Chapter 1

　　In a club in Itaewon, the beat and cheers were deafening.

　　“Having fun drinking alone?” The man continued, “Don’t ignore me. Let’s hang out. I got a room upstairs, you know? There are plenty of other people, too.”

　　Yeonsu’s expression was one of pure boredom, fed up with the propositions she’d long since lost count of. Usually, they’d get the hint and back off if she didn’t respond, but this guy was incredibly persistent. Finally, she turned her head to refuse him.

　　“You’ll be in for a shock if you come with me,” the man said, his gaze raking slowly over her body.

　　Swallowing the refusal that had risen to her throat, Yeonsu took a closer look at the man’s face under the dazzling lights. He wore a confident smirk, certain she would never turn down his offer.

　　Ha, finally…

　　Upon recognizing the man’s face, Yeonsu felt a wave of relief, almost gladness. A smile broke through her cold facade, transforming it in an instant. At that, the look in the eyes of the man who had been chattering away so smoothly changed completely. Even without her ability, she could easily tell he was taken with her.

　　“I’m curious why I’d be shocked.”

　　“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s more than that.”

　　Yeonsu knew well that his words weren’t just bravado. She also knew who his companions were—the very reason she’d been staking out this club for days.

　　“Let’s go.”

　　Pleased that his gambit had paid off, the man tried to grab her wrist, but Yeonsu immediately pulled her arm away.

　　“Don’t hold my hand. I don’t like people touching me.”

　　“Alright, alright. Pretty and proud! I like your style! Let’s go. It’s upstairs.”

　　Her looks were certainly helpful in this line of work. Who would ever suspect her of being an ability user? Today’s job seemed like it would go as smoothly as usual.

　　The second floor of the club was a world away from the chaos below. The man who had led her there threw open the door to a room and shouted, “Hey, hey! Told you I’d bring someone back, didn’t I?”

　　The cheers and applause of drunken, sprawling men and the sharp glares of the women sitting beside them all landed on Yeonsu.

　　Let’s get this over with quickly. This was the moment she’d waited for, losing sleep for days. Once this is done, I’m going to sleep for a week.

　　Yeonsu recalled the details of her current job: dig up dirt on the actor Hwang Seungmin for a scandal. And there he was, right in front of her. Ignoring the other men calling out to her, she approached the man smoking and nursing a drink in the far corner of the room.

　　“What do you want?” His voice was sharp-edged. His gaze was full of displeasure, but having finally found her target, Yeonsu paid it no mind and offered a picture-perfect smile.

　　“I thought it would be fun to hang out with you.”

　　Her brazen reply, delivered as if she had no idea who he was, made someone shout out in disbelief. “Hey, you don’t know who this is? Are you not from Korea? Even then, how could you not know?”

　　Hwang Seungmin silenced him, his expression changing as he showed a flicker of interest in Yeonsu. “…You don’t know me?”

　　“Should I?”

　　Of course I know you. I’m going through all this hell because of you, she retorted coldly in her mind.

　　Hwang Seungmin seemed intrigued by her audacious lie. He smiled dangerously, a stark contrast to the pale, gentle image he presented to the public. There was a reason the celebrity gossip rags had hired her to dig up dirt on him.

　　“No. You don’t have to.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled.

　　Got him.

　　In that instant, the eyes behind her contacts turned gold. Simultaneously, Hwang Seungmin’s memories began to bleed into her mind, piece by piece. Her ability was active.

* * *

　　—“What’s the situation?”

　　“…It’s loud. So loud I can barely hear you over the radio.” Seunghyun was leaning against a wall with a clear view of the club stage with an impassive expression on his face. Women passing by kept glancing his way. With a sleek, muscular body honed by exercise and martial arts, he seemed somewhat out of place in the club. And yet, the cold indifference on his somewhat delicate face drew people’s gazes. Not that he paid it any mind.

　　Wonyoung, waiting in the vehicle outside, chuckled.

　　—“Still, the work environment is pretty good today, isn’t it? Better than some fish-stinking pier, anyway.”

　　“Sunbae, cut the crap. It’s all the same wherever we go to catch these junkies.”