"Just take money for it and sell it. If word gets out that you're giving these away for free, people will swarm you asking for one."
"If they need it, Iâll just give it to them."
"Hey!"
Seung-joo finally exploded. His voice was so loud that even passersby turned to look. But Mu-ryeong didnât so much as flinchâhe simply shrugged.
"I donât just give them to anyone."
"â¦â¦."
Seung-joo looked dumbfounded, as if he had lost his ability to speak. The problem was that Mu-ryeong seemed perfectly fine with handing them out to people who truly needed them. And he had absolutely no awareness of it.
"Youâre just⦠ah, forget it."
They say parents canât win against their children. As someone often referred to as "Mu-ryeongâs dad," Seung-joo could never win against Mu-ryeongâs stubbornness. Just the sight of him carefully folding the talisman and tucking it into his pocket was proof of that. And then, as if he couldn't help himself, he asked,
"Is it something serious?"
Mu-ryeongâs expression immediately turned troubled. It was difficult to explain, no matter how he tried to put it. Seung-joo must have sensed something too, as his voice grew noticeably softer.
"You donât have to tell me your personal matters, butâ¦"
"â¦â¦."
"Just donât overdo it."
Mu-ryeong opted to smile wordlessly. But then he spotted a single chrysanthemum placed at an intersection and barely swallowed back a bitter smile. Seung-joo, noticing the small action, spoke firmly.
"And donât meddle in unnecessary things either."
Mu-ryeong flinched. He had merely glanced away for a second, yet Seung-joo had picked up on it immediately.
"â¦Are you planning to set up a fortune-telling stand with my brother?"
"You want to see your mom pass out?"
Mu-ryeong had tried to lighten the mood, but Seung-joo clicked his tongue in exasperation. His intuition was razor-sharp when it came to certain peopleâMu-ryeong being one of them. Meddling where he shouldn't and putting in the utmost effortâif nothing else, that was undeniably Kim Mu-ryeongâs specialty.
"If youâre going to work hard, just take care of the living. Stop worrying about the dead."
Once again, Mu-ryeong couldn't bring himself to agree. Whether alive or dead, they all felt like "people" to him. Just because they no longer had life didnât mean they suddenly became lesser beings.
âNot having life is a vague notion anyway.â
The death of the body didnât equate to the disappearance of the soul. To Mu-ryeong, "life" wasnât just a shell; it was the essence within. It was only after that essence was lost that one became something like the vengeful spirit clinging to Hwan-young.
Well, that wasnât something he particularly cared about either.
"Andâ¦"
Seung-joo hesitated before continuing, his expression twisting as if he disliked what he was about to say. Maybe he even felt embarrassed. When Mu-ryeong looked at him curiously, Seung-joo let out a sigh.
"Thanks. Iâll keep the talisman with me."
Had it really taken him that long just to say that? Mu-ryeong blinked, glancing up at Seung-jooâs profile. His smooth cheek twitched slightlyâthe kind of expression he made when he felt guilty.
"If you're grateful, donât lose it."
At Mu-ryeongâs teasing remark, Seung-joo turned to him with a disgusted expression. As if heâd ever lose it. And even if he did, he was warning Mu-ryeong never to make another one for him.
But really, Seung-joo wasnât the type to lose things, and Mu-ryeong was always willing to make another one. So, in the end, it was a pointless warning.
***
The summer uniform transition period had begun, but very few students actually wore their summer clothes. That Monday, the weather had suddenly turned rather chilly. Even Seung-joo, who couldnât wear a dress shirt due to his cast, had kept his P.E. jacket on throughout class.
As soon as homeroom ended, Mu-ryeong left Seung-joo behind and headed to Class 3. When he said he was going to deliver a talisman, Seung-joo didnât argue and simply went home first. He did glance back at Mu-ryeong with mild disapproval, but when Mu-ryeong grinned at him, he chose to say nothing.
Haeyeon High School strictly prohibited students from entering the school after hours. There were no evening self-study sessions, and once the front gate was locked, it wouldnât open again until morning. Because of this, most students were already leaving, cutting across the schoolyard.
[2-3]
Standing at the back door of Class 2-3, Mu-ryeong scanned the room with a nervous expression, looking for Hwan-young. There was a chance he had already left, but for some reason, Mu-ryeong had a feeling he would still be there.
Fortunately, Hwan-young was sitting at his desk, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, just as he had been before.
"Youâre not going home?"
Startled, Hwan-young lifted his head. His expression twisted the moment he saw Mu-ryeong, but Mu-ryeong decided to ignore it. A part of him had hoped to find a vengeful spirit still lurking, but unfortunately, Hwan-young was alone this time.
"Good. I was worried you might have left already."
"â¦What do you want?"
Hwan-young furrowed his brow, grabbing his bag and standing up. His shirt was buttoned all the way up, and his tie was neatly fastened. Right now, he was wearing the mid-season uniform, but even in the summer uniform, heâd probably look just as put-together.
"Why are you here?"
The closer Hwan-young came, the denser his spiritual energy became. Unlike when a vengeful spirit was around, it was a refreshing sensation. Without a word, Mu-ryeong held out the envelope he had brought.
"For you."
"â¦â¦."
Mu-ryeong wasnât aware of how strange this looked. An empty classroom, the warm hues of a sunset, and a student smiling as he handed over a white envelopeâit was an unusual scene, to say the least.
"What is it?"
Naturally, Hwan-young narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He didnât seem inclined to take the envelope, nor did he step any closer.
"This isâ¦"
Mu-ryeong had no choice but to take a step closer to Hwan-young, lowering his voice. There was no one around, but it never hurt to be cautious.
"Itâs a talisman."
The way he whispered made it feel oddly ticklish. The problem was that this attempt at secrecy only made the situation look even stranger.
"â¦A talisman?"
"Yeah, I made it myself."
Without hesitation, Mu-ryeong pressed the talisman into Hwan-youngâs hand. His fingers brushed against the otherâs bare skin as he placed the envelope on top, the movement as fluid as flowing water. Hwan-youngâs fingers flinched slightly, but this time, he didnât shake him off.
"If you keep this with you, your shoulders wonât feel so heavy."
"â¦â¦."
The talisman was imbued with Mu-ryeongâs spiritual energy. Since it was made through a meticulous and complicated process, its energy wouldnât dissipate easily. At the very least, it would serve as a temporary camouflage, hiding Hwan-young from any vengeful spirits for a few days.
"Donât lose it. Keep it on you for now. Itâs really difficult to make, so take good care of it."
As he looked up to emphasize his words, his gaze locked onto Hwan-youngâs dark eyesâcloser than he had expected. He wasnât sure when the distance between them had shrunk so much, but if either of them took a deep breath, their breaths would surely touch.
Hwan-young stiffened for a moment before stepping back, his expression tightening.
"â¦How do you even make these?"
The talisman crumpled in his large hand. It didnât seem intentional, as he soon loosened his grip. Mu-ryeong gently took the talisman from him, smoothed it out, then neatly folded it before slipping it into Hwan-youngâs pocket.
"Iâll tell you later."
As his hand brushed against the fabric of Hwan-youngâs pants, the latter flinched and stared at him. His long fingers, despite their size, moved deftly and quickly pulled away. Misinterpreting his reaction as mere displeasure, Mu-ryeong shrugged and added,
"Not that it matters. Even if you knew how, itâs not something just anyone can make."
Although, if it were Hwan-young, he probably could make one. But Mu-ryeong deliberately didnât mention that. He didnât mind making talismans himself, but he wasnât keen on watching someone else do it. Besides, there was also the chance that explaining the process would only make Hwan-young even more uncomfortable.
"For now, if you just keep thisâ"
"Youâre saying my shoulders wonât feel heavy anymore?"
Their eyes met. Though they were clearly looking at each other, Mu-ryeong felt an odd sense of dissonance, as if they were somehow out of sync.
Before he could pinpoint the cause of this feeling, Hwan-young reached into his pocket, pulled out the talisman, and held it out toward him.
"I donât need it. Take it back."
"â¦Huh?"
Mu-ryeong was momentarily taken aback. He hadnât expected gratitude like Seung-jooâs, but he certainly hadnât expected outright rejection. He blinked in confusion, but Hwan-young simply repeated himself.
"I said I donât need it. I didnât ask you for a talisman."
If Seung-joo had been there, he wouldâve definitely said something along the lines of, âWow. What an asshole.â
"Well⦠Itâs not like itâs anything weird."
Mu-ryeong tried to reassure him, speaking calmly. He just needed to keep it for a few daysâhe would take care of the rest.
He was about to explain everything, from what he had discussed with Mu-heun over the phone after leaving Hwan-youngâs house, to the steps involved in making the talisman. But before he could get the words out, Hwan-young abruptly crushed the talisman in his hands.
This time, it was deliberate.
With both hands, he crumpled the envelope before unceremoniously tossing it into the trash bin at the back of the classroom.
"â¦â¦."
Mu-ryeong blinked. He opened and closed his eyes slowly, as if trying to process what had just happened. He was so stunned that he couldnât even think of how to react.
Hwan-young, his voice ice-cold, spoke without a hint of hesitation.
"If I wanted something like that, I wouldâve paid for one a long time ago."
Not only had he rejected the gesture, but he had stomped all over the sincerity behind it. Anyone witnessing the scene would have been appalled.
A heavy silence settled between them. Mu-ryeongâs usually soft, gentle eyes drooped ever so slightly.
"â¦Hey, even if you donât want it, you didnât have to throw it away."
It didnât sound like he was angry. If anything, he looked more like a puppy that had just had its favorite toy snatched away.
To make matters worse, the trash can was already half full, leaving Mu-ryeong torn between retrieving the talisman and just letting it go.
"Damn it⦠Do you even know how much effort that took to make? Youâre gonna regret this later."@@novelbin@@
With a sigh, Mu-ryeong muttered under his breath. Then, he abruptly lifted his head and locked eyes with Hwan-young.
"No matter what, you shouldnât throw away something someone gave you. Thatâs just basic manners."
"â¦â¦."
His voice, young and clear, gently scolded Hwan-young, reasoning with him instead of blaming him. His words werenât accusatory, and even the usually cold Hwan-young seemed momentarily caught off guard by his unexpectedly soft approach.
"This week is too busy, but⦠Iâll make you another one next week. Just donât throw it away then."
Hwan-young didnât respond.
Without waiting for an answer, Mu-ryeong simply turned around and walked away.
Before Hwan-young could say anything to stop him, he was already disappearing down the hallway.
Left alone in the classroom, Hwan-young could only let out a small, incredulous scoff as he watched Mu-ryeongâs retreating figure.