𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 , the uncanny counter

경이로운 소문 ── EPISODE FOURTEEN

Yang couldn't speak as he got unsteady steps to Cheong-sin's body. His vision was blurry from both tears and exhaustion as he kneeled next to Cheong-sin. Mun was right beside him, grabbing the body's jacket.

"Get up," He said, shaking Cheong-sin slightly. "Get up. Get up! I said get up!"

"Ji Cheong-sin is dead," Mo-tak said as the Counters ran over. "That mean's Mun's parents, Yang's family and Cheol-jung are also..."

"No." Mun shook his head through sobs. "No, that can't be. Ms Chu. Ms Chu, help me. Ms Chu!" Ms Chu crouched beside the teenagers and pressed her finger's against Cheong-sin's neck, looking for a pulse.

"Mun..." She blinked back tears. "There's no pulse."

Mun yelled and screamed at the body as Yang lowered his head, silent sobs racking his body. A black cloud emerged from Cheong-sin's body and shot into the air before dissipating. Yang couldn't bring himself to watch, his body flicking in and out of visibility. He could barely process what was happening, just trying to calm his sobs.

Hyang-hee grabbed the kid that had stopped Mun from getting to Cheong-sin before he died. "Back off, all of you! Do you want the kid to die?"

"Let the kid go," Jang-mul told her.

"Let him go!" Mae-ok yelled.

"Don't come near me," She opened the car door. "I'll kill you all." She let the kid go once she was in the car, Jang-mul pulling the kid to safety as Hyang-hee drove away.

Yang had stopped sobbing but couldn't stop the tears running down his cheeks. He blinked a few times and wiped his eyes, looking at the gun laying next to Cheong-sin. He reached forward and grabbed it, checking to see how many bullets were in the camber before lifting it, the barrel pointed at none of the Counters, the kid, Hyang-hee or Cheong-sin.

I couldn't even save my family, let alone Mun's parents or Cheol-jung. All the spirits dissipated because I'm a fucking waste of space. I held Mun back instead of helping him. I'm useless. I don't deserve to be here more than Ji Cheong-sin did.

"No! Su-jin!" Ha-na yelled, running over and pulling the gun from Yang and threw it as far as she could. He looked at her tearily and saw the tears in her eyes before she pulled him into a tight hug. "Su-jinnie, please. Please, don't. I can't... We can't... don't, please." She struggled to get her words out, tightening her embrace.

Mun watched with wide eyes, sobbing harder. Yang had nearly killed himself. In front of him. In front of everyone. Was Yang struggling that much? He choked out a small 'hyung' that no one else heard.

. . .

The Counters sat opposite their Yung partners.

"You said they were immortal," Mun said quietly, not looking at anyone. "You said level four spirits never die."

"Because he was inside the barrier, the ability to be immortal was probably deactivated," Wi-gen told him. "Mun, as you know, when a host dies, both the evil spirit and all the other spirits that were locked inside die with it."

Mun shook his head weakly. "No. That can't be right. No way. There's no way my parents' souls dissipated in vain like that. You see..." He hit himself in the chest. "I can still feel them. I know they're still somewhere in this realm!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, Mun," Wi-gen told him as Mun broke down again.

. . .