As soon as Ye-jun’s wounds were treated, they all headed straight to bed. It was already late, and they needed to attend school as usual the next day. Covered in bandages on both his arms and legs, Ye-jun muttered a quick “See you tomorrow” before retreating to his room.That left the two of them standing in the hallway, hesitating just outside the bedroom door. Though they faced opposite directions, their attention was entirely fixated on each other. Mu-ryeong awkwardly rubbed the back of his head before breaking the silence.“…Let’s go to sleep.”The uneasy feeling from earlier had long faded. Watching Ye-jun tend to his own wounds and seeing Hwan-young flustered and serious had helped settle his thoughts. Perhaps Hwan-young had simply felt guilty for what happened to Ye-jun—that seemed like the most reasonable explanation.But the moment they stepped into the bedroom and Mu-ryeong laid eyes on the bed, another problem arose. His mind flashed back to the earlier moment when they had been left alone in this very room."I’ll wait until my brother falls asleep before heading out. What about you?"Mu-ryeong had already been planning to ask Hwan-young for spiritual energy then. With just the two of them alone in the room, it had been the perfect opportunity. That was why he had deliberately sat beside him, mumbling about how he’d probably need to use a lot of energy soon."Can’t you just take it in advance?"Fortunately, Hwan-young had brought it up first.When he heard that question, only one thought filled Mu-ryeong’s mind—he wanted to receive the energy, to feel that exhilarating sensation again. And, most importantly, he hoped it wouldn’t involve a hug."Yeah, that’s fine."His pounding heart felt as if it had run three laps around the neighborhood with Seolgi. No matter how many times he swallowed, the thirst that had risen within him wouldn’t fade. He even had to lower his gaze, afraid his own greed might be noticed."It’s okay to take it in advance."What followed had been indescribably thrilling. Their lips met, and a cool, refreshing energy flowed deep into his core. When Hwan-young cupped his cheek, he had been startled at first, but even the chill of his touch felt oddly pleasant.Mu-ryeong had always enjoyed physical contact—holding hands, hugging, draping an arm over someone’s shoulders. The warmth of another person was always comforting, a quiet assurance that he wasn’t alone.Yet, without a doubt, this—this was different. The soft press of a tongue parting his lips, the way it brushed against his own—this wasn’t something he could excuse as just a means of transferring energy.Some exorcists supposedly used far more extreme methods, but for Mu-ryeong, even a kiss felt like crossing a line. No—if he were being honest, even just a kiss was already too much.What had Hwan-young been thinking? The question hadn’t even crossed his mind at the time. He had simply let it happen, allowing himself to be swept along, his thoughts dissolving in the overwhelming rush of sensation. By the time his mind finally began to blank out, he clung to him, unaware that he was starting to run out of breath."I… I can’t breathe…""……"It wasn’t until they finally parted that his scattered thoughts returned, albeit sluggishly. Even then, his mind still felt hazy, as if he had been drinking. Lost in the lingering heat of the moment, he had abruptly bolted upright."I—I need to use the bathroom."He had fled, only to splash his face with cold water three times. Staring at his own reflection, he muttered words that only Seo Seung-joo would say: Are you out of your mind? There was no way an exorcist could be possessed by a ghost—so then what the hell had just happened?He had always been good at keeping his emotions in check. But back then, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t calm down. Not the exhilaration, not the heat rising to his face, and definitely not… whatever that was.“What are you doing?”“……Huh?”“Why are you just standing there?”Mu-ryeong snapped out of his daze and looked up. Hwan-young was sitting on the edge of the bed, frowning at him.“Not going to sleep?”“No, I am.”Is he seriously acting like nothing happened? Mu-ryeong thought as he hesitantly approached the bed. He climbed in, settling on the opposite side. Hwan-young, still sitting, suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a strange edge to it.“…Is it because of that guy’s injuries?”“Huh?”Dark eyes bore into him, unwavering. The look felt oddly familiar—Mu-ryeong had seen it before, usually when Hwan-young accused him of "doing this with just anyone."“You keep acting weird because of his injuries?”“Uh… well, yeah. I’m worried about him.”Mu-ryeong nodded casually, pulling back the blanket and lying down. Even then, Hwan-young didn’t move to lie down himself. Blinking, Mu-ryeong turned his head toward him.“…Didn’t you take care of his wounds for that exact reason?”“……”Hwan-young’s expression shifted ever so slightly. His gaze lowered, guilt flickering across his features.“…Yeah.”So he really does feel bad about it, Mu-ryeong thought. He might act cold, but he’s actually pretty soft-hearted. Just as much as Seung-joo, really.“Good work today.”As Hwan-young finally slid under the covers, Mu-ryeong murmured the words quietly. Tonight had been relatively easy, but witnessing something unpleasant always left an aftertaste. Encounters with the souls of criminals always weighed on him.But having Hwan-young there had made it a little more bearable.“…You’re the one who did all the work.”Hwan-young replied dismissively, pulling the blanket over himself. The bed and blanket were both large enough that there was no real discomfort. Mu-ryeong, now facing him, observed his profile in the dim light.This translation is the intellectual property of .“Hey.”Mu-ryeong spoke softly, breaking the silence. Hwan-young turned his head slightly to look at him, his reply coming a beat late.“…Talk.”“It’s nothing, really…”He hadn’t called out with any real purpose. It just felt a little too soon to fall asleep—he wanted to exchange a few more words before drifting off. Even though he knew they should be getting rest, the itch to speak wouldn’t go away.But when he finally opened his mouth, what came out was this:“Have you ever kissed someone before?”“……”Hwan-young’s expression hardened instantly. His face, already still by nature, froze so completely that he looked like a paused screen. Mu-ryeong blinked, rolling his eyes in amusement before scrunching up his nose playfully.“I was just curious.”Hwan-young had always avoided physical contact, let alone kissing someone. The chances of him having experience were slim. But Mu-ryeong had a reason for asking anyway.Because earlier… wasn’t that a kiss?After much deliberation, this was the only conclusion he could come to. No matter how he looked at it, there was no other way to define what had happened. And naturally, that led to another question—why was Hwan-young… so good at it?“I’ve never done it before.”“……”Was it just his imagination? The moment Mu-ryeong spoke, Hwan-young’s lips seemed to twitch—no, specifically, the corner of his mouth. Squinting, Mu-ryeong tried to get a better look, only for Hwan-young’s low voice to cut through the quiet.“…I haven’t done anything like that.”So he really hasn’t.Maybe he was just naturally quick at picking things up? He wasn’t sure if reflexes had anything to do with it, but it was a possibility.Hwan-young turned away, staring up at the ceiling with a frown.“Who would I even do something like that with?”“You did it with me.”“……”Silence dropped between them. Mu-ryeong furrowed his brows slightly, watching him. Hwan-young was still looking up, his sharp nose catching the dim light.“Wasn’t that a kiss?”If there was another name for what they had done, Mu-ryeong would gladly accept it. That way, he could use it as an excuse to ask for more spiritual energy. Not that spiritual energy was the real reason to begin with… but still.“……”Hwan-young didn’t answer. He didn’t even move, making Mu-ryeong wonder if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. His messy bangs fell slightly over his forehead, and below them, his nose and lips remained motionless. The only thing that gave away that he was still awake was the faint tremor of his eyelashes.Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.Mu-ryeong hadn’t really planned on addressing it. After all, since he had come back from the bathroom, they had both silently agreed not to talk about it. If Hwan-young wanted to avoid the subject, Mu-ryeong was more than willing to play along.But for some reason, he felt the need to confirm. Maybe it was just curiosity, or maybe it was something else. Either way, the questions wouldn’t stop coming. What exactly was that? Why do I feel so weird about it? The uncertainty gnawed at him.Of course, it wasn’t as if he was trying to force an answer out of Hwan-young.“If you don’t want to—”“…It was.”The response slipped out so suddenly that Mu-ryeong shut his mouth, eyes widening slightly. Hwan-young finally turned to look at him, their gazes locking in the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) dark.“It was a kiss.”“……”This time, Mu-ryeong was the one who lost his words. He had been so smug throwing the question at Hwan-young, but now that he had actually admitted it, an unexpected wave of embarrassment hit. His ears burned, and the urge to look away grew stronger.“…Yeah. I figured.”He tried to end the conversation there, awkwardly shifting to turn away. He would just sleep with his back to Hwan-young and pretend nothing happened. By morning, when the sun came up, maybe this strange feeling would go away.“Kim Mu-ryeong.”But Mu-ryeong never got the chance. Before he could turn away, Hwan-young shifted, facing him directly.With those deep, black eyes, he spoke again—the same question he had once asked beneath the full moon.“Why did you just let it happen?”

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