Chapter 2

“Well, first I need to find a place to live… Oh, actually, I’ve already got my eye on a building. If I just collect rent, I can cover living expenses without any problem.”

“A landlord… Damn it, why didn’t I think of that?”

Director Nam muttered to himself in exasperation.

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Of course. What a ridiculous question he had asked—worrying about Baek Eu-jin’s living expenses, of all things.

He didn’t know the exact balance in Eu-jin’s bank account, but one thing was certain: the man had more money than he could ever spend.

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His monthly salary had been absurdly high, and he hadn’t had any time to spend it. Living in the Bureau’s quarters and maintaining a frugal lifestyle had left him with a substantial fortune.

And it’s not like Eu-jin had a family to support. Despite earning an unimaginable amount of money, he hadn’t had much use for it until now.

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Espers with high salaries often faced restrictions on investments, particularly in stocks and speculative real estate. Yet now, here he was, talking about buying a building. Nam finally grasped the reality: Eu-jin was truly leaving his Esper life behind.

While the director let out a deflated sigh, Baek Eu-jin was already planning what he wanted to do next. A spark of inspiration lit up his face, and he sat up straight.

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“Oh, right! I should go on an overseas trip, too!”

Choi Ran, who had been glued to her phone the entire time, perked up at his words. Coincidentally, she had just been browsing travel sites.

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“Traveling, Captain? How about Cancún? Cancún’s amazing.”

“Where’s that?”

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“It’s a resort town in Mexico. If you stop over, you can visit LA or New York on the way. The best plan is to pair it with Las Vegas. You spend three days playing slots at the casino and the rest relaxing on the Caribbean beaches. Fun and relaxation—a two-for-one deal. It’s perfect.”

“That sounds great.”

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Eu-jin straightened his posture, clearly intrigued by the suggestion.

At twenty-eight years old, he had never once been on an overseas trip. A plan that combined both sightseeing and relaxation in one go? It was perfect.

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“I’m thinking of booking tickets next week,” Choi Ran added casually.

“Interested? We can hit the casinos together, then split up for the rest of the trip and do our own thing.”

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“Alright, sounds good. Let’s go,” Eu-jin agreed eagerly.

“You two are way too excited!”

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Unable to take it anymore, Director Nam shot up from his seat. Snorting with exasperation, he marched to his desk, grabbed two black file folders, and returned. They were the official retirement approval documents for both of them, complete with the final seals of approval.

“This won’t do. If you’re going to leave, you’re signing one more agreement before you go.”

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From the inside pocket of his jacket, Nam pulled out a fountain pen and began scribbling on the bottom of the approval forms, adding a new clause:

[If abilities are restored, the individual must return to the Bureau without exception.]
[In case of non-compliance, the Rift Management Bureau reserves the right to enforce mandatory conscription without dispute.]

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“What is he writing now?”

Eu-jin muttered under his breath, craning his neck to watch. He clicked his tongue in quiet disbelief.

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“Director, you’re relentless. Isn’t this already a done deal?”

“Shut up. Just stamp it. Choi Ran, you too!”

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Perhaps embarrassed by his persistence, Nam’s dark complexion flushed a deep reddish-brown, resembling red bean porridge. Still, his determination didn’t waver as he shoved the signing board toward them.

Well, if he’s going this far, I guess I can grant him this last request.

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With a shrug, Eu-jin extended his thumb. He dabbed it generously into the ink pad on the table, leaving a bright red fingerprint on the paper.

A bold, unmistakable print now sat atop Director Nam’s hastily scrawled clause.

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Choi Ran followed suit, stamping her fingerprint beside Eu-jin’s with a bemused smile.

“Happy now?” Eu-jin asked.

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Director Nam let out a deep, begrudging sigh, clutching the papers like a lifeline.

“If I have to lose you two, I’m at least keeping this in my back pocket.”

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* * *

These days, Seoul was overflowing with cafes, no matter where you went.

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Most first floors of large buildings were occupied by major coffee shop franchises, while independently owned cafes focused on ambiance and the quality of their coffee beans weren’t hard to find either.

In such a fiercely competitive market, cafes that didn’t put in any effort inevitably fell by the wayside. Baek Eu-jin’s shop was a textbook example of that.

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Today, as usual, he started business late. Despite being in an area full of offices, where the peak hours were during the morning rush and lunchtime, the lazy cafe owner didn’t open the shop until well past 2 p.m.

The small corner cafe didn’t even have a sign. Its interior was fully visible through the large glass windows designed to let in plenty of sunlight.

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A handful of wooden tables and chairs, along with an expensive espresso machine, hinted at the place being a cafe. Occasionally, a curious passerby would peek inside and step in, only to leave disappointed by the lackluster menu.

Eu-jin swung open the folding doors to let in fresh air. He swept the floor with a broom and wiped the tables clean with a damp cloth.

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After finishing his chores, he clapped the dust off his hands, his small face glowing with satisfaction as if he’d just accomplished something monumental.

Stepping behind the brewing bar, Eu-jin made himself a cup of coffee to shake off his drowsiness. While he wasn’t a professional barista, the high-quality machine ensured the coffee was above average. As expected, expensive equipment was worth the investment.

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He filled a glass cup with ice, poured in two rich espresso shots, and topped it off with cold water. The crisp clinking of ice against the glass was refreshing to the ears.

With the iced coffee in hand, Eu-jin headed to his favorite spot. Predictably, the warm sunlight streamed in, landing perfectly on the tops of his feet. Crossing his legs, he settled into a relaxed pose.

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He pulled out his e-book reader. Pressing the power button, the martial arts novel he’d been reading late into the previous night appeared on the screen.

Sipping his cold coffee, Eu-jin lowered his serene, lake-green eyes to the screen. With his poised demeanor, contemplative gaze, and coffee in hand, he could easily be mistaken for an intellectual engrossed in literary pursuits.

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Feeling content, he lightly swung his slippered foot in the air. Suddenly, a furry little creature brushed against the top of his foot, which itched ever so slightly. Tilting his head, he spotted a cat that had snuck in without him noticing, rubbing itself affectionately against him.

“You’re here, huh?”

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Lowering his arm, Eu-jin gently scratched the cat’s back, eliciting a soft purr from his unexpected companion.

This little one was a stray cat that occasionally slipped into the café whenever the door was left open. Perhaps it liked the quiet, customer-free atmosphere because it had started showing up almost daily as if clocking in for work.

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The cat yawned wide, stretched its front paws out, and lowered its chest to the floor while raising its hindquarters high in the air. After a satisfying stretch, it plopped down in the sunniest spot, curling up like a loaf of bread. Purring contentedly, it closed its eyes, its body vibrating softly with pleasure.

With the cat’s soothing purrs as his background music, Eu-jin resumed his reading, just as the story was reaching its climax.

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Then the door opened and closed, letting in a brief gust of wind. The small wind chime hanging nearby jingled softly, announcing the arrival of a customer.

A man, decked out in luxury brands from head to toe and wearing sunglasses, stepped inside, casually scanning the café.

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“……”

Eu-jin barely glanced at the customer before returning to his book. He debated ignoring him entirely, but eventually decided to move. Reluctantly, he got up from his seat, dragging his slippered feet across the floor as he shuffled behind the counter.

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“What’ll it be?” he asked lazily.

“What’s your specialty here?”

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Eu-jin pointed at the menu board without much enthusiasm.

[Americano only. Hot/Iced]

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“Nothing else? No lattes or anything?”

“Nope.”

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“Why not?”

“Because I only drink Americano’s.”

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The absurd response made the customer, Bae Jae-hyuk, furrow his brows. Sliding his expensive sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose, he locked eyes with Eu-jin.

“Then why even bother running a café? You could just buy your coffee and drink it.”

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“Well, if I don’t do something, I’d just be unemployed. Right now, I’m technically a café owner,” Eu-jin replied, his tone utterly nonchalant.

“Have you thought about coming back?”

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“……”

Eu-jin knew this was coming. He didn’t bother replying. The sound of coffee beans grinding filled the silence instead.

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Soon, the brewed coffee was poured into a paper cup. Baek Eu-jin, ever so nonchalantly, put a lid and a sleeve on the cup as if he were genuinely serving a customer. Placing it on the counter, he spoke indifferently.

“Just drink your coffee.”

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“Wow, look at you, saying ‘hurry up and drink and get out’ so nicely.”

Jae-hyuk remarked with a smirk, picking up the cup. He seemed to like it, sniffing the aroma of the beans before sipping from the warm paper cup.

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Meanwhile, Eu-jin leaned against the brewing bar with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Jae-hyuk with a mixture of irritation and wariness. His gaze suggested he was keeping a close eye on the Rift Management Bureau’s Deputy Director, Bae Jae-hyuk.

After a sip of the hot coffee, Jae-hyuk got to the point.

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“Eu-jin, come back to work.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

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“I’m not asking you to do anything hard. Just take a management role like me. Do you know how big of a deal it is to become a deputy director at your age? You’d be the youngest in the Bureau’s history. That’s how much they’re willing to back you up.”

Despite the enticing offer, Eu-jin ruffled his hair in annoyance.

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“Just let me go already. What’s left to squeeze out of me that you’re still clinging to me?”

“Your eyes are still blue.”

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Jae-hyuk said, pointing at Eu-jin’s eyes with the hand not holding the cup.

As expected, Eu-jin’s cold gaze fixed on Jae-hyuk, his teal-blue eyes glowing like ghostly flames.

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Eu-jin’s eyes were an unnatural shade of vivid teal, a color no Korean could naturally possess. The luminous hue, resembling melting glacier water, stood out even more against his pale skin, often leading people to mistake him for being of mixed heritage.

But his eye color wasn’t natural. It had changed after his abilities manifested, a physical “penalty” of being an Esper.

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Espers—those with supernatural abilities—each bore a unique physical drawback, known as a “penalty,” alongside their powers.

The manifestations varied widely. Some had extra fingers, others dealt with chronic ailments like severe allergies. Some penalties were highly visible, while others were so subtle they went unnoticed. Their severity also ranged from minor inconveniences to life-altering impairments.

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In Eu-jin’s case, his penalty was his striking teal eyes. Over time, his melanin had faded, leaving him with eyes that resembled those of a Western foreigner.

Although it didn’t interfere with his daily life, it drew too much attention. Because of this, Eu-jin had never liked his eyes.

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When his abilities disappeared, he had hoped the color would return to normal. But to his dismay, the unnaturally bright blue persisted.

The Rift Management Bureau seemed to have noticed this too, holding onto the faint hope that his abilities might not be entirely gone. It was clear they weren’t ready to let him go just yet.

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