Season two, chapter seventy

"My own death does
not frighten me.

But yours?
Oh, that is my
greatest, deepest fear"

THEA FELT COCOONED within a plush blanket as she rested her head on what she believed to be the most opulent pillow in the world. Her slumber was so undisturbed that she had to exert herself to open her eyes, only to be met by the penetrating but soothing sunlight that boldly penetrated her bedroom window, directly targeting her face.

As she gradually acclimated to the illumination, her gaze discerned that her attire had undergone modifications. To her surprise, it appeared completely bereft of any traces of blood. While the agony and wounds had dissipated, the lingering presence of the acrimonious sensation from the gloves penetrating her neck and the iron object embedding itself in her abdomen acted as a stark reminder of her brush with mortality.

Her hand made a small involuntary movement, indicating that someone had a firm but gentle grasp on it, with no intention of releasing it. The gentle presence of her boyfriend caused her eyes to soften as she observed him delicately holding her hand. He had taken a chair and positioned himself beside the bed, his cheek resting firmly against the edge, seemingly lost in such a peaceful slumber that his countenance exuded utmost tranquility.

Thea beamed affectionately, cognizant of Mun's unwavering presence by her side throughout the entirety of the night, never once departing from her.

"Then who are we actually saving? What in the world... are we doing?" The resonance of Mun's words persisted incessantly in her thoughts, causing a momentary hesitation in Thea's expression as she beheld Mun's tranquil countenance

Having already endured significant challenges, she couldn't help but experience remorse for subjecting him to a distressing ordeal at the hands of Gelly. Nevertheless, she maintained her trust and faith in him, which affirmed her belief that Mun would come to her rescue and prevent her from perishing. With a renewed sense of hope, a smile once again graced her countenance as her hand tenderly reached out to caress Mun's face, gently sweeping aside a few stray locks of hair that rested upon his forehead.

Mun's eyelids gently lifted as he perceived the delicate contact upon his face, fervently yearning for it to be the person he held in his beliefs.

Upon making eye contact with Thea, he briefly lifted his head while his eyes welled up with tears almost instantly "Thea!" Mun exclaimed, swiftly but gently cradling Thea's face in his hands "Hey. Are you alright? How are you feeling?" He hurriedly questioned, searching for any signs of injury on her body

"I'm alright" Thea responded with a slight smile on her lips, ensuring to convey that she was genuinely fine

"I'm sorry that I failed to do my job properly" Mun uttered in a tremulous voice, as he instinctively sought solace in Thea's embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His trembling hands brought her closer to him, as if he feared she might be exposed to danger once again

"Don't say that. I wasn't the only one who was sent flying" Thea began to express softly, her hand tenderly caressing Mun's back, cognizant of his overwhelming concern that had rendered him tearfully joyous "You were, too. So don't be sorry"

"God, I am overjoyed to see that you are safe," Mun exclaimed, gripping her shoulders as he gazed deeply into her eyes, his own eyes welled up with tears streaming down his flushed cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Thea gently caressed Mun's cheek, using her thumb to wipe away the tears streaming down his face, "I'm sorry for making you suffer."

Mun uttered softly, "Do not say that; you were the one who suffered the most. Please refrain from apologizing." It was as if he still couldn't believe that she was fine, as the haunting image of her bleeding had deeply traumatized him. "I thought you were going to die, I was greatly frightened."

"I'm sorry—"

"Goodness. Are you finally awake?" Mrs. Chu exclaimed with excitement as she quickly opened the door to the room, Hana following behind her with a relieved smile "Are you okay?" The woman rushed towards Thea, pushing Mun aside who was caught off guard "You should still be resting" Ms. Chu grasped her by the shoulders, not even caring that Mun was now on the floor with an offended expression

"Did I wake you up?" Thea inquired, observing with amusement as Mun's expression morphed into a smile upon rising from the ground with the assistance of Hana, who playfully shook her head

"Goodness, you're okay" Ms. Chu breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily easing her expression "You're only awake because it's you. Others would've still been unconscious" she smiled as Mun observed the scene with a crossed-arm smile

"I'm all better now" Thea declared, throwing a victorious punch in the air, prompting laughter from those who were present "I'm sorry for making you suffer" she gently directed her glance affectionately towards the elder woman

"Don't say that. I wasn't the only one who suffered" Ms. Chu admonished with a solemn tone, playfully tapping her shoulder "You suffered more than I did. So don't be sorry"

Afterwards, a profound stillness filled the air, prompting Thea and Mun to exchange meaningful looks. The latter found himself incapable of suppressing a subdued giggle, hastily concealing it behind his hand as if he had deliberately attempted to stifle his amusement.

"That's what he said!" Thea pointed out with a small chuckle, following her words, which caused everyone to burst into laughter of joy and amusement

"Goodness!" Jangmul exclaimed, poking his head through the room door with a smile and several white bags in his hands "Look at this! My hunches are never wrong. I knew you'd all be awake by now. Come here" He burst into hearty laughter while Mun hurried to assist him with the bags "Let's eat some good food. Call Jeok-bong too"

"Okay"

"Jeok-bong!"

"Nice timing. Come out"

Thea's countenance radiated with delight as she gracefully emerged from her slumber, witnessing the departure of individuals in a modest line. Departing the room, within the corridor, she navigated her path towards the room Jeok-bong shared with Mun, momentarily glancing through the window adorning the door to discover its vacancy.

Thea inquired with a perplexed frown "Where's Jeok-bong?"

Thea retrieved a scattered document from the table, which had been brought by Mo-tak. Each paper held valuable insights regarding their objectives. As she brushed her bangs aside, Thea diligently perused the minuscule text. Although reading wasn't her preferred activity, she remained resolute in her commitment to remain informed, especially when crucial information was at stake.

"If Ma Ju-seok continues his pursuit of revenge like Mun said, that means he wants to punish everyone related to the scam" Mo-tak expounded, with his hands interlocked and a grave expression, as he leaned against the boxing ring

"They're probably after President Lee Chung-jae" Hana began to state, gesturing towards the aforementioned photograph on the transparent board

"Mr. Hwang and his crew know that Lee Chung-jae is still alive" Thea added, leaning against the table and placing the document back onto its surface "Plus, Lee took the 120 billion won"

"Just like how Mr. Hwang did with Mr. Park" Ms. Chu elegantly gestured with her glasses "he'll urge Mr. Ma to kill Lee Chung-jae as well"

"That's why we need to find Lee first" Mo-tak exclaimed, taking hold of the document that lay next to him on the boxing ring "The less we have on him is Lim Jae-youl, number 37 of the Red Roses Gang" he shared with the team, displaying the document before placing it on the table "I looked into him and—

"I was the one who did all the work" Jeok-bong interrupted with a furrowed brow, distinctly feeling perturbed by the lack of acknowledgement he deserved

"I was the one who saved your family from going broke" Mo-tak retorted, eliciting a laughter filled with amusement from Jangmul, and causing Jeok-bong to exasperatingly hit his head

Thea's eyebrows lifted in astonishment, accompanied by a noticeable sense of amusement, while she maintained a composed expression, carefully observing the interaction between the two men.

"Anyway, look at this" Jeok-bong pointed out, swiveling the computer towards them

"This person" Mo-tak gestured towards the screen as Jeok-bong proceeded to play the video

"Let me talk with him first"

"Goodness. I'm glad you're here"

"The head of the local housing association is working with Lee Chung-jae" Mo-tak focused closely on the subject depicted in the video"When Hano Planning committed housing fraud four years ago, he was the one in charge of the funds" He proceeded to provide Ms. Chu with a document containing relevant information

"It's the same guy" Ms. Chu exclaimed, upon comparing the photograph with the man in the video, astutely narrowing her eyes as they shifted from the photo to the figure depicted in the video

Jangmul, with a furrowed brow, questioned "As the association's head he should represent the people. How could he side with Lee Chung-jae?"

"He provided Lee with money they received from the allotments" Mo-tak began to elucidate, while his hands remained discreetly nestled within his pockets "From land purchasing and promotion fees to broker's fees the poor victims just spent all of their money"

"What is this?" Ms. Chu inquired, her brows furrowing with disgust "Stealing 120 billion wasn't enough so they're scamming people again? Those disgusting money-grubbers. Why aren't they behind bars already?" Frustratedly, she struck the table as she rose from her seat

"They haven't scammed anyone yet, so the police won't investigate" Hana elucidated lasciviously while seated upon the table

"She's right. In any case, our top priority as of now is locating Lee Chung-jae" Mo-tak began explaining, using hand gestures to emphasize his point "We must find out if any of his men know about his whereabouts by reading their memories—"

"And to stop the scam too" Mun interjected, breaking his long silence, addressing the team for the first time "Mr. Ma... no" He shook his head, correcting himself "Ma Ju-seok was the same. He was an ordinary man who lost all his money in a housing scam. He then lost his wife and baby. And in the end, he became an evil spirit" He gazed at the mentioned individual's photo, displaying a flicker of remorse and sorrow, before turning to his teammates with a serious demeanor, his voice remaining resolute throughout "We don't know how such a kindhearted man became one. But I know one thing for sure. We shouldn't let those scammers victimize more people like him. This is just as important as catching Lee Chung-jae" Mun concluded with a somber expression, yet Thea could perceive the impact all of this had on him

"We found the answer" Thea commented with a gentle smile upon her lips, her gaze fixed on Mun and never wavering

"Okay. Let's do that" Ms. Chu and Mo-tak nodded simultaneously, driven by Mun's proclamation "Let's stop them and prevent any future victims"

"Let's go" Ms. Chu swiftly began gathering the papers from the table "Hold on. Will the Yung people reprimand us for interfering with human society?" Mo-tak countered, gesturing upwards and urging everyone to pause their tasks

"Jeez" Thea sighed with frustration, at times she felt like a young child having to rely on her Yung partner to make decisions in her life, and that was excessively vexing

"Jeok-bong"

"Yes" Mo-tak gave Jeok-bong a sly wink as their gazes met

"Didn't you say that you smelled something back at the office?" Mo-tak began, clearing his throat as if intending to convey a message with his tone of voice

"I did?" Jeok-bong queried with confusion, his facial expressions clearly furrowing as he realized Mo-tak was being deceitful "No, I never—"

"Jeok-bong" Ms. Chu, exhibiting physical contact, lightly struck Jeok-bong's arm, amidst a chorus of voices simultaneously uttering his name with a tone of caution, subtly conveying through their gaze to merely play along

"I believe you said that" Thea whispered under her breath, quickly winking at Jeok-bong, a gesture that did not go unnoticed

"Right. You're right" Jeok-bong exclaimed as he swiftly rose from his seat, his mouth agape in realization "I smelled dung"

"Right?" Mo-tak exclaimed loudly, ensuring that those from Yung could hear him

"Yes! The stinky evil spirits smell" Jeok-bong swiftly nodded, his head slightly inclined upwards as if he anticipated Yung's companions were privy to this sentiment

"Was it bad?" Mo-tak questioned with a furrowed brow, one of his hands remaining upon Jeok-bong's shoulder

"It reeked!"

"Oh, dear! That's bad" gently tapped Ms. Chu on the shoulder once again

"Did you hear that?" Mo-tak inquired, glancing upwards "We're on our way then"

Ms. Chu conveyed her deep sense of satisfaction towards Jeok-bong through a gesture of approval, extending her thumb in affirmation, while Thea graced him with a smile that unequivocally infused his heart with elation.

"Let's go"

Author's note;

Recently, I have been rather absent on this platform, and I would like to apologize for that😭In the same vein, I would like to inquire if any of you would be interested in a fanfiction piece based on 'My Demon'. I have been contemplating whether to upload it or not, so I kindly request your assistance in making a decision 🥹👍🏻

Happy Valentine's Day! 💗💕

Question of the day: Who is the most handsome Korean actor?👼

In my opinion, Cha Eun-woo and Cho Byeong-kyu would be my choices, although it can be said that all Korean actors are remarkably attractive 🥹 Looking forward to the next chapter! 💕