"Can you punch me too, because that was hot."
or where Wi-gen sends Jae, her best hunter, down to watch over the group.
The Uncanny Counter
Motak
Highest rankings:
#2 theuncannycounter 9/19/22
#1 Somun 5/13/23
#1 gamot...
The noodle shop lay vacant on the corner of the street. A dark brown wooden door with a closed sign and an "Eonni's Noodles" sign to the right of it.
Walking up to the shop, Jae could make out 4 blurry figures talking around a table.
Wi-gen mentioned the names of the group and the situations they recently handled. Out of everything, they were dealing with a level three. Unfortunately, one of their good men, Jang Cheol-Joong, fell victim to the evil spirit. The new kid, So-mun, became a Counter just after the incident.
Wi-gen had called him in urgently the next day after and explained the situation. The level three spirit was close to becoming a level four. The thought of the deal he made with Wi-gen played over in his head. He was supposed to do everything necessary to help them out and he would get something in return. Thankfully, she didn't fight him on the request of getting something out of it.
At the door, he paused. Hand held high in a fist, he let it stay there for a minute.
Do I knock?
After a moment of hesitation, he brought his fist down to the door three times.
An older woman sporting a red jumper with a scarf adorning her neck came into view from behind the door. From what he could remember, Mae-ok was the oldest out of the group. He could only assume the woman was her.
"You must be Jae-Min." The older woman chided, sidestepping away from the door.
"And you, Mae-ok?" Jae questioned, hoping he was correct.
Mae-ok gave a slight smile, welcoming him into the shop. "Wi-gen told me you were coming down. I didn't expect you so soon, but I guess the sooner the better."
Jae gave a slight hum in agreement. "I was thinking so. Wi-gen told me about the level three spirit. I'm sorry about your friend."
"He was a good person.. a good counter, too." A frown accompanied her face. For a second, it made her look older than she was. "But now all we can do is find the spirit and hope the same doesn't happen again."
The passing of a friend, especially during a chase, is a cruel and harsh thing to get through. As a Counter, your job is to capture evil spirits, no matter the level of difficulty. The chance of death, in this field, is taunting.
He felt bad for the group. He can imagine the fear they must have felt at that moment. But as a counter, fear is something you can't afford to have. Jae knew the consequences all too well.
A set of footsteps could be heard coming up from a set of stairs, the creak of a door opening.
"Ah, Ha-na. Come meet Jae-Min. He'll be helping us with the level three."
