin Myeong-hwi.

Though, as he opened the door, Hyeok-woo began to speak.

"S-stay with me.. please..." the boy begged, shivering, "Don't leave.. Mun..."

Sighing, he tried to push his anger down, going back and crouching in front of Hyeok-woo's bed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" 

"I don't w'nna.. be alone.." Hyeok-woo said, looking into his eyes. "You.. read my memory..."

Mun gulped. "I did."

"Don't tell anyone about it, please," Hyeok-woo said groggily, blinking back tears. Mun cupped his cheek with his hand, chuckling a bit. When he wasn't making fun of him, Hyeok-woo was surprisingly polite. "H-hug me.. Just until I fall asleep again..."

Mun blinked. Then, after a little bit of convincing, crawled into the bed, wrapping his arms around Hyeok-woo. The taller boy cuddled up against him, smiling slightly. A few minutes later, Hyeok-woo was snoring softly. Mun stared at the boy's face. He had never seen someone so.. peaceful. 

He sighed, tightening his grip around him. Mun's heart was racing, but he was just so comfortable. Technically, he could leave. He didn't have to stay.

...

Oh, whatever, he could stay here a little longer. Just a little bit.

Ha-na opened the door to Hyeok-woo's room, after Mun hadn't come back up to the shop. She never expected to see the two boys laying with each other in bed, wrapped up in each other's embrace. Both of them were asleep.

"Ah.. I see," she giggled, before closing the door quietly. She walked away, getting ready to spill what she just saw to Mo-tak and Ms. Chu.

Chapter Text

A red light shone on the Eternal Prison, the only thing illuminating the entire realm. Thunder rumbled from above them. Monsters in the shape of people smoldered in the dark sludge, coated with the slime, which burned their skin. One of these monsters was Ong Chul, who had just arrived here after being exorcised.

Upon his arrival, the monsters crawled overtop him, bodies piling up, gnawing at his flesh with their wretched fangs, til he could no longer feel his own skin. On top of him, little drops of the slime poured down like rain, eating away at his body like acid.

Ong Chul shifted around, drowning his body within the muck. He could hear the groans of other bodies around him, too far gone to even have a conciousness. 

He buried himself deeper and deeper into the sea of bodies, and the farther down he went, the less they looked like people. The farther down, the less distinct they looked.

Fingers.

Toes.

Feet.

Hands.

Arms.

Legs.

Heads.

All of which were lost by the mire. When their bodies were fully eaten away, they would be reformed and would fall back down to the top of the pile of people, ready to start the cycle again. Ong Chul didn't want to do that.

He swam past the blobs of people, more and more pressure building up above him. Now, the monsters just looked like deformed potatos.

The farther down he went, the more the acid burned him. But, he noticed, the farther down he went, the brighter it got.

Finally, he reached the bottom, where the monsters were the size of small peas. His hand touched the ground, and he relished in it's feeling. Then, he began to punch, kick, claw at the floor. Screams muffled by the sludge, he got more and more aggressive as the timer ticked. If he didn't do anything, his body would dissolve again, and he'd land back down onto the pile.

That's when he heard a crack. Gasping, he coninued to punch and kick and hit, until the crack grew bigger.

Moments later, Ong Chul was flying through the sky, his body shifting into a dark shadow-like orb.

Gradually, Hyeok-woo comes to conciousness. He turns to one side and cuddles up against his pillow, enjoying the opulent feel of his smooth cover against his skin. He feels cozy and incredibly at ease. 

He feels rested and remarkably light, as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his chest and he could breathe easily for the first time in a long time. He sighs at the way his joints pop as he yawns and stretches. Not that it matters. 

He rose to sit, immediately feeling the lightheadedness. He had no memory of what happened the night before. Did they erase his memories or something, or was he really that sick. He shuddered thinking about it. Illness was something he hated dealing with always. What if he had done something he might regret? 

Other than that, he didn't have many symptoms, save for a small sniffle. Oh well, it's better than before.

He sat at the side of his bed, hunching over as he thought. A feeling burned in his mind. He'd had a dream last night-- a really good one. Vaguely, he remembered a warm embrace. He sighed. Maybe he really was going crazy.

Standing up, he groggily walked out the door, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

He walked up the steps, entering the shop. He saw them all cleaning up, and he cocked an eyebrow. Did that mean it was already late afternoon?

Mun saw him, wearing his school uniform, and ran over to him. He greeted him with a tight embrace. Hyeok-woo tensed up instantly, holding in a breath. After letting Mun have his moment, he pushed the boy away.

"What the hell is wrong with you, byung-sin?" Hyeok-woo scoffed. He then caught himself, regretting his words. "Shit, sorry.. uh, you caught me off guard."

"Fine, it's fine," Mun said, a small smile on his face. Hyeok-woo could tell part of it was fake. "You've just.. been asleep for a while. I was worried about you."

Of course he was. Leave it up to So Mun to be worried about him. He doubted anyone else in this world was.

"Aiyoh, you're finally awake!" Ms. Chu said, when she walked into the room. She walked over to him, pressing her hands to the sides of his arms, rubbing his arm softly. "You've been asleep so long-- We almost thought you were in a coma."

Alright, that was the second time someone mentioned how long he's been asleep.

Walking slowly out of her touch, he asked, "How long was I sleeping for?"

"38 hours," Ha-na said, leaning back on one of the tables.

As though on cue, Hyeok-woo was instantly struck by the consequences of what had happened. It makes sense why his throat feels parched and dry, and why he squirms when he tries to swallow due to the itching. His stomach also uses the occasion to make a loud, ravenous gurgle in an attempt to get his attention. Other biological urges quickly follow, surfacing to demand attention. 

"Fuck, uh," he creeps over to the restroom, "I'll be right back."

He closes the door swiftly, ignoring their attempts to ask him if he was okay. Taking the time to relieve himself, and quickly wash up, he feels a lot more like himself when he leaves the bathroom. 

They all stared at him, looking unimpressed. Well, except for Mun, who asked if he was okay.

"I'm okay," Hyeok-woo responded tiredly, sloppily sitting down in one of the chairs. "So, what was this about me sleeping for more than a day?"

"You don't remember?" Mo-tak asked with a terse tone, crossing his arms. "Us fighting the evil spirit, you using your new power, and then summoning the spirit?"

Placing his fingers on his temples, he traveled back in time to two days ago. Right.. Seonu Baek-hyun.. He'd fought the guy, and somewhere in the middle of the fight, the man somehow thought he was his brother? That part was still confusing.

He nodded, returning to reality, "I remember now."

"Well, after you summoned the spirit, we think the side-effects of your power took over, and you got really sick. Almost like you had the flu," Ms. Chu explained, and Hyeok-woo bit his lip. Yeah, that made sense. So obviously, with him being ill and all, they took him to bed. But Hyeok-woo couldn't help but think there was more too it.

"You don't remember anything after that, do you?" Ha-na asked, with a sly smirk on his face. Mo-tak and Ms. Chu stifled laughter. So Mun glared at her, shoving her lightly, whispering something to her. "Right, right, whatever.."

That did console Hyeok-woo at all. Still, he refrained from asking, knowing that he would likely only be upset. 

"Let's talk about your power," Mo-tak said, chuckling slightly, "How exactly did you do that back there? Change your appearance, I mean."

"I don't know," he admitted, tapping his fingers on the table. 

Ha-na sighed, "Did something happen that might've triggered it?"

Goddamnit, what was this? An interrogation? He tried to focus on the memory, taking a deep breath. Then, he hit the table with his fist. He almost broke it. "I remember him tackling me, and I managed to read his memories. I saw a couple scenes with his little brother, I think his name was Seonu Baek-min? I repeated a few of the words Seonu Baek-min said to him, and the bastard's eyes unfocused, and that's when he started treating me like him."

"It worked on us too," Ms. Chu said, and he nodded. They'd all had the same misty look in their eyes.

"I think his power has to be some type of brainwashing," Ha-na looked over at the others, and they nodded. "Because we all saw him in his counter tracksuit, but we didn't register why he had that on."

He thought about that for a moment. Was that really his power? Manipulating others? Fitting.

"I think he should try using it again," Mo-tak said, looking him up and down, "Just to get more details."

"Sounds like a good idea," Ha-na nodded. "But he's not going peaking around my memories."

"Aiyoh, he should eat first! You must be hungry, having not eaten in 38 hours," Ms. Chu said, rushing to the kitchen. "What would you like to eat, dear?"

Hyeok-woo shrugged. "Whatever is fine."

Ms. Chu shook her head, "No, no, you choose!"

The boy thought for a moment. He doubted she would stop pestering until he told her what he wanted, but then again, what did he want? It took him a few minutes, but then he settled on one of his favorite dishes.

"Kimchi fried rice," he said, and Ms. Chu quickly got to the kitchen.

"After we eat, we can all take a group photo!"

A group photo? He looked around the room, noticing a bunch of pictures on the wall. In one of them, So Mun, Ha-na, Mo-tak, and Ms. Chu were all standing together, smiling at the camera. And before that, the three of them and who Hyeok-woo could only assume was Mun's predecessor.

"It's a tradition to take a picture every time we get a new member," Mun said, suddenly right next to the taller boy, almost scaring the life out of him. Hyeok-woo sighed, nodding. He guessed he didn't have a choice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

He took this moment to check his phone. Naturally, especially after his father got arrested, his 'friends' thought it would be funny to spam message his number, insulting and belittling him. Scowling at his phone, he began to delete all 42 messages, as well as multiple contacts.

Mun looked over his shoulder, staring at his contact name. "Babo So Mun? Really?"

He heard Mo-tak and Ha-na snicker in the far corner of the store. 

"Hm.. you're right," Hyeok-woo said, "Maybe it should just be Babo."

Mun groaned, sitting down in the chair next to him. "N-no! That name is.. fine..."

Soon, after more awkward conversation, Ms. Chu came out with two trays. In one, small plates of fried eggs, potstickers, crispy tofu, and beef and broccoli. On the other tray, a giant plate of kimchi fried rice. Hyeok-woo stared at it, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. It'd been so long since he'd seen food that looked that good.

"You're drooling," Mun said, and Hyeok-woo instinctively wiped his lip, but his hand came up dry. Hyeok-woo's eyes darkened, flicking Mun across the forehead. The shorter boy only laughed.

Passing out plates, chopsticks, and spoons to everyone, they all sat down at the table. Hyeok-woo wasted no time putting some food onto his plate, the fact that he hadn't eaten in a day and a half catching up to him. 

"Is kimchi fried rice your favorite food, Hyeok-woo?" Ms. Chu asked with a smile, watching his expression as he ate. The boy nodded, not sparing any time for talking. It reminded him of his dinners when he was a little boy. His mother would make kimchi fried rice every night-- he hadn't liked it then, but now, things were different. "Ay, slow down or you're going to choke."

Covering his mouth with his hand as he chewed, Hyeok-woo nodded. He could feel his mouth burning with heat, and there was a sharp acidity too it. Salty and sour mixed together on his tongue, providing the perfect kick.

He finished his food quickly, though didn't bother going back for seconds. He didn't want to be seen as eating too much.

The others, however, had different ideas. "Oi, eat more. You gotta get your energy up if you want to be a good counter." Mo-tak gestured toward the food.

Before he could protest, Mun piled some more food onto his plate, the same way he had done with his grandparents a few days ago.

Now, his plate had a tower of food on top of it, so much that Hyeok-woo wasn't sure he would've been able to finish it even if it was his only serving. Thankfully, he had plenty of stomach space left. He sipped his water, before beginning to eat again.

By the time he was finished, he had to actively ask for them not to give him more food lest they'd put more on his plate.

"Let's take a break and let the food settle before we take the photo, ok?" Ms. Chu said, beginning to take all the plates. Hyeok-woo immediately stood up to help her. She objected, but Hyeok-woo insisted upon it. As much as he was sometimes uncomfortable being around them, he didn't want to be a burden.

So, he spent the next 20 minutes washing dishes with Ms. Chu, making idle chatter with her. Of all of them, she was the least intimidating.

"You know, you remind me of my son, Kwon Su-ho," she said, smiling as though reliving a memory, "when he was your age, he was so rebellious. He didn't listen to a word I said. But deep down, I knew he had a good heart. He joined the military after that."

Hyeok-woo stared at her, unsure of what to say. "I don't think I deserve that comparison, Ms. Chu."

She laughed. "You have a good heart too, Hyeok-woo, no matter what you think. You are a counter, after all. You fight evil for the benefit of others, just like my son did."

"Did?"

She looked down at the dish she was washing, staring at herself in the reflection. "He drowned seven years ago. I almost did too, but that's when I became a counter."

"Oh.. I'm sorry," he muttered. He didn't understand why he felt guilty. It wasn't his fault that Su-ho had died, yet he felt awful for reminding her of his death. Ms. Chu must have been affected by his shame because she started speaking again right away.

Lightly, she swatted him with her gloves, "Don't be. If anything, it was my fault for letting his hand slip in the water. Either way, it doesn't matter. Now, Su-ho is my partner in Yung."

Her partner in Yung... Hyeok-woo almost felt jealous. That must've meant she had a closer relationship with her son. He gulped it down though. Thinking about it would only make him sad.

"And that's all the dishes," Ms. Chu said, smiling. "Would you like to go wash up before we take the photo?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, taking off his gloves and beginning to make his way to the bathroom, head filled with thoughts about his power, about what happened when he'd got sick, about Ms. Chu and Su-ho. 

Hyeok-woo can ponder over that further in the shower. Now that he was fed, the next item on his list was a thorough wash.

After blow-drying and straightening his hair, Hyeok-woo walked out in his counter tracksuit, as they'd told him to put on. When he walked out into the store, Ms. Chu already had a camera set up and they were out there waiting for him. 

"Come on, come on, in the middle!" Ms. Chu said, leading him in front of the camera with the others. So Mun and Mo-tak were to his left, while Ha-na and Ms. Chu stood on his right.

Mun stepped slightly in front of him. "Ms. Chu used to be a professional photographer."

If there was one thing Hyeok-woo knew how to do, it was pose for photos. He got into position, putting his body in a 45° angle with his front foot out, making sure his heel was on the ground. He hooked his thumb into the pocket of his hoodie. He kept his chin up, putting on his signature smirk.

"We won't lose anyone in this photo," So Mun said, and they all nodded.

The camera flashed, and Ms. Chu yelled out, "A silly one!"

That one Hyeok-woo sort of struggled with, but it didn't matter, cause he just ended up laughing at Ms. Chu, So Mun, and Mo-tak's dumb poses. Seriously, they were good at that.

One more. "Like we're friends!" Before he could react, So Mun practically tackled him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Despite his surprise, he couldn't feel himself really getting mad. So long as it was for the photo, he guessed. Still, he made sure to put bunny ears behind Mun's head.

"I can do it!" Mun yelled in English.

All the others sighed, before responding dully, "We can do it."

"More energy! I can do it!"

"We can do it!" they yelled, beginning to laugh. The camera flashed one last time, and Hyeok-woo greeted it with a bright smile on his face.

Ms. Chu grinned, going to check on the photos. They followed, standing behind her to get a good look. 

"Ay, you look like a supermodel," Ms. Chu said to him, pinching his ear slightly. "You're making the rest of us look ugly." The sound of protest quickly followed, specifically from Mo-tak. 

Hyeok-woo used to take pictures a lot-- being the mayor's son, he'd had quite the following on social media. He was also considerably handsome, according to a lot of people (including So Mun's grandmother for some reason). Recently though, he'd only been getting hate. 

Soon, there were a few new photos on the wall.

"I think we all look great," Mo-tak said, looking at it. The sound of 'mhmmmmm's filled the room. 

"We should try training tomorrow," Ms. Chu said. "We should wait for Hyeok-woo to fully regain his strength. It's getting late anyway."

Mun opened up his phone. "My friends should be here soon to pick me up from the shop. You wanna come, Hyeok-woo? We're just going to walk. You could sleep over at my house again after. My grandparents are asking about you since they found out you were sick."

He would've said no, but judging from the look on Mun's face, he didn't have a choice, did he? Quickly, he ran down to his room to put on a different outfit. He opted for a black turtleneck, a long brown coat, a belt, and some gray jeans. Running a hand through his hair, he went back up, seeing Mun, Ju-yeon, and Ung-min waiting for him.

"Are you okay now?" Ju-yeon asked. "Mun told us you got really sick."

"I'm fine," Hyeok-woo said, sniffling slightly. "It was nothing much in the first place."

Mun shook his head. "You were asleep for 38 hours." Hyeok-woo told him to shut up. He opened the door for them, hearing the bell jingle slightly.

"Are you going to go to school tomorrow?" Ju-yeon asked, walking on the other side of Mun, with Ung-min next to her. 

The taller male shrugged. "If I feel like it."

"I'll take that as a yes!" Ju-yeon said, skipping ahead of them. 

On the way to Mun's house, they bought Bungeo-ppan. By that point, they were all having fun and laughing. Well, Hyeok-woo mainly spectated, but he would pitch in every now and then. He still didn't quite feel like he belonged, but at least he was warming up to them.

If only he or Mun noticed the Bungeo-ppan seller getting possessed as they walked away.

Chapter Text

Before he knew it, a month had passed. He could hardly believe how well it was going. In fact, after he became a counter, things were actually starting to get better for him. He had already planned out his whole schedule at that point to ensure nothing would go wrong. He was determined not to make a mistake and have to start over at square one. Ultimately, the boy was an intransigent asshole who insisted on everything and anything being flawless. Needless to say, he kept himself busy.

He'd started getting better and better at the whole 'defeating evil spirits' thing too. For one thing, he was better at standing his ground in a fight with the other counters. He could defeat Ms. Chu in battle, at least, which stood for something. Maybe she was going easy on him because the others were ten times more difficult. He could put up a good fight against Mun, but Mo-tak and Ha-na? As if he's gotten even close to beating them yet.

Another thing was that people at school were starting to tolerate him more. His father's scandal was being brought up less and less, and he was, for the first time, beginning to blend in with the crowd. Ung-min could look him in the eyes now. Even Baek Jun-gyu has backed off, even if that was probably because Mun was always with him.

Sure, things were still tense and awkward sometimes, but it's not like everything was miraculously going to fix itself. Not with his life, it wasn't. Hyeok-woo still had to approach the world with caution.

So, it was no mistake that it had taken him a month to go back to his father's house. He didn't have most of his clothes, which were amazingly precious to him.

"Mo-tak," Hyeok-woo said, creeping into a seat in front of the man. He sat up straight, looking right at the man nervously. "Can I.. borrow the car?" 

The man looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

He sighed, knowing that he would offer to help. "I need to visit my dad's house-- to get more of my stuff."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I can do it myself," he answered quickly. Almost too quickly. He braced himself, but Mo-tak just laughed. He bit is lip, picking under his nails slightly. He didn't know why asking for help was so difficult.

Mo-tak opened his phone again. "I'll call Jang-mul. He'll probably get you a van and some boxes." Before Hyeok-woo could protest, the guy stood up and walked out of the room. He leaned back in his seat, burying his face in his hands as he groaned at the ceiling. 

"Is something wrong?" a voice asked as the shop's bell dinged. Hyeok-woo turned around and looked at Mun.

He rolled his eyes. "None of your business." The shorter boy frowned. "I have to go to my father's house to pick up some of my stuff and I don't want to."

"I'll go with you," So Mun said with a grin. As Hyeok-woo opened his mouth, Mun pressed a fingers to his lips. "You can't refuse. Besides, we're both Counters, so it will be quick."

Scoffing, Hyeok-woo put his head on the table. "Mo-tak's getting that rich guy to get me a van and some empty boxes. It's dumb. I probably won't be able to fit that much in my room anyway."

Mun stared at him, his face going blank. He did that sometimes. It made Hyeok-woo nervous, yet somehow calmer at the same time. Like So Mun was finally done with putting on that happy mask around him. Mun would never forgive Hyeok-woo. He knew he wouldn't. 

"You think Mo-tak helping you is dumb?" Mun asked, a small, tired smile on his face. Hyeok-woo gulped.

"I didn't mean that," Hyeok-woo said, sitting up straight again and turning to face So-Mun. The other boy snickered. Hyeok-woo shoved his arm. "Stop trying to mess with my psyche, byung-sin."

"Technically, you're the one with the power to mess with everyone else's psyche."

"Technically, you're a moron."

Mo-tak walked out of the kitchen, putting his phone in his back pocket. Running a hand through his curly hair, he smiled. "The van will be here in 15 minutes. Someone'll drive you there."

"I have a licence," Hyeok-woo protested with a frown, "I got it last summer." It was mainly because he hated driving anywhere with his dad, breathing on him, whispering threats in his ear. Of course, he knew then he wouldn't be able to escape his dad completely. He knew he couldn't protest, so he got up, going down into his room to change into something.

He came out 15 minutes later, with white, fitted jeans and a red button-up shirt. Choi Jang-mul waved at him, and he had been talking with So Mun and Mo-tak. Hyeok-woo barely knew the guy, but he was pretty funny. Plus, the guy had given him a black card and some type of remote to use when he wants to disable nearby cameras. So, in order to be on his good side, he smiled at the man.

"Thank you for letting me use one of your vans, sir," Hyeok-woo asked, bowing. 

Chairman Choi laughed, clapping his hands. "Ay, so formal. I take it you want to practice your driving skills on the van as well?"

Hyeok-woo nodded, staring at the chairman expectantly. When he agreed, Hyeok-woo thanked him, before beginning out the door. Unfortunately, So Mun caught up to him. They both got into the van, and it was unnecessarily luxurious. It made Hyeok-woo think he might actually crash it. They both buckled up, and Hyeok-woo started the car nervously.

"I didn't know you could drive, Hyeok-woo," So Mun said, looking at him. Taking a deep breath, Hyeok-woo tried to focus on driving.

"Tried to get my license the moment I turned 18," Hyeok-woo said. He remembered studying day and night for that thing. Now, he knew everything like the back of his hand. "Why can't you drive?" He didn't mean it to sound condescending, but it did.

So Mun didn't seem to notice. If he did, he hid it well. "Back then, before I became a counter, I was super focused on art and these webcomics I made with Ju-yeon and Ung-min. Never saw the need to drive. Plus, I was pretty sure my leg might cause me to crash somehow."

Hyeok-woo stopped speaking. For some reason, talking to So Mun still gave him an irk. He didn't know what it was, but it was so.. different.

As they pulled up on the sidewalk, Hyeok-woo got a flashback when he accidentally touched Mun's hand.

"I'm baffled because you look so serious," Hyeok-woo scoffed, crossing his arms. He stood above So Mun, elevated by the tilt of the ground. Still, he didn't feel like he was the on in control here. But he had to at least defend his dignity. "Is my father just some guy across the street? He has no time for you." The taller boy turned on his heels, beginning to walk back inside. 

"I'm sure you noticed something different about Shin Myeong-h-- I mean, your father," Mun said, pleading at him. "You noticed those eyes too."

That made Hyeok-woo pause. He turned around, staring at So Mun with disbelief. "How do you know about that? What, are you reading my memories or some shit?" He stormed up to the shorter boy, grabbing him by the shirt. "How?! Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Mun winced, but didn't answer. He pushed Hyeok-woo away. "Sorry, I can't answer that."

Hyeok-woo scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're lucky I'm feeling nice today," he said, "Come inside, I'll show you the addresses. Then you have to leave."

"It feels like it's been a long time since then, huh?" Mun asked, as they both got out of the car. It was like the boy always knew what he was thinking. Hyeok-woo stayed silent, opening up the backside of the car, grabbing a folded box and some packaging tape. He probably didn't need the tape too much, but just in case. He tucked a few of the boxes under his arm, before turning toward the entrance of the house.

When he stepped into the house, Hyeok-woo tried to keep a clear mind. After all, this was just supposed to be a quick trip to grab his clothes, blankets, pillows, and maybe a few other things. Sweat coated his skin. He swore, it was always so hot in this house.

"Come on, to my room," Hyeok-woo said, though Mun seemed to be preoccupied with looking around in awe. He couldn't blame him. When he had first moved into his house, that too had been his reaction. Hyeok-woo grabbed him by the wrist, leading him up the stairs. 

Walking up the wooden steps caused a shiver to go up his spine. He'd never felt safe in this house. He felt like if he even breathed wrong, something would happen.

When he got back up to his room, he could finally feel himself calming down. Really, this had been one of the only semi-safe places for him before. It was just like he left it. His bed was made, the floor was clean, and his laptop was still open on his desk. His clothes could've collected some dust, though. 

He looked over at Mun, but the smaller boy was staring at the trophy shelf on the wall next to his desk. It was full of trophies from when he was a kid, not to mention all the ribbons. Next to them, a bunch of framed photos from all those competitions.

"You were a violinist?" Mun asked, almost reaching up to touch them, before stopping himself. 

Hyeok-woo sighed, placing the boxes down and putting his hands in his pockets. "Used to be. I don't anymore."

"Soccer too... Are all of these from when you were a kid?"

"Yes," he said, walking next to Mun and taking off one of the smaller trophies for one of the smaller contests. He smiled looking at it. It had been one of the last good memories he'd had. "I haven't played in years, though."

"What? Why? If you have all of these trophies.. then you must've been pretty talented," Mun asked. 

The taller boy scoffed. "They called me a child prodigy. Now, c'mon, we have things to pack, right? Let's go-- clothes first."

"I don't know why you'd need so many boxes for just clothes," Mun said, and they walked into his closet. Hyeok-woo smirked at the shorter boy's awed expression. "Why...? All of these are your clothes?"

What the boy was referring too was the 15 feet walls that were covered in so many clothes and shoes that you could barely see the actual wall. All of his clothing was organized by color and shade, and you could also see length and thickness taken into account. Or maybe material too? 

Mun pointed at all of it, mouth agape. "I don't even know if you're going to be able to fit all of this in that room."

Hyeok-woo shrugged. "I'll figure it out." He looked around. Hm... he wasn't sure if he wanted Mun to be the one to pack all of these, especially when the taller boy definitely had a specific way to pack them. "I'll stay in here, you can go pack those trophies you saw earlier."

When the shorter boy left the room, Hyeok-wooo got to doing his thing. He started first with his pants. Jeans first, and those were sorted from white, to gray and black, to blue and then the other colors. He also kept the skinny jeans (not that he had too many of those) and loose ones seperated. In the middle of it all, Hyeok-woo had unbuttoned his shirt halfway, still disgustingly sweaty from the heat along with his own nerves.

Just as he had finished packing up his jeans, So Mun walked into the closet. "I finished-.." The boy trailed off, gulping. Hyeok-woo raised an eyebrow, trying to look around him to see what Mun was staring at.

"Sorry, I--" Mun cleared his throat, "Just wanted to know, do you want me to pack those photos too, or..?"

Hyeok-woo thought for a moment. Did he really want those? He didn't really want to be reminded of then.. of that past life. He looked up at Mun, who was still ridiculously flustered, and was avoiding eye contact with Hyeok-woo. A stark contrast to how he usually acted. "I'll think about it. If you want, you can get all the pillows and blankets. Or any of the decor on my desk."

"Got it," Mun said, before quickly walking out. Huh. That was weird.

The redhead began packing again, picking up the pace this time. This was not going as quickly as he thought it would. He had way too many clothes. He bought them any chance he got. Whenever his father didn't want him in the house, he'd just give the boy his card and send him off to the mall to entertain himself, knowing how much he loved clothes. One of the only things they got along about. After all that time, Hyeok-woo developed an eye for fashion.

When he was done, he'd accumulated a good 10 medium-sized boxes filled to the brim. Plus another 2 for shoes. Not that it mattered. The van was pretty big.

He came out, and Mun had practically emptied his entire room, save for the furniture. The boy was sitting on Hyeok-woo's bed, looking down at something with an empty box in front of him.

The taller boy walked over and sat down next to him. In Mun's hand, a picture of him, his father, and a woman, standing under a cherry blossom tree. His father was carrying the tiny boy, and the woman was standing next to them in a beautiful purple dress. "We went on vacation to Japan when I was five."

Mun jumped, as though Hyeok-woo had just broken him out of a sort of trance. Taking a deep breath, the boy pointed toward the woman. "Is that your mom?"

Hyeok-woo nodded wistfully, when he laid his eyes on his mother. She had the same dyed, burnt orange hair he did. Hyeok-woo, on the other hand, looked a lot more similar in this photo to the younger Myeong-hwi. "Her name is Hyeon Kyung-woo."

"What happened to her?" Mun asked, "You've never talked about your mom before."

The taller boy sighed, taking the picture away from Mun and putting it in the box with his other pictures and trophies. "She cheated on my father, then fled to the States with her new man. I heard she killed herself."

"Oh.. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Hyeok-woo shrugged. He didn't know why he was opening up so much. It was like the words were flowing out of him before he could even stop them. "It's fine. I guess it's after my mom left that my father stopped being so.. nice." He couldn't help but laugh thinking about it. 

"She looks a lot like you," Mun said, staring at the photo in the open box. Everyone always said he looked more like his dad. Oh, well. He'd rather be compared to her than to a murderer.

Hyeok-woo didn't know how to feel about her all these years. Did he hate her for being the cause of his family's downfall, or did he love her for being there for him when he was so young? "She taught me music."

"That's so cool! I always wanted to try, but never had the chance," Mun said. The shorter boy looked at him in awe, as though Hyeok-woo knowing how to play music was an idea that had never come to his head before. "So, she taught you violin?"

"Not just violin," Hyeok-woo thought for a moment, then, stood up. "Come on, I'll show you something."

The two left his room, and began walking down the hall and then down the stairs again. The two walked past his father's office, toward the farthest corner of the house. Hyeok-woo opened a door, and the hinges creaked. When they took a look inside, Mun's jaw dropped. 

Instruments covered the room, and it seemed like they had every single kind of them. They walked inside, and Hyeok-woo noticed how dusty everything was. Most of these instruments probably hadn't been tuned in a long time either. Not since his mother left. Well, save for the grand piano. For whatever reason, his father cared enough about it to have it tuned regularly.

"Do you know how to play all of these?" He was brought back to the present by Mun's voice. The boy was still looking around, wandering aimlessly, though careful not to bump into anything. 

Hyeok-woo shook his head. "Definitely not. It'd probably take a lifetime too. But I can play a lot of them-- the violin and piano the most."

Mun's eyes lit up, and the taller boy turned on the lights, which flickered for a moment.

"Could you show me?" Mun asked, and Hyeok-woo crossed his arms.

"I haven't played in a long time," he said, though his legs appeared to have a mind of their own cause he was already moving toward the piano. Mun followed him, standing on the side. Hyeok-woo placed his fingers on the cold keys, a wave of nostaliga washing over him.

He sat on the edge of the bench, back straight. He tried to relax his arms, keeping them straight in front of him.

The song was like muscle memory to him. The song, "Here I Am to Worship". It had been one of the first songs his mother taught him. He was capable of a lot more technically difficult things, but this one.. well, it almost made him emotional. Keyword: Almost. He doubted he had the guts to play any other song that he had a stronger memory to.

Still, as he let his fingers glide across the keys, it felt like he had just opened up a whole world of memories. 

"Ay! You're doing so well, angel," his mom said, sitting next to him as he played. She was staring at him with love in her eyes, tears glistening. "And at 5 years old too.. When I was five, I barely looked at my piano."

"He has your talent, love," said his dad, placing a hand on Hyeok-woo's back, smiling contentedly. 

Has it really been so long since that time? How had his father gone from that, to a full-blown murderer? He held his breath, trying not to think too much. It would likely only result in disaster.

He kept playing. He could tell he didn't sound as well than when he was a kid, but Mun didn't seem to notice.

In fact, when Hyeok-woo was finished, the boy clapped his hands vigorously, as though he'd just performed Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka. Hyeok-woo smiled, rolling his eyes at the boy's obliviousness.

"That was so sick," Mun said, a giant smile on his face. Hyeok-woo grinned, gesturing for the smaller boy to sit next to him. He placed Mun's hand on the key's adjusting his fingers accordingly.

Hyeok-woo began to speak, staring at the keys. "I'll teach you something simple. Anything too difficult would make your brain combust." Mun rolled his eyes.

On the other end, Hyeok-woo began to play something simple (though it was obviously going to be lower) with just his right hand. Mun made an attempt at copying him, and did decently well. 

Then the left hand. That was pretty easy too. Though, it was when Mun tried to play them together that problems arose. Hyeok-woo had to stop himself from bursting out into laughter. 

"Hey, shut up, it's my first time!" Mun protested, shoving Hyeok-woo's shoulder. The taller boy snorted, leaning over as he laughed.

Mun's pout only made it funnier. It took maybe around a minute for Hyeok-woo to calm down. "M-my cheeks hurt, give me a second." He began to catch his breath, putting a hand on his chest. Then, he stood up, a straight expression back on his face. "C'mon, we wanna get back to the shop before dinner."

And so, the two went back up the stairs, beginning to bring the boxes down to the van. It quickly became a competition to who could load more boxes in five minutes.

Panting, the two shoved the last few in there at the exact same time. "I win," So Mun announced, and Hyeok-woo shook his head.

"No the fuck you did not," he crossed his arms, standing up straight. Trying to reach his height, Mun stood on his tippy-toes, which was adorable. "My boxes were heavier."

"But I have more!"

"Well-"

They both shut up, flinching as they grabbed their heads. 

A man following an unidentified couple down a path at what looked to be a park. He was wearing a worn-out shirt with multiple holes in them. His hair was tangled and unkempt. In the vision, he slipped a knife into his pocket. They couldn't tell how they knew, but this guy was definitely a Level 2.

The two snapped out of the vision, looking at each other with understanding in their eyes. Without another word, they hurried into the van, beginning to drive off. The park was pretty close, no longer than around 10 minutes away. As Hyeok-woo drived, So Mun called the other counters.

They zoomed through the roads, running red lights, going way past the speed limit, you name it. Just to get there in time. It was getting dark, so it would be harder to identify the suspect.

As they got out of the car, they put on their earbuds, and Mun put his phone away. "I think they were nearby a bunch of trees," Mun said, and Hyeok-woo nodded. 

Hyeok-woo looked around. "I'll go this route, you can check to the east until the others get here."

And with that, they were off, walking around the park. He had to make sure he didn't go too fast, lest he missed anything. He didn't understand why, but something about this place gave him chills. Moreso than the other times he'd dealt with evil spirits. He gulped, picking up his pace slightly.

He walked around for ten minutes, getting more and more eager by the second. That was, until he heard So Mun's voice in his ear.

"Hyeok-woo!" Mun yelled, and Hyeok-woo held the earbud. The boy was sobbing. He'd never heard the boy so emotional before. What the hell happened? Did someone die? "I need your help! Please!"

"Where are you?!"

"Men's bathrooms-- north west to where you are!"

The boy bolted toward the bathrooms, past trees and people. As fast as his legs took him. When he finally got there, he tried to open the door, but it was locked. He cursed, kicking it down repeatedly, til it fell at his feet. 

Inside, the evil spirit, beat up and clutching his chest on the ground. Hyeok-woo rushed over to Mun. His eyes widened with shock.

Im Ju-yeon and Kim Ung-min, unconcious on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood...

Chapter Text

He kicked down the door a final time, the battered, broken down piece of metal falling dented on the floor.

"What's going on-" he yelled, before seeing Ju-yeon and Ung-min, laid down on the floor, blood rushing out of their abdoments. He ran over, kneeling over next to Mun.

Hyeok-woo looked over at the boy, who was already crying his eyes out. His sobs echoed through the walls of the bathroom, his breath so broken that when he tried to speak to the taller boy, all that came out were sobs. He remembered the time he and his goons had once beat up his friends, but at the time, they weren't on the brink of death. Now, So Mun looked like he was prepared to die with them.

The taller boy placed a hand on Mun's curly hair. "Hey, look at me. Look at me," he said, looking Mun in the eyes. "They're going to be fine, okay? I'll heal them for you. But... it would go more smoothly with the territory."

"R-right.." Mun said, placing his hand flat on the floor. Hyeok-woo watched as the rainbow lights sprang up from the ground, and he instantly felt empowered, like the light directly seeped energy into his skin. With that, he began his work.

Ju-yeon had a lacerated liver, and Ung-min's kidney had gotten hit. He sighed, using both hands to attempt to heal both of them at the same time, lest one of them die because he took too long healing the other one.

A few seconds, and he already felt delirous. He could feel something dripping from his nose-- blood, most likely. He began to condense his powers more, knowing that even though he would drain out faster, it was likely he would heal faster too. Around halfway in, Ju-yeon and Ung-min began finding their way to conciousness.

"What's... happening? Mun? Hyeok-u...?" Ju-yeon asked, and Hyeok-woo hushed her.

"S-shut up.." he whispered, straining his entire body to even speak, "You're injured right now..."

They both looked down at their own bodies, but their minds didn't seem to register the shock. They both looked at Mun, who was holding Ju-yeon's hand, still sobbing.

Ju-yeon tried to console him, cupping his cheek in her hand. "Hey, Mun, we're gonna be okay... The ambulance will come, and we're going to be fine.."

"Yeah," Ung-min muttered, "So.. stop crying..."

Meanwhile, Hyeok-woo was struggling. He had almost completely healed both of them at this point, but he felt like the world was spinning. He could barely concentrate on the way he was healing them. His stomach was churning, tying itself into knots. Every touch felt like pins and needles. But he pushed through. 

Once he felt Ung-min was adaquately healed, he only focused on fully healing Ju-yeon's wound. Once he'd done that, he thought he might collapse, but he started on Ung-min's-- 

Finally, finally, he was done.

"What... How did you..." he could hear Ju-yeon say. He tried to stand up, but the world suddenly tilted around him. He couldn't make out the blurred blobs around him, the world wavering dramatically. He felt sharp pain in his knees as he fell, but then warmth of what he thought was arms wrapping around him. His head is being cradled by the warmth. He looked up, trying to discern who it was.

"Mun..?" he whispered, trying to focus on the boy's eyes. The person cradling him nodded, pulling him in tighter. Hyeok-woo closed his eyes, snuggling into Mun's touch. Meanwhile, he heard Ju-yeon and Ung-min's voices from behind him. "You guys.. shouldn't be up yet..."

"...happened? How did he do that?!"

"...not even a scar!"

He could hear Mun talking, but it was incoherent, at least in his ears. But, the boy was also patting his head, so he wasn't complaining. He liked the touch, the attention. He should save people from death more often if this was his reward.

Then, he could feel the other two bodies behind him wrap their arms around he and Mun awkwardly, and they were all crying. He tasted the saltiness of their tears, and heared the vague muffles of their sobs behind him. It was weird, to start, to be recieving such affection from so many people... But Hyeok-woo didn't mind. At least, for now.

By the time he could register what was happening, he cleared his throat and tried to crawl out of their grasp. But they insisted on holding him tight for at least the next five minutes.

"Hey.. let me out... my clothes will get wrinkled in this position," he choked out.

Mun and Ju-yeon chuckled, letting him go. He crawled to the side of the room, leaning his back against the wall, giving himself a minute for his head to clear just a little bit. When he felt adequate enough to stand, he did, and this time he didn't fall to the ground. 

That's when he heard something running just outside the room. He drunkenly stepped over to the door, seeing the asshole who tried to kill his friends running off. That's when he heard the voices in his earbud.

"We found Mun's friends nearly dead in the men's bathrooms. I healed them, but I feel like shit, and the guy is running away from the bathrooms."

"On it," Ha-na responded. "Focus on his friends."

He turned toward the trio, who were all staring up at him. He walked over, tried to crouch but ended up falling again. When they tried to help him, he swatted them away. 

"So let me get this straight," Ju-yeon said, and Hyeok-woo was glad she was okay enough to yell at them, "you two have powers. Mun is crazy strong, has the ability to fly, and you can heal people?! Even if it makes you.. like that."

"Thank you," he rolled his eyes, before drunkenly looking at Mun and shoving him, "Since when could you fly, asshole?"

Mun didn't answer that. Hyeok-woo sighed, lifting his palms to erase their memories, but they pushed him away.

"You can't erase our memories this time!" Ung-min said, scurrying away as he put his hands on his head. Hyeok-woo should've tried again, but at this point, he was exhausted. 

He looked over at his friends, "I think I'm gonna die.." 

Mun elbowed him, "Stop being dramatic."

"Didn't you just have a meltdown when I came in here? I'm pretty sure people on the other side of the park could hear you crying."

"Brutally honest," Mun laughed. The taller boy looked deep into Mun's eyes. He hated how the boy laughed so freely. He hated how that sound made warmth creep up onto his face.

He staggered to his feet. "We should go back to the van. I think that the other counters have it covered, but maybe we'll stay in the parking lot in case they need us."

They walked back toward the van, which was just as pristine as they first saw it. He wished he could say the same about himself.

"You probably shouldn't drive home," Mun said, stopping him before he got into the car. "We'll get Ha-na to do it or something."

"Ha-na? Is that your girlfriend?" Ju-yeon asked. For some reason, the word 'girlfriend' made Hyeok-woo wince. They both shook their heads.

Mun tried to speak up. "Do Ha-na. One of our coworkers in the.. superhero business. Be careful around her. She can read your entire life's memories in just a minute, pow!" The other two gasped, protecting their heads with their hands. Mun looked over at Hyeok-woo. "There was one time when he sent her flying across the room because she lightly brushed against his shoulder--"

After a jab in the stomach, Mun shut up. 

"You hit a girl?" Ung-min gasped.

Hyeok-woo scoffed. "She did it to me first!"

That's when they heard the exact girl's words through the earbuds. "He got away. We don't know where he went. We're going back ot the parking lot."

"Right," Mun responded, cursing. He almost punched the van, but Hyeok-woo caught his fist. The sheer force of the boy's punch caused his hand to start burning. 

"Don't destroy Chairman Choi's van, we might have to pay for it," he murmured. That's when he heard Ha-na, Mo-tak, and Ms. Chu walk up to the group.

Ms. Chu wasted no time in grabbing him, rubbing his arms with a smile. "I heard you healed two stab wounds by yourself! Good job, my boy! Though, I should have been there.."

The taller boy looked over at Mun for help, as the woman kept singing praises. The curly-haired boy shrugged. After a moment, the woman stopped, but not after embarassingly pinching his cheek. Then, she looked over at Ju-yeon and Ung-min, offering to take them to the shop for some noodles.

They all agreed, beginning the drive home.

By the time Hyeok-woo finished moving his stuff into his room, the food was done. He came into the shop, seeing Ju-yeon and Ung-min berating the boy with questions while he drew out a composite sketch of the suspect.

The man was extremely skinny, his face was practically just a skull. He had bags under his eyes. He'd had multiple pimples, as well as a scraggly beard. His hair was thinning, and he had bald spots practically everywhere.

He sat down next to Mun, not knowing what to do. He knew that they would start berating him with questions instead.

"So Mun told us that he can summon these lights to make you guys stronger, and that he can move things with his mind," Ung-min said frantically. Hyeok-woo gave him a look like, you told them? The boy looked back, it was an accident!

"Can you do anything other than heal?" Ju-yeon asked, placing her head down on the table like she was getting comfortable, with bright eyes waiting for a response. Hyeok-woo thought for a moment, not sure whether he wanted to tell her his other power or talk about something else.

"He can bewitch people," Ha-na said, handing them all bowls of noodles, "Read your memories and change his appearance to make you think he's a person you love, like, your mother or something."

The two gasped, scooting away from them, and Hyeok-woo glared. The two began to rant about all the different possibilites.

"What if he's not even Hyeok-woo, and some villain in disguise? That would explain why he got so nice all of a sudden," Ung-min accused, and Hyeok-woo crossed his arms, "No.. don't give me that look. Don't take my memories, please, Mr. Villain?" 

"Who really are you?" Ju-yeon asked, looking at him skeptically.

He sighed, "Your mother."

They both gasped, and he began to laugh softly. A laugh that exited his lungs so easily.. so lightweight compared to the heavy breaths he'd taken all his life. Like the pressure he'd felt was just.. gone now. He looked over at the others, Mun specifically was staring at him. He seemed awestruck, as though him laughing was some sort of foreign concept.

"What're you looking at me like that for, huh?" Hyeok-woo asked.

Mun smiled. "Nothing. I just didn't realize you could laugh like that." Hyeok-woo raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and moved on. He noticed Ung-min and Ju-yeon whispering among themselves, their eyes darting at the two boys and then at themselves.

Hyeok-woo sighed, before beginning to eat. He looked over at the composite sketch that Mun drew. Gulping down his food, he began to speak.

"He looks familiar," he muttered, before taking another bite. The others at the table nodded in agreement.

"That's what I thought too! But I can't put my finger on it," Ju-yeon said, taking a closer look at the photo. "If we all think he looks familiar, then we all must've talked to him while hanging out once."

They all took a minute to think, but came out fruitless. 

"It doesn't matter," Ms. Chu suddenly said, startling Hyeok-woo. She took the sketch, taping it up onto the wall. "We'll find him with this. I swear on it. Besides, we have to stop him before he becomes Level 3."

"Level 3?" Ung-min repeated.

"Ay, I forgot. It means.. uhm..." she stammered, trying to think of an excuse, "Wait, why haven't you two erased their memories yet?"

Hyeok-woo sighed, "They won't let us. Somehow, they know that Mun has been erasing their memories, and know how to keep us from doing it.' He looked over at Mun accusingly, and the other boy elbowed him it the ribs.

The older woman sighed, sitting down. Mo-tak and Ha-na sat down next to her at the large table in the center.

"So you guys are superheroes? Really?" Ju-yeon asked, excitement lighting up her eyes.

Mun nodded, "Something like that."

"More like Grim Reapers," Hyeok-woo said, and everyone (excluding the two civilians) glared at him. "What? If they're gonna know, they might as well know everything to keep them safe. Either way, we're all going to get in trouble for them knowing."

Mo-tak spoke up, "Er, actually, we need to have them know because.. so that they can keep out of trouble from the evil spirit who attacked them today! Right, guys?" He said, looking up toward the sky. The others nodded, looking up at the sky as well. Ju-yeon and Ung-min looked at the ceiling confusedly. 

"We were wondering what Mun has been up too anyway," she said, grinning.

Ung-min nodded frantically. "There's so many stories of these curly-haired people stopping criminals.. We were worried!"

"And all of you have curly hair, well, except for Hyeok-woo," Ju-yeon said, before squinting her eyes skeptically, "Wait, why don't you have curly hair?"

Hyeok-woo ran a hand through his hair, "I straighten it."

"Why? Is it because you want to hide the fact that you're actually a villain?!" Ung-min gasped dramatically. 

"I'm not a villain!" he protested. Clearly, they still didn't believe him. He couldn't blame them. After all those years of torment, he might as well be a villain. "If you want me to prove it, then I can leave my hair curly for tomorrow at school."

That's when Mo-tak jut in. "If Hyeok-woo's the villain, that makes Mun the main character. The boy's so cocky, I bet he thinks he is anyway."

The sound of laughter ran through the shop, Hyeok-woo's included.

"Oh, don't bother Mun. He may as well be the main character," Ms. Chu said. Mun beamed at her. 

Hyeok-woo rolled his eyes before taking another bite. The noodles were soft on his tongue. He liked them, even if they weren't spicy enough for his tastes.

"So the man that attacked us.. he was Level 2, then?" Ju-yeon asked, taking a bite of her noodles.

Ha-na nodded, "A little bit strong for a Level 2. Like he was on the cusp of a Level 3."

Ung-min nodded, though it was clear he barely understood, "So.. Level 2.9?" He asked, scratching his head as he looked between Mun andn Hyeok-woo, as though they were distant, faraway creatures from another planet.

"I'd say more like 2.8," Mo-tak nodded, "He wasn't too strong. Not stronger than me, at least."

"Eh.. 2.85 maybe? 2.86?" Mun offered, and Hyeok-woo sighed.

"Stop making it complicated," he said, finishing the last bit of his noodles. "it just means he's probably killed around 3 people at least."

"So what do the different levels mean?" Ju-yeon asked, tilting her head. Hyeok-woo didn't feel like going on a long tangent about what evil spirits are and how they worked, so he picked up his bowl, finished all the soup, and went to clean it in the kitchen. 

In the dim lighting, he walked over to the sink. He pulled on the gloves, beginning to scrub whatever residue remained on the bowl. It was repeititve. Calming, even. It gave him a chance to think about today. 

It was so odd. Every time he thought about being a counter, everything felt so surreal. As though this was all out of some TV show or comic. it was weird to believe that this was his reality. When you saw those superheroes on TV, they were always strong, brave, selfless. He was none of that. If anything, it was Mun. 

Now that he thought about it, every thing that had been happening in this past month, everything that had turned his life upside down.. all of it was, in one way, related to Mun. Even his father's arrest. His killings. Even--

"You've been at that for five minutes now. I think your bowl is pretty clean," he heard a voice say behind him, and he almost dropped the thing. He sighed, putting it on the drying rack, and moved aside to let Mun clean his bowl. 

Hyeok-woo looked up at the ceiling. "My dad killed your parents."

Mun froze, staring at him confusedly. "What..? Why would you suddenly bring that up?"

"How do you not resent me? My dad took everything from you. I tormented you and your friends for years. But now, you don't bat an eye at me. How?"

"Why would I hate you for your dad killing my parents? You weren't... you weren't the one who did it," Mun said, scrubbing the bowl. Foam bubbled on his gloved fingers. "As of for the bullying... You've changed, Hyeok-woo. You're a counter now. I think that's around as good as you can get. And now that I understand your past better.. It's safe to say that I don't hate you anymore. At least, not that much."

Hyeok-woo stayed silent, looking down at himself. 

"If you apologize right now--"

"I'm sorry, So Mun," Hyeok-woo said, standing up straight. "For everything me and my father did to you."

Instead of deflecting it, Mun chuckled, putting his dish in the drying rack as well. "You don't listen to anything I say. And.. I forgive you, Shin Hyeok-woo."

The two stood there in silence for a moment. He didn't know why, but neither of them felt the need to leave. It was awkward, but the quiet between them was nice. Then Mun began to speak.

"Y'know, at some point after the accident, there was this kid who threw rocks at me, knowing I couldn't run after him," Mun said, staring at Hyeok-woo with a smile. The taller boy raised an eyebrow. Where was Mun going with this? "He'd keep a pile of rocks in his pocket, throw them whenever he saw me, and then run away."

"Classic hit and run strategy." Hyeok-woo commented. 

"I'd try to run after him, but I'd fall down," Mun said, chuckling a little bit. "One day, I kept following him, and I set him straight."

Hyeok-woo scoffed. "Please. You probably got your ass beat again."

"That kid was Ung-min, you know," Mun said, rolling his eyes.

Hyeok-woo's eyes widened. "Your friend? The one I healed? The scrawny one used to bully you?" Hyeok-woo laughed in disbelief. After a moment, he sighed. "What does this story have to do with me?"

"I'm just saying, that even though he used to bully me, now, he's my best friend. We're practically family."

Hyeok-woo looked at him skeptically. "So you're saying that since I physically and verbally tormented you for years, our bond will be stronger, and I'll.. marry you, or something?"

"Well, I didn't say that," Mun frowned, but then got a mischevious smirk on his face, "But if you wanted to..."

"You're insane," Hyeok-woo retorted. He pushed himself off the countertop, taking off his gloves and putting them to the side. "Well, I'm going to go unpack some of the boxes."

"Need help?"

"Does my answer matter either way?"

"Nope," Mun said with a smile, and Hyeok-woo flicked him across the forehead. 

The boy clicked his tongue. "Tsk.. Fine then, let's go. I mean, unless your friends have anymore questions."

Chapter Text

"Come on," Mun yelled, clapping his hands as he stood straight in front of Hyeok-woo. "Imagine I am now no longer So Mun! I am an evil spirit, the one in that photo!" He yelled, extending his hand as he pointed to a copy of his composite sketch taped up on the wall.

But it was hard to imagine him as that tired, scraggly man when he was wearing that painfully tight black tank top, with sweat glistening under the white lights of the gym after 4 hours of working out, eccentuating his skin and the soft muscles in his arms. His hair was slightly damp, sticking to his forehead in small streaks, leading to his eyes which glowed amber with energy. Not that it mattered. Hyeok-woo couldn't look him in the eye.

In fact, his mind was fogged up. His skin tingled, goosebumps trailing down his flesh. He felt warm all over, though that could be attributed to the fact that they've been training since 5 a.m. in the morning. 

He shook his head, trying to focus on the objective at hand. Just to make sure, though, he grabbed his waterbottle and downed what was left in it. He'd probably drained at least 4 of these by now. Squeezing it dry, he chucked it into the little plastic bag where they kept the rest of them. Mun was looking away, seeming to be more interested in the ceiling lights.

Hyeok-woo couldn't be sure, but he had a feeling the boy was mocking him. He was considerably ignoring how flustered Mun looked.

"Tired already?" he asked, rolling his head back.

Mun laughed, "I think I should be saying that to you. I mean, you look exhaus-"

"Gosh," he said, rolling his eyes as he rolled back his shoulder, "this evil spirit talks too much."

Mun threw a jab, and Hyeok-woo swerved away from it. He tackled the boy from behind, but was grabbed by the arms and thrown onto the floor. He rolled to the side, springing to his feet.

"You're getting better at this," Mun said, approaching him with caution. 

Technically it was true. The more experience he had, the less he flailed around during fights. Everything became muscle memory to him.

They continued to trade blows, and Hyeok-woo found them getting closer to the edge of the mat. 

Hyeok-woo went in for a punch, and as Mun ducked under, the taller boy swept his foot below the boy's ankles. But before he could hear the boy fall to the ground, he was grabbed by the wrists and slammed into the wall. 

The gym was silent, save for the sound of heavy breaths. Hyeok-woo's hands were pinned to the small of his back, with his cheek pressed up against the brick. 

Mun laughed. "We always end fights in this position, huh?"

The other boy was so.. close. He could feel the warmth of Mun's body on his back. They were both sweaty and worn down, but Hyeok-woo couldn't be more honest if he said that he wouldn't mind being in that position any longer.

"Hey, you two.." he heard Ha-na's voice say as she was coming down the steps. He heard the tsk of disapproval when she saw them. "You two are at that again?"

Hyeok-woo elbowed him in the stomach, startling the boy enough that he was able to get free and quickly sit down on the small chairs. Mun followed him, sitting next to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hyeok-woo said, leaning back as he uncapped a bottle of water. His face felt hot. He hoped blush wasn't taking his face like a wild fire (it was). "He's the one who keeps ramming me into walls." He nodded at Mun.

"And you're the one who always seems to enjoy it," Mun chuckled, nudging him playfully. Hyeok-woo sighed, picking up his chair and scooting farther away from his friend.

Ha-na rubbed her temples. "You two are gross, you know." She grabbed her boxing gloves out of a little plastic bin, before muttering under her breath. "Have no shame... Anyway, you two go wash up. Ms. Chu made breakfast for you guys. Something something Hyeok-woo needs good food for his muscles to grow."

Mun gasped offendedly, "Why only him?"

"You already have muscles, byung-sin," Hyeok-woo said, swatting the other boy with his small towel, then using it to dry the sweat on his forehead. 

The two stood up, going down to the bathroom to quickly wash up, arguing on who was first. A game of rock paper scissors settled that Mun would go first.

Hyeok-woo scoffed, waiting for him and leaning back on the wall. He looked down, picking at the underside of his nail. He didn't know why his heart was beating so hard. Or why his breathing was so fast. Was it a medical condition?

Then So Mun came out, looking much more refreshed. The boy smiled at him, leaning back against the other side of the wall. Before his heart could respond, Hyeok-woo scurried into the bathroom.

He took off his shirt for a quick shower, looking at himself in the mirror. Huh. It was weird seeing his old scars when they weren't accompanied by new ones.

By the time he was done with his shower, he put on his old clothes, which were a large black tank top (not unsimilar to the one Mun was wearing earlier), tucked into fitted sweatpants with somewhat of a high waist. It was simple to the normal eye, yet fashionable on him.

He thought for a moment, before throwing on a quick, white hoodie to cover his arms.

When he came out, Mun yelled, "Race you to the shop!"

"You dirty cheater--" Hyeok-woo said, though he swiftly climbed up after him. He wedged between the wall and Mun's body, panting as he got out of the door first. 

Ms. Chu looked at the two of them and chuckled. "You both are getting along well, hm?" She examined Hyeok-woo carefully. "Another bruise on your chin?" She glared at Mun.

"Hey! I didn't knock him out this time," he said, throwing his arms up in defense. Then Mun went to go sit down by the two bowls at the middle table, and Hyeok-woo followed him.

It was just eggs with rice, but Hyeok-woo's plate had spicy eggs on it-- the way he liked it best.

"Hey, you know, my grandparents are asking for you again. They want to know how their 'angel boy' is," Mun said teasingly, and Mo-tak walked past their table.

"Angel?" Mo-tak asked, mouth agape as he nudged Hyeok-woo, "this kid?"

"They think he's really handsome. Plus he helped entertain my grandmother the last time he was here, and now he's her oppa. My grandpa thinks he's Heaven on Earth. They practically love you more than me!"

Hyeok-woo chuckled smugly, but reassured him. "Don't be dramatic. I'm sure they love you. I'm just... trying to help out after what my father did."

Mun rolled his eyes, "That's not your fault, and stop saying it is. Anyway, I'm probably going to head home soon-- left my artwork at home today by accident. You wanna come help me pick it up?"

Hyeok-woo shrugged. "Sure, I'll go." He finished what was left of his egg. "Wait, on your bike?"

"Would you rather I carry you? I could. I did that first night you came into my house. Imagine, us two, me jumping from rooftop to rooftop! Bam! Pow!"

Hyeok-woo crossed his arms. "You probably took a cab."

"Maybe.. halfway," the boy said, and Hyeok-woo picked up his plate, but Ms. Chu stopped him. 

"Just go-- we'll probably get a lot of customers this afternoon anyway. I have to test out the dishwasher Jang-mul got us," she said, taking his plate from him before he could protest. She took Mun's too. "Come back tonight for Counter work."

Before they left, Hyeok-woo grabbed his phone and wallet. He also put on deodorant and cologne, staring at himself in the mirror. 

His shower from before had made his curls come back out, elevating his locks and giving it more volume. He decided not to straighten it again, but tidied up the curls.

"Wow," he heard Mun's voice say from the doorway, "Is this why you take so long?"

"Yeah," Hyeok-woo answered, "what's up? Couldn't wait to see me?"

"No! I... just wanted to see what you were doing. You were taking so long!"

Hyeok-woo didn't answer. Only laughed softly. He looked up from the full-body mirror in his room, smoothing down his clothing.

"You look good, though. With curly hair, I mean," Mun said, and Hyeok-woo took a deep breath.

"I still don't know how you managed to fit everything in here," Mun said, looking at the walls which were lined by his old trophies. Mun had done that himself, even though Hyeok-woo hadn't necessarily wanted to display them. But they also had a bunch of pictures, the first group one they took in particular.

"Magic," Hyeok-woo answered, opting not to mention the various boxes under his bed. "Let's head off?"

Hyeok-woo tried to scream less whenever they were riding around on Mun's bike. Even though he'd learned to trust him more, the boy still went so fast, it was exhilarating. The taller boy couldn't help but scream whenever they hit a bump.

They stopped at the front of Mun's house, and Hyeok-woo got off the bike, sighing. "You ride that bike like it's a sports car."

Mun shrugged, laughing.

Hyeok-woo took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and approached the green door to their garden.

Before they could enter, however, he heard a shrill shriek from next to him and Mun quickly jumped into his arms. "What's wrong--?!"

The boy was pointing at the ground, and Hyeok-woo looked around his feet to see a small, brown pup. When he didn't find anything else on the ground, he began to laugh, tightening his grip on Mun and looking at the boy, who was slightly trembling with his eyes shut tight.

"You're afraid of dogs?" Hyeok-woo asked carefully, and Mun nodded, burying his face into the taller boy's shoulder as the dog kept barking. 

Hyeok-woo looked at the small thing, at its big brown eyes and wondered how anyone could be afraid of it. Though, he didn't judge too much. He grabbed a nearby stick, Mun still in his arms, and threw it across the street. "Go on, boy, fetch!" 

The dog darted away, and Hyeok-woo opened the giant green door. "Alright, princess, let's get you inside," he said jokingly, though it came out almost serious.

"Shut up," Mun answered with a frown when they walked up the steps. The boy was surprisingly light, but then again, Hyeok-woo was a counter. The ginger opened the front door with ease, walking inside after he took off his and Mun's shoes.

"Mun! You're back! And Hyeok-..." The grandpa stopped when he saw him. Mun's grandma also came in, and chuckled. "What happened?"

"Hello, halmeonim, harabeonim. He saw a dog," Hyeok-woo explained, placing the boy down on the ground next to the table. "Deep breaths, okay?"

His grandma laughed. "Well, it's good to see you taking care of him."

He bowed slightly at the two. "I take it your head is feeling clearer, halmeonim?"

"Yes, yes," she said, smiling warmly at him. "Will you be staying for lunch?"

"If you want me too," he shrugged, "we did just eat, though." 

"Plus, I have to work on my art," Mun said from the ground. He almost got up, but Hyeok-woo picked him up again. "Ah-- whatever. Come on, hyeong."

Hyeong?

"Whatever you say, princess," Hyeok-woo said, and Mun pointed toward his room. "Right, right, I'm going." 

They left Mun's grandparents in the room, and his grandmother looked up at her husband.

"Suk-goo, do you think they..."

"Ai, Chun-ok, he has a girlfriend! And anyway, let's not press them too much!" the man said, before grabbing his binoculars. He laughed. "We can watch from afar."

"Hyeong?" Hyeok-woo asked, practically throwing Mun onto his bed. 

Hyeong was the male equivalent of oppa, which was something women called men who were older than her. It meant older brother, but was often used to address close, male friends. It was also commonly used to address boyfriends.

"You were the one who started calling me princess," Mun said from the bed, and Hyeok-woo walked over and sat at the end. "What? Oppa, then."

Hyeok-woo shook his head. "Hyeong is.. fine." Even if it made him feel like he was going to have a heart attack every time he said it. Why was he feeling like this? They were literally two boys, they'd never be anything more than friends. If you could even call them that with their history.

"Mhmmmmmm," Mun answered. The boy stood up and walked over to his desk, taking something out of the drawer.

Was it always so hot in here? Hyeok-woo took off his hoodie, folding it up and putting it near Mun's clothes.

Hyeok-woo looked around, calming himself. So many drawings, all taped up on the wall, including the composite sketch of that man. When Hyeok-woo looked closer, though, he saw a few papers with multiple drawings of himself.

He stood up, grabbing a stack of them that was taped on the wall. Sometimes it was just his face, and other times it was him posing in different poses. It was amazing how like-him they looked, almost every detail was accurate. Even the small scar on his ear.

Mun snatched them out of his hand suddenly, looking embarrassed. Hyeok-woo didn't know why he would be. Those were amazingly good depictions of him. And there were a lot of them.

"Don't look at those," Mun said, holding them close to his chest, before taping them back up on the wall.

"Why?" Hyeok-woo asked, "Also, how did you get every detail about me correct?" There also wasn't any drawings of Ju-yeon and Ung-min on the wall. Just him. Weird..

"It's easier to draw attractive people-- well, I mean, you have a very symmetrical face so you're easier to draw. And I spend a lot of time with you, so I know what you look like better," Mun stammered, seeming oddly flustered. Did he always get this embarrassed about his art? "And, uh, it's.. always embarassing when people see the art you drew of them, you know?"

What was going on? "Okay...?"

Mun sighed with relief, before they heard the door open slowly. Mun's grandpa came in and put down a plate of sliced fruit. "For snack."

"Thank you, harabeoji/harabeonim," they said in unison. For whatever reason, Hyeok-woo felt like the man had some other motive. Not in a bad way, just.. like he wanted to keep an eye on them.

The man left, keeping the door slightly ajar.

Hyeok-woo sat back down on Mun's bed. He didn't want to look around for fear that the shorter boy stop him again. Though, he couldn't help but notice the amount of awards Mun had for his art. Also, a lot of drawings of muscular men.

Hyeok-woo sighed, leaning back as Mun sat back down in his seat. He jumped when he felt something land on his stomach, coughing.

"You should read the comic me and my friends are writing while I work," Mun said, nodding at the open laptop.

Hyeok-woo looked at it. A comic about.. superheroes? Fitting. He rolled over onto his stomach, beginning to read.

After a bit, he got hooked. Time seemed to disappear as he read, and soon enough, an hour or two had passed. He barely knew until he felt a hand touch him on the head.

"You like it?" Mun asked, sitting down next to him.

Hyeok-woo sat up, crossing his legs. "It's good."

"I'm glad," Mun said, smiling up at Hyeok-woo. "Anyway, I need help with the homework."

"Oh, so that's why you talked to me." Mun chuckled and shoved him in the arm, before grabbing his book. Hyeok-woo finished the homework the night before, so he already knew all the answers. Still, he tried to explain every question clear and concisely.

"Didn't you have Rank 6 on the grade scale in class? How are you so smart?" Mun asked suddenly, in the middle of Hyeok-woo explaining a question.

"Used to purposefully answer things wrong," he said, "Kept my grade low, but not enough to fail. Just to spite my father."

"Oh," Mun said, eyeing Hyeok-woo's bare shoulder. Where his scar was. He raised his hand to touch it, but stopped himself. "Can I?"

"Whatever," Hyeok-woo answered, and felt Mun's fingers graze his shoulder, trailing down toward his hand where the scar ended. His entire body felt warm and tingly. It didn't feel bad.. It was almost comforting that someone acknowledged it.

Mun looked up at him, not stopping. "Can I ask how you got it?"

"Got sick as a kid. Threw up at the dinner table. Father threw hot soup at me," Hyeok-woo said. His own cries rang in his ear.

The other boy looked at him. Hyeok-woo saw anger in his eyes. "That's so.. That man practically isn't human. He's pure evil.. And, uhm, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Don't be," Hyeok-woo said, hugging himself, "You've had it worse because of him."

Mun laughed. "I seriously doubt that."

The two stayed there for a little bit longer, until they were finished with homework. When they finished up, Mun stood and put his books away. Then, walked over to Hyeok-woo, extending his hand.

"Come on, let's go check if lunch is ready," he said with a smile. Hyeok-woo nodded and used his hand to pull himself up, and Mun dragged him out of the room. Mun's parents were watching the news.

"Wi Sang-wook, who had been previously convicted for domestic abuse, escapes prison, killing two security guards and severely injuring five more. He has stolen their guns, and is currently on the run in a stolen vehicle previously parked near the penitentiary. Eyewitnesses say that he was oddly strong after killing the first officer..."

The two gaped at the screen, as a woman talked over live security footage. A man, snapping the neck of one officer, and then fighting and shooting another one.

Something the others couldn't see. Two souls, appearing from the police officers, flying into the man's mouth.

"An evil spirit..." Mun whispered. Though, they were more in shock when they saw the photo of the criminal. "Isn't that.."

The burly man from before. The first evil spirit that Hyeok-woo had ever caught. The man who had been abusing poor Dal-rae.

He'd gotten... repossessed?

Chapter Text

The two just stood there for a moment, stunned. It had never crossed Hyeok-woo's mind that people could get repossessed. He hadn't thought there would be enough evil spirits for that. As far as he knew, this had never happened before. Did that mean there was an influx of evil spirits? The counters already had the other killer on their hands, they didn't need this too.

"Ah, there you two are, lunch just finished," Mun's grandpa said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. Hyeok-woo gulped, looking at Mun, but sat down at the table with him. He tried to hide his concern with his signature smile.

Mun's grandma sat opposite of him at the table. "My, my, you really are handsome."

He grinned confidently at her. "Thank you, halmeonim. You look particularly beautiful yourself."

"Oh, I'm not how I was in my youth," she said, waving her hand in disagreement. Hyeok-woo liked how she was so humble. All his life, he'd never really met anyone like that. Maybe that's why he wasn't really like that either.

"You're right," Mun's grandpa said, coming out with a pot of steaming hot chicken soup. He also had around four bowls of white rice. "You're more beautiful now."

Hyeok-woo stared at the old couple, watching them with awe. It was the way Mun's grandfather looked at his grandmother, and how in-love he looked. Even after all these years. After their daughter died, and they had to take care of another child on their own. After dealing with her dementia. He never thought anyone could be so in love with another person. Granted, he knew that no one would likely feel this way for him.

"Here, halmeoni, harabeoji," Mun said, using his chopsticks to place pieces of food into their bowls, just as he had done on the first dinner. He did it to Hyeok-woo as well. "Hyeong."

He nodded subtly, taking a small bite of his food. While he ate, he observed. Sometimes, it still made him uncomfortable sitting with Mun's family. Like he was disrupting something he wasn't supposed too. He wasn't meant to be here, encouraged join in with the loving atmosphere. He was supposed to sit at the table with his father, silently and with the understanding that if he screwed up, he'd get punished automatically. Not here. Plus, the stress of current events wasn't helping at all.

"It's so nice to see the two of you so close. When you first came, Hyeok-woo, we noticed how tense you were," Mun's grandfather said, chuckling softly.

Hyeok-woo fidgeted nervously. "I'm sorry, harabeonim. I had.. a lot on my plate at the time."

Mun's grandparents nodded in understanding. "Of course. It must be so stressful to have dealt with that man." 

Another thing about Mun's family, neither of them seemed to hold any resentment towards him about what his father did. No, instead, they held sympathy for him. Which may have been a good thing had it not been for the fact that his father quite literally ordered for their daughter to be killed. They made Hyeok-woo feel like he was abusing their kindness.

Though he still made idle conversation, for the most part Hyeok-woo ate in silence. Mun noticed his reluctance, of course, and provided an encouraging smile. Hyeok-woo responded with a small nod. 

When they were done eating, there was a knock at the gate. Hyeok-woo stood up to go get it, but Mun shook his head and went to get it himself. Soon, he was alone, sitting at a table with Mun's grandparents.

"Hyeok-woo, do you like Mun?" his grandmother asked, and Hyeok-woo almost choked on his spit. His face burned bright red.

Mun's grandfather stepped in. "Ay, honey, let's not bother him."

"No, no, it's.. okay," Hyeok-woo said, trying to control the blush on his face. He took a deep breath. "Of course I like your son. He's a.. nice person." For whatever odd reason, a smile bloomed at his grandmother's lips. "In a.. friendship way, of course."

"Sure, sure, my child," she said, standing up. "Let me get your plate."

Hyeok-woo tried to refuse, but that's when Mun came back in. With.. Ha-na? Hyeok-woo stood up, looking at the two with curiosity. Why was she here? And why so suddenly?

"Really, now?" Mun asked.

Ha-na nodded solemnly. "They said it would be best for you two to go back to the shop so we can all discuss it afterwards."

"What are you guys tallking about?" Hyeok-woo asked, stepping closer to them. Mun's grandparents looked between Hyeok-woo and Ha-na, as though they were expecting something.

"Grab your things, we're going back to the restaurant," Ha-na said.

Hyeok-woo bowed to Mun's grandparents and grabbed his hoodie from Mun's bedroom, and was quickly out the door after saying a curt goodbye. He knew leaving on such short notice was rude, but Hyeok-woo didn't really have a choice. The puppy was back, and Mun was quickly hiding behind him after Hyeok-woo threw a stick. Mun was holding onto his wrist, and Hyeok-woo let him so that he could ease himself.

"I take it the two of you saw that news story?" Ha-na asked, ignoring their antics as she always did. They were walking down the street now.

They both nodded. Mun cleared his throat, asking a question. "Ha-na, has anyone ever gotten repossessed before this...?"

She shook her head. They didn't say anything, but he knew that they were both thinking of him. Out of all of them, he was the only one who'd gotten possessed before. Then again, he had been forced into it by his father, so surely...

Ha-na walked in front of them. "We'll see at the meeting."

It wasn't a long walk to the restaurant. They were now around halfway there, just passing Jungjin Marketplace. He could hear talking, laughing people, all oblivious to the horrors of the world around them right now. Hyeok-woo almost admired their ignorance. He had to admit, it was a nice day. Not too cold for November, and the sky was clear enough so that everything was still bright from the sun. He wished he could, for one day of his life, enjoy it as well.

That's when they all walked past a group of older women. They were talking and gossiping, as older women did. They all bore expensive bags and clothing. Though, something about them made Hyeok-woo stop in his tracks.

The two turned to him. "What? We can't stop-- we should be going quicker," Ha-na said, crossing her arms.

He only stared at the ground. That woman, she was so familiar. She had a sharp, yet calm voice that could soothe anyone in an instant. Pale skin. Green dress and black designer bag. And, she had dyed hair, which was almost like a burnt orange color. Wait.. a burnt orange color...

His eyes widened and he turned around, running after the group of women. He grabbed the lady, the one with the orange hair's, wrist and forced her to turn around.

She stared at him with concern. She hesitated a moment, then began to speak. "I'm sorry..? Did I do something, boy?" She looked nothing but confused.

"I... I..." Hyeok-woo stuttered, though the words couldn't seem to leave his throat. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his other hand. Mun, no doubt, by the soft, yet firm grasp. Stiffening, he let go of the lady's wrist.

"I'm so sorry about him!" Ha-na said from his other side, staring at the ladies nervously. They didn't appear to be very pleased. "He, er--"

"I'm sorry. You just.. looked familiar, ma'am," he said, before walking away silently.

He could hear the woman say something back to him, but he didn't have the energy to pay attention. He walked, staring at the ground, with his hands balled up into fists. His two friends followed him, rightfully worried.

"What the hell was that?!" Ha-na asked, walking in front of him and turning to stare into his eyes. 

Mun tightened his grip around his hand. "Yeah.. why..." His voice trailed off, as though he began to understand what happened. "Hyeok-woo--"

The taller boy took a sharp breath. He definitely reacted poorly. There were so many things he didn't know. That he didn't understand. There was one thing he did know, though. He hadn't been completely sure at first, but now, he knew. 

"That woman... she was my mother."

When they got back to the restaurant, he opted not to talk about that meeting at the marketplace, and instead get straight to business. He also.. didn't want to think about his mother anymore. He had so many questions, but didn't want to know the answers. Still, the others were quick to detect something was wrong.

"It's nothing. Let's just go to Yung," he said, shrugging them off. Mun squeezed his hand, and Hyeok-woo let go of him.

He watched as the others began to leave. He placed his hand onto his heart and counted. One... two... three... His body collapsed onto the table, his head just barely protected by Mun's hand.

He opened his pair of giant white doors, which was the farthest on the right of the giant building. "I'm here," he said, walking toward the long, center table where all the counterparts were sitting. He stood between Mun and Ms. Chu, as they all waited for Mo-tak to appear.

The older man fell face first on the table. Hyeok-woo stifled a laugh, looking away.

"You've been doing this for seven years, and you still don't know how to do it properly," Ms. Chu said, and he could hear a few giggles around the room. Even a few of the counterparts were laughing.

Mo-tak pushed himself off the table, groaning, "It's for, uh, a dramatic entrance."

After a short moment, they all stopped laughing, and choking silence fell upon them. He stared at the counterparts, and their piercing eyes felt like they were stabbing their way through his skull and reading his darkest secrets. He gulped, opting not to look them in the eyes anymore.

Though, he almost jumped when he heard the sound of chairs squeaking across the ground. They stopped on the close end of the table. There were five new chairs in total.

"Please," Wi-gen said, gesturing toward the chairs. "Sit down."

Hyeok-woo sat down in the corner on the right. Mun was sitting at the end of the table, opposite of Wi-gen. 

"I'm sure you all are aware of that man you saw on the news story," Wi-gen said, and her soothing voice got Hyeok-woo to calm down just slightly. Still, with the look on her face, he knew that this was something to be serious about.

Ms. Chu spoke first. "So it's true? People can get repossessed?"

The older woman nodded, staring down at her folded hands on the table. Hyeok-woo sat up straighter, folded his hands as well, and made sure his feet were flat on the floor. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of them. Especially not in this situation. 

"Yes," Wi-gen said finally, "A person can get repossessed so long as their desire to kill is still there. However, most of the time, the exorcism gets rid of most of the bad emotions they feel. it also helps when you erase their memories. Plus, there weren't enough evil spirits for that. So, getting repossessed doesn't happen often."

He could feel everyone's eyes on him. He wanted to break down in shame, but he only looked straight ahead of him, unmoving like a statue. Better he not show weakness.

"That won't happen to you, Hyeok-woo. You've changed. You're a counter now. A good person," Mun said firmly.

Hyeok-woo looked at him, letting his lips curve into a small smile. He didn't know why, but just those words, especially coming from Mun, made him feel so much better. It still felt so surreal that Mun forgave him in the first place.

Mo-tak got along with business. "So you're saying that now there's enough evil spirits for people to get repossessed?"

"Yes," Su-ho, Ms. Chu's late son, answered. He wore a white suit, and his hair was well-kempt with hair gel. When Hyeok-woo saw him, he couldn't help but wonder how a guy like him ended up in Yung so early. The man was attractive, to say the least, and seemed amazingly intelligent, strong, and put together. "Recently, there has been an influx of evil spirits."

"Why? What happened?" Ha-na asked, scooting closer to the table.

All of the counterparts fell into silence. They seemed to be avoiding the counters' gaze. Su-ho was fidgeting with his cuffs. U-sik, the kid, looked almost near tears. Dong-pal, Hyeok-woo's counterpart, shifted his body so he wasn't facing them. Even Wi-gen, with her wise demeanor and soothing aura, sighed in disappointment. In the end, it was Gi-ran, Mo-tak's counterpart, who was brave enough to lay the information down on them.

"The increase in evil spirits isn't only happening in Korea. It's happening all over the world. We believe.. there has been a leak in the internal prison. That all the old evil spirits we captured before are escaping," she said, looking into their eyes.

The entire group of counters gasped, eyes widening. 

Mun stood up, placing his hands roughly on the table. His mouth was agape, and his eyes flickered with a fiery rage. "What?! So you're saying that all the evil spirits are leaving the eternal prison?! What about Ji Cheong-sin?! Or Baek Hyang-hui's evil spirit?! They're all going to come back?"

"So Mun," Hyeok-woo said, standing up and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Mun looked at him, and then sat down. Hyeok-woo's fingers trailed down the other boy's arms, til their he could wrap them around Mun's palm. The other boy squeezed back, his hand shaking.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Mo-tak asked. His voice wavered, and it was clear that it was taking him all his might to keep it together. "How are you going to fix this?"

Gi-ran gulped. "We don't know. We don't have a place to transport the evil spirits too, and everyone is refusing to go into the eternal prison and seal the leak ourselves."

Hyeok-woo shared a disgusted look with Ha-na before she averted her eyes toward the doors. Knowing how much the counters did for them, how much they risked their lives to do this job, and how they're letting them down when they needed to do this one thing infuriated him.

"Why? Why don't you guys want to?" Ms. Chu asked, glaring at them.

"It would cause a huge risk to our lives here in Yung. If we did that there's a strong chance we'll-"

"How funny," Hyeok-woo cut of Su-ho before he could keep talking. "What was that? You'll risk your life if you try to help? Well, welcome to the fucking club!"

Ms. Chu frowned at him. "Hyeok-woo--"

"No, he's right," Ha-na said, "You guys should be doing your best to fix things. We risk our lives all the time. Why can't you do it just once for us?"

"We've been doing our job diligently! Some of us for seven years! And when one thing comes up you guys hide in cowardice?!" Mo-tak yelled, banging his fist on the table.

They continued to argue. To scold them about their inability to do one simple thing. How did these people expect the counters to trust them if they refused to help their cause?! In fact, why had they failed to make sure the prison was secure in the first place? Every single day, more and more counters get hurt and injured and die because of evil spirits, and now there's not even a place to put them in when they get exorcised. It was dumb. Childish, even.

"Please, please, calm down," Wi-gen said before anything could escalate further. "We are doing our best to find a solution to the situation. In the meantime, we will try our best to recruit new counters and counterparts to help with the extra evil spirits."

"That's not enough," Mun said, and Hyeok-woo squeezed his hand, "If evil spirits are just going to escape again, and people can get repossessed, what's the point in exorcising them in the first place? What's the point to even doing this job?"

"To help people. Even if we can't keep them contained, we can still try to keep them from killing innocent people."

Mo-tak scoffed. "We? We?"

She nodded, sighing. "Yes, we. If we want to get out of this situation, we have to work together and cooperate with one another."

"We've been cooperating!" Mo-tak argued back. Ms. Chu glared at him, though, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll 'cooperate'. But if your side doesn't hold your end of the bargain, I'll do it."

"Mo-tak!" Ms. Chu yelled.

He gawked at her. "What?! If I end up dead because of their incompetence, then I might as well fix it myself."

The older woman sighed, looking up to the sky and rubbing her temples. She seemed completely done with everyone's bullshit. "Shit, what am I going to do with you all?!" 

He'd hardly ever heard Ms. Chu swear before, and to be honest, it almost scared him more than his father did all those years. Almost.

They continued to talk and discuss, and though things would get a little bit heated every now and then, Wi-gen knew exactly what to do and what to say to get everyone to calm down and listen. Hyeok-woo admired that about her. He wished he had the power to do that. Though, then again, with his mindwashing, he might actually have it.

After a while though, just as the meeting was about to end, Hyeok-woo the question he'd been saving the entire time. "Is it... possible for a counter to get possessed by an evil spirit?"

"Hyeong," Mun said, squeezing his hand. "I already said--"

"It's a valid question," Hyeok-woo protested. He looked at Wi-gen. "Is it possible?"

She sighed. "We don't have records of it ever happening before." Hyeok-woo almost groaned with relief. Though, before he could celebrate for too long, Wi-gen continued speaking. "We do, however, know of a time something similar might've happened."

"Eh?" Mo-tak placed his elbows on the table, leaning on them.

"There was this woman who became a counter. She was Korean, but her family moved to America when she was really young. When she turned 15, she and her then-boyfriend got into a car accident. He died, but she had been put into a coma," Wi-gen explained. "She became a counter for around 10 years. She had your power, Hyeok-woo. Mindwashing. Then, one day, her counterpart just.. vanished. Disappeared."

"What do you mean by that?" Ha-na asked.

"Exactly as it sounds. She was just gone. They assumed she died. When the other American counterparts asked about the woman, they reported that she had apparently fallen into a coma. After a month, she woke up, and when they went to check on her, the woman was missing. She wasn't in her bed anymore."

Mo-tak raised an eyebrow. "And you don't know what happened to her? How long ago was this?"

"Around 20 years ago. We don't know what happened to her, or where her counterpart is. We all assumed she's dead, but we never recieved her soul."

The story sent shivers down Hyeok-woo's back. That woman.. what happened to her? Something about it was so eerie. She wasn't dead, but her counterpart was? That didn't make any sense. His hair stood on end. Mun squeezed his hand again, looking at him reassuringly, though Hyeok-woo could tell he was concerned as well.

"That woman.. what was her name?"

"She went by Charlotte Hyeon," Wi-gen said, and Hyeok-woo slapped his hand over his mouth. Though she noticed his discomfort, she kept talking.

"However, her legal name here in Korea was Hyeon Kyung-woo."

Chapter Text

He stumbled across the building, almost tripping on his feet as he ran. His heart was pounding in his ears, and each breath felt like acid in his lungs, burning his throat. The air hung thick around him, with pressure comparable to standing alone in the Mariana Trench. He stopped for a moment, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He squinted, his vision clearing as he finally managed to get a good look of the area around him.

He was in a type of prison, with doors with barred windows lining the musty corridor. The artificial lights above him flickered, and the beige, brick walls were splattered with liquid, thick and red, dripping down the walls. He let the iron smell sit in his nose. 

Wiping his forehead, he realized that his hands were wet. He looked down at his palms, and they were covered in the same crimson slick dripping down the walls. Hyeok-woo gulped. Blood. His breath quickened. Where was this place? What was going on? What was he running from?

He felt something surround his feet. He looked down, gasping as he saw mulch, pure darkness coagulated into a thick slime, pulling at his legs through his shoes. He tried to pull away from it, but he was stuck. It appeared to move on it's own, rising at his legs, tendrils of sludge wrapping around the base of his legs. He cursed under his breath.

"Worthless."

"Pathetic."

"Good-for-nothing."

His father's words rang in his ears, louder as the sludge crawled further towards his thighs. He could feel something pull at the corner of his eyes, and he tried his best not to give into the tears. Crying wouldn't help him here. No one was here. No one would be here to help him. He tried to fight off the darkness, clawing at it with a vengence, but it was no use. His hands would only get covered in the liquid, and he couldn't get it off. 

"Stupid."

"Weak."

"Coward."

"Disappointment."

The sludge managed to burn through the fabric of his pants, and was beginning to claw at his skin. His flesh was on fire, and he groaned, nearly falling face foward into the muck. He screamed out in pain as the void grabbed him like hands, staining his skin with their touch. The worst part was that he was useless against it, unable to fight at all, and it was taunting him for it. The voice, his father, only got louder as the mire oozed up his neck.

He was nothing but a disappointment. Worthless in comparison to the world. A good for nothing brat who was crying for his mother as though she would ever come. He was alone, and dirty, and weak. No one would help him here. No one would help him. No one.

Soon enough, it covered him completely. When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere elsewhere, and as his vision cleared, all he could see were two, piercing black eyes. 

"You've found me, my son."

That voice... It was so familiar. The eyes grew closer, and he realized that the being in front of him was a woman. A woman covered in sludge, but bore that dastard, fiery hair. She held out her arms, and he tumbled sloppily into her embrace. He trembled, and she hugged him tighter.

"You should've never come looking for me. Poor thing."

The hands around him turned to talons, sharp blades piercing into his skin. He could feel blood beginning to drip from his body. But when he looked up, all he could see were his mother's comforting eyes and soothing smile.

“Revel in me, my son. Let me see you suffer. Prove to me that you are worthy."

His father's voice boomed around him, but it wasn't just his father's anymore. It was everyone. Screams swirled around him in chorus, forming some sort of sick choir built to torture him. All his schoolmates. Baek Jun-gyu, Kim Ung-min, Im Ju-yeon... His Counter coworkers. Ga Mo-tak, Chu Mae-ok, Do Ha-na.. And there was one last voice. One louder than everyone else. So Mun. 

COWARD.

WORTHLESS.

PATHETIC.

WEAK.

STUPID.

He shoved his hands over ears, trying to drown out the orchestra, to no avail. He shivered, pressing his face further into his mother's chest, tears streaming down his face.

“Take hold of this pain, my son. It will guide you to greatness. The next time we meet, I hope you'll be ready.”

Just like that, his mother dissipated, and the mulch receded from his skin as quickly as it came. He tried to grab at her, screaming for her to come back, but it was no use. She was gone. She left him, the same way she had when he was younger.

He collapsed, spasming as he lay sprawled on the prison floor. Despair washed over him, and he began to sob. His life, every moment he had felt dumb or weak or helpless, flashed before his eyes like a horror movie. Screams ripped from his throat. The feeling burned his flesh, but there was no flame. He was drowning. Yet he couldn't breathe.

It was nothing. All of it, every second in his rotten life, it all was nothing. It had been nothing to his father, nothing to his schoolmates. Every person he cared about, he was nothing to them. If he died, no one would care. They all had other things, other people to worry about. Other people with something to give. Other people who were something. The only person he was something too was himself.

He was selfish. Vain, and selfish, and cruel. His own emotions tore at his body, shredding his form as he convulsed on the ground. His body melted, turning into that same, sick sludge. 

Just as he was about to dissolve into nothingness, a voice broke into the prison.

"Hyeok-woo...? Shin Hyeok-woo...?" the voice called for him, though far away. Still, he tried to respond. Tried to latch onto the voice.

"Hey... it's okay... wake up, it's just a nightmare.."

His body reformed, all negative emotions seemig to be purged from his body. He didn't know why. It was like... all that hate, that disdain was afraid.. Afraid of the voice. He shuddered, before springing upright.

"Hyeong? Are you okay?" he snapped his head toward the voice, though only seeing a blurry blob of black. He reached out to it, feeling soft, curly hair make it's way around his fingers. He sighed in relief, propping himself up on his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

He turned to the curly haired boy. "Mun...? What are you doing here..? It's so late."

Even in the dark, Hyeok-woo could see blush creep onto the soft boy's face. He stammered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, uh, I went back to my grandparents' house, but uh, y'know, I had this feeling that I should go back and stuff, and that it would be really bad if I didn't, so--"

"That dog came back, didn't it?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Mun wrinkled his face at him, and soft laughter left Hyeok-woo's throat. "Hey! Dogs are.. scary!"

"So Mun, Best Counter to Ever Exist, Korea's Ace, defeated by a puppy," he murmured, ruffling the boy's hair. His heart was still pounding, but at least he was calming down. He rolled over, turning on the lamp next to him. Now that his head was clearer, he could feel thick sweat coating his entire body. In fact, you could tell his clothes were ridiculously damp when you looked at him. He might as well have wet himself.

"What.. were you dreaming about...?" Mun asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw him. "You were squirming around a lot."

Hyeok-woo rolled his shoulders back, hearing his bones crack. "Uh... I don't remember anymore." He lied through his teeth. He didn't really want to tell Mun exactly what he saw. He stood from the bed.

Mun stared up at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna walk you home. Your grandparents must be worried. Plus, you'll have someone to defend you from the monster that is a puppy," he stretched a bit, before cringing at the way his damp clothing clinged to his body. "I'll wash up first."

After Mun made a grumbling noise of agreement, he walked over to the credenza, grabbing a black shirt and jeans, as well as towel. He made his way toward the door. 

There had been someting different about that dream. He could practically feel it. He felt violated, almost, like it had entered his mind without permission. He sighed as he stepped under the water, only able to wish the dream would fade quickly, as they usually did. Unfortunately, the nightmare only left a lasting imprint on his brain.

After walking Mun home (the dog has miraculously not been there that time), Hyeok-woo walked toward the nearest supermarket. The boy's grandparents had already gone to bed, apparently having gotten used to their grandson disappearing at night, like some sort of superhero. Mun had tried to insist the taller boy stay the night, but Hyeok-woo had other plans.

He walked into the supermarket, breathing in the cold, artificial freshness in the air. He grabbed a small basket, opting to go find what he needed himself. After what happened to his father, Hyeok-woo decided it might be best to stop heckling the shopworkers.

When he arrived in the hair-product section, he could only browse the shelves. It was then when he realized that he didn't exactly know what color he wanted to re-dye his hair. Black, maybe? But that seemed boring, like some other types of brown. That's when he spotted a shade of faded maroon. It would likely look well with his Counter uniform. He looked at his hands. It would work well with the warm tones in his skin. He nodded, taking a few boxes of it before--

"Dyeing your hair again, I see," said a girl's voice right next to him. He jumped, almost bumping into the shelves. Ju-yeon. Her hair was put up in a ponytail, and her glasses glinted under the bright white light. She had an almost expectant look on her face.

He took a deep breath. "What are you doing here? It's late."

"Getting food," she said, before frowning at him. "You know, I'm not sure our school allows that hair color."

"As if that matters if they're going to expel me anyway," he scoffed, grabbing one more box of that color hair-dye. 

Her frown deepened. Her skin wrinkled in the space between her eyebrows, which Hyeok-woo thought was amusing. She put her hands on her hips.

She sighed. "Didn't we already tell you that we weren't going to allow you to drop out? Ugh, you're so stubborn." She reached up, pinching his ear like she did with Mun. She glared in a playful way.

"Who are you all, my parents?"

She side-eyed him. "We might as well be! And, not to mention, it's late for you too! What are you doing up?"

"Well, if you must know," he started, "your best friend So Mun needed help getting home, because there was a puppy hanging around his house, and he needed help getting it away. I had to walk him back myself."

Her breath choked in her throat, and Hyeok-woo could tell she was trying to stifle a laugh. She rubbed her temples, exhaling. "He's had a fear of dogs ever since he was a kid. Don't laugh at him too much." She said, whacking him on the shoulder softly. He stepped back, gulping.

"I could walk you home too," he muttered, "If you want, we can dye my hair together."

Her eyes lit up. He couldn't help but smile as she dragged him over to the checkout area.