Face to Face
“What’s with that look on your face?”
As they finished work and headed home, Seong-min asked Min-hyeok, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Being an Awakener makes Gombang Work so much easier. And watching myself knock it out without breaking a sweat is just plain fun.”
Becoming an Awakener had only made Min-hyeok enjoy the work even more.
“Better efficiency is good all around.”
“That’s why you feel even more amazing, hyung.”
“Me?”
“You’re not an Awakener like me. But watching you keep up with me—someone who’s using psychic energy—without falling behind even a little… it’s honestly incredible.”
He wasn’t just saying it. Min-hyeok truly found Seong-min astonishing. He himself moved the heavy materials with psychic energy now that he was an Awakener, but hyung Seong-min didn’t. He hauled those same heavy loads with nothing but raw physical ability, and he made it look easy.
“After awakening, I realized even more about you, hyung.”
Min-hyeok had come to understand that Seong-min possessed truly exceptional strength and physical endurance—the kind of natural talent that sent people to the Olympics as national representatives.
“Used to be, after Gombang Work I’d be completely wiped out. Now I can actually enjoy some free time after work. Heh heh heh…”
Not being exhausted after the job was a definite plus.
“Your awakening process isn’t even finished yet. Take care of your body.”
“Of course! Even now, every morning I wake up I can feel myself growing stronger…!”
Just then, Seong-min stopped walking.
“Huh?”
Min-hyeok looked ahead. Then his brow furrowed. Seong-min didn’t miss that expression on Min-hyeok’s face.
“What are you going to do?”
Seong-min asked him.
“Ugh…”
Min-hyeok ruffled his hair.
“Hyung, all of a sudden you’re saying…”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Hyung?”
Watching Seong-min turn and walk away without another word, Min-hyeok gave a bitter smile.
That’s hyung for you.
He’d clearly picked up on what Min-hyeok had been about to say.
“You’re really persistent, you know that?”
“Hmph. Did you think you could keep dodging me after insulting me like that?”
“How the hell did you even find this place?”
“If I put my mind to it, I can find anyone. You think I couldn’t track down someone like you?”
“You’re something else…”
Min-hyeok clicked his tongue. The girl standing there glaring at him was none other than Kim Mi-ju of the Phoenix Guild.
That day, when she’d come with Jin-su, Min-hyeok had given her a knuckle sandwich and a piece of his mind. Then he’d climbed into the car and left with his head held high. That had been the start of it. Somehow she’d found his house on Saturday and he’d talked her into leaving. On Sunday she’d shown up again, so he’d taken her to a café—and then ditched her there. He’d had no choice. The things this woman said were just too absurd.
“Why the hell do I have to fight you?”
“You looked down on me. So you have to pay the price properly.”
“If it’s about what I said back then, I already apologized, didn’t I?”
“Hmph. You think I can’t tell a half-hearted apology when I hear one?”
“You’re a weird girl, you know that?”
Min-hyeok couldn’t shake the feeling that this Kim Mi-ju wasn’t quite right in the head.
“What’s the point of fighting me?”
“To restore my pride.”
“If I apologize again, sincerely, will you drop it?”
“Then get on your knees and apologize.”
“That’s not happening.”
“Hmph. See? You can’t even do that.”
“Kneeling would mean I’m completely surrendering to you and throwing everything away. Does that make any sense?”
“You said you’d apologize sincerely.”
“Apologizing and groveling are two different things.”
“Then just fight me. That settles it, doesn’t it?”
“You’re one ridiculous chick.”
“Don’t even think about tricking me and running off again this time. I could camp out right in front of your house and protest. Think I won’t? I’ll show you exactly what kind of woman I am.”
“Fine, I get it—you’re a stubborn one. You want to fight me that badly?”
“You laughed at what I said that day. You’ll never understand the humiliation I felt.”
Min-hyeok sighed and pulled out his phone to check the time.
“Alright. One spar, and we settle this clean?”
“Not a spar—a match.”
“Fine, a match… Got it?”
“Don’t worry. I don’t say one thing and mean another.”
“There’s an empty lot nearby, so…”
“No. I know a place. We’re going there.”
“To a place you know?”
“We need somewhere quiet so we can go all out. If it gets noisy, it’ll be a problem for you too, right?”
This chick’s dead serious.
Realizing he’d gotten himself into a real mess, Min-hyeok sighed again.
“Fine. Let’s go to this place of yours.”
Min-hyeok headed for his car. As he opened the driver’s door to get in, Mi-ju opened the passenger door first and climbed in like it was the most natural thing in the world.
What a piece of work.
Shaking his head, Min-hyeok got into the driver’s seat.
“A-reum-ssi.”
With a knock, a bespectacled employee stepped inside.
“…Yes…”
A-reum stood up from her seat, bag in hand.
“I’m here to pick you up, A-reum-ssi.”
A-reum nodded, left the waiting room, walked down the hallway, and pushed open the front door. She headed toward the parking lot, where a single car was waiting. A-reum froze in place, her face full of surprise. Seong-min, who’d been waiting for her, smiled.
“I came instead of Min-hyeok today.”
The one who’d come to pick A-reum up was none other than Seong-min himself.
“Surprised I came to get you?”
As they drove along the road, A-reum, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded. She’d naturally assumed Min-hyeok would pick her up. But Seong-min showing up out of nowhere had caught her completely off guard.
“Min-hyeok’s got something to take care of today, so he’ll be late.”
A-reum nodded.
“It’s nice meeting again like this on a Monday after our date, isn’t it?”
“…Yes… It is…”
“Same here.”
Seong-min had taken A-reum home the night before. They’d met on Saturday, spent the night together, and he’d dropped her off the next evening.
“Want to grab dinner before heading back? Let’s go eat that pasta you like, A-reum noona.”
Seong-min wasn’t ready to take her straight home just yet. A-reum nodded. So instead of driving her home right away, Seong-min headed for the pasta place.
Looks like he’s got something to deal with. He’ll handle it fine.
Even without hearing it, Seong-min had known what Min-hyeok had been about to say—that he had business with this girl and needed to go his own way. The look on his face had made it obvious.
Something must’ve happened between them?
Between that woman and the expression on Min-hyeok’s face, it was clear something had gone down. Seong-min didn’t know what, but he wasn’t worried.
He can take care of himself well enough.
Back when Min-hyeok had been an ordinary person, maybe. But the Min-hyeok of now didn’t need worrying over.
“This is the place you meant?”
Min-hyeok frowned at the abandoned factory in front of them. It was a lumber mill tucked away in a quiet mountain area outside Seoul.
“For a match between you and me, there’s no better spot.”
“You’re really set on settling this once and for all.”
“Got a problem with that?”
Min-hyeok hadn’t wanted this fight in the first place.
“I do, but I’m here now, so…”
Min-hyeok killed the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car. She followed right after. With the sun setting in the late afternoon, the surroundings felt eerie.
“Follow me.”
She took the lead, and Min-hyeok trailed behind.
What if noona’s waiting for me?
He’d come all the way out here, but his noona would be waiting for him to pick her up. Even if he wrapped this up fast and headed back, it would probably be the middle of the night.
They walked until they reached a wide open lot behind the abandoned factory, stacked with lumber.
“Here?”
Mi-ju nodded. Looking around, Min-hyeok had to admit that if it was here, they wouldn’t be interrupted.
Just then, a text came through on Min-hyeok’s phone. He checked it—it was from his noona, A-reum.
Hyung went to pick her up?
Seeing his noona’s text, Min-hyeok grinned.
Hyung’s got great sense, as always.
He’d probably figured Min-hyeok would be late and gone to pick her up himself. With a lighter heart now, Min-hyeok put his phone away and looked straight ahead.
“Once we settle it here, that’s the end of it?”
“Don’t worry.”
Min-hyeok nodded and opened his mouth.
“Then let’s get right to—”
In that instant, Min-hyeok raised his hand.
Whaam!
A sharp impact rang out as Min-hyeok stepped back.
“Who the hell ambushes someone like that?!”
“Hmph! If you can’t even handle this much, you’re just an idiot.”
“Oh, so that’s how you want to play it?”
She charged forward again. For a split second her body seemed to tilt, then a powerful force shot straight at him.
Boooom!!!
A heavy impact thundered out as dust billowed into the air.