Part 1 of Finding My Pair had come to an end. The final confirmed cast members for Part 2 were Min Yu-hyun and Beom Do-il. The two filmed separately, and the remaining contestants returned to their everyday lives.
While still shooting PairBorn, Min Yu-hyun had continued his efforts to uncover the true purpose behind the Research Institute and the Central Bureau. Hyun Tae-oh, on his end, had been moving busily to protect both Kang Chi-yu and Catdog in his own way.
Then one day, the classified missions that had always gone to Min Yu-hyun and Hyun Tae-oh were suddenly handed to Yoon Do-jae and Kang Chi-yu. Both were surprised, but they followed orders without question. After all, it came from above. Catdog, who had recently become practically glued to Chi-yu’s side, came along too.
Their mission was to collect a sample from a mutant beast that had appeared in H-Zone. It wasn’t a kill order, so it made sense that it went to Yoon Do-jae. But pairing a B-rank Guide like Kang Chi-yu with him—rather than an S-rank—was enough to raise suspicion.
H-Zone wasn’t a region where Gates typically opened, but it also wasn’t an area inhabited by civilians. To put it bluntly, it was just mountains. More charitably, it was a pristine, undeveloped zone.
Using the coordinates they were given, Yoon Do-jae teleported with Kang Chi-yu. Hyun Tae-oh had once made Yoon Do-jae swear not to touch Chi-yu during teleportation. So, in typical Yoon Do-jae fashion, he honored that promise.
He held Catdog between them while they jumped, concerned that the motion might make Chi-yu nauseous. But thanks to the preemptive measures Hyun Tae-oh had taken using his Esper ability, Chi-yu wasn’t affected in the slightest—he didn’t even need to stay close to Do-jae—and offered a calm smile to show he was fine.
The coordinates had dropped them at the foot of a trail leading up into the mountains. Before they knew it, the two were hiking. As they climbed the steep path, Yoon Do-jae used his wind ability to lighten Chi-yu’s steps and make the ascent easier.
Catdog fluttered beside them on tiny wings, sometimes perching on Chi-yu’s shoulder, sometimes on Do-jae’s, whenever it got tired.
Chi-yu checked his tablet, tracking the mutant’s location and helping guide their movements.
“Is it normal for classified missions to come with such vague coordinates?”
He asked out of the blue. It seemed ridiculous to make them walk from the trailhead when they could’ve teleported directly to the target’s location.
He knew it wasn’t Do-jae’s first classified mission, but the question was more about venting his frustration with how the higher-ups handled things.
“Good point. Maybe it’s because they don’t want the coordinates to be traceable.”
“Hmm… I guess that makes sense.”
“I doubt even Esper Hyun Tae-oh or Guide Min Yu-hyun were ever given exact coordinates either.”
“Ohh.” Chi-yu nodded.
They continued deeper into the dense forest. Eventually, the tablet lit up with red dots blinking on-screen—they’d reached the target area.
Yoon Do-jae instantly summoned his wind powers to both hands, ready for battle. Chi-yu put away the tablet and gathered Catdog in his arms.
“They told us not to kill it, so I’ll focus on avoiding confrontation while collecting the sample. Guide Kang, please stay inside the barrier.”
“Got it.”
“And just in case, don’t let go of Catdog.”
“Understood.”
Yoon Do-jae began scanning the area using his wind affinity to detect the beast’s presence. As soon as he locked onto it, he and Chi-yu headed in that direction.
The narrow path through the woods opened up into a vast clearing. At the center stood a massive object—shaped like a beehive.
It looked somewhere between a hive and a tree, but didn’t resemble any known mutant beast.
Yoon Do-jae’s eyes scanned the area for threats. He raised a defensive barrier around Chi-yu and Catdog.
“Catdog, you okay?”
Catdog whimpered and tried to bury its face deeper into Chi-yu’s chest. It seemed terrified of the beehive-like structure looming in the center of the clearing.
Yoon Do-jae added two more layers of barrier around them, creating a triple shield. Then he took off toward the hive to collect the sample.
That’s when it happened.
Just as Do-jae flew toward the structure, its head extended in a blur—like a whip—and lashed out toward Kang Chi-yu.
Before Do-jae could even react, the structure lunged forward and swallowed both Chi-yu and Catdog whole.
It had happened in an instant. The triple barrier had done nothing.
Yoon Do-jae launched a furious counterattack on the hive-like creature, aiming for the now-retracting neck.
[KIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEK!!]
A deafening screech erupted from the creature’s core. The severed end of its appendage withered like a dying branch and dropped to the ground. The creature’s main body curled in on itself, twisting tightly as if bracing for further attacks.
Yoon Do-jae clenched his fists, pulling as much power as he could into his hands. He had to cut into the creature—without harming Chi-yu or Catdog trapped inside.
Just then, his earpiece buzzed. It wasn’t Hyun Tae-oh. It was the Central Bureau Chief.
“Yes?”
– Leave the mutant as it is. Come to my office. Now.
The Chief’s voice was calm—like he’d been watching everything.
“But Guide Kang Chi-yu has been swallowed!”
Yoon Do-jae shouted in alarm.
The Chief replied that Chi-yu was alive and safe—completely unharmed—and urged him not to worry. He guaranteed it personally.
It was absurd. But something about the way the Chief spoke—the way it felt like he’d been observing everything from the start—made Yoon Do-jae hesitate.
He exhaled slowly, nodded, and turned away.
“Understood. I’m on my way.”
He clicked off the mic, scanned the clearing one last time, and teleported out.
He arrived in the First Division lounge, then quickly slipped into a bathroom and contacted Hyun Tae-oh through his mic.
The Bureau Chief had taken his time deciding which Esper to assign this task to.
The candidate had to be strong, bound to orders, and capable of working closely with Chi-yu. Three were considered. Yoon Do-jae was chosen because he was, above all, obedient.
They’d worried his connection to Chi-yu—formed during the show—might interfere. But clearly, they had underestimated him.
What they didn’t know… was what Kang Chi-yu and Catdog truly meant to Yoon Do-jae.
Do-jae passed Hyun Tae-oh the full situation and the coordinates. Hyun Tae-oh immediately restrained the mutant beasts he’d been fighting, then teleported to the site.
The hive-beast, barely damaged by Do-jae’s attack, was shredded to ribbons by Hyun Tae-oh’s blitz.
Without wasting a second, he used his shadow ability to extract part of the creature’s shell and stored it in a sample case. He couldn’t help it—it was instinct.
The beast thrashed wildly, a distorted roar tearing from its body. And in the opening—beneath the shredded layers—they saw it:
A translucent pod. Inside, Chi-yu lay asleep, cradling Catdog in his arms.
Hyun Tae-oh scanned the pod with his eyes, assessing its thickness and density. Then, using precise force, he cracked it open—just enough to avoid harming Chi-yu.
The hive-beast let out a piercing screech, thrashing harder, desperate to keep its captive. But it was no match for Hyun Tae-oh.
The pod collapsed like jelly, falling to the ground. Chi-yu and Catdog, still unconscious, slid safely into Hyun Tae-oh’s arms.
Even then, the hive-like creature didn’t attack him. It had no offensive capabilities. It was clearly a non-aggressive mutant.
***
Yoon Do-jae entered the Bureau Chief’s office with a deliberately grave expression. He wanted answers—and he wasn’t going to let this go.
To him, this was his best performance yet.
The Chief explained that everything was for the greater good—both for the Bureau and the nation.
“There’s no need to worry about Guide Kang Chi-yu. That mutant isn’t hostile to humans.”
“Then why did it swallow him?”
“I can’t give you the full details. They’re classified, even for you.”
“I was on the mission. I saw my partner get swallowed. I need to know everything.”
“I said it’s classified.”
“You said this was for the good of the country and the Bureau. So why hide it?”
“Because national security is at stake. The more important the mission, the more tightly it’s sealed.”
“That may be true for the public. But I was on the ground. I saw it happen. I deserve the truth.”
The Chief stared him down. Yoon Do-jae might’ve been rigid and inflexible—FM to the core—but when something didn’t sit right with him, he never let it go.
The Chief had known that. He’d hesitated to pick him for this reason.
He was confident Do-jae wouldn’t leak anything. But if the truth upset him enough to go to the World Peace Committee… it could be disastrous.
So he held his tongue.
Then the phone rang. The moment he answered, the Chief’s face twisted in fury.
“What?! That’s impossible!”
He shot a glare at Yoon Do-jae.
Do-jae remained blank-faced, but inside, he thought: Looks like Hyun Tae-oh got Chi-yu out safely.
The Chief slammed the phone down.
“Did you contact Esper Hyun Tae-oh?”
“Me? Why would I contact him?”
The acting was flawless.
The Chief stared hard, trying to read him.
According to their surveillance, Do-jae had teleported straight to the First Division’s lounge and entered the bathroom.
Could he have called from there? But the only recorded mic connection was the Chief’s own.
There were Espers who could manipulate frequencies, but Yoon Do-jae wasn’t one of them. He was wind-type.
So… maybe he was innocent.
The Chief sighed.
“Esper Hyun Tae-oh might’ve abducted Guide Kang Chi-yu.”
“…What?”
Do-jae widened his eyes, feigning shock. Even he thought it was a bit much.
But the Chief, already rattled, didn’t notice.
“This is an emergency,” he muttered to himself.
He grabbed the phone and pressed a speed-dial. With Do-jae still standing right there, he barked into the receiver,
“Search Hyun Tae-oh’s house immediately! Guide Kang Chi-yu might be there!”
Do-jae’s eyes glinted faintly.
