The Night Of The Untraced

In a room without even a light turned on, a boy lay on a lone bed, expressionless. His blank eyes gazed up at the ceiling, and the only movement was his chest rising and falling. The sun had already set, leaving everything in darkness, but he seemed unfazed.How long had he been like that? The boy blinked slowly, his long eyelashes fluttering, and his eyes held a faintly melancholic glow. After blinking once, twice, he suddenly twisted his face in anguish.“…”‘Yeonho?’The voice in his mind belonged to the leader of Team 0, the team he was part of. A person with strikingly dark eyes, numerous piercings in his ears, and tattoos that stretched from his ears to his wrists. From their very first meeting, he had looked down at him with weary eyes.‘Is that your name?’He hated the name “Yeonho” because it could never be his real name. “That kid from the Yeonho Orphanage,” “the survivor of the burned-down Yeonho”—they had just shortened it to “Yeonho.”‘Ah… Yeonho Orphanage.’Once the team leader understood the connection between him and the orphanage, he’d given a knowing look. The brief flash of emotion in his eyes quickly vanished, replaced by a smile that curved like a crescent moon. It seemed genuine enough, though partly habitual.‘Nice to meet you.’Had they shaken hands then? Or had he simply patted him on the shoulder? All he remembered was the coolness of the energy flowing from the leader like a breeze. And from that day on, the leader had never called him Yeonho.Thus, the boy became the Gwimae Hunter of Team 0. Now an official exorcist, he found little difficulty in his work, thanks to the intense training he had received and the leader’s skillful handling of the schedule, despite his youthful appearance.‘Don’t overwork yourself. There’s no need.’The team leader was an impressive figure, though he often made lazy remarks as a habit. Yet he himself was always busy, sometimes even taking on injured team members’ tasks. Even the slightest injury meant the leader wouldn’t let him leave the dorms.‘It’s an order. Stay in the dorms.’He knew why the leader would go so far as to call it an “order.” The team members, raised by the Association since they were young, had been trained to obey orders from their superiors without question. Regardless of their own opinions, their bodies would respond mechanically to commands.‘Isn’t the team leader… a bit different from others?’One day, a team member had said this, and the others had silently agreed. Team Leader Kim Muheun felt different from anyone they’d ever met—like the way he’d sometimes look at them with a hint of regret, even when acting professionally.But his concern never went beyond that. He wouldn’t call him Yeonho, but he also wouldn’t give him a real name. He looked after injured team members but never offered them any words of kindness.‘…You two fought?’When a minor dispute arose within the team, it was the same. The team leader didn’t take sides; he simply watched the boy and the other team member in turn. When he saw them unable to lift their heads, he laughed softly and patted their heads.‘Don’t fight next time.’His large hand, chilly with energy, was big enough to cover his whole head. The boy looked up at him, dazed, and saw those gentle eyes gazing back.‘You have to trust and rely on each other since you’re a team.’He’d been sure he’d get scolded, at least enough to make him go without food for a couple of days. He’d even thought he might be pushed through training for three days straight as punishment.‘Ah… Why didn’t you scold us?’Thinking it was just a lack of interest, he’d asked, and the leader shrugged as if the question was trivial. Then, in his calm voice, he spoke slowly.‘Why bother scolding you? You already know what you did wrong.’It seemed obvious to him. And when the boy didn’t understand, the leader added, just as casually:‘My younger siblings were the same.’He was referring to the famous Kim Muyeon and Kim Muryeong. He’d never spoken with them but knew their faces.‘Whenever they got into trouble, they’d be on edge until our parents got home, wondering how badly they’d be punished, how angry our parents would be.’It was exactly the way he had felt waiting for the team leader. He and his teammate had waited anxiously, unable to eat or sit comfortably.‘You shouldn’t scold kids in those moments. Waiting itself is terrifying enough.’Those gentle words stayed with him. He’d never thought of himself as scared, but just hearing that was oddly comforting.‘Our Seungjoo cries a lot when you hug him in times like that.’Seeing the team leader’s soft smile, which was so different from usual, made him curious about Seungjoo, the person he’d mentioned. The young master of the Seo family, the only surviving member—he’d never been interested in the rumors within the Association until that moment, but suddenly wondered what Seungjoo had disliked so much.‘Kids grow up by fighting with each other.’The team leader left it at that, but the boy mulled over his words for a long time—not the part about “growing by fighting,” but the part where he referred to them as “kids.” It was the first time anyone in authority had treated them like that.But soon, the boy made a grave mistake that earned him a severe reprimand. While recklessly trying to complete a task involving an extraordinarily powerful Gwimae, he lost his target. He nearly broke his leg in the process, and this time, the team leader didn’t let it slide.‘If you thought it was dangerous, you should’ve returned. Did I ever teach you to push yourself to that extent?’In front of everyone, he got a long lecture, and the team leader didn’t let go of his anger, even after he apologized. The team leader’s face, hardened with cold anger, was more intimidating than ever, but he had something he needed to say first.‘Team Leader, the Gwimae I lost…’The Gwimae that had disappeared without a trace was found and sealed by the team leader. The boy waited for his return in the office, and when he came back, he received yet another lengthy scolding. But when the higher-ups were dispatched to investigate the case, it was the team leader who stepped forward to take the blame.‘Don’t worry.’‘…’‘I’ll take responsibility, no matter what happens.’He wasn’t disciplined. Just as the team leader had said with a grin, he took all the responsibility, even covering for him. It wasn’t the last time, either; there were several such instances, and the team leader’s support extended not only to the boy but to others as well.‘I like our team leader.’‘I hope he stays our team leader.’For team members who had previously had no strong preferences, they began to develop a wish: that Kim Muheun would remain “our team leader.” Although he often showed a displeased expression when new team members joined, he always ended up looking after them in his usual indifferent way. With everyone respecting him, it was no surprise that Team 0 became so tightly bonded.‘I heard Team 0 is disbanding.’But then, word came that the team was being dissolved. It happened suddenly, without any warning, like a bomb dropped overnight. They had thought the case was won, but never imagined the ruling would be overturned like this.‘You said you don’t hate my Hyung.’“…”The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The dark thoughts creeping back in were disrupted by the casual voice echoing in his ears—the steady gaze, the slightly furrowed brow, and the firm tone.‘Then you know he wouldn’t do something like that.’How could he not know? That was exactly why he felt so disappointed. It was the reason he felt “upset,” to borrow the team leader’s words, as if he had been betrayed.‘I think Team Leader Kim Muheun is the culprit in this case.’It might have been a foolish thought, but at the time, he meant it. He thought Muheun would have simply done as he was told, obediently following orders just like the rest of them. He figured Muheun, like them, was simply following commands.‘…So you want me to convince Muheun Hyung?’‘Something like that.’To be precise, he hoped he would stop him. Seungjoo, whom the team leader often mentioned—gentle, kind-hearted, and sensitive—if it was “that” Seungjoo the team leader always spoke about, then perhaps he could pull him out of this vicious cycle.‘Goodbye.’‘…’‘I said goodbye, didn’t I?’But the team leader’s words turned out to be nothing but nonsense. Seungjoo, who was supposedly delicate, small, and baby-like, was, in reality, a cold person who wouldn’t even respond to his greeting. Watching the lake, he did look childlike, but his guardedness was strong enough to make any concern unnecessary.‘I heard you’re supposed to greet people when you meet them.’Who had told him that? He had heard it from someone, though he couldn’t remember who. He had believed it to be a lifelong truth, but Seungjoo dismissed it with indifference, as if he was talking nonsense, and shattered his assumption with a single remark.‘Whatever you say, I won’t listen.’‘…’‘And I’m going to tell Hyung everything we talked about.’From the very first meeting, he’d seemed odd. He didn’t come when called, and he even went so far as to report everything he said back to the team leader. Refusing to tell him his name would result in a lazy nickname he made up on the spot.‘Fine, Gwangsik.’To be honest, he didn’t really mind being called Gwangsik. He didn’t particularly like it either, but it was closer to “strange.” When the team leader started calling him that as well, he couldn’t help but find it both exasperating and amusing.‘Hey, Gwangsik.’“…Looks like I’ve got a last name now.”Come to think of it, he’d been called that in the conference room too. When did he even attach a last name? He had a brazen side to him, despite not looking like it. Especially when he made absurd comments with that serious expression, just like the team leader.‘I’m upset.’‘…’‘Because I’m disappointed.’He quietly lifted one hand to place it near his chest, trying to recall the ache he’d felt when he first heard about the team’s disbandment. He’d thought it was just anger, but it turned out it had been disappointment all along.“It’s not like they’re abandoning us…”He was going to follow Seungjoo’s advice. When the team leader returned from his task, he planned to share all his thoughts and ask for an explanation. The other team members probably felt the same, so it might be best to approach together.As his mind quieted down, accumulated fatigue suddenly washed over him. His eyelids grew heavier, and he slowly slipped into a state of drowsiness. Maybe it was because he hadn’t been sleeping well, being preoccupied with the case lately. As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep overcame him.At some point, he drifted into a deep sleep, feeling weightless as though his body was floating. The once silent surroundings turned chaotic, and a buzzing voice echoed in his ears.‘Human greed…’It was a dream. He could tell easily. His body wouldn’t move at all, yet unfamiliar scenes spread out before his eyes: flames roaring, coughing sounds all around, and the pain of his skin burning.‘Fire!’It was a past he could almost remember but not quite. He’d recalled it vividly as a child, but after actively trying to forget, there wasn’t even a trace left. The orphanage that had burned down had been buried deep in his memory, along with any recollection of that time.‘…Do you want to live?’Even at that question, the boy didn’t nod. He merely blinked his eyes slowly. His vision blurred so much that he couldn’t even make out the figure in front of him. He knew something was happening, but he didn’t really understand what.‘Take a part of me…’He remembered the black mass reaching out to him. Just as darkness took over, he realized that his surroundings had changed. The flames that had been raging vanished, and the once noisy area turned silent. The pain had also disappeared, but there was an uncomfortable churning in his stomach.‘…I’ll come find you.’“…!”With a start, he opened his eyes. As he took a deep breath, his heart began pounding loudly. It was as if he’d surfaced after sinking deeply, with much-needed air filling his lungs.“Huff, huff…”He lay in bed, gasping for breath. It was still dark, but he could clearly see the familiar view of his dorm room. Nothing much had changed since he’d fallen asleep, yet as soon as he raised his upper body, a deafening sound erupted.“…?”Woo-eee-woo! The blaring noise was the alarm that went off in emergencies. Startled by the ear-splitting sound, he quickly got out of bed. He’d only heard it a handful of times, but he knew enough to recognize that it meant he had to evacuate.He hurriedly made his way to the door, slipping on his shoes haphazardly and unlocking the door. Fumbling a bit in his nervousness, he finally swung open the heavy metal door.But the moment he stepped outside, he froze, unable to move.“This is…”Flames surged up from the end of the hallway, spreading rapidly. Just like in his dream, the bright red fire opened its jaws wide, devouring everything. Thick, black smoke billowed in, and the flickering heat turned the air around him scorching hot.Woo-eee-woo! Woo-eee-woo!The blaring alarm was of no help. Staring blankly, the reddish flames reflected in his blinking eyes. Fear that he hadn’t been able to shake off spread across his face, now paling with dread.‘Fire!’‘Mom, Mom…’‘The door’s locked!’“……”The charred interior looked no different from the orphanage he’d once lived in. The neatly maintained hallway was nowhere to be seen, replaced by blackened scorch marks and fiery embers filling his vision. Despite the sweltering air, his fingertips grew gradually colder.‘Sniff… sob…’‘…Teacher, sniff…’“Ugh…”A wave of nausea rose, and he covered his mouth, retreating slowly. His legs trembled, but there was nowhere to escape the flames except back into the room.‘Help me, ugh…’“…Hnng.”He shook his head, but the haunting images wouldn’t leave him. At some point, he had collapsed onto the floor, crawling with shaky movements.“No…”He knew in his head. This wasn’t the orphanage, and he was no longer a powerless child. Though he couldn’t control flames with his abilities, he knew he could jump out the window to escape safely.“Ugh, argh…”But even knowing all that, his body was paralyzed, unable to act. He tried to hold on to reason, but the echoing hallucinations seemed to block every attempt.‘Help, ugh… aah!’The door slowly creaked shut. The flames were now out of sight, but somehow that made the situation feel even more real, forcing him to confront it coolly.“Ah…”Was he going to die like this? He wouldn’t be able to escape the flames in this state. If he just stayed still, everything would burn down just like it had back then.Oddly enough, at that moment, he thought it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Having survived fire once, perhaps it was fitting to end in flames. The fact that he was the only survivor had never made sense anyway.The only regret was that there were still things left unsaid.‘I have something to tell you when you return…’He needed to ask if they were being abandoned. He had to apologize for the misunderstanding, and he wished he could feel that disappointment, as Seungjoo had described.‘…Do you want to live?’“……”‘If you accept a part of me…’Thump. His heart sank. Memories came surging forth from his unconscious like a storm: the orphanage that had burned to ashes, the friends who had perished before his eyes, and that moment he was the only one to survive.‘Someday, that child…’“…Hey, Gwangsik!”Suddenly, he snapped back to reality. The familiar name, which had always felt strange, pierced his dazed mind sharply. As he blinked, tears welled up and trickled down his cheeks.“Gwangsik! Hey! Answer me!”“What…”He didn’t have a chance to respond to the voice coming from afar. Just as he sensed someone approaching, the half-closed door swung open with a bang. The person who burst into the room took one look at him sitting on the floor and scowled in distress.“Damn… You’re really here.”“……”Woo-eee-woo! The siren began blaring again. Time resumed, and the tension in his rigid shoulders finally eased. Staring blankly, wide-eyed, he saw the person extend their uninjured arm toward him.“Let’s go. There’s a fire here.”It was Seungjoo.* * *‘It seems like Gwangsik has a Gwimae.’When Seungjoo had said this, Muheun didn’t look particularly surprised. With his lips pressed tightly together, he lowered his gaze, looking almost troubled in a way.‘I’m certain of it because I could feel his emotions transfer. If I feel pity, it connects with the Gwimae.’The criteria for connecting with a Gwimae. He had realized it some time ago. Whenever he could empathize with the Gwimae or feel sympathy for it, his emotions would transfer.‘I don’t know why he’s close to me, though…’‘For a Gwimae, closeness doesn’t refer to physical distance.’Muheun explained the part that Seungjoo hadn’t fully understood, cradling the puzzled Seungjoo in his arms as he sighed softly.‘It’s about fate.’Come to think of it, they’d said he was tied to Gwangsik by fate. After Gwangsik saved his life, he’d heard something about his destiny being involved. He figured that, perhaps unknowingly, they had been connected long before.‘How are you planning to purify it?’‘I don’t know that yet.’Though he had discovered the whereabouts of the Gwimae, he couldn’t act immediately. He wasn’t even sure if Gwangsik was aware that the Gwimae was attached to him, or how he would react upon finding out.Moreover,‘If I purify it, it’ll disappear.’Yes, this was the main issue. If he purified it, then what would happen to it? It wasn’t likely to vanish, but he couldn’t be sure that it wouldn’t cause any harm to Gwangsik’s body.They had thought about it together but couldn’t come up with a solution, so Seungjoo decided to stay at the dormitory until Muheun returned. Since Muheun had informed his parents, he figured he’d just sleep until Muheun came back. Besides, he was too exhausted to go home after how clingy Muheun had been.‘……?’But while he was gone, a fire broke out in the dormitory. When the sirens started blaring, he went outside to see flames rising from the end of the hallway.If he had gone straight down the stairs, he would have been safe. But at that moment, a thought flashed through his mind.‘…Gwangsik.’Gwangsik was probably still in the dormitory. Muheun had told him to stay put, so he was likely holed up in his room. If he had any sense, he would’ve run as soon as he heard the siren, but the words Gwangsik had once shared suddenly held him back.‘When I was a kid, there was a fire at the orphanage.’‘…….’‘Everyone died, but I was the only one who survived.’Trauma can form from even the smallest triggers. Just like someone bitten by a dog becomes afraid of dogs, or someone who almost drowned becomes afraid of water. Or how Seungjoo, who had once burned himself on a lighter, still couldn’t bring himself to light one.Even though he knew it was an exaggeration, his body moved on its own. He frantically searched the dormitory, going from room to room as if hunting down a mouse. At first, he clumsily knocked on every door, but then he focused all his senses as he did when searching for the Gwimae.And in the very last room, Seungjoo finally found Gwangsik.“Get up quickly.”It could be called a stroke of luck. Seungjoo felt Gwangsik’s Yeongi even through the intense flames. It was likely a part of the Gwimae within him that he sensed, but if that wasn’t the case, he never would have thought to go up to the third floor.“Hey, hurry up.”Seungjoo, who was thinking it inside his head, moved his hand. Gwangsik, sitting on the floor, didn’t take Seungjoo’s hand but just stared blankly, blinking his eyes. His normally expressionless face was filled with confusion, and his neck and back were soaked with sweat.“How did you…?”“I don’t have time to explain that right now!”Seungjoo sharply interrupted, grabbing Gwangsik’s arm. Since Gwangsik didn’t reach out his hand, Seungjoo decided to pull him up by force. It was a bit difficult, as he only had one hand free, but fortunately, Gwangsik didn’t resist, and with a slight wobble, he managed to get up.“Damn… we can’t get out that way.”By the time Seungjoo ran into the room, the fire had already spread beyond the door. Gwangsik’s room was in the center of the hallway, so the emergency stairs were a bit far away.‘What do I do?’It would have been great if someone could help. Unfortunately, most of the exorcists were out on assignments. Why the hell was there no sprinkler system in the dorm? It looked like controlling the fire before the rescue team arrived would be difficult.“Hey, Gwangsik, you’re an exorcist, so…”At this point, maybe it would be better to jump out of the window. Thinking that, Seungjoo turned his head to look at Gwangsik, but he stopped, closing his mouth. Gwangsik, standing a little unsteadily beside Seungjoo, had a blank, lifeless look in his eyes.“…….”In his pale eyes, the flames flickered. His deathly pale face wasn’t just from being white. Sweat beads were dripping down his temples from his forehead.“Hey.”“…….”“Gwangsik.”“…….”“Gwangsik!”At the sound of Seungjoo’s urgent voice, Gwangsik looked back, startled. Seungjoo lowered his hand from Gwangsik’s arm and firmly grabbed his hand. The Yeongi transmitted through his touch felt somewhat unstable, unlike Muheun’s.“Snap out of it. We need to get out of here.”“……Ah.”Just as Seungjoo saw Gwangsik’s eyes start to refocus, he gripped his hand a little tighter. The force would have hurt an ordinary person, but to someone with spiritual powers like Gwangsik, it was probably bearable.“We can make it out. It’s okay.”He was afraid of fire. It seemed that his childhood experience had turned into trauma. Seungjoo hadn’t expected him to panic this much, but he probably had been in a worse state before Seungjoo arrived.‘I should’ve brought a handkerchief to dampen…’His respiratory system hurt from all the smoke he had inhaled. He had learned how to respond in case of a fire, but now that it was an emergency, he couldn’t remember any of it.“Listen to me. We can’t go down the stairs, so we’ll have to jump out of the window. You’re an exorcist, so you should be fine with this, right?”There was no answer, but Seungjoo dragged him toward the window. In the meantime, Gwangsik tightly clutched Seungjoo’s hand, as if it were a lifeline. He looked like a lost little child, and Seungjoo didn’t let go of his hand.The dormitory window was wide enough for a single man to crawl through. However, it was too small for two people to fit, so Seungjoo, who had planned to carry him and jump, reconsidered the moment he opened the window. If he wasn’t careful, he might injure Gwangsik.“Hey, you go first.”“…Me, jump?”Seungjoo pushed Gwangsik’s back, and Gwangsik’s eyes widened. He hadn’t let go of Seungjoo’s hand yet, but this time, unlike before, Seungjoo firmly pulled his hand away.“Someone has to go first, right?”Seungjoo had considered jumping first, but he couldn’t leave Gwangsik alone in the fire. Even now, Gwangsik was so nervous that if he were left alone, he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Of course, Seungjoo also wasn’t sure he could land safely on his own.“You jump out and grab me. I can’t land safely if I fall from here.”“……”Gwangsik didn’t move right away, even after hearing those words. It seemed like his rationality still hadn’t fully returned.As Seungjoo instinctively glanced behind him, he saw that the flames had spread into the room and quickly shoved Gwangsik toward the window.“There’s no time, hurry up!”Only then did Gwangsik unsteadily step onto the window sill. He hesitated a few times, but once he found his stance, he seemed more stable. Gripping the top of the window frame, Gwangsik crouched down and, before jumping out, looked back at Seungjoo.“I’ll catch you… you need to jump right after me.”“Got it, hurry up.”Seungjoo couldn’t help but feel frustrated with Gwangsik’s concern. There was no time for that now—he should just jump. It was pointless to keep checking.Fortunately, Gwangsik didn’t waste any more time and quickly jumped out of the window. His movement was fluid and confident, and even his landing was perfect. It seemed like jumping from this height was no big deal for him.“Why are you…”He could escape so easily, yet he had been trembling in the room earlier. Seungjoo now understood why some people drown in shallow water. Fear paralyzes reason, clouding one’s judgment in moments of crisis.“Seungjoo!”As Seungjoo peeked his head out of the window, Gwangsik called to him loudly. Around him, exorcists who had already evacuated were looking up at Seungjoo, whispering to one another. Some were on the phone, others seemed flustered and confused.“Seungjoo! Hurry!”“I’m about to jump!”Well, falling from the third floor shouldn’t kill him. And Gwangsik had promised to catch him, after all.“Phew…”Taking a deep breath, Seungjoo climbed up to the window frame, just as Gwangsik had done. It was difficult to find his footing with the cast on, but somehow he managed to stand on the narrow sill. The hot, stuffy air hit him all at once.‘Just have to jump…’He glanced down, his mouth clamping shut. The only thing left to do was jump, but when he saw the ground below, chills ran down his spine.“……”Wait, this is higher than I thought.He hadn’t realized it because Gwangsik had jumped so easily, but the third floor was actually much higher than it seemed. In movies and dramas, people jump from much higher places, but this height seemed enough to cause some serious injury. It wasn’t high enough to be fatal, but falling wrong could definitely result in a major injury.“Seungjoo, what are you doing!”“……”Despite Gwangsik’s urging, Seungjoo couldn’t bring himself to jump right away. He frowned, feeling unease. He should have asked for a cushion, he thought. It was too risky to trust someone else with catching him. What if Gwangsik couldn’t catch him? What if, in the blink of an eye, he missed? If that happened, Seungjoo would be hurt without any doubt.‘…This is insane.’It wasn’t the time to be impatient with Gwangsik. The flames had already spread to the furniture in the room. If they delayed any longer, Seungjoo knew he would be the one to burn. But even knowing that, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of his hesitation.“…Isn’t that Seungjoo?”“How did he…?”“Call someone, quick…”Time was running out. The murmurs from below grew louder. The sudden appearance of the Seung family’s young master in the fire was shocking enough, but now they knew he was still inside. If something happened to him, the family would definitely hold them responsible.Of course, that wasn’t Seungjoo’s primary concern.‘Hyung will be worried if he finds out.’How would Muheun react when he found out what happened? If Seungjoo was even slightly injured, Muheun would definitely spend days sulking, blaming himself for not being able to save him, for not knowing.“Ha, damn it. I don’t care…”Muheun, who had even cried in front of him before, was still fresh in his mind. The way he had clung to Seungjoo, whispering how scared he was. That image still lingered with him.“…I can’t let him see that.”Seeing Muheun cry was worse than dying. It was better to take the risk and survive than to resign himself to hopelessness.As Seungjoo clenched his eyes shut, that was when he heard a familiar voice.“Seungjoo!”Despite the chaos around him, that voice rang out clearly above the noise. Seungjoo opened his eyes, and through his half-closed eyelids, he saw someone running toward the building below.“…Hyung?”If he wasn’t hallucinating, that was definitely Muheun. With his disheveled hair and a frantic expression, it was clearly him.How did Muheun know he was here? How did he even find the building? Before Seungjoo could think of any of that, Muheun shouted as he opened his arms wide.“I’ll catch you, jump!”Fear melted away in an instant. Without any more hesitation, Seungjoo threw himself toward Muheun.The feeling of falling from a great height was drastically different from riding a roller coaster. There was no thrill, only the sensation of “falling.” When Seungjoo had fallen into a pit, he hadn’t been aware of much, but this time, the time spent in the air felt unnervingly long.Having blindly thrown himself down based on Muheun’s words, Seungjoo kept his eyes tightly closed as he fell. The sensation of floating in the air and the ringing in his ears made him feel disoriented. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe, but fortunately, reality returned to him shortly after.“……!”Thud. A soft embrace wrapped around Seungjoo. Muheun had caught him with precise movement, pulling him into a protective hug and then lying back to soften the impact. With a loud thud, Muheun’s back hit the ground.No matter how strong he was, it must have been hard to bear the weight of an adult man falling from the third floor. Despite this, Muheun had shielded Seungjoo from injury, completely wrapping him in his arms. He didn’t care about the pain from hitting the ground, curling his body around Seungjoo to protect him.“Ugh….”Seungjoo groaned and slowly opened his eyes. The shock from the fall had left him disoriented, and it took a while to regain his senses. Blinking repeatedly, he suddenly jolted up, startled.“Hyung!”Muheun grabbed him, pulling him back into his arms before he could fall again. One hand holding Seungjoo’s head and the other gripping his shoulder, he embraced him tightly as if trying to crush him. Seungjoo struggled to move his casted arm, but it seemed like Muheun wasn’t going to let him go.“Ha… thank goodness.”The pounding of a heartbeat echoed in Seungjoo’s ears. It was so fast that it seemed like Muheun’s heart was racing more than Seungjoo’s, who had fallen.“Hyung, are you okay?”“That’s something Hyung should be asking.”Only after Seungjoo asked did Muheun gently release him. Still lying on top of Muheun, Seungjoo regained his senses and carefully got off of him. His legs were weak, and he stumbled before sitting back down on the ground. Muheun, too, raised his upper body and followed him.“Are you hurt anywhere?”“No, I’m fine.”Thanks to Muheun cushioning the fall, the pressure wasn’t as bad as Seungjoo had expected. His casted arm throbbed a bit, but it didn’t seem like a major issue. Considering how ready he had been to break another bone, Seungjoo couldn’t help but feel relieved.“Hyung, how did you get here so quickly?”“I just had a bad feeling.”It seemed vague, but it was probably true. Muheun must have been out working, but his intuition kicked in, and he rushed back immediately. It was an impressive timing, and with Muheun’s instincts, it was completely plausible.“Are you okay, young master?”“Call the medical team quickly!”“Why is the ambulance still not here…”Amid the commotion, the exorcists gathered around Seungjoo, who was sitting on the ground. Normally, they wouldn’t have dared speak to him because of Muheun, but the urgency of the situation had made them act quickly.“Seungjoo, you….”Among them was Gwangsik, who had been waiting to catch Seungjoo. Seeing his lips move absentmindedly, Muheun couldn’t help but chuckle as he rubbed Gwangsik’s shoulder.“I guess our Gwangsik’s more interested in the young master than the team leader.”“……”Gwangsik, startled, looked at Muheun. Blinking his eyes in confusion, he finally seemed to come to his senses and lowered his head.“I’m sorry, I….”“It’s just a joke.”Muheun quickly interrupted Gwangsik’s awkward apology. With a nonchalant expression, he slowly stood up and said casually,“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”It wasn’t just about what had just happened. The fire, the fact that Seungjoo was on the third floor, and everything that led to this moment—Muheun’s words were meant for all of it.“Seungjoo, can you stand?”After gently pushing Gwangsik aside, Muheun carefully helped Seungjoo to his feet. He dusted off the dirt from Seungjoo’s clothes and checked his shoulders, making sure everything was okay. Then, noticing a wound on Seungjoo’s left palm, he grew serious.“Let’s go to the infirmary.”“Isn’t this a bit much for that?”It wasn’t a serious injury, just a minor scrape from where his skin had been scraped off. It seemed a bit over the top to go to the infirmary for that, but another voice cut in.“Then at least put some ointment on it.”The one who spoke was Gwangsik, standing quietly. He had reflexively spoken, and when the attention shifted to him, he paused, looking around nervously before averting his eyes.“If you’re not going to the infirmary, just apply it… you have ointment, don’t you?”“Yeah, I have some. Somewhere over there.”Seungjoo responded indifferently, pointing toward the dormitory with his finger. He always carried ointment with him, but it was probably already burned away. Everything in his bag, except for his phone, which he had hastily grabbed, was likely gone as well.“I’ll apply the ointment at the infirmary.”There was no need to argue about not treating it, so Seungjoo said this and turned to Muheun. But Muheun was strangely staring at Gwangsik with an odd look in his eyes.Muheun, who had been silently glancing between Gwangsik and Seungjoo, shook his head as if to clear something away.“Alright, for now….”From a distance, the sound of a fire truck could be heard. Fortunately, the flames hadn’t spread to the mountains yet. Muheun nodded seriously while looking at the burning dormitory.“We should treat you first.”* * *After receiving treatment at the infirmary, Seungjoo got into Muheun’s car and headed to his house. There was a dormitory on the association premises, but Muheun insisted that Seungjoo couldn’t stay there. The option of going to his parents’ house was also ruled out, as Seungjoo didn’t want to wake them up in the middle of the night.Because his body smelled of smoke, Seungjoo headed straight to the bathroom upon arriving at Muheun’s house. Coincidentally, both his left hand and right arm were injured, but fortunately, the waterproof bandages given to him at the infirmary were doing their job. Muheun, who had insisted on helping him shower, was clearly disappointed by this turn of events.“Tired, huh? Go ahead and rest.”After Seungjoo finished his shower and came out, Muheun, who had been waiting on the couch, put down his phone and stood up. Although Seungjoo was indeed tired, instead of heading to the bedroom, he grabbed Muheun’s arm and sat him back down on the couch.“Just a minute before I sleep.”Seungjoo immediately reached out and lifted Muheun’s t-shirt. Underneath the rolled-up shirt, Muheun’s well-toned upper body was fully exposed. Muheun blinked, surprised, as Seungjoo seemed to be undressing him like a lover freshly out of the shower.“Mm…?”“Stay still.”Seungjoo, stopping Muheun from reacting, pulled the shirt up even more. Startled by his sudden action, Muheun’s defined abs visibly twitched. “The front looks fine…” Seungjoo murmured, and Muheun crossed his arms in an “X” to cover his chest.“No, don’t do this.”“Huh?”The tone was almost awkwardly reserved, as if trying to prevent Seungjoo from going further. What was this about? Seungjoo raised his head, only to see Muheun lowering his eyes shyly, causing his mouth to hang open.“I already have someone…” Muheun said with a mischievous smile, and the extension of his words sounded shameless.“Hyung, you’re embarrassed, Seungjoo?”“No, what…”Without a doubt, Seungjoo had never been shy about taking off his shirt, not even once in his life. Especially when earlier, Muheun had suggested they shower together, despite Seungjoo being injured. But now Muheun was acting like a shy newlywed.“Ugh, that’s not what this is about.”Seungjoo’s face flushed as he awkwardly tried to cover up his words. It wasn’t his intention, but the truth was, he had been undressing Muheun. Of course, Muheun wasn’t someone who would back down easily.“Hmm, wouldn’t it be better to go to the bed?”“It’s not like that.”“Your back will hurt if we do it here.”“It’s not that.”“You’re not wearing underwear…”“Agh, where’s your hand going!”Seungjoo swatted Muheun’s hand away from under his pants and quickly squeezed his thighs together. The loose-fitting pants had made it too easy for Muheun’s hand to wander. Despite that, Seungjoo couldn’t bring himself to push Muheun away when he planted a kiss on his cheek.“Stop fooling around… Are you hurt anywhere, Hyung?”That was why Seungjoo had tried to undress Muheun earlier. When Muheun had caught him earlier, he had surely slammed his back hard against the ground. At least Seungjoo had avoided a head injury. Normally, someone else wouldn’t have been able to bear Seungjoo’s weight without internal injuries.“Look at your back. It’s probably bruised.”“Mm…”At Seungjoo’s worried words, Muheun straightened up with a slightly awkward expression. He frowned, as if the topic was uncomfortable for him.“It’ll be fine by tomorrow.”“I know, but let me see it.”Did Muheun think Seungjoo didn’t know how quickly he healed? He had witnessed his remarkable recovery many times, especially through Kim Muryeong. Still, it was clear Muheun had been injured, even if it wasn’t severe.“Hurry up.”When Seungjoo urged him again, this time Muheun obediently took off his shirt. His chest and abdomen were fine without any noticeable injuries, but when he turned his body, a sigh escaped Seungjoo. His back was covered with small scars, and it was streaked with numerous dark bruises.The chapters have been revised, edited, and compressed, and the complete main story has been released for free, as I’m concerned it might be taken down or worse. I didn’t want to disappoint the readers, so I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope you enjoy reading the complete story! The side stories will be coming soon, so don't worry~