I Don't Want to Talk About It
"I don't want to talk about it."
That was Seo Chaerim's reply when I went to her and asked if there was some trigger that led to her awakening her ability.
I'd half-expected her not to tell me, but her reaction was a little different from what I'd imagined. I'd figured she'd tease me like, "What, can't handle it?" and really get under my skin. Instead, she cut me off with this calm, resolute tone, like she had no interest in continuing the conversation. It wasn't to mess with me—it was like she genuinely didn't want to say anything.
Suddenly, what Hwang Yerang had told me just moments ago came to mind. A person's ability is deeply tied to their desires at the moment of awakening.
Seo Chaerim's power was monster control. But it wasn't some one-sided command structure—from the way she treated them, it felt more like friends or pets.
If what Hwang Yerang said was true, what kind of trigger could lead someone to awaken an ability that lets them bond with monsters—creatures that aren't even human?
For some reason, it felt like poking at this wouldn't end well.
In the end, I left her room without getting any real info.
Diana was the last one left. As a fellow werewolf, her advice might be the most helpful, but things were still a bit awkward with her compared to Hwang Yerang or Seo Chaerim, so I put it off till the end.
Guess I have to ask her too.
I left Seo Chaerim's room and headed underground to talk to Diana. Oddly, everyone else's rooms were upstairs, but hers was in the basement for some reason. Might as well ask about that while I'm at it.
"Diana. Got a quick question—mind if I come in?"
"Yeah. Come on in."
I knocked on the door to her room, and her calm voice came from inside. With her permission, I stepped in and saw sweat beading on her forehead like she'd just been working out. Her breathing was a little ragged too. Her scent—musky from the sweat—hit me strong.
"Working out?"
"Yeah."
"Why not in the training room?"
"Just got bored and thought I'd loosen up. Got carried away."
She was tall for a woman, with a lean build. But her usual deadpan expression and quiet vibe didn't scream "workout type." In reality, Diana trained harder than anyone else in our group. She said you lose your edge if you don't keep at it consistently. No wonder she's so strong—she's this dedicated.
"What're you curious about?"
"Hoping for some advice on how to awaken an ability. Oh, and why's your room in the basement?"
"I hate sunlight."
"What are you, a vampire...?"
Living underground because she hates sunlight? No matter how much you dislike it, isn't that a bit extreme?
Come to think of it, her ability involved shadows. Maybe it's connected.
"Is it related to your shadow powers?"
"My ability... Nah. Anyway, it's not just me. Werewolves generally hate sunlight."
"Why's that?"
"Hmm... Instinctive aversion, I guess. We're powerless when the sun's up, so it makes us uneasy."
Makes sense when she puts it like that. Just look at me—when Hwang Yerang found out what I was, I quit my job and holed up at home. Situations differ a bit, but werewolves can't transform during the day, so we're vulnerable. Maybe that's why we feel anxious in our weakened state. And since the sun's the cause, hating sunlight feels natural.
"So, do you remember what triggered your ability?"
"Dunno. I've been able to use it naturally since I was a kid. Too young to remember exactly when."
"I see..."
"Sorry I couldn't help."
"It's fine. Got another question—your parents... both werewolves, right?"
How are werewolves born? I was dying to know. They look human but aren't, fundamentally. So how do they reproduce? Logically, parents would have to be werewolves too, but how have they survived among humans for so long without their bloodlines dying out? Werewolves are so rare there's barely any research, and scouring the internet didn't turn up much.
"Both my parents were werewolves. But Mom was probably a half-breed, from what I know."
"Half-breed?"
"Yeah. Grandpa was human, I think."
So hybrids can be born werewolves too. I'd read that humans are just prey to werewolves, so finding out some hook up with humans was a shock. A werewolf in love with a human—kinda romantic, actually. Cool.
"But Grandma ate Grandpa right after getting pregnant with Mom, so I never met him."
...Fuck. Give me back my romance.
Are all werewolves just man-eating monsters? Diana here doesn't eat people and gets along fine with humans. Though I've heard she's a special case, so maybe werewolves really are a hopeless race of psycho killers.
"Yuseong. I get you're eager to awaken an ability, but don't push too hard. It's best if you never end up in some extreme situation."
"I know, but I wanna get stronger. Days feel uneasy as it is."
"I get that, but sometimes I think... Wouldn't it be nice if I weren't a werewolf, if I'd grown up normal in a peaceful place? Honestly, I'd be happy to lose this power for a normal life. Sure, I'm content now with Yerang, Chaerim, and the others, but every moment of my life so far has been cursed and painful."
"..."
Lots of people complain their lives are tough. Probably more do than don't. But that's usually to vent, to get sympathy and comfort—not a true curse on their existence. Diana was different. She said it matter-of-factly, not seeking pity. Her serene expression sent chills down my spine.
Hwang Yerang, a promising hero turned terrorist and public enemy overnight.
Seo Chaerim, kidnapped by the Association and subjected to horrific experiments.
Diana, born a werewolf and suffering unwanted pain her whole life.
I hadn't met the other members yet or knew their stories, but our group—Jamryong—was made of people branded villains. Normal folks have no reason to turn villain, so everyone carried dark pasts they couldn't share.
Left a bitter taste in my mouth.
In the end, no useful info from Diana either. Just left me feeling more uneasy.
Now what? The only ability users I know are those three.
Wait, no—one more.
I pulled out my phone and found Marie's contact. Not much to find—my phone only had numbers for her, Hwang Yerang, Seo Chaerim, Diana, the boss, and our two current Supporter teammates. One of them was a woman too, so basically all girls. Impressive or sad? Hard to say.
Anyway, is it cool to just call Marie out of the blue and ask what triggered her awakening? Feels random, and might dig into sensitive history. We're not that close—could come off rude.
Do it? Or nah?
Didn't take long to decide. Just check in casually, slip it in, bail if it feels off.
My finger tapped the screen, and the call to Marie went through. Barely rang before connecting.
"Pervert? What's up?"
"Hey, Marie. Eaten yet?"
"Yeah, just finished. Inviting me to eat?"
"Nah, just checking in."
"You want something. Spill."
She's sharp. Or maybe obvious—sudden call from someone who never reaches out.
Asking straight-up "What triggered your awakening?" would sound suspicious, so I beat around the bush with chit-chat. She played along without pushing, so as I pondered shifting topics smoothly—
Thwack.
Suddenly, a sharp, violent sound burst from the phone, and the call cut off.