That afternoon.
"Ugh, umm."
A faint moan escaped Ji Ye-won's lips as she writhed in bed, only for a soft sensation to brush against her cheek.
It felt pleasant, yet somehow unfamiliar.
She rubbed her cheek absentmindedly and slowly opened her eyes. Half her blurry vision was filled with a white pillowcase, spread out like a pristine snowfield.
And beyond it, the cozy, lived-in room came into view.
Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, then snapped wide open with ferocious intensity.
-Snap.
Ji Ye-won bolted upright. The warm comforter slid off her body in a rush. A faint chill seeped in through the hem of her clothes.
"You're awake."
An unfamiliar voice came from behind her.
When she turned her head, there sat the security officer she'd met earlier, in an awkward slouch.
Her mind still foggy from just waking, she asked,
"...Where is this place?"
She glanced around. A modest one-room apartment, the kind college students often rented. Men's clothes hung thick on the wall rack, so the owner was likely male.
'...Why did I black out?'
But she had no memory of getting here.
She pressed her brow and sank into thought, slowly retracing her memories before losing consciousness.
Dawn Corps. Pursuers. Flight. Motel. Room service. Security. And the taser gun.
Her mind sharpened bit by bit as the recollections flooded back.
"Eh?"
In that instant, an odd sensation stirred in her lower body.
"What...?"
A strange openness down below made her rub her thighs together. But the fabric she expected to feel was completely absent.
Unease rising, she twisted at the waist and nudged the blanket aside.
"Eh?"
The sight of her bare white buttocks, utterly naked, hit her like a blank slate washing over her mind.
She stared in silence for a good five seconds.
Her thigh, stroked without thinking, felt soft and fresh, like she'd just stepped out of the shower. A light sniff brought a subtle body wash scent.
"...Eh?"
Her parted lips quivered faintly.
Soon, Ji Ye-won's head turned slowly sideways. Ahn Su-ho sat there before her, gaze averted as if too ashamed to meet her eyes.
"Hey."
"..."
"Hey. Answer me."
"...Yes."
"Why am I buck naked down there?"
Unable to hold out any longer at the question, Ahn Su-ho turned his head. His demeanor only fueled her anxiety.
"Huh? Answer me...?"
Ahn Su-ho bit his lower lip. It was a truth that had to come out eventually.
"Do you remember getting hit by the taser from our team member?"
"Yeah, I do. That blonde kid just shot it out of nowhere. I'd already said I was surrendering."
"...My apologies for that."
"She should be the one apologizing. Where'd she go?"
"We split up before coming here. To grab a change of clothes."
"Clothes? For me?"
"Yes. The ones you were wearing... aren't wearable right now."
"What does that mean?"
Ahn Su-ho let out a deep sigh. This explanation should've come from the culprit, Chae So-yeon. He resented her for ditching them under the pretense of fetching clothes and not returning after an hour.
'Gonna deck her when she gets back. No question.'
Forcing his reluctant mouth open, he continued.
"You got hit by the taser, right? At that moment..."
"What about it?"
"You... wet yourself."
"Eh?"
Ji Ye-won's expression vanished from her face at his words.
"W-Wet myself?"
"No need to be embarrassed. Tasers disrupt the central nervous system temporarily with electric shock, causing muscle contraction. When the current stops, the sudden muscle relaxation and neural disruption lead to involuntary urination—it's completely normal."
"...Stop. No need to explain. Really."
"Yes."
Ji Ye-won's face had turned apple-red with shame. She twisted her thighs together and yanked the blanket up to her chest.
Central nervous system this, natural reaction that—it didn't matter. Her mind was filled only with the humiliation of peeing herself in front of others at twenty-three.
'No, don't dwell on it. That's not the important thing right now.'
She shook her head to clear the thoughts.
She was a fugitive on the run from the Dawn Corps. A little accident like that was nothing compared to her dire situation.
Steadying her rattled emotions, she took a deep breath.
'Wait a sec.'
A sudden doubt surfaced.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
This tiny one-room had only her and the guy in front of her. The blonde girl had split off before arriving.
Her thoughts reached that point, and one question naturally arose.
"Who took my clothes off? And who washed me...?"
Their eyes met, and Ahn Su-ho turned away with a bitter look.
No words were needed; his expression said it all.
"Ah."
Ji Ye-won's face flushed even deeper.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I'm back!"
The door swung open as Chae So-yeon entered, and I swung my fist like I'd been waiting.
-Thwack!
"Ow!"
A clean shot to the forehead. Caught off guard, Chae So-yeon clutched her head and let out a sharp yelp.
"What the hell! Why'd you hit me!"
"A fly was buzzing around, and you popped in just as I was swatting."
"That make any sense? Who catches flies with their fist!"
"Apologize to her first."
"Apologize?"
I pointed at Ji Ye-won, and Chae So-yeon let out a little gasp.
Ji Ye-won had thrown on my pants for now in a pinch. But the legs dragged on the floor, and the waist kept slipping—nowhere near wearable for going out.
"S-Sorry."
"Hand over the clothes."
Ji Ye-won brushed off any apologies. She snatched the paper bag from Chae So-yeon's hand.
"Sorry. Must've been a communication mix-up between us. I thought Ahn Su-ho was just pretending to negotiate to distract you. No way I figured you were seriously surrendering—"
"Get out."
"Huh?"
"Out. I need to change."
"I'm fine, right? We're both girls—"
"I said out."
At Ji Ye-won's eviction order, Chae So-yeon grumbled her way to the door. I'd already stepped out ages ago.
The creaky metal door clanged shut, and Chae So-yeon spat out her grievance.
"Jeez. Acting like she's the boss when she's the criminal."
"Walls are thin here. She can hear everything."
"That's the point."
"Well, gotta cut her some slack for being prickly. You messed up big time this afternoon."
Whether from the day's events or something else, Ji Ye-won had stayed brooding and silent since waking—save for that groggy moment. She sighed now and then, fidgeting uneasily.
On the run from the Dawn Corps, who could blame her nerves?
"Yeah, but still! Snapping at strangers like that, total lack of respect! Right?"
"...Weren't you snapping at me, a stranger, too?"
I pointed it out, and she tilted her head.
"Huh? Me? Isn't that normal? I'm your senior at work—why honorifics?"
"That's within the department. We're different divisions. Mutual honorifics are standard, no?"
"Why nitpick? We're the same age—casual speak's fine."
"Yeah?"
Nice one.
"Guess I'll go casual too then, So-yeon."
"Huh?"
She scrunched her brow like I'd spouted nonsense.
"Sick of honorifics anyway. Casual from now on?"
"How's that fair? I joined security way before you—some lowly junior—"
"Way before? Min Chae-ryeong said like six months max. Why nitpick? Same age—casual's fine."
"Hey, still, respect for seniors—"
"Want senior treatment? Act like one. Fine, getting caught spying's whatever, but this afternoon? Holy..."
"Eek!"
Chae So-yeon stomped in frustration, unable to retort. Watching her eased my pent-up irritation a bit.
'What a pain.'
From the past few days to today's taser fiasco.
Her bungled handling caused nothing but trouble. My image of her had tanked long ago.
How someone like her ended up in Special Countermeasures—under Min Chae-ryeong no less—was beyond me.
'She must have something going for her, since Min Chae-ryeong picked her up.'
Not intel, judging by her surveillance. Spying, tailing, infiltration—out.
She'd pinned me in that alley and moved well today, so maybe combat-focused. Or some wild-card ability I couldn't guess.
"Whatever. Fine. When else you gonna drop honorifics with me? Once you're in Special Countermeasures, you won't even dare look me in the eye with your rank. I did you a favor."
"Sure, sure. Since we're casual now, mind if I ask something?"
"What."
"Curious about your superpower."
Superpower. The core mechanic underpinning the Era of Superhumans world.
In a world where a superhuman's strength equaled their superpower's, any edge Chae So-yeon had likely stemmed from hers.
'Whatever it is, better than mine.'
My power—or rather, character Ahn Su-ho's—was trash, even being generous.
No direct combat use. At best, binding foes' feet or cheap tricks.
Chae So-yeon, in Special Countermeasures under Min Chae-ryeong? Had to be solid.
At my question, she grumbled with a pout.
"...Can't tell you. Classified."
"Same security force—classified?"
"Same force, different divisions. Wanna know? Transfer in."
Actually classified, or just sulking?
She whipped her head away like that was that. No prying further.
-Bang!
The front door flew open.
"Ye-won? All changed?"
Ji Ye-won peeked through the door at my question, sighing. Her gaze shifted to Chae So-yeon.
"Hey, blonde kid."
"What?"
Chae So-yeon glared up at her.
"Blonde kid? Why skip normal names for that crap?"
"Whatever. Why do all these clothes look like such a mess?"
"What's wrong with my clothes."
Ji Ye-won snapped in outrage.
"Sizes are all wrong! Sizes!"
"Sizes?"
Chae So-yeon's eyes dropped to Ji Ye-won's lower half. From my spot, the door blocked the view.
"Ah."
Whatever she saw made realization dawn on her face.
"These aren't the only ones? All of them off?"
"Yeah. All yours, right?"
"Yep. My clothes...?"
Ji Ye-won facepalmed in disbelief. I got the picture.
Chae So-yeon was mid-140s cm. Ji Ye-won topped my just-under-180 cm jawline, so around 165 cm.
20 cm height gap, and Ji Ye-won bulkier. No way Chae So-yeon's clothes fit.
"None fit? Not even one?"
"Come in and see."
Ji Ye-won dragged Chae So-yeon inside, and rustling ensued.
-Didn't know what she'd like, so I grabbed like ten. All no-go?
Chae So-yeon's muffled voice filtered through. Cheap one-room acoustics let their chat faintly echo.
-Ten or a hundred, clothes sized for you won't fit me. You think at all?
-Didn't expect total mismatch! Long pants, okay, but this? Hot pants—length shouldn't matter, right?
-Hips don't fit. Butt squeezes in, zipper won't close.
-Skirt then? Pleated one looks good?
-Same as pants. Hips too wide.
-Skirts don't need hip fit. Pull waist up to... Ah.
-Too short by a mile. Not some hooker—how do you wear this? Why only stuff like this? No basic tracksuit at home?
-Got one, but pink—thought you'd hate it...
No end in sight from inside. I pulled a cigarette and lit up.
"Hooo."
Smoke deep in my lungs cleared my head nicely.
"...Fuck."
Sobriety hit, and reality crashed in late.
'Not some one-trick light novel.'
My life hung on this quest, yet here they were, deep in a heroine wardrobe-change event amid the urgency.
'Clothes? Who cares. Anything to cover up's fine.'
Frustrating attitudes, but not incomprehensible.
Ji Ye-won likely had her guard up against Dawn Corps pursuers. She'd attacked us outright this afternoon.
'Solo evasion against them—nerves frayed.'
Unexpected allies in security appearing? Tension easing into relief made sense.
I opened the quest tab and activated the timer.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Time remaining until incident: 1 day 4 hours 11 minutes 6 seconds.]
About 28 hours left.
Tight, but securing Ji Ye-won let me breathe easier.
Protecting her from assassins was key, but Min Chae-ryeong said she'd handle it—no worries.
'Contact from her any minute now.'
I thought, gazing at the crimson sky.
-Bang!
"Ahn Su-ho."
Chae So-yeon peeked her head through the door.
"Done?"
"No, one favor. Grab black stockings from the convenience store up front? XL size."
She handed me a card. I sighed naturally.
"Stockings now? Why."
"Skirt's the only semi-fit, but way too short bare-legged. Looks off."
"Can't she just throw something on?"
"Nope. Says even hookers wouldn't go out like that."
I pictured it. Chae So-yeon's skirt from hips to knees—hoisted to the waist on 20 cm taller Ji Ye-won...
"...Yeah, probably looks bad."
"Wanna see?"
"Hell no."
"What? Hell no? Casual or not, watch your mouth with your senior!"
I bolted out past her tantrum.
Heading to save Ji Ye-won's dignity with stockings.
-Bzzz.
My pocket vibrated suddenly. Phone out: "Caller ID Restricted."
'Who?'
Not long to wonder. Few called me here, fewer hid their number—one person.
I hit accept and said her name.
"Team Leader Min Chae-ryeong?"
Her familiar voice echoed from the speaker.
-Yeah, it's me. How'd you know right away?
"Only you'd hide your number to call me. What's up?"
-Status report. You first. How's Ji Ye-won?
"Secured. You?"
-Hiding spot? Handled. Hanseong Group chairman owns a safehouse near Green House—permission just came through. Academy facilities would've been ideal, but others would notice.
Fewer knowing about Ji Ye-won, the better. Hence external, not Academy.
Hanseong Group: top-tier Korean conglomerate. Chairman's safehouse? Security solid.
-Back Monday morning early. Full day off, so heading straight there. You and So-yeon guard her till then. Cooperative?
"Thankfully, yes. Almost blew it, though."
-What happened?
I recapped for Min Chae-ryeong. She listened casually to the handcuffs and motel entry, but burst laughing at Chae So-yeon's troll afterward.
-Hahaha! So you're off to the store for stockings?
"Yeah. Insisted it was essential."
-Don't get weird looks.
"Looks? They'll think sister's errand. Anything else? Almost at the store."
-Nah, good. Got you—now So-yeon. Take care.
Hung up, entered the store, straight to stockings.
'XL, right.'
Didn't know they had sizes. Thought stretchy meant one-size-fits-all.
"4,000 won."
Unlike Min Chae-ryeong's worry, the clerk ignored me. Standard—bored part-timer doesn't eye purchases.
Stockings secured, back to the one-room.
'What am I even doing.'
Doubt flooded in. Life-or-death stakes, yet casually buying stockings. Ironic.
One pair of stockings changing everything? Even Blissful Heavenly Demon wouldn't butterfly-effect that—
-Ding!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Quest information updated.] [Events have deviated significantly from the original plot! Time remaining until incident changed due to uncertain factors!] [Time remaining until incident: ?? hours ?? minutes ?? seconds.]
Eh?