“Yes, I’ve got it.”
This time, unlike the previous single-use Ability Product that transformed the user into an existing person, the potion was said to randomly generate a completely new face.
“One bottle costs two hundred million won. It should last up to five hours, max. Still, it’s best to drink it right before entering the hideout.”
“Two… two hundred million?!”
Ho-eun carefully pulled the bottle out of his back pocket, gently blowing on it before clutching it tightly in his hand. A potion that cost more than two years’ salary—utterly insane.
“The car’s ready. Let’s go.”
Bae Yeon-woo wrapped up his call with the operations coordinator and strolled toward the parking garage. There, a van with heavily tinted windows—so dark that nothing inside could be seen—was already waiting.
Since the keys were already in the ignition, Do In-ho naturally moved toward the driver’s seat, but Bae Yeon-woo stopped him.
“You two stay in the back and conserve your strength.”
Still gripping the potion, Ho-eun nodded several times. In the van, an idol song was playing through a streaming app Bae Yeon-woo had left running. The high-pitched voices and bouncy tempo were upbeat, but no one was in the mood to enjoy it or even tap along.
“Hoo…”
Ho-eun exhaled shakily. Just the thought of meeting gangsters face-to-face made him tense, and remembering how he’d been completely crushed by the anti-government Espers during his first mission made his heart race even faster. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t scared. Even if he stabbed them with a knife to subdue them, their bodies would just regenerate in no time.
“……”
He recalled the handcuffs hidden inside his jacket. An Ability Restraint Device—if he could get it on an anti-government Esper, it would suppress both their powers and their natural healing. Avoiding combat was the goal. If possible, subduing them with the restraint alone was the best option.
Clunk-clunk.
The van rocked as it passed over an unpaved road, then came to a stop in an open lot.
“From here, we move separately.”
At Bae Yeon-woo’s words, Do In-ho and Ho-eun stepped out of the van and began making their way toward the hideout.
The bulb of a decrepit streetlamp flickered on and off, casting an unstable light over the two of them.
“Ho-eun hyung, let me see your hand.”
As the hideout finally came into view, Do In-ho stopped Ho-eun and pulled out a silver ring he’d prepared in advance. He took Ho-eun’s hand and slid it onto his finger.
“It’s a ring that suppresses guiding. If there are anti-government Espers inside, we’ll be exposed the moment your guiding ability activates.”
“Whoa… stuff like this exists?”
The ring fit snugly on his thumb. It felt unfamiliar—Ho-eun had never worn rings before.
“Should we drink the potion now?”
They ducked into a side alley, away from prying eyes, and pulled out their vials.
“Cheers.”
They popped the caps and clinked their bottles together as if they were fine wine. The dull thunk wasn’t exactly celebratory, but the fond look in Do In-ho’s eyes said otherwise—he found Ho-eun adorable.
Clink.
It wasn’t a glass toast, so there was no satisfying sound.
Ho-eun downed the sweet, candy-like potion in one go. It sent a rippling, bubbling sensation through his skin from head to toe, like tiny bubbles were popping just beneath the surface.
“Did it work?!”
He rubbed his face with both hands, as if trying to smear it into a new shape—but as far as he could tell, nothing had changed. Pulling out his phone and turning on the camera, he saw his own slightly paler reflection staring back.
“Huh? In-ho, my face didn’t change.”
He lowered his phone and looked at Do In-ho—who also looked exactly the same.
“What the hell! You didn’t change either! This thing costs 200 million won—did we get scammed?!”
“It’s not a scam. I think you missed this part when Assistant Manager explained it. The Ability Product only works on people who don’t already recognize the user.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means anyone who already knows what we look like will still see our original faces. But to strangers, we’ll appear completely different. So it’s fine.”
Do In-ho squeezed Ho-eun’s cheeks between his thumb and forefinger. His lips, already mid-rant, puckered even further, looking even more pouty and ridiculous.
“Uuugh.”
Ho-eun shook his head, imagining just how weird he must look now.
But there was no time left for their little antics.
The moon hung high in the sky. The mission had begun. The crushed potion vials were tossed into a nearby trash can.
***
Thump, thump, thump.
As soon as they opened the door, a blast of loud music hit them. Multicolored lights shot down from the ceiling, creating a dazzling atmosphere that made the interior look like a club.
The place was packed with people who looked like ordinary civilians, drinking and dancing near the stage.
“This is a bit much for In-ho…”
Even though he knew Do In-ho was legally an adult, Ho-eun couldn’t help but feel protective. The kid who always buttoned his shirt to the top at work—was it okay for him to be in a place like this, surrounded by half-naked partygoers? Ho-eun moved to block the stage with his body, grabbing Do In-ho’s shoulder and urging him forward.
“My eyes hurt…”
Do In-ho blinked slowly, as if the constant flashing lights were irritating. He might’ve been in dark places before, but he clearly hadn’t experienced anything this flashy.
“I’ll lead the way.”
“You’ve been to places like this?”
“Not often. Maybe once or twice for a college afterparty? But it really wasn’t my scene.”
Though he didn’t show it, Do In-ho desperately wanted to scrunch up his face. As an Esper with heightened sensitivity to sound, the pounding music felt even louder than normal—and with his guiding suppressed, he couldn’t even rely on Ho-eun’s usual calming presence.
“Hey! There’s a guy blocking the stairs over there!”
Talking in a normal tone didn’t work in here, so Ho-eun leaned in close, raised his voice, and pressed his body near Do In-ho’s. The sensory overload was immediate.
Do In-ho followed Ho-eun’s pointing, but his mind was elsewhere.
So he’s clung to other guys like this once or twice before?
The more he thought about it, the more jealous he got—imagining versions of Ho-eun from the past that he didn’t know. A faint bitterness crept in.
“In! Ho! Ya!”
“…Ah.”
Ho-eun leaned on his shoulder, breaking his name into syllables. Realizing he’d spaced out, Do In-ho quickly relaxed his brow and looked at him. Ho-eun, completely unaware of what was going through his head, pouted in frustration.
“Focus! That area looks like the Dragon’s territory.”
“…Yeah.”
Do In-ho slowly licked his bottom lip and tore his eyes away from Ho-eun’s mouth. A subtle scent brushed his nose. He knew it was just his imagination, but that didn’t stop the longing.
The two of them made their way to the stairs, where a guard was standing watch.
“Membership card.”
“Here.”
They handed over the invitation they’d received from Park Ki-hyun. The large, burly man with a protruding gut inspected it thoroughly with his thick fingers.
“Here for the goods?”
“Something like that. We were invited for a good time.”
Ho-eun shrugged nonchalantly. Their assigned roles were that of rich, foreign-returned playboys. The backstory was that they had stumbled upon Ki-hyun’s drugs and, being loaded, were handed an invitation.
Of course, Park Ki-hyun had no idea about any of this. The guard scanned them from head to toe—everything they wore screamed luxury. Sensing money, the guard grinned and stepped aside.
Descending the stairs with a calm expression, Ho-eun felt sweat soaking the back of his shirt. He’d been nervous about possibly being turned away. If that happened, they’d have had to drag the guard into a dark alley and deal with him. Luckily, it hadn’t come to that.
“Ott—look, there’s Mr. Park.”
Ho-eun referred to Do In-ho as Ott. Since using their real names was forbidden, Ho-eun went by Luca, and Do In-ho as Ott—temporary aliases for the mission.
Basement Level 1 was quieter than the upstairs club; the speaker volume was lower, and they could at least talk without yelling. A large cocktail bar sat in the center, and at it was Park Ki-hyun.
“……”
They passed right by him, but he didn’t recognize them. Confirming this, Ho-eun felt a bit lighter on his feet. Everything was going according to plan.
Most of the patrons seemed to be junkies. People slouched on sofas, holding something to their mouths, while white powder—probably remnants of whatever they’d been snorting—was scattered across the tables.
Holding his breath as much as possible in the hazy, unidentifiable air, Ho-eun peered down toward Basement Level 2.
From the first floor, you couldn’t see anything below unless you passed through a steel door. But Basement 1 and 2 were vertically connected—the open ceiling revealed the gambling den in full view.
Do In-ho took a seat at the cocktail bar, near Ki-hyun, and discreetly slid him a cashier’s check. Even with an invitation, access to the underground gambling hall wasn’t easily granted.
“Not in the mood for a drink?”
“Just something that’ll help me enjoy myself downstairs.”
Ki-hyun grinned, revealing a gold tooth. The bruises from yesterday were completely healed. After two dreamy days of rest, he was back on duty tonight, blissfully unaware of what was going on.
He handed over two glasses of whiskey and two gold chips.
“You been here before? Most people don’t just throw money at me without a word.”
Trying to cozy up to the obviously rich Do In-ho, Ki-hyun pushed conversation. The entire purpose of making the gambling den visible from above was to bait high-rolling junkies into joining.
Anyone showing interest in the games below and willing to pay the 10 million won cover—including chips and admission—would receive one of these gold chips.
“Came on a friend’s recommendation.”
“Ah, I see. Just so you know, that chip’s only worth five million won. When you get downstairs, you’ll need to pay more to exchange for chips if you wanna keep—”
Before Ki-hyun could finish, Do In-ho stood up.
One of the glasses had already been emptied while he was sitting. Dragon’s men scattered throughout the venue eyed the new guests suspiciously.
They thought these two were here for drugs, so they needed to play along. Fortunately, Espers’ bodies neutralized substances instantly—so the drugs were basically water to them.
Feigning a lazy, half-drunken swagger, Do In-ho stumbled toward Ho-eun.
“If it’s fun, maybe I’ll get more chips.”
“Sure.”
There were more guards posted along the stairs to Basement Level 2. After exchanging radio calls with Ki-hyun, they stepped aside to let the two pass.
Downstairs, despite being run by thugs, a few actual dealers were visible.
Groups of people sat around round tables, smoking and playing various games.
This is our target zone.
Ho-eun straightened his back, not wanting to look small in the sprawling underground gambling hall.
