Kang Hak-gwan’s nerves were frayed to the breaking point.
As soon as his wife stepped back into the villa, he erupted.
“Where the hell have you been?!”
“…Honey.”
“I told you it’s dangerous out there!”
“Honey, we still need to eat. There’s nothing in this villa. I just went out to get some groceries.”
Her calm reply only darkened his expression. Of course there wasn’t going to be any food here—they’d escaped in a rush, without any preparation. Come to think of it, aside from a few snacks, they hadn’t had a single proper meal since arriving.
“…If you have to go out, always wear a hat and a mask. My face is already out there, which means yours probably is too. You don’t want to watch me get dragged away in cuffs, do you?”
“…Sigh… I know, okay? I’m always careful. Calm down, honey. Don’t worry so much. I understand how serious things are. I’m being cautious too.”
Even with her soft, measured tone, Kang Hak-gwan couldn’t shake the anxiety clawing at his chest. He was terrified something might happen to her. And yet, the only way he knew how to express that fear was by lashing out. He hated himself for it.
This entire mess was his fault. He felt nothing but guilt toward her—but even saying sorry felt like a luxury now. He didn’t have the time or room for regret. What mattered was finding a way out—for her.
He clamped his mouth shut, biting back another wave of frustration.
It’s suffocating… I’m going crazy here.
He’d always been the one doing the chasing—he had no idea how agonizing it was to be the one on the run. Every moment felt like he was drowning.
“You okay, honey? You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine.”
Brushing off her worried gaze, Kang Hak-gwan turned and headed back into his room. He already knew.
…How do I get to Hwang Seol-bin?
That was the only thought swirling in his mind now. If he could just collect the remaining volumes of the Book of Wishes, he could finally make his wish. That was the only way to undo this nightmare—to stop being fugitives and take back control.
Once that wish came true, the government would be in the palm of his hand. He’d have real power. His wife and child would live in glory at his side.
Yes. It was possible. He could do it.
If he could just steal the Book of Wishes from Hwang Seol-bin and find the rest, there was still hope.
But no matter how much he tore at his hair or ran in circles in his mind, there was nothing he could do right now. Absolutely nothing. His only sliver of hope was for Hwang Seol-bin to come looking for him first.
Damn it… I’ve really sunk this low…
“Oh my! What are the odds…?!”
Just as he sat in his room flipping through the Book of Wishes, agonizing over his next move, noise suddenly broke out outside.
Did someone show up?
Kang Hak-gwan’s brows furrowed. He’d told his wife to keep a low profile. But knowing her—so friendly, so warm—she’d probably made some local acquaintance already.
Her excited voice echoed all the way to his room. Even if it was just a neighbor, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of trouble. He stepped out, ready to scold her again—but the moment he saw who was standing at the front door, his entire body froze.
“Oh, is this your husband?”
“Yes, that’s right. Honey, these are the people who helped me during that bank robbery incident a while back. I had no idea they lived in this neighborhood. They saved my life… don’t you think we should at least offer them something to drink?”
Kang Hak-gwan couldn’t say a word.
Standing at his door, smiling like old friends, were none other than Hwang Seol-bin and Kang Biso—the very people he’d been chasing like a madman.
***
“This is the place, right?”
“Yeah, hyung. This is it.”
Tracking down Kang Hak-gwan’s house hadn’t been hard. We drove straight to the location we’d already scoped out, stationed Kang Bijun and a few Villains nearby just in case things went sideways, and even came equipped with radios for coordination.
Wearing comfy clothes, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
If they’d been cautious and refused to answer, I was ready to bust it down. But the woman who cautiously peeked through the door changed the moment she saw us—her guarded expression melting into delight.
“We just moved in and came by to share some rice cakes. Can’t believe we’re running into each other here—what a small world!”
“Oh my! What are the odds…?!”
If she’d seen me or Kang Biso on the news, this flimsy excuse wouldn’t have stood a chance. We’d been ready to force our way in. But maybe the memory of me saving her during that robbery was just too vivid. She thought this was all some wild coincidence. Eyes wide with surprise, she ushered us into the house without hesitation.
She clearly had no idea we were here to arrest Kang Hak-gwan.
Hearing the commotion, Kang Hak-gwan came out to check.
I never imagined it would be this easy.
Honestly, I’d expected him to be buried so deep we’d have to smash doors down and ransack the whole place. But here he was—walking out like he had nothing to hide.
He must’ve been so sure no one would ever find him.
Pathetic.
As expected from someone who’s never had to hide before—Kang Hak-gwan was careless. His sense of caution was weak, his security was sloppy, and he had no idea how far his information had leaked or how closely he was being pursued.
“…H-How did you find me?!”
His eyes were wide in disbelief, as if the thought of us confronting him so openly had never even crossed his mind. The woman standing beside him—his wife—looked up at him, and as she read the fear in his expression, her own face slowly hardened with unease.
I glanced at her for a brief second, then raised my hand and brought the side of it down on her neck.
With a soft gasp, she collapsed on the spot.
“Honey!”
I caught her before she hit the floor and gently leaned her against the wall. That was all it took for Kang Hak-gwan to lose it. Furious, he summoned electricity to his hands and came charging at me.
Kang Biso intercepted him in an instant.
He snapped his fingers, and just like that, Kang Hak-gwan froze mid-lunge—his body rigid, like a puppet with its strings cut. The electricity sparking from his hands flickered out as if it had never existed.
His pupils were unfocused, his eyes clouded.
I clicked my tongue.
Normally, Kang Hak-gwan had the mental strength to resist powers like this. But the stress of being on the run must’ve worn him down. The way Kang Biso’s ability worked on him so smoothly… it said a lot about his current state.
Honestly, if he’d just left the Book of Wishes inside the research facility, we would’ve had a much harder time getting to it.
But no—he had to run off with it. That was easily the dumbest move he’d ever made.
“Kang Hak-gwan. Where’s the book?”
“…And you think I’d just tell you?”
Even under Kang Biso’s influence, he clenched his teeth and glared back at us with raw defiance. He clearly wasn’t planning to give up anything.
Kang Biso sighed and scratched his head, clearly irritated.
“We’re gonna tear the place apart anyway. Doesn’t look like there are many rooms. You think you still have a chance here?”
Kang Hak-gwan’s face gradually twisted in frustration. He knew he was cornered. The look in his eyes said it all—he hated that he’d lost, hated that it had come to this.
I brushed past Kang Biso and stepped right up to him.
Even though my injuries from last time had long since healed, I still felt a phantom ache, just from looking at him. He was the first person in this world to beat me down so easily—back then, I couldn’t even fight back.
“…Undo the ability, Kang Biso.”
“What? But it’s still dangerous—”
“Do it. I have a debt to repay.”
Kang Biso looked at me for a long moment, clearly conflicted. But when he saw the determination on my face, he let out a long sigh and nodded.
He moved closer, positioning himself right beside me.
“If it gets dangerous, I’m jumping in right away.”
The moment he released his power, light returned to Kang Hak-gwan’s eyes.
Without missing a beat, Kang Hak-gwan let out a war cry and launched himself at me, his body sparking with intense electric energy. The yellow glow was so vivid it looked like his whole body was lit up.
He was clearly going all in—probably thinking this was his only shot at taking me down.
But in his rage, he’d forgotten something crucial.
No matter how strong his ability was, it didn’t work on me.
The instant his electricity touched my skin, it vanished like smoke—completely neutralized without a trace.
Kang Hak-gwan froze, disbelief flashing across his face.
Then his expression twisted with rage as he clenched his jaw hard enough to draw blood. But he didn’t stop. He swung his fist at me with everything he had.
I tilted my head, letting the punch sail harmlessly past, then drove my foot straight into his solar plexus.
Wham!
He gasped, choking on his breath, and stumbled backward.
I didn’t let up. I rushed in and threw a barrage of punches into his gut. His body jerked with every hit, and though he finally managed to raise his hands to block, that was exactly what I’d been waiting for.
I spun into a roundhouse kick and slammed my heel into the side of his head.
“Guh… Khak…!”
He flew sideways and crashed hard into the wall. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed violently.
I stared him down, cold and unflinching.
If I were going to stop here, I wouldn’t have started at all.
“This isn’t over.”
I took a step toward him. He glared up at me, struggling to sit upright, eyes blazing with fury and humiliation.
He’d trampled over me before—but now, it was my turn.
I was going to return everything he’d done to me—twice over. Just as I reached him, a sudden cry echoed from another room.
Waaah… waaah…
I stopped.
It was the cry of a baby, loud and sharp, piercing through the house. The child must’ve woken up from the noise.
Well… it’d be strange if they hadn’t.
I paused, hesitating for a moment, then resumed walking toward Kang Hak-gwan.
“…Don’t touch my daughter. Or my wife.”
His voice was hoarse—pleading.
“Hah. Do you really think I’m the same kind of person as you?”
I let out a bitter, humorless laugh.
Kang Hak-gwan had hurt the people I cared about without hesitation—but now that the roles were reversed, he was begging for mercy?
To be lumped into the same category as him… even for a moment… was disgusting.
I narrowed my eyes and said flatly:
“Unlike you, I don’t just protect the people I love. I protect other people’s loved ones too. Because only cowards hurt the innocent.”
My words seemed to hit him hard.
His eyes lost focus—like he was finally realizing just how vile his actions had been. But it was too late for that. Whether he regretted it or not didn’t matter anymore. Not to me.
I looked him dead in the eye.
“…Where’s the Book of Wishes?”
