Late at night, the moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint glow over a pitch-dark alley where not even a single streetlight flickered.
Wearing a black cap and a mask to conceal my face, I walked slowly, retracing the path I’d taken when I escaped the hideout last time.
After quite a long walk, I came to a stop in front of a wall.
It was an unremarkable gray wall—no graffiti, no cracks, not even a scratch. Most people would’ve seen it as nothing more than an ordinary wall and kept walking. But I knew better.
Beyond that wall was a Villain hideout, crawling with criminals.
I glanced around to make sure I was alone, then reached out to touch the wall. It felt cold and solid. No matter how closely I looked, it was just a regular wall.
Seriously, they did a flawless job with this.
Even with the sharp instincts I’d honed as a Special Agent, I couldn’t see through the illusion. That alone spoke volumes about the level of tech they were using.
To open the wall, I needed the silver Token card. I should’ve grabbed it when I escaped last time—but who could’ve predicted I’d be back here again?
Without the Token, the only other option was to break through. But all I had on me was a box cutter, just in case. There was no way I could get through this wall with that.
And even if I did manage to break it open, it’d cause a commotion and alert the Villains. That wasn’t what I wanted. All I needed to do was slip in quietly, meet Kang Bijun, use the Wish Ticket, and leave.
I looked around for a place to hide nearby.
There—a trash bin tucked into the corner of the alley. It was perfectly positioned, giving me a clear view of the hidden entrance while keeping me concealed.
I crouched inside the bin, carefully lifting the lid to keep watch.
If I waited here long enough, a Villain would show up to enter the hideout.
And when that happened, I’d strike—take them down quickly, steal their Token, and sneak inside without a sound.
It’s all about timing.
From what I’d heard, trainees weren’t allowed to leave during the training period. And there was no way to know when the others would return to the hideout.
I had one week.
I needed to find Kang Bijun and use the Wish Ticket before the new scanning equipment arrived.
Back when I was a Special Agent, I’d done countless stakeouts. Waiting for someone who might never show wasn’t exactly pleasant. It was all about luck, and that uncertainty was maddening—but I still held onto hope.
Just one.
I only needed to catch one person. After that, getting inside would be a breeze.
So please—someone, anyone—just show up.
Hidden in the darkness, I kept my eyes sharp, silently waiting for my prey.
***
Hours passed, but no luck tonight.
Aside from a few drunk people staggering through the alley, there wasn’t a single suspicious figure. Nothing. Total bust.
Not surprising. No matter how lucky I was, things were never going to fall perfectly into place on day one.
I got up and checked the time.
Almost 5 a.m.
There was no point in staying any longer. If I left now, I could at least get a bit of sleep before heading to work.
I took a cab back to the hotel. The room was dead silent.
The puppy must be asleep.
Quietly, I made my way to the bathroom. After spending hours inside a trash bin, I definitely needed a shower.
As soon as I turned on the water, warm steam filled the room, easing the tension in my body.
I stood under the stream, letting the heat wash away the fatigue, but a sudden thought struck me—one that made my stomach twist.
“…The hideout is still there, right?”
They hadn’t moved it after I escaped… had they?
The structure had seemed way too solid to relocate easily, so the chances were low—but still, the doubt crept in.
Even if I did find Kang Bijun and asked to use the Wish Ticket, there was no guarantee he’d agree. If he decided to capture me instead, I’d be screwed.
But right now, this was the only way to get those documents forged.
No need to beat myself up over one failed night.
Still… what if I never get to Kang Bijun?
Yeon Gu-han’s crazed, passionate face suddenly popped into my head—bloodshot eyes, face flushed like it was about to explode.
Just imagining seeing that again gave me chills. No thanks. Hard pass.
After drying off, I changed into fresh clothes and climbed into bed.
As I pulled back the blanket, a half-asleep puppy stirred and looked up at me.
“…Oh? You’re awake?”
“…Woof woof!”
He wagged his tail at me, looking adorably dazed.
I gave his head a gentle pat and lay down beside him, pulling him into my arms.
“Sleep, puppy. I’m dead tired.”
He’d been wiggling and wagging his tail like crazy, but the moment I held him close, he froze stiff in my arms.
Maybe he’d tensed up from the sudden hug. I slowly rubbed his back and whispered softly,
“Shhh… go to sleep…”
“Woof.”
The puppy let out a quiet, dazed bark and then gently leaned into me. His breathing slowed into soft, rhythmic sighs as he closed his eyes, snuggled up in my arms. Watching him relax like that made my own eyelids start to droop.
Today had been exhausting.
Getting dragged in by the Team Leader, being forced to redo the Ability Evaluation, hearing all that nonsense about SS-Ranks—just thinking about it made my head ache.
And tomorrow, I’d be back out on stakeout…
I silently made a wish.
Please… let me find someone tomorrow…
My eyes grew heavier, vision fading to black.
What I didn’t notice was that Baek Beom, the puppy in my arms, had opened his eyes and was staring silently at my face.
***
Day four of the stakeout.
I hadn’t seen a single Villain, let alone Kang Bijun.
Should I give up? Try a different strategy? I hadn’t expected it to be this hard just to run into a Villain.
At this rate, today was another dead end—and now, I had only three days left.
Could I really make this work in time?
Maybe I should just call it for tonight.
And then, I heard it.
“Yeah, yeah… I told you already.”
I had just climbed out of the trash bin when I heard footsteps and a voice heading my way. I instantly slipped into the shadows and held my breath.
A young man appeared, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he walked straight toward the wall, talking on the phone.
“The mission was a success. I need to report to the Captain first. Yeah, I’m almost there. I’ll call you back later.”
He ended the call and started patting down his pockets, searching for something.
Come on, come on… just pull out the card…
The moment I saw his hand emerge holding that silver Token, I had to clamp a hand over my mouth.
I nearly cheered out loud.
It was the Token—the silver card that opened the wall.
I moved fast.
Silent as a ghost, I crept up behind him, wrapped an arm around his neck, and slammed him against the wall.
“Wh-What the—?! Who are you—ugh!”
He flailed in panic, but I tightened my grip, cutting off his struggle.
I couldn’t afford any noise near the entrance. Someone from inside might hear and come out.
Time to take this somewhere quieter.
“Let’s have a little chat, shall we?”
“Wh-What? Who the hell—gah!”
Now came the fun part—interrogation.
***
“Y-You j-just need t-to hold it r-right h-here…”
We stood side by side in front of the hideout wall.
The man, his face bruised and swollen, legs wobbling, stammered through his explanation as he trembled in fear.
He was so shaken he could barely speak, but I got the gist.
Then came the pleading.
“P-Please… I did e-everything you asked… d-don’t kill me…”
At this rate, anyone watching would think I was the Villain.
“Thanks for the help. You must be tired. Why don’t you take a nap?”
“W-Wait! No—ugh!”
I’d gotten everything I needed.
One punch to the gut and he collapsed like a rag doll.
I hoisted him over my shoulder, carried him back to the trash bin, popped the lid open, and stuffed him inside—leaving it cracked just enough for him to breathe.
He wouldn’t die. He’d sleep it off just fine.
Back at the wall, I took a deep breath and pressed the Token to the bottom edge, exactly where he’d shown me.
C’mon… open…
Click.
It worked.
The wall began to slide open. So the card reader on the outside was in a completely different spot than the inside panel. If I hadn’t asked, I would’ve been stuck here for hours.
I slipped through the opening before it shut.
I knew exactly where to go. I never forgot a place once I’d seen it.
Sliding the Token into my pocket, I moved with careful steps.
***
First stop: the locker room past the training area.
I cracked the door open and peeked inside. Empty.
Perfect.
To move around without drawing attention, I’d need to blend in—and that meant dressing like a trainee. The clothes I’d worn during my escape were long gone, so this had to be the first stop.
Luckily, stacks of uniforms were neatly arranged inside.
If there hadn’t been any, I’d have been forced to sneak around in civilian clothes all night.
I slipped on the uniform, the fit strangely familiar, and pulled a face covering over my mouth. Then I grabbed the box cutter from my pocket.
Now I looked the part.
All I had to do now was find Kang Bijun.
I knew where Kang Biso’s unit had been, but I had no idea where Bijun might be.
“What the hell? Someone’s still here?”
I froze.
A voice from outside the locker room. I knew that voice.
Who was it? Why were they here?
I stayed tense, ready to pounce if necessary.
“When the hell were we told to gather again…?”
The person who walked through the door was the same Instructor I’d run into before.
Of all the people I could’ve bumped into—him?
If he recognized me, it was game over.
I had to play it cool.
Sure, I could take him down, but if he had time to alert anyone, I’d be screwed.
I mimicked the voice of one of the trainees I’d met before and said,
“I’m a trainee…”
“Is that the issue right now? When did they tell us to gather? What the hell are you still doing here?!”
The Instructor barked at me, then scanned me from head to toe and sighed, motioning for me to follow.
Wait… hadn’t this happened once before?
I put on a clueless act and asked,
“Am I supposed to come too?”
“Do you not understand what everyone means? Hurry up and follow me!”
Something was definitely going on inside.
Could they already know I’d broken in?
It hadn’t even been five minutes, but I couldn’t rule it out.
At this point, I had no choice but to follow.
Even if my cover was blown, I was confident I could escape.
Their abilities didn’t work on me.
I was nervous—but it wasn’t impossible.
And if this was a full gathering… there was a chance Kang Bijun would be there.
This might actually be my best shot.
“I’m sorry.”
The Instructor gave me a disapproving look and ordered me to move. I followed him quietly.
