The café bell rang.
A small sound.
Soft.
But in that moment it felt louder than thunder.
Two men stepped inside.
Rainwater still clung to their coats, dripping slowly onto the floor. They didn't rush. They didn't look nervous.
They moved like men who had already found what they came for.
My instincts tightened immediately.
These weren't normal soldiers.
Seo-yeon sat across from me, still holding her grandmother's letter. Her eyes moved toward the door, confused by the sudden silence spreading across the café.
I leaned closer and spoke quietly.
"Don't look at them."
Her eyes widened.
"…Why?"
"Because they're looking at you."
The two men stopped near the entrance.
For a few seconds, they simply observed the room.
Customers.
Tables.
The cashier.
Then their eyes landed on us.
More specifically—
On the gold ring resting on Seo-yeon's finger.
The taller man smiled.
And that smile made something cold move through my chest.
He knew.
Seo-yeon noticed the tension in my posture.
"Ji-hoon… what's going on?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because the moment the tall man stepped forward—
Something strange happened.
The ring on Seo-yeon's hand flickered faintly.
A small pulse of golden light.
Quick.
Almost invisible.
But I saw it.
And judging by the way the tall man's smile widened…
So did he.
The man approached our table calmly.
His partner stayed near the door, blocking the exit.
A classic move.
Control the escape first.
The tall man stopped beside us.
He looked down at Seo-yeon.
Then at me.
And finally at the envelope on the table.
"Interesting," he said casually.
Seo-yeon stiffened.
"Excuse me?"
He ignored her question.
Instead, he pulled a chair from the next table and sat down beside us like we were old friends.
"You shouldn't leave important things lying around," he said, tapping the envelope gently.
My jaw tightened.
"Walk away," I told him.
He chuckled.
"Still the same, Kang Ji-hoon."
Seo-yeon looked between us.
"…You know him?"
The man leaned back in his chair.
"Oh, I know him very well."
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"In fact… I've been looking for him."
My fingers slowly curled into fists.
"Then you should have stayed lost."
The man laughed.
"That temper."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Do you remember me?"
I stared at him.
Nothing.
No memory.
But something about his voice felt familiar.
Like hearing a song you can't quite place.
The man noticed my silence.
And his smile faded.
"…So it's true."
Seo-yeon frowned.
"What is?"
He looked at her now.
"They really did erase his memory."
The words landed like a stone in the room.
Seo-yeon slowly turned toward me.
"…Erase?"
I kept my voice steady.
"You talk too much."
The man tilted his head.
"No."
"I talk exactly as much as I need."
Then his eyes drifted to Seo-yeon's ring again.
"And right now… I only need one thing."
Seo-yeon instinctively pulled her hand closer to herself.
"You're not getting it."
The man sighed dramatically.
"I wasn't asking."
Without warning—
The ring flashed again.
A faint golden ripple spread across the table like a reflection of sunlight on water.
Everyone froze.
The man's eyes widened slightly.
"So it's already responding to danger."
Seo-yeon stared at her hand.
"I didn't do that."
"I know," the man said calmly.
"That's the interesting part."
My heartbeat quickened.
The ring wasn't supposed to react this early.
Not unless—
The man suddenly looked directly at me.
"And it reacts even stronger when you're nearby."
My stomach tightened.
"How would you know that?"
He smiled again.
"Because I've seen it before."
Seo-yeon's voice trembled slightly.
"When?"
The man leaned closer to her.
"Before either of you were born."
That was enough.
I stood up quickly.
"Seo-yeon."
She looked at me.
"We're leaving."
The man sighed.
"Already?"
"Yes."
He didn't try to stop us.
That worried me more than anything.
People like him didn't give up easily.
As we moved toward the door, his partner stepped aside just enough to let us pass.
But as I walked past him—
He whispered something quietly.
"Tick-tock, Guardian."
My body froze for half a second.
Guardian.
That word again.
I turned slowly.
The tall man was watching me with a knowing smile.
"You really don't remember anything," he said softly.
"That's fascinating."
Seo-yeon grabbed my sleeve.
"Ji-hoon…"
We stepped outside into the cold night air.
But the moment the café door closed behind us—
I heard the man speak one last sentence.
And it stopped my heart.
"Tell the girl her grandmother kept secrets very well."
"But not well enough."
Seo-yeon walked quickly beside me.
"What was that?"
"Trouble."
"That's not an explanation."
I looked back at the café window.
The two men were still inside.
Watching us leave.
"They're hunters," I said quietly.
"Hunting what?"
I glanced at her hand again.
"The ring."
She shook her head.
"This is insane."
"I know."
"But insane things are usually true."
We reached the street corner.
Seo-yeon suddenly stopped walking.
"Ji-hoon."
Her voice was softer now.
"What?"
She hesitated.
"Why did he call you Guardian?"
I didn't answer.
Because the truth was—
The word felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Like hearing your own name in a dream you can't remember.
My phone vibrated suddenly.
A secure message.
From Min-Jae.
I opened it quickly.
The message contained only two lines.
You were seen.
And they're not the only ones looking.
Under the text was a photograph.
A surveillance image.
Taken from somewhere high above the street.
Seo-yeon leaned closer.
"What is it?"
I didn't answer.
Because the image showed something impossible.
Across the street…
Standing in the shadows…
Was another man.
Watching us.
But what made my blood run cold—
Was the object on his hand.
Not gold.
Not silver.
Something darker.
Something ancient.
A ring.
And unlike Seo-yeon's ring—
This one was already glowing.
Seo-yeon followed my gaze.
"…Ji-hoon."
"Yes?"
"That man across the street."
My voice dropped.
"I see him."
She swallowed slowly.
"…Why is his ring glowing?"
I didn't answer.
Because the moment the man lifted his hand—
Seo-yeon's gold ring pulsed violently.
Like it had just recognized something.
Or someone.
And for the first time that night—
I realized something terrifying.
Seo-yeon wasn't the only one who had been waiting to be found.