Before he knew it, two weeks had already passed since Jaegyeom joined Naryecheong.
Jaegyeom's life at Naryecheong was going smoothly. He had become quite familiar with the layout of the main office. Now, he even knew where the supply room was, and he was able to run errands like delivering documents to other departments without any problems.
Since that day of their clash in the restroom, Yoon Taehee and Jaegyeom have treated each other as invisible people. Or more precisely, Yoon Taehee no longer bothered Jaegyeom. The two no longer engaged in unnecessary arguments, and aside from work, they didn't run into each other at all. Naturally, there were no more incidents of kissing.
During that time, Jaegyeom had gone out on a few field missions, each time submitting a report afterward. Even when they were alone in the chief's office to submit reports,
"Good job."
Those were the only words Yoon Taehee said. So, unless there was something important, Jaegyeom also refrained from speaking to him. However, he continued to consistently send him heart requests on Friends Pang. Jaegyeom had considered blocking him, as Lim Hyomoon had suggested, but he was strangely driven by a sense of stubbornness. It felt like blocking him would mean losing in some way. Jaegyeom wanted to prove to himself that Yoon Taehee didn't have that much influence over him.
The atmosphere around the two seemed somewhat subdued. In this peaceful time, Yoon Taehee was calm, quiet, and a little dispirited. He also seemed somewhat haggard. Even when drinking tea or chatting with the team, he only occasionally smiled faintly.
Jaegyeom tried hard not to be conscious of Yoon Taehee who was like that.
***
That morning, they received a dispatch order.
Jaegyeom was sent out on an external assignment with Kang Yibin.
Their mission was to fix a traffic light. When they arrived at the scene, a ghost was hanging from the traffic light, wailing loudly. Of course, regular people couldn't see the ghost.
The ghost occupying the traffic light was the cause of the malfunction. Although the light had just turned green, it suddenly switched back to red within a few seconds, creating a bizarre phenomenon. Pedestrians crossing the street were exposed to great danger. Several minor accidents had already occurred, and as a result, the entire intersection was in complete traffic chaos.
"Ugh, that motherfucker."
Looking up at the traffic light, Kang Yibin cursed coolly.
Since it was a public space with many onlookers and broad daylight, they couldn't wear their masks. Instead, Kang Yibin and Jaegyeom donned fluorescent safety vests and hard hats, disguising themselves as repair workers and climbed onto a truck crane. Kang Yibin pulled out talismans and spirit-binding tools from her tool bag instead of a screwdriver. Meanwhile, Jaegyeom was her assistant.
Though he had gone on a few field missions before, most of the time, he played more of an assistant role rather than handling the incidents himself. Today was no different.
Depending on the severity of the case, the number of people dispatched varied, and often, senior exorcists went out alone.
However, for a novice like Jaegyeom, it was customary to go with a senior to observe and learn how things were done.
This particular incident wasn't difficult to resolve, just a bit bothersome. These types of cases were common; they happen a few times each month.
"Hey, wasn't this traffic light like this the last time too? It breaks down all the time. If they're going to fix it, they need to fix it properly. Miss, do you even know how much tax I pay every year?"
While they were waiting for the signal to change, a driver who had stopped his car began complaining with a disapproving expression.
Such complaints were often more stressful than dealing with the ghost itself. Kang Yibin, with her fiery temper, couldn't tolerate this kind of nagging.
"Look here, mister. Why are you flipping out on me?"
The middle-aged driver fumed.
"What? Fl- flipping out? Are you done talking back?"
"If you've got nothing better to do, go home and do some laundry!"
"Wh-what did you just say?! ...Hey, don't you have a father?!"
"Nope, I don't! This is obstruction of official duties, you know that?"
Kang Yibin, her eyes wide in anger, glanced at her assistant standing nearby.
"Jaegyeom, got any pliers in the bag? Pull them out and drop them right here!"
With a blank expression, Jaegyeom pulled a pair of heavy pliers from the tool bag. Luckily, or unluckily, just before the situation could escalate further, a nearby traffic officer came over to break things up, noticing the raised voices. The intervening officer, who was wearing a fluorescent vest with the word traffic' written on it, was actually an exorcist of the Undercover Department.
"Sigh, making a living is hard these days."
Kang Yibin grumbled as she finished fixing the traffic light-or rather, as she exorcized the ghost. Since the purpose of bringing the rookie was to let him learn, there wasn't much need for Jaegyeom to step in.
"This kind of thing happens all the time. Make sure to watch carefully."
"Yes..."
Jaegyeom found the crane he was on quite fascinating, for it was his first time riding one.
***
Yoon Taehee had been struggling with a cold for several days.
'This is strange. The fever should have gone down by now..."
The Purification Department exorcist who checked Yoon Taehee's temperature tilted their head in confusion and looked concerned.
The mild fever lingered, leaving Yoon Taehee feeling foggy. Despite several visits to the Purification Department's infirmary, his condition hadn't improved. It seemed to get better for a day or two, only to regress, and medication didn't seem to make much of a difference.
"It's likely not just a cold but due to internal heat."
Internal heat? Yoon Taehee narrowed his eyes.
"In modern medical terms, you can think of it as stress. If it were just a regular cold, your fever would have subsided by now."
The medicine from the Purification Department was far more effective than conventional medicine, yet the mild fever clung stubbornly. It was as though it was about to subside but always stayed.
"In short, the fever is caused by emotional strain. It's heat generated by unresolved stress or discontentment. Have you been under any pressure lately?"
Yoon Taehee didn't answer the question. The other exorcist prescribed a pill mixed with various herbs to increase the potency a little more and a cup of clear medicinal water. After downing the medicine in one gulp, Yoon Taehee left the infirmary. Walking down the hall in his mask, people recognized Chief Yoon and greeted him.
"Oh? Chief!"
Barely nodding in response to the barrage of greetings, Yoon Taehee walked on. At the end of the corridor, the members of Team 1 spotted Yoon Taehee and waved.
"Chief, how are you feeling? What did they say?"
"Nothing much. A cold."
Go Junhyung expressed sympathy with a regretful look.
"Oh dear, Chief. They say even dogs don't catch colds in the summer..."
Kang Yibin elbowed Go Junhyung in the ribs. Sometimes, the latter had no filter between what he should and shouldn't say. By now the season had slipped into early summer.
"We're about to go eat. Should we bring you some porridge on the way back?"
"No, it's okay. Enjoy your meal."
"Don't overdo it. Maybe you should go home early today?"
Yoon Taehee chuckled softly at their concerned voices.
"I'll see."
After chatting briefly in the hallway, the members of Team 1 headed in different directions. Yoon Taehee took a few steps toward the office but suddenly paused.
"Oh, by the way..."
The team members turned to look back at Yoon Taehee, who hesitated for a moment.
"...Where's Jaegyeom?"
Jaegyeom, who should have been among the team members, was nowhere to be seen.
"He stayed up all night playing Friends Pang and said he's sleepy, so he'll eat later."
Kang Yibin shrugged as if to say there was no helping it. Yoon Taehee knew well enough that Jaegyeom had recently been obsessed with the game Friends Pang. After all, he had received heart requests from him twice a day.
"I see."
Without saying much more, Yoon Taehee nodded and resumed walking. Returning to Team 1's office, he picked up the ID card hanging around his neck. The automatic door with opaque tinting buzzed open.
The office was quiet. Yoon Taehee's gaze drifted to one spot.
It landed on a large table set in one corner of the room. Usually, the team would gather there for snacks or casual meetings.
Jaegyeom was lying face down, his head resting on one arm, sprawled across the table.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the table in golden light, though the spot where Jaegyeom lay was still in shadow. It seemed he had deliberately chosen the shaded area to avoid the sun, but the sunlight was slowly creeping toward him.
Yoon Taehee glanced at Jaegyeom, then walked past him. Step by step, he headed toward the chief's room. But then, at some point, he stopped.
Slowly, he turned and walked back toward Jaegyeom. Removing the mask, he looked down at the sleeping face before him. Back in school, he would often find Jaegyeom sleeping in the library like this.
When it grew quiet, Yoon Taehee would glance over and find him like this, asleep with his head resting on his arm. Every time, he would silently gaze at his sleeping face. His cheek was slightly squished from lying on his arm.
Yoon Taehee looked quietly at Jaegyeom's profile. Watching him sleep with his arm outstretched, he slowly reached out. Sunlight had by now begun to nibble at Jaegyeom's hand.
Yoon Taehee lifted his hand as if to block the sunlight. A shadow cast by his hand flickered over Jaegyeom's hand, overlapping with it.
"..."
He reached toward his face.
With neat, deliberate movements, he gently brushed Jaegyeom's forehead, just as he had done countless times before. At this, Jaegyeom's brow twitched slightly.
Yoon Taehee recalled what Sisi had once said.
'..Shall I tell you how to make a ghost your servant? Since you bear the mark of hometown, if you choose, you can control spirits. Bleed your hand and draw a straight line across the ghost's forehead. Call its name, and that ghost will be yours...'
But the young boy before him was not a ghost. Therefore, Sisi's method wouldn't work. Still, Yoon Taehee had touched this boy's forehead countless times before.
We both know what we want from each other.'
I will sacrifice my eternal life so that you can win!
Yoon Taehee bit his lip. Suddenly, something heavy and hot swelled inside his chest. Swallowing the lump down, he felt an icy coldness settle in one corner of his heart, making him feel unbearably suffocated.
A knot had formed at the pit of his stomach, like a weight pulling down. And, as that weight swayed from side to side, so did Yoon Taehee's heart.
He gazed quietly at the sleeping Jaegyeom. His eyes traced the line of his face, sliding down his long neck. For a moment, he felt his chest tighten. Suddenly, he had the impulse to grasp that neck and snap it. At the same time, he felt the urge to bury his face in it and take a deep breath.
Something kept making Yoon Taehee feel unbearably restless.
You are nothing to me!
Perhaps the Purification Department exorcist had been right. They had said the fever wasn't from a cold but from unresolved
emotions. And it was true. Yoon Taehee was angry-angry at Jaegyeom for saying that he meant nothing to him and angry at himself for being nothing to him.
Yoon Taehee slowly closed his eyes. Inside, a seed planted who knows when had begun to grow, sending roots deep into his heart.
Something kept pouring down on it. Silently, it grew, twisting like vines, wrapping around his heart.
It grew without nourishment, feeding on him from within.
Someday, all of this would end. And Yoon Taehee had been waiting a long time for that moment. Right, Jaegyeom's death would be the trophy of their victory. So, let this heart rot and disappear. Let it be an insignificant heart, blown away by the storm, uprooted and gone.
Let it be a heart that, when he opened his eyes someday, would vanish like a mirage.
Let it be a love that leaves no trace, passing quietly by....
With weary steps, Yoon Taehee quietly walked back to the chief's room.