There was a mistake Ervin hadn't considered when he planned this outing.
He hadn't stopped to think that the two bodies he controlled were supposed to be separate people. When he decided to bring Cheon Seul-ah along, he never considered that it might be strange — because to him, she was just an extension of himself. Another limb, another tool. He had essentially thought he was going alone, when in reality he was bringing another person.
From everyone else's perspective, though, there were two people.
Another mistake: the personalities. He was making both Han Joon-seong and Cheon Seul-ah speak to Lee Hye-jin with the same level of intimacy — which naturally came across as flirtatious. Both of them were being warm and affectionate with her, because to Ervin, it was just him being friendly. He didn't realize how it looked from the outside.
And now he couldn't stop to correct it. He was busy.
Ervin had two jobs today while both bodies were walking and talking with Lee Hye-jin. First, he had to scout for the "talents" the mission mentioned. Second, he had to give general directions to the conversation. He wasn't controlling every minute detail — that would drive him insane — but he was hovering from a distance, sending broad instructions based on the information he was receiving from both bodies.
Because if he left them entirely on Auto Pilot, Han Joon-seong would just stand there like a doll, completely indifferent to whatever Lee Hye-jin was saying, walking around like a statue. And Cheon Seul-ah would just stare at her with that cold, aggressive expression, like she was threatening her with her eyes.
So he was giving instructions to both of them simultaneously.
And it turns out, pretending to have a natural conversation with yourself is much harder than it looks. He felt an immense amount of secondhand embarrassment, having to make small talk with himself, making up opinions about the scenery and fake thoughts he didn't even have. But he was managing — barely.
While Ervin floated above, scanning the crowds and looking for any sign of the arriving talents, his two bodies kept walking and talking, pretending to be normal people.
And so it went for about an hour and a half.
---
Lee Hye-jin had become a blushing mess.
She didn't know what had happened. She didn't understand how things had escalated to this point. But as time passed and they kept walking, Cheon Seul-ah and Han Joon-seong had eventually positioned themselves on either side of her, walking so close that their shoulders almost brushed against hers.
They moved like she was the center of their world.
They stopped at a crepe stand, and both of them offered to pay for her. They passed a small souvenir shop, and both asked if she wanted anything. They walked by a café, and both suggested getting her a drink.
Lee Hye-jin's brain had officially short-circuited.
*Wait. No. No, no, no. That's not possible. They're not—*
She glanced to her right. Cheon Seul-ah was walking close to her, a warm, affectionate smile on her face. She glanced to her left. Han Joon-seong was walking equally close, his usual gentle smile in place.
Her brain started to fry. Steam practically rose from the top of her head.
*No. No, that's too— that's too perverted! That kind of thing— they can't be trying to—*
She tried to rationalize it.
*But... Han Joon-seong really is handsome. I-I figure he would want to use his assets... Maybe he wants to— no. No. That's not—*
She couldn't even finish the thought.
Cheon Seul-ah and Han Joon-seong continued walking with her, completely oblivious to the internal chaos they were causing. They led her into an ice cream parlor, a cozy little shop with pastel-colored walls and the smell of fresh waffles in the air.
They sat down at a small table, the two of them flanking her again.
Ervin, floating above, was still scanning the crowds, still trying to spot any of the "arriving talents" the mission mentioned. He was giving general directions to both bodies, but he wasn't paying close attention to the specifics of the conversation.
Han Joon-seong turned to Lee Hye-jin. "So, Lee Hye-jin, about what we were discussing earlier."
She blinked, snapping back to reality. "Ah, yes! What was it?"
"We've been thinking about starting a business," he said.
She straightened up, pushing aside her chaotic thoughts. "Starting a business? What kind of business?"
Han Joon-seong paused. "I don't want to get into too many details, but we'll need money to launch the operation. And we'll need more than we currently have available."
Lee Hye-jin tilted her head. "How much do you think you'll need?"
Cheon Seul-ah answered for him. "About 100 million won."
Lee Hye-jin's eyes widened slightly. "That's a lot of money. When do you need it by?"
Han Joon-seong replied, "Next month."
She stared at him for a moment. "Then... I don't think that's going to be possible?"
"Why not?"
"Because that's a huge amount to raise in such a short time. That kind of money usually takes months, sometimes years, for a business to generate securely. You can't just pull that together in a month."
Han Joon-seong and Cheon Seul-ah heard her words, and both of them deflated slightly. A shared disappointment passed between them. They had already been expecting this answer, but still — having confirmation that their plan wouldn't work was a little disheartening.
Ervin, floating above, let out an imaginary sigh.
'And on top of everything, they wasted a whole day that could have been spent training.'
But then, something caught his attention.
A flash of movement outside the ice cream parlor. A person passing by. He turned his head and saw a young man walking down the street — maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, with curly hair dyed a light blond. He was walking with a slight slouch, headphones on, clearly absorbed in his own world.
He carried a guitar case slung over his shoulder. The case itself looked expensive, with a brand logo Ervin didn't recognize because he didn't play guitar. The guy's clothes were also expensive — branded sneakers, designer jacket, the kind of outfit that screamed money.
Ervin raised an imaginary eyebrow.
Something about this guy caught his attention. He didn't know exactly why, but his Intuition was telling him this was someone worth following.
He decided to investigate.
He gave a general command to his two bodies: finish up the date and head home, Loosening more his control, but still giving them general directions. Then he separated his consciousness from them and began following the guitarist.
The young man walked through the streets, completely unaware that he was being watched. He moved with a casual, unhurried pace, occasionally humming to himself. Ervin floated above him, studying his movements, his posture, and his overall demeanor.
The guy eventually reached a train station and boarded a train. Ervin followed. The train carried them to a different part of Busan — a bit further from the city center, but still in an upscale area.
When the young man stepped off, Ervin saw where he was going.
It was a massive club. Huge. The kind of place that looked more like a luxury apartment complex than a simple entertainment venue. It had multiple floors, sleek modern architecture, and a polished exterior that screamed exclusivity.
Ervin hovered outside, studying the building.
'Huh. I'll have to come back and check this place out later.'
He began to pull his consciousness back toward his bodies. As he returned, he noticed that about an hour and a half had passed. Han Joon-seong and Cheon Seul-ah were wrapping up the date with Lee Hye-jin.
Ervin slipped back into their perspective just as they were finishing.
'Damn. We've been here a while. Time to end this and go home.'
He guided the conversation for the next few minutes, gently steering it toward a conclusion.
"It's getting late," Han Joon-seong said, glancing at the sky. "I think we should head home."
Lee Hye-jin nodded, a hint of disappointment in her eyes, but she smiled. "Yeah, it's getting late. I should get back too."
They said their goodbyes — warm but brief. Lee Hye-jin waved as she walked away, and Han Joon-seong and Cheon Seul-ah turned to head home.
As they walked, Ervin's mind was still on the guitarist.
'That guy with the guitar... he was interesting. I need to look into him.'