Chapter 7

　　“Ah… you used your ability,” Yeonsu figured.

　　“Yes, I used it a little.” The man gave a playful wink.

　　Having never met someone who spoke so openly about their ability, Yeonsu was at a loss for words.

　　“If he’d reported it, we’d both be fugitives. I had no choice.”

　　Yeonsu was intensely curious about what the man’s ability was to make Seungmin leave so obediently, but she didn’t ask. It was an unspoken rule among ability users. They tended to avoid questions about their powers, which were both their weaknesses and their weapons. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. It was then that she understood why she couldn’t read anything when he had touched her: fellow ability users couldn’t interfere with each other’s minds.

　　“You’re curious about my ability, aren’t you? Should I tell you?” the man asked meaningfully.

　　“…Ah, it’s okay.” Thinking she might have been too obvious, Yeonsu ducked her head.

　　“I’ll tell you next time we meet.”

　　Next time. Will there be a next time? As Yeonsu mulled over his words, a wave of dizziness washed over her, the floor seeming to spin. It was the backlash she hadn’t properly registered while being chased. As her tension eased, a fever began to spread throughout her body.

　　“Ah…”

　　The man caught her swaying arm to support her. “If you need to, you can rest here for a while. You can’t go on like this, can you?”

　　He held her arm. Yeonsu reflexively started to slap his hand away but then let her own arm fall. Nothing could be read from him. The realization that she didn’t have to fear the flood of memories that came with every touch was more comforting than she had expected.

　　“I won’t do anything. It’s just that your backlash seems quite severe. Or… there is another way,” the man suggested in a suggestive tone, as if he knew her condition better than anyone.

　　Although she wanted nothing more than to collapse, Yeonsu didn’t particularly like hotels. Especially not now, when her backlash had begun, and her ability was overflowing uncontrollably. Being consumed by the memories indiscriminately flowing in from a place where countless strangers had touched and slept was the most terrifying thing she could imagine.

　　“…Thank you for the offer, but I should get going. And thank you so much for today.”

　　“Alright.” The man let go of her arm with a look of disappointment. “I’m Kwon Yujun.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　“My name.” His red eyes crinkled beautifully behind the gold-rimmed glasses.

　　“Ah, right.”

　　“If you’re truly grateful for today, could you help me later, when I need you?”

　　Yeonsu raised her questioning eyes to look at the man, Yujun. He shrugged. “I haven’t thought of anything specific. I just figured putting you in my debt was the only way I’d get to see you again.”

　　“Ah.”

　　“Besides, I think we have a lot in common.”

　　Because we’re both ability users, Yeonsu realized. Yujun tilted his head playfully, and her ears turned red as she gave a small nod.

　　“…I’m Cha Yeonsu.”

　　Yeonsu felt awkward introducing herself, but at the same time, an indescribable emotion welled up inside her.

　　“Yes, Cha Yeonsu.” Yujun said her name as if savoring it. Hearing it from his lips made Yeonsu feel even stranger—a ticklish, shy sensation.

　　Though the backlash had started, bringing a wave of weakness and heat, her spirits were strangely lifted thanks to this man. His demeanor, acting as if nothing had happened after she had been chased by Hwang Seungmin just moments ago, finally allowed her to relax.

　　“Well then, until we meet again.” Yujun naturally led her to the door and opened it for her.

　　“Yes…”

　　Yeonsu bowed her head to him once more and left the room. The backlash, like a mild fever, heightened her emotions. The simple, normal act of saying goodbye and leaving a room made her heart feel full. It had been a very long time since she had felt this way.

　　As the room door closed, she felt as if she had woken from a dream. Seungmin, who had left so docilely, might come looking for her again. Now that she was alone, she had to get a grip. Yeonsu walked quickly toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

　　“Ah!”

　　Just then, a strong hand grabbed her arm. The brutish grip spun her around. Did Seungmin come back? But when she saw who had grabbed her, her eyes widened in disbelief.

　　“How… why are you…?”

* * *

　　—"Sunbae, I think we’ve been had. There’s nothing here."

　　Heechan’s dejected voice came through the radio. The room designated for the transaction was empty. The operation had been a long shot from the beginning; it had all gone a little too smoothly. Seunghyun, waiting in the adjacent room, wiped his face with a dry hand.

　　“Haa… For now, search the room thoroughly. Look for any peculiarities or traces, then pull out.”

　　—"Yes, sir!"

　　Wonyoung, who was waiting with him, spoke up. “Did they get wise to us?”

　　“Maybe. They’re more careful than we thought. Even the dealer who’d been trading with them for a long time said he’d never seen their faces.”

　　This drug targeting ability users was now rampant in the underworld. However, almost no one had a direct line to the organization’s core. The supplier they had just arrested was also several links down the chain.

　　“How are we going to catch these bastards? The supplier we just caught said he’s never even seen them in person.”

　　“We’ll just have to start digging again.”

　　Hitting a dead end was common in investigations. This was just the beginning; they couldn’t expect to crack it on the first try. Seunghyun spoke with an indifferent expression.

　　"Sunbae, let’s start by interrogating those gangsters we first arrested one more time. If the drug is going into their organization in bulk, there must be something more. We might have missed something.”

　　In times like these, it wasn’t a bad idea to go back to square one. Seunghyun planned to summon the men arrested in the turf war that had first led to the drug’s discovery. Just then…

　　“Fuck! Come out!”

　　The sound of something being beaten and harsh shouts echoed from outside. Wonyoung and Seunghyun looked at each other.

　　“Didn’t we have this whole floor on lockdown?”

　　“We did.”

　　They had obtained the hotel’s cooperation before starting the operation. He’d heard the hotel had agreed to clear the entire floor, so what was this commotion?

　　“You stay here, Sunbae. I’ll go check it out.”

　　“Alright. Radio me immediately if anything happens.”

　　Seunghyun gave a slight nod, put on his jacket, and opened the door. The noise was loud, so it wasn’t difficult to pinpoint its source. As he was assessing the situation from a blind spot around a corner, the noise stopped abruptly. Shortly after, a man as tall as Seunghyun walked past him. The man was handsome, but his expression was dazed. Seunghyun thought he looked familiar and glanced back at him briefly, but he couldn’t place him. He didn’t have time to think about it further because of the woman who came out of the room right after.

　　Seunghyun’s eyes widened. It was the woman he knew—or rather, the woman he had been constantly thinking about. A rush of heat surged through him, and without thinking, he strode toward her and grabbed her arm. He must not have controlled his strength, because she stumbled from the force of it.

　　An inexplicable anger rose as he met her eyes. Feeling the heat of that day reviving within him, Seunghyun tasted defeat. His body already wanted this woman, just like that day. She looked up at him in shock. From her flushed face, the golden eyes that had become so familiar from being replayed in his mind were shining. He hadn’t been mistaken.

　　“We meet again.” His voice came out cold and sarcastic.

　　He didn’t even know her name. The emotions he felt for a stranger were far too intense, but Seunghyun didn’t have the presence of mind to notice. The only thought that filled his mind was that he must not lose this woman again—the one who had bewitched him, run away, and now so suddenly reappeared.

　　Surprise filled her golden eyes as she recognized him. Seeing this, Seunghyun let out a dry laugh at the faint satisfaction that bloomed within him. Was it some kind of comfort that she remembered him, too? As if to shove the feeling aside, he tightened his grip.

　　“Ah, ugh…”

　　“It seems you remember who I am, so I’ll skip the introductions,” Seunghyun said. “I won’t be letting you get away like last time.”

　　“Hngh!”

　　He pulled her body toward him. An intense heat radiated from her as she drew closer.

　　“So, you’d better give me a proper explanation. Why are you here?”