External Mission (1)
With the kids gone and only Do-gyeol left behind, he was sweating bullets.
The room was filled with countless ink-wash painting-style black piranha-like things floating around.
"What does it matter? Why should I care about that? If I can pull it off, I'd go for a spiral ring or whatever."
"I need to get used to Kang Hak's yeong-ryeok fast. And the first one I pulled out was way too big, so it took a ton of energy. This one's fine."
Do-gyeol manipulated them one by one as he added,
"Plus, using unfamiliar parts meant I was wasting too much power."
Imagine if humans suddenly grew tails or wings. At first, they'd flap and flail around so inefficiently. Tons of effort for crap results. But once you're used to it? Totally different story.
"Practicing with this many at once will make handling just one a breeze later. Right?"
Treating the familiars like arms and legs. Aiming for total freedom!
Once a kid latches onto some bizarre conviction, good luck talking sense into him lol.
"What're you talking about? You guys told me."
Do-gyeol protested like he was wronged.
"Humans are animals of adaptation. You said we can change our body structure. If I pulled it off once, what's stopping me from doing it twice?"
The floating critters formed letters in the air like drones. The word they spelled: muscle.
"And the principle that muscles make heavy things feel light."
"Cut the bullshit. If you've got advice, spit it out. This practice suddenly feels inefficient because of you guys."
"Seo Tae-yun still sleeps like that? Man, tough bastard."
*
The next morning, as Do-gyeol entered the classroom, Yun Ga-eun's eyes widened and she approached him.
"Huh? What, you actually dressed normally for once?"
Wasn't he gonna wear the Gonryongpo instead of the uniform? But here he was in neat school clothes.
"Might have to head out on a mission, can't stand out with flashy clothes."
"...You actually think about stuff like that?"
"What do you take me for?"
Crazy guy. Psycho. Eyes like that, but probably just his imagination?
"Anyway, I'll wear it once I'm good with familiars."
"Why?"
"Set it as a reward. Gotta have a goal to fire me up and nail it quick."
Just then, Baek Seo-rin approached. Her usual sly smile was gone, replaced by a pretty serious face.
"Do-gyeol, let's talk somewhere private for a sec."
As Do-gyeol opened his mouth in confusion, the front door swung open and Pi Yu-jun walked in.
"Everyone, take your seats."
Baek Seo-rin returned to her spot with a reluctant look.
"Everyone recover fine last night? No issues?"
"Yep!"
"Roll call done. Team 1, follow me. You're skipping morning classes for a mission."
The classroom buzzed at that.
"Ugh, jealous. Should've gotten 1st."
Lee Seok-gyu said it playfully. Normally Kang Hak would've flipped, but today he was weirdly quiet. Instead, Seong Yun-a's voice cut in.
"Shut it, Lee Seok-gyu! Don't say shit you don't mean!"
In the commotion, Do-gyeol stood up. He gave a light wave to Baek Seo-rin, who was staring at him.
"Talk later."
Baek Seo-rin just watched his back silently.
And soon enough—
Bang! The front door flew open as someone dashed in. Some bearded teacher.
"Student Do-gyeol! You here? Where are ya! Need to talk!"
All eyes snapped to him.
"...Do-gyeol's not in this class?"
The bearded teacher looked around in panic, and Seong Yun-a spoke up with a baffled expression.
"He just left for the mission."
"What?!"
The bearded teacher let out a despairing yelp and slid to the floor. His face was utterly defeated, like a man who'd lost his country.
"Um, teacher? First period's about to start. Mind leaving?"
Seong Yun-a snapped at him. The bearded teacher, slumped pathetically like a mermaid on land, whipped his head up and glared.
"What's your name?"
"Lee Seok-gyu."
"A boy's name. You're getting demerits."
He sprang up and vanished.
"...Huh? Wait, hold on!"
Lee Seok-gyu's frantic voice cracked with tears. His own name had been sold out of nowhere.
*
"Your mission's nothing big."
Pi Yu-jun said, unwrapping a lollipop.
"Still, gotta brief you on the basics. We've focused more on practice than theory. First, quick rundown on yokai—pay attention."
Finally, some theory! Do-gyeol's ears perked up.
"Yokai are objects that gain self-awareness. One step above haunted items."
Pi Yu-jun popped the candy in his mouth and added,
"Well, not exactly one step, there's a decent gap. Anyway, yokai—what're they originally?"
"Objects."
"Right. But they don't always keep that form. They transform at will like Transformers, or play dead as objects when it's inconvenient."
Yun Ga-eun swallowed hard.
"So today's mission is..."
"Some venture company's office. Employees keep getting sleep paralysis lately."
Pi Yu-jun showed them a tablet screen. A massive Cubist painting popped up.
"Boss got this as a gift and hung it in the break room, and that's when it started. Probably a cursed haunted item or yokai."
"Yokai..."
"Don't freak. Sleep paralysis level means low threat. Even if yokai, Mongju grade at worst. Disassemble the curse if haunted, exorcise clean if yokai."
Do-gyeol tilted his head.
"Mongju grade?"
"Gotta explain that too? Low enough they can only mess with dreams."
"Kinda lame."
"You think we'd throw you rookies into danger on your first gig?"
Pi Yu-jun's shameless reply drew icy glares from all three. Especially Seo Tae-yun's dry jab.
"...You did."
"The tunnel? Knew you'd handle it."
The kids stared him down skeptically.
"For real."
"..."
"Quit the weird looks and move. Missions need speed! Didn't I teach you?"
Shooed out of the staff room, the door soon reopened.
Forget something? As Pi Yu-jun looked up puzzled,
"Student Do-gyeol! You here?!"
The bearded teacher scanned the room.
"Kids are on mission."
*
"You've arrived. I got the call."
A neatly suited employee waited out front.
"Already feeling unclean vibes. Must be the haunted item."
"Really?"
As the employee reacted to Do-gyeol, Seo Tae-yun glanced around and spoke.
"Weekday, but the building's empty."
"Ah, yes. Gave all staff the day off. Didn't want to disturb the exorcism. And if they freak and bolt or rumors spread, it'd be trouble."
Do-gyeol flashed a thumbs-up.
"Gud~"
"Huh?"
Yun Ga-eun quietly pulled his thumb down.
"So you're the boss?"
Seo Tae-yun asked, but the employee shook his head.
"No, just an employee. Some of us work when others rest. Also the boss's secretary."
He smiled and led them in.
"Let's head up. The painting's in the 7th-floor break room."
"Hold on."
Yun Ga-eun pulled out a talisman and stuck it firmly at the entrance. Same as the tunnel one.
"Good. Lead on."
The break room was spacious and stylish. The painting Pi Yu-jun showed hung on the central wall—a grotesque, fragmented Cubist landscape like Picasso's.
"That it?"
"Yes, that's the one."
Yun Ga-eun turned politely to the employee.
"While we work, could you wait outside the building? We'll call when done."
"Outside the building?"
"Ghost might possess you. For safety."
The employee's face stiffened.
"Ah, yes, got it! I'll wait outside."
He bolted without looking back.
As his footsteps faded, Do-gyeol spoke.
"What was 'gud' about?"
"Normies often think we're shamans. Plus, kids in uniforms? They dismiss or doubt us half the time. Easier to play along."
Yun Ga-eun explained, pulling talismans from her pocket.
"What's that?"
"Can't dismantle curses fully yet, so we use these. Absorb the unclean energy into the talisman, burn it away."
As Yun Ga-eun went to stick it on the painting,
"Wait."
Do-gyeol lightly grabbed her wrist.
"Lemme check."
He stepped up to the painting. Faint waves emanating from it.
Hmm... super shallow wavelength?
He cautiously touched the surface with a fingertip. But Seo Tae-yun's expression soured.
"What? Mad I touched it without asking?"
"No, not that..."
"Curse broken!"
Before Seo Tae-yun finished, Yun Ga-eun cheered and clapped.
"Awesome! Do-gyeol, how'd you do it?"
She smacked his arm in awe. But Seo Tae-yun's face stayed grim.
"You guys don't feel it?"
Her smile vanished.
"Huh? Wait, why's the energy still..."
No, not just still—it was far thicker, damper malice than the painting's, slowly squeezing the whole room.
"Wasn't coming from the painting at first."
Seo Tae-yun's voice froze cold. His sharp gaze tore not to the painting, but the hallway beyond.
Stifling silence blanketed the room. The kids' hearts pounded.
"That employee earlier? Not a normal human."
Seo Tae-yun edged carefully to the door. He yanked it open—
"...!"
The employee stood there. His lips split in a vicious grin, like he'd heard the funniest joke.
"Thought you went outside... why're you..."
Yun Ga-eun recoiled in horror. Her strained voice drowned in her heartbeat.
Thump-thump.
Do-gyeol's heart raced harder too at the sight. Instinct screamed this was a whole different league.
What now? Seriously, what?
Looks too tasty... Can I eat it?