Jaegyeom went to work this afternoon again.
After being seen off by Jeongju and Mesani, he got on the bus to Jongmyo Shrine like the previous day. Because it was a quiet weekday afternoon, the bus was quite empty. Jaegyeom tapped his card like he was used to and went to the very back seat where there was no one else.
Jaegyeom started shaking his legs at some point, absentmindedly staring out the window. It was Jaegyeom who usually scolded Jeongju or Mesani saying that it was distracting or annoying when they shook their legs. But he had a hard time keeping his body still today.
He was on the way to work, and at the end of the road was Yoon Taehee...
What schools and workplaces had in common was that they were places where encounters were inevitable. When he goes to the main office, he meets Yoon Taehee. What was normally an obvious premise brought great regret today, becoming the cause of Jaegyeom's nervously shaking legs.
From the moment Jaegyeom opened his eyes in the morning, all he could think about was Yoon Taehee. To be exact, the kiss he shared with Yoon Taehee. He tried to distract himself, but like falling into a trap, he found himself thinking about yesterday's kiss again.
Just when Jaegyeom was touching his lips meaninglessly.
"Oh?! Seven-seven!"
His legs, which had been tapping nervously, suddenly stopped.
He saw a familiar face among the new passengers. It was the bleached haired man. The bright yellow bleached hair and piercings in his ears were still there. Lim Hyomoon, who was wearing a suit, now looked somewhat mature. Jaegyeom furrowed his eyes at the unexpected appearance of that person.
"Hey! Seven-seven, fancy meeting you here?"
Lim Hyomoon came running towards Jaegyeom. There was no ordinary coincidence that they met on the bus. Lim Hyomoon, who was excited about the unexpected encounter, looked elated, but Jaegyeom's expression was just begrudging.
"Hey. Why are you here? There are a lot of seats. Go sit somewhere else."
"Of course I have to sit next to my colleague. Where else would I sit?"
Among all of his classmates, Lim Hyomoon felt special camaraderie with Jaegyeom. Since they had a special relationship because they sat next to each other on the day of the exam, and they passed the exam together, Lim Hyomoon thought Seven-seven and he were no different from comrades who had survived the battlefield.
"Are you going to work this afternoon too? Right? Oh, do you want some gum?"
Ignoring Jaegyeom's suggestion to sit elsewhere, Lim Hyomoon took the seat next to Jaegyeom, chewing gum. "No." Jaegyeom glanced sharply at Lim Hyomoon, who was smiling brightly. To Jaegyeom, Lim Hyomoon was just 'the guy who sat next to me at the time'.
This wasn't the first time he met Lim Hyomoon after the exam day.
Not long ago, he happened to run into him while passing through the main office hallway. Even back then, Lim Hyomoon made a fuss as if he had just met his best friend.
He wasn't particularly pleased to see him at that time either.
However, the reason why he pretended to be friendly was because it reminded him of Hwang Seungsoo, the most incompetent braggart, during the exam. He thought he was a guy with a lot of bravado.
Thinking like that, he became willing to at least exchange greetings, but only to that extent. However, Lim Hyomoon grabbed hold of Jaegyeom began to pour out a series of unsolicited questions, such as asking how Jaegyeom was doing, his current situation, impressions of becoming exorcists, and the atmosphere of the team he was a member of, and so on. Such as, What was his relationship with Chief Yoon? Why didn't Jaegyeom tell him that Chief Yoon was the person who recommended him? And did Jaegyeom know how surprised he was back then?
Jaegyeom hurried away before his ears started bleeding.
'Even if a black-faced bunting acts frivolous, it will still be better than you'. Jaegyeom, who was fed up, downgraded his evaluation of Lim Hyomoon from 'the guy who sat next to me at that time' to 'the guy who talks a lot and is annoying. Afterwards, whenever he saw Lim Hyomoon in the hallway from a distance, he would turn and walk the other way.
Despite his efforts to avoid him... of all places, they had to meet on the bus where there was nowhere to escape, so he had no choice but to endure until they reached the main office. Jaegyeom was already feeling tired.
The bright Lim Hyomoon began to engage in the conversation in earnest.
"Seven-seven, do you ride this bus too? Ah, if I had known sooner, we could have gone to work together. We will see each other often on the bus in the future, right? When do you go to work tomorrow?"
"What bus number is this?"
"Huh? It's bus number 7212."
"Number 7212. I have to memorize it. I shouldn't take this bus in the future, 'Jaegyeom nodded, thinking over the numbers.
"How have you been lately? Is the work in the Exorcism Department manageable?"
Lim Hyomoon naturally put his arm around his shoulder and whispered. Because he was chewing gum, his tone sounded quite frivolous. "So-so." Jaegyeom shook off his arm with a look of annoyance on his face. He hadn't properly gone on a mission yet.
Lim Hyomoon glanced around and then whispered again.
"Is the Exorcism Department still not busy? We are in a frenzy because of the Byeoksadan."
Lim Hyomoon, who became a member of the Third Team of the Undercover Department, whispered as if someone might overhear.
Fortunately, there was no one nearby.
"What is Byeoksadan?"
When Jaegyeom picked his ears with a puzzled expression, Lim Hyomoon widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Don't you know about the Byeoksadan? The headquarters is in a mess these days because of them."
Jaegyeom, who did not attend the monthly report, indeed did not know about the Byeoksadan. On the other hand, the Undercover Department's Lim Hyomoon, was well informed. Thus, he whispered about what he knew for the sake of his colleague who was out of touch with the headquarters news.
The gist was that a group of ghosts called Byeoksadan had appeared, and that Zen Master Yeohye, a famous shaman, was ministering Byeoksadan behind him. Lim Hyomoon was eager to explain, but Jaegyeom listened with indifference.
What's the big deal about a bunch of ghosts gathering together...'
Jaegyeom, who had no sense of belonging or self-consciousness, was not particularly impressed by Lim Hyomoon's story. Moreover, Lim Hyomoon's breathing in his ear was so irritating that he had a hard time concentrating on what he was talking about.
"That's why the Undercover Department was put on full alert. I think
'll be following my seniors to infiltrate somewhere soon.."
Jaegyeom scratched his forehead while listening to Lim Homoon's words. His mind was already in a complicated state. Byeoksadan or byeoranbak or whatever, that wasn't the problem right now.
The bus carrying the two was getting closer and closer to its destination.
Soon, they would reach Jongmyo Shrine. He would arrive at the main office, and when he went in there, Yoon Taehee would be there. The kiss they shared last night kept getting on his mind. Just as rivers came together and met in one ocean, all thoughts were heading towards Yoon Taehee, and the question 'So why on earth did he kiss me? never left his mind.
"Hey. You know what, enough about that, I want to ask you something.."
When Jaegyeom, who had been silent the whole time, tried to change the topic, Lim Hyomoon looked confused and nodded,
"Huh? What?" Jaegyeom paused for a long time, fiddling with his tie as if to distract him. Not being able to imagine what the other person was going to say, Lim Hyomoon, who was puzzled, looked at Jaegyeom with his eyes narrowed.
"Have you ever kissed someone?"
They had been talking about the Byeoksadan, but the topic of kissing was brought up out of nowhere? Lim Hyomoon, bewildered by the unexpected topic, almost choked on the gum he was chewing. Coughing, he managed to rescue the gum that was stuck in his throat. It would have been a shame if he had swallowed it as it was, even though the sweetness hadn't gone out yet.
"So have you done it or not?"
Jaegyeom's expression was serious as he waited for an answer.
"Well, I guess I've done it..."
Lim Hyomoon fiddled with his piercing and trailed off. Well, at this age, one would naturally be very interested in kisses and such... Lim Hyomoon lightly jabbed Jaegyeom with his elbow.
"Why? Curious about how it feels? Should I, your hyung, tell you about it?"
Lim Hyomoon joked playfully. After a moment of hesitation, Jaegyeom spoke up.
"Someone kissed me yesterday."
Eh? The gum he barely saved went down his throat. Lim Hyomoon looked at Jaegyeom with wide eyes. "What? You've been kissed?!"
Jaegyeom paused for a moment and then nodded his head slightly.
He didn't forget to glance around. If the other person was Lim Hyomoon, he could mention the kiss at least.
"But no matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out why he ki- kissed me. Because we're both me- uh, no, I mean, we weren't in such a relationship to kiss..."
Jaegyeom continued with a serious face.
Jeongju was quick-witted and knew Jaegyeom well, so there was a limit to pretending nothing happened. If he were to talk awkwardly, he would immediately notice and interrogate him, and he would quickly find out that the person who kissed him was a man and that it was Yoon Taehee.
Therefore, it was even harder for him to bring up anything to Jeongju. However, it didn't seem to matter much if he told Lim Hyomoon that he had been kissed. Anyway, Lim Hyomoon didn't know anything, and after two or three months, he wouldn't see him anymore. Like they say, even dog poop had its uses, so since he would be chattering on about anything, he might as well ask for some advice.
"Oh damn, what's up, what's up? Seven-seven, you~ Meanwhile, I had my first kiss when I was twenty!"
And Lim Hyomoon went off on a tangent...
The current Lim Hyomoon had a gruff appearance that made him look like a gangster, but he was actually an earnest student who shaved his head and was an honour student all three years of high school. At the time, he was so focused on his studies that he put aside interest in the opposite sex. It wasn't until he got to college that he had his first fling and started dating.
Lim Hyomoons regret for the rest of his life was that he never had a romantic relationship when he was a teenager. And now, the opportunity for vicarious satisfaction was right in front of him. At first, he wondered if the topic of conversation could change so drastically, but before he knew it, his interest in the Byeoksadan had vanished into the distance.
Lim Homoon covered his cheeks with a flushed face. The person in question who kissed for the first time looked serious, but the third party was in a frenzy. Lim Hyomoon usually enjoyed reading romance comics, and he was the type of person who was easily excited and enthusiastic about other people's puppy love stories.
From the looks of it, to him, Seven-seven was not sure about the other person's feelings. If he was thinking that they were not in a relationship to kiss, it meant the relationship wasn't established yet.
It didn't seem like they were dating yet, was this before he confessed? Then it was a fling~! What a good time it was, a good time...
In a short period of time, Lim Hyomoon successfully outlined a scenario in his mind and blinked with sparkling eyes.
"Did you meet at school? Are you the same age?"
Jaegyeom, who paused for a moment, shook his head. It was true that they met at school, but...
"No. We're not the same age."
The white bones of Kim Jaegyeom's peers had long since turned into dust...
"Then? How old is she?"
Lim Hyomoon asked with an intrigued expression, shaking his feet in anticipation. Jaegyeom looked at him with a blank expression. He was wondering why on earth he would ask something like that. Well, it probably wouldn't matter if he told him... Jaegyeom looked back on his vague memories.
Anyway, how old was Yoon Taehee?
"He said twenty-six."
At that moment, Lim Hyomoon, who had been shaking his feet, froze.
"..."
"..."
Lim Hyomoon suddenly became quiet.
The person who had been very excited just a moment ago with his facial muscles twitching, suddenly looked as if he had been hit on the head with a brick. Jaegyeom asked with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you like that?"
In an instant, cold water was poured onto Lim Hyomoon's fluffy pink imagination.
Lim Hyomoon was speechless as he looked at Jaegyeom. Twenty-six years old...? At twenty-six, this girl was also older than Lim Hyomoon, who was in his early twenties. Of course, Seven-seven was tall, good-looking, and strangely mature, so he was probably the type that would get along well with older women. But regardless, Seven-seven was still a teenager. The age difference was very inappropriate. Seven-seven even implied that the kiss wasn't initiated by him, but by the other person first.
"So, that person chased after you first?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"What do you think of that person?"
"What?"
"Do you like her or not?"
"At first, I didn't."
So did that mean he had changed his mind a bit now? Suddenly, Lim Hyomoon had a very serious expression on his face.
"That person is busy, right? You two don't usually keep in touch?"
He decided to get more serious and ask more in-depth questions.
Jaegyeom paused for a moment at the unexpected question, but then nodded his head. It was true that Yoon Taehee was busy and did not answer his calls often. In response to Jaegyeom's
affirmation, Lim Hyomoon showed an expression of understanding.
"But when you actually meet her, she's very kind and friendly?"
"Huh? I guess..."
"And she just buys this and that and spends a lot of money?"
As the questions continued, Jaegyeom's eyes widened.
How does he know that?
Jaegyeom was startled by Lim Hyomoon's skill of hitting the nail on the head. Perhaps he should have become a fortune teller instead of an exorcist. Of course, from Lim Hyomoon's point of view, it was an obvious and reasonable inference. With that much of an age difference, it would be natural for the older woman to spend their money well, and since she had her own life, she might be negligent at times.
He was sure now. Seven-seven had fallen into a trap. He didn't know where or how they met, but the older partner was definitely playing with Seven-seven, who was young and handsome. He was not in a position to meddle in other people's love affairs, but now that he knew about this, he couldn't just overlook it. As someone who had lived a few more years, he felt it was his duty to intervene. Hyomoon activated his excessive concern.
"Seven-seven, this really doesn't seem right. I am against it"
"What are you talking about?" jaegyeom frowned. To him, it seemed like Lim Hyomoon had just been asking nonsensical questions earlier and he didn't understand what he was talking about. As expected, the conversation between the two was off from the start...
"You really don't know?"
Lim Hyomoon held up his index finger with a serious expression. In times like this, he must firmly inform him of the reality.
"She's playing with you right now!"
Jaegyeom frowned, not understanding still.
".. Playing with me?"
Lim Hyomoon nodded his head strongly. But Seven-seven still looked sceptical. Despite being told straightforwardly, he seemed to deny reality with his eyes.
'Think about it logically. That person is twenty-six, right? Would someone in their mid-twenties really be sincere with a kid who eats school lunches? She's just fooling around with someone who knows nothing!"
Jaegyeom said coldly, his eyes chilling.
"Don't speak so recklessly when you don't know anything."
Oh goodness, this was why giving relationship advice to someone was pointless!
"Hey, you're the one who doesn't know anything! What do I not know?"
Lim Hyomoon was so shocked that he got angry and argued.
"I'm not in school anymore, so I don't eat school lunches."
"..."
Lim Hyomoon lost his words for a moment.
"No, I mean... Ha, I'm really going crazy..."
Oh God! A proper god, not a ghost... Lim Hyomoon clutched his bleached hair.