★★★★★ ━━ ❪ @CH_EIGHTEEN ❫

sinwang stonemasonry...

as soon as the counters arrived at the dark stonemasonry, the four counter ran to the actual warehouse, leaving MRS. CHU to block off the entrance.

JUNWON, MUN, HANA and MOTAK stopped in front of the open warehouse, a loud operating machine greeting them.

" i can't hear a thing because of that machine "

HANA informs the oldest counter present, MOTAK tells her it's alright and commands the two youngest to be on standby as him and HANA split up to search the area.

MUN and JUNWON look around, staying alert just in case something happens.

" oh? "

JUNWON turns her head towards MUN, who had discovered the small territory nearby.

she lets out a small smile at the sight of the boy playing around with the colorful lights.

" that's cute- oh wait- what the heck? "

the short haired girl freezes, suddenly realizing what her classmate had done.

" he's controlling the territory...WHAT THE HECK??? "

JUNWON snaps out of her frozen position, only to see that MUN wasn't there anymore.

she slightly panics and immediately runs to where he previously was, frantically looking around and sighing of relief after seeing that he was just near a grill.

" MUN! don't just roam around without telling me, we have to stay together- "

suddenly, she stops in the middle of her sentence as a vision intruded her mind.

a man with blood on the floor and girl with blood on her head.

" please spare us... "

and a man with some kind of object in his hand that had blood on it.

" the evil spirit. "

the two teenagers make eye contact, knowing that they both had seen the same vision.

they hurriedly ran to the building, MUN leading both of them to it.

everything had happened so quickly, MUN had managed to stop the evil spirit from hitting the girl and JUNWON informed the other counters of their location before helping her classmate fight the monster.

the teenagers were able to temporarily capture the man, but MUN got distracted due to seeing the memory of the evil spirit killing the couple that had been missing for a year.

MUN was thrown onto a plywood and knocked down some stuff from the shelf behind it, JUNWON attempted to stop the evil spirit but it had thrown a metal object to her head, causing her to slowly lose her conciousness beside MUN who was also struggling.

" JUNWON! "

and that was the last thing she heard before darkness took over her-

" JUNWON, wake your ass up, i know that shit did not do a dent to you "

JEONGHAN's voice filled her head, making her groan.

" hey! it did hurt...i'm still human you know?! "

JUNWON stood up, trying to regain her balance, but the evil spirit had already left the scene, taking the young girl with him.

" ah shit... "

she then looked at the dazed MUN near her, the vision had clouded his mind and haunted him.

" MUN, are you okay? we can't stay here we have to go after them- "

" JUNWON, MUN! are you guys okay? we told you guys to be on standby! "

HANA arrived, immediately checking on the youngest counters before checking on the victim.

MOTAK also appeared soon, but quickly left after HANA informed him what the direction of the evil spirit went.

" he took the girl with him "

MUN told the older girl, who told him to stay there, but him being him, defied her order and ran after MOTAK.

" hey! MUN! aish... "

" don't worry HANA-unnie, i'll go with him "

" okay, just be careful "

HANA notified the older counter of the high school counters going after him, waiting for MRS. CHU to aid the victim's critical condition.

JUNWON blinked and time went by as fast she could go, MOTAK halted the evil spirit from crushing the girl under the rock with JUNWON's assistance and MUN was fighting the evil spirit as best as he could.

HANA soon helped the two counters lift the giant rock, but even with the three of them, they still struggled.

MUN was so close to having a chisel stabbed into his skull, until streaks of familar, bright and colorful light appeared.

" the territory is here! "

after feeling the surge of power, MUN escaped from the evil spirit's hold and took him down.

MOTAK, HANA and JUNWON were also able to push back the huge rock, successfully preventing it from crushing them and the young girl.

however, MUN's punches continued, his anger and adrenaline fueled him.

" what are you doing, you punk? stop that! "

" MUN, no! "

" you can't kill him! "

MOTAK pushed MUN away from the evil spirit with MRS. CHU also telling him to stop.

JUNWON and HANA tend to the young girl, checking if she was still alive and breathing.

the two turn their heads towards the trio, wanting to know what was going on.

" you. come here. "

MOTAK says to MUN, who replies with " why? is he dead? " in a shaky voice.

" what happened? "

MRS. CHU asks MOTAK, putting her hand on his arm.

JUNWON and HANA are tense as they wait for the older man's answer.

" gosh, what's taking him so long? just say it ahjussi! "

" MUN got him "

and all of them let out a sigh of relief.

" that pause was so unnecessary! made me anxious for no reason, aish... "

" you almost killed him, punk "

MUN pants, slowly collapsing to the ground.

" unnie, i'll go check on him "

JUNWON tells HANA, who nods her head and waves her off as MRS. CHU goes to check on the young girl.

" MUN-ah... "

the said boy opens his eyes, meeting JUNWON's round, dark brown gaze.

" good job, you did a good job "

the girl offers her hand for him to grab, helping him sit up and calm down.

after MUN collected himself and the counters made sure it was clear of danger, it was time for the evil spirit to be summoned to yung.

" MUN, since you caught him, you can summon them to yung "

MRS. CHU says to the teenage boy, the other counters look at him, worried about how he would react after seeing its true form.

" so there's an evil spirit in this man... "

" yes, you saw it last time "

" what will happen to him now? "

" the shell, his body, will stay here and be punished by law. you just need to summon the evil spirit in him and the souls of the people that the evil spirit ate "

the team leader explains the process to the newest counter.

" how many souls are being held captive? "

MRS. CHU asks MOTAK, him replying with two.

" i saw them too. they lived in my neighborhood. the couple who went missing on a hiking trail "

MUN tells the elder woman, who looks at MOTAK for confirmation and sighs after he nods.

" it must've been shocking "

JUNWON remembers when she had her first mission.

the evil spirit they captured was the suspect of a murder of a family, an elderly couple and their granddaughter.

it was quite shocking to her, because JUNWON personally knew the family.

they were a chinese family who had lived in korea for years, the XI couple's granddaughter, ZHOU, was visiting them for a month.

ZHOU was a great student who attended a private middle school in seoul and often visited her grandparents in jungjin.

the elderly couple lived 2 blocks away from JUNWON's own home and was close to the girl, even ZHOU became good friends with her.

so when JUNWON had heard about their deaths, she was devastated.

it angered her so much when she found out that the evil spirit was the one who murdered the sweet family she was quite close to.

she also almost killed the evil spirit, but the more experienced counters immediately stepped in and helped her cool down.

the satisfaction she felt after seeing the evil spirit getting sent back to where it belonged was huge, but the emotions she experienced when she reunited with the elderly couple and her good friend, ZHOU, were greater.

that was the day she finally decided to become a counter, a counter who saved lives, protected others and stopped evil spirits from doing more crimes.

by the time JUNWON got out of her flashback, MUN had already summoned the evil spirit and passed out.

" JUNWON-ah. "

HANA called her, she had noticed the girl was spacing out but didn't interrupt her until she knew she was done.

" o-oh...sorry "

JUNWON hurriedly stood up, dusting off her pants.

" you're okay right? "

the older girl questioned her, gently putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

JUNWON stares at her with glossy eyes, nodding her head as a response.

HANA gives her a small smile before pulling her closer towards herself.

it was rare for HANA to show her love for her fellow counters and be affectionate, but she knew that the younger girl needed that at this moment.

" alright then, let's go help the oldies figure out what to do then "

JUNWON lets out a soft chuckle, making HANA do the same.

the younger girl wraps her arm around the older girl, who surprisingly returns the gesture.

" thank you, unnie. "

afterwards, the counters had figured out a solution, MUN had woken up and received a little scolding + advice from MOTAK.

the quintet were now hiding behind a bush and a wall, watching the police and paramedics deal with the man and the victims.

HANA and MRS. CHU were explaining to MUN why the man had become an evil spirit, while still looking at the scene in front of them.

" my mom and dad were police officers too "

MUN says, making the counter turn their head towards him.

" really? "

" yes. they worked at nambu police agency. for the intellectual crime squad "

JUNWON stared at the proud smile her classmate had on his face as he boasted about his parents.

" he must be so proud of having such wonderful parents...that's so wholesome "

" what's your dad's name? "

MOTAK asks the high school boy.

" his name is mr. SO GWON "

MUN responds, formally introducing his late father.

the older man mutters something but only MUN could hear him.

" MUN, that was such a proper way to share your father's name. who taught you so well? "

MRS. CHU slightly teases the teenager, but still compliments him.

" my grandfather "

MUN's bright smile never left his face, making JUNWON smile as well.

the sirens soon moved farther away from them, meaning their job here was done.

" we're done here. let's have some rice soup on our way back "

MRS. CHU announces to the whole team.

" we have to stop by somewhere "

MUN unexpectedly tells the counters.

JUNWON tilts her head in confusion, but MUN only gives her a smile.

" where the heck does he need to go at this time? "

" you can't do that. our identity may be exposed if we intervene with the living. if we start doing favors for the deceased, they'll keep asking for more "

" i just need to share a few words with their daughter! "

" be quiet. yung won't allow it. what are you going to say? " hey, your parents died a year ago, then they finally got to the afterlife, and they have something to tell you"? "

MRS. CHU, MOTAK and MUN argue, the oldest counters not agreeing with his want to send a message to the victims' daughter.

HANA and JUNWON keep quiet, but still listen to their conflict.

" i'm going to tell her "

" sheesh. "

" what did you say? "

" she hands out flyers as she desperately looks for them! they parted without any warning, they said they had one last thing to tell her! "

" i'll go "

JUNWON suddenly says, confusing the older counters.

" why are you getting into this? "

MOTAK scolds the teenage girl.

" don't worry, MOTAK-ahjussi. we won't cause any trouble! "

JUNWON shows him her famous smile, the one she uses when she wants to convince someone.

" i said no! "

the team's leader shouts, making JUNWON's smile drop, ending the conversation.

" aish, why are you trying to get yourself involved? you know that's going to get you a warning, JUNWON "

HANA questions the younger girl, nudging her.

" i know what it feels to not be able to say a proper farewell to a loved one, that's why i want to help him "

JUNWON responds, making eye contact with the older girl before changing her gaze towards MUN, who was looking out the window.

BONUSSS ( bc yall deserve it<3 )

JUNWON was awaken from her sleep, due to MUN putting himself closer towards her.

she lets out a small smile before laying her hand on top of his own.

suddenly, a vision enters her mind.

a kid drawing in a car.

that same car getting hit by a white truck.

" they're dead. all taken care of. "

an unconcious man with blood on his head and two fingers on his neck.

JUNWON opens her eyes and catches her breath, she then looks at MUN who had his head on her shoulder.

" what the heck was that? was that boy...him? "

from JAE.

I'M BACKKKK~~~ i've decided to go with the 2nd option from that little poll i posted a few weeks ago :> i added a small bonus for this chapter bc it's been awhile since the last update ( my bad ). i hope u all enjoyed this chapter <3 please vote && comment, i worked hard on this chapter T-T

ALSO!!! ZHOU's face claim is NINGNING from aespa which unfortunately means she passes away in this story :') but here's a cute picture of them together bc i love win-ning :(( <33

© 𝗝𝗝𝟬𝗡𝗚-𝗢𝗦𝗧 , 𝟤𝖮𝟤𝟥