Guardian Angel || The Uncanny Counter

Uncanny

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Jae remembers his mother always taking care of him while his father was out. She cooked, cleaned, helped him with schoolwork, and oftentimes sang him to sleep when he had nightmares. If his father was home, he would often stay in his office, his loud voice echoing throughout the room and making its way around the house. That's all he really could remember about them; the loud voice of his father and his mother's soft whispering.

Jae wished he spent a lot of time with his parents when he was younger, especially because he didn't have any friends. His mother was adamant about getting him to play with the neighborhood kids, but he got used to the silence of being alone and preferred the solitude after so long.

Of course, there were days when the silence would be too much, too suffocating even if he had a house to himself. He took up Ju Jitsu in his late teens, giving him time to himself while also giving him more room to breathe. His instructor, Mr. Cho, treated him like his own son. He would praise him often, taking him to get noodles after as a tradition they made up. He missed him dearly.

Maybe that's why Jae found himself walking to Eonni's Noodle Shop, Current Joys blasting in his headphones. The streets were empty as per usual, leaving him by himself to think.

His wounds had healed from last night's fight, just a sore ache left in his stomach where he was kicked. He was glad he got enough sleep after everything, but his mind couldn't help but think about his interactions with Mo-tak. Maybe he is taking the situation too seriously but he was sure he had to be more careful around everyone.

Approaching Eonni's Noodles, Jae spots Mun looking into a white car. Finding it odd he takes off his headphones and clears his throat as he walks past hoping to catch the kid's attention. 

"oh, Jae," Mun said excitedly as they walked inside the shop, "did you see the car? Whose car is that out there?"

Right when they walked in, an older man in a suit walked up to Mun. Jae decided to pull up a chair in between Mo-tak and Hana as the two talked about the car, making Jae chuckle a little at the kid's excitement. 

"Here take this," the man handed Mun a black card, "It's a counter's card." 

"Counter's card?"

"Yes, well, you won't have to use it too often if you go around with your team, but you can use it in an emergency." The man continues on about everyday essentials, keeping in mind the needs of the counters. 

Jae had one as well, but he has never needed to use it since he keeps his emergency bags stashed in his jeep at all times. They included extra clothes, food, money, communication devices, and a first aid kit. Most importantly, an adrenaline shot. It was helpful to him instead of spending money on new clothes each time. 

"Ah, and this." Pulling out a black device, the man handed it to Mun. "A device that can kill security cameras."

Mun turns on the device, looking around to figure out where to point it. Mae-ok taps his shoulder and points her finger toward the shop's security footage, a small smile forming on her face.