★★★★★ ━━ ❪ @CH_NINE ❫

eonni's noodle shop...

JUNWON puts down the plates and utensils on the table, taking a brief glance at MUN who has yet to be awaken.

her head falls down in worry, silently returning to the kitchen.

HANA and MOTAK notices her, but doesn't say anything.

a few minutes later, JUNWON hears HANA say MUN was awake, so she quickly runs out to go check on the boy.

JUNWON sees MUN, now awake, sitting down on the chair. she sighs in relief before going back inside to help MRS. CHU.

" how...how did i end up here? "

MUN asks the counters.

" you were beaten up and fainted, so we brought you here "

MOTAK responds, returning to his previous task.

" come join us for some noodles "

MRS. CHU comes out of the kitchen, putting down more utensils on the table.

suddenly, MUN screams and falls down.

JUNWON hears him and puts down the spoon she was using to scoop out the rice.

" what happened? "

she asks the other counters who were just staring at MUN.

" what are you doing? "

MOTAK questions the boy on the floor.

" well...this is weird. "

MUN looks at his foot, which strangely felt better.

" you've forgotten how to walk properly? i promised you i'd heal your leg "

MRS. CHU reveals to him with a smile on her face.

they all watched as MUN stood up and tried to walk.

when he fell down, MRS. CHU went and helped him get up but MOTAK gestured her not to do so.

" come on. "

MOTAK tells MUN to walk towards him.

MUN stood up again, determined to reach his goal.

JUNWON proudly smiles at every step he took, her eyes getting wattery as she looks at him walk.

it was like seeing a baby take their first steps and finally learning how to walk on their own.

" i'm walking...i can walk... "

MUN says in disbelief, looking at every single counter in the room.

" i'm going to step out "

he hurriedly tells them, walking towards the door.

" hey, slow down "

MRS. CHU follows him, the other counters doing the same.

" watch out! "

the elder woman shouts as a motorcycle almost hits MUN, but the boy pays no mind to her.

all he wanted to do was run, run as far as his two feet would allow him to.

" MUN! you shouldn't be running yet! "

MRS. CHU yells at him, instead of stopping, MUN runs faster.

" he's not going to listen to us now "

MOTAK proudly looks on, his serious face now replaced with a smile.

" look at how fast he's running, he might be able to overtake me soon. aish... "

JUNWON jokingly says, even shaking her head as she walks back to the noodle shop.

the other counters laugh at her playfulness, soon following her inside.

MRS. CHU slides the bowl of noodles towards MUN, who came back after his running session.

the boy silently looks at the people around him with teary eyes.

he turns to MRS. CHU who was already looking at him.

" thank you for the noodles and also for my leg "

MUN thanks the elder woman with all his heart.

" you must be hungry. eat up. "

MRS. CHU tells him, turning her attention to her noodles.

everyone mixes their bowl to make sure every ingredient blends well, except for MUN who just blankly stares at his bowl.

" hey, what's with you? "

MOTAK questions him after noticing the boy didn't touch his food.

MUN lets out a sad chuckle, wiping the corner of his eyes.

JUNWON quietly observes him as he finally eats a mouthful of noodles.

" are you crying because of your leg? or is it because the noodles are too good? "

MRS. CHU attempts to lighten up the atmosphere in the room.

" i just feel bad for my parents... "

MUN's answer immediately destroying the elder woman's attempt on getting rid of the solemn air.

" have your parents passed away? "

MRS. CHU carefully asks him, not wanting to trigger or upset the boy.

" yeah. in a car accident...i heard the other driver was drunk "

the junior explains, moving his noodles around with his chopsticks.

" is that when you hurt your leg? "

MOTAK asks him as well.

" yes. "

MUN smiles at him before taking another bite of his food.

" that must've been a lot for you to handle "

MRS. CHU empathizes with the young high schooler.

" we've all been through that, MUN. all of us here have had a near-death experience. we all suffered a lot. we're all living with a wounded heart. "

she adds.

" this guy here? he lost all his memory "

she tells him, pointing her chopsticks to MOTAK.

" what? his memory? "

MUN says out of curiosity.

" my skull was crushed. apparently, i fell off a building. "

MOTAK explains to him, even adding extra hand motions.

" what? and you survived? "

the high school boy replies in shock.

" these two brought me back to life to make me work. but i wonder how this kid got his foot in the other realm. you can only reach the afterlife when you're in a coma "

MOTAK speaks, obviously talking about MUN.

" that's right. we were all in a coma once "

MRS. CHU followed.

" i was also in a coma for a month after the accident "

MUN tries to fit himself in the normal spectrum.

" that doesn't count. that was years ago. you're not in a coma now. "

MOTAK refutes his answer.

" hold on. so i just don't exist now? that happened to me too you know? "

JUNWON interrupts them, but gets ignored once again.

" when did the accident take place? "

MRS. CHU asks the boy.

" seven years ago "

MUN responds, making JUNWON look at him in surprise.

" seven years...you too, right? and JUNWON! you three were in a coma in the same year! "

MRS. CHU uses her chopsticks to point to all three of them.

" geez, what happened seven years ago? "

JUNWON thinks to herself.

" his only lasted a month, mine lasted six months. we're not at the same level "

MOTAK tries to make it seem like his was much worse.

" it was longer than a month. maybe almost two months "

MUN attempts to do the same thing.

" look at you changing your word, you punk "

MOTAK flicks his forehead, laughing at the boy's antics.

" mine lasted for about a year and a half "

JUNWON spoke, shocking MUN and the other counters ( who by the way did NOT know about that ).

" a year and a half?! goodness, what kind of accident did you get into? "

MUN asks for everyone in the room.

" well, it was a car accident as well. another vehicle crashed into the one beside ours and sent us flying. i had to get surgery due to my neck, spine, and knee injury "

the others grimaced at her words.

" my parents and younger brother had it worse though. both my mom and dad passed away because of it and my brother...he has a weak immune system and was diagnosed with leukemia 2 years before the accident. he was in a coma for almost 2 years "

JUNWON reveals to the counters, mentioning her parents and younger brother.

" i never knew about that... "

MRS. CHU mutters to herself, still speechless from the new information.

" well, i just don't think it's necessary to mention. plus, you guys already know about JUNHAN's leukemia "

the short-haired girl replies, giving the elder woman a small but kind of sad smile.

after JUNWON finishes talking, the room goes silent again.

MUN silently stares at his classmate, like he was trying to find out something about her.

for some strange reason, he thought she looked quite familiar.

he felt comfortable and safe with the girl, too comfortable and safe.

LEE JUNWON had managed to make his heart beat faster and make him smile more in such a short period of time.

it was something that SO MUN couldn't comprehend, but he weirdly didn't mind it.

in fact, he seems to enjoy her presence, more than he thinks he should.

his thoughts were broken when HANA slams her chopsticks on the table.

" i just spotted one "

she informs her teammates, everybody getting ready to leave.

at that moment, they all remembered about the newly joined member.

the counters stared at the high school boy, not knowing what to do.

" it's a level one, so i can go alone "

HANA breaks the silence, putting her arm through her sleeve.

" i'll go with you "

MRS. CHU tells the girl.

" we can clean up here, i'll walk home with MUN "

JUNWON says, making the said boy look at her.

" your leg is healed, but don't run around just yet. you have to be careful. "

MRS. CHU advices MUN, who looked like he had no idea what was going on.

" ya. "

the elder woman looks at MOTAK, non-verbally telling him to talk to her.

MOTAK and MRS. CHU end up under the table, confusing MUN even more.

JUNWON just blank stares at the two oldest counters, shaking her head in embarrassment.

" could they be more obvious that they want MUN to come with us? *sighs* "

" where is it? "

" the redevelopment area in ojin-dong "

" it'd be faster to run than drive "

" see you "

" see you later, HANA-unnie and MRS. CHU! "

then the two women were out of the shop, leaving JUNWON, MOTAK, and MUN inside.

the high school girl starts picking up the plates and utensils, while MUN goes to the door to watch the two women go out of his sight.

" what did she spot? "

MUN asks the two counters with him.

" an evil spirit "

MOTAK responds, after taking a big slurp of the noodle broth.

" what? they went to capture an evil spirit? "

the high school boy says, astonished.

JUNWON quietly listens to the two, continuing to tidy up the items on the table.

" you don't want to be a counter. that's what you said "

MOTAK spoke, picking up the bowls that JUNWON wasn't able to.

" what does "level one" mean? strong or weak? "

MUN asks them, his confused puppy eyes wanting JUNWON to melt to the ground right there and then.

" didn't you hear her saying she could go alone? "

MOTAK replied, when he was about to speak again, the younger girl beside him beats him to it.

" it's a weak one "

JUNWON continues for the older counter, receiving an offended stare from him.

" i see...then what's the highest level? "

MUN questions again.

knowing that MOTAK could answer all of the curious boy's questions, JUNWON goes in the kitchen to start washing the dishes.

she heard MOTAK and MUN talking about what happened at the gym, the older man telling the boy to throw a jab, and something breaking.

" what the heck was that? "

the girl stops working and gets out of the kitchen to see a now broken chair, scattered into individual pieces of wood.

she then looks at MOTAK, who slowly walks towards MUN.

" what do you say? want to meet an evil spirit? "

MOTAK asks the boy, opening his hand to reveal a white earbud.

" sorry, that's great and all, but i think you guys should clean this up before MRS. CHU finds out about the fact that you broke one of her chairs- "

" JUNWON! not the time- "

from JAE.

OMFG THIS CHAPTER IS LONG ASF 😭

© 𝗝𝗝𝟬𝗡𝗚-𝗢𝗦𝗧 , 𝟤𝖮𝟤𝟥