“I’m going to go to Seoul and become an exorcist.”
Mesani, who was playing around opening and closing the laptop that Jeongju had pushed aside, also opened his mouth blankly. Jaegyeom dropped his gaze to the floor and rubbed the nape of his neck.
“…”
“…”
Jeongju, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly jumped up.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but there’s nothing I can do. It is so boring and repetitive to live like this. You guys wanted me to get out of the house too. And when I become an exorcist, I can protect you and Mesani, and things like last time won’t happen anymore.”
Jeongju stared at Jaegyeom with a puzzled expression.
“Yoon Taehee said he would help. He also found us a house we could move into. It’s a house at the foot of Mt. Bukhan, and since Mt. Bukhan is the main mountain in Seoul, the energy there is clear. There is a mountain right behind the house, the yard is wide, the fence is high, and there are no people passing by since it is in a remote place. The house is empty, so he said we could move in right away.”
Jaegyeom fiddled with his hand and continued his words calmly.
“If we all live together in Seoul, Jeongju, it will be easier for you compared to now. You don’t have to go back and forth as much as you do now. It could be dangerous because there are a lot of people, but that’s a problem that will be solved when I become an exorcist anyway, so it might even be safer than it is now.”
Jeongju’s face turned pale, what the hell was he talking about now? “Office workers should be able to commute easily. Yoon Taehee said so.” Jaegyeom was serious. He didn’t even know that it was strange as Yoon Taehee’s joking words were relayed without missing a single word.
“…”
Finally, the corner of Jeongju’s mouth, who had become contemplative, twitched.
“Look, my hunch was right…”
He didn’t want to send him to school today. He was strangely worried and anxious because it seemed like something was going to happen. He had a bad feeling, but he tried to ignore it because he thought he was being overly cautious. He just thought he could just trust him to take care of himself… But the vague sense of crisis that Jeongju felt became a reality.
“Jaegyeom! What the hell are you talking about?”
Jeongju felt his blood rush backwards.
“I don’t know what the fuck that son of a bitch did to lure you, but this is not it, Jaegyeom.”
His face twisted and he grabbed Jaegyeom by the shoulder.
“Did you forget? They were the ones who took Mesani. It was the exorcists. On that day, they were the ones who hurt you so much. But how do you even think about becoming an exorcist?”
“I know. And once I become an exorcist, that will never happen again.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“It’s because of me. It is only for me.”
“…”
“I also want to do what I want, for once.”
“…”
Jeongju regretted it. He should not have sent him to school. No, he should not have asked what happened at school. Jaegyeom did not bring up those words to ask for his permission or to ask for opinions. Rather, it was more like a one-sided notice. It was literally a foul word that made him lose his fighting spirit.
The strength escaped from Jeongju’s hands. Feeling exhausted to the point of dizziness, he staggered back. Lowering his head with a despaired face, he squatted down and buried his face in his hands. Mesani, who was caught in the middle of this and was restless, held his breath while he looked at them alternately.
“Jaegyeom. You can’t trust that person…”
Jeongju murmured pleadingly. Jaegyeom threw his head back and stared blankly up at the ceiling. His body leaned heavily against the sofa. Staring at the white ceiling, he remembered Yoon Taehee’s words.
‘You just have to trust what you’re holding in your hands.’
“Don’t worry. I don’t trust him…”
Jaegyeom murmured quietly.
“It’s just, like I’m possessed.”
After saying that, he closed his eyes.
***
The next morning, Jeongju woke Jaegyeom with a lively voice.
“Jaegyeom-ah! Mesan-ah! Let’s eat!”
Jaegyeom, who had fallen asleep with the blanket wrapped around him, woke up in a drowsy state. Mesani took the dazed Jaegyeom’s hand and led him out of bed. When he was dragged to the kitchen, the table was already full of breakfast. As soon as Jaegyeom sat down, Jeongju took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, as if he had been waiting for him. It was a common habit when he was about to bring up the words he had prepared.
“Jaegyeom, about yesterday… I’m sorry.”
Jaegyeom, who slowly put his hand to the glass of water, raised his eyes.
“…”
Last night, Jeongju, who had been squatting the whole night, got up after a while. Jaegyeom silently watched his back as he entered the room. He looked angry, and hurt. The door slammed shut with a thud. However, he already knew.
‘I want to do what I want for once.’
The fact that Jeongju would never be able to get past those words.
“If you want, you… you can do anything.”
Because he would do it for his sake. It had always been like that.
“… Thank you.”
He looked at Jeongju with a steady gaze.
In the end, Jeongju decided to take a step back, as always. If Jaegyeom had made up his mind anyway, there was no way for him to break that will. Just as Jaegyeom respected his decision to become a celebrity without question, he must too. This was the conclusion Jeongju came to after pondering all night.
Of course, he still didn’t understand. Because until yesterday, the exorcists were the enemy of the three of them. However, understanding did not necessarily precede respect, so accepting the choice was ultimately a matter of mindset.
“Sure, let’s go to Seoul, Jaegyeom.”
So, Jeongju thought he had no choice but to trust Jaegyeom’s judgment.
“Can I find a place to move into instead?”
Seoul was a densely populated city, so it was not the first choice. He once had bright thoughts that it would be nice if the three of them could live together in Seoul, but after their encounter with the exorcists, he would refuse even if he died. It was because the more people there were, the more there would be exorcists, so he was afraid that they might get caught like before.
But the situation has changed rapidly. Now that this had happened, a trip to Seoul was inevitable. However, Jeongju did not want to live in the house Yoon Taehee introduced them to. He was somehow insecure and uncomfortable. If he expanded his scope to Seoul anyway, finding a house that met their criteria would be much easier. There were many mountains on the outskirts of the city and in and around the city center, so it wouldn’t take long to find a place.
“Honestly, I don’t trust him. I don’t like it.”
Of course, looking back on the events of the day, Yoon Taehee helped Mesani in a situation when there was nothing to gain, and took the risk of erasing the memories of the exorcists. It was true that he was different from the other exorcists when looking at the situation rationally. Moreover, Jaegyeom was not the type to let his guard down or open up easily. Jeongju knew that best, more than anyone else. However…
Jeongju somehow felt an ominous sense of discomfort with Yoon Taehee.
“Okay. I understand.”
Fortunately, Jaegyeom nodded without saying anything.
***
The three of them ate and talked about this and that like usual. The atmosphere that seemed like thin ice just yesterday disappeared quickly. After amicably making concessions one step at a time, it felt like the stone that had been weighing down their hearts all along had become lighter. Seeing the dining table as usual, Mesani’s complexion brightened even more.
Mesani swayed his body from side to side and stamped his feet.
“Seoul. We’re going to Seoul. Will the three of us live together?”
Mesani asked in an excited voice.
“Yes? With Jeongju too, like before? Yes?”
“Mhm. Right. The three of us live together.”
Chopsticks in hand, Jeongju replied with a smile. Mesani put down his spoon and clapped his hands. He seemed elated with the idea of three of them living together again. As if he was still in disbelief, he persistently asked and asked again. Jaegyeom licked his lips and nodded his head several times.
Just then, the phone rang from somewhere.
Jeongju picked up the phone he had thrown on the sofa, thinking it was the sound coming from his phone. “Huh? This is not it.” His gaze, looking for a sound, reached the half-open door. The ringtone was coming from Jaegyeom’s room.
“Jaegyeom. Where did you put your phone?”
“In the pocket of my uniform pants.”
Jeongju came out of Jaegyeom’s room with his phone. The number that appeared on the screen was an unsaved number. Of course, only a few close acquaintances know the number of this phone. There shouldn’t be anyone who was calling. Who was this…
Jeongju tilted his head.
“Jaegyeom. Did you give anyone your number?”
“No. I need to know the number to give it out.”
He didn’t even know his phone number or how to look for it. Jaegyeom responded nonchalantly and picked up the rolled egg. “Ah, that’s right.” Jeongju nodded his head in agreement. Jaegyeom’s learning progress had not yet reached that point. Maybe it was just spam then. Still, just in case, he pressed the call button and held the phone to his ear.
“Hello.”
A few seconds later, a voice was heard from the other side.
— Hello… Jeongju-ssi?
Thank you for the chapter ~ <3
It’s like the older brother and the brother-in-law are meeting for the first time haha I’m so excited