New city, new temporary hideout. Maybe the old man has good taste after all. Sejeong comes back from a night of patrolling, tired and worn out. The others are still wrapping up some minor inconveniences. Maybe a long shower would be nice, she thinks to herself.

 

Except being in her line of duty doesn't always mean she can always get what she wants.

 

"Great," she says with a sigh.

 

Colorful beams of light spew out of the ground and right into the sky, and visions start appearing. Sejeong closes her eyes, sharpening her senses to see an evil spirit nearby. It has entered Yung's territory.

 

"These bastards are just crawling everywhere," she grumbles. Sejeong presses her comms. "Level one in our apartment building. I got it."

 

"Okay. We're just rounding up a few over here," Mo-tak says, his voice tinny over the speakers.

 

They have only been here for a couple of nights and Seoul has proven to be one of the more annoying cities. So many people, so many chances of finding evil inside them. Prime targets of possession everywhere.

 

Lucky for her, this particular evil spirit is very close by. It's taken a man as its host, young adult with a black mask and a dark hoodie that just about covers the top of his face. The victim looks to be a young woman, back turned as she briskly walks into a close run through the hallways upstairs.

 

211, 213, 215— Sejeong sprints past the door numbers she recognizes from her vision.

 

There. That's the one.

 

The man has the victim pinned on the wall, her face is obscured by the big frame of her attacker. Looks like she got here on time. The adrenaline in her system forces her to focus on the enemy first. With a click of her small device, Sejeong turns the cctv off.

 

She pushes the man off with a well aimed kick, making him hit the wall with a loud crash. . Sejeong looks around, noting all the doors on the floor to still be closed.

 

"At least these cold hearted Seoulites don't care much about their neighbors." The old man really knew what he was doing when he picked this place.

 

Sejeong walks towards the man with strength on her steps. No one gets away with assault on her watch, attempted or otherwise. Evil spirits, after all, will only posses those who already are evil on the inside.

 

It's an easy, clean fight. After everything that happened in Jungjin, level one barely fazes her anymore. Sejeong has gotten much stronger now, too.

 

She lands a calculated punch on the man just enough to get him unconscious. Now for the hard part. Sejeong glances back to check on the victim and sees familiar looking eyes staring back at her. That face. It couldn't be.

 

Memories climb like electricity to , her tongue heavy with things best left forgotten. And she thought Jungjin was a small world. Still, a name she hasn't said in so long rises like a whisper of a time long since past.

 

"Seungwan."

 

 

 

 

 

Sejeong sits on the leather couch in an expensive looking apartment that's even bigger than theirs. Figures. Seungwan has always had good taste.

 

The man is still passed out from the exorcism she performed earlier. Seungwan has been gracious enough to offer her place for Sejeong to safely do her thing, even without knowing what exactly is going on. She hasn't changed at all.

 

"Sorry, I haven't exactly done my groceries yet." Seungwan places a slice of cake and some barley tea on the coffee table. 

 

This isn't anything new. She could be serving an entire roasted duck and she would still apologize for only having that to offer. Son Seungwan, ever the hospitable host.

 

"Thanks," Sejeong says, voice calm though her insides feel like she's stepped on a livewire after being tossed into the ocean.

 

Seungwan sits next to her. Not too close but not too far either, hands wriggling on her lap. She opens and close , an internal debate seemingly occurring inside that smart little head of hers. It's endearing, almost.

 

"Just ask," Sejeong tells her. Then, adds in barely a mumble, "Not like you'll remember any of this later anyway."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

The other girl's eyebrows scrunch at that. Expressive, just like her. Just like Sejeong remembers.

 

"Is that really what you want to ask?"

 

Sejeong pretends she doesn't see how Seungwan's eyes dart for a second at the smirk on her lips from her playful counter. Seungwan huffs, then somehow, releases a mirthless chuckle.

 

"I don't know," she says. "The last I heard from you was before..."

 

It's not something Sejeong wants to talk about yet so she appreciates Seungwan stopping herself. They both know what she was about to say. Seungwan still knows her enough to not say anything.

 

"I was in coma, you mean."

 

Seungwan gladly takes the out, looking a little more relaxed than she was before thought her back is still ramrod straight.

 

"How are you?"

 

It's this, little things like the tone of her voice and the genuine look in her eyes that makes Sejeong miss her the most.

 

They knew each other. At least until Seungwan had to move away. Seungwan with the expressive eyes and overall bright personality who dressed herself in jeans and Sejeong's hoodies. She had passed her auditions. Sejeong cheered her on.

 

She looks at this Seungwan now, perfect make up and sponsored clothes that fit her in the best ways. She always had been pretty.

 

"I'm doing well," Sejeong says. Because she is, considering everything. Seungwan shouldn't have to worry about her.

 

It's quiet, and not the usual quiet they used to share. This one is awkward and heavy with things unsaid. She can see Seungwan fidgeting in her seat, clearly uncomfortable.

 

"I go by Wendy now," she says, taking the weird air head on as she does everything else. It comes out stilted and Seungwan's face cringes at her own words but it works. It pulls a small smile on Sejeong's face.

 

"I know."

 

A well kept secret. No one would believe Sejeong follows the idol world, which works to her advantage. But that's not the entire truth either. She's only watched Seungwan, after all. Just Seungwan.

 

"So what have you been up to, lately?" Seungwan presses on. "I mean, aside from... that," she adds, eying the unconscious man splayed on the fround with his arms and legs tied up.

 

"Sorry about that. My team will be here to take care of him in a bit," Sejeong tells her.

 

"Team?"

 

"Counters. We kind of hunt akgwi sometimes. They're evil spirits who possess murderers and helps them kill more people."

 

"And you... is this how you make a living?"

 

"No. We just sell noodles, mostly."

 

Maybe it's the reassurance of being able to wipe out Seungwan's memories of this later, or the fact that they can still hold a conversation without talking. Maybe Sejeong just needs someone to confide to about everything else in her life.

 

Maybe it's Seungwan's eyes, always genuine and kind that compels her to trust her a little more.

 

It's a lot to take in. Sejeong can see that in the way Seungwan goes quiet. Earlier, Sejeong performed an exorcism to send the evil spirit to Yung while Seungwan hovered around and waited for her to come back, silently panicking at her unmoving physical state. It's a good thing it didn't take too long, too.

 

Sejeong silently pours out some tea on Seungwan's glass and presses it into her hands. Seungwan takes it graciously, fingers cold as it brushes along Sejeong's own.

 

"Sorry, I'm a little," she says, pauses into a sigh as she reorganizes her thoughts. "It's not everyday I find out that my ex girlfriend hunts demons as a side job."

 

"It's not everyday I get to say I saved my ex girlfriend from her stalker either," Sejeong says, a smirk playing at the edge of her lips.

 

Seungwan laughs. It's not loud but it's her first real one tonight. The sound tingles something pleasant inside Sejeong and she feels proud of herself.

 

"You're doing something so dangerous. I honestly don't know how to feel about all this."

 

She's not sure if Seungwan means her job or everything else.

 

"I've been doing this for years now," Sejeong says instead.

 

It's subtle but she can tell Seungwan deflates from hearing this information. She's leaning on the backrest now, lips bitten as she taps at the glass on her hand.

 

"Seungwan," she calls her. Waits until she looks up, too. "Maybe it's easier to think of it as playing kingdom superhero. Remember how we used to play that made up game a lot back then?"

 

Seungwan shakes her head but a hint of a smile betrays her expression. "You were the worst princess."

 

Sejeong rolls her eyes playfully. "I told you I wanted to be a flying martian."

 

"Yeah but how else was i supposed to play super prince charming if you're not my princess?"

 

Seungwan has that same teasing smile, that same curve in her eyes that has everyone falling to their knees with hearts on their palms as an offering. Sejeong is no exception, even after all these years.

 

"Shut up," she says. Seungwan only laughs heartily.

 

There's a beep in her comms and Sejeong has to turn away, rip herself off forcefully from the mesmerizing sight. A wake up call.

 

"So Mun," she responds. "Room 221. He's tied up."

 

Seungwan looks at her curiously. Sejeong reconfirms her location before shooting her a reassuring smile.

 

"My team's on their way." She points at the still unconscious man on the floor. "We'll have that guy taken care of. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

 

Sejeong stands up to check on the guy again only for Seungwan's hand to shoot out to grab at her shirt. Normally, ever since she became a counter, she would have acted on instinct and thrown her into a wall.

 

She doesn't. Sejeong grabs at her instincts with fists white, kicking them back inside and far away. As far as they can be from Seungwan.

 

"Sejeong," she says. "You're leaving?"

 

How cruel, Sejeong thinks. She remembers those exact two words as clear as day. It was her who said it back then, after all. The same words, the same sad tone, but the circumstances are different.

 

"I have to," she says. Just as Seungwan said before, too.

 

The hand grabbing at her shirt retreats, weakly falling to the owner's side with resignation. That, too, hasn't changed.

 

 

 

 

 

Sejeong nurses a glass of cold water in their temporary apartment's island counter. She can't sleep. Erasing Seungwan's memory of their meeting felt like resetting a dislocated shoulder. Painful, but necessary.

 

The team had arrived not long after she's put Seungwan to bed. They had then taken the stalker to the police station and dealt with it as they usually did. Easy.

 

She watches the condensation trickle down until its inevitable fall into the pooling wetness at the base.

 

The thing is, she could have kept some parts of Seungwan's memories and just take away the parts when she talked about her life being a Counter. But even if she did that, it's not like it's going to change anything.

 

Seungwan, Wendy, is a celebrity. Sejeong hunts evil spirits around the country. It's never going to work out.

 

The lights from the adjoined living room switches on and Ms. Choo walks towards her in her pajamas, her gray hair in disarray.

 

"Hana, you're not going to sleep?" she asks.

 

That's another thing, too. Seungwan isn't the only one who uses another name. 

 

"I was about to," she tells her.

 

The older woman pours herself her own glass of water and sits right across Sejeong. She has that look again, the one she usually uses on their youngest team member when she's about to go all motherly.

 

"About earlier," she says gently, knowing Sejeong would rather be anywhere than this conversation, "I saw you look back on the bedroom door."

 

"It's nothing," Sejeong says like gag reflex. Ms. Choo doesn't buy it.

 

"Who was she?" the older woman presses on.

 

And Sejeong knows she's not asking for her identity. It's more personal. Sejeong feels a little exposed.

 

"Hana," the older woman says. "I just want you to make peace, too. No matter how big or small it is about, I just want you to have your peace."

 

Sejeong understands this, too. They've worked so hard, risked so much. She least she could do is give back that trust that has been afforded to her.

 

"My ex girlfriend," she says, her voice near whisper at the admittance.

 

"Oh!" Ms. Choo's eyes light up, her excitement palpable in the quiet. Then, seeing Sejeong's expression, dials down. "Was it a bad breakup? Should I give her a piece of my mind?" she asks worriedly.

 

"No, we're on good terms," she tells her.

 

"Then why do you look like you kicked a puppy?"

 

It's not too far off. That image manages to put a smile on Sejeong's face. Seungwan does look like a puppy at times.

 

"I know it's for the better but erasing her memories felt like breaking up all over again."

 

Ms. Choo looks like she has a lot of questions to ask but for Sejeong's sake, she holds herself back.

 

"You know," she says, "it's not forbidden for a Counter to date."

 

Sejeong shakes her head, a sad smile playing at downtrodden lips.

 

"Seungwan's the type to worry. With our line of work... I can't give her that much heartache."

 

They could die anytime, she didn't have to say out loud. Ms. Choo understands her well enough. She finishes off her glass.

 

"The world is too cruel. Giving us second chances only to take it back again. What a cruel thing to do," the old woman mutters.

 

At least they get to be alive again, Sejeong thinks. Even if they dance at the brink of death in return, at least they get to be alive again.

 

"Oh, Mo-tak said it would be better for that girl to move away. Somewhere safer," says Ms. Choo.

 

"I'll have So Mun leave a note."

 

"An anonymous tip right after she got stalked? You're crazy."

 

She does have a point. Scaring off Seungwan's agency into making her move is not an option either. The people in Yung doesn't approve of meddling with human lives.

 

Ms. Choo taps at the table to get her out of her head. "You should talk to her. Not as a Counter but as someone she can trust."

 

When Sejeong doesn't say anything, Ms. Choo adds, "At least give yourself that."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sejeong bumps into her the next morning. If you could call it that. It's not a chance meeting by any means. Sejeong waited for Seungwan to notice her by walking around the grocery store she had seen her walk into.

 

"You're Sejeong," she says, eyes wide with a million expressions.

 

"Seungwan."

 

Seungwan's mouth opens and closes, visibly hesitant and confused. For her, last night didn't happen. All this Seungwan knows is that she got chased by a weird man and somehow woke up in her bed this morning, unscathed.

 

"This is a surprise," Seungwan finally says when she means a million other things.

 

Sejeong raises her hand, offering to push the cart and help with the groceries. Seungwan's eyes dart to Sejeong's sincere ones then to the offered hand. Sighing, she steps back and smiles.

 

"Only because you're tall enough to grab some things for me from the shelves," Seungwan says.

 

They walk around the aisles but the quiet isn't suffocating this time. Seungwan points at the things she wants and Sejeong gets it for her, their bodies reacting to an old choreographed routine they don't exactly remember with their heads.

 

Seungwan sneaks a stare at her a lot, she notices. The other girl is gifted in everything else but the art of subtlety. She acts like she's not looking but Sejeong notices. She's always noticed Seungwan.

 

"I'm okay now," Sejeong tells her. "In case you wanted to know."

 

Seungwan pauses from picking which brand of kimchi to buy, back frozen as if she had been caught. Which, she has. Sejeong places a hesitant hand on frigid shoulders, relaxing when Seungwan doesn't flinch.

 

"Want to get coffee after this?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

They don't get coffee but Seungwan does invite her over. Sejeong naturally helps her carry the groceries without needing to be asked.

 

The place is just as she remembers it to be from last night. This time, Seungwan serves her a bowl of spicy shrimp crackers and a glass of cola. She still apologizes. Sejeong takes it in stride.

 

"I didn't even notice you buying this," Sejeong remarks, picking up a piece and taking a bite.

 

"I remember you liked them," Seungwan simply says. She wouldn't be Seungwan otherwise.

 

She sits next to Sejeong now, shoulders barely an inch apart that they almost brush against each other. Seungwan breathes out once before turning to look at her.

 

"There's a lot I want to ask but mostly, I just want to know how you're doing," says Seungwan.

 

Sejeongs smiles at her, hoping to convey her sincerity as much as she can.

 

"I'm doing well, honestly."

 

Seungwan chews at her lip, a habit she can't break. Sejeong cups her face tenderly, thumb pressing at familiar chin in a soft brush until Seungwan eases her lip free from her teeth.

 

"This isn't quite the reunion you imagined?" Sejeong says teasingly.

 

Seungwan shakes her head, detaching from the heat of Sejeong's palm which quietly retreats back to the owner's lap.

 

"Could use more flowers," she grins, latching on to the offered thread.

 

Sejeong smiles too.

 

"I thought you'd be getting those by the dozen, superstar."

 

The remark makes Seungwan scrunch her face, then a few small chuckles. Sejeong already knows which memory she's recalling, even if Seungwan hasn't told her yet. Counter abilities and all.

 

"Not always a good thing," Seungwan says.

 

It's so her to not disclose anything. Though Seungwan is honest and open, she's different when it comes to things that trouble her personally. Even now, it's concerning how much pain she keeps to herself instead of asking for help.

 

Seungwan may be stubborn but Sejeong isn't one to yield easily either. Especially when she's here for  a reason.

 

"Did anything happen?" she asks.

 

There's hesitation there, but also a brush of familiarity. Seungwan is well aware Sejeong will pry her troubles out of her one way or another, no matter how much she tries to dodge it.

 

Sejeong remembers the audition again, how Seungwan acted strangely around her the entire day. It wasn't anything serious at first. She had onlyndone it for fun. After all, she and Sejeong had college plans for their futures.

 

Then she passed and suddenly, being a singer became more of a possibilty. A dream she could almost touch. She couldn't tell Sejeong, guilty of wanting something that the other girl isn't a part of.

 

But of course, Sejeong got her to talk.

 

She was supportive and understanding. Sejeong became everything that Seungwan could ever ask for. She didn't know how that was what Seungwan dreaded the most.

 

"Do you remember when we were kids," Seungwan eventually says, "how you always made fun of me because i couldn't stand spicy food?"

 

She does. Vividly.

 

"Where's this line of thought going?" Sejeong says, voice gentle but also curious.

 

Seungwan shakes her head. "Nowhere. Just a memory."

 

"I used to annoy you all the time," Sejeong fondly remembers.

 

"You meant well," Seungwan answers, mirroring her smile. "And you always understood me the best. Otherwise, you wouldn't know how to push all my buttons."

 

Recognition. A confirmation of safety. Sejeong lets Seungwan's eyes wander, waits for her trust patiently while she's being scrutinized. In the past, she would have at least reached for Seungwan's hand.

 

She won't lie. She does miss what they used to be. But that was then. They're adults now with big decisions and different responsibilities.

 

It takes some time when Seungwan finally reaches her conclusion. Her gaze is steady and sure.

 

"I've been receiving very weird things recently," she tells Sejeong.

 

"Weird how?"

 

"Letters and text messages that more than invades my personal space kind of weird."

 

"Isn't that the usual for celebrities?"

 

Seungwan shakes her head. "On of my managers found a hidden camera on one of the flower bouquets before. Now, they just throw them all out in the trash."

 

Sejeong has seen this memory too when she had her hand on Seungwan's face earlier. It took a lot on her to keep herself still and not give in to the surge of anger that loomed to take over.

 

"Last night, too," Seungwan continues. "A guy followed me inside this building and..."

 

"And?" Sejeong prompts.

 

"That's just it. I don't remember what happened next," she says, frustration clear on her face. "All I know is I woke up in my bed this morning."

 

"Isn't that a good thing?"

 

"No, Sejeong. What if I'd been drugged? What if that's the reason why I can't remember?"

 

She hates seeing her so distressed. Knowing Seungwan, she's already imagined all the worst case scenario and still probably thinking of what could go even more wrong. She knows Seungwan is about to spiral.

 

There's nothing more that Sejeong wants to do now than gather Seungwan into her arms and tell her everything will be okay. Maybe she can give herself this, too.

 

Seungwan molds her body into hers, easing immediately into that familiar comfort. Sejeong pats her back gently.

 

"If you don't feels safe here, maybe you should find a new place?" she suggests.

 

This is what she's here for, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes a couple more days to track and take down their big bad in Seoul. Sejeong has not seen Seungwan since then. At least the singer heeded her advice and actually moved somewhere else.

 

"All packed?" Mo-tak says, brave enough to bump her in the shoulder now that he knows she won't wrestle her to the ground for it.

 

"There's not much to pack," she tells him.

 

Their life on the road requires minimal things to take with them. Their sponsor is always generous anyway. They can always buy what they need as long as it's Counter related.

 

"I heard about your girl," Mo-tak grins conspiratorially as if it's a secret nobody else but him knows.

 

"Shut up, sunbae," she says.

 

"Oh come on," he whines. "At least give me a chance to tease you."

 

"No," she says with finality, holding back a grin from his rare childishness.

 

Sejeong walks towards the car with her bag in tow and a pestering Mo-tak behind her.

 

"Is she cute? Pretty? As scary as you?"

 

Ignoring him would be the best idea but unfortunately, So Mun hears them all the way inside the car and joins in on the fun.

 

"Are we talking about noona's girlfriend?" he grins excitedly. As if he didn't have the hots for Sejeong before.

 

"Ex girlfriend," she corrects. "And it's none of either of you both's business."

 

"Ooooh, must be a bad breakup," Mo-tak teases.

 

"Ah, I knew noona was a heartbreaker," So Mun happily adds on, hands over his heart and face skewed in dramatic pain.

 

Sejeong throws her bag at So Mun before climbing up to sit next to him. Mo-tak laughs before getting into the driver's seat. Ms. Choo has herself peering over the passenger's seat to also grin teasingly at her.

 

"How did it go?" she asks.

 

This conversation may be happening but Sejeong will be damned if she lets it drag on.

 

"I got her to move out and we said our goodbyes," she says.

 

"Oh come on, that's all? No juicy details?"

 

"Ms. Choo!" Sejeong exclaims.

 

"Yeah, there's a child in the car!" Mo-tak adds with a snicker, followed by an indignant denial from self proclaimed almost-adult So Mun.

 

"What? You can't honestly say you didn't miss her! Things can happen," Ms. Choo says.

 

It's all chaotic noise after that.

 

Ms. Choo was right. About missing Seungwan, that is. Sejeong misses a lot of things from her past. But she's here now. 

 

Sejeong watches all of them, her new life and family, and understands that missing something isn't the same as wanting it back.

 

.