Whoosh—Ye‑jun disappeared toward the front door. The two left behind exchanged glances. Of course, as soon as their eyes met, they awkwardly looked away, each too shy to be the first to break the silence. In the midst of the lingering quiet, only Danchu, lounging on the sofa, yawned leisurely.After what felt like an eternity, Ye‑jun returned and offered them the bed in the master bedroom. He explained that since the bed was spacious, both of them could sleep on it, and that even when friends visited, this room was reserved for them. While Hwan‑young hesitated upon noticing the neatly arranged pillows side by side, Mu‑ryeong glanced at a family photo hanging on the wall and asked Ye‑jun:“Hyung, since when have you been living on your own?”In the family photo were Ye‑jun, his parents, and his younger sister. Perhaps due to a significant age difference, his sister looked as small as a middle school student compared to Ye‑jun’s height. Yet both of their neat, straight faces exuded a similar aura.“It hasn’t been long—roughly about two months.”Ye‑jun answered, his eyes lingering on the family photo with a bitter gaze. Since it was now July, that would mean he had been living alone since around May—the same time Hwan‑young had entrusted Mu‑ryeong with a commission.“I was living with my family, but then my parents moved to the countryside. They asked me to go with them, but since I’m in my senior year and have the CSAT coming up along with a lot of other things to adjust to, I didn’t go.”It was said in such a nonchalant tone, yet Hwan‑young detected a subtle contradiction in his words. The family photo showed four people—Ye‑jun, his parents, and his sister—but according to Ye‑jun’s account, aside from himself, only his parents remained.“Hyung, I bet you’ll do great in your studies.”Mu‑ryeong offered a gentle smile. It seemed like a natural topic change, but Hwan‑young didn’t quite feel it that way. He silently clenched his fist while gazing at the face of the sister in the photo.…She’s gone, isn’t she.He knew instinctively. Perhaps it wouldn’t have struck him so hard if it were someone else—but he, too, had lost a loved family member. It suddenly made sense why Ye‑jun was so affected by possession, and why Mu‑ryeong had urged him not to dwell in melancholy. It was all painfully clear.“Yeah, I do well in my studies.”Ye‑jun grinned mischievously, his expression hinting that he was deliberately concealing another emotion deep within. Of course, Mu‑ryeong must have noticed it too.“What rank are you in school?”A bright, earnest gaze turned toward Ye‑jun. That naive question didn’t seem entirely disingenuous, yet it was remarkable how he didn’t show any sign of inner turmoil. Now that I think of it—even when Kim Mu‑ryeong nearly fell off the rooftop, he never appeared flustered.“Uh… Since I’m in Class 1, I’m probably first, right?”“Really?”Mu‑ryeong’s eyes went wide. This time, Hwan‑young also looked at Ye‑jun with a hint of surprise. Blinking his large eyes slowly, Mu‑ryeong suddenly turned his gaze to Hwan‑young.“And you?”“...Me?”“Yeah, what rank are you?”Should I... answer that?“Uh…”Hwan‑young hesitated for a moment instead of replying immediately. Noticing that hesitation, Mu‑ryeong asked in a tone of astonishment:“Don’t tell me you’re also third, so you’re in Class 3?”“….”There was no need for an overt nod; a brief twitch of the eyes seemed to suffice. Mu‑ryeong, looking perplexed, muttered while glancing between them:“Maybe even Seung‑joo is seventh, so he’s in Class 7...?”It was a guess that seemed likely to be correct.“Mu‑ryeong, so how long will this commission take?”Before returning to the room, Ye‑jun casually inquired. At that moment, Mu‑ryeong, lounging on the bed, rolled his eyes in such a way that his large eyes clearly betrayed his thoughts.“Most likely, it’ll be resolved by today.”“Really?”“Yes. But if it doesn’t work out, let me sleep over for a few more days.”At those words, Hwan‑young thought to himself that, no matter what, it had to be solved by today. Knowing Mu‑ryeong, he would certainly persist until it was resolved—if things went well, he might end up staying at this house for a week-long retreat.“Do you need anything? Should I get you something like salt?”“Salt?”When Ye‑jun asked, Mu‑ryeong tilted his head in confusion. After furrowing his brow slightly, he paused for a moment before parting his lips in a subtle smile. His silent laugh suggested he’d just heard a particularly amusing remark.“You don’t need that. Just sleep comfortably.”“Am I really allowed to do nothing?”“Yes, I’ll take care of everything.”Even as he laughed softly, his words sounded immensely reassuring. Ye‑jun seemed to think the same, nodding slowly.He glanced once at Mu‑ryeong and once at Hwan‑young, then left the room after leaving a parting “Take care.”“….”“….”Click—the door closed, and an oppressive stillness settled over the room. Although this wasn’t the first ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ time the two were left alone together, Hwan‑young intentionally coughed awkwardly. With a soft “ahem, ahem,” Mu‑ryeong suddenly looked up and asked:“Are you going to sleep?”“…Huh?”A pair of bright, gleaming eyes stared squarely at Hwan‑young. Mu‑ryeong blinked his thin eyelids twice before asking again:“I’m planning to wait until you fall asleep, hyung, then I’ll head out. So, what are you going to do until then?”Just moments ago he had asked if he was going to sleep, but now he assumed Hwan‑young wouldn’t—after all, Hwan‑young had no intention of drifting off while Mu‑ryeong was busy with the commission. It was just that, as his words suggested, what to do until then was important.“…Hyung, you’re really possessed, aren’t you?”First, Hwan‑young asked casually as he settled down next to Mu‑ryeong. The soft mattress indented deeply where he sat. Mu‑ryeong, stretching his legs out, let out a faint, delicate sound.“Yeah, that’s right. I was possessed.”It seemed that the negative energy Ye‑jun had sensed was indeed that of a possession. Even though Mu‑ryeong was well aware of it, he continued to address Ye‑jun without a change in expression.This translation is the intellectual property of .“How are you going to resolve it?”“Well, first I need to find out what kind of spirit it is.”Though Mu‑ryeong usually sported a lopsided grin, when it came to commission matters he’d turn serious. His gentle eyes narrowed slightly, and his neatly arranged lips pressed into a firm line. Seeing a subtle gleam in his hazel eyes, Hwan‑young slowly dropped his gaze.“Looks like we’re in for another all-nighter tonight.”“Most commissions come in that way. Spirits only become active at night, so exorcists do their work then too. That’s why all exorcists have such pale skin, you know?”And sure enough, Mu‑ryeong really did have skin as pale as porcelain—though “porcelain” might be the more accurate word. His healthy, vibrant complexion had taken on a slight sun-kissed glow, as if he were shedding his old skin in the summer.“Hyung, aren’t you in pretty bad shape?”“But why are only your lips so flushed?”“Yeah, the possession turned out to be more severe than I thought.”Even as his twitching lips—moving almost as if they were alive—drew attention with their striking petal-pink hue, Mu‑ryeong continued in a nonchalant tone, as if unaware of Hwan‑young’s lingering gaze.“It hasn’t been long, but it seems there’s still quite a bit of unfinished business left.”“That sounds troublesome.”“Well, if it doesn’t work, I’ll have to resort to my last option. As long as it’s not an evil spirit, we should be fine.”The more Mu‑ryeong spoke, the slower Hwan‑young’s breathing became. Consciously steadying his breath, he kept swallowing dryly, then, trying his best to appear unfazed, asked:“Will you have to use a lot of spiritual power?”If that were the case, wouldn’t you need spiritual energy like last time? Since he mentioned that his energy had helped Mu‑ryeong before, maybe it can assist again.“Hmm… I’m not really sure about that.”Even though he knew it was nothing but a self-serving thought, a surge of desire kept building inside him—an impulse he couldn’t even properly name. Just the fact that the hand resting on the bed was so close to Mu‑ryeong’s made his solar plexus tighten.“It might require a lot of energy, too…”Mu‑ryeong stretched out his words, speaking more slowly than usual. Hwan‑young, so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn’t even glance over, listened as Mu‑ryeong continued without breaking his gaze from ahead:“Dissolving a possession isn’t terribly difficult. But if it turns out to be a peculiar case, things can get a bit complicated…”Half of the words from that youthful voice seemed to drift away, barely audible—talk of how much spiritual energy would be needed if the possession were forcibly removed, and how long recovery would take afterward. Usually so kind and thorough in his explanations, Mu‑ryeong now seemed to have even more detailed insights.“Anyway….”“Kim Mu‑ryeong.”Thud—Hwan‑young interrupted. Mu‑ryeong casually turned to face him without any sign of displeasure. Their eyes met in midair, trembling as if on the verge of revealing unspoken truths.“Can’t you replenish your spiritual energy beforehand?”“…Huh?”It took a long moment for an answer to emerge. Hwan‑young drew a deep breath and spoke slowly:“He said that in the worst-case scenario, you’d have to expend a lot of energy to break the possession.”“…”“Then… why not just recharge beforehand?”Though he tried to sound logical, inside his mind was completely blank. Spiritual energy isn’t like a battery—you can’t just pre-charge it, after all. Yet Mu‑ryeong met his gaze steadily and promptly replied:“That’s fine.”“…”It felt as though a scream might break out. His hair seemed to stand on end, and a shiver ran down his spine. Lowering his eyes slightly, Mu‑ryeong added in a soft tone:“You can get it in advance, even before you exert yourself.”In a blink, he closed his eyes and then opened them again. Before long, the hand resting on the bed had come to brush against Mu‑ryeong’s fingertips. When Hwan‑young gently tapped him with his little finger, Mu‑ryeong flinched at the contact.“…”“…”Slowly, his eyelids fluttered closed. Their faces inched ever closer, and an indistinct warmth mingled in the space between them. Without anyone having suggested anything, their lips naturally met.“…”“…”Perhaps when the heart beats too hard, one’s ears go numb. The moment those soft, tender lips made contact, a tightness gripped his lower abdomen. Enchanted by that warm closeness, his rational mind seemed to drift far away.Hwan‑young clutched the edge of the blanket with one hand and gently cupped Mu‑ryeong’s cheek with the other. Then, carefully, he exhaled through the small gap between their parted lips. As he mustered the surging energy and transferred it, Mu‑ryeong trembled as if struck by an electric shock. That reaction stirred an inexplicable impulse within him.'…I want to slip my tongue in.'

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