The classroom is mostly empty. Cheol Gae is crawling under a desk.Gao Zhi: "You lost it again?"Cheol Gae: "It's the pencil! The one my aunt gave me!"Gao Zhi: "Your aunt probably forgot you even exist, let alone the pencil."Cheol Gae(serious tone): "Still. It's sacred."
They finally leave. The university corridor is quiet, the air smells like leftover lunch and old books.Cheol Gae: "I feel like we're walking in a dream."Gao Zhi: "It's just empty. That's what normal buildings look like after class."
They reach the university gate, just about to head out—when they freeze.
Cheol Gae (squinting): "Thief."Gao Zhi: "Wait… is he stealing… a bonsai tree?"Cheol Gae (already cracking his knuckles): "Doesn't matter. Wrong is wrong."Gao Zhi: "It's a tree, Cheol Gae. A potted one."
Cheol Gae was already gone, stomping toward the thief like a storm cloud with muscles. The thief looked up—and froze.
Thief: "Wha—what the—!"
To be fair, Cheol Gae looked like a 30-year-old Martial Arts drop out , his face alingment said that he could unite a whole city worth of gangs and still wont break a sweat .He was only 19.
Cheol Gae: "Put it back, citizen."Thief: "I-I was gonna!"Cheol Gae: "Now."
The thief dropped the bonsai like it was cursed gold and ran off, screaming something about demons.
Cheol Gae (frowning): "That's a poor man's sprint."Gao Zhi (narrowing eyes): "From the north, judging by that thick tunic. Peasant class. Probably desperate… or just really bad at crime."Cheol Gae: "Doesn't matter. He chose violence… against a tree."
Gao Zhi (walking up casually): "You scared him more than prison would've."Cheol Gae: "He looked like he needed to be reminded of society."Gao Zhi: "He was stealing a tree, Gae. A bonsai. Maybe three inches tall."Cheol Gae: "Crime is crime. Could've been a statue. Or a baby goat. I'd still stop him."Gao Zhi: "You ever think people like that don't need justice—they need a refund on their life decisions?"Cheol Gae: "I'm the refund."
Now walking again.Cheol Gae: "Why do people do bad things, Gao Zhi? I can't stop them all."Gao Zhi: "You've stopped two vending machine thieves, a fake monk, and a grandma scammer this month. That's enough."Cheol Gae: "Not even close."
They pass through the busy market. People shout prices. Chickens squawk. Kids chase kites. Then it gets quieter. They turn into a narrow alleyway.Gao Zhi: "…Too quiet."Cheol Gae: "This is usually when something weird happens."
Suddenly—white flash. Everything goes blind. Both of them stop, shielding their eyes.
Cheol Gae: "I CAN'T SEE! AM I DEAD?!"Gao Zhi: "No, idiot. Look down."
Lying on the ground is a young man. Barely breathing. Unconscious. Wearing clothes that don't look… normal.