Chapter 3

　　“You… what is your Ability? What the hell could it be that…?” No, is she even an Ability User? He had clearly seen her eyes change, but now there was no trace of it. Disjointed words tumbled from his lips.

　　But the woman didn’t answer. She just kept her eyes closed, as if lost in the sensation.

　　Seunghyun’s hand, which had been limp in her grasp, slowly began to move with its own will, cupping her cheek. His fingers trembled slightly.

　　“…Haah.”

　　Yeonsu’s expression relaxed as she let out a sigh of relief. The more she relaxed, the more threatened he felt. This woman was dangerous. But at the same time, a conflicting desire to touch her more tormented him.

　　“Shit. Who the hell are you?”

　　Instead of an answer, she opened her languid eyes and gave a faint smile. It was a seductive smile, one that seemed both satisfied and hungry for more, and it inflamed him. He found himself drawing closer to her as she leaned against the wall, as if mesmerized.

　　Just as her hot breath was about to touch his lips—

　　—“Hey, Tae Seunghyun, you bastard! Answer me!”

　　Wonyoung’s voice exploded from his earpiece. As if doused with cold water, Seunghyun’s half-closed eyes flew open. The heated air between them seemed to vanish in an instant. Yeonsu, too, as her consciousness cleared, was overcome with bewilderment as she realized what she had just done. When she came to her senses, the man was far too close.

　　She pushed against his hard chest with all her might. The body that hadn’t budged when he was pinning her now staggered back, creating distance between them. Seizing the opportunity, Yeonsu ran. She felt neither her painful ankle nor the lingering Backlash, only a desperate urgency.

　　Seunghyun started to chase after her, but he stopped short. Wonyoung’s voice hit his ears again.

　　—Tae Seunghyun! What’s going on!”

　　“…Sunbae.”

　　He had been so engrossed in that woman that he hadn’t even heard his colleague’s call. In a situation just before an arrest, where anything could happen. It was a clear, undeniable mistake. He let out a low curse.

　　—“What do you think you’re doing, going dark during an operation! If the situation changes, you have to report it, not just clam up!”

　　“…No change in situation here. Where are you?”

　　—“Haah. You bastard. You and I are having a talk when this is over. I’ve entered the second floor. Arriving in three minutes. Stand by for entry.”

　　Seunghyun glanced in the direction the woman had disappeared, then took a deep breath. When Wonyoung arrived, he brushed off his sunbae’s suspicious gaze with a mask of indifference. If only to erase the sensation from before, he focused even more intently on the task at hand. Seeing the look in Seunghyun’s eyes, Wonyoung also refocused.

　　“Don’t get distracted on the job. You could get yourself killed.”

　　“…I know. Captain, we’re going in,” Seunghyun reported.

　　Standing before the door marked VIP-08, Seunghyun exchanged a look with Wonyoung, then took out the club’s master keycard and quietly swiped it. He threw the door open and entered swiftly, Wonyoung right behind him.

* * *

　　Yeonsu was finally able to get out of bed after being sick for three whole days. It was different from her usual Backlash. Perhaps it was the added stress of a police officer discovering her identity. Normally, after using her Ability to this extent, she would have been back on her feet in a day, but this time, it was more painful and lasted longer.

　　“Should I try to get some painkillers somewhere?”

　　Painkillers for Ability Users were strictly controlled by the government, a precious commodity that an unregistered Ability User like her could only obtain through black market dealers. The price was whatever the seller demanded, so she gave up on the idea and got out of bed weakly.

　　As she left her bedroom for the first time in three days, her eyes fell upon the familiar scene of her living room, which had barely changed since she first moved in. That familiarity brought her a sense of stability. This apartment was one her uncle, Seokjoong, had gotten for her when he took her from the orphanage. This space, untouched by anyone but her, was like a bomb shelter.

　　Sinking into the worn-out sofa with its frayed corners, she habitually turned on the TV.

　　“The sponsor scandal involving rookie actor Hwang Seungmin is spreading like wildfire. This scandal is now shaking not just the entertainment industry but the political and business worlds as well…”

　　On the screen, Hwang Seungmin was shown walking quickly with his head bowed to avoid the reporters. Harassed by the media and the public for days, he looked gaunt and shadowed, his downcast eyes bloodshot and trembling with anxiety.

　　Pay me, and I’ll find whatever information you want. What the client did with that information was their business. Still, watching a person’s life fall into ruin because of her work never felt good.

　　Really? Do you think you’ve done nothing wrong?

　　“…Whatever.” Yeonsu forced an impassive expression and steeled her heart. There were already too many people she had ruined to care about each and every one. That was what it meant to live in this society as an Ability User who received no social protection. The only thing she had was this damn Ability. She only used her power to survive. If there was any fault, it lay with the world that gave no proper place for people like her. That’s why Ability Users committed illegal acts and sold their conscience to survive. It was either live as a parasite in the shadows or be dragged away by the government to be used like a dog, living without freedom.

　　She had simply made a choice: to live freely by selling her Ability. That was all. It had to be. But the guilt that always came after a job had piled up, and it was no longer easy to suppress.

　　Lost in thought, her phone on the table began to ring. Yeonsu flinched and checked the caller ID.

　　“Ah, seriously…”

　　The only name saved in her contacts was displayed on the screen.

　　“Yeah, Uncle.”

　　—“Yeonsu, are you feeling better now?”

　　“Well… I’m alive.”

　　—“Did you see the news? Those bastards at the gossip site really went big with it.”

　　“…Yeah.”

　　—“If I’d known it would get this big, I would’ve charged them double. Don’t you think?”

　　Seokjoong seemed disappointed that he couldn’t get a bigger payout for the job he had brought her, now that it had blown up.

　　—“They look down on Ability Users, but they always come looking for us when they need something. The news sites are going crazy. They must have made a killing. I’ll have to ask for more next time.”

　　“What do you mean, again… Uncle, I don’t want to do this kind of work anymore,” she said, chewing on her lip.

　　—“What’s with you again? Was this job that hard? You’re always like this after a bad Backlash. Anyway, I had some porridge delivered to your place. Eat that and come to the office this afternoon. We’ll talk then.”

　　“I’m so exhausted.”

　　—“Yeah, I get it. Just come to the office first. While you were laid up, work has been piling up. Make sure you eat the porridge. I’ll see you later.”

　　“Wait, Uncle…”

　　The call disconnected. Living off exposing other people’s secrets was becoming more and more difficult. On top of that, she had gotten entangled with the police. Yeonsu let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t easy to go against Seokjoong, but she had to convince him.

　　The TV, still chattering away, was now broadcasting another news story. It was a report that stopped her in her tracks.

　　“The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Violent Crimes Unit has announced that they have captured a transaction of the so-called ‘Shark,’ the Ability User drug that has recently become a social problem, at a club in Itaewon. A total of 1,000 pills were seized, and they plan to continue their investigation through the individuals arrested on site.”

　　On the screen, a suspect was getting out of a transport vehicle and heading into the police station. Reporters swarmed, scrambling over each other just like they had with Hwang Seungmin. As Yeonsu watched, her eyes slowly widened. Among the detectives holding the suspect’s arms was a familiar face.

　　“That person…”

　　“You’re an ability user, aren’t you?”

　　The man had been so certain. If she hadn’t taken advantage of his unguarded moment to escape, she could have been the one in front of those cameras. The man on the screen was clearing a path, effortlessly pushing aside the reporters with one hand. The sight of that large hand made the memory from that night return unbidden.

　　“Haah, it feels so cool… Mmm…”

　　When she had rubbed her cheek against his cool hand, he had looked at her as if she were absurd. She hadn’t cared. His hand was cool, and her body, in the throes of Backlash, had craved the relief it offered. It was a sensation she had never felt before.

　　“Crazy…”

　　For the past three days, like a child addicted to sweets they had tasted for the first time, Yeonsu had longed for that fleeting sensation. At the same time, she had trembled with anxiety. He was a man who could ruin her entire life. Given the persistent nature of detectives, it was unlikely they would let a criminal with an Ability go. She didn’t know when he might appear before her again. Now was truly the time to lie low.

　　“Delivery.”

　　A bustling noise came from outside the door. It was the porridge Seokjoong had ordered. Even when she was sick, even when she was on the verge of death from Backlash, he never set foot in her house. He would only leave food and necessities outside the door. Yeonsu had survived until now on that thin veneer of his affection. She liked to think she’d grown numb to it—used to the monotony of her daily life—but today, a dull ache stirred in her chest.

　　Maybe it was because she kept remembering that moment. The first time in her life, she had touched someone without any ulterior motive. She thought of the man who could’ve arrested her… or more precisely, the cool touch of his hand when it brushed against her.

　　All at once, the narrow living room she stood in felt unbearably empty.