Chapter 179 - Wavelength
"Pado Guild Blind Post"
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[※Posts that don't follow the rules may be deleted without notice.]
Title: [Anonymous] What just happened?
240 was chasing someone down the emergency stairs like they were going to kill them. Did I see that right?
Comments (99+)
— Yeah, you saw it right, ㅋㅋ.
⤷ Oh really? I thought I spilled hallucinogens into my salad, but good to know I saw it right.
⤷ What kind of life do you live, Anonymous?
— Did you only see 240?
⤷ Yeah, it was the first time I heard 240 yelling;;
⤷ You missed the most important thing... J should've been in front.
⤷ ????? Why would J be in our guild?
⤷ Who knows, maybe 240 brought them here.
⤷ Kidnapped?
⤷ No way.
Title: [Anonymous] But 240 had a bruise on their neck.
It was a hand-shaped bruise. For an S-grade to have a mark like that on their neck...
Could it be...?
Comments (99+)
— Seems like...
— I won't say more because I don't want a meeting with 240.
⤷ For real.
⤷ How do you even know that when this is anonymous? ㅋㅋ
⤷ Don't underestimate Seo Min-gi's information-gathering skills...
— Ah, I got it! J and 240 sacrificed themselves for the sleepy and bored employees...
⤷ J-men.
⤷ I was so sleepy after lunch, but that woke me right up.
Title: [Anonymous] But there's a reason the number one is number one.
They're so fast and agile. I blinked, and they were already down there.
Comments (99+)
— For real, they were down there as soon as the wind blew.
— It's like teleportation.
— At least they didn't break the building, J is the best!
⤷ No, it needs to break for us to go home.
⤷ Oh right.
⤷ Could you come back and break just a little more? Just enough so the building doesn't collapse?
Title: [Anonymous] Collected all the posts from the anonymous board to summarize the situation.
Some of this is made up.
I don't know what happened after the article came out, but 240 was holding J captive.
J, who values freedom, choked 240 and escaped like the wind.
240 chased after them like they were going to kill them (witnesses confirmed).
Evidence: 240 yelled at J, saying things like "Are you crazy? Stop right now!" some threatening stuff.
J broke down a door and successfully escaped.
The glass was tinted by JS's ability, blocking external visibility. The first floor became a greenhouse.
Shield Guy is in despair.
Does this sound right?
Comments (99+)
— How come I feel like my brain got corrupted just from reading this?
⤷ LOL ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
⤷ Now we get mind attacks from reading posts too. Brutal.
— Is this real?
⤷ Who knows **
⤷ I don't know about the rest, but the choking and 240 chasing J like they were going to kill them is real. I saw it myself.
⤷ A good mix of lies and facts.
⤷ I was so scared I collapsed.
— What are the anonymous secretaries doing? Spill the tea.
⤷ If the secretaries were here, they wouldn't be dealing with this mess, lol.
⤷ Right. Hang in there.
⤷ They're probably working overtime tonight. Good luck.
Title: [Anonymous] Let me summarize it in one sentence.
J and 240 choked each other and played catch.
Comments (99+)
— What is even happening?
— This post will be deleted soon.
"Haah..."
A large hand with strong bones placed the phone down. A deep sigh escaped. Bae Won-woo clutched his head, letting out a groan. He felt like he had sighed this hopelessly not long ago.
First floor of the Pado Guild building, the in-house café. Just a moment ago, the café had been bustling, but now it was quiet. Only three people sat there, lonely in the emptiness.
Bae Won-woo let out another deep sigh, as if the earth itself would collapse.
"Haah..."
"Stop sighing already, Vice-Guild Leader."
"...They saw everything, right?"
"Well, we tried to block it... but they probably saw the important parts."
A fresh scent of grass filled the air. The windows that once gave a clear view outside were now covered with vibrant greenery and flowers. Leaves fluttered gently. Kang Ji-soo stirred her strawberry latte with a straw. Her dark green eyes gleamed with a brilliant emerald hue. The café counter was now manned not by a part-time worker but by a vine-like human figure.
Bae Won-woo muttered.
"I should've just gone straight into the dungeon... Why did I bother getting coffee..."
"What's the point of regretting what's already done, Vice-Guild Leader? You should be thinking about how to fix it."
"What on earth is this, Sa-young? How many times are you planning to make the front page of the newspaper?"
"This time it's not my fault..."
A low, displeased voice responded. Lee Sa-young had his legs crossed, massaging his temple with his eyes closed.
The long dial tone stopped, and soon a notification announced that the call could not be connected. His delicate brow furrowed slightly. Lee Sa-young dialed again, his cold voice muttering.
"Now he's not even picking up..."
Bae Won-woo cautiously spoke.
"J... and, uh... they must've had a reason for playing 'catch me if you can,' right?"
"I don't know..."
A grinding sound came from his clenched teeth. An ominous aura flickered behind Lee Sa-young, who was dressed in a pitch-black coat. He spat out his words bitterly.
"Damn it. I asked them to eat, and they bolted like their feet were on fire. How is that my fault?"
"..."
"Tell me, Bae Won-woo. Is it my fault for asking someone who slept all day to grab a meal?"
"N-no... Asking someone to eat is a nice thing to do..."
"No matter what I said, they didn't respond. What, do they not want to eat with me? Not even talk to me? Run away like that?"
His voice grew more and more heated the longer he talked. This was dangerous. If things kept going like this, he might explode.
Kang Ji-soo and Bae Won-woo exchanged glances. You talk to him first. No? The Vice-Guild Leader should talk first. After silently debating for a while, Kang Ji-soo widened her eyes, daring him. Finally, Bae Won-woo broke the silence.
"Sa-young. Maybe... did you, um, did you imprison J?"
"What? Ha..."
Lee Sa-young scoffed. A fierce smile appeared on his delicate face.
"Are you blind? Does J look like someone who could be imprisoned?"
"That's not it, but... there's always the possibility of 'what if' in the world, right?"
"No."
Lee Sa-young answered firmly, and Bae Won-woo sighed in relief. He sneaked a glance at the back of his neck. A dark bruise, shaped like a handprint, stood out clearly. The body of an S-grade is tough— strong enough that only a great force could leave even a scratch. To leave such a clear mark on a body that resilient...
Ah, he didn't want to know anymore. Lee Sa-young was someone he had raised, cared for, and nurtured, through thick and thin. He didn't want to know about his rough romantic entanglements. But the signs were all too obvious, even to someone as clueless as Bae Won-woo. Everything pointed to one conclusion.
He covered his face in despair. If only he were a bit more oblivious!
At that moment, Kang Ji-soo slammed her glass down with a sharp sound.
"For now!"
Bae Won-woo and Lee Sa-young both looked up at the same time. Despite their sharp gazes, she clapped her hands without showing a hint of fear.
"Seo Min-gi said they followed J, right?"
A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi that emerged from Lee Sa-young's shadow, had immediately merged back into the shadows after receiving orders, without even grasping the situation. Bae Won-woo nodded.
"Y-yeah, that's right."
"Seo Min-gi won't be able to defeat J, but they should've at least secured their location, right? Probably turned on GPS too."
"That makes sense."
"If we just sit here talking amongst ourselves, we won't get any answers."
She raised her index finger sharply.
"Vice-Guild Leader, call Choi Go-yo."
"Huh? Got it."
"And Guild Leader..."
Kang Ji-soo added seriously.
"Try looking pitiful."
***
"Ha..."
Cha Eui-jae leaned on the building's railing, gazing up at the sky filled with swirling white ash. The ash fell like snow, indifferent to his feelings. He clicked his tongue in frustration. His phone vibrated incessantly in his hand. Running away had been a good idea, sure. But...
There was nowhere to go.
'How can there be nowhere to go...'
Cha Eui-jae rested his chin on his arm. The hangover soup restaurant was too obvious, Jung Bin was probably busy, and Hong Ye-seong's cozy love nest... Cha Eui-jae shook his head, pushing the thought aside. Too much hassle. Going to Hong Ye-seong to avoid Lee Sa-young would be like jumping from one hell to another.
'Maybe I should buy a house?'
He remembered that Han Seok-jeong was managing his old place. Maybe he should go there... Cha Eui-jae let out a small sigh.
"Sir, please return my phone. I'm begging you, this is life or death for me."
Seo Min-gi, tied to the rooftop railing by his wrist with a necktie, pleaded. The knot was loose enough to untie easily, but what truly bound him was not the necktie— it was Cha Eui-jae.
The phone buzzed again. Cha Eui-jae glanced at the caller ID. Guild Leader. Since he hadn't answered, it seemed the leader had shifted focus to Seo Min-gi. Cha Eui-jae crouched in front of him, showing him the phone screen.
"Answer and tell them you lost me."
"Uh? But..."
Crack, Cha Eui-jae silently cracked his knuckles. Seo Min-gi nodded quickly. The guild leader was far away, but Cha Eui-jae's fists were right here. Cha Eui-jae slid the call to answer and held the phone up to Seo Min-gi's ear. Seo Min-gi steadied his breath and spoke.
"Yes, Guild Leader."
—...
"Guild Leader?"
The phone was silent for a long moment before a soft intake of breath came through.
—J is there with you, isn't he?
"W-what? No, no, not at all!"
Seo Min-gi's voice cracked and squeaked as his attempt at lying fell apart miserably. Cha Eui-jae grabbed Seo Min-gi by the collar and mouthed the words;
"Do you want to die?"
Seo Min-gi frantically shook his head. His sunglasses rattled against the phone screen. Meanwhile, Lee Sa-young remained silent. Finally, his voice, now subdued, asked quietly.
—Did I do something wrong?
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"..."
Seo Min-gi's jaw dropped. Cha Eui-jae, holding the phone, was equally stunned. He had never heard that tone from him before. Lee Sa-young continued to mutter.
—I just wanted to have a meal with you, but you ran off like that...
...Is that so?
Come to think of it, Lee Sa-young must have been taken aback too. They had been talking normally, and he suddenly bolted. But still...
Cha Eui-jae rubbed the back of his neck. Hearing his voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His ears itched, and his fingers curled involuntarily.
'If just his voice is doing this, how could I possibly face him in person!'
—...Hyung, are you angry? Are you really not going to answer me?
Cha Eui-jae opened his mouth but then stopped, holding his breath. He felt like his voice would come out weird if he spoke now. Meanwhile, Seo Min-gi, sensing Cha Eui-jae's mood, untied the necktie around his wrist. He slowly scooted away, inching further from the phone.
Just as Cha Eui-jae was about to say something, Lee Sa-young spoke first.
—Then I'll...
Something appeared behind him. It was a sensation he'd felt a few times before. Cha Eui-jae immediately turned around. A large door had appeared in the middle of the rooftop. Slowly, the door creaked open. On the other side was a space filled with greenery, like a botanical garden. The scent of fresh grass wafted in.
"Eek."
Romantic Opener, clinging to the doorknob, let out a faint squeak as he fainted. Long legs gracefully stepped over Romantic Opener's limp body and touched down on the rooftop floor. A black coat fluttered. Cha Eui-jae muttered silently.
Shit.
"...I do have some sense."
Shit!