The three of them had dozed off at some point, sprawled out in the living room. Seung-joo had fallen asleep with Seolgi resting on him, Hwan-young was leaning against the sofa, and Mu-ryeong was curled up on the floor. The gentle hum of the air conditioner mixed with the warm sunlight filtering through the windows, making it no surprise that they had all drifted into a deep sleep.They were jolted awake by the sound of someone pressing the door lock code. Seolgi was the first to react, jumping to his feet without hesitation—causing the unfortunate Seung-joo to crash face-first into the floor with a groan.“Ugh, Baekseolgi…”Hwan-young cracked his eyes open, rubbing his stiff neck, while Mu-ryeong sluggishly sat up, stretching his arms with a loud yawn. Meanwhile, Seolgi, who had been wagging his tail excitedly by the front door, let out a sharp bark the moment the door opened.“Seolgi! Did you come to greet me?”A lively voice filled the room as a woman stepped inside. She had a bright smile, stood slightly taller than Mu-ryeong, and had curly hair cascading past her shoulders.Still groaning from his fall, Seung-joo lifted his head—only to instantly brighten at the sight of the newcomer.“Noona!”“Oh, Seung-joo!”It was Kim Mu-yeon, Mu-ryeong’s older sister. Seung-joo had once casually remarked that if Mu-ryeong and Mu-heun were blended together, they’d probably end up looking like her. She had Mu-ryeong’s dimples and bright smile, but her sharp gaze was more reminiscent of their mother and Mu-heun.“You’ve grown so much, Seung-joo!”Mu-yeon grinned as she stepped inside, casually pulling Seung-joo into a playful headlock before ruffling his hair. Watching them exchange cheerful greetings, Mu-ryeong subtly tugged at Hwan-young’s sleeve.“That’s my sister. She’s an exorcist.”“...Oh.”Hwan-young squinted at Mu-yeon, then at Mu-ryeong, muttering under his breath, “You really do look alike…” His voice had a strangely dazed quality, making Mu-ryeong tilt his head in confusion.“Maknae! I heard you made a handsome friend?”Finally letting go of Seung-joo, Mu-yeon turned her attention to Hwan-young. Her expression was warm, but her sharp gaze suggested she wasn’t the type to be easily impressed. She approached him, looking up at him with sparkling curiosity.“You’re Hwan-young, right? I heard about you from Mom and our brother. Wow, you really are as good-looking as they said.”“…Hello.”Hwan-young replied slowly, his gaze shifting away as he awkwardly frowned. As Mu-yeon studied him from different angles, he visibly tensed, looking more uncomfortable by the second. Every now and then, he stole quick glances at Mu-yeon’s face before flicking his eyes toward Mu-ryeong, pressing his lips into a thin line.‘…What’s with him?’ Mu-ryeong wondered.“You’re staying at our place for the break, right?”“Yes.”“I’ll be here for a few days too, so don’t mind me and just relax.”“…Thank you.”Hwan-young’s responses were short and rigid—normal for him, yet something felt different. Was he being cautious? Or was it just awkwardness? His inability to maintain eye contact was already unusual, but the way he kept sneaking glances at Mu-yeon and then at Mu-ryeong was even stranger.In truth, Hwan-young wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy. Mu-yeon had a habit of making Mu-ryeong’s friends freeze up whenever she visited. It was always for the same reason—her appearance was a near-perfect blend of Mu-ryeong and Mu-heun, which was apparently… unsettlingly attractive to kids their age.Still, Mu-ryeong highly doubted Hwan-young was the type to care about that. Being shy just because his sister was pretty? That was as absurd as Seolgi suddenly developing a fear of strangers. It simply didn’t make sense, nor could he even picture it.“So, how tall are you, Hwan-young? Are you around my brother’s height?”Mu-yeon’s casual remark made Hwan-young visibly stiffen. As she continued to observe him with interest, his expression grew increasingly flustered. Eventually, he started glancing around for an escape, taking small steps backward.“Noona… Just pet Seolgi instead,” Mu-ryeong cut in, subtly redirecting the conversation.Mu-yeon, who had unknowingly been gripping Hwan-young’s arm, blinked before looking down. Seolgi, still sitting at her feet, was sulking, clearly upset that she hadn’t greeted him properly.“Oh no, Seolgi! I’m sorry. Let me just wash my hands first, then I’ll play with you, okay?”“…Didn’t you just touch my hair without washing your hands?” Seung-joo grumbled.“You’re different, Seung-joo.”With that, Mu-yeon gave his hair another ruffle before disappearing into the back room.Hwan-young, who had been avoiding her gaze the whole time, finally turned to stare blankly in the direction she had gone. Mu-ryeong, sensing an opportunity to tease, nudged him with a knowing smirk.“What, do you think she’s pretty?”“…Yeah.”The response was slow, but firm.It was such a simple answer—yet Mu-ryeong’s teasing grin immediately faltered, his expression stiffening. A strange sense of discomfort crept up his spine, eerily similar to how he had felt at Ye-jun’s house.“…Seriously?”Hwan-young, seemingly oblivious to Mu-ryeong’s reaction, turned his dark eyes on him, his face unreadable.“You two look exactly alike,” he murmured, as if utterly fascinated.“….”He sounded genuinely awestruck, but Mu-ryeong found that even stranger. They weren’t that similar. If anything, Mu-yeon looked more mature and delicate.“Ugh, don’t even get me started. The moment my friends found out I had a sister, they wouldn’t stop pestering me to introduce them,” Seung-joo muttered, scratching Seolgi’s ear. The dog pawed at him eagerly, oblivious to the conversation.“They kept asking if she looked like you, and when I said yes, they lost their minds. But noona’s nine years older than us! She doesn’t even look it, does she?”This translation is the intellectual property of ."Yeah, and she doesn’t like younger guys."Mu-ryeong casually repeated the excuse he had always given his friends. His sister, who was nine years older than him and turning twenty-seven this year, simply wasn’t interested in younger men. More precisely, she didn’t even glance at minors, but there was no need to elaborate."…They wanted you to introduce her just because she looks like you?"Hwan-young suddenly raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening as his voice dropped. His displeasure was obvious.Seung-joo, however, remained entirely unfazed and responded with a shrug."Well, he does look cute."At that, Hwan-young’s gaze slowly shifted to Mu-ryeong. His eyes scanned his face—his eyes, nose, mouth—before narrowing, as if he had decided he didn’t like what he saw. Then, almost unconsciously, he muttered under his breath:"I mean, that’s true, but still…""…."Mu-ryeong felt oddly off-balance today. Every word from Hwan-young seemed to flip his emotions in an instant. Earlier, he had felt nauseous for no reason, and now there was this itchy, ticklish feeling in his throat."That’s why I stopped telling people I have a sister after starting high school. You better keep your mouth shut, too.""Why would I even bring that up?""Fair point."And with that, the topic was closed. Seung-joo, now sitting cross-legged on the floor, started rubbing Seolgi’s belly with a smirk. He grumbled about how they needed to do something about all the belly fat but still sounded full of affection.By the time Mu-yeon returned to the living room, she had changed into more comfortable clothes. She walked in just as the three of them were engaged in a completely ridiculous debate over whether diet kibble tasted any good. Seung-joo and Mu-ryeong kept tossing out arguments, while Hwan-young occasionally chimed in with brief, uninterested remarks."So, are you sleeping over too, Seung-joo?""Noona, not you too… I said I’m not staying over."Time passed quickly, despite them doing nothing in particular. Seung-joo stubbornly pretended not to hear any further suggestions that he stay the night, but when asked if he’d come over again tomorrow, he gave a noncommittal nod. Apparently, crashing at someone’s place was unacceptable, but freeloading for food and entertainment was fine."Noona, is hyung coming next week? Are you staying until then?""No, I have to leave before that. I actually came to borrow Mom’s car. I need to travel for work, but mine’s in the shop…"Mu-yeon had long since moved out and was living in the dorms provided by the Exorcist Association. Their mother had offered to get her an apartment, but she had refused, saying the dorms were more convenient. Normally, she would visit home on weekends, but work had kept her too busy lately."Doesn’t the Association lend out cars?""Ugh, Seung-joo, nothing in this world is free. Do you have any idea how much work they’d make me do in exchange?"Mu-yeon shuddered at the thought. The Association provided almost everything its exorcists needed, but nothing came without a price. Not in money, but in labor."…You work for the Exorcist Association?"Hwan-young, who had been mostly silent, suddenly perked up at the mention of the organization. His curiosity was cautious, but it was there.Mu-yeon gave a knowing smile and nodded."Yeah. You want to be an exorcist too, right?"She must have already heard something from their mother. Mu-ryeong had a feeling his sister had come here intending to teach Hwan-young how to handle °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° spiritual energy. She was one of the best in the Association when it came to wielding it."If you want, I can teach you a few things before I leave. You and Mu-ryeong can train together at night."As expected, Mu-yeon offered the suggestion so casually it seemed like an afterthought. But Mu-ryeong knew better. She had planned this from the start. There was a time when she had considered becoming a teacher, and she still had a knack for it."What kind of work do exorcists do?""It’s all pretty similar. We help spirits pass on, and if they turn into vengeful ghosts, we destroy them. Then there are specter hunters, who specialize in sealing cursed entities.""Our mom and Mu-heun hyung are specter hunters," Seung-joo added.Although he wasn’t an exorcist himself, he had grown up surrounded by them and knew just as much as one. Hwan-young quietly nodded, absorbing the information, while Mu-yeon gave him a knowing wink."You’ve never seen an exorcist take down a vengeful spirit, have you?"Hwan-young’s dark eyes shifted toward Mu-ryeong. He had seen a purification ritual before, but never a full-fledged extermination. Mu-yeon, understanding the situation immediately, hummed in thought."Hmm, this kind of thing is best learned through experience…"She trailed off, glancing at Mu-ryeong. He had accompanied their father to various field missions before, and after their father’s passing, Mu-heun and Mu-yeon had taken over that role.Mu-yeon’s eyes darted around playfully before she suddenly lowered her voice conspiratorially."…Want to come with me on my next job?"

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