“…So how do you feel when it happens? Do you get scared? Angry?”It was strange. Even though Mu-ryeong had already identified it as yin energy, the presence lingering around the student felt entirely harmless. No matter how weak a spirit was, he had never encountered one that caused such little resistance.“No, not really…”The first-year trailed off before clamping their lips shut. Their eyes darted around, clearly hesitating to say something. Instead of pressing them, Mu-ryeong simply nodded patiently.“That’s fine. No pressure.”If they weren’t in pain, then it wasn’t an immediate threat. The solution was simple—deal with the spirit that had been # Nоvеlight # bothering them every night. The real question was why a spirit would be fixating on someone who had no spiritual energy of their own.Mu-ryeong thought for a moment, then held up two fingers.“There are two ways to handle this.”***Fifteen minutes before the end of lunch.Mu-ryeong left the study room and walked past Class 7, heading straight for Class 3. Time had run a little longer than expected, but there was still plenty left to follow through on his promise to Hwan-young. They went straight to the back courtyard, and, just like in the morning, Mu-ryeong spread his arms wide, tilting his head in invitation.“Alright, let’s do this.”“…”At least this time, Hwan-young didn’t hesitate. Though his movements were still awkward, he pulled Mu-ryeong into an embrace with large, careful hands.“I’ll start counting.”Mu-ryeong wrapped his arms around Hwan-young’s waist and rested his left cheek against his chest. Thump, thump, thump. His heartbeat was close—wasn’t it beating a little too fast? Mu-ryeong absentmindedly tapped Hwan-young’s back with his fingers.“…”“…”Neither of them spoke as the energy transfer took place. Mu-ryeong was usually the one to fill silences, but since he had nothing to say, a rare moment of quiet stretched between them. He shifted slightly, making himself more comfortable in Hwan-young’s hold.“This really is the best.”The refreshing coolness of Hwan-young’s energy completely washed away the discomfort of the lingering summer heat. Whether it was because of the building’s shadow over the courtyard or simply because Hwan-young’s body wasn’t particularly warm, he wasn’t sure. But despite being pressed so closely together, all Mu-ryeong could think about was how pleasant it felt.“You’re not too hot, are you?”He asked around the thirty-second mark. While Hwan-young’s energy was cooling him down, he wondered if his own body heat was too much for the other. He kept tapping lightly as he counted, and Hwan-young finally responded in a low voice:“…Yeah. It’s hot.”It was an almost parched-sounding voice. Then, as if barely audible, he muttered something else.“Your body temperature is too high.”Mu-ryeong could feel the vibrations of his voice against his forehead. He found the sensation strangely nice and let out a small, amused laugh.“No, you’re just cold.”A minute passed.Mu-ryeong immediately stepped back. “Done!” He stretched, feeling like he was in peak condition.“Nice work.”He grinned, but Hwan-young once again stared down at his hands—just like he had in the morning. This time, though, he clenched his fist briefly before letting his hand drop.As they made their way back to the main building, Hwan-young walked a step behind Mu-ryeong, deep in thought. Seeing his distracted expression, Mu-ryeong decided not to disturb him. They climbed the stairs in silence until, suddenly, Hwan-young spoke.“What was the request about?”“…Huh?”Mu-ryeong paused on the second step and turned back. The hallways were empty—no students passing by. Hwan-young looked him in the eye and repeated himself.“That girl. What did she ask for?”“Oh…”It was a direct question. Unlike Seung-joo, who sometimes asked out of curiosity, this felt different. Mu-ryeong hesitated for a second before averting his gaze.“I don’t think I should be the one to say.”It wasn’t exactly a secret, but it also wasn’t his place to talk about it. Since the first-year was supposed to stop by the classroom later, he told Hwan-young to just ask them directly.“Is it dangerous?”There it was. That familiar look in Hwan-young’s pitch-black eyes.Mu-ryeong felt a strange shift in his chest, his breath catching slightly. The look on Hwan-young’s face, the tension in his posture, and the way his gaze demanded an answer—it all pointed to one thing.“You’re worried about me?”“…”The answer was obvious. Hwan-young fell completely silent, lips pressed tightly together. Mu-ryeong, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his growing smile.“Wow… You actually worry about me now.”Was this progress? They had gotten closer recently, but he hadn’t expected Hwan-young to actively show concern. Or maybe… Maybe even that night they had stayed up together, he had already been worrying.“…I was just curious.”Hwan-young turned away and continued up the stairs ahead of him. His strides were a little too fast—almost unnatural.Mu-ryeong immediately followed, speaking in an affectionate, teasing tone.“It’s not anything dangerous.”“…”“Seriously, there’s nothing dangerous about it.”“Who said anything?”Hwan-young’s response was curt, but it was obvious he was just trying to cover his embarrassment. Mu-ryeong grinned mischievously before exhaling a small laugh and continuing.“It’ll be over tonight anyway. I’m staying over at their house.”“…”Hwan-young stopped dead in his tracks.It was the exact moment they reached the second floor. He stood frozen, his expression hardening as he turned to face Mu-ryeong. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, sinking like a heavy weight.“…Just the two of you?”***By July, the days had grown longer, so even after school let out, the sky remained bright. The midday heat had eased somewhat, but the air was still humid and heavy. The scent of sunbaked pavement lingered with every deep breath, and the sound of cicadas filled the air—it was unmistakably summer.“Unni, are we making a duty roster for the library club over summer break?”“No, I figured we’d just have whoever’s attending extra classes take turns.”Two students walked side by side, each holding an ice pop in their hand. They were Min-ji and the first-year who had asked Mu-ryeong for help earlier. As they discussed how to manage the library over the summer, three male students followed closely behind them—Mu-ryeong, Hwan-young, and Seung-joo.“…Why am I even here?”Seung-joo muttered, the plastic wrapper of his ice pop still between his teeth as he sighed in disbelief. He chewed absentmindedly, clearly still trying to process the situation. Furrowing his brows, he looked back and forth between his two friends before finally asking:“Are we really just showing up at some girl’s house like this?”‘There are two ways to solve this.’That was what Mu-ryeong had said earlier. He had given the first-year two options: they could either come to him regularly for help, or he could go to their house for the night. The first option was a temporary fix, but the second was a more permanent solution.‘The best way to figure out sleep paralysis is to actually watch someone sleep. But that’d be kinda weird, so…’‘…Would it be okay if I called my parents first?’The student had immediately chosen the second option, their expression full of desperation. When Mu-ryeong assured them that he didn’t mind, they quickly pulled out their phone and made a call home. He wasn’t sure if they had spoken to their mother or father, but the words “library club activity” seemed to be enough to get permission.“It’s fine. Both their parents are home.”And that was how the group of five ended up walking to the first-year’s house. Mu-ryeong was going to help with the request, Min-ji refused to let him go alone, and Seung-joo and Hwan-young… had somehow gotten dragged along.‘Hey, this works out! Seung-joo, Hwan-young, you two should come too!’When school ended, Min-ji had suggested it after finding the three of them gathered in Class 7. She had claimed that since they were already there, they might as well help put together some pamphlets to promote the library club.Seung-joo had flat-out refused, looking as unenthusiastic as ever. But when Hwan-young neither agreed nor objected, things had snowballed, and now they were all on their way together.“We just need to be polite.”Mu-ryeong said with a cheerful smile, melting his ice pop between his fingers. Sure, there were two tall male students with them, but since they were still in their school uniforms and looked presentable, it shouldn’t be an issue. Just in case, he had even buttoned his shirt all the way up and put on the tie he had stuffed into his locker weeks ago.“Isn’t that thing uncomfortable?”Mu-ryeong motioned toward the heavy box of drinks in Hwan-young’s hands. They had stopped by a convenience store near school to buy ice cream, and at some point, Hwan-young had naturally picked up the drink box as well. They had all pitched in to pay, but since he had taken it so smoothly, no one had had the chance to argue over who would carry it.“It’s fine.”Hwan-young answered simply before biting off the tip of his ice pop. The crunch of the soda-flavored treat was sharp against the warm air. It was the exact same brand Mu-ryeong had, but in Hwan-young’s large hand, it looked ridiculously small.“Hey, but seriously. What’s so bad that you need to spend the night just to deal with it?”Seung-joo had been trudging along with clear reluctance, but as soon as he finished his ice pop, he turned to Mu-ryeong with suspicion. His voice was loud enough that Min-ji and the first-year turned back to look at them.Min-ji raised an eyebrow.“Wait, Mu-ryeong, you didn’t explain anything to them?”She had assumed that since they were tagging along, they already knew everything. The first-year also looked confused, as if they had thought the same. Seung-joo, on the other hand, scoffed and replied in a flat voice:“Have you ever seen Kim Mu-ryeong explain a request to anyone?”“Oh… Yeah, that makes sense.”Min-ji nodded, realization dawning. She had been in the same class as Mu-ryeong last year, so she already knew—he was ridiculously tight-lipped when it came to other people’s business. That was exactly why people trusted him enough to confide in him.“Is it okay if they know?”“Yes. Since they’re coming with us anyway…”As soon as the first-year gave permission, Min-ji filled the others in.They had been experiencing sleep paralysis every single night for the past month.Hwan-young’s expression remained unreadable, but Seung-joo visibly recoiled. He leaned closer to Mu-ryeong and muttered under his breath:“…Can I just go home?”

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