Mu-ryeong sat cross-legged, resting his hands on his knees, and calmly closed his eyes. Today, he wasn’t wearing his usual school uniform or the comfortable pajamas he wore at home but a modified hanbok instead. As he steadied his breathing, he vividly felt the spiritual energy spreading from below his danjeon, coursing through his entire body.From birth until now, Mu-ryeong had never found controlling spiritual energy to be difficult. Others had to train for years to wield it freely, yet for him, it was easier than moving a single finger. Even drawing in spiritual energy and sharpening his senses was something he instinctively figured out, long before anyone taught him how.Slowly, he opened his eyes. His clear gaze was free of distraction. The annex, separate from the traditional hanok where his family lived, was a space set aside for training. It was an empty, spacious room, devoid of furniture. Seated in the middle of it, Mu-ryeong quietly gazed out the window.The moon, large and nearly full, hung in the sky. To the naked eye, there was no noticeable difference between this moon and a full moon. Mu-ryeong saw it the same way. As the moonlight poured down, the spiritual energy within him felt more distinct than usual.He gathered energy at his fingertips. Though invisible to the ordinary eye, those with spiritual sight would see the undulating force surrounding him. Exorcists had different ways of handling this energy, with the most common method being to shape it into weapons.However, Mu-ryeong never particularly liked that approach. Perhaps if he were to become a full-fledged exorcist, it would be different. But for now, he had no intention of destroying evil spirits. He had the power to resolve things differently.His mother had told him not to use that power recklessly, but if he didn’t use it when necessary, then why was he born with it in the first place?A different presence lingered within the spiritual energy spreading from him. It was the pure energy he had received from Hwan-young throughout the past week. Mu-ryeong had carefully absorbed it, storing it within himself as if collecting it piece by piece."In two days..."The full moon would finally rise the day after tomorrow. When the full moon was out, the night was unusually bright, weakening the power of the dead. Fortunately, there was no forecast for rain, so his plan was unlikely to fail.Mu-ryeong took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. With every breath, his own spiritual energy was gradually overtaken by another's. Overlaying someone else's energy onto his own was theoretically difficult, but through extensive practice and research, Mu-ryeong had mastered it perfectly."It’ll all be over soon."The plan was simple—summon Hwan-hee, purify him, and give Hwan-young time to say goodbye. Not just through a barrier of spiritual energy, but allowing him to truly feel his younger brother’s presence with his own skin.Everyone would call this reckless, but Mu-ryeong was someone who got things done when he set his mind to it. That was why he was dedicating all his focus to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) stabilizing his body and mind. Even if he had to face an unprecedentedly powerful evil spirit, there was no reason to be afraid."Hwan-young wouldn’t like this if he knew..."Mu-ryeong shook his head lightly, then slowly closed his eyes again. Like the darkness that enveloped his vision, his mind emptied completely.By the time he reopened his eyes, only Hwan-young’s spiritual energy remained.***First period on Thursday was Korean.Having received Hwan-young’s energy in the backyard earlier that morning, Mu-ryeong sat wide awake in class, listening to the lecture. Or rather, his eyes were fixed on the board while he let the words go in one ear and out the other.Seung-joo found his state suspicious. Was he sleeping well these days? Eating properly? (He always ate well, so Seung-joo ruled that out.) Normally, Mu-ryeong would be dead to the world at this hour, yet he had been unusually alert for the past few days."Why are you in such good shape lately?"During break, Seung-joo finally asked, eyeing him with curiosity. Mu-ryeong scratched his cheek and scrunched up his nose."Good question. Why do I feel this good?"Maybe it was compatibility. He felt like his energy aligned unusually well with Hwan-young’s. Even after being around his family’s spiritual energy all day, his condition never improved this much. He wasn’t sure how it affected Hwan-young, but if possible, he wanted to keep doing this."But by next week, I’ll probably feel like crap again.""What? Your condition comes with a warning label now?"As always, Seung-joo didn’t press for details. Being friends with Kim Mu-ryeong was easier when you didn’t ask too many questions. Digging deeper only led to more scolding.For lunch, they had omurice. Each student got a mini corn dog, but Mu-ryeong had somehow accumulated four. One was given by a classmate, another by the guy sitting next to him, and the last one by Hwan-young, who had been watching him eat in silence."Why aren’t you eating yours?""You eat it.""I already am..."Mu-ryeong rolled his eyes and diligently dipped the corn dog in ketchup. As he stuffed the large piece into his mouth, he noticed Hwan-young watching him intently. Those pitch-black eyes made him feel like some kind of curious specimen. Swallowing his food, he spoke up."You always look at me like that.""..."Hwan-young didn’t ask what he meant by "like that." Instead, his expression flickered with realization, and he quickly turned his head away. Seung-joo, watching them, clicked his tongue in silent exasperation.On the way back to the classroom, they ran into a familiar face on the sky bridge. A neatly dressed student with a different-colored name tag—Ye-jun. He was walking toward the main building, apparently there on some errand."Ye-jun hyung!"The moment Mu-ryeong spotted him, he ran up with an eager expression. It was the first time he’d seen Ye-jun since the last exorcism request. Only about ten days had passed, so it hadn’t been that long."Hyung, hello!""...Oh, hey."Ye-jun flinched, avoiding his gaze at the sight of Mu-ryeong’s bright smile. His reaction felt off, prompting Mu-ryeong to narrow his eyes and assess his energy. If he sensed any lingering negative energy, there was a chance Ye-jun had been possessed again.This translation is the intellectual property of .However, there was nothing. No ominous presence—only a faint scent of chrysanthemums. Even though Ye-jun averted his gaze, his words were casual as ever."Been a while. You just ate?""...Yeah. Did you eat, hyung?"Mu-ryeong, concluding that nothing was wrong, grinned and asked brightly.Ye-jun stole a few glances at him, visibly uneasy."Uh... yeah..."He mumbled, awkwardly rubbing his ear.The problem was that his arm was covered in all sorts of wounds."I should probably eat now… Wait, what?"Mu-ryeong suddenly grabbed Ye-jun’s wrist. Pulling him closer, he examined his arm with a serious expression. The long, thin scratches were clearly from something sharp."How did you get these injuries?""……."Ye-jun clamped his mouth shut the moment Mu-ryeong’s hand touched him. He didn’t pull away, but his face was stiff with discomfort. Just as Mu-ryeong was about to press him for an answer, someone suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him back."What do you think you’re doing?"It was Hwan-young. He forcibly pried Mu-ryeong’s hand away and pulled him toward his side. His gaze, filled with irritation, wasn’t directed at Mu-ryeong but at Ye-jun. Though Ye-jun was older, Hwan-young was significantly taller, making him instinctively take a step back in surprise."Why do you grab people so easily?""He had wounds on his arm.""You can see that just fine without touching.""I was trying to look closer."Mu-ryeong replied nonchalantly, looking up at Hwan-young. Since the height difference was considerable, he had to strain his neck to meet his eyes. Blinking slowly, he asked in a puzzled voice,"Why are you angry?""…I'm not."Only then did Hwan-young let go of his arm. He hadn’t grabbed him particularly hard, but faint marks lingered on Mu-ryeong’s pale skin. Without much thought, Mu-ryeong rubbed at the spot, causing Hwan-young’s brows to furrow."…Does it hurt?""No?"Mu-ryeong squinted his eyes and smiled before turning his attention back to Ye-jun. Ye-jun, who had been standing still the entire time, glanced between the two with a strange expression. By then, Seung-joo had already disappeared toward the main building, only muttering a quick, "I’m heading off first.""So, how did you get hurt?""Ah… I have a cat.""A cat?"Mu-ryeong’s eyes widened. Seeing the flicker of excitement in his light brown eyes, Ye-jun’s expression softened slightly. Then, his voice turned a little more animated as he asked,"Yeah. Want to come see it sometime?""Yes! I’d love to! When are you free?"He sounded ready to make plans immediately. It was understandable—Mu-ryeong had never really been around cats before. He had petted a few stray cats here and there, but only for brief moments. As someone who loved animals, the thought of seeing a cat up close was incredibly appealing."Well, today works too…"Ye-jun, unfazed by Mu-ryeong’s enthusiasm, offered casually. But before Mu-ryeong could nod, Hwan-young tugged at his sleeve."Make plans later. Seung-joo’s waiting.""Huh?"That was a random excuse. Hwan-young knew just as well as anyone that Seung-joo wasn’t waiting for them. And even if he was, he wouldn’t be the type to care whether they showed up or not."And this guy needs to eat, too.""Ah… You’re right. Sorry, hyung. I kept you too long."Mu-ryeong dropped his gaze guiltily. Seeing that, Ye-jun frowned slightly and gave a small, awkward smile."No, it’s fine, really…""We’ll head out for now. Let me know when I can visit."Before Ye-jun could say anything else, Mu-ryeong gave a quick bow and turned away. He also reminded him to put medicine on his wounds before leaving. Ye-jun could only watch as they walked off, unable to call him back. His gaze was heavy with unspoken thoughts."…Yeah, come by sometime.""Okay! Enjoy your meal!"Without hesitation, Mu-ryeong left with Hwan-young.As Ye-jun watched their figures disappear across the sky bridge, he let out a small sigh. Meanwhile, Hwan-young, who had been walking beside Mu-ryeong, discreetly glanced back at Ye-jun, his expression unreadable—but undeniably displeased.

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