Selfless

1

So Mun smiled in a way that painted  contentment all across his face, watching Juyeon laugh at a story Ungmin was telling, something that happened at a noodle stand the day before.
Mun knew that he was supposed to be listening as well, yet his mind was currently consumed with watching, the clouds overhead, gently drifting by, the busy streets around them, bustling with weekend shoppers and sightseers, the almost obnoxious coloring on the ad for ten percent off facial cleansers in the shop window across the street.
It really was a nice day, he couldn't help but think to himself as he turned back to his friends to attempt to catch up with the story.

"Ah, So Mun, I just remembered." Juyeon suddenly stated, with her pointer finger straight up, in that odd little way that she tended to do when coming to a conclusion on a subject. "You work at that noodle shop now."

So Mun wasn't sure about where this could be going, but nodded along, willing to hear her out. "Yes."

"So you have a job, like an actual job then." She continued, her tone heavily indicated that she was leading up to something, though he couldn't think what. Again he nodded.
His petite friend then grinned, giving the impression that he had walked into a trap.
  "So you should have a salary! Aish you should treat us to a meal." She lightly berated his oversight, and So Mun paused, a salary? He hadn't thought of it before, was he making wages at the restaurant? He had the credit card that Jang Mul had given him, but that was only for Counter business. He would have to ask Ms. Chu the next time he saw her. But he would feel bad asking her, and Mo Tak was too blunt, he might just make fun of him, maybe he should ask Ha Na then.

"Ah, sorry, I'll treat you next time." He replied to his hopeful friend, seeing that Ungmin was now also looking at him with pleading eyes. "We just ate, you don't need more."
His friends deflated a little, "Aish so stingy, you could offer to buy some dessert at least."
So Mun was about to give in, when he was interrupted by a hunched over old man walking in front of them, appearing confused, he slowly turned to the trio.
A small light seemed to enter his eyes, and he immediately hobbled over, and latched onto Mun's arm with one hand, his sleeve's fabric bunched up in the man's hand. Mun tried not to flinch at the sudden contact from a  stranger.
   Juyeon noticed him tense up, even if it was only for a brief moment, and quickly attempted to separate the two. "Yah! Mister, why are you grabbing people like that, that's rude? Why, do you know us?"
The stranger ignored her, and instead addressed So Mun with confusion shrouding his voice. "Ah, youngster, can you help this old man get home? I'm afraid that I've lost my way, I only just moved here, and my dear wife must be worried that I haven't made it home yet."
  So Mun felt that he really couldn't leave this person in his predicament alone, after all, the man had approached him, most likely seeing him as someone who could help. And everyone who knew Mun well, also knew that he would never turn down an opportunity to be helpful. And so he turned to his friends with a reassuring smile.
"I'll meet you guys at the internet cafe, this shouldnt take too long. I'll buy you dessert when I get back."
  Ungmin appeared a little disappointed, and Juyeon scoffed, but they eventually agreed and walked away, continuing their conversation from earlier.
  So Mun turned back to the old man, who was staring after his retreating friends with an odd look in his eyes.
"Ah, don't mind them, they're just protective. So, do you have an idea of where your house might be?"
The old man frowned, but hesitantly pointed in a direction. "It might be that way..." He stated, and Mun smiled.
"Then let's search in that direction for anything that might be familiar."
The man nodded and began hobbling away, with So Mun following close behind.

_______________________________________________

  So Mun glanced at his watch once more as they walked the length of another random street only to turn up empty. They had by now ventured quite far from town, and Mun doubted that the man would have ventured so far with the way he hobbled around so slowly.
  "Maybe we should check a different direction." He called to the man who stood confusedly looking around.
"No, no. I'm quite sure that it's around here, let's go this way." The man pointed towards an alleyway that appeared to let out on a parallel street.
   So Mun swallowed back a protest, he had told his friends that he wouldn't be long, and yet it had already been an hour since they parted, but he had also told this grandpa that he would help him get home, and so he couldn't just abandon him here, where he had no hope of finding someone else to guide him. Yet, above all, he had developed a hatred for these cramped alleyways, after recent events, being constantly accosted by school bullies in these areas, nearly bleeding out with a splintered shard of glass shoved through his wrist, being forced to make a choice between saving his grandparents or letting a demon go, thank goodness for the other Counters being there's or he couldn't say for sure what his choice might have been.
  But he pushed the apprehension aside for now, determined to finish the task at hand.
"Alright." He took the lead, stepping into the alley with a forceful step, ignoring the nagging voice in his head telling him to go back. "So, what does your house look like again? You said that it was white, but there are so many white houses around, is there anything else? A garden maybe? Or a fence?"
The man shook his head. "Did I say white? Well I suppose it could have been at some point, but it's all faded grey now, I have to paint it soon." The man's eyes took on a glazed appearance, with something cold piercing through. It made Mun uncomfortable. " It had a planter in the front window, filled with marigolds, Ah-Yan loved them."
  "Ah-Yan?"
The elder seemed to come back to the present at the question, and gave a dismissive wave. "My wife."
  So Mun nodded, "she must be worried about you, being out so late."
The man paused, "she died." He stepped past the teenager with a pat on the arm.

'my dear wife must be worried.'

Mun dismissed the memory, he had already assumed that the man might have dementia.
He paused as his sight was suddenly blocked out by an incoming vision. A level two, and it's location seemed to be.... an alleyway... So Mun startled, realization dawning, how could he be this stupid? He woke from the short vision just in time to feel the impact of something hitting his head, and everything went black.