KTC | Chapter 35

Ah, now that he thought about it.

Goo Seungjun, struck by a sudden realization, turned his head back up to the choir loft.

The young guy was still glaring at him as if to devour him whole, and just like before, he was impenetrable.

Straightening up, Goo Seungjun watched the mass proceed in a contemplative silence. People were sitting down, standing up, lining up to leave, and then returning, all of which he followed without much soul, occasionally being reprimanded softly.

“Only those who have been baptized can receive communion,” Choi Seonwoo said with a smile. His red lips curled up like a picture, capturing Goo Seungjun’s gaze, who naturally averted his eyes and bowed his head slightly.

“Ah, I didn’t know.”

“That’s okay. It’s good to see you participate earnestly in the mass.”

Returning to his seat, Goo Seungjun wondered how he could have ever forgotten that face for so long. The pale skin, the intense look in his eyes, and the contrast of his red lips were so striking that every slight change in expression seemed to etch itself deeply in his mind.

As the mass finally ended, Choi Seonwoo approached Goo Seungjun to shake hands.

“Has it been almost a month?”

Goo Seungjun grasped his hand without hesitation.

“Yes. I’m Goo Seungjun. Apologies for the late introduction.”

“Don’t mention it. Just a moment, let me hang up my vestments.”

While Choi Seonwoo went to the vestry, Seo Jihan, who had come downstairs, stood there leaning slightly, looking at Goo Seungjun. Lying in bed, he hadn’t noticed before, but standing like that, Seo Jihan was tall and well-built. He had a slick appearance, yet exuded an air of a gangster. There was nothing about him that Goo Seungjun liked.

Even Angela seemed uneasy, unusually sticking close to Seo Jihan’s side, her tail flicking restlessly.

‘Right. You don’t like this guy either, huh?’

Seo Jihan thought to himself.

Irritated by the unexpected guarded and probing gaze, Goo Seungjun frowned as he faced Seo Jihan. This person wasn’t in his memories at all. Of course, the same was true for Choi Seonwoo, but Seo Jihan was subtly emitting a scent of kinship, irritating him further.

Whether fortunately or not, just before Goo Seungjun could confront him, Choi Seonwoo returned. Shedding his vestments and dressed down, Choi Seonwoo looked sleek and sharp. Angela hurriedly ran to his side as he naturally stood between the two.

“I should have come to thank you sooner after being discharged, but it took a while for me to recover fully.”

Goo Seungjun was the first to break the silence. Choi Seonwoo nodded, understandingly.

“A broken finger alone takes long to heal completely, let alone the heart, right?”

And just as Choi Seonwoo was about to say all was fine, he paused and looked around Goo Seungjun with a puzzled expression. Living things always carry a unique frequency like a fingerprint, and something about Goo Seungjun seemed subtly changed since their last encounter. At that time, an evil spirit was present, and all of Goo Seungjun’s biological rhythms were as disordered as a poorly assembled puzzle, but Choi Seonwoo was someone who could see even through that chaos.

“Why? Do I look suspicious?”

As if inviting a closer inspection, Goo Seungjun stepped closer, which startled Seo Jihan, who grabbed his arm to maintain some distance, though Choi Seonwoo only cocked his head slightly with a vague smile.

“Well, more than that… it seems something about you has changed.”

Brushing it off, Goo Seungjun seemed eager to get to the point.

“The truth is, besides thanking you, there’s something I need to ask about.”

It seemed the thanks were just a courtesy, and this was the real issue at hand.

Since it was nearly lunchtime and there was no better place to host a guest than the priory residence, Choi Seonwoo led Goo Seungjun to the living room of the priory, excused himself to change clothes, and went upstairs.

The seldom-used living room felt barren, truly small with just a coffee table set and a single bookshelf, with no space for anything more. However, the bright morning sunlight pouring in through the large window showing the mountain behind the church made it feel less claustrophobic.

Seated near the window, facing the round coffee table, Goo Seungjun eventually couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Got a problem with me?”

It was hard to ignore the openly disdainful looks he was receiving. What was funny was that the black cat with a cross necklace seated on the chair beside him was also keeping watch with similar eyes. It felt like watching a pair of guard dogs, or rather, a guard cat and dog.

“Why the informal speech?”

Seo Jihan snapped back, almost delighted to catch him off guard. Goo Seungjun smirked, crossing his legs in a nonchalant manner.

“Looking at your face, I didn’t think you deserved honorifics. Was I wrong?”

“You catch on quick.”

“That’s what I hear often. So, what’s your problem?”

“It’s just everything about you from head to toe that I don’t like.”

Seo Jihan was bristling like an animal whose territory had been invaded, baffling Goo Seungjun.

“Then I guess I’ll just have a word with the priest alone, why don’t you make yourself scarce?”

“Bullshit. What do you think you can do to the priest?”

It was just as incomprehensible as the rest. How could he, who was saved by the priest, be suspected of any wrongdoing?

Flabbergasted, Goo Seungjun was lost for words when Choi Seonwoo walked back in, now dressed in a clerical shirt instead of the snug soutane.

“Understand this, our young Brother here is going through a belated rebellious phase,” Choi Seonwoo said, picking up Angela and taking a seat. Seo Jihan scoffed, “Ah, who?”

Choi Seonwoo ignored him, simply stroking Angela’s sleek black fur.

“What do you need to discuss just the two of us?”

Goo Seungjun looked at Seo Jihan instead of answering, his expression asking if it was really okay to leave things as they were.

“It’s fine. This Brother knows everything there is to know about the situation.”

At least, that’s what Choi Seonwoo truly thought at the time.

“You might regret this.”

“Life is a series of regrets, isn’t it?”

Choi Seonwoo retorted with a relaxed joke, watching Goo Seungjun stand up. His thin cashmere coat fell to the floor. Before anyone could intervene, he started unbuttoning his shirt at a bewildering speed.

“Is this something the priest left behind?”

As Goo Seungjun revealed his well-toned upper body, Seo Jihan covered his face in disgust.

“Are you crazy? Why are you stripping down?”

Seo Jihan, infuriated, felt proud for holding his ground. It would have been blood-boiling to later learn that a strip show had happened in the priest’s presence.

Even worse, the guy had a body too perfect, almost like that of a professional soldier.

“Uh…?”

Choi Seonwoo blinked dumbly from within Seo Jihan’s large hand, muttering in confusion. The brief moment it took for Goo Seungjun to unbutton his shirt and cover his eyes was enough to notice the vivid handprint left on his chest.

“No, what, uh?”

Choi Seonwoo clumsily turned his eyes, then brushed Seo Jihan’s hand aside. Only belatedly noticing the strange mark left on Goo Seungjun’s skin, Seo Jihan also let his hand drop in shock.

“Is that… my handprint?”

“That’s what I was asking. Would you mind matching it to see if it fits the priest’s hand?”

Before Seo Jihan could accuse him of perversion, Choi Seonwoo shook his head slightly. There was no need to physically match it; the bizarre energy emanating from the handprint was enough to tell.

“It looks like it’s mine.”

Assured by Choi Seonwoo’s confirmation, Goo Seungjun sat back down, his shirt still open.

“So, what happened?”

Asking the question, Choi Seonwoo realized it was stupid—he should not be the one asking. It was Goo Seungjun’s place to inquire. However, Goo Seungjun earnestly began to explain what he knew.

“At first, I thought it was just a bruise from the priest restraining me during a convulsion. It didn’t seem odd at the time, and I didn’t think much of it. But after nearly a month of sick leave with no fading, I started to suspect it was something strange.”

Choi Seonwoo thought back carefully to the exorcism. The first thing that came to mind was that, with no witnesses present that day, he had perhaps gone a bit too far.

It must have been the moment when he was trying to rip an entity that wouldn’t detach from its fully possessed host. He had threatened to tear it apart if it didn’t leave immediately, striking precisely at that spot.