“We played with a ghost.”
Hae-hyun answered with little interest.
“Really? What did you play?”
“Tag. Sunbae saved me.”
“Oh….”
Half-paying attention, Hae-ryeong picked up a candle and examined it closely, her brows faintly furrowed.
“What is this? It doesn’t feel like an ordinary cursed object….”
“Don’t know. Ask the Guardian Agency.”
Hae-hyun’s reply was careless, showing no interest in his sister’s suspicions. The siblings really were alike. Jae-ha let their chatter wash over him as he drifted closer to Jeong-seok, still fast asleep.
“Sunbae, what are you doing?”
“He said he left another candle somewhere around here.”
Jae-ha glanced around as he spoke, but besides a coat thrown aside, there was nothing. Jeong-seok hadn’t had time to sneak back to the room while Jae-ha went out to meet the siblings—he’d fallen asleep right after. No matter how carefully they searched the wide hall, the crimson candle was nowhere to be found.
“…Where did it go?”
Jae-ha muttered under his breath.
“You said there were three candles, right?”
“Yeah.”
The one he’d received had already been purified by Hae-ryeong, which still left Yoon-taek’s and Jeong-seok’s. The three of them searched around Jeong-seok and even rummaged through Yoon-taek’s fanny pack lying in the hallway, but they couldn’t find a trace of another candle.
“Maybe they disappeared together? Could’ve been a set of three.”
“Or two of them ran off.”
Hae-hyun immediately doused his sister’s hopeful idea. She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue—his guess seemed possible.
“And the whole thing is off. It targeted Jae-ha sunbae specifically, and even talked about keeping promises with him.”
“It went after Jae-ha? Do you have any idea why?”
Hae-ryeong turned to him. Jae-ha shook his head. If he had ever made a promise with something as unusual as those candles, he’d remember.
“All right, fine. Once we turn it over to the Guardian Agency, something should come up.”
Hae-ryeong had no better plan either. Glancing down at Yoon-taek sprawled on the floor, Hae-hyun folded his arms.
“Make sure to tell me what they find.”
“Excuse me? You’re not even in the Agency, and you want me to leak information?”
“If not, I’ll tell the Director you dragged me along on missions against my will.”
“……”
At his neat little threat, Hae-ryeong didn’t answer. She just smacked him across the back with a loud thwack.
Amused by the siblings’ endless bickering, Jae-ha was about to look away when a low groan caught his attention. Yoon-taek was frowning, on the verge of waking.
“Looks like he’s coming around.”
Jae-ha’s words earned a nod from Hae-hyun.
“Then we’ll get going. Don’t drink too much.”
Hae-ryeong winked playfully.
“Thanks for the help. See you next time.”
Hae-hyun instantly snapped.
“Why would you see him again?”
“Kid, you don’t know yet, but your sunbae’s the type you end up calling brother-in-law.”
“What the hell? Are you crazy?”
Their arguing voices faded into the distance. Blood really was thicker than water—neither of them would ever lose in a talking contest. Jae-ha chuckled to himself before crouching down beside Yoon-taek. The younger man groaned, sore from the ordeal his body had gone through, then finally blinked his eyes open.
“Ugh… Jae-ha hyung?”
“You awake? Why were you sleeping out here?”
Yoon-taek looked completely baffled when he realized he’d been sprawled out in the middle of the hallway.
“Huh? Weird. Was I heading back to my room and just passed out?”
“Want to keep sleeping?”
“Nah, I’m awake now. Time to drink. Hyung, are you going to sleep?”
He shook his head firmly—no lingering signs of possession. Jae-ha gave a small smile and shook his head as well.
“No, I came to find you.”
“Wow, you’re the best.”
Yoon-taek slung an arm around his shoulders with exaggerated enthusiasm. Since he was shorter, it looked more like a cicada clinging to a tree.
But at least it wrapped things up neatly.
When they returned to the hall, most of the others were awake. As they walked back to their seats, confused voices filled the room.
“Did I fall asleep? When did that happen?”
“I just woke up too. But seriously, how did all of us pass out at eleven on the dot? It’s like we all took sleeping pills.”
“Right?”
The comments were fair enough, but thankfully, not one of them connected it to ghosts. Instead, everyone kept saying how refreshed they felt, even lively, like they’d just come back from a retreat. The hall soon grew just as noisy as before, as if nothing had ever happened.
Normally, Jae-ha would’ve sat and listened, but even for someone who chased thrills, playing tag with a ghost had been exhausting. He felt drained, his focus slipping. Eventually, he stood up.
“Oh? Hyung, where are you going?”
“Just out for some air.”
“I’ll come too! Think I drank too much—I was about to take a walk.”
“Oh, me too.”
The moment he rose, Jeong-seok and Ji-woo, who had been drinking together, followed eagerly. There was no reason to refuse, so Jae-ha let them tag along. The courtyard, with its jokgu court, was broad, and crossing it took a while.
“Oppa, did you drink a lot? You hold your liquor so well.”
“I’m not drunk, but I think I’m feeling off.”
“Hyung, you’re not sick, are you? Shouldn’t you rest?”
“It’s not that bad….”
They were about halfway across when Jae-ha happened to look up—and froze. His words faltered. The juniors noticed at once and followed his gaze.
“Huh? A dog?”
“It’s pretty big. No leash… is it a stray?”
Ji-woo shrank behind Jae-ha, clutching lightly at his sleeve. The moment her hand touched him, the dog at the gate growled.
“Oppa, let’s go. What if it charges at us?”
“Yeah, hyung, it’s right at the gate.”
They tugged at him to retreat, but Jae-ha only stared at the animal. Golden-brown fur, a fierce muzzle—he knew that look too well. Of course he did.
It was Ju Hae-hyun.
“……”
Why the hell are you here?
His eyes asked the question, but the dog either didn’t care or pretended not to, focusing its hostility on the juniors clinging to Jae-ha. The more the frightened students begged him to leave, the deeper their fear grew. Jae-ha sighed softly.
“It’s fine. That’s my dog.”
“…What?”
“You mean that puppy you said you picked up before?”
“Yeah. He was supposed to be resting at home… how did he make it all the way here?”
Jae-ha muttered deliberately, crouching down and holding out his hand. At his gesture, the snarling dog obediently padded over.
“Good boy, Ju… Ju-ju.”
He almost slipped and said Ju Hae-hyun, but caught himself. The dog swished its tail irritably, as if protesting the name, then nuzzled up against him.
The juniors gawked in disbelief.
“No way… he came all the way from Seoul to Daeseong-ri? Escaped the house on his own? This sounds like a folktale. Hyung, is he really yours?”
“Yeah. I’d know him anywhere. I even asked a friend to check in on him since I was worried, and that guy left me some weird message earlier—should’ve guessed.”
Grinding his teeth, Jae-ha pretended to check his phone. Just wait, Ju Hae-hyun.
“Wow… unbelievable. Still, he found you so easily. Is his name Ju-ju?”
“Uh-huh.”
Of course, Ji-woo never imagined her sunbae would lie. Her eyes lit up as she reached out to pet him. Sensing it instantly, Hae-hyun twisted away with a sharp growl, looking ready to bite.
What’s with him?
Even knowing he was really human inside, Jae-ha worried he might actually snap, so he quickly stepped in.
“Sorry. He’s just really wary of strangers.”
“No, it’s my fault. I must’ve startled him.”
Her crestfallen look made Jae-ha feel guilty. He patted Hae-hyun’s side as if soothing him, but the big mutt only burrowed closer into his arms. At least he wasn’t trying to lick his face—that was something. Jae-ha looked troubled.
“What now… I can’t take him inside. Guess I’ll have to head out early.”
That seemed the only option. Ji-woo’s eyes widened.
“Huh? At this hour?”
“Hyung, it’s dangerous even for guys these days.”
“Still, he’s big enough to scare people. Someone could even have a dog allergy….”
The logic silenced them, though their eyes showed they didn’t want him to go. At last, Jeong-seok drew a deep breath and sent out a desperate SOS.
