Season two, chapter seventy-one

"I can't forget you"

INDEED, THERE WAS deceit regarding the identification of an evil spirit amidst the swindlers, however, this fabrication was pivotal in gaining approval from their counterparts at Yung to proceed with the scheme. Without it, a direct refusal and potential reprimand would have been imminent. Consequently, despite having been misled, they would eventually express gratitude to the Counters for saving numerous individuals from falling victim to fraud and potentially facing more than just financial loss.

Jeok-bong quickly pointed out "It's over here" as he got out of the car. Consequently, everyone did not hesitate to enter the suspicious building in front of them "Hurry up. This way" he directed the team up the stairs of the building, only to find that the door was locked with a padlock when they attempted to open it. "It's locked," he confirmed

"Where is everyone?" Mo-tak inquired with a serious expression as his hands rested on his waist

"Hey! Who are you guys?" inquired an unfamiliar man behind them, holding a blue bag in his hand as he observed the team with a mix of confusion and vigilance. Upon recognizing his presence, the team collectively turned to gaze at him in astonishment

"Make way" Hana commanded, and everyone obediently followed her orders without question "We're here because..." Suddenly, Hana grabbed him by the shoulder and forcefully threw him against the door, breaking it in the process, granting them access to what appeared to be their meeting place

Upon entering the establishment, Jeok-bong exclaimed, "Oh my," while Thea surveyed her surroundings with a furrowed brow. The place was in complete disarray, prompting her to question how people could have fallen for such a cheap scam

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

Numerous individuals inquired, waking from a profound sleep with eyes nearly shut, unkempt hair, and scantily dressed. Thea displayed increased displeasure by furrowing her brow further, avoiding eye contact to protect herself from the unsettling sight. Delicately, she proceeded towards the incapacitated man on top of the door that was now completely demolished. Kneeling before him, she gently placed her hand on his head, her eyes shutting as a rush of memories flooded her mind.

"Where is everyone?" inquired Jeok-bong, hands placed on his hips, noticing that only a fraction of the entire group of swindlers remained "There were a bunch of them earlier today"

"The indoor badminton court nearby" Thea exclaimed as she stood up, drawing all eyes with curiosity towards her

"Let's go" Ms. Chu turned around with determination to leave the place without any hindrance

A man with glasses, holding a black mug in one hand and a toothbrush in the other, exclaimed "How dare you break down the door? We're done distributing the units" He was wearing a blue towel around his neck, which made him look more ridiculous than intimidating

"You can go. I'll take care of them" Hana directed her attention towards the team while casually cracking her fingers, exuding an air of intimidation that even Thea found overwhelming

"We'll leave you to it" Thea nodded with a furrowed brow, feeling somewhat guilty for the beating those men would endure

"Go back to bed" Jeok-bong pointed towards the man getting up from the sofa after all the commotion, finally managing to wake him up. The concept brought considerable amusement to Thea, who, like many others, found it difficult to rouse herself from a profound and undisturbed slumber

"Who are you?" But Hana swiftly delivered a powerful blow, almost rendering him unconscious, as the team swiftly departed the room

"Be quiet!" Mo-tak shouted, immediately hushing everyone as all eyes turned towards the group entering the room nonchalantly

The team made a grand entrance into the location, each member holding a racket as if preparing for a game. Mun confidently took the lead after effortlessly breaking the lock on the entrance. The scammers meticulously secured the location, indicating a strong desire to prevent any potential escape.

"Hey" Mo-tak tossed a shuttlecock with his racket. He inquired "Why is it so noisy in here? Can't we work out today?"

"No, you can't play here today"  a man dressed in black replied while standing on a small blue bench, which seemed to indicate he was the leader. He turned to his colleagues with obvious annoyance and exclaimed "Didn't you lock the door!?"

"What the hell are you losers doing in here? Answer me" Exclaimed Jangmul with a serious expression "Jeok-bong, record their faces" With a resolute voice, he indicated, causing Jeok-bong to nod decisively

"Okay, look here" Jeok-bong proceeded to retrieve his phone and commenced recording the individuals in the location, eliciting curious murmurs from the crowd

"Come on"

"Look here"

"Who are you? Who are you to take photos of us?" The man stepped down from the bench, his voice raised in irritation as he addressed the group with a frown on his face

"Who are you to do this?" Mun asked, pointing his racket threateningly as he approached "They don't want this. Who do you think you are to take their homes from them?"

"What kind of load of shit. We're not taking them for free" the man scoffed "We agreed to compensate them. Do you still not get it?" He attempted to push him, but ended up taking steps backward instead "Do you work out or something? Hold on" he tried pushing him once more, but Mun was quicker and effortlessly bent his arm backwards

"Stay back!" Mo-tak and Thea held their racquets out in front of the men approaching to assist their leader, commanding them to stay back. Meanwhile, Mun forced the man to kneel on the grimy ground with ease

"Hold on! That hurts!" The man lying on the ground exclaimed, while Jeok-bong persisted in documenting the event without any plans of ceasing

"Do you think... you can take the houses if they're old and shabby?" Mun inquired, holding him firmly in that stance "For some, it's their entire life. To provide a home to live in with their family, they worked tirelessly their entire lives. You have no right to take it from them, got that?" He increased the pressure on the man's arm, who uttered only faint complaints. Mun then shifted his attention to the eldest woman in the group, maintaining his stern demeanor without faltering "Ms. Chu"

"Everyone, please come this way" Ms. Chu acknowledged the signal with a nod, prompting all individuals to promptly adhere to her instructions. This led to a complete disregard for the directives given by the other men, who seemed foolish in their attempt to prevent the people from departing

"Come here! Hey!"

Mun proceeded to push the person he was subduing towards his colleagues, who skillfully caught him as he was on the verge of falling to the ground. Thea grasped the racket firmly in her hands, eagerly anticipating the next move.

"Are you going to just watch!?" The man raised his voice, his expression turning red with irritation "Get them!"

"Go!"

Thea unleashed a brief burst of her psionic abilities, compelling the group of fraudsters to retreat momentarily as they felt the subtle push from an invisible energy. Despite causing confusion and fear among them, none of the individuals chose to withdraw from moving closer. This only elicited a smile of excitement from Thea, as it had been a while since she last engaged in combat, particularly after the near-death experience at the hands of Mr. Ma and Gelly. This experience only fueled her desire to have fought back against them at that time.

"We can't reason with you scumbags" Mo-tak exclaimed, striking a pose after showcasing his amazing skills with the racket

Thea skillfully administered a blow to a man's head using her racket, skillfully dodging the weak attempts at attack he made against her. In a playful manner, she tripped another individual with her foot, resulting in his fall to the ground, prompting her to burst into laughter. Upon noticing one of them trying to assault her from behind with a stick, she swiftly raised her hand in defense.

"No, no, it is not appropriate to strike a woman," she scoffed before coercing the man into hitting himself in the face with the stick, leaving him dazed for a few moments plus a small kick to the stomach caused him to collapse to the ground in submission

Thea confidently brandished the racket in her hand as she twirled around to see the disingenuous individuals dispersed on the ground. The opponents were so feeble that the team faced no difficulty in defeating them. Not one of their adversaries was able to strike a blow, much to Thea's satisfaction and sense of dominance.

"All right. Let me make this clear. I didn't hit you guys" Mun exclaimed, raising both hands in the air with a hint of amusement in his voice "You're the ones who hit yourselves. Got it? Okay" With a sweeping motion to one side, he prompted the men to slap themselves in that direction"Now, from the left" then directed the wave of slaps to the opposite side with a gesture to the left "Now, you'll hit... your stomachs!" The men obediently raised their hands and struck their stomachs twice, inadvertently hitting their groins on the second attempt "I wasn't aiming there. But since you've already done it..." The men winced as Mun playfully clenched his fists, resulting in a loud noise as the men squeezed their genitals, causing Thea to grimace in repulsion "All right" he released them with a dismissive wave "Thats good enough" he concluded before turning to the three men behind him, whom he had momentarily forgotten

"No" There were negative gestures made as they shook their heads in fear

"I forgot about you guys. It's okay. It'll be fun. You won't remember it" exclaimed Mun as he approached them while they retreated, and proceeded to do the same with them mercilessly

Observing from a distance, The noticed her boyfriend enjoying himself while inflicting suffering on the unfortunate men. She then attempted to shield the bystanders who appeared shocked and surprised by the scene. Letting out a heavy breath, she knew that erasing the memories of everyone present would be a challenging task. However, the paramount concern was Mun's enjoyment, as it helped him temporarily forget about the troubling events involving Mr. Ma, Gelly, and Mr. Hwang.

"With our video and the witnesses' testimonies, you can charge them with confinement and black mail, right?" Jangmul inquired while seated on a bench, pointing with the racket in his hand

Simultaneously, Mun and Thea mischievously positioned shuttlecocks on the heads of the incapacitated individuals, who were currently restrained and encircled by a crimson net. Thea emitted a slight laugh, enjoying the sight of what seemed like miniature crowns adorning their heads.

"For my queen, who's lost her crown," Mun exclaimed with a bow, his hand playfully holding a shuttlecock, eagerly anticipating the moment when he could place it atop Thea's head

"Your Majesty," Thea played along, maintaining her composure as she jokingly placed a shuttlecock on his head. Despite finding him adorable and wanting to show affection by pinching his cheeks and kissing him, she refrained from doing so out of embarrassment due to the potential ridicule they would face from their teammates. She was annoyed by the thought of being mocked by everyone present

Mun smiled with excitement as he carefully placed a shuttlecock on Thea's head, causing her to tilt her head gently in reaction. The two of them exchanged a quiet laugh, being careful not to interrupt the adult conversation taking place behind them. It was clear that they still possessed the same youthful enthusiasm as when they first met and quickly fell in love. Despite having been in a relationship for over three years, there was a sense that their feelings for each other remained unchanged, and they both hoped that they could continue to be together for an extended period.

"Yes, sure thing" Mo-tak nodded, his hands in his pockets, a smile gracing his face as he observed the interaction between the couple; meanwhile, Jeok-bong appeared to be fuming as he continued to film Thea and Mun's antics "By the way, Mun, you should've been gentler"

"You're right. I think Mun is having trouble controlling his power lately" Jeok-bong nodded with a furrowed brow as he pointed the camera of his phone towards him, his frustration evident in his tone of voice

"We all took part..." Mun gestured silently to convey how attacked he felt in that moment "Ms. Chu, we all agreed on..." he scoffed, unsure of what to say, which caused Thea to burst into laughter at her boyfriend's expression "I'm sorry" he made a small pout, casting a puppy-eyed look at his girlfriend, who couldn't help but sweetly squeeze his cheeks

"That's okay. That's fine" Ms. Chu nodded in his direction, reassuring him that everything was in order. A slight smile played on her lips as she did so

"They have no memory of Lee Chung-jae" Hana exclaimed after reading constantly through the unconscious men's memories without finding the sought-after information. Upon her arrival, the situation had already concluded. However, her assistance in alleviating the distress of the spectators was imperative. Despite it being an exhausting task, the team successfully restored order

"But we saved all the residents. Everyone, let's not get discouraged" Mo-tak declared confidently, displaying pride in their efforts

"Okay" Jeok-bong focused the camera on Thea's face as she innocently planted a small kiss on Mun's lips, catching him by surprise. Mun, feeling embarrassed, quickly covered his mouth and turned away to hide his flushed face. Disappointed and defeated, Jeok-bong tightly pressed his lips together and hastily returned his phone to the pocket of his tracksuit

"Who is that?" Jangmul inquired with confusion, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the entrance with curiosity upon the arrival of the new individual

The young man, accompanied by an officer, uttered the name "Hana" with a look of surprise on his face and a hint of breathlessness in his voice

"Hana?" Jeok-bong inquired, squinting his eyes before finally recognizing him "Isn't he the claw machine guy?" Ms. Chu chuckled as she waved from a distance, further perplexing everyone

"What claw machine?" Mo-tak questioned with confusion, while Mun looked on at Hana and gestured towards the unfamiliar boy in confusion, his lips were slightly parted in astonishment as he made an effort to understand the unfolding situation

"Be quiet, Jeok-bong" Ms. Chu cautioned Jeok-bong, giving him a pat on the shoulder

"What?" Hana gasped in surprise and lightly hitting Jangmul on the hand as he started emitting unusual sounds, playfully teasing her with a gesture

"Look at that"

"Are you two..."

"Welcome!" With a tremendous sense of enthusiasm, Jangmul lifted the racquet skyward. The unfamiliar boy, in turn, offered an awkward bow, his gaze flitting uncertainly between the various individuals present. When his eyes finally settled on Thea, there appeared to be a hint of recognition in his softened expression. This unexpected familiarity left Thea feeling unsettled, prompting her to narrow her eyes as she pondered the reason behind his apparent recognition

Thea experienced a loss of breath and an unexpected trembling in her hands, resulting in a moment of frozen time. A profound sensation of coldness swept through her body, leaving her complexion ashen as if she had encountered a ghost, sending shivers down her spine.

Park Jun-seo!?

No, it can't be him

He's dead

He died in front of me

He gave his life for me

He's dead...

Author's note;

I bet you were not expecting that ending 😉 I had everything meticulously planned for a long time, so I hope you appreciate the small change I made, although it was certainly very unexpected 🥹

Question of the day: Any suggestions for the face-claim of Thea's brother? ❓❔

I was thinking of Rowoon, contemplating that he would be perfect for the personality and appearance that I envision for Thea's brother. Additionally, I was also considering Ahn Hyo-seop in relation to 'Business proposal,' (if you know, you know 😉) yet uncertainty lingers. Until next chapter, take care! 💕