“…Damn it.”
Kang Hak-gwan clenched his jaw, glaring down at the two Books of Wishes in his hands. Honestly, he hadn’t planned on stealing them.
…Did I really not plan to?
He had always been intrigued by the Book of Wishes.
If it truly granted any wish, couldn’t it raise him to the highest seat of power? Not just a government lackey cleaning up after others, but a real decision-maker—someone who held the reins.
Ever since he was a kid, Kang Hak-gwan had a dream: to become the most powerful man in the government. He’d never said it aloud, but that was his ultimate goal. Yet no matter how hard he fought his way up, he kept hitting the same wall.
His origins.
That damned system, where bloodline mattered more than ability, had locked him out of the upper ranks. It didn’t matter how competent he was—the old families always came first. Just when he was about to give up and rot in place, that’s when he heard about the Book of Wishes.
A legendary book that could make anything come true.
If he could get his hands on it… then maybe, just maybe, he could finally have a real shot at his dream. That hope had passed through his mind more than once. And when Hwang Seol-bin unknowingly led him right to the books, all rational thought vanished.
It’s mine…!
That was the only thing left in his mind.
Up until now, he’d had no idea where the researchers were keeping the books, so he’d given up on ever getting them. But now they were finally in his possession. The desire he’d kept buried for so long exploded.
With these Books of Wishes…!
At that thought, Kang Hak-gwan bolted, nearly stumbling over his own feet. He needed to find a safe place—somewhere he could read the books in peace.
“…Huh? Honey? Why are you home so early today?”
The first place he went was home, where his wife was waiting. She and their child were sitting on the couch, looking surprised as he burst through the door in a panic. Kang Hak-gwan didn’t hesitate.
“Pack your things! Now!”
“What?”
“We’re going to the secret villa. The one I’ve been hiding. Hurry!”
He didn’t explain further, but the look on his face said enough. His wife saw the urgency in his expression and stopped asking questions. She got up and started packing right away.
“I’m ready.”
“Let’s go.”
He loaded his wife and child into the car and headed straight for the hidden villa—one no one else knew about. Just in case, he switched vehicles multiple times, wore a hat and mask, even used public transit. He moved with precision and paranoia, and after winding his way through a web of detours, they finally reached the secluded villa.
His wife turned on the TV—and instead of Hwang Seol-bin or Kang Biso, it was his face on the screen.
“Honey! What the hell is this?!”
Her face went pale as she turned to him. Kang Hak-gwan calmly stared at the TV and spoke like it was no big deal.
“It’s fine. I told you, didn’t I? With this Book of Wishes, I’ll be above all of them. There’s nothing to worry about. I can finally make my dream come true.”
“But… does it really work? Can it actually grant wishes?”
She knew how long he’d been chasing that dream. Half worried, half doubtful, she looked at him with trembling eyes. Kang Hak-gwan nodded with conviction.
“Of course it does. Just watch the kid. I’ll be in the other room, using the books to make my wish.”
The news was screaming that he was a thief, a criminal who’d stolen the Book of Wishes—but none of that mattered now. With these books in his hands, no one could stop him.
He’d always seen himself as rational, cold, and logical. This was the first time he’d acted on impulse, purely driven by emotion—but he didn’t regret it. Not one bit. Because the most coveted item in the world was finally his.
Heart pounding, he walked into the room.
He was so close now—just a few more steps, and his wish would come true. His hands trembled with anticipation.
The whole way here, he hadn’t even dared to open the books, afraid someone might see him. But now… now it was time.
He took a deep breath, then slowly pulled the two Books of Wishes from his bag and placed them on the desk. He opened the cover. If there was a specific way to make a wish, it had to be written somewhere inside.
Just as he expected, the instructions were printed on the very first page.
And as he read them, his expression slowly turned to stone.
You must gather five Books of Wishes to complete the ritual.
…Five?!
He thought two would be enough!
The news had never gone into detail, and the research facility kept everything top secret. As an Esper, he didn’t have clearance to access that kind of intel. All he’d ever heard was researchers whispering about how powerful the books were—how they could make anything come true. He thought just owning them was enough.
But it wasn’t. They weren’t complete.
That meant—
“…I need to find three more of these damn things?”
And not just lying around—completely unknown ones, hidden who knows where.
Kang Hak-gwan grit his teeth.
“Goddamn it!”
If I’d known things would turn out like this, I should’ve waited and assessed the situation first…
He’d been so desperate—afraid Hwang Seol-bin would steal the Book of Wishes and fulfill his wish before he could, or that the higher-ups in the government would snatch it away and use it for themselves. Panic had left no room for thought. The moment the book landed in his hands, he’d acted on instinct and taken it.
He never imagined that decision would come back to bite him.
Now, he was in hiding, burdened with the task of tracking down three more books—none of which had known locations.
Of course. Wishes don’t come true that easily. He’d been far too naive.
Then a memory flickered in his mind—the third Book of Wishes.
No, wait…
Didn’t Hwang Seol-bin have one? He’d taken the one that had been in their house. That meant Seol-bin definitely had at least one Book of Wishes. Maybe even more.
Maybe that’s why he’d gone to such lengths to steal the copies stored at the research institute.
But now, holed up in this remote villa… How the hell was he supposed to find Hwang Seol-bin?
Kang Hak-gwan clenched his teeth.
He was completely cornered.
***
The moment I woke up and heard the news about Kang Hak-gwan, I was speechless. I mean, I knew he might pull something, but still… That coward threw a rock, grabbed the Book of Wishes, and disappeared into thin air.
I wanted to believe he wouldn’t actually do it. But he did.
When Kang Biso told me, I couldn’t stop laughing—dry and bitter. All that smug talk, acting like he was the smartest guy in the room, and now look at him. He probably didn’t even know the truth. If he had, he never would’ve done something so unbelievably stupid.
He must’ve thought just holding the Book of Wishes would make his dreams come true. Right now, I bet he’s staring at it in total shock.
Serves him right.
“While you were recovering, Bijun dug into Kang Hak-gwan’s movements. He found something interesting.”
“…Interesting?”
I tilted my head, listening as Kang Biso caught me up on what happened while I was out. When he mentioned something interesting, I turned to him, curiosity flashing in my eyes.
I mean, everything about this was already wild—what could possibly be more interesting?
Seeing the look on my face, Kang Biso chuckled and handed me a folder. I opened it, then froze.
The face in the photo was… familiar.
“This woman is…?”
“You remember her, right?”
Of course I did. There was no way I could forget. I never forget a face, especially not hers.
She was the pregnant woman I’d rescued at the bank—the same woman who’d gifted me the third Book of Wishes.
“…Why are you showing me her photo?”
“You’re not gonna believe this, but she’s Kang Hak-gwan’s wife.”
His wife?! That pregnant woman?!
“…No freaking way.”
“Bijun found it while running a background check. Hak-gwan already ran off with his wife and kid. They’re hiding so well even the government can’t find them—but you know how smart my brother is.”
I shot Kang Biso a look. He wasn’t wrong, but the way he bragged about his little brother so openly was kind of annoying. Still, every mission we’d pulled off so far had been thanks to Kang Bijun’s plans.
He always acted all grumpy around Bijun, but it was obvious how proud he was. The smug smile on his face gave him away.
“Bijun fed the government fake intel, then used the confusion to scatter Villains across the provinces. That’s how we got the lead—she was spotted grocery shopping in a town about five hours from here. We already confirmed their residence, too.”
Wait… there are Villains stationed in the provinces?
That wasn’t mentioned in the book. I stared at Kang Biso, eyes wide. ZEC’s reach was way broader than I thought. I figured their Seoul hideout was everything, but apparently not.
Still, the important thing was this: We now had solid intel on Kang Hak-gwan.
I lit up, throwing my hand into the air.
“Then I’m going! Count me in!”
Kang Biso gave me a pained look—clearly not thrilled at the idea of dragging along someone who’d just been injured.
But my body was perfectly fine. I felt ready to run a marathon if I had to.
“…Normally, I’d say no. But since he’s alone—and we’ve got a score to settle—I’ll let it slide just this once. But you’re staying glued to me the entire time. Got it?”
“Yes, sir! I’ll stick to you like glue!”
I nodded enthusiastically, beaming.
Time to pay him back. Just remembering that punch from before still made my blood boil.
And the two Books of Wishes he stole from me? I was taking them back.
“I’ll go get Bijun. He’ll explain the plan.”
I nodded again.
Before long, there was a knock, and the door opened. Kang Bijun entered with Kang Biso behind him.
“Hwang Seol-bin-ssi. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“You better be. Hyung nearly tore the healing Espers apart to fix you up.”
I glanced at Kang Biso, who scratched his head awkwardly.
So that’s why I’d recovered so quickly. All thanks to him. My chest warmed unexpectedly.
“Alright, alright—enough heart-eyes. Every time I turn around, you two are having a moment. Let’s get back to business. We’ve got five Books of Wishes to collect, remember?”
At Bijun’s words, Kang Biso and I nodded in unison.
And just like that, the mission to reclaim the Books of Wishes began.
