The three of them entered Ye-jun’s apartment. The moment the door opened, Danchu, who had been sprawled out near the entrance, greeted them with a loud meow. After chattering away as if scolding them for being late, the cat strutted off into one of the inner rooms. According to Ye-jun, that was his way of complaining about how long they had taken.It wasn’t until he stepped into the living room that Ye-jun finally noticed the injuries on his own body. His knees were scraped raw, and his hands and elbows were covered in scratches. He hadn’t even felt the pain until now, but as soon as he became aware of them, his face twisted in discomfort."Ah, just when I thought I was fine this time… and now I’m all beat up again."Watching him, Hwan-young secretly soothed his guilty conscience. He had tripped him out of anger, after all. But no matter how vile the spirit that had possessed him was, the body had still belonged to Ye-jun. He hadn't done anything wrong. Perhaps now, Hwan-young could understand—at least a little—why Kim Mu-ryeong was always so careful."So… what’s the deal with that fox?"And so, the three of them sat down in the living room to talk. Since Ye-jun was far too fascinated by the fox-shaped flame, Mu-ryeong hadn’t been able to send the goblin away. The goblin, delighted by the rare attention, leaped excitedly through the air."A fox…? No, a flame? A foxfire?"The fox-shaped flame perched on top of Mu-ryeong’s head. As Ye-jun’s eyes widened, it grew three tails—then, sensing his amazement, stretched them into nine. It was obviously showing off, eager to imitate the legendary nine-tailed fox."It’s basically something like a foxfire."Rather than giving a detailed explanation, Mu-ryeong simply nodded. He pointed to the goblin resting atop his head and winked."Hyung, you can really see it?""Uh… yeah, I’ve been seeing it perfectly fine for a while now…"His dazed voice didn’t sound like a lie. Then again, if he hadn’t been able to see it, he wouldn’t have even thought to make something up.Mu-ryeong hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward toward Ye-jun."Then, can you touch it?""……."Ye-jun looked at the fox as if asking for permission. The goblin, sprawled lazily with its tails flicking, seemed unbothered. After a brief hesitation, he slowly reached out his hand."…Huh?"But his fingers passed right through the flame, landing instead on Mu-ryeong’s hair. Ye-jun blinked in confusion, while Hwan-young suppressed a surge of irritation, his brow furrowing. Fortunately, the hand on Mu-ryeong’s head was quickly withdrawn."So I can’t touch it."Mu-ryeong mumbled as he reached up and gently scratched under the goblin’s muzzle. Its ears twitched, and it nuzzled into his palm, clearly enjoying the attention. With the way it sprawled against his touch, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it rolled over for a belly rub."Is it because he doesn’t have enough spiritual energy?"Hwan-young, puzzled by how Ye-jun could see but not touch the goblin, asked the question outright. Mu-ryeong nodded."Probably. His spiritual sight must’ve been temporarily opened.""…Spiritual energy? Spiritual sight?"Ye-jun still looked completely lost. Understandably so—he had gone to sleep as an ordinary person and woken up to a world full of things he shouldn’t be able to see. On top of that, he had been carried around by someone he wasn’t even that close to."What does all of that even mean?""Hmm…"Mu-ryeong rolled his eyes thoughtfully. He was probably trying to figure out the best way to explain it. After all, it was his first time dealing with both an awakened spiritual sight and an exposed goblin in front of a regular person."I can see ghosts."His words came out slowly, deliberately.Ye-jun nodded, as if recalling something. "Right… I remember you saying you had some kind of spiritual ability." He mumbled to himself. Spiritual ability. A term more fitting for a shaman than a high school student like Kim Mu-ryeong."But because of a request earlier…"Mu-ryeong trailed off mid-sentence. The goblin perched on his head tilted its head in curiosity, looking down at him."Hyung, don’t freak out, okay?""…Huh?""The reason you’ve been walking around at night—it’s not sleepwalking. You were possessed."Without giving him even a second to prepare, Mu-ryeong dropped the truth on him. Surprisingly, Ye-jun didn’t react with panic. Instead, he asked in a steady voice—"You’re saying a ghost possessed me?""Yep.""Ah…."His expression shifted slightly—rather than fear, it was more of a resigned acceptance. As if a part of him had already suspected it wasn’t just sleepwalking.Mu-ryeong gave a small, knowing smile and nodded."I used a bit of my energy to break the possession earlier."At the mention of earlier, Hwan-young’s brow furrowed slightly. Even just thinking about that moment made his stomach churn. He had always known Mu-ryeong was unpredictable, but he had never expected that."So, temporarily, your spiritual sight… well, your ability to see ghosts must have opened."Mu-ryeong pointed at his own eyes, and for a brief moment, Hwan-young found himself staring at his curled lashes. Maybe it was just the angle, but they looked longer than usual."It’ll go away by tomorrow."His gaze softened, a gentle reassurance in his expression. Despite talking about possessions and spirits—things that would send most people into a panic—he spoke with such casual ease that it was almost comforting. Even more absurdly, he still had that blue fox-shaped flame sitting on his head."…Is that so?"Ye-jun stared at his face for a long moment before finally lowering his gaze. A beat too late, he ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ reached up and awkwardly rubbed his reddening ears.Just as Hwan-young pressed his lips into a thin line, Mu-ryeong suddenly pointed at Ye-jun’s arm, his expression shifting."Hyung, do you have a first-aid kit at home?"***This translation is the intellectual property of .The spacious living room was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard. One person sat with their arm extended, biting their lip. Another was tending to the wound with deep concentration. And the last one simply watched them both in silence.“……Ugh.”“……”“Urgh……”A series of pained groans broke the stillness. Three times, the person barely managed to swallow the sound before finally deciding they couldn't hold it in any longer. Just as they opened their mouth to say, 'This stings a little…' they immediately let out a sharp cry instead.“……”Hwan-young froze in place. In his hands were a pair of tweezers gripping a piece of gauze and a bottle of disinfectant. Alternating his gaze between the two, he furrowed his brows in mild uncertainty.“……Sorry.”“It’s fine… really.”Ye-jun’s face looked anything but fine, but he still managed to force a smile. Taking his words as permission, Hwan-young once again pressed the gauze against the wound with a determined expression. The moment the red-stained gauze so much as brushed against the injury, a sharp pain flared up, as if burning.“That must hurt…”Mu-ryeong watched Ye-jun with eyes full of sympathy. The way Hwan-young was treating the wound was so rough that Ye-jun looked less like he was being treated and more like he was being tortured. And yet, perhaps out of respect for Hwan-young’s effort, he endured the pain without complaint, biting his lip to suppress any further cries.“……Ah!”“……”The reason they ended up in this situation went back a few minutes earlier, to a simple question Mu-ryeong had asked:"Do you have any medicine at home?""Medicine? Yeah, it’s in the master bedroom."Since he often got injured while possessed, Ye-jun’s house was well-stocked with medical supplies—ointments, bandages, disinfectant, and even gauze and wraps.It’s just like Seo Seung-joo’s bag, Mu-ryeong mused absentmindedly as he sent the goblin on its way. That was when Hwan-young, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke."I’ll do it.""…Huh?"Both Mu-ryeong and Ye-jun turned to him, blinking in confusion. Did he just say he’d do it? It sounded like he was offering to apply the medicine, but that was hard to believe.However, Hwan-young remained completely unfazed, speaking again in the same calm, unwavering tone."I’ll apply the medicine for you."He took the first-aid kit from Ye-jun and carefully examined its contents, meticulously checking the labels on each bottle and tube. When Mu-ryeong tried to tell him that a certain ointment was meant for bruises, Hwan-young swiftly cut him off with a firm response."I’ll handle it, so just stay put."“……”Mu-ryeong hadn't been trying to stop him, but somehow, he found himself at a loss for words. In the end, he simply nodded. Ye-jun, too, had quietly extended his right arm, surrendering to Hwan-young’s sudden determination.“……Ugh.”And so, the grueling treatment began. Judging by Hwan-young’s clumsy handling of the supplies, it was clear he had never treated a wound before. When Mu-ryeong had patched Hwan-young up in the past, it had never been this bad. He’s usually good with his hands—what’s up with him today?“Blow on it while you apply the medicine. That’ll help with the sting.”Unable to watch any longer, Mu-ryeong finally spoke up. Hwan-young hesitated briefly before pulling a face that made it clear he found the suggestion unpleasant. Amusingly enough, even Ye-jun, the one suffering through the treatment, shook his head in protest.“……It’s done.”At last, the right arm was treated, leaving only the left arm and both legs. Hwan-young let out a deep sigh, as if he had just overcome some great ordeal. Seeing that, Mu-ryeong reached out his hand.“Give it to me. I’ll take care of the rest.”Ye-jun looked too pitiful to leave this in Hwan-young’s hands any longer. He might have meant well, but it didn’t change the fact that he was only causing more pain. However, instead of handing over the disinfectant, Hwan-young refused outright.“I said I’ll do it.”“……Why?”Mu-ryeong narrowed his eyes slightly. First, carrying Ye-jun on his back, and now this—neither of these were things Hwan-young needed to do. Normally, he wouldn’t have even shown interest.“Do you have to?”Mu-ryeong’s gaze locked onto Hwan-young’s dark eyes. He didn’t know why, but something deep inside him stirred. A faint, almost imperceptible sense of unease.“I can do it too, can’t I? Or am I wrong?”“……”Hwan-young averted his eyes without answering. It was a small, seemingly insignificant action, yet the unease within Mu-ryeong grew ever so slightly. What is this feeling?Just as he was trying to make sense of it, Ye-jun hesitantly spoke up.“Hey, uh… sorry, but—”He rubbed his bandaged arm with an awkward smile. His usually composed face looked noticeably worn out. After glancing between Mu-ryeong and Hwan-young, he sighed and spoke in a drained voice.“I think I’ll just do it myself…”

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