Broad shoulders tensed up. Mu-ryeong could feel his rigid posture from every point of contact. Ignoring his reaction, he asked once more."Why did you do it?"Even with zero experience in dating, he knew that wasn’t something friends did. They had exchanged embraces daily to transfer spiritual energy, but the kiss on the rooftop had no purpose. Ki Hwan-young, who avoided purposeless physical contact, had kissed him for no apparent reason."……."Hwan-young remained silent for a long time. This time, Mu-ryeong didn't press him for an answer. With each slow step, his heartbeat seemed to merge with the quiet rhythm of their footsteps."Just…."After struggling to get the words out, Hwan-young took a deep breath. Then, adjusting Mu-ryeong’s position on his back with a slight shrug, he continued. His voice, unlike earlier, no longer wavered."You were crying.""Huh?""When someone cries right in front of me… I don’t know what to do.""Oh…."That was a ridiculous reason. But Mu-ryeong simply nodded. Still, he couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked,"Then, if Seung-joo cried, would you have done the same?""……."It wasn’t meant to be a jab—just an innocent question. But as soon as Hwan-young heard Seung-joo’s name, he reflexively muttered a curse under his breath. His brows furrowed, as if the mere thought disgusted him. That reaction was amusing enough that Mu-ryeong quietly swallowed a laugh."…….""……."Silence stretched between them again. Haeyeon High School wasn’t far from Mu-ryeong’s house, but today, Hwan-young was walking even slower than usual, making the journey feel longer than it was.It wasn’t until they were within sight of the front gate that Hwan-young spoke again—his voice so quiet that it nearly faded into the night air."And you…."The preface was agonizingly slow. Mu-ryeong blinked, waiting for him to continue. After taking a shaky {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} breath, Hwan-young finally asked,"Why didn’t you stop me?""Me?"So he had been hesitating all this time just to ask that? Hwan-young had been the one to initiate the kiss, but Mu-ryeong hadn’t avoided it. In fact, he hadn’t even considered rejecting it—and, if he were to be honest, he had felt a tinge of disappointment when it ended."Uh… I don’t know.""…….""I just…."Dragging out his words, Mu-ryeong mulled over his own thoughts. Why hadn’t he pushed Hwan-young away? Why hadn’t the kiss felt unpleasant? Even if he tried to dwell on it longer, he doubted he’d come to a proper conclusion."Good question. Why didn’t I?""…Who are you even asking that?"Hwan-young sounded utterly exasperated. He clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn’t press further. Mu-ryeong, still slumped against his broad back, mumbled to himself,"It wasn’t that bad.""……."It felt as though the heartbeat between them grew louder. He couldn't tell whether it was his own or Hwan-young’s. With a faint chuckle, Mu-ryeong let his eyes drift shut."Maybe I was just… bewitched or something."It was as good an explanation as any. Or perhaps, given the circumstances, it wasn’t far from the truth—after all, he had been possessed right before that. Just as he was about to settle with that reasoning, Hwan-young spoke again, his tone oddly indifferent."Then, if Seo Seung-joo did the same, you wouldn’t have stopped him either."His voice was calm—too calm. But for some reason, the words felt laced with something else. The nuance was subtly different from when Mu-ryeong had asked his question earlier. As he imagined Seung-joo in Hwan-young’s place, Mu-ryeong instinctively shrank back."Seung-joo would probably swear at me.""……."Since Hwan-young didn’t respond, he must have thought the same. Poor Seung-joo—his ears were probably burning right about now. Mu-ryeong smirked at the thought, scrunching his nose as they finally reached the massive wooden gate of his house."Alright, put me down.""Can you stand?""I’m fine now."Hwan-young carefully set him down. When Mu-ryeong wobbled on his feet, Hwan-young’s firm hands caught his arm, steadying him. Mu-ryeong lifted his head to thank him, but as soon as their eyes met up close, he shut his mouth."…….""……."The silence from earlier returned, thick and charged. The air between them felt strangely heavy, as if his thoughts had been wiped blank. The dim streetlight cast soft shadows down the bridge of Hwan-young’s sharp nose, lingering at the corner of his lips."Uh…."Mu-ryeong finally managed to say something, shifting his gaze around. From Hwan-young’s grip on his arm, cool spiritual energy seeped into his skin."I used a lot of energy today, that’s why I’m like this.""…….""If you just share a little of yours, I’d feel better."In truth, he didn’t need to. A good night’s sleep would have been enough to recover. He was only this drained because of the vengeful spirit he had purified earlier, and it wasn’t the first time he had been this exhausted.But… maybe he was being a little selfish. Maybe it just felt unfair that he wouldn’t get to experience that warmth again."So….""…….""Would you do it one last time?"Mu-ryeong glanced up, meeting Hwan-young’s eyes. He saw a slight tremor in those dark irises. Though his expression remained as unreadable as always, for some reason, he looked like someone desperate for relief."If you really don’t want to, then forget it…."Maybe this request was strange after all. Just as Mu-ryeong was about to let it go, a low voice reached him. It was unnaturally quiet, almost too subdued.This translation is the intellectual property of ."Isn't there another way besides hugging?""Another way?""A way to transfer more energy.""……."At those words, an idea immediately came to mind. No, two ideas. But out of the two, only one was possible with Hwan-young. Mu-ryeong averted his gaze, his voice faltering."There… is… but…."His throat felt unbearably dry. The hand gripping his arm slowly slid down, wrapping around his wrist instead. Mu-ryeong instinctively stepped back, but Hwan-young caught his other wrist, preventing him from pulling away."…Is it what I think it is?"Both of his hands were now held captive. Mu-ryeong swallowed hard, shifting his gaze aside. Then, with a barely perceptible nod—"…….""……."He felt the air shift between them, their breaths mingling in the space that had suddenly grown smaller. Hwan-young, leaning down, slowly closed the distance. A feathery touch grazed Mu-ryeong’s lips—a fleeting sensation, yet it sent a shiver down his spine.The excuse of because you were crying was no longer valid. The claim of being possessed by the atmosphere wouldn’t work either. But at the very least, he could use the justification that this was for the sake of transferring spiritual energy.This feeling…His fists clenched tightly. They were merely pressing together, yet a ticklish sensation spread in the pit of his stomach. His heart pounded so wildly that he forgot why they were even doing this in the first place. What would Seung-joo say if he saw this? He’d probably click his tongue and call them both insane. But there was no way Mu-ryeong would ever tell him—so at least he wouldn’t have to hear it.After what felt like an eternity, their lips barely parted. Mu-ryeong, who had unknowingly closed his eyes, trembled as his eyelashes fluttered. Just as their gazes met at the close distance, Hwan-young’s lips found his again."……."A quiet breath slipped through the gap of their parted lips. Cool, refreshing energy poured into Mu-ryeong, seeping deep into his lungs. A sharp shudder ran down his spine, and before he could think, his hand instinctively grasped at Hwan-young’s collar.This… feels too good.Compared to the spiritual energy he usually received through hugs, this was on an entirely different level. His body instantly felt lighter—better than even a full night’s sleep. As if sensing that, Hwan-young adjusted his hold, slipping his arm around Mu-ryeong’s waist while deepening the kiss.Something soft and warm brushed against the seam of his lips. It didn’t take long for Mu-ryeong to realize what it was.A hesitant tongue lingered at the entrance, pausing as if seeking permission before cautiously exploring further."……."Mu-ryeong flinched, his shoulders trembling like someone struck by lightning. At the same time, that tentative tongue—having found its way inside—brushed against his own in a slow, deliberate motion.A dizzying sensation shot through him, making every hair on his body stand on end. Without thinking, he jolted and pushed against Hwan-young’s shoulders."…….""……."Their labored breaths filled the space between them, the air thick with something unspoken. Both of them stared at each other, cheeks flushed, eyes dazed. Covering his lips with one hand, Mu-ryeong stammered, struggling to form words."Y-Your… tongue….""…….""That… it felt…."It felt strange.No—that wasn’t the right way to say it. It wasn’t that he had disliked it. If anything, he had liked it too much. For a moment, his rationality had nearly slipped away.A small ember of desire had flickered to life, threatening to consume everything in its path."……."Hwan-young turned his head to the side, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. His furrowed brows held the same heat as Mu-ryeong’s. Swallowing hard, he murmured in a barely audible voice—"……Sorry."His breath came out ragged, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Even without touching, it was obvious how fast his heart was beating.After a long silence, Hwan-young stole a sidelong glance at Mu-ryeong before quietly asking,"Are you feeling better now?""……Ah."Only then did Mu-ryeong remember the original purpose of this whole thing—to receive spiritual energy. And, sure enough, compared to before, his strength had significantly recovered."Uh… yeah. I feel fine now.""That’s good."That was the end of their conversation. Neither of them knew what else to say, both awkwardly looking away to calm their heated faces. Mu-ryeong busied himself pretending to search his pockets for his keys, while Hwan-young suddenly seemed interested in admiring the full moon."…Let’s just go inside and rest."Clearing his throat, Mu-ryeong unlocked the gate. With a soft click, the latch gave way, and the wooden door creaked open. Just as he took a step inside—"You’re back?"A familiar voice cut through the quiet.Mu-ryeong, who rarely startled, visibly flinched as his eyes darted around. Just beyond the gate, leaning casually against the inner wall, stood someone waiting for them."You’re late."It was Mu-heun.

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