Before lunchtime ended, Mu-ryeong once again headed to the backyard with Hwan-young. By now, Seung-joo was used to the two of them disappearing together and simply waved them off without much interest.The air outside was blistering, the heat almost melting everything in sight. By the time they reached the backyard, Mu-ryeong’s cheeks were flushed red from the sun."It’s way too hot..."Hwan-young, however, still looked displeased. He had kept his mouth shut the entire way, his usual cold gaze darting toward Mu-ryeong multiple times. Exhausted from the heat, Mu-ryeong panted and tilted his head, looking up at him."What?""You."Hwan-young spoke as if he had been waiting for the moment. His ink-black eyes remained icy even under the scorching summer sun. Though Mu-ryeong wasn’t entirely sure what was bothering him, it was clear that something was."Do you always touch people so easily?""Me?"Mu-ryeong echoed the question lightly and stepped closer. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Hwan-young’s waist, pressing his cheek against his chest. The way he nestled into him was so natural it was almost instinctive.Mumbling against his broad torso, Mu-ryeong drawled,"I don’t think I do...""..."Hwan-young looked down at the round head resting against him, bewildered. Mu-ryeong’s soft, slightly wavy hair tickled his jaw whenever he moved, a sensation oddly reminiscent of Seolgi squirming in his arms."You should be more cautious."Hwan-young murmured lowly, resting his hand on Mu-ryeong’s shoulder. He wasn’t frail or scrawny, but there was still a lingering sense of him being underdeveloped—his frame was too small, his shoulder blades too prominent beneath his thin shirt."Cautious?""Don’t just agree to go to random people’s houses so easily.""Come on, it’s not like I do that with just anyone.""That guy wasn’t just anyone?""He has a cat...""…So, you’d go to anyone’s house if they have a cat?""I’d probably go if they had a dog too."Mu-ryeong’s fingers lightly tapped against Hwan-young’s back. The warmth of the energy flowing into him made him close his eyes comfortably. Judging by the prolonged silence, his response must have been absurd enough to leave Hwan-young speechless."Don’t worry about it."For someone who always seemed detached, Hwan-young worried just as much as Seung-joo did. Sometimes, Mu-ryeong thought the two of them would get along surprisingly well when it came to lecturing him. Of course, both would flatly deny such a claim."Ye-jun hyung is nice. It’s fine."His words carried multiple meanings—Ye-jun wouldn’t be annoyed if he visited, and he wasn’t the type to do anything bad. Not that Mu-ryeong had ever considered the latter possibility in the first place."You should come with me. I’ve never been to a house with a cat before.""...""Ah… But do cats dislike crowded places?"As Mu-ryeong continued his idle chatter, Hwan-young fell silent. Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh—the kind that meant "Do whatever you want." Mu-ryeong chuckled, taking that as his cue to change the topic."We need to stay at school overnight tomorrow."They would have to dedicate an entire night to sending off Hwan-hee. Hwan-young didn’t seem surprised, as if he had already anticipated it. He only asked one thing."Why the school?""It’s the best place to summon spirits."A place where after-school access was strictly prohibited, where night study sessions had been banned—Haeyeon High School had long been known as a gathering point for yin energy. If one were to dig deep enough, there were plenty of stories tied to it, but Mu-ryeong didn’t bother explaining further."So, get plenty of rest tonight.""What about you?""..."Mu-ryeong’s fingers, which had been idly drawing circles in the air, suddenly stopped. Hwan-young stared at him steadily before repeating himself."You need to rest too.""…Mhm."It would have been easier to just say "Okay." But Mu-ryeong had never been good at lying unless there was a concrete reason to do so. Since he couldn’t bring himself to lie now, he tried to brush it off with a smile instead.Hwan-young, however, raised an eyebrow."You’re not planning to sleep?""I’ve got some things to take care of…"The full moon was tomorrow, but Mu-ryeong planned to stay at school overnight today as well. Not for an exorcism request—he just had a few things to check. He already knew the school’s layout well, but he wanted to inspect it more thoroughly and ensure everything was in place."…Alone?""Not really, I’ll be with the goblins."Mu-ryeong replied automatically, but Hwan-young countered with merciless precision."They’re useless.""..."Not only did he reduce them to mere things by calling them "they," but now he was outright dismissing them. If the goblins heard that, they would throw a fit—tripping him, yanking his hair, anything to get back at him. Not that Hwan-young would care."They’ll sulk…"Mu-ryeong chuckled softly and slipped out of his embrace. The bell had rung long ago. Hwan-young, frowning, withdrew his hand and absentmindedly clenched and unclenched his fingers before speaking."Stay with me.""Huh?""Whatever you're planning, it’s because of me."His voice carried certainty, leaving Mu-ryeong momentarily speechless. Hwan-young stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave a small nod."If you’re going to do it, do it with me."***The school at midnight felt nothing like it did during the day. Even the lingering heat in the air carried a chilling undertone. The darkened field and the buildings, devoid of a single light, made everything feel eerily detached from reality. Even the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves sounded distant, as if coming from another world."Are you sure you won’t get tired?"Mu-ryeong stretched his ankle, glancing at Hwan-young as he asked. The sun had long since set, and though they had already climbed over the school’s outer wall, they could still turn back if they wanted. Of course, that would mean over two hours of walking for Hwan-young, which would be a brutal journey at this hour."That’s my line."Hwan-young responded flatly, furrowing his brows. He looked steadily at Mu-ryeong before asking,"Do you even sleep at night?""…Sometimes?"Hwan-young’s expression turned incredulous. Sometimes? How could someone sometimes sleep at night? Even sleeping at night regularly but napping occasionally during the day would be concerning."You’re never going to grow taller."Hearing him repeat the words he’d said at Ye-jun’s house, Mu-ryeong smiled softly, his dimples showing even in the dark."I’ll still grow more, though…""…""But even if I don’t, it’s fine."Whether he grew tall or not didn’t matter much to him. It would be nice, but he wasn’t particularly inconvenienced by his current height. However, the next words out of Hwan-young’s mouth silenced him."It’s bad for your health.""…"His voice was serious—like he was genuinely concerned."Well… I’m pretty sturdy."For a brief moment, Mu-ryeong thought of his late father. Only for a fleeting second. Shaking the thought away, he wrinkled his nose and avoided Hwan-young’s «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» gaze."I won’t overdo it too much."But what choice did he have? He was an exorcist. Unlike Mu-heun, who specialized in hunting guimae, Mu-ryeong mostly dealt with spirits, and spirits only manifested at night. There was a reason Mu-yeon often grumbled that ghosts never seemed to need sleep.This translation is the intellectual property of ."…What do we need to do tonight?"Thankfully, Hwan-young dropped the subject. He really was similar to Seung-joo in moments like this—when Mu-ryeong looked uncomfortable, both of them knew when to let things go."Tonight…"Mu-ryeong took a slow step forward, surveying the school. The silence made every footstep on the grass sound deafening. The humid night air clung to his skin as he fanned himself with his shirt collar."We’ll be moving around a lot. That okay?""…It’s fine."The response came after a slight delay. Hwan-young had been staring at the nape of Mu-ryeong’s neck but quickly looked away. When Mu-ryeong turned to glance at him curiously, he saw his throat bob slightly as he swallowed.Just as Mu-ryeong tilted his head in confusion, Hwan-young spoke up, somewhat awkwardly."Aren’t you going to give the goblins something to do?""Hm? Oh, right, I should."Mu-ryeong nodded and held out both hands. Summoning goblins was always an interesting sight. Right now, he looked almost like a magician preparing to cast a spell.The moment he whistled, three flames burst into existence."…What’s up with them?"Hwan-young’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the goblin flames. Normally, they blinked lazily and played pranks, but tonight, they had puffed themselves up to their fullest size the instant they appeared. One of them even spun in circles, leaving behind an afterimage."They’re probably excited because the full moon is near."As if to confirm it, the flames immediately nuzzled against Mu-ryeong, showing off their enthusiasm. He patted each one with an energy-infused hand before reaching into his pocket. It was the glass marble he had received from Ye-jun."This will be your reward for tonight."His voice was as gentle as if he were soothing a child. The flames, sensing his words, immediately lined up in a perfect row. The clear marble, decorated with swirling blue patterns, reflected their bright blue light, making it look even more mystical.It was something he had been saving, a small treasure with sentimental value. Normally, a mere ten-won coin was enough to keep the goblins satisfied, but tonight, they needed extra motivation. A keepsake like this was perfect."You have ten minutes."One of the flames flickered twice. The second and third followed, blinking in sync like Christmas lights."Within that time, unlock all the doors in every building inside this wall—entrances, classrooms, everything. The one who unlocks the most, the fastest, gets the marble."Even though his voice was calm, it was enough to spark competition among the flames. They trembled with anticipation, their blue forms shaking with eagerness."Don’t open any lockers. Got it?"The moment he finished speaking, the three flames vanished without a trace. Only faint flickers of light remained as they shot off toward the buildings.Mu-ryeong adjusted his bag and rummaged inside as he spoke."We’ll wait a little before heading in."He pulled out a thick bundle of papers. The stack of yellowed hanji was densely covered in frantic red characters—over a hundred exorcism talismans.The school at midnight felt nothing like it did during the day. Even the lingering heat in the air carried a chilling undertone. The darkened field and the buildings, devoid of a single light, made everything feel eerily detached from reality. Even the faint chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves sounded distant, as if coming from another world."Are you sure you won’t get tired?"Mu-ryeong stretched his ankle, glancing at Hwan-young as he asked. The sun had long since set, and though they had already climbed over the school’s outer wall, they could still turn back if they wanted. Of course, that would mean over two hours of walking for Hwan-young, which would be a brutal journey at this hour."That’s my line."Hwan-young responded flatly, furrowing his brows. He looked steadily at Mu-ryeong before asking,"Do you even sleep at night?""…Sometimes?"Hwan-young’s expression turned incredulous. Sometimes? How could someone sometimes sleep at night? Even sleeping at night regularly but napping occasionally during the day would be concerning."You’re never going to grow taller."Hearing him repeat the words he’d said at Ye-jun’s house, Mu-ryeong smiled softly, his dimples showing even in the dark."I’ll still grow more, though…""…""But even if I don’t, it’s fine."Whether he grew tall or not didn’t matter much to him. It would be nice, but he wasn’t particularly inconvenienced by his current height. However, the next words out of Hwan-young’s mouth silenced him."It’s bad for your health.""…"His voice was serious—like he was genuinely concerned."Well… I’m pretty sturdy."For a brief moment, Mu-ryeong thought of his late father. Only for a fleeting second. Shaking the thought away, he wrinkled his nose and avoided Hwan-young’s gaze."I won’t overdo it too much."But what choice did he have? He was an exorcist. Unlike Mu-heun, who specialized in hunting guimae, Mu-ryeong mostly dealt with spirits, and spirits only manifested at night. There was a reason Mu-yeon often grumbled that ghosts never seemed to need sleep."…What do we need to do tonight?"Thankfully, Hwan-young dropped the subject. He really was similar to Seung-joo in moments like this—when Mu-ryeong looked uncomfortable, both of them knew when to let things go."Tonight…"Mu-ryeong took a slow step forward, surveying the school. The silence made every footstep on the grass sound deafening. The humid night air clung to his skin as he fanned himself with his shirt collar."We’ll be moving around a lot. That okay?""…It’s fine."The response came after a slight delay. Hwan-young had been staring at the nape of Mu-ryeong’s neck but quickly looked away. When Mu-ryeong turned to glance at him curiously, he saw his throat bob slightly as he swallowed.Just as Mu-ryeong tilted his head in confusion, Hwan-young spoke up, somewhat awkwardly."Aren’t you going to give the goblins something to do?""Hm? Oh, right, I should."Mu-ryeong nodded and held out both hands. Summoning goblins was always an interesting sight. Right now, he looked almost like a magician preparing to cast a spell.The moment he whistled, three flames burst into existence."…What’s up with them?"Hwan-young’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the goblin flames. Normally, they blinked lazily and played pranks, but tonight, they had puffed themselves up to their fullest size the instant they appeared. One of them even spun in circles, leaving behind an afterimage."They’re probably excited because the full moon is near."As if to confirm it, the flames immediately nuzzled against Mu-ryeong, showing off their enthusiasm. He patted each one with an energy-infused hand before reaching into his pocket. It was the glass marble he had received from Ye-jun."This will be your reward for tonight."His voice was as gentle as if he were soothing a child. The flames, sensing his words, immediately lined up in a perfect row. The clear marble, decorated with swirling blue patterns, reflected their bright blue light, making it look even more mystical.It was something he had been saving, a small treasure with sentimental value. Normally, a mere ten-won coin was enough to keep the goblins satisfied, but tonight, they needed extra motivation. A keepsake like this was perfect."You have ten minutes."One of the flames flickered twice. The second and third followed, blinking in sync like Christmas lights."Within that time, unlock all the doors in every building inside this wall—entrances, classrooms, everything. The one who unlocks the most, the fastest, gets the marble."Even though his voice was calm, it was enough to spark competition among the flames. They trembled with anticipation, their blue forms shaking with eagerness."Don’t open any lockers. Got it?"The moment he finished speaking, the three flames vanished without a trace. Only faint flickers of light remained as they shot off toward the buildings.Mu-ryeong adjusted his bag and rummaged inside as he spoke."We’ll wait a little before heading in."He pulled out a thick bundle of papers. The stack of yellowed hanji was densely covered in frantic red characters—over a hundred exorcism talismans.

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