* * *

It was the night before the weekend.

Lightly dressed, I headed to none other than a club.

Previously, I would’ve never imagined coming to a place like this.

But after going undercover with Kwon Sahyeok to bust a drug dealer, my second visit wasn’t as daunting.

Honestly, I wanted something serious—a connection deep enough to help me forget Baek Gunho.

But as long as I couldn’t fully move on, I felt like I’d just repeat past mistakes, like with Lee Jooyun.

So I came here instead. I figured meeting someone casually, without strings attached, might clear my head.

The regret hit me as soon as I stepped inside.

The chaotic atmosphere was overwhelming, something I couldn’t get used to.

Leaving immediately wasn’t an option either—not after hyping myself up to come.

Stuck, I leaned against a wall, unsure of what to do.

I stared blankly at the people around me.

Everyone looked like they were having fun.

I wanted to get swept up in the energy too, but it wasn’t easy.

As I stood there, someone sidled up next to me.

“What’re you doing here alone?”

The voice belonged to a clean-cut man.

Women had approached me a few times earlier, but this was the first time a man had.

“It’s noisy, isn’t it? You don’t seem like you’re enjoying it.”

“…Yeah.”

“Why don’t you have a drink? It might help.”

I doubted it would make much difference, but if there was even a chance I could feel better, I was willing to try.

The drink had a bitter taste, not something I’d usually enjoy.

Still, I downed it in one go.

“You’re a good drinker.”

“…”

“Trying to get drunk?”

His perceptive remark made me stay silent.

He laughed and took the empty glass from my hand.

“Is this your first time at a place like this?”

“No, it’s my second.”

“Really? You seem so out of place, I thought it was your first.”

“…I came with a friend last time.”

Calling Kwon Sahyeok a “friend” felt ridiculous.

I couldn’t exactly explain that I came here as part of a hunter mission to bust a drug ring.

“And today?”

“Alone.”

“Ah, I see.”

He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and leaned closer.

The lack of personal space left me momentarily flustered.

“Feeling dizzy?”

“No…”

I was fine—it was him that felt uncomfortable to be around.

But the man didn’t seem to hear me, or maybe he just ignored my response.

He steadied me as if I were about to collapse.

“It’s okay, lean on me if you need to.”

“I’m really fine—”

“That’s good, then.”

“…”

Despite my protest, he didn’t let go, acting as if I might keel over any second.

That’s when it clicked.

The drink, his overly familiar behavior, the question about dizziness—it all pointed to one thing.

He must’ve spiked my drink.

Trouble always seemed to find me.

Though this time, I partially brought it on myself.

Either way, this situation was seriously annoying.

Should I just walk away?

But if this was drug-related, there might be ties to something bigger—maybe even the Baekmyeon Sect.

I couldn’t ignore that possibility.

So, I played along.

Pretending to lose strength, I stumbled, and the man eagerly caught me, grinning.

Disgust welled up inside me.

Baek Gunho would’ve scolded me for this.

He’d lecture me about recklessness and poor decisions.

“…You crying?”

The man spouted nonsense.

Obviously, I wasn’t crying.

This wasn’t worth tears.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” he murmured, feigning comfort as he guided me upstairs.

At the top, a hallway lined with doors came into view. He led me to the one at the far end.

Inside, the room was chaotic.

Bottles of alcohol were stacked high, and the people inside were half-slumped, clearly drunk.

I scanned the faces and recognized one.

Woo Hoyeon. A B-rank hunter from the Pasa Guild.

In my past life, he had collaborated with the Black Sea Guild.

Judging by his involvement here, he still seemed far from clean.

“Ah, you brought him,” someone remarked.

Woo Hoyeon spoke with a grin.

The man who brought me here shoved me forward with a rougher hand than before.

The men sitting around the table laughed as they passed me along.

In no time, I found myself next to Woo Hoyeon.

He pulled me closer, and I ended up sitting beside him.

Woo Hoyeon casually draped his arm around my shoulders, tugging me toward him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

His sly smile was accompanied by eyes that were clearly hazy, as if he was already under the influence of something.

A drug that affects even B-rank Awakeners?

There’s no way this isn’t connected to those bastards.

The man seated beside me looked at me with a mix of curiosity and amazement.

“Is this really Baek Gunoh’s thing?”

“Yeah,” Woo Hoyeon replied nonchalantly.

What’s with the vague “thing”? Get your grammar right.

What absurd ideas are you coming up with now?

The fact that they knew who I was and still targeted me—it made me question if they were outright insane.

If they could infer my connection to Baek Gunoh, they’d also know who my legal guardian was.

Had they completely lost it due to the alcohol and drugs?

Judging by Woo Hoyeon’s glazed-over eyes, it seemed likely.

“Damn, he really is pretty as hell.”

“No wonder Baek Gunoh keeps him under his wing.”

“Bet that bastard’s already—”

“Do you even need to say it?”

“Hey, but isn’t messing with him asking for trouble?”

At least one of them seemed somewhat grounded in reality, casting a cautious glance around before speaking.

But Woo Hoyeon just chuckled crudely and patted my shoulder with the hand he had resting there.

“Not like he’ll remember much of it anyway.”

The hand that had been lightly brushing my shoulder lingered, the touch growing heavier.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I couldn’t take it anymore—it was too disgusting.

“Don’t.”

I glared at Woo Hoyeon.

But he, apparently convinced I was completely out of it, just laughed.

“What, are you mad?”

“Yeah, I am. You drugged me, didn’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Well, just in case, let’s give him another dose.”

“Hey, hold him down.”

“Pour more alcohol into him first.”

“Let’s start by stripping him—”

“Damn, you’re in a rush.”

Someone approached and yanked me sideways, forcing me to lie down.

A hot hand snaked under my clothes.

A bottle was shoved into my mouth, and the alcohol was far stronger than what I’d drunk earlier.

I coughed violently, eliciting more laughter from above me.

At that moment, Woo Hoyeon pulled something out of his inventory.

A small bag of powder—drugs, without a doubt.

How convenient of him to provide evidence.

Truly diligent.

The hands that roamed over my body grew bolder, creeping into even more private areas.

Revulsion churned in my gut.

But now that I had the evidence, there was no need to hold back.

Until now, I’d been careful not to overexert my strength to avoid drawing suspicion.

But this time was different—I knew exactly how much force was needed to knock someone out.

If I acted swiftly, there wouldn’t be any evidence pointing back to me.

Sure, it might raise suspicions, but everyone here was either drunk or high—they wouldn’t be capable of coherent thought.

I activated my skill on everyone in the room.

For the Awakeners among them, I adjusted the power accordingly, striking harder.

“Ugh!”

“Gah—!”

The men who had been toying with me dropped like flies, groaning as they crumpled to the ground.

I applied extra force to Woo Hoyeon, figuring that a B-rank wouldn’t go down so easily.

I doubted he was dead… probably.

I checked his breathing.

Though his eyes had rolled back halfway, he was still alive.

That was enough for me.

Now, what to do with all this?

Reporting to the Hunter Administration Bureau through my guardian seemed like the logical choice.

But then I’d have to admit I came to this club.

It wasn’t an illegal venue, but still—not a place I wanted to admit being in.

As I debated my options, I sensed movement outside the door. It opened moments later.

And there he was, of all people—Baek Gunoh.

His face was stone cold, frozen in fury. His gaze darted from me to the room, then back to me.

“Seo Heewon.”

“….”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

I tried to explain. “I didn’t kill anyone.”

“You think I care about that right now?” he barked, his voice rising, then clenched his teeth and glared at me with barely restrained anger.

* * *