episode_0036

“What on earth is happening…?”

I murmured to myself in sudden darkness.

But within the shadows, no one offered me an answer.

Let’s think about it.

There’s only one reason why the shutters of this department store would come down.

It’s because there’s some significant threat lurking outside.

And most of the time, it’s monsters.

Why does it have to be today of all days?

Today is a day with fewer security forces in Seoul due to a Grade 3 monster incident in Cheonan.

On such days, one must be especially cautious as crime rates tend to rise.

I tightly gripped my crossbag and held my breath.

In the silent darkness, only Anna’s footsteps could be heard.

“—.”

The sound of metal twisting echoed from the direction of the shutters.

“Is it a shutter for monster prevention?”

She muttered to herself.

Could it be that she kept pounding on the shutter with her fist, unable to break it even for a monster?

As there seemed to be no way to break the shutter, Anna’s sneaker sounds gradually faded away.

She must be searching for another way.

Left alone in the darkness, I scrambled to follow that sound.

“Let’s go together!”

The enclosed department store was so dark that not even a silhouette could be seen.

I blindly ran towards the sound of her footsteps.

In doing so, I ended up bumping my head against something.

Fortunately, my head didn’t hurt much compared to the speed at which I was running.

What bothered me was the instinctive grasp of something I felt while hitting my head.

A rubber band felt at my fingertips, and between that, a soft touch.

Startled by the sensation, I quickly let go.

It was Anna’s hip that I had grabbed.

“…”

“Sorry… It’s dark, and I couldn’t see.”

Anna didn’t react at all to my apology.

She stood stiffly, staring at a faint beam of light in the distance.

Following her gaze, I looked towards the light.

The light turned out to be an emergency exit.

Through the slightly ajar door, the cosmetics store on the first floor lobby could be seen.

Luckily, it seemed like power was still running in the lobby.

I quickly grabbed the doorknob.

But before the door could fully open, someone grabbed the back of my shirt firmly.

Yanked so forcefully that my chest tightened, I looked up at Anna.

Her hazy eyes behind colored lenses spoke to me.

“There’s trouble outside.”

Trouble…?

I furrowed my eyebrows.

Dizzily getting up, I carefully observed the first-floor lobby.

Eventually, I realized why she had yanked me so hard.

Men wearing gas masks and protective gear were roaming around the first-floor lobby, each armed with guns and swords, lining up the department store customers and staff.

Hostages raised their hands and knelt one by one.

Bullet holes were already embedded in the security guard’s forehead.

It was the work of a skilled gunman.

Undoubtedly, these were armed robbers with prior experience.

“Is this everyone?”

“Yeah, we rounded up everyone from downstairs.”

“What about the ones upstairs?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re still catching them.”

“The cops won’t be here for another 10 minutes. We’ll grab the valuables on the first floor and leave within that time.”

A low, heavy voice.

The man in the gas mask skillfully exchanged signals with his comrades, sweeping watches and necklaces into a bag he brought.

They were thoroughly prepared.

And intelligent too.

From perfect timing to lowering the department store shutters to confining people…

They were the perfect predators of this era.

My lips dried up involuntarily at the sight of the sharp gun barrels and ruthless weapons.

Swallowing dry saliva, I glanced at Anna.

Perhaps she also knew the lax security today and came out prepared.

Disguised in such a clumsy manner.

“What should we do…?”

I asked her, who had been observing them for a long time.

If she had observed them for this long, it meant she had a plan in mind.

“Well, we have to kill them all.”

Dark-haired Anna replied as if it were obvious.

Well, that’s true.

In her mind, there might only be two options: kill or be killed.

The killer pulled the emergency exit lever.

Quietly, I slip behind the cosmetics shelf.

In the darkness, I watch the scene unfold clearly.

Anna lying beneath the shelf gestures to me.

Her hand points directly at me.

“Why did you call me?” I shout in a small voice, feeling flustered.

In response, Anna glares at me as if rejecting her own name.

Getting involved with her here would only lead me to be seen as an accomplice.

Yet, even as I entertain these thoughts, my body obediently edges out of the door towards Anna.

Crawling like a puppy, I stick closely by her side.

The tight-lipped killer hands me three black beads.

“What are these for?”

“Special smoke bombs.”

Why is she giving these to me, this woman…

“When I give the signal. Throw them at them.”

As if playing a game, she says it casually.

Leaving those words hanging, Anna tears open the packaging ribbon from the cosmetics shelf.

And she clutches it tightly in her hand.

“Can’t we just wait until security comes..?”

“Then I’ll get caught too.”

Right.

Anna was also a wanted criminal.

A Grade 1 fugitive being chased by a High Ranker…

It would be troublesome if I got caught up with her here.

But if things work out that way, it might actually be good for me.

Here, there’s no evidence that I helped Anna; I might just appear as a pitiful customer.

She clearly didn’t break the shutters.

No matter how skilled a killer is, they won’t be able to escape a High Ranker in a sealed space.

Silently, I hope she gets arrested by security.

That wish even led to the thought of not throwing the smoke bombs on purpose.

Looking down at me holding the smoke bombs tightly, Anna’s gaze meets mine.

Suddenly, the half-and-half face of a cold-blooded killer comes into view.

The killer messes up my bangs.

The touch makes my thighs tremble involuntarily.

“I trust you.”

Leaving those words behind, she rises to her feet.

And very discreetly and flexibly, she approaches the robbers.

What’s going on?

For a moment, it seems like Anna’s mouth twitches subtly.

I look down at the smoke bombs clenched tightly in both hands.

I might go crazy.

This would make me look like I’m helping a fugitive again.

But… just waiting around, not knowing when security will return…

My mind is troubled as if squeezed by Anna.

The killer, unaware of my inner turmoil, signals me to proceed.

Reluctantly, I raise my head following the signal.

Three ruthless robbers come into view.

There are only three opponents.

Distracted by grabbing the watches in front of them, they are unaware.

I swallow my saliva and aim.

I have thrown smoke bombs before.

During my search team days, I threw them several times upon hearing they grant leave if you take charge.

I pull out three of the four she gave me.

And I hide the remaining one in my jacket pocket.

As a last resort to escape from Anna.

I take a deep breath.

And as I exhale, I suddenly rise above the shelf.

All eyes are on me with my abrupt appearance.

From the intensely bloodshot eyes of the robbers to the terrified customers.

I throw the sphere I hold onto the ground with force.

A perfect ‘Demonstration by the former assistant.’

As the sphere hits the ground, the sound of pouring sand erupts.

Soon, a pungent smoke starts billowing up from the ground.

“What’s this, an ambush!”

Sharp loading sounds strike my ears.

But I pay no heed to their concerns.

They’re not dealing with me.

The smoke bomb isn’t just a tool to obscure vision.

The loud sound it produces when the smoke billows also masks the approaching footsteps of someone else.

“—!”

The robber wearing a gas mask hastily looks around.

He repeatedly calls out his comrades’ names.

But no response comes back.

“Where are you? Where the hell are you!”

A cold piece of iron strikes the ground.

No matter who hears it, that’s the sound of a shotgun falling.

“—!”

The pistol of the gas mask man spits fire.

The loud gunshot echoes everywhere.

His chest trembles like crazy.

But still, someone in the fog remains invisible.

The condensation on his gas mask increases.

Soon, with white vapor in his eyes, he throws off the gas mask.

“—!”

The sound of a can dropping to the floor is heard.

Immediately, the man pulls the trigger in that direction.

As the muzzle flashes, his neck tightens like a trigger.

A pretty ribbon ties around his thick neck.

He somehow resists by trying to slip his finger through the ribbon.

But there is no sign of the soft silk breaking.

The bloodshot man’s eyes swell gradually.

Eventually, his eyeballs start protruding as the blood vessels burst.

Even the fingers that were fiercely resisting eventually stiffen.

No more gunshots are heard in the department store.

The dense smoke gradually dissipates.

Soon, the killer emerges from the mist.

She casually approaches, wiping blood with the back of her hand.

As if seeing a mystical being.

“It was cold. The duration was short.”

The killer picks up a smoke grenade shell and shows it.

Then she hides the ribbon used on the robber in her pocket.

Erasing her traces as much as possible.

Seeing her leaving, I involuntarily feel at ease.

Still, since I helped subdue the robber, I probably won’t be implicated as an accomplice.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

And gaze intently towards the exit where sunlight pours in.

It is the only escape route left open for the robbers to flee.

“—.”

Something becomes visible amidst the bright light.

I soon realize they are several cars.

And on those cars, ‘Hunter’ is written in English letters.

A car door opens.

Soon, a man descends.

Long legs.

A sharp broadsword at his waist.

And even a cynical smirk.

I know this man.

We met only once in my life, but I could never forget him.

The man who said he would kill anyone who helps a fugitive.

Ranked 7th currently, Lee Dae-eun.

Armed with guns, he enters the department store with security guards.

“What’s going on? All the robbers are lying down?”

A bewildered security guard asks Lee.

With a furrowed brow, Dae-eun looks around the lobby.

All he sees are cold bodies and terrified guests.

Lost, his gaze falls upon the two of us standing there.

“Did you handle this?”

The high ranker asks in a cold tone.

Seemingly, he doesn’t remember me.

Black-haired Anna gazes at the ranker intently.

Her finger points directly at herself.

“Yes, it was you.”

I worried he might recognize Anna.

Dealing with three armed robbers alone is suspicious enough.

While pondering this, I suddenly feel a warm gaze.

Dae-eun’s sharp eyes are fixed on me.

Huh…?

Why is he staring at me all of a sudden?

I glance back at Anna.

And then I realize why Dae-eun is glaring at me.

Anna’s finger is clearly pointing at herself.

But at the same time, her other finger is pointing at me.

Approaching me with a face full of suspicion, the high ranker makes me gulp involuntarily.