SMFC | Chapter 32

For a while, I can make and give them to you myself, but if I die, that won’t be possible. Both knew this fact, and Lee Soo knew it even better. When he spoke as if there was certainly a future ahead, Haeon suddenly looked up at him with a spark of hope.

Yet, as expected, there was no sign of hope in those yellow eyes, just an awkward smile. Lee Soo hadn’t spoken out of a desire to live long; rather, he had said it either to avoid this difficult conversation or perhaps simply to not upset Haeon.

Knowing that his words weren’t driven by a desire to live but still feeling pleasantly surprised, Haeon’s eyes widened in shock for a moment before he firmly grasped Lee Soo’s hand.

As Lee Soo gently squeezed back Haeon’s hand, he said, “It’s not bad, me making them myself.”

“Right, it’s not bad at all. In fact… it’s good.”

“Still, learn when I offer to teach you. You may not have the sight or feel of spirits, but I’ll teach you how to make talismans that work well enough. I usually wouldn’t, but with the spirits’ help, you can make something quite useful. You never know what might happen.”

Even as he spoke, Lee Soo didn’t seem overly frightened by the uncertain future. Considering he already knew what he needed to, Haeon intertwined their fingers more firmly.

“Since Hunter Ryu Leesoo has stepped back… I’ll learn if you teach me directly.”

Haeon murmured with a sigh-like laugh, and Lee Soo naturally responded with a smile, promising to teach him.

Watching Haeon relax at his words, Lee Soo playfully tapped his cheek. The talismans he mentioned that would be needed later were intended to help rid Haeon of misfortune after the original story began.

The effects hadn’t been perfectly confirmed because they were made hastily with the spirits’ help. As Lee Soo was organizing the talismans, Haeon opened his mouth and said, “I forgot to tell you… there was a reason I came looking for Hunter Ryu Leesoo today.”

Lee Soo’s eyes rounded in surprise. He had assumed that Haeon had sought him out today, as usual, without any particular reason. But unexpectedly, there was a reason.

“What’s the reason? Let’s hear it.”

At Lee Soo’s nod, Haeon handed him a folder that he had been holding dearly since he entered the room. Lee Soo, noticing that it was the same folder Haeon had been guarding carefully, unfolded it without comment.

As Lee Soo began to read, Haeon cleared his throat and started to explain.

“This is the result of tests on when your healing powers are strongest and how you heal most effectively. As you can see, your healing power is highest when you are well-rested, and it turns out you absorb life force best not in the lab, but in bed.”

Lee Soo blinked in understanding as he read the organized content. He gestured for Haeon to continue, but the words seemed to stall strangely, prompting Lee Soo to look up at him inquisitively.

It seemed like there was a problem. Haeon was furrowing his brow in discomfort, his lips twitching uncertainly. More embarrassed than upset, he blushed deeply.

“…What is it?”

Lee Soo blinked in confusion, prompting Haeon, who had turned as red as his neck, to mumble hesitantly.

“We don’t have to sleep in the same bed, but it seems like a good idea to stay in the same quarters. Not for any other reason, but because it might help with healing…”

“Yes?”

“So… let’s live together.”

“Aren’t we almost living together already?”

Lee Soo muttered, wondering if they weren’t close enough already, as a flustered Haeon quickly grabbed his hand but hesitated to continue.

“…It seems insufficient. No, it is insufficient. I don’t mean actually sleeping together, just that spending a lot of time together in the same space seems like a good idea.”

As Haeon bit his lip, nervously holding Lee Soo’s gaze, Lee Soo let out a chuckle and gently shook the hand he held.

“Alright. Let’s live together.”

***

When Lee Soo mentioned the plan to live together with Haeon, the spirits had a subtly mixed reaction. Unsure why they reacted this way, Lee Soo picked up his phone.

He scrolled down the chat list until he found Dahyun. After looking at the emoji-free chat window for a moment, Lee Soo tapped the screen with his long fingernails.

[I’m planning to share a room with Healer Haeon. Could you help me move my stuff?]

[Yes, of course. I’ll come over soon.]

Lee Soo briefly checked the quick response and then closed the trunk that was packed with clothes. Other than the spirits floating aimlessly around, the room was quiet, filled only with the rustling of moving items.

The spirits seemed eager to say something, hovering around Lee Soo, but he was too busy packing to pay them any attention. Ignored by Lee Soo, the spirits glanced at each other as if having a silent conversation and then turned towards the door.

[Mu: Someone seems to be coming.]

[On: Lee Soo, did you call someone?]

“Ah, I called Hunter Dahyun.”

[Ju: Hmm, really? I see….]

Despite the hint of conspiracy in their voices, Lee Soo merely shrugged. He didn’t ask what they were thinking because he trusted that the spirits wouldn’t harm him.

As soon as Dahyun knocked on the door, the spirits quickly opened it and dragged him to a corner of the room.

Lee Soo, watching Dahyun’s compliant figure being taken away, chuckled and pulled out a book from the shelf. He had called Dahyun to help with some heavy lifting, but the spirits had whisked him away for a chat. Lee Soo couldn’t hear their conversation, as the spirits had taken measures to keep their discussion private.

After a while, Dahyun approached Lee Soo with a slightly odd expression and bowed his head.

“Good morning. Thanks for coming over on such short notice. I owe you a coffee later. Or a meal would be good too.”

Lee Soo grinned and flicked his nose, to which Dahyun nodded. “How can I help?” Dahyun asked, rolling up his shirt sleeves. After a moment’s thought, Lee Soo asked him to help with the talismans.

Normally, he wouldn’t ask someone else to handle such potentially dangerous items, but Dahyun was different—perhaps even more familiar with ‘Lee Soo’ and his needs than Lee Soo himself.

Assuming that Dahyun was accustomed to organizing talismans, he nodded matter-of-factly when Lee Soo asked for his help.

“Have you always kept the talismans in the same place?”

Looking around the almost empty house, Dahyun inquired. Holding a book close to his chest, Lee Soo considered where he usually kept them and then realized, “Ah, right.”

Since the spirits had been managing the talismans until recently, they would likely be where Dahyun mentioned. As soon as Lee Soo confirmed, Dahyun confidently went into the room and quickly returned with a bunch of talismans.

Dahyun handled the talismans without touching the inscriptions or risking tearing the paper. Seeing this careful handling, Lee Soo felt relieved and even asked the spirits to help out.

The spirits, grumbling near Lee Soo’s ear about how annoying it was, eventually showed up in their true forms. Soon, as if they had never protested, they scattered to help organize everything.

While organizing, Lee Soo listened to the spirits laughing uproariously but paused mid-action, caught in thought. It was half impulse, half meticulous calculation to accept Haeon’s proposal.

He wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. After having a long conversation with Jiwoo for the first time, Lee Soo kept questioning himself. Jiwoo spoke as if the weight of affection between him and Haeon differed.

Yet, from start to finish, no one is the same. The weight of emotions and words differs, which is natural. But Jiwoo’s words left the situation too ambiguous to conclude as just a natural matter.

Hesitating for a moment, Lee Soo eventually slumped his shoulders and sighed. There was no one to give a definitive answer, and his own pondering seemed only to produce wrong answers.

Lee Soo licked his dry lips and was about to continue sorting the talismans when he snapped out of his thoughts at Dahyun’s call.

“Ah, did you call? Sorry, I was just thinking… All the talismans are sorted now.”

“Is there anything else I can help with?”

“Then…”

Lee Soo trailed off as he looked around. The bedroom was arranged, clothes were packed, and books were accounted for. There was nothing left. Setting down the book in his hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. There was no immediate need for help in the bathroom, kitchen, or storage as the spirits were there.

“Nothing else… It seems we didn’t really lack helping hands after all. I feel like I wasted your time by calling you over for no reason. How can I make it up to you?”

Lee Soo frowned, but Dahyun shook his head.

“It’s okay. And since the spirits can’t move around easily in their true forms outside, it was right for me to help. Anyway, an extra hand was probably needed.”

Shrugging casually, Dahyun made Lee Soo smile knowingly. Dahyun appeared hesitant to say something further, but before he could, the moment of hesitation passed, leaving Lee Soo blinking in surprise.

Dahyun’s hesitant expression was clear, not something Lee Soo could just dismiss as a mistake.