By Zephyria 
It was late, well past midnight.
Jae-gyeom sat cross-legged on the bed, staring intently at his phone.
“I’ll think about it. I think we should leave it at that for today.”
Yoon Tae-hee, who had said he would leave first, grabbed his car keys and walked out of the house. Jae-gyeom had been in this state ever since. Having vanished without saying where he was going, Yoon Tae-hee had not returned by nightfall. Since there was no news regardless of how long he waited, Jae-gyeom finally decided to call him after much deliberation.
He worried that the call might go unanswered, but fortunately, it connected quickly.
“Where are you?”
— I’m at home.
“Home?”
— The place where I lived alone.
Leaving the house in Gugi-dong, Yoon Tae-hee had headed to Unit 1402 of High Palace Building B, where he used to live. Even after moving to the countryside house, he occasionally had business in Seoul, so he had left the place as it was without clearing it out.
“Then when are you coming back?”
Yoon Tae-hee said he needed a few days to think and hung up, leaving word that he would contact him later. His usually affectionate voice was nowhere to be found; it was a low, dry tone devoid of any warmth.
And so, today marked the third day since Yoon Tae-hee had left the house.
It was the first time the two had been apart for this long since Jae-gyeom had opened his eyes.
Seok Ju-ryeon checked his watch.
He had arrived at the restaurant early and was waiting for Yoon Tae-hee.
‘Let’s have a meal together.’
A few days ago, unexpectedly, the younger man had reached out first.
‘I want to eat something expensive. Is that okay?’
‘Did something happen?’
‘Not particularly. Well, it’s not like we only eat together when something happens.’
Rubbing his forehead, Seok Ju-ryeon had replied.
‘What time?’
‘Any time is fine. I’m unemployed, so I’ll adjust to your schedule.’
Accordingly, the restaurant Yoon Tae-hee had chosen was a Western place serving pizza and pasta. The selection of a menu strictly tailored to his own taste was both cheeky and childlike, making Seok Ju-ryeon chuckle silently as he entered the restaurant.
How much time had passed after he was seated by a staff member?
At some point, there was the sound of a chime, and the door opened to reveal Yoon Tae-hee. Wearing an oversized black T-shirt and jeans, Yoon Tae-hee looked as if he had lost weight since the last time they met. Perhaps he had been through some emotional distress; his face looked sharper and leaner than usual, emphasizing his characteristically sensitive impression.
“…….”
Seok Ju-ryeon had intended to scold him, asking how someone unemployed could be late after being the one to call for the meeting, but he simply gazed at Yoon Tae-hee as he pulled out the opposite chair and sat down before speaking.
“You look like you’ve thinned down a bit.”
“Do I?”
Yoon Tae-hee absentmindedly stroked his own cheek.
“I’ve been eating poorly lately because I couldn’t be bothered, so that must be why.”
Answering in a nonchalant tone, Yoon Tae-hee belatedly asked after him.
“Did your inauguration ceremony go well?”
Instead of answering, Seok Ju-ryeon gave a slow nod. He had officially ascended to the position of Head of the Narye Bureau during the inauguration ceremony held recently. Although Seok Ju-ryeon had informed him of the date, Yoon Tae-hee did not attend. The last time they had met was the day they shared information regarding the establishment of the Department of Grievance Resolution; this was their first meeting since then.
“How is work these days? Is everything alright at the Exorcism Bureau?”
Seok Ju-ryeon replied with a small sigh.
“Don’t even get me started. I’m starting to feel cheated for being born in the Year of the Ox.”
At those words, Yoon Tae-hee laughed out loud.
Seok Ju-ryeon had been frantically busy for the past month. The Exorcism Bureau had finally entered the normalization phase, but it was a stage of cutting out the rot and waiting for new flesh to grow. There were too many things to attend to.
Seok Ju-ryeon and Yoon Tae-hee began their meal, using the inauguration as a topic of conversation. Because Yoon Tae-hee made provocative remarks from time to time, Seok Ju-ryeon stopped his hand several times and glared at him.
He thought there must be a purpose for this meeting, but seeing as there was no mention of anything until the meal ended, he assumed he had truly been called out just to eat. It was just as he was thinking that.
After a staff member came to clear the table, they served warm black tea as dessert.
“Jae-gyeom says he wants to be an exorcist again.”
The hand Seok Ju-ryeon used to lift his teacup froze instantly.
“…….”
Yoon Tae-hee muttered, lifting and lowering the tea bag.
“That’s why I’m conflicted. I don’t know what to do…….”
Seok Ju-ryeon remained silent for a moment. After composing his emotions, he spoke, hoping to appear poised.
“Why is that a conflict? Regardless of the boy’s wishes, the power of decision should lie with you.”
“What power do I have to decide whether he becomes an exorcist or not?”
“Isn’t that a strange thing to say while you’ve arbitrarily called out the Head of the Narye Bureau for a private meeting?”
At the pointed remark, Yoon Tae-hee let out a silent laugh with his lips pressed against the teacup.
It was indeed true. Despite being the leader of the Exorcist Order, who held the weaknesses of political and business figures in one hand, Yoon Tae-hee was in a cunning position where he could dare to call out Seok Ju-ryeon, the Head of the Narye Bureau, to meet face-to-face for a meal.
“If you don’t want him to become an exorcist, you could simply handle it on your end.”
“No, I don’t think that would work. I’d like to do that if it were just up to my heart… but he’s the kind of friend who runs away the more I try to keep him in my grip. Whenever I try to manipulate him, things that should have worked end up failing. In times like this, it’s better to just let him do what he wants and instead follow along to cover for him.”
At that, Seok Ju-ryeon smirked, clicked his tongue softly, and spoke.
“It seems you’re quite whipped.”
Instead of denying it, Yoon Tae-hee rested his chin on his hand, tracing the rim of the teacup.
“Anyway, I don’t think I can stop his choice. It’s his life, after all…….”
Muttering as if to himself, Yoon Tae-hee then shrugged and continued.
“Still, as you mentioned, Head of Department, I suppose I could handle things from behind. Like making sure he stays within an environment I desire. Even if that’s not the best option for me, it would be the next best thing.”
“…….”
“The Department of Spirit Suppression is a combat role, so I don’t like it because it seems too dangerous. I think the Department of Grievance Resolution would be better. It seems less dangerous than the Department of Spirit Suppression; what do you think, Head of Department? Is there a vacancy in the Department of Grievance Resolution?”
“…….”
A brief silence followed.
Having listened quietly, Seok Ju-ryeon spoke in a calm tone.
“If Kim Jae-gyeom becomes an exorcist, I will give you the position of Head of the Department of Grievance Resolution.”
At those words, Yoon Tae-hee, who was bringing the teacup to his lips, paused.
“…….”
The ability to accurately read between the lines.
‘If Kim Jae-gyeom becomes an exorcist, Yoon Tae-hee will undoubtedly follow him and become an exorcist as well.’
The corners of Yoon Tae-hee’s mouth curved into a wide, clear arc. Seok Ju-ryeon was certainly a difficult person to deal with. He must have guessed where this conversation was heading from the moment the topic was raised.
However, the reason the cautious Seok Ju-ryeon spoke so bluntly, unlike his usual self, was likely because that direction aligned with his own needs. Seok Ju-ryeon wanted Yoon Tae-hee to return to the Exorcism Bureau. Yoon Tae-hee still clearly remembered that intention, which had been subtly hinted at once before.
With a smirk, Yoon Tae-hee set down his teacup and spoke.
“I don’t want to be the Head of the Department of Grievance Resolution.”
When Yoon Tae-hee expressed his refusal, Seok Ju-ryeon’s expression hardened.
“……Why?”
Yoon Tae-hee replied, knitting his brows.
“‘Head Yoon’—it just doesn’t have the right feel to it.”
“…….”
“It doesn’t suit my surname. The nuance is tacky.”
“…….”
Seok Ju-ryeon, who had been inwardly tense, was left speechless. For a moment, he felt the tension drain out of him.
“Head Yoon, Head Yoon… Head Yoon…….”
Regardless, Yoon Tae-hee tapped the table with his index finger as if playing a piano, savoring the pronunciation, and then frowned as if he still didn’t like it.
“Doesn’t ‘Head Yoon’ sound a bit old? The combination of the surname and the title makes it look strangely aged. It sounds like some middle-aged man who can’t manage himself and has a potbelly; I feel like my mood would be ruined every time I heard it.”
“…….”
Faced with such an unexpected reason, Seok Ju-ryeon finally sighed and closed his eyes.
“…Is ‘Chief’ okay?”
“Of course, ‘Chief Yoon’ is fine.”
Whether then or now, whenever he spoke with Yoon Tae-hee, he felt as if he were being dragged along.
“Is that what’s important?”
To Seok Ju-ryeon’s somewhat exhausted voice, Yoon Tae-hee only laughed without answering.
“Then how about Branch Manager?”
“Branch Manager is better than just Head of Department, but since the word is three syllables, it’s cumbersome to say and hear, so I hate it.”
Seok Ju-ryeon didn’t even feel like trying to persuade him. He couldn’t fathom what the criteria were, and seeing how he nitpicked every single detail—this is bad because of this, that is bad because of that—it was clear that he had a specific set of requirements decided from the start. Knowing the boy’s personality, it was better to just throw a direct ball in times like this.
“What do you want?”
“Give me the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution.”
At those words, Seok Ju-ryeon paused, a look of surprise on his face.
“……You want the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution?”
“Yes. In exchange, give me full personnel authority over the 1st Team.”
Stopping his speech for a moment, Yoon Tae-hee corrected his slanted, leg-crossed posture and gazed at Seok Ju-ryeon with eyes devoid of laughter. They were clear, sharp eyes that one could not easily approach.
“Who I appoint is my prerogative, and that includes myself in the overall count.”