“I don’t believe we’ve met before?”
“Ack!”
On a gentle slope, Lee Sang-jo—who had been surveying the village—leapt in surprise at the sudden voice. As the man whipped his head around, Cha Eui-sung crossed his arms, watching him.
“Who are—?!”
“That’s what I should be asking. Who are you to be lurking around the village with binoculars?”
Caught in the act, Lee Sang-jo hastily shoved his equipment back into his bag. Strangely enough, the guy didn’t seem the least bit flustered even in this situation.
“Oh, uh, I’m not some weirdo. I’m just… uh, checking out the area’s geomantic energy.”
“That sounds even more suspicious.”
“Ah… what I mean is, tsk… My mother’s not doing well, so I’ve been looking for a place where she can rest and recover. I didn’t want to bring her somewhere where bad energy might make things worse… It’s the truth! I’ve already been to a bunch of other towns. Seriously!”
A stranger in a small village. Young, well-built man. Caught snooping around with gear in hand.
That alone made him plenty suspicious—but that excuse? It had to be the dumbest one Cha Eui-sung had ever heard.
If someone else had said that, he probably would’ve backed off immediately and reported them to the authorities.
And yet, for some reason, hearing it from this guy—maybe it was because he just looked so pathetically clueless—somehow made the nonsense sound plausible.
Just the way he scratched his right jaw, then immediately mirrored the gesture on the left—it was the kind of thing you’d expect from someone who was actually into hokey crap like feng shui.
Cha Eui-sung’s face twisted in doubt for a second, then he relaxed his brows and nodded as if he understood. For a brief moment, a look flitted across his face that said, What the hell is this idiot?
“No wonder you didn’t notice me approaching. Still, don’t go creeping around villages like this. You’ll scare the elderly out of their wits.”
“Ah, y-yes, of course.”
“If Mr. Moon had seen you first, you’d already be reported. Count yourself lucky I found you.”
His tone was noticeably more relaxed now. Lee Sang-jo nodded eagerly like he understood, then froze for a second.
“Y-yes… huh? Mr. Moon?”
“Yeah. Mr. Moon. He’s the only teacher in this village. There’s a branch school nearby for the kids.”
“Wow, a branch school. I’ve heard about those, but I’ve never actually seen one in real life. That’s wild.”
He’s better at acting dumb than expected.
Then again, playing dumb was the most effective way to erase suspicion. Had he already decided Eui-sung wasn’t a threat? After exchanging a few lines, Lee Sang-jo quickly zipped up his bag and approached him, hunching his large frame slightly with a wide grin plastered on his face, trying to seem as harmless as possible.
“Still, that’s unexpected. Every other village I’ve been to barely has any young folks left.”
“Really? There are still a few here and there around this area. I think they floated the idea of some sort of smart farm support a while back? But even then, it’s not like outsiders suddenly moved in. Everyone here’s got some kind of local connection. Like, maybe their parents own land.”
“Wait, even people in their twenties?”
“Nah. At best, maybe mid-forties? The only people in their twenties around here are me and Mr. Moon.”
Dropping Moon Tae-young’s name into the conversation, Cha Eui-sung noticed Lee Sang-jo’s eyes light up. From that point on, his gaze subtly began scanning Eui-sung’s body.
“Huh. Isn’t it boring living out here at your age, when you should be out partying?”
“I’m staying with my older brother and niece in my mother’s hometown, so it’s fine. It’s Mr. Moon who has it rough. No family, no friends, and still he moved out here.”
“Ah, so he doesn’t have any family nearby…”
“Right. We’re around the same age, so we’ve had drinks together a few times, but he never really talks about himself. I don’t know much beyond that. Haha.”
“Sounds like you two hang out a lot.”
The more Eui-sung emphasized their friendship, the more Lee Sang-jo’s gaze grew subtle and probing. As they walked downhill and Eui-sung stumbled a couple of times, that gaze shifted directly to his legs.
Pale skin, like someone who didn’t get much sun. Slim wrists and ankles that didn’t match his overall frame. Lee Sang-jo maintained a composed face, but the whole time Eui-sung rambled on about the village, he could tell the guy was sizing him up, quietly poking for weaknesses.
Then a sudden realization flickered through Cha Eui-sung’s mind.
So I’m the designated victim in this one, huh.
Come to think of it, Lee Sang-jo’s victims weren’t limited to criminals. The creeping sense of being watched, scrutinized—Eui-sung had felt it before. It made the back of his head prickle.
He’d expected this guy to go after Moon Tae-young directly. But no—this asshole was playing it clever. It’s easier to deal with civilians than Awakened, after all. Maybe he planned to squeeze info from people around Moon Tae-young by intimidation—or even take a hostage?
But honestly, in a world where people toss away family without a second thought, how many would willingly give themselves up to save someone else?
…
Eui-sung suddenly found himself curious: what kind of stunt was this guy going to pull? And how far could he push Moon Tae-young before he snapped?
Playing dumb, he casually dropped more tidbits about Moon Tae-young and let a subtle smirk creep up on his lips.
***
Over the weekend, Lee Sang-jo shadowed Moon Tae-young’s every move.
Once night fell, he would head into town and stay at a motel. At daybreak, he’d hit up a few rounds of poker, earning or losing game money in the process, then make his way back into Cheongseri.
The surprising part? He didn’t bother to mask his presence like some assassin. Instead, it was as if he wanted Moon Tae-young to notice him—methodically circling around the empty branch school, then tightening his path around Moon Tae-young’s house, gradually closing in like pressure.
Somehow, he managed to avoid the eyes of the villagers, but Awakened like them could clearly feel his movements. Kim Jeong-baek caught on almost immediately and reached out.
—That guy’s from the Bureau of Regulation, isn’t he?! Are you out of your mind?! Why the hell would you call someone like that here?!
“Huh, how’d you know that?”
—Because I looked into it for you!
Naturally, Moon Tae-young had noticed Lee Sang-jo’s presence too. According to Kim Jeong-baek, despite it being the weekend, he’d gone to the branch school. Not just that—he’d wandered all around the village and even took a trip into town. This wasn’t someone with a packed schedule just wandering aimlessly.
Was he trying to confirm whether he was really being followed? Or was he hiding something he didn’t want found?
It was on the third day after Lee Sang-jo’s arrival that Cha Eui-sung finally reached out to Moon Tae-young.
[Good afternoon~ Are you busy?]
[What is it?]
A curt reply—no greeting, no small talk. Not like him at all.
Cha Eui-sung lay sprawled out on the sofa, humming a tune as he rhythmically tapped away at the screen.
[Remember when I suggested we grab a meal sometime? Just wanted to see if you were serious. If you weren’t just being polite, how about today?]
It was probably just politeness. A way to brush him off without a direct no. He knew that full well but figured it was worth a shot anyway.
[Shall we meet at your place again?]
[I’m fine with somewhere else too.]
[No, I’ll head over there. Let me know the time.]
He actually accepted?!
The same guy who’d been drawing firm lines and refusing every drink invitation for weeks?
Cha Eui-sung’s face lit up. No way this Demon King bastard suddenly missed him—so what was he after? Was he wondering if Lee Sang-jo really was tailing him? Whether other people were in on it? Whether Eui-sung himself was involved?
Whatever the reason, he’d finally gotten a reaction—something different from the usual indifference. Seemed like the extreme measure named Lee Sang-jo was starting to do its job.
“Interesting.”
Even after blowing ridiculous amounts of cash at a hotel bar, he hadn’t felt this electric buzz in his veins. He had to admit it—ever since regression, the only thing that stirred real emotion in him was Moon Tae-young.
[How about right now?]
[Right now?]
[Anytime that works for you, just come over.]
[I’ll prepare, then.]
Only after getting that confirmation did he finally spring up from the couch.
Sure, this was fun—but the playful vibe ended here. Cha Eui-sung began pacing in front of the sofa, wiping the smile clean off his face.
Bang bang—!
About thirty minutes later—
“Come in!”
At the sound of someone knocking on the metal gate, Cha Eui-sung shouted loudly. Right on cue, Moon Tae-young, who’d clearly been waiting outside, stepped into the yard.
Casual clothes, normal expression. But oddly, he was holding a clear plastic bag with two beers inside.
“Uh… are you planning to drink those?”
“No. They’re a gift.”
“……?”
Neither of them drank this kind of beer. And it wasn’t like this was his first visit—what was with the sudden ‘gift’?
Eui-sung gave him a look that clearly said, What’s your angle?—but as usual, there was no answer.
And Moon Tae-young’s odd behavior didn’t stop there.
After closing the gate and calmly walking into the yard… he suddenly froze in place, right in the middle.
“What are you doing?”
No answer. Instead, his eyes slowly drifted.
Following his gaze, Cha Eui-sung strained his ears—and caught it.
Rustle—step… Step, step…
Footsteps. Human ones. Slow and deliberate—distinct enough to pinpoint direction.
Under normal circumstances, Moon Tae-young would’ve pretended not to notice, acting unbothered. But here, he was letting his eyes very clearly track the sound, right in front of Eui-sung. And then—swish—his gaze settled squarely on him.
That’s when it hit Cha Eui-sung.
Oh. You brought Lee Sang-jo here with you. No wonder you agreed so easily.
Was it intentional? Of course it was.
Step, step, step…
As Eui-sung tuned into the sound and tried to read Moon Tae-young’s intention, the footsteps circled the house—then suddenly vanished, like smoke. He couldn’t tell whether the person had left or was simply pressed up silently against the wall, lying in wait.
Only then did their eyes meet again. In the frozen air between them, Cha Eui-sung’s face slowly hardened.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
He shot a look, silently demanding an explanation. Moon Tae-young gave a faint shake of his head. Was that a “Don’t know”? Or a “How can you not know?” rebuke?
Eui-sung signaled with his eyes for him to just come in, and Moon Tae-young finally moved. The moment he stepped inside and shut the front door with a loud click, the tension in the air began to ease just a little.
“…What’s going on?”
Eui-sung asked, sounding uneasy.
“Beats me. Some unfamiliar guy’s been roaming the village.”
“That was the footsteps just now, right?”
“Seems like it.”
He answered calmly, but his gaze remained fixed on Cha Eui-sung. There was a sliver of suspicion in his eyes—blatant, unfiltered.
Should I be annoyed by that, or impressed with his instincts?
Or maybe he just found it funny. Honestly, Cha Eui-sung couldn’t blame him.
Ever since he came down to Cheongseri, Moon Tae-young’s peaceful routine had been slowly unraveling.
An unexpected S-rank Awakened showing up out of nowhere. Loitering around the school for reasons unknown. Given his past, it was natural to assume another mess was coming his way.
But what, exactly, are you trying to suspect me of?
He’d been carefully working to erase that wariness for weeks now. Moon Tae-young wasn’t someone easily fooled, but Cha Eui-sung figured his guard had finally started to waver.
After all, the Savior Gauge was already at 22%. The System had even popped out to personally congratulate him—so the trust level had to be considerable by now.
And despite always hovering nearby with that shady aura, Cha Eui-sung seemed, strangely enough, like someone with cracks in his armor.
His constant sidestepping in conversation might be annoying, but he’d likely concluded it came from evasiveness, not malice.
Sometimes he was out of the house for long stretches… but it didn’t seem suspicious. A strip of medication packets lay haphazardly at the corner of the kitchen table. No instructions. Not even a pharmacy name—just a blank envelope.
Maybe Moon Tae-young suspected that’s why he disappeared regularly.
That’s the setup, anyway. So stop glaring at me and focus on questioning your own behavior.
