Chapter Text
"Is this item going to work as it said in the contract?" he asked.
She shook her head, confirming it to be true.
Saheon narrowed his eyes. This was too serious of a purchase. He wanted more than a nod of assurance.
"Verbal confirmation." He didn't say please.
She gaped at him, but rushed to say, "Yes. I already outlined it in the post on Salmon Market. This item will bring you a high-grade item. One-time use."
"If this doesn't work..."
She flinched, feeling an aura pressing down on her shoulders, as if the hand around her neck wasn't enough.
"It'll work," she swore, gasping for air.
Saheon hummed and stepped back, releasing her throat.
He held the orb to the light, and then finally pocketed the round object he had been given in exchange for a hefty amount of his wages.
This item was nearly 3 months of his pay from Baekilmong. It better be worth it.
He left the site and the seller behind. Salmon Market wasn't always reliable, but he needed something to work, so he was more desperate than he tried to show.
Saheon returned to his dorm, wanting to use the item as soon as possible.
He laid the sphere on the table. It didn't roll at all despite it being in a ball shape. It was defying physics, so it was definitely an item from a Darkness.
"Let's see..."
Saheon had memorized the instructions the anonymous seller told him. He needed to release the item by commanding it to become what he needed most. It felt like a Wish Potion knock-off.
"Come out," he said, voice strong in the beginning, but wavering as he continued, "be something that will help me conquer Darknesses and escape with my life intact."
That's what mattered the most to him at the end of the day—his life and his ego. He was known for his ability to survive assignments that so many others died attempting to do.
His name at Baekilmong was originally Goat, but his codename had adjusted and warped the longer he worked for the company. Anymore, he was called Viper. Chief Viper, if you were part of his squad.
It wasn't a happy mistake or misunderstanding. Saheon's viciousness was his most respected trait. He needed that feeling to follow him and push him forward. It made sure that no one backstabbed him because they were too concerned about dying at his hand.
No one even threatened him anymore aside from the higher-ups, and as long as he cleared Darknesses to get Dream Essence, they were pleased. He had no threats left at the company.
After finishing his command, Saheon was expecting a large weapon or a handy, intricate item to appear on the table.
The sphere was shaking, a glow radiating from the inside out. It was blinding, brighter than the sun.
He was forced to look away, covering his eyes with his forearm. He listened intently, hopeful to hear a clunk of metal or a slight thud as the item was produced.
He was not expecting a groan. Or a person.
The man made a confused noise as he fell from about a meter above the table. The table creaked and shook under the man's sudden weight as he fell onto it, his frame leaning this way and that as he adjusted to his new position.
Saheon was going to murder the bastard who sold him a faulty item.
"What is this…!?"
The stranger who appeared from the orb looked up, his eyes dull with confusion behind the round frames of his glasses.
He looked like a rookie, chewy around the edges and gooey on the inside. Soft-looking hair, fluffy bangs, and oversized glasses made the stranger look innocent, incapable of killing.
As Saheon took in the man's abilities, his potential as a threat, he then noticed the familiar jacket the man was wearing. Oh? A civil servant from the bureau was in front of him. A field agent, at that.
The bureau didn't tend to get mixed up with Baekilmong unless something catastrophic happened and all hands were needed to stop the Darkness from destroying Seoul.
Saheon had never heard of an item that summoned a person. Was he certain that his item did this?
He took a step from either side, checking to see if the sphere had landed elsewhere, but the item was gone. In its place was a kind-looking man who sat on Saheon's table.
"What?" The agent's voice sounded confused. "Saheon-ssi?"
Saheon took a step back automatically. No one called him that anymore. It was always Viper-ssi, Viper-nim, Seonbae-nim, Hubae-nim, and the occasional Goat-ssi. He hadn't heard his name spoken out loud in forever.
"Saheon-ssi, is this about the paper boat?" The agent's cheeks were flushed, his hands in the air, swishing around frantically. "Did you figure out it was me—?"
The agent cut himself off as he met Saheon's eyes. Saheon blinked, intrigued by whatever boat the man was talking about.
The stranger went pale when their eyes connected, his throat bobbing as he scanned Saheon's form. Slowly, as if he were afraid to look at any one spot for too long, Soleum scanned Saheon completely.
Saheon was used to that look. It meant someone was afraid of him, calculating how to handle the monstrosity in front of them. It didn't feel the greatest to have those sparkling eyes focused on him fill with trepidation.
"You know my name," Saheon said, feeling unsettled as he stared at the civil servant.
The agent's eyes widened. They were sparkling like onyx, dark stones more precious than starlight. It was a pretty sight that had Saheon not immediately going for the kill.
Saheon didn't know why. Did he recently read something about jewels or gemstones being valuable?
"I—" The agent kept cutting himself off, but then he looked down. He took a breath, staring between his legs that hung off the table. "I am Kim Soleum."
"How does Agent Kim know of me? Does the bureau detest me so much?"
Soleum didn't look up immediately. He was busy gripping the table's edge hard enough to turn his knuckles white.
Saheon pressed forward. He could handle someone who didn't appreciate his vigor for life. Most agents couldn't and wouldn't put up with him.
"Hey," he said, voice low, more commanding, "is the bureau keeping an eye on me?"
The man's shoulders trembled, but he kept his head down defiantly. Saheon could only see Soleum's nape, the way the baby hairs stuck out, not being combed neatly like the rest of the dark stands.
Saheon was irked. A smaller part of him wanted to see the agent's eyes focused on him again.
He reacted before his mind could stop him from moving.
He caught Soleum's chin with his hand, his fingers pressing firmly across the younger man's jaw, and forced it up. Their gazes met once again. Soleum tried to squirm out of it, but he didn't attempt to kick or punch Saheon.
It was like he knew that adding more violence to this situation would only cause Saheon to do something that couldn't be undone without a high-grade healing potion.
"The bureau?" Soleum asked, acting dumb. "What does the bureau have to do with anything?"
What a shitty liar. The bureau released him out in the wild like this?
Saheon raised an eyebrow, giving off the impression he wasn't going to fall for whatever Soleum was trying to pull. Instead, he took his hand away from Soleum's face, and tugged on the jacket the man was wearing instead.
The dark-haired man froze as Saheon pulled on the blue jacket. His eyes locked onto where Saheon gripped the fabric between his fingers.
"That's..."
Soleum couldn't deny it anymore. This was a jacket that only the bureau would administer to their agents.
"It's a bureau jacket."
"It is." Soleum swallowed dryly, audibly.
"Would you like to amend your previous statement?" he asked with a smile.
Soleum nodded, looking too innocent in the moment to cause any more rage to build up in Saheon's gut.
Saheon swiped away his hand, waiting for the agent to fess up to what was happening. He didn't back away. Why would he? He was the one in control. Ever since he saw the traces of fear across Soleum's expression, he knew it'd be easier to deal with him.
At times, it was too easy to deal with agents who knew of his reputation. Viper was someone they were scared of. Saheon built up that image carefully.
He fought through blood and violence. He no longer teared up, even when he was in immense pain, so that his image wouldn't falter.
He was Viper, not Goat, and definitely not Baek Saheon.
He was dangerous, just ask anyone.
This was a means of protection. No one dared mess with him in fear of his wrath and skills.
His days as a rookie were... Well, they happened. He made it out unscathed in the end, but only because his scars and limbs had been healed. He proved himself to be valuable before he bit the dust.
He wasn't going to suddenly stop his ruthless streak now. Not even for someone who looked more adorable than a doe-eyed rookie.
"I am an agent of the bureau," Soleum confessed.
Saheon waited, unimpressed, his arms crossed against his chest. His fingers tapped on his elbow impatiently.
His face read, that's it? That's all you're going to say?
Soleum bit his lip as the pressure of Saheon looking at him built up. The inner turmoil in his eyes could feed a fear-mongering Darkness.
"You're different," Soleum blurted, regretting it a moment later.
He thinned his lips, blinking up at Saheon, afraid to misstep. Saheon, who was used to this reaction, let it be.
"So we've met before?"
Saheon supposed it could have happened. He entered enough Darknesses that the events would blur together.
"No." His reply was instantaneous. Half of Soleum's face squished in thought. His voice took on an odd tone. "I mean... Maybe?"
What a fool. It was a pity someone with his looks was going to die here. Saheon dropped his right arm to his belt.
Soleum quickly added in a panic, "I just...! You're not the Baek Saheon I know."
That was an interesting way to phrase it. It was purposely vague.
Saheon prompted, being friendly for once, "What do you mean by that?"
He wasn't leading the witness. Saheon was… trying to help Soleum gather his thoughts.
"I just appeared here, right? I didn't mean to arrive in your, uh—" Soleum looked around the room, "—dorm."
"Uh-huh." He didn't buy it for a single moment.
"I didn't!" Soleum leaned forward, tilting his head up to look up at Saheon.
It caught Saheon off guard. No one willingly tried to come into contact with him.
Soleum continued, "I have no idea how I ended up in this world."
It only took a few moments for Saheon to piece together what Soleum was implying. Weren't bureau agents supposed to get regular therapy? How much was wrong with this guy's head?
"I'm not from this world," Soleum claimed outlandishly.
Saheon was this close to calling the Salmon Market seller and threatening her life. His item did not work at all. It gave him some lunatic instead.
"My Baek Saheon is missing an eye," Soleum explained his delusion, as if that would help prove his claim.
Clearly, this agent was contaminated. That's why Soleum came out of an object from a Darkness. He had been held inside for who knew how long and had become fundamentally different from other humans.
Saheon had no qualms as he lifted a stun gun from his belt, and whacked Soleum over the head with it. Soleum barely reacted, even when he saw Saheon with the weapon. He looked resigned in acceptance, if anything.
Soleum dropped like a bag of sand, his weight going forward. Saheon caught him, gripping the man gently, and then laid him over the table.
"Goddammit," he exhaled.
He looked at the unconscious, contaminated man in his dorm.
This was not what he wanted in return for 3 months' worth of pay. The Salmon Market seller was a scammer.
Saheon had half a mind to contact the seller, but it was also late. He would do it tomorrow. If by some chance the sphere did end up working, Saheon would forget about this incident.
But now he had to deal with a contaminated civil servant.
Was there some kind of hotline he could call? A tipline? A way to inform the bureau that one of their MIA agents had been recovered.
Saheon checked the contacts saved in his phone. He only had one bureau contact, it was the general line.
Might as well, right?
Saheon went through the steps. He pressed 2 when the robotic, automatic messaging system asked him to, and then he pressed 3 to confirm he was leaving a tip to be played back by an agent later.
"It's Viper from Daydream. I discovered a contaminated Agent Kim Soleum in a Darkness. I will return him for a set price."
There. That was it. Perfect, huh?
Saheon clicked off the phone, stuffing it back into his pocket.
He kept avoiding looking at the man who was on the table. He ignored the small puddle of blood too. It wasn't that large. No agent worth their salt would die from such a small wound, whether or not it was a head wound.
"Now I should...? What should I do?"
Saheon looked around his dorm.
He had something to do, didn't he? He had a routine to follow. The only complication was that the item he bought spat out a human instead. He needed to pretend nothing had happened.
... Once the contaminated agent was secured.
Saheon wouldn't be able to rest at night if he didn't lock up a stranger in his home. He worked hard for his dorm room. It was a single-room dorm that only a few Daydream employees got as part of their benefits.
He had to lock up Soleum so that he could sleep and not worry about being attacked. Those nights or mornings waking up to a surprise attack, ambush, or assassination was never pleasant.
Saheon raked his fingers through his hair. He supposed he would continue his routine after securing a threat.
He looked at the unconscious man on his table. Soleum hadn't moved at all. No groans of pain or natural twitching from muscles. Just… pale skin and red blood.
Okay, maybe he hit Soleum too hard.
But who could blame him? Soleum was spouting insane words. Other worlds didn't exist. And Soleum definitely didn't know a different version of him, Baek Saheon.
Saheon moved Soleum, picking him up. The agent was lighter than Saheon expected. What was he holding? A bird with hollow bones?
Saheon internally tsked the bureau. This was just another reason why he didn't want to switch over to being a civil servant. Not only did the government not pay well, but they also didn't retrieve their agents.
If Soleum had gone missing at Daydream, and they were aware he could be alive, then the agents would have worked overtime for 2 to 5 weeks. A skilled agent was worth enough to do that.
Those poor sods at the bureau simply didn't know how bad their work environment was.
Saheon carried Soleum to the couch, where he then took out the prepared handcuffs. It was an item he stole from a civil servant. It was how they sometimes apprehended contaminated civilians who didn't want to cooperate.
Saheon placed the handcuffs on Soleum, locking them tightly while still giving enough room for blood circulation. He felt accomplished as he looked down at Soleum's sleeping form.
It was time for him to head to bed. Well, almost.
First, he had to eat. Exhausted, Saheon only cooked some noodles he kept in a cabinet for emergencies. He liked cooking a fresh meal, but this incident caused him to feel frazzled.
He ate his ramen at the table, not minding the blood that was left behind on the top. A weekly cleaner would be by in a few days. Saheon wouldn't bother himself with ridding wood of blood when he might cause bigger stains tomorrow.
After an hour or so, he was in bed.
Wide awake, he was. He couldn't sleep peacefully when he was listening intently for noise from the living area.
The noise never came. He fell asleep, annoyed and restless.
It was a weekend, the only time he allowed himself to sleep in. Daydream had strong time constraints. He was a good employee, but he valued his time off.
He was woken from his slumber by his ringtone. It was loud and blaring. He set it like that so that his coworkers wouldn't call him because it was so disruptive at the office.
He picked it up, groaning. "It's Viper. Who is this?"
The person on the other end of the line didn't speak for a moment. "Is this Viper-ssi of F-squad? You called yesterday evening claiming to have found one of the bureau's field agents."
"Yes...?"
Soleum appeared out of thin air, but he was real. Saheon could still remember the light weight in his arms. Agents shouldn't be out in the field in that condition.
"Are you sure the agent identified himself as Kim Soleum?"
Saheon sat up, scratching his head. "Yes, that's what he said his name was."
"I see..."
These fuckers were always so shady. Why weren't they speaking or explaining what was going on? He hated these politics.
"What's wrong?" he demanded.
"It's just that we… We do not have an employee named Kim Soleum in our system."
"Are you sure?" It was too early for this nonsense. "He had a coat and everything."
Saheon wouldn't mistake an agent for a civilian. He knew how to tell the difference between them. Sure, some people did better with the idea of a Darkness, but there was still a knowledge and skill gap.
"There are no Kim Soleums a part of our organization. It's possible that a civilian took a jacket from a dispatched agent—"
"No, he's an agent. He was too calm about the situation."
"... I understand that you found him in a Darkness."
"Sorta."
"It could be that a contaminated civilian lied."
Fuck. These guys weren't going to own up to it, were they?
"Whatever." Saheon just wanted this conversation to end. He should have known better than to believe in the bureau. "I'll have my company deal with it then, if you aren't willing to claim the agent."
"The bureau thanks you."
The line went dead.
Saheon pinched the bridge of his nose. This was only causing him a headache.
He walked out of his room, only to be greeted by a noise. Saheon walked across the floor in his slippers, more prepared for the sight that he saw than he was yesterday.
Soleum was rolling around on the couch, trying to slip out of the handcuffs. It wasn't working at all. Saheon almost felt pity, but then he remembered the phone call, and his gut churned.
He walked over and bent down, hovering above Soleum as he stopped trying to fight the metal shackling his wrists together.
"Were you telling the truth about being from another world?"