“Sorry. I’ll make sure to call you next time.”
Jae-ha apologized without resistance. Hae-hyun was right—throwing himself in like that had been far too dangerous for a normal person. At the time, some vague anxiety and urgency had just pushed him to move without thinking, but that was no excuse.
He could’ve been seriously hurt. He knew this wasn’t something to take lightly. And yet, the concern in Hae-hyun’s voice made him feel oddly pleased. Guess I really am losing it. Jae-ha swallowed a hollow laugh. The sweetness of that swallowed feeling stung in his chest.
“Anyway, I’m heading to class.”
“What?”
Hae-hyun’s eyes flew open wide. His flustered voice stumbled out.
“Sunbae, you can’t go to class after that. You’re injured. You should go home.”
“I got treated—it’s fine. I can move around just fine.”
“But that guy’s energy is still clinging to you. We need to cleanse it completely—”
A minute ago, he’d said it didn’t matter as long as no one died. Now he was flipping his words like turning over a palm. Teasing the sly little puppy, Jae-ha said:
“Didn’t you already purify it so there’s nothing dangerous left?”
“…That’s true, but still.”
Even while giving him reassurance, Hae-hyun still looked unsatisfied. Probably because he already knew what Jae-ha would say next. Shrugging, Jae-ha answered right on cue.
“Then it’s fine. If all I get are some nightmares, let’s deal with it after class.”
“……”
“And you’ve got to go to class too.”
Strictly speaking, it was Hae-hyun who had the longer day. Jae-ha only had one more lecture left, but Hae-hyun’s schedule stretched until six. At that reminder, Hae-hyun gave a short reply, his tone a little sulky.
“That’s none of your concern.”
He sounded exactly like someone about to skip.
“What do you mean, none of my concern? Go on, get to class.”
Doesn’t this kid know tuition’s expensive? Jae-ha waved him off. Hae-hyun still looked dissatisfied, but since lecture time was near, he reluctantly let Jae-ha go. Fidgeting and fussing until the last moment, he finally trudged away once Jae-ha disappeared into the building.
Inside the lecture hall, Jae-ha dropped his bag on his usual desk and sank into his chair.
So much had happened during such a short break it almost felt like a dream. But the tug of the bandages every time he blinked quickly ended any attempt at escapism.
“Uh, the seat next to you…”
“You can sit.”
At least this part was the same as always. Jae-ha gave a small nod, and as Su-min dragged his chair into place, he suddenly froze and whipped his head around so fast it looked like he might snap his neck.
“You’re hurt?”
Even his voice was louder than usual. Caught off guard by the unusually fervent reaction, Jae-ha answered blankly.
“Yeah. Just happened, somehow.”
Su-min’s eyes locked onto the wound. His stare was so intense it felt like the injury itself was heating under it.
At first, he focused only on the bandages, but soon he tilted his head, scanning Jae-ha from head to toe. It wasn’t his usual casual glance—he looked like he was inspecting something. What’s with him now?
“Do I have something on me?” Jae-ha asked, puzzled.
“Oh… no, nothing.”
He was obviously speaking like there was something. Jae-ha thought about pressing him but gave up. Apparently Su-min, like Hae-hyun, could sense supernatural energy, so he was probably seeing the remnants still clinging to him. Hae-hyun had said it wasn’t dangerous anymore anyway, and explaining would just be a hassle. Too long a story…
Soon the professor arrived and class began. Jae-ha had just picked up his tablet pen, trying to focus, when—
“Excuse me.”
A lot of odd things were happening today. Hearing Su-min’s voice, who normally never spoke in class, Jae-ha didn’t even turn his head as he replied flatly:
“Didn’t we already settle what you’re supposed to call me?”
“…Hyung.”
Only then did Jae-ha look at him. Even with gauze making his face uneven, the small lift of his lips made him look surprisingly bright.
“What is it?”
“Oh, um…”
Their professor, famous for cracking jokes, kept the class lively with laughter, so students whispering wasn’t unusual.
But Su-min’s words were completely unexpected.
“Could I… hold your hand? Just once?”
“…Out of nowhere?”
At Jae-ha’s dry question, Su-min suddenly started rambling. It was the first time Jae-ha had ever heard him talk this much.
“I just… thought it’d feel nice. Your skin looks soft, and your hands are pretty. I’m curious what they feel like. Is that okay?”
He rattled off compliments with a face that didn’t match the words at all. Even as he thought that, Jae-ha easily offered his hand. He’d shaken plenty of hands before—one more was nothing.
For a moment, Hae-hyun’s face flashed in his mind, but so what?
That guy likes other girls too. Am I not even allowed a handshake?
“……”
Actually, the thought annoyed him. As Jae-ha’s expression stiffened slightly, Su-min, watching him closely, looked startled. Jae-ha quickly relaxed his face to reassure him.
“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking of something else. Go ahead.”
“Oh, okay.”
Su-min carefully extended his hand. Given his small frame, Jae-ha had expected it, but the hand was even smaller than he thought. Pale and soft, like a child’s.
Feels like the soft one’s his, not mine. Thinking nothing of it, Jae-ha lightly closed his palm around Su-min’s. The small hand twitched, then gently clasped his in return.
And after about three seconds—
“That’s enough. Thanks.”
Su-min pulled away. Was holding hands really all he wanted? Jae-ha tilted his head slightly. His attitude was so plain it was almost unsettling.
“Alright.”
He couldn’t make sense of it. Jae-ha had met all kinds of people in his life, but Im Su-min was easily one of the strangest.
“Sunbae!”
When class ended and Jae-ha stepped out of the building, he saw Hae-hyun jump up from a hallway bench. Jae-ha asked dryly:
“You didn’t leave?”
“How could I leave with my patient still here?”
From the way he spoke, it was clear he’d been waiting through the whole lecture. I told him to go to class… what is he, some kind of tuition fairy?
The moment he reached him, Hae-hyun started fussing, asking if the wound was okay, checking him over from all angles. There was no way a freshly treated injury would’ve worsened in just a few hours.
Jae-ha stared at him, but unable to win against those clear eyes, he turned his gaze aside. What, do you think acting like a loyal Jindo dog will melt me?
“Sunbae, at your place…”
Blushing slightly, Hae-hyun began mumbling, then suddenly froze mid-step. His blinking eyes returned to Jae-ha’s face, and his gaze slowly traced over his skin.
“What is it? Did the wound burst? Am I bleeding?”
Even at Jae-ha’s joke, Hae-hyun’s expression stayed strange. His suspicious gaze swept over him thoroughly, then softened when he couldn’t find anything wrong.
“No, it’s just… the energy from earlier. The one that was stuck to you—it’s gone.”
“Huh?”
At the unexpected words, a certain cryptic junior who had asked to hold his hand came to mind. But Jae-ha only shrugged. It wasn’t certain Su-min had done anything.
“Maybe it just faded over time? Didn’t you say that guy’s residual thoughts vanish after a while too?”
“That’s true but… maybe?”
Hae-hyun mumbled uncertainly, but Jae-ha didn’t care. Whether someone removed it or it faded naturally, either way it was good news.
“But I couldn’t even feel something like that on me. If I can sense ghost energy now, shouldn’t I have noticed?”
“Oh, that’s a bit different. Malicious energy is stronger, so it’s easier to sense.”
Hae-hyun quickly began explaining:
“Besides, your spiritual sense isn’t fully open yet. For now, you’ll only be able to catch traces of very strong malevolent spirits. With time, you might start noticing weaker ones too… but honestly, that might make it harder to avoid them.”
“I see.”
“Still, it’s dangerous. If you ever feel anything, you have to call me. Promise?”
At the earnest warning, Jae-ha nodded half-heartedly.
It’s not like I’ll be bumping into super-powerful evil spirits every other day…
