8) Go Inside
Morning light was already spilling into the room. Jae-ha had stayed up the whole night without a wink of sleep.
When he finally checked his phone—now that service was back—it was packed with missed calls and messages. Most were from classmates, worried after he’d collapsed out of nowhere at the festival and been carried off. He quickly sent a message in the group chat saying he’d come to and was fine. Almost immediately, his phone rang. Min-hee.
“Hey, Min-hee. You’re still awake?”
— Oppa! We were just about to wrap up after the after-party. Are you okay?!
Her voice was so loud it was clear she’d been worrying all night.
“Yeah. You were that worried?”
— Of course! Are you still at the hospital?
“I’m home now.”
He could hear chatter behind her voice, with people asking things like, “He’s okay?” and “That’s Jae-ha hyung, right?” She was obviously still with classmates, probably wrapping up at the pub.
He’d bragged about helping at the booth but ended up fainting before it even opened, contributing nothing. Feeling guilty, he gave a sheepish laugh.
“Did the booth go well? Sorry I couldn’t help. I’ll definitely come tomorrow—well, today.”
— Why are you worrying about the booth when you’re the one who collapsed?! We killed it in sales. Today’ll be great too, so don’t push yourself. Just rest, Oppa.
She was adamant, insisting over and over that he shouldn’t come. There was no way he could explain that it hadn’t been an illness but his soul wandering into another world, so he just mumbled vague replies and ended the call.
The screen lit up again right after. This time it was Ji-hyang, asking the same questions: Are you okay? Did you go to the hospital? He ended up repeating himself several more times as other classmates called in.
While he was still fielding calls, the living room flashed with light, and Hae-hyun stepped through—a towering wooden door at his back that nearly scraped the ceiling. Just as he had looked in Seo-cheon. It seemed he’d managed to return safely before Sala Doryeong attacked.
The moment he arrived, his gaze went straight to Jae-ha. He strode over in long steps.
“Sunbae, are you okay?”
His large hands cupped Jae-ha’s face and skimmed down his body as if checking for injuries. The touch was nothing but concerned, but it still felt a little awkward. Pretending to be busy with his phone, Jae-ha gave a small nod.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
It was a half-hearted answer, but Hae-hyun looked genuinely relieved. He even gave a small gesture, urging Jae-ha to hang up quickly—his expression making it clear he thought phone calls were a waste when Jae-ha should’ve been resting.
He was right. Ending the conversation with Min-ho, who had told him to get more sleep, Jae-ha decided any other calls could go unanswered. He’d just say he slept through them.
“There. That’s the last one.”
He muttered to himself, setting his phone aside. With the distraction gone, exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. He yawned, eyes fluttering shut—then froze.
“…Why’s the room like this?”
Every drawer was pulled open, their contents scattered across the floor. His bag lay wide open on the sofa like it had been ransacked.
“Ah. I was looking for your Guardian Talisman.”
Hae-hyun’s voice was awkward. Right—he had said he tore through the place to find it. So much had happened since then that Jae-ha had nearly forgotten. Hae-hyun moved like he was about to start cleaning, but Jae-ha quickly stopped him. He was exhausted, and there was no need to bother right now. Besides, it was about time to pull out his winter clothes anyway.
“I’ll take care of it tomorrow. I need to reorganize things anyway.”
At that, Hae-hyun gave him a strangely surprised look. Was it really so shocking that he’d clean his own room? Too tired to think much about it, Jae-ha just shifted the subject.
“But how come your clothes are still the same?”
In Seo-cheon, Hae-hyun had worn his cadet uniform with a cloak over it. Jae-ha had woken up back in the clothes he’d worn to campus, but Hae-hyun was still in hanbok-style garb.
“You only sent your soul, sunbae. I went with my body too, through the Guardian Talisman.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Guess you should get changed, then.”
Now that he thought about it, even after running all night, his body wasn’t sore at all. Sleepiness was hitting him, but that was mental fatigue. Hae-hyun, though, must’ve been drained in both body and mind.
A glance confirmed it: Hae-hyun’s eyes were clouded, his expression hazy, like he was fighting to stay awake. The kid had worked hard. Jae-ha needed to get him to rest.
“Then…”
He was about to tell him to wash up first, but Hae-hyun suddenly cut him off, staring straight at him.
“I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Leave? Where? His groggy mind lagged before catching up.
“…Huh?”
“It’s already late. I’m tired. I’ll pack after I wake up… and clean the room before I go.”
The words tumbled out in a rush, fast enough to sound like rapping.
Wait, what— Jae-ha tried to protest, but Hae-hyun avoided his eyes and all but shoved him toward the bathroom.
“Go wash up first.”
He even stole the words right out of Jae-ha’s mouth.
“Hold on, Hae-hyun—”
“You’re tired, aren’t you?”
And just like that, Jae-ha found himself practically locked in the bathroom. He stared at the shut door in disbelief. Did Hae-hyun want to leave that badly? Enough to say so the instant he got back?
The thought hadn’t even crossed Jae-ha’s mind.
Honestly, it stung. But he had no reason to stop him. The curses, the rituals—they were all over. It really was time to let Hae-hyun return to his normal life.
“…Still, you could stay a little longer.”
He had just decided to coax him into staying. Now, his mutter sounded weak even to his own ears. He trudged to the sink, turning on the water with a limp hand.
After that, he remembered nothing. He blinked once, and the next time he looked at the clock, it was already midday.
Blinking dazedly, he realized he was in pajamas, tucked neatly in bed. He must’ve crawled in somehow, but he’d clearly been exhausted. The sleep had been so deep even dreams hadn’t found him.
“Mmm…”
Beside him, Hae-hyun mumbled, rubbing his face. His voice was heavy with sleep, so familiar that Jae-ha felt a flicker of hope. Maybe what he’d said last night had just been nonsense born of exhaustion?
But it lasted only a moment.
Hae-hyun stirred under the blankets, then slowly sat up.
After a late breakfast-lunch together, he actually began packing.
“Want me to help?”
“I’m fine.”
He was so fast that half the wardrobe was already empty. Jae-ha lingered nearby, pretending to tidy while sneaking glances at him. He asked casually, but Hae-hyun shook his head, insisting he could manage alone. His back was turned, shoulders hunched, like he was drawing a line. It left Jae-ha unsettled.
Well, of course. There was no reason for him to stay anymore. Their living arrangement had always been out of necessity. For Hae-hyun, it had been volunteer work—probably only because Jae-ha was a Cheonrok.
Living alone was always easier. And in Hae-hyun’s case, he had a palace-sized home and a bed that could swallow this one whole.
Jae-ha had nothing to offer in comparison. The best he could’ve promised was giving him the bed entirely to himself. But would that really be enough to convince him to stay? Not when his bed back home was easily twice the size.
No—in fact, shouldn’t he be the one apologizing? He’d put Hae-hyun through so much.
“It must’ve been cramped, sharing the bed with me, right?”
“Huh?”
Hae-hyun’s eyes went wide. Jae-ha scratched his head awkwardly.
“You’ve helped me so long, but I didn’t really treat you properly. Sorry about that.”
He was about to add that he wanted a chance to make it up to him when Hae-hyun cut in firmly.
“No, that’s not true. Not at all. It wasn’t uncomfortable even once.”
“Still…”
“I mean it. I know you’ve been covering all my living expenses—electricity, water, everything. Please let me pay you back. I’ll calculate it and send it later.”
The moment Jae-ha tried to say something heartfelt, Hae-hyun blindsided him with that. He quickly shook his head.
“No, don’t. The bills barely came to anything. You don’t need to.”
“I know roughly how much they cost.”
Jae-ha didn’t even know. He couldn’t remember last month’s utilities if he tried. How did a kid who’d never even lived alone know that kind of thing?
“Forget it. You stayed to help me—it’s only right I cover it.”
“Still…”
Somehow, the tables had turned. Instead of convincing him to stay, it felt like he was about to get stuck splitting bills. A jolt of panic sharpened his tone.
“You really don’t need to pay. Why should you? If you’re going to spout nonsense, just finish packing.”
“…Okay.”
Damn it. That wasn’t what he’d meant. He realized too late, but Hae-hyun’s shoulders were already slumped, his expression downcast as he rifled through his bag.
