A sharp gasp sounded as someone hurriedly drew a breath.
No one could figure out how to react, or whether An Seo-myeong’s words were true. It was natural—they were just children who had recently become adults.
They lacked both the knowledge and the composure to talk about someone’s extreme choice. They didn’t even know if it was okay to speak so openly.
Moreover, in their world, someone considered the very alpha male—an “impossible person”—had made that choice? That was nothing short of a shock.
Was it like hearing the news of a billionaire, who had everything, suddenly committing suicide out of nowhere while the rest of the world struggled with poverty and hardship? But what if you recognized that face?
The children looked confused.
“Why, why…”
“An Seo-myeong, why are you only telling us this now?”
“Do the teachers know too?”
The accusatory arrows poured onto An Seo-myeong.
From the children’s perspective, it was understandable.
After all, how had they treated Gi Jae-eon?
Hadn’t they ignored him, criticized him, and mercilessly badmouthed him?
Of course, their hatred wasn’t baseless. If they looked for a cause, Gi Jae-eon had struck first. So they were also in a position to feel wronged.
But what if there was a reason behind his problematic attitude? That changed everything.
It meant they had pushed someone already mentally cornered even further.
Setting right and wrong aside, there was an inevitable compassion any human would feel.
Honestly, they were as stunned as if struck by a sudden car accident…
But it was also their own choice to turn their questions from “Why?” into angry “What’s wrong with him?”
Yes, they had failed just as much to understand the target.
“But why…?”
“I don’t know. I just saved him because I thought he might kill himself.”
An Seo-myeong shrugged his shoulders, wearing a curious expression himself. The children fell silent once more.
Watching his speechless comrades, An Seo-myeong clicked his tongue and licked his lips.
“Why are you all so surprised?”
“Of course…!”
“Didn’t you really know that Ja-eon hyung’s behavior was strange?”
No one answered.
After checking each one carefully, An Seo-myeong leaned his head back and briefly pondered. Then he sighed and said, “Yeah.” He didn’t bother explaining in detail. They had just brushed it off lightly, thinking it was nothing special.
Why? Because it was meaningless.
Actually, if one paid even a little attention, it was obvious that Gi Jae-eon’s attitude was abnormal. For example: severe stuttering, inability to make eye contact, uncontrollable shaking of the body—just to name a few.
Yet to say they hadn’t noticed…
“It means they simply didn’t care or only saw what they wanted to see.”
For such people, no matter how much a third party talked, it was pointless.
If it seemed like taking sides, it could even become poison.
Since no one else was involved, perfectly conveying the words was impossible.
So it was important to listen, speak, and realize things firsthand.
“Why are you telling us something so important now?”
When someone sharply pressed, An Seo-myeong answered indifferently, “It was a slip of the tongue.” He really didn’t intend to mention the train incident.
“Why would I go around telling things Ja-eon hyung didn’t say?”
Then he furrowed his brows slightly and muttered in a sour tone, “...Though I did say it just now.”
“Anyway, don’t tell Ja-eon hyung.”
“Who would tell…”
Surprisingly, a child who was like the representative of the faction sighed and replied.
The child rested his chin on his hand, wearing a very complicated and subtle expression.
And it made sense… everything was too full of contradictions.
Gi Jae-eon had saved him and his precious comrades two or three times—he couldn’t thank him enough. He knew that. But he was not about to forgive the way Gi Jae-eon ignored Bonryeong and treated them like air.
That was one thing, and this was another.
They were clearly separate issues. The child even found it strange how some kids flipped their attitude like turning a palm.
But if they had scolded someone with no will to live, someone struggling…
“I’d feel terribly sorry.”
A shadow fell over the child’s eyes. The same went for the others. Each might feel it to a different degree, but they all shared the same emotion.
Confusion, guilt, and curiosity.
The silent living room fell into stillness.
An Seo-myeong scratched his head.
‘What are they thinking? It’s so obvious.’
He didn’t intend to blame anyone.
“I’m not saying you should feel guilty. I’m not here to judge right or wrong. Everyone has their own position.”
An Seo-myeong lightly rubbed his neck and continued.
“But leaving aside Ja-eon hyung’s condition, put yourself in our shoes. If we went to Cheonjiharang and were treated like monkeys in a zoo, wouldn’t that be unpleasant? If you want to get close, you have to do it the way the other person wants. Forcing friendship without consideration—that’s just coercion, right?”
The children’s gazes shifted to the refrigerator.
Not at the snack bags shoved inside untouched…
The way Gi Jae-eon wanted?
Meanwhile, there were others shocked in a different way.
“Can you take responsibility for what you just said, Kim Young?”
“Yes, of course, Elder.”
It was Kim Young and the elders of Bonryeong.
Despite the quietly pressing gazes, Kim Young did not back down. No, he forced himself not to. That much was desperate. Standing straight, he repeated what he had said.
“It is clear that exorcist Gi Jae-eon has suffered abuse from the Gi family. Therefore, he must be transferred from Cheonjiharang to Bonryeong. If left like this, we don’t know when the star representing the exorcist’s future will fade. You will not simply watch his downfall, will you?”
That was it.
Kim Young was arguing before the elders of Bonryeong that “Gi Jae-eon is not cursed, but mentally impaired from long-term abuse.”
Why had he suddenly chosen this course, when he had resigned himself that ‘no one would listen anyway’?
There was a clear reason.
Because the elders were looking for some kind of “justification” to keep Gi Jae-eon at Bonryeong.
A powerful justification that could stand against Cheonjiharang.
If Gi Jae-eon hadn’t summoned the Suzaku, Kim Young couldn’t have mentioned even the slightest word of abuse. Why? Because the elders wouldn’t support it.
But now their eyes were blinded by the Four Guardians!
Whether Gi Jaeon was abused or not didn’t matter—the important thing was that they had a public “justification” to ‘protect’ Gi Jaeon from Cheonjiharang.
Bonryeong would not easily let him go, claiming the need to judge right and wrong.
This was an opportunity.
A sacred revelation from the gods to take in and care for a poor young life!
‘I don’t know when I can move the elders again.’
Kim Young intended to help Gi Jaeon take root in Bonryeong this time.
“But isn’t there no direct evidence? All we have is Kim Young’s claim that he’s not cursed.”
“Exorcist Gi Jae-on can testify himself. Give me time.”
Kim Young recalled how Gi Jae-eon refused to go to the hospital, saying he couldn’t disgrace his family. How much pressure and gaslighting must he have endured?
If only given time… Kim Young was confident he could persuade Gi Jae-eon.
No, he had to. Ignoring a young life burning in hellfire was unbearably painful.
“This time, I will make sure he asks for help.”
Since receiving the thank-you letters, Gi Jae-eon had developed a new habit.
From the moment he opened his eyes until he closed them, he read and reread the letters sent by the children. Almost to the point of memorization. The stiff corners of the paper had worn soft from handling.
Today was no different.
Having woken late due to insomnia, the first thing Gi Jae-eon did was reach out and fumble for the letters placed by his bedside.
Forcing open his barely opening eyes, he crumpled the cheerful handwriting in his mind:
“To exorcist Gi Jae-eon!”
There was no particular reason. Even he didn’t understand why he was so obsessed.
He had said he no longer wanted to be swayed by “attachment.”
Even though he knew that warmth would only return as pain.
If he accepted comfort… what then?
Gi Jae-eon buried his face in the letters.
The boy who had been gently shaking his head like a spoiled child suddenly took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell several times, and for some reason, he ended up chuckling.
Then, gradually, a part of the paper he buried his face in began to grow wet.
Ha… hah… huu…
A cry disguised as laughter echoed through the quiet room.
‘You’ll definitely regret this later.’
Despite hurting himself with this thought, he couldn’t let go of the letters. Thank you, grateful. Those words felt like they whispered, You’ve been through so much.