-“Toemasa Gi Jae-eon is coming to Bonryeong! An exchange meeting...? Something like that?”
What kind of nonsense is this?
Kim Joo-won stormed into Bonryeong. Ignoring those greeting him cheerfully here and there, he went straight to find Teacher Kim Young. “Teacher!” His attitude was reckless, completely ignoring etiquette. But Kim Young calmly welcomed him with a look saying, “So he’s come.” His relaxed gesture pointed to a chair in front of him, signaling for him to sit.
‘Sly bastard, he knew all along.’
A shiver of betrayal ran through him.
“What do you mean an exchange meeting? There’s never been such a thing!”
Despite Kim Joo-won’s shout, Kim Young was unperturbed. He tilted his teacup and sipped his tea—a perfectly mild and savory brew for the afternoon.
Kim Young’s leisurely demeanor only fueled Kim Joo-won’s fiery temper. “Teacher, are you listening to me?!” he slammed his hand roughly on the table.
“Seo-myeong got hurt because of someone! Where do you think you’re coming?!”
Kim Young put down his teacup in response to the ear-splitting roar. He silently stared at his student. Their gazes clashed like rivals, but without much doubt, the one with the stronger energy was Kim Young—the only person who could make the formidable Kim Joo-won nervous.
“Kim Joo-won.”
At the low voice, the troublemaker student flinched. Just then, Kim Young softened the mood with his characteristic gentle smile.
“Could you clean the next room for me~.”
“Ah, teacher!”
Kim Joo-won pouted.
“I don’t want to.”
“Whether you want to or not, you have to.”
It wasn’t a lie. Even Kim Young had no choice because this exchange meeting was a direct request from Cheonjiharang. He was quite sure the Gi family’s pressure was behind it.
‘...Anyway.’
Kim Young made a forced smile at Kim Joo-won’s muttering complaints. He expected reluctance but didn’t expect it to be this bad.
“Whose side are you on, teacher?”
“One of your bad habits is always trying to take sides. I told you that before—.”
While scolding him, Kim Young resolved to keep secret the fact that this exchange meeting was held instead of punishing Kim Joo-won. If he found out, there was no telling what kind of mischief the bulldozer-like guy would cause.
‘He might storm off to the Bonryeong elders begging for punishment...’
Ugh, just imagining it is exhausting.
“We have to go to Cheonjiharang someday, you know!”
Kim Joo-won raised his chin and furrowed his brows sharply. His voice sounded displeased.
The fact that Gi Jae-eon was coming was dreadful, but the idea of himself having to go to Incheon was equally detested.
‘Hmm, well... unnecessary worry.’
Kim Young closed his eyes and smiled vaguely.
[Exchange Meeting]
It was supposed to be a training where young toemasa from Cheonjiharang and Bonryeong took turns staying in each other’s regions to develop their skills...
‘But realistically, our kids probably won’t be going to Cheonjiharang.’
This was a superficial pretext made solely for Gi Jae-eon. So the worries Kim Joo-won had probably wouldn’t happen.
Kim Young watched the chaotic Kim Joo-won flailing like a spiky chestnut struck by lightning and recalled a call from a few days ago.
-[“Exactly six months. During that time, Toemasa Gi Jae-eon will stay in Bonryeong to train.”]
-“What? In our Bonryeong?”
-[“Bonryeong is the only place where Toemasa Gi Jae-eon has recently regained normal condition. This decision considered various factors.”]
-“Still, it’s too sudden... I’m not sure we can take good care of him.”
-[“We will not hold you responsible for the injuries on his face.”]
It was practically a threat.
Bonryeong, already watching nervously after the violence incident, had no choice but to obey Cheonjiharang’s orders silently. Well, since they promised not to touch Kim Joo-won, Kim Young had no reason to refuse. Above all, he worried about Gi Jae-eon’s condition.
‘At least here, he won’t be abused.’
Kim Young planned to devote all his efforts within his capacity to healing Gi Jae-eon’s wounds. Now that it was like this, he wanted to show that there are good adults in the world.
But first, he had to convince this angry little shit...
Kim Young slumped his shoulders and fiddled with his now-cold teacup.
“Juwon, there’s no reason for you to hate that kid.”
“No reason to like him either.”
It seemed Kim Joo-won had definitely marked him as an enemy. Kim Young sighed deeply. His worried gaze dropped naturally. Should he say it or not? Talking about someone not here was unpleasant, but this time he made an exception.
‘It will be hard for Juwon to adapt to dorm life without help.’
Especially since most of the teens and twenties in Bonryeong revolved around ‘Kim Joo-won,’ his help was indispensable for Gi Jae-eon’s adjustment. Of course, Kim Joo-won wouldn’t sneakily or systematically bully anyone.
‘If he hates it, he just ends it.’
But that was also a problem.
His disregard might lead others down a bad path later.
“Toemasa Gi Jae-eon, or rather Jae-eon...”
After much thought, Kim Young decided to trust his student.
Though fiery by nature, he was deep inside, so he tried to bring up the topic.
“That kid seems to be in a very dangerous state.”
Kim Young calmly stated that Gi Jae-eon was not cursed, suggesting he might have suffered prolonged abuse.
“From what I see, it looks like some kind of panic disorder. I can’t say for sure...”
Kim Joo-won listened seriously but wasn’t fully convinced. His posture was upright but his heart was not.
There were some suspicious points.
A skilled exorcist like Gi Jae-eon unable to control his power?
Not resisting even after being beaten relentlessly?
Yeah, it was strange.
But abuse?
‘Too simplistic.’
Kim Joo-won recalled the gloomy-eyed Gi Jae-eon.
The opposite of the infamous arrogant young master... an overall unpleasant guy who seemed a bit off.
Honestly, not someone he wanted to be close to.
But the guy was an unprecedented genius.
That was undeniable.
He was aware of Cheonjiharang’s pride in Gi Jae-eon.
Would they abuse and ruin such a treasured gem? Ridiculous.
‘An excessive assumption.’
Kim Joo-won concluded that Kim Young was just too kind and misunderstood, ending his worries. He was affectionate and especially devoted to his students, so Gi Jae-eon must have simply stuck in his mind.
Gi Jae-eon abused? ...Ridiculous fantasy.
“I hope you take good care of Jae-eon when he comes here. Juwon, I’m counting on you.”
Looking at his teacher’s gentle smile, Kim Joo-won bit his lips hard.
“No use talking anymore.”
Ah... really don’t want this.
‘Why does he have to be next door?’
Today was D-Day. Kim Joo-won, notified of the unwanted guest’s arrival, scratched his ear with an uncomfortable face. His displeasure was obvious. He wanted to ignore it, but recalling his teacher’s request, he reluctantly got up.
He dragged himself from bed to the dorm entrance. Creak—opening the thick wooden door revealed that usual annoying... corpse-like face.
Wow, look at that grim expression.
Even the mottled bruises still faintly lingered on his pale skin.
‘Is he protesting by showing up to me?’
Kim Joo-won scanned Gi Jae-eon from head to toe, then lightly nodded. His attitude was cold, even skipping a simple greeting.
Screech-screech—Gi Jae-eon dragged a suitcase of suitable size and followed behind. Awkward silence hung between the two men.
Was it because their first meeting was terrible? Or just incompatible personalities?
Kim Joo-won really disliked the gloomy guy trailing behind. No, more precisely, he was uncomfortable. He hated how he spoke rudely even though he hurt Seo-myeong, and found it obnoxious how that tall guy pretended to be pitiful with his dying face.
How could he have so little likable traits?
Though Kim Young worried about abuse, to Kim Joo-won it just looked like an intentional act.