Chapter 197 - Closer than Ever

Chang Mi had woken up early in the morning with oppression in his chest, and rubbed his eyes without remembering exactly what he had dreamed of, only with the certainty that it had not been a good thing. With all the recent events, this suffocating sensation didn't surprise him.

"Bad dream?" the Hunter's voice totally woke him up. He raised his body and saw that the master was zooming at maps on his cell phone, lying beside him. Chang Mi suspected that it was a search for the Devourer,

"I think it was only anxiety because of the statement today. Officer Ji said that I will make an identification of the suspect among other people. And I will help them with a sketch of the woman I met. But ... I kind of blasted him that day, with my powers. I don't know how I did it, I was nervous, and it was just out of instinct."

"He won't confirm this, so I don't see why you should comment," said the Hunter. "I am not taking you to the police station, though, but Eun Ha said she will go with you," he added, standing up with a determination that seemed to Chang Mi stemming from a sudden decision. The student sat down, and asked,

"Hyung, did you find the Devourer?"

"I think so. I'm going to investigate a suspicious radio tonight."

"I can go with you?" Chang Mi asked before he had really thought about how it would sound. The Hunter gave him a strange look, and said,

"It wouldn't be good. Furthermore, your testimony is key to finding that woman as soon as possible. You should be alert and waiting. And… you can keep Eun Ha out of trouble while I'm gone."

"Aish, noona can handle herself, she even ...!" despite wanting to express his admiration for his delicate noona, Chang Mi stopped in time. Because the Hunter released him from looking after Ye Rim noona he didn't have much to do the night before, and realizing Eun Ha's delay, he went to Pearl after her. Only to find her in the alley giving a lesson to some henchmen.

She completely intimidated them, to the point of they peed in their pants and begged for their lives. But of course, if he couldn't keep his mouth shut, Hunter Shin would think it was not funny at all.

"Did she even ...?" But Professor Shin was very attentive, and it did not escape him Chang Mi had suppressed information. Then Chang Mi gave a sardonic smile,

"She even tries to take care of us all."

"It is part of her kind and helpful nature. But she wants to help find Miss Kim. However, at this point in human investigations, we cannot interfere. It would be risky for everyone."

Chang Mi agreed with that opinion and also had a good impression of Officer Ji. He had already been informed of the success rate in his cases, and it was very high.

"I'll be keeping an eye on noona while hyung is away," he said, staring at the fairy. And before leaving the room, Chang Mi added,

"Please take care of yourself too. Come back to us."

Chang Mi just didn't have a good feeling for that day.

°°°

Accompanied by Lawyer Choi, upon arriving at the police station, Chang Mi and Eun Ha were taken to a waiting room. Chang Mi was instructed to report everything again.

The events were very vivid in his mind, with colors, sounds, and even sensations. Furthermore, his habit of recording his strange dreams had made him record the events of that day in detail, while they were still fresh in his mind. It wasn't necessary as he was never able to forget. When he saw that man next to Ye Rim noona, her heart froze. Although the day he saw him he was wearing a cap and mask, Chang Mi was sure it was him.

It was either his eyes or ... his supernatural instincts were more acute. He wasn't sure if that was possible, and he had had that question with Hunter Shin. But the hyung had told him that no fairy could boast of identifying a bad or crazy person just by seeing him. Not all bad people had unbalanced yin energy or were surrounded by wraiths.

The strangest thing was to know that they were in the same places after that, but they did not meet. Ye Rim had said that on the day of the fashion show, Musician Lee dodged him and left immediately. Chang Mi didn't remember seeing him, but Ye Rim said the opposite was probably true. But he recalled chasing Lee Dae Won the other day in the dance school.

They had to wait for a considerable time, and Chang Mi felt that his head was going to explode in pain. Since morning I was feeling some heaviness and a strange sensation, but now it was getting worse.

He excused himself and went to the bathroom to wash his face. After doing this, and looking up into the mirror, his vision suddenly became dark and filled with purple dots. Chang Mi gripped the edge of the sink tightly, feeling his finger joints stretch as far as possible.

"No!" he murmured, because now he knew what was going on. His father, Seong Hwa, the Devourer, was on his mind. Despite the link supposedly being broken with the destruction of the spike, the Devourer was there, with him. As if it were behind his eyes. He didn't recognize the person in the mirror as being himself, Yoo Chang Mi. That curious look, the eyebrow raised in question, the pale face and the faint smile sticking out of the corner of his lips ... That was not Chang Mi.

KNOCK KNOCK

A knock on the door, and Eun Ha's voice outside brought him out of the trance,

"Chang Mi, please come. They are calling you to identify the suspect."

Chang Mi took a deep breath, terrified.

'What do you want here?! If you can hear me, tell me, what do you want?!' he wondered in his mind, wondering if the Devourer could hear him. And if I would answer it.

But there was no answer.

°°°

"You look pale, Persimmon," commented Eun Ha, seeing Chang Mi squinting with a pained expression as they left the building.

"I have a headache and I'm hungry, in fact, noona. Can we stop for coffee, maybe?" the student replied, trying to smile. But Eun Ha understood. They spent the entire morning inside the police station, and Chang Mi had to recall all the horrible events and then identify the man who assaulted him among some suspects. They never crossed paths with Musician Lee, and lawyer Choi's team protected Chang Mi's identity and presence, so that the press didn't even know he was there. Finally, he testified for a portrait of the woman he took to Mrs. Go's mansion. She didn't question that he was emotionally exhausted, even though he liked to look like a blasé guy most of the time.

Ye Rim picked them up by car and said goodbye to Lawyer Choi. Given Chang Mi's need, they decided to go to a cafe. On the way there, Eun Ha's mind wandered over other matters.

After last night, Eun Ha was still unsettled about getting rid of problems and three Hong Gi's henchmen, making them promise to leave Pearl alone if they wanted to get away. But she also knew that admitting to being a supernatural being for those humans had not been the best alternative.

'Will it cause me any problems in the future?' even while worrying about the Kim Ji Hyeon affair and Chang Mi, she also thought she might not have done the best. The young fairy tried to mentally justify herself, but the concerns persisted. It was better to tell Shin as soon as she arrived home, even risking a scolding. At least it would help her think of ways to minimize the impact of what she had done. Eun Ha just couldn't stand the thought of leaving her wand another minute with those worms!

While she was distracted by her internal dilemmas, the three arrived at the cafe and sat in silence for a while. Eun Ha noticed that Ye Rim looked more radiant than ever, especially in contrast to Chang Mi's distant and somber expression.

"Are you sure you're okay, Persimmon?" she asked, making Ye Rim stop looking at her cell phone for a moment to check him too.

Chang Mi tilted his head to the side looking at her, and the fairy was definitely concerned. He used to be brazen with other people, staring directly, but he hardly ever did that to her. Then he said, and his voice sounded 'strange',

"Do you really like coffee or is it just 'fashionable'?"

"What?" it was a strange question that came out of nowhere after the morning that passed. "I… Are you okay, Persimmon? What kind of question is that?"

"You… I should be thanking you, supposedly. For taking such good care ... of Chang Mi."

Eun Ha felt her body hair stand on end, and Ye Rim's eyes widened in horror. She didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't acting normal. The half-fairy's lips formed a big smile and he winked, rather charmingly, by the way, while his fingers clung to the edge of the table tightly, his body tense.

"Chang Mi! Chang Mi!" she called out to him, distressed. 'That' was not Persimmon.

Ye Rim, who was at the student's side, and had instinctively moved away, touched Chang Mi's shoulder, and he turned to her with the frozen smile on his face, but the intense look sought hers. They stared at each other for a brief moment.

Then Chang Mi's body went limp on the bench, and he lost consciousness.