Season one, chapter five

"Let me distract you"

SHE WAS ENVELOPED in darkness once more, with only the moonlight providing illumination. The two women flanking her failed to observe Thea's reaction as she felt the memories consuming her once again.

Her emotional condition has recently deteriorated and worsened on a daily basis, despite her attempts to remain optimistic. The ghosts of her past resurfaced and troubled her, and she hoped it would eventually fade away, but it had persisted for a significant amount of time before intensifying.

"We're here to" Mo-tak informed through the wireless earpiece

"'We'?" Hana asked, placing emphasis on the word "we."

"I'm here too" Mun's voice resonated, and upon hearing the young boy's voice, Thea's face swiftly lit up with a smile as she swiftly erased the frown that had been present just moments ago. It seemed as though the sound of his voice alone instantly brought her joy

She had no knowledge of the fact that her heart had experienced a delightful flutter.

Ms. Chu gleefully nudged both girls with her elbow, exclaiming "I told you he'd come"

Mo-tak interrupted the women's moment by asking"What are we looking for?"

"Right. He's wearing a gray shirt and regular pants. And he has a large mole on the back of his neck" Thea focused on finding the evil spirit while Hana described the appearance of the person they were searching for "He bought soju and snacks at a store with a kid and went into an alley. He already seemed quite drunk"

The group members dispersed in different directions in order to find the man. Thea made sure to clear her mind and focused on closely examining her surroundings, hoping that they would not lose sight of the evil spirit like they had before.

"What kind of snack did the kid get?" Mun unexpectedly inquired which didn't deter Thea from continuing her exploration of the dark alley she was in

"Are you seriously curious about that now?" Mo-tak exclaimed with disbelief

"It could lead us to a clue" Mun expressed disbelief when he was not provided with the desired answer

"There are many empty houses because of the redevelopment. Look carefully, okay?" Ms. Chu inquired while Thea carefully maneuvered around a corner. Thea's eyes repeatedly focused on open windows, where joyful families lived, causing her to feel a sense of unease

"Found him. Across the street from the sauna" Hana exclaimed moments later. It's incredible how she consistently manages to be the first one to discover the evil spirit's location

"Okay, roger that" Thea announced as she turned and began to leave the cramped pathway where she had been standing

"Hana" Mun spoke softly, with a prolonged and trembling tone "Did the boy get kkobugi?"

"What?" Thea suddenly halted in the middle of the dimly lit alley, her eyebrows furrowing with a mixture of puzzlement and anxiety

"What is it?"

"Oh, the boy..." Mun began speaking with a worried tone, even though Thea could detect an undertone of desperation and fear in his words

"I told you he's an adult" Hana emphasized that she had already notified him regarding the individual they were seeking

"No, I mean this woman here..." Mun began to utter, struggling to find the right words to articulate what his gaze was beholding

"We're looking for a man" Mo-tak cut him off, displaying his lack of interest in engaging in any playful endeavors

"This woman is killing someone" Mun's voice was filled with desperation, eventually transitioning into a state of fear

"Mun..."

"Gosh. The boy isn't moving either" Thea quickly changed her direction and headed towards the black-haired boy, without truly seeking guidance from her elders, as she was solely concerned

"Thea and I will go to where Mun is. You two, keep searching" stated Mo-tak, Thea, on the other hand, promptly began to run as soon as she felt the responsibility to guarantee Mun's safety

"I should go in. The kid is..."

"Mun" Hana warned him using a stern and chilly vocal manner

"The boy is..."

"No, wait" In order to stop him from taking further action, Thea screamed and hurriedly ran as fast as her legs could carry her

"Mun, don't do anything. Don't do anything until we get there!"

"Shit" Hana cussed under her breath to herself as she descended the stairs with no alternative

"Mun!" Ms. Chu cried out in surprise when she heard a moan coming from the opposite end of the earpiece

Thea's heart filled with anxiety as she envisioned the most dreadful outcome, but her worries subsided when she spotted the pair not too far off. As she approached Mun and Mo-tak, Thea slowed down, her attention drawn to the disturbing scene of a woman suffocating a man using a pillow.

Mo-tak deftly shifted Mun to the side as Thea's legs provided a graceful landing spot. With careful accuracy, she embraced him tightly before entering the house, with Mun obediently following behind. Swiftly, Mo-tak created a distance between the woman and the man, while the two adolescents, burdened by worry, approached the motionless form of a young boy nestled among a cozy layer of blankets.

"Kiddo, are you alright?" Mun attempted to elicit a reaction from the boy by shaking his body, yet received no response "Hey, kiddo. Wake up. Hey!" He held the boy's face in his palms, yet there was still no response

Afterwards, Mun placed the young boy down on the floor and proceeded to administer first aid to him. Thea, feeling helpless, watched anxiously as she was not accustomed to performing such tasks, typically being done by Ms. Chu.

Mun asked desperately, on the verge of tears, "Mo-tak, what do we do? He's not breathing"

"Mun!" Ms. Chu exclaimed, forcefully opening the door, with Hana right behind her "What happened?"

As soon as Hana caught sight of the adolescent boy being cradled by Mun, she hurriedly approached the pair with a worried expression on her face.

"This bastard. He's not dead" Mo-tak indicated towards the man on the floor, his brows furrowed, suggesting he anticipated the man to be dead

Hana beckoned Ms. Chu over to where she and the other teenagers were standing, eagerly saying "Ms. Chu, have a look"

The mother, weakly and crawling towards her son, uttered the name "Seong-Hyeon"

"Put her to sleep. He's in critical condition"  Feeling a slight unease, she expressed her discomfort through a groan as she sensed a small depletion of her own energy. Thea observed as Ms. Chu unveiled her eyes, her perspiring face gleaming with the glowing light "Mun. This boy... you saved his life" she exclaimed, bringing relief to both the teenager and the rest of the individuals present

Once the boy started to regain consciousness, Mun embraced him tightly and Thea gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder all the while wearing a smile. Before long, Mun raised his head and returned her smile in response.

"We almost lost that boy to the evil spirit" Hana forcefully moved the man across the floor and pressed him against a wardrobe once he began to regain consciousness

"You're pretty good" Mo-tak praised Mun, then redirected his attention towards the evil spirit

"I'll summon him" Mun held onto the boy tightly. Therefore, Hana initiated the process of summoning the evil spirit

"Is that... the evil spirit?" Filled with terror, Mun asked whether the detestable being in front of them was truly the evil spirit

"What a shame. I could've eaten that boy's soul"uttered the evil spirit, moments before Hana guided him to the realm beyond. He vanished into thin air, leaving only the initial man standing alone. Gradually regaining consciousness, the man coughed and gazed at the bewildered faces of those surrounding him

"Who are you people?" He inquired, clutching his head tightly due to the agony he was experiencing

"Listen. If you keep living like this, wether it be you, your husband, or that boy... one of you will die" Ms. Chu grasped the woman's hands firmly "I just want to tell you this one thing. All of us here are on your side"

After a brief moment of staring, the woman mustered the bravery to direct her words towards the man who used to be her spouse.

"Don't hit Seong-Hyeon. And don't hit me either. Both Seong-Hyeon and I won't put up with it anymore. We don't want to see you ever again!"the woman cautioned, casting a tearful gaze at her spouse "If I see you again, even though I failed today... next time, I won't fail"

"That won't happen. Don't dirty your hands just to punish an evil bastard. We're on your side"'Ms. Chu expressed, warmly embracing the woman

"Mun, you saved that boy's life today" proudly exclaimed Ms. Chu while everyone gathered at the restaurant table before him

"Exactly. Thanks to him, we saved that boy and captured the evil spirit" Mo-tak concurred, acknowledging the boy as he expressed gratitude towards him

"That's right. Thanks to you, their lives totally changed overnight. This is the work we do" she proudly declared, placing her hands on her waist. Ms. Chu playfully nudged Hana on the shoulder and asked "Don't you girls have anything to say?"Mun observed both girls, anticipating their response

"Will you be a counter or not?" Hana casually inquired, acknowledging the warning gesture from Ms. Chu

"Good job today" The boy couldn't help but smile when Thea, with a cheerful expression, commended him on his performance today

"Thank you" Mun timidly lowered his head, wearing a sincere smile filled with genuine happiness

"He was born for this, don't you think?"
Ms. Chu inquired, waiting for Mo-tak's reaction

"Will you do it or not? Ouch!" Mo-tak expressed his dissatisfaction after being struck by Ms. Chu

"Well, take some time to think about what you did today and make a decision. Here" Ms. Chu placed a nice folded red tracksuit on top the table "You have a week, you know" she reminded Mun as she gently pushed the clothes nearer to him. He hesitantly placed his hand on top of the clothing, uncertain of what to do

The group anxiously waited for a response from him.

After a brief period of silence, he responded "I'll think about it"

"Okay, great" Ms. Chu affirmed, gesturing her agreement with a cheerful expression

Mo-tak quietly muttered,"What's there to think about? Just say yes, you little punk"

"Did it seem challenging to embrace the idea of undertaking this task?" Despite Thea's desire to inquire, she lacked the courage to do so upon recalling her own participation in the same action when she joined the group.

"All right then. Get home safely" Ms. Chu said, gesturing with her hand as they stood outside the restaurant

"Take care" Mun uttered, lowering his head respectfully towards the two ladies standing before him

"We erased those bullies memory. They must not find out" Mo-tak remarked as he approached the adolescent, his face reflecting a grave demeanor

"Don't worry" Mun declared, giving assurance that he will keep quiet about the occurrence

"You don't need a week. Decide by tomorrow. If you want to do it, come to the overpass tomorrow morning. That's where we train" Mo-tak began explaining, despite Ms. Chu's attempt to interrupt him "If you don't come, we'll find another member"

"What? Tomorrow?" Mun inquired, his eyes widening in astonishment, as this implied that he had limited time for contemplation

"Yes, you've got a day" Mo-tak gestured towards him using his pointing finger "If you don't come, we'll erase your memory"

"Jeez, go back inside" As they all went back inside the restaurant and witnessed Mun leaving, Ms. Chu delivered a kick to Mo-tak's butt

"It means no more noodles for you! You'd have to wait forever in line" Mo-tak shouted in surprise as he spun around, only to discover that Mun had disappeared "Where did that punk go?"

"Get back inside!" Thea chuckled softly when she witnessed Mun hastily retreating from the area

"That punk" Mo-tak grumbled quietly, as he turned back towards the restaurant

"Hey, why are you so impatient?" Ms. Chu questioned Mo-tak as she observed him walking into the restaurant with a displeased look"We should just wait patiently. Until that kid has an awakening while giving him the support he needs. Why do you think Wi-gen gave him a week? Of course, you know nothing about kids"

"He should man up. Just say yes or no" Upon receiving a reprimand, Mo-tak stood up for himself

"Hana, why don't you go and..."

"I don't want to" Hana interrupted, expressing her unwillingness, and turned around to walk away

"Mo-tak, then you..."Nevertheless, without paying her any attention, he disregarded her presence. Consequently, Ms. Chu resorted to Thea as her final choice, requesting, "Thea, would you mind..."

"Don't even look at me" Thea politely requested as she turned away, leaving the woman to ponder her unspoken words

"Jeez. I have to do all the work, don't I?" She expressed her exhaustion as she shut the door

Thea's face contorted in displeasure as she sensed the sun casting its comforting beams onto her face. Getting off the ground, she emitted a sigh filled with frustration. How much time had passed since they've been waiting for Mun's arrival?

Thea had lost track of time, as she had been woken up very early to wait in the park for several hours, when she could have been happily resting in bed, fantasizing about her beloved music group. Nevertheless, she discovered herself anticipating the presence of Mun despite the passage of several hours and his failure to show up.

"Are we too early?" Mo-tak inquired with impatience, rising from the bench "We should've set a time. Jeez"

"This isn't bad. We get to exercise" Ms. Chu attempted to lighten the mood

"I think we got too ahead of ourselves" Hana concurred with Mo-tak, leaning against a bench

"Gosh, must you be so negative?" Thea scolded, placing her hands on her hips. Despite frowning initially, Hana quickly sat up and then grinned

"He's here" They observed Mun heading towards them with confidence, all glancing in the identical direction, noticing that the boy was dressed in the same attire as the rest of the group

The group proceeded ahead until they reached the center of the park. Each of them wore a smile on their faces, indicating that they had not experienced disappointment for a second time. In contrast, Thea was extremely joyful, possibly because there was now someone her age in the group or maybe due to the way her heart raced whenever he was nearby.

"Of course. Why wouldn't he come? I knew he'd come" Ms. Chu declared enthusiastically, as Thea observed her with a smug expression

"You we're exercising on pins and needles" Mo-tak pointed out, giving her a serious expression

"Mo-tak, Hana, Thea. Let's groom him well. He has no idea how dangerous this job is. Let's keep him safe and help him become a great counter"Ms. Chu expressed, looking at the boy who grinned when he noticed the group and enthusiastically ran towards them "Welcome!"

Thea automatically moved her hands behind her back upon meeting Mun. There was a certain quality in him that made her feel calm and joyful, as he exuded an unmistakably positive aura.

And she liked it.

"Do you think... I can do a good job?" Mun questioned, unsure of his abilities

"You need to undergo hazing first" Mo-tak stated while Thea nodded in agreement, as if Mun was observing her, a behavior he certainly engaged in from the periphery of his vision

"Hazing?"

They found themselves standing in front of the wall where each of the members used to place their handprints. This wall served as the initial examination that every newcomer had to undergo upon joining the group.

"Mun" Mo-tak addressed him with a grave and solemn voice

"Yes" he replied, his gaze fixed on the vast wall before him, suggesting that he had not finished appreciating its beauty

"See those handprints?" Mo-tak asked with his hands behind his back. Mun nodded in response "The green one is Ms. Chu's. The red one is Hana's, the purple one is Thea's and the yellow one is mine"

"What? That's insane" Mun exclaimed, expressing astonishment at the impressive handprint left by Mo-tak on the wall

"All right, yours will be blue. It was Cheol-Jung's color" Mo-tak mentioned while extracting a paint container. He then applied a small amount on Mun's palm

"The one who passed away?" Mun inquired, seeking a response from Ms. Chu. She acknowledged his gaze and nodded, still grappling with the reality of their friend's departure

"Yes, Jang Cheol-Jung" Mo-tak replied, concealing his genuine feelings even though he was aware that others were experiencing the same emotions as him

"But I don't see a blue handprint on that wall"Mun whispered, expressing disbelief as he examined the wall for any sign of a blue handprint

"Right, why would that be? We will officially accept you as his successor the day you find the answer" Mo-tak challenged, while Mun directed his gaze towards him

"Relax, it's your first time"Ms. Chu reassured him

"You'll do just fine," Thea said, her gentle smile captivating the boy once again. Their eyes met briefly before he had to look away in embarrassment

Communication occurred through their gaze, exchanging countless messages even before their emotions could.

"Ready. And now..." Hana sounded the whistle, motivating Mun to sprint towards the wall and then propel himself into the air, astonishing everyone with his tremendous leap. Mun effortlessly ascended to the summit of the wall within a few seconds, effortlessly showcasing the simplicity of the task

"What? A blue handprint! The blue one! It's here!" Mun exclaimed with excitement "This is Cheol-Jung's handprint, right? Wow! This is so cool!"He expressed his happiness

"Yes! Wow. This is unbelievable Mun" exclaimed Ms. Chu, her jaws dropping in astonishment, as the people standing behind her were too amazed to articulate their thoughts on what they had witnessed

"My gosh! This is incredible!" Mun expressed his amazement and joy with a wide grin on his face

"Indeed!" Ms. Chu exclaimed, mirroring his enthusiasm and expressing equal joy "Well done!"

Thea was now pondering whether there existed a chance for him to surpass his current level of being extraordinary and delightful. He had genuinely surpassed her anticipations, fueling her curiosity about the extent of his capabilities and his ability to awe her without being aware of the emotions he stirred within her.

Thea's lips curved into a smile as she raised her arms in the air with excitement, reflecting Mun's enthusiasm. They locked eyes once more, oblivious to the unexpected emotions that were beginning to emerge in their hearts.

Author's note;

Double update!

I have at least two additional chapters in my drafts, I simply require a bit more inspiration to successfully revise them TT.

Anyway, I should be sleeping right now as I need to wake up early for school tomorrow. However, I used this time to revise this chapter instead 😅 So, I shouldn't really complain about the numerous under-eye bags I have, haha.

I hope you enjoy your reading! I would greatly value your thoughts on this chapter <33

This chapter was edited: 12/11/23 ☑️