“Me?”
That was the first time he’d ever heard something like that. Wait—was that really something you’d say just because he happened to sit next to the person who supposedly confessed to him? When Jae-ha blinked at him in total confusion, Hae-hyun huffed in frustration, then, unable to hold it in, stomped off to the bedroom. Bang! The door slammed shut. When Jae-ha clicked his tongue, a sharp voice came through the door with an excuse—it was just the wind.
Thanks to Hae-hyun storming off, Jae-ha was left alone in the living room. He dropped heavily onto the sofa. His body felt heavy; that short nap on the bus clearly hadn’t been enough.
He really should wash up and get some proper sleep. But if he went into the bedroom now, the sulking Hae-hyun would definitely give him the look of a villager being exploited by a corrupt official. Stifling a yawn was impossible—he inhaled deeply instead. The sofa was too small for his frame, his legs sticking out awkwardly, but the soft cushion against his back felt more comforting than the discomfort was irritating.
Lying still finally gave him space to think. Slowly lifting his eyelids, Jae-ha stared blankly at the familiar view of the house.
So… he really does like me, huh?
Thinking it through, everything lined up.
“1” had been Ju Hae-ryeong—Hae-hyun’s older sister. Putting the pieces together, all of Hae-hyun’s late-night outings had just been work calls from her. Even that whole “should we break up” talk had nothing to do with him personally. Well, he had been caught up as collateral, so not completely unrelated—but emotionally, yes.
Which meant the only real thing here was the “something going on” between him and Hae-hyun.
No wonder it had all felt off. Two-timing? As if. Ju Hae-hyun wasn’t that kind of crazy. Jae-ha let out a satisfied, breathy laugh.
It had all been one big misunderstanding. From the start, nothing had actually changed. Realizing his feelings hadn’t been a delusion filled him with a warm sense of pride.
And then there was last night—Hae-hyun keeping people away from him, and even the conversation they’d just had.
If he didn’t like him, why would he bolt like a watchdog whenever someone tried to chat with him or even brush against him? Why bristle at the mention of Seongji? Why ask about her the moment they got home?
And why sulk off to his room once he got the answer?
Every action pointed straight to one truth. It was so obvious, there was no mistaking it.
There was no one else—just him.
Suppressing a creeping grin with the back of his hand, Jae-ha rolled onto his side. A quiet thrill welled up inside.
Now that he was sure, impatience kicked in. His mind flashed back to his recent blunders. The fact that Hae-hyun still had feelings for him despite all that was a miracle. Images of his dejected face whenever he’d been brushed off rose one after another, and guilt pressed down hard.
He couldn’t just sit here. Once was enough for that kind of pathetic back-and-forth. Having nearly been blindsided, he wanted a clear answer as soon as possible.
He needed to confess. That thought settled firmly in his mind.
But he didn’t want to do it halfheartedly.
He wanted to see that look—the shy smile, the flustered face. That handsome profile burning red would be unbearably cute.
Where should he take him? What words would make him happiest? The more he thought about it, the hazier his mind became. His body relaxed, his eyelids grew heavy, and at last he drifted off.
Before long, only the sound of his steady breathing filled the living room.
***
“Your sister hasn’t called you, has she?”
Lunchtime, at a Japanese restaurant near campus. Jae-ha was just about to lift a piece of flounder sushi when the question—sharp and wary like a mother cat protecting her kittens—froze his chopsticks midair. He glanced over, puzzled.
“Something going on with Hae-ryeong?”
“Hae-ryeong?”
Parroting his words in a prickly tone, Hae-hyun shot him a glare.
“You call her Hae-ryeong?”
“…What else should I call her?”
He really did pick fights over the strangest things. Jae-ha asked back with a flat look, and Hae-hyun replied like it was obvious.
“Miss Ju Hae-ryeong.”
“……”
“No—just call her ‘Miss Ju.’”
Like hell I would.
“What do you mean, Hae-ryeong? That’s disgusting. Don’t ever call her that. You’re not even close to her.”
He grumbled endlessly, and the more he whined, the more mischief stirred in Jae-ha.
“Why are you so sure we’re not close?”
“…You mean you are close?”
He sounded like someone betrayed by a knife in the back. His wide, trembling eyes drilled into Jae-ha, as if trying to sniff out a lie.
“Sunbae, you don’t even have her number. Have you actually met her alone? When? How? How’d you two get close? You never told me? Why not?”
Before he could answer any of the barrage, Hae-hyun burst out, worked up on his own.
“Why would you two even be close?!”
His booming voice rattled the restaurant, drawing stares from nearby diners. Embarrassing. Jae-ha shut his eyes briefly, then opened them with a mild smile.
“Hey, keep it down.”
“How can I keep it down? Why would you meet my sister? When I’m right here? How many times? Once? Twice?”
“Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me three times?”
If he said four, Hae-hyun looked ready to faint.
His over-the-top reactions were cute, but talking this loudly risked some acquaintance texting later: ‘Oppa, did that phys-ed guy just introduce you to his sister?’ Jae-ha reeled him in.
“I’m kidding. I haven’t met her. I’ve been with you this whole time—when would I see her?”
“…Why would you joke about that? That’s not funny.”
Pouting, he lowered his voice again, thankfully. Good boy. When Jae-ha poured him water, he downed it in one shot.
“What, you don’t like the idea of me seeing your sister?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
“Why?”
“You two don’t suit each other.”
He set down the cup, glaring between Jae-ha and the air, his irritation practically humming.
“Do you know how terrible the work-life balance is for exorcists? My sister’s always been dumped because of it. No matter how saintly someone is, who could stand a girlfriend who disappears every night and comes home at dawn? You can’t even go on dates.”
Didn’t Hae-hyun say he’d join the Guardian Agency after graduation? Wouldn’t he end up with the same kind of lifestyle? Still, the idea of being gone every single night did sound rough. They weren’t even dating yet, but Jae-ha was already planning ahead with a serious face.
“Don’t they get days off? It’s a government agency—it can’t be seven days a week.”
“What?”
“No matter how busy they are, they’ve got to give their people breaks. Sure, the hours might be rough, but it’s not like there’d be nothing to do at night….”
He trailed off. Hae-hyun’s eyes shimmered with hurt.
“Why are you asking that?”
“Huh?”
“I told you—you and my sister don’t suit each other.”
Why was he looking at him like that—with so much resentment? The realization hit Jae-ha late: the flow of their conversation did sound like something else entirely.
But instead of correcting himself, he tossed out bait.
“Then who do I suit?”
Catching the moment Hae-hyun faltered, he pushed further.
“Who do you think I should date?”
It was blunt—practically a confession from Jae-ha’s side.
“I don’t know. Why would you even ask me that?”
But with his cheeks puffed out in annoyance, it was clear he wasn’t about to give a real answer.
“You said your sister’s off-limits.”
“Wait—you actually thought about dating my sister?”
His voice spiked again. Chewing on a shrimp sushi, Jae-ha deliberately kept quiet, making Hae-hyun more frantic.
“Exorcists make terrible partners, I’m telling you.”
“Well, if you like the person, the job isn’t such a big deal….”
“All my sister’s exes said the same thing, and none of them lasted more than a few months. You wouldn’t last either.”
Talk about a curse.
“You know how awful her personality is, right? She thinks her siblings were born to be her lackeys. When we were kids, she used to hit and pinch my brother all the time—he still can’t stand up to her.”
The way he badmouthed his sister with such earnestness was almost sly. Left unchecked, he’d probably rattle off her whole list of embarrassments. Out of courtesy to Hae-ryeong, Jae-ha steered the topic away.
“So why bring her up, anyway? Expecting her to call?”
