★★★★★   ━━   ❪   @CH_TWO   ❫

present time...

" please sit here, someone will be right with you! "

" welcome! "

" the kimchi is self-served! "

" sorry about her- "

" two banquet noodles! "

EIGHTEEN years old, LEE JUNWON deligently works around the shop, going from one table to another to check on customers.

" i'll be right back! "

JUNWON goes to the kitchen, at the same time, HANA comes in from the back.

" we stepped on one "

HANA announces to her fellow counters, taking off her apron as she does so.

" what's the level? "

MOTAK asks her.

" i think it's level two "

" you think? "

" it might be a level three "

at that, everybody starts taking off their aprons and turning off appliances.

" i heard ones that are in level three speak in two voices. i'm not sure because it was a first, but that thing had two voices. "

HANA informs everyone in the room.

" when will CHEOLJUNG get here? "

MS. CHU asks while putting on her shoes.

" he's supposed to be here soon, but i think it'll take him a bit to join us "

JUNWON responds, putting her red jacket on her shoulder.

" let's get moving. "

MOTAK says, stabbing the knife on the chopping board.

" i'll close, MS. CHU, HANA-unnie, you guys can go first "

JUNWON tells them, receiving a nod from the two women before they run outside.

" everyone! please leave after you're done, thank you for coming! "

JUNWON announces to the whole room with a friendly smile before jogging towards the door.

when she gets out the door, she flips the sign and takes a deep breath.

" i'm so sorry everyone but we're closed! please come back later! "

as soon as she says that, a wave of complains from the line erupts.

while turning to face her teammates, JUNWON makes eye contact with a familiar face, a cute one to be exact.

suddenly, a girl with short hair and glasses goes in front of her.

" wait- hold on. can you let us in as the last table? it's his- "

" we have an emergency, so we'll give you twice as much later! "

JUNWON interrupts the girl, immediately feeling bad for doing so.

" noodles on birthdays mean longevity- "

" we're so sorry! please come back later and ask for JUNWON! i'll save you some, i promise! "

she speaks loudly so the girl can hear, closing the car door and putting on her seatbelt afterwards.

" ah...i feel bad... "

JUNWON says with sympathy, a small pout forming on her face.

" aigoo...it's ok, JUNWON, you promised them noodles didn't you? "

MS. CHU comforts her, though it wasn't a big deal, she knew how kind the youngest counter was.

" yeah, you should make the noodles specifically for them next time, JUNWON-ah "

MOTAK teases the girl, making everyone in the car smile.

" ah...but MS. CHU's noodles are the best! no one can beat her noodles! "

JUNWON plays along, but genuinely praises the healer.

" what's up? "

a familiar voice says in her ear, it was CHEOLJUNG, arguably the most powerful counter on the team.

" hyung, where are you? we stepped on one "

MOTAK tells the older counter.

" we stepped on one? "

CHEOLJUNG asks.

" he was in a black hoodie with a tiger "

HANA informs her teammates.

her ability to detect evil spirits is really useful, JUNWON could do it too but only when they're at the location where it is.

" where is he? "

MS. CHU asks her.

" near jungjin internet cafe "

HANA answers.

" CHEOLJUNG-hyung, did you hear that? "

" okay, i'll head over right now. "

JUNWON silently listens to their conversations.

she would be lying if she didn't say that her gut was telling her something didn't feel right.

LEE JUNWON shrugs off the thought as she gets out the car and puts on her mask.

" go over there. let's split up. "

MS. CHU tells the counters, her leader mode was on and won't turn it off until they get the job done.

JUNWON nods before running off to another direction, away from her teammates.

while JUNWON was getting in the car...

" we're so sorry! please come back later and ask for JUNWON! i'll save you some, i promise! "

the wavy-almost curly haired girl says to JUYEON before closing the car door.

JUYEON and UNGMIN practically begs them, but gave up as they watched the car drive further away from them.

MUN joins them shortly after, still star-struck at the fact that he made eye contact with probably the prettiest girl he's ever seen.

" she's really pretty... "

MUN says, his best friend, UNGMIN, also says the same, receiving a complain from JUYEON.

" she looked really familiar though... "

JUYEON tells her childhood best friends, catching their attention.

" maybe she goes to our school? "

UNGMIN replies unsurely.

" i don't know but gosh, i'd go to school everyday if i saw her "

MUN unknowingly says out loud, his friends immediately turn their heads towards him.

" you what? "

" oohh~~ someone's got a crush i see~~ "

" i said that out loud? aish... "

back to the counters...

" our territory opened up in the north "

MS. CHU tells everyone.

" it opened up, but it's too confined "

CHEOLJUNG responds.

" whoever's the first to find him, lure him there "

MOTAK says.

" i'll definitely be that person, speed is what i am you know? "

JUNWON lets out a witty remark.

" no, JUNWON, not you. CHEOLJUNG-hyung, take up your position "

MOTAK answers, his command making JUNWON jokingly complain.

" yes sir! "

CHEOLJUNG replies to him, his voice sounding way too laid back for someone who's apparently running.

" hold on. CHEOLJUNG-ahjussi, are you walking instead of running? "

JUNWON asks, her tone sounding playful and serious at the same time.

" okay, fine. i'll be there soon! "

" not if i get there first! "

" JUNWON, no! "

" too late, i already found him. "

JUNWON says to her teammates, slowing down her footsteps to not make herself suspicious.

" he's headed toward the alley where we parked "

" JUNWON-ah, wait for us, don't do anything yet, ok? "

" yes, MS. CHU "

" good. "

silence soon took over, every single counter now focused on catching the evil spirit and keeping each other safe.

JUNWON silently followed the man, keeping her distance from him as well.

the man turned, making JUNWON lose sight of him.

when she reached the street, she saw the man running.

" darn it. he's on to us. "

JUNWON speaks before running after the evil spirit.

" everyone, block off the exits. "

she says, controlling her breath as she ran.

" okay, i'll cover the back exit. MS. CHU, block the front entrance "

MOTAK instructs MS. CHU.

" i'll assist JUNWON, i'm close to her area "

HANA's voice filled their ears.

" all right. be careful, everyone. "

MS. CHU says to the counters with concern in her voice.

meanwhile, JUNWON was still chasing the evil spirit, and reached the rooftop.

there it was, directly staring at her, before running and jumping off to the other building.

JUNWON's eyes widen when the man successfully reaches there, the evil spirit looks at her once more before jumping down the building.

HANA appears beside her, confusion on her face.

their eyes meet and JUNWON sighs.

" it's definitely a level three. he jumped off the rooftop. "

JUNWON could see the older girl beside her was shocked as well.

" what? "

" he jumped off the rooftop? "

MS. CHU and MOTAK's voices entered the counters's ears, this was serious and their worried voices indicated that.

JUNWON looked at HANA, stepping back while doing so, making her confused.

suddenly, JUNWON jumps, startling the other girl.

" JUNWON! "

HANA shouts, her shout increased the older counters's worry.

MS. CHU and MOTAK also see the said girl jump off the building from a far, having the same reaction as HANA.

JUNWON perfectly lands on her hands and feet, her hair getting on her face as she looks up, and immediately runs after the man.

HANA lets out a sigh of relief, following what the younger girl did and chases her and the evil spirit.

from JAE.

yall. when i tell you this was originally like 2OOO+ words- oml. i got carried away 😭

( warning : the next chapter is DEVASTATING. ( maybe idk- ) and has a lot of blood so :') )

© 𝗝𝗝𝟬𝗡𝗚-𝗢𝗦𝗧 , 𝟤𝖮𝟤𝟥