Season two, chapter sixty-four

"Always have an escape plan"

EVER SINCE Jeok-bong became part of the team, there have been moments of tension when Thea would sit on her boyfriend's lap in their compact car during thrilling missions, unease and restlessness became an enchanting dance between desire and uncertainty, which became a very common experience for the rest of the team. However it's not just Thea who finds herself on edge - Mun's throat-clearing grows more frequent with every bump in the road.

They had no choice but to bear the burden of embarrassment while on the road. It seemed as if all eyes were fixated on them, curious and apprehensive.

As everyone had their eyes fixated on Jeok-bong, the level of silence within the vehicle was overpowering. His head was peering out of the car window as he greedily drank in every gulp of life-sustaining air. But this serene moment shattered when Mo-tak's noisome and raucous emissions infiltrated the very depths of the vehicle.

"Come on!" Ms. Chu expressed her displeasure with a frown, placing her hands on Mo-tak's seat while he compressed his lips tightly, seemingly suppressing the urge to continue farting

"You ill or something?" Mun asked with a furrowed brow, one hand reaching up to cover his nose while his other hand remained tightly wrapped around Thea's waist to keep her in place

"He pretty much pooped" Hana complained, while she attempted to disperse the unpleasant smell by waving her hand back and forth. Simultaneously, she gripped the handle on the car's ceiling with her other hand

"I couldn't hold it in" Mo-tak justified himself, clutching the steering wheel firmly while attempting to maintain his focus on the road ahead

"Be careful. Don't confuse Jeok-bong" Ms. Chu scolded while Thea tightened her grip on her nose, attempting to block the persistent smell infiltrating her nostrils

"Wait!" Jeok-bong's voice abruptly interrupted, as he exclaimed, recapturing everyone's focus "What is this foul smell?"

"What smell?"

"Sorry, Jeok-bong" Mo-tak shamelessly apologized "Jeez, it stinks" he expressed his discomfort by grimacing and covering his nose

"No. This isn't like any other dung smell. This smell..." Jeok-bong swiftly interrupted, leaning into the vehicle "It's that same terrifying smell from the reeds"

"That woman?" Hana asked, leaning forward when Jeok-bong's gaze fell upon her and Thea

"Yes. It's the woman Thea stabbed in the eye" Jeok-bong replied briefly. While Thea remained oblivious, a hint of jealousy shimmered discreetly within him when he witnessed Mun and Thea's intimate bond. This bothered him greatly, but he also understood that he had no power to change the situation. Recognizing that it was unfair, considering that they were both his friends, he made the decision to suppress his jealousy and behave in a mature and detached manner

"And Mr. Hwang?" Mun inquired, leaning in to get a closer look as he peered over Thea's shoulder. Upon realizing Mun's presence, Thea leaned back onto his chest to reveal her boyfriend's face 

"There's only one smell" Jeok-bong replied, leaning his head out of the window once more and added,"And it's moving! To the east!" With an elevated voice, he pointed in that direction to ensure they could hear him

"Go!"

"All right!"

"Let's go!"

Thea's foot was caught in one of the numerous items they had carried when she was ready to exit the car because everyone was in a hurry. If Mun hadn't reacted quickly, she would have ended up falling directly onto the ground. Therefore she expressed her gratitude towards him with a thankful smile, feeling relieved as he extended his hand to assist her in safely exiting the vehicle.

"I traced the smell up to this point" Jeok-bong stated earnestly, inhaling the air while mimicking pistols with his hands

Mun remarked seriously "So the woman is in there" but his expression softened as he looked at Thea while tightly grasping her hand, he ensured her safety as she exited the vehicle

"If she's not with Mr. Hwang, then we definitely have the upper hand" stated Ms. Chu, casting a sincere and worried gaze upon the team

"Why would she come here by herself?" Mo-tak asked with confusion. However, they found it highly suspicious upon further reflection

"Don't let your guard down. She's still fast and insane" Hana remarked with a serious expression. She took the lead, and the rest of the group followed closely behind her

Upon entering the building, Thea experienced a sudden sense of unease, indicating that something was amiss. However, she made the conscious decision to withhold judgment and refrain from making any conjectures until she verified her gut instincts.

Jeok-bong directed the team by saying "Over here" as he took the lead "Straight ahead"

"How did you get here?" A man wearing black inquired upon realizing their presence in the supposed hideout

"We drove," Mun imitated, using his hands to simulate steering as though he were operating a wheel, which Thea found remarkably endearing

"That's not what he meant" Thea playfully reproached him with a smile on her face, gently tapping his shoulder

"You startled me" Mo-tak expressed his surprise upon seeing the additional men in black looking at them with intense expressions, some engaged in card games or consuming beverages

Mun respectfully greeted with a bow and displayed his reverence for his elders by saying "Hello"

"Looks like we'll earn extra brownie points today" Mo-tak exclaimed, expressing his observation as the men rose from their chairs, prepared to strike ruthlessly

"We'll get a special promotion given their numbers" added Ms. Chu as they were surrounded by numerous men

"You can go first if you have to" Hana stated with seriousness, motivating Mun and Jeok-bong to proceed without waiting for the others

"Okay"

"You can go first"

Jeok-bong enthusiastically exclaimed "Bring it on!" as Mun held him tightly to keep him from engaging in a fight where his defeat was inevitable.

The conflict started as one of the individuals directed a punch at Mo-tak, who effortlessly countered it, causing them to fall to the ground.

"Go on!"

While a chubby man made an effort to punch her, Thea snapped her fingers, but she knew that his strike lacked strength. With a warm smile, it was clear that she took advantage of this opportunity to twist the man's arm and intercept another punch.

In the same way, she skillfully evaded her adversary's alternate punch and swiftly brought both men down to the ground using only one forceful kick, causing the individuals behind them to fall like bowling pins.

The men who were bound before her were captivated by Thea's intense and icy gaze. Their fear became palpable as they locked eyes with her, participating in a struggle that neither party could withstand, ultimately breaking eye contact within a matter of seconds.

Certainly, it had proven to be a simple task to overcome each one of them. In the end, their frailty and vulnerability stood no chance against the overpowering might of the Counters. Consequently, it had proved to be a trivial matter to securely bind them by their extremities, ensuring their inability to flee under any circumstances.

"Ms. Chu, Thea!" Mun's unexpected outburst startled Thea, causing her to swiftly turn her head towards him. Upon seeing the unconscious Jeok-bong in his arms, she displayed surprise and concern through her widened eyes, and immediately rushed towards them without any hesitation

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?" Thea swiftly inquired, concerned about her boyfriend's well-being, oblivious to the restrained men behind her

"No, he's not okay" Mun replied, as he squatted down to carefully set Jeok-bong on the floor, unaware that he would end up falling alongside him

Hana asked with concern while examining Jeok-bong's face "What happened?"

"Ms. Chu, Thea, he inhaled gas..." Mun relied on Thea's assistance as he leaned on the wall, with Thea providing strong support by gripping his shoulders, ensuring he wouldn't collapse to the ground once more

"Wake up" Hana urged Jeok-bong as he remained still on the floor

"Babe, are you okay?" Thea expressed her worry, inquiring if Mun was alright, while tenderly moving away a few sweaty strands of hair from his forehead, which momentarily seemed to be adhesive

"I'm okay" Mun acknowledged with a slight smile on his face that appeared closer to a grimace, confirming his well-being. Nevertheless, his breathing became noticeably rapid, resembling someone who had just finished running a marathon

"Jeok-bong" Ms. Chu delivered a slap to his cheeks while he seemed to be weeping and quivering at the same time "He inhaled a lot"

"Dad, I can't smell. Dad, where's the smell?" Jeok-bong uttered, his eyes shut tight, tears flowing down his cheeks

"Look at this punk. He hit the ground running as soon as he returned" Mo-tak remarked and despite his serious expression, his tone seemed to have a hint of mocking

"Let's catch them and..." Hana started to speak with determination, but her words lost strength before she could finish

"Breathe" Ms. Chu tried to give Jeok-bong some air by waving her hand in front of his face

"You..." Hana expressed in a serious tone as she pointed directly at the man who was trying to run away when the team was not focused

"Get back in there, scumbag!" Mo-tak yelled at the man to return, becoming aware of being found, he withdrew in a manner similar to how he initially approached, hopping backwards in incremental movements

"We lost the evil spirits again" Hana sighed in frustration as they once again failed to defeat the evil spirits. At this point, Jeok-bong was being largely ignored by everyone

"I did find something" Mun, with an unsteady voice. He continued to regulate his breathing while describing the contents of the memories he witnessed from the man whom Gelly had completely destroyed

"Hold on. They were behind the Baekdu planning and Construction scam?" Thea inquired, taken aback by the unexpected revelation that overwhelmed her thoughts, causing her eyes to widen

"I believe so" Mun affirmed, nodding, as their gaze briefly met Thea's, signaling concurrence "She came here to get their money, but someone snatched it first" The explanation concluded

"Come to think of it, they attended Mr. Park's trial right after arriving in Korea" Ms. Chu explained, nodding her head in acknowledgment

"They also attended Mr. Ma's trial," Thea added, which surprised everyone in the room. It was evident from their expressions that none of them had been aware of their attendance

"Yes, that's right. Why didn't I realize this sooner?" Ms. Chu grumbled under her breath as she inwardly facepalmed

"Are you saying they fought and betrayed each other for the money?" Mo-tak inquired with a grave tone, establishing links and raising doubt as to whether they had robbed those innocent individuals "That they stole from those innocent victims?"

"They're animals. Not only are they blinded by greed but they also killed Min-ji" Ms. Chu expressed her strong disdain towards these individuals

"No," Mun rose from the floor with Thea's help. Regardless of the circumstances, Thea remained loyal and vowed to never abandon him. Her boyfriend experienced a genuine sensation in his stomach when he witnessed her expressing deep care and concern for his welfare "This is actually better. This is our opportunity. If we can find evidence, not only will we be able to summon them but we can also put them behind bars"

Mo-tak rose from the floor, firmly striking his leg and declared "All right. I'm already moonlighting as it is. I'll show them what I got! I'll show them my detective skills" He promptly retrieved his cellphone from his pocket while continuing to walk, and said "Han-ul. Wrap this up for me"

Ms. Chu gestured towards the men whose hands were tied as she walked past them, displaying a complete lack of concern for Jeok-bong who remained on the ground.

"Goodbye" Mun bid his farewell and showed his respect towards the men, without showing any reaction to the fact that they were literally tied up

Nevertheless, the moment they became aware of Thea's presence, all individuals present showed deference to her by averting their gaze and bowing their heads. This action immediately captured the interest of her partner, who glanced back at her wearing a frown, attempting to find explanations in her eyes. However, Thea had no desire to provide him with any elucidation, hence she firmly clasped his shoulder and urged him to continue moving forward.

"I discovered Gelly's weakness. She has blonde hair, so it's easy to spot her in the dark. Thea..." Jeok-bong conveyed in a slurred manner, alluding to being intoxicated

"Hurry up!" Ms. Chu's urgent call resonated through the area, catching Jeok-bong's attention as he came to the realization that he had been abandoned by everyone

"Goodness. Wait for me" Jeok-bong urgently called out, struggling to rise from the floor and chasing after the group with unsteady and feeble legs

Author's note;

I apologize for taking a long time to update, but lately I haven't been feeling very motivated to continue writing, so when that happens, I usually wait until my inspiration returns to me. 😭

Question of the day: Do you believe in soulmates? 👩🏻👨🏼

Clearly, I believe in it, but lately I've been feeling like I am destined to be alone for the rest of my life 😭 anyway, I am not fit for love so I'm fine being alone. See y'all in the next chapter! 💕"