YS 69

“……Jo Young-woo?”

The identity of the last person to arrive was none other than Jo Young-woo.

“My god… Jae-gyeom?!”

Jo Young-woo seemed equally shocked, covering his mouth with both hands. Jae-gyeom had actually asked Yoon Tae-hee about Jo Young-woo’s whereabouts after the Exorcist Order incident, worrying about him. Since he was told that Young-woo was doing well without any issues, Jae-gyeom had assumed he had returned to school safely; he never dreamed he would meet him here.

Without realizing it, Jae-gyeom stepped toward Jo Young-woo and grabbed his hand firmly.

“How did this happen? How have you been?”

After being released from Su-hyang’s control, Jo Young-woo had been living as a Chorani, commuting to the main office while continuing his studies. Jo Young-woo had no memory of the time he spent under Su-hyang’s control, so Yoon Tae-hee had explained everything that had happened in detail. It was because Tae-hee believed Young-woo needed to know exactly what had occurred to him. Jo Young-woo had been deeply shocked to learn the truth.

“Even after all that happened, do you still want to stay at the Exorcism Bureau?”

After being lost in thought for a while, Jo Young-woo cautiously nodded.

“I like it here, where there are people like me.”

“You’re a strong-willed friend. I understand.”

Then, as the establishment of the Department of Grievance Resolution was finalized, Yoon Tae-hee had visited Jo Young-woo and proposed, ‘If you’re okay with it, would you like to join the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution?’ Jo Young-woo accepted the offer and joined the team. Jae-gyeom, who felt a debt of gratitude toward Jo Young-woo, was simply delighted to be reunited.

The two stepped aside for a moment to talk privately.

“You must have been surprised when I disappeared without a word back then, right? I’m sorry about that.”

“No. I think I understand why you did it now. I understand.”

“But how did you find out about the Exorcism Bureau?”

“Ah, that was…….”

Last summer, upon hearing the sudden news that Jae-gyeom had dropped out of school, Jo [stolen content]Young-woo spent several days in a daze. Worried that something might have happened to Jae-gyeom, he visited teachers and asked everyone around him, but no one knew the circumstances.

When the friend he had finally opened his heart to vanished overnight, Jo Young-woo returned to his former quiet self. When walking, he would keep his head down, trudging along while staring only at the ground. It was shortly after Jae-gyeom’s departure that the same vengeful spirit reappeared before him.

On his usual way home from school alone, Jo Young-woo froze in his tracks upon seeing a woman in front of the school gate. It was the woman he had encountered before, with eyes that were entirely pitch-black without any whites. She had approached Jo Young-woo, saying strange things about butterflies bringing misfortune. Jo Young-woo still vividly remembered the terror he felt then. In an instant, he unconsciously stepped backward and looked down at his feet.

“Whenever you meet people from now on, look carefully at their feet.”

For some reason, Jae-gyeom’s words suddenly flashed through his mind.

And so, when he looked at the woman’s feet, there was no shadow. Only then did Jo Young-woo realize that the woman was not human, and that Jae-gyeom had known this all along and hidden it from him. The woman was slowly examining the faces of the students leaving school. It was as if she were searching for someone.

Then, finally, the moment his eyes met the woman’s.

Startled, Jo Young-woo turned pale and froze in place like a stone. The woman approached, seemingly recognizing Jo Young-woo at a glance. She asked in a cautious voice.

“Where is that boy? I’ve been looking for several days, but I can’t find him…….”

Jo Young-woo hesitated at those words. Her previously ominous attitude was gone, and she had become much gentler. He didn’t need to ask who ‘that boy’ stolen [unauthorized copy]contentwas. She was clearly looking for Jae-gyeom.

“H-he doesn’t come to s-school anymore.”

Though trembling with fear, Jo Young-woo managed to stammer out an answer. When he told her that Jae-gyeom had dropped out and vanished without a trace, the woman nodded and murmured softly.

“I see…….”

The woman slowly held out something in her hand.

“I came to return this…….”

It was the necktie that Jae-gyeom had previously handed to the vengeful spirit.

“If you happen to meet him later, could you return this for me? I have no time left. I will be leaving this land soon. Thanks to that boy, my grudge has been resolved.”

What does that mean? Jo Young-woo was holding the tie with a bewildered expression.

“I’m sorry about last time. I was so desperate that I tried to harm you. [unauthorized copy]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen content]stolen content -->That’s how urgent it was. But thanks to that boy stopping me, I can leave this land without committing any more sins.”

Jo Young-woo froze at the unexpected apology. Though her appearance was still eerie, he felt an indescribable sense of peace emanating from her. Perhaps that was why she didn’t seem as scary as before.

Jo Young-woo looked around once and then gathered the courage to ask.

“A-are you… a ghost…?”

“Yes, that’s right. Did that boy not tell you?”

“No, he didn’t say anything. He just said it was ordinary…….”

At Jo Young-woo’s words, the vengeful spirit bowed her head and smiled faintly.

“Ordinary. Ordinary, huh. Well, in his eyes, someone like me naturally looks ordinary. If he disappeared suddenly, since he was such a powerful spirit medium, he might have become an exorcist.”

“An exorcist……?”

That was when Jo Young-woo first learned about the existence of exorcists and the Exorcism Bureau through the vengeful spirit. After hearing that Jae-gyeom might have become an exorcist, Read on Read BL NovelsJo Young-woo began inquiring at temples and shaman houses he knew, and luckily, he was able to [unauthorized copy]make a connection quickly. He traveled to Seoul and wandered aimlessly near the Exorcism Bureau, where he caught the eye of a patrolling exorcist and eventually entered the Bureau.

“So that’s what happened.”

Having heard the story, Jae-gyeom nodded.

There were many more things he wanted to ask and hear. Yet, he didn’t feel an immediate sense of regret because they now had time to spend together in the future. Where there is a meeting, there is a parting, and where there is a parting, they meet again on the same path after circling back. He felt quite pleased that the ties he thought were severed were reaching his hand one by one. Looking at Jo Young-woo, who had grown slightly taller and was smiling brightly, Jae-gyeom reached out for a handshake.

“Let’s get along well from now on.”

“Yeah. I look forward to it!”

“We’ll probably have many days of eating together in the future.”

“Like before?”

“Yes, like before.”

“Let’s go eat now, too.”

Jo Young-woo nodded with a bright smile.

“Okay!”

The next day, for the first time in a very long while, Jae-gyeom prepared to enter the office.

The night before, he had taken out his shoes to polish them and picked up the suit he had left at the dry cleaner. It had been a long time since he wore a suit. It was a navy suit that Yoon Tae-hee had bought for him at a department store once. He had worn this same outfit when he first entered the Exorcism Bureau, and for some reason, it brought back a wave of emotion. After changing, Jae-gyeom looked at himself in the mirror. Feeling somewhat unfamiliar, he awkwardly smoothed his bangs.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The day of the Department of Grievance Resolution’s inauguration.

Today was the day all exorcists of the Exorcism Bureau were summoned simultaneously. As it was a solemn and significant occasion that everyone had to attend without exception, the ceremony was held in the grand auditorium located in the main building of the Exorcism Bureau.

Yoon Tae-hee had woken up at dawn and headed to the main office early to prepare for the ceremony. Jae-gyeom decided to enter the office with his teammates. The Jongmyo Shrine, which he visited after a long time, looked exactly as it had before.

Jae-gyeom followed closely behind the members of the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution. As they pushed Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized copy]open the heavy doors and entered the hall, the noise of the hundreds of people buzzing inside stopped all at once, as if by agreement.

The appearance of the 1st Team members was enough to instantly draw all eyes in the room. In the chilly silence, countless gazes intertwined. Jae-gyeom looked left and right to gauge the reactions. Gazes of quiet observation, hostility, and curiosity crossed in a dizzying array.

With the official establishment of the Department of Grievance Resolution, the interior of the Exorcism Bureau was caught in a giant whirlpool. Conflicts arose, with opposing and supporting factions engaging in daily verbal battles, and the center of that controversy was, naturally, Yoon Tae-hee. The opposing side’s position was: ‘How can the main culprit of the rebellion, who led ghosts to devastate the Exorcism Bureau, be brought back as an exorcist, and as the head of a newly established department, of all things?’

Nevertheless, the reason Yoon Tae-hee could be in this position was due to the tacit agreement of the higher-ups and the strong support of Seok Ju-ryeon, who had newly taken office as the Head of the Narye Bureau.

On the platform, the heads of each department were seated solemnly in a row, led by Seok Ju-ryeon. Seok Ju-ryeon stared straight ahead with an expressionless face, and beside him sat Master Yeohye in a colorless hanbok, his back straight. The heads of the 1st Teams of each department stood in a disciplined line behind them with their hands behind their backs, as if assisting the executives; in that gap, Jae-gyeom immediately spotted Yoon Tae-hee.

Unlike his time in the Department of Spirit Suppression, Yoon Tae-hee was not wearing a mask, revealing his bare face. With his bangs swept up, he wore a perfectly fitted black suit. It had been a very long time since Jae-gyeom had seen Yoon Tae-hee dressed in such a sharp suit. Standing with his hands behind his back and an expressionless face staring forward, Yoon Tae-hee looked like a flawless human being without a single blemish. It was such a stark contrast to the person who, until yesterday, had been wearing a loose t-shirt and pajama pants at home, whining annoyingly, ‘Do you love me?’ that it felt surreal.

Just then, a voice flowed from the moderator’s microphone.

“An announcement to all exorcists of the Exorcism Bureau and our distinguished guests. The main event will begin shortly, so please take your seats in the audience.”

After organizing the hall, the moderator declared the start of the ceremony in a solemn atmosphere.

“We will now begin the official inauguration ceremony of the Department [visit our site]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[stolen content]of Grievance Resolution, ‘The Exorcism Bureau for a New Era.’”

Thunderous applause erupted, and after the national rites, Seok Ju-ryeon’s opening address began. Seated in his place, Jae-gyeom wiped the sweat from his palms on his knees. He felt strangely nervous.

After the opening address, the next part of the program followed.

“Next, we will have the inauguration commemorative speech and the reading of the declaration by Chief Yoon Tae-hee of the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution.”

At the moderator’s call, Yoon Tae-hee straightened his posture and walked steadily toward the podium.

“Hello. I am Yoon Tae-hee, Chief of the 1st Team of the Department of Grievance Resolution.”

Jae-gyeom was inwardly surprised. He hadn’t expected Yoon Tae-hee to stand on the podium and speak personally. After all, the place where Yoon Tae-hee stood was an incredibly heavy position. Until a moment ago, Yoon Tae-hee had looked far from nervous—he had even looked bored, to the point that it was hard to believe he was the one about to give a speech. Yet, standing before the podium, his eyes were clear, as if he had never been bored.

“First, it is an honor to stand here and see all the exorcists once again.”

Beginning his speech with a polite greeting, Yoon Tae-hee slowly looked around the room.

“You’re all wondering why I’m here, aren’t you?”

The venue stirred for a moment at the tone, which sounded somewhat light and mismatched with the consistently solemn atmosphere. But that was only for a moment. Soon, the atmosphere settled again, and only an awkward silence lingered in the hall.

Then, Yoon Tae-hee released his hands from behind his back, gripped the edge of the podium with both hands, and suddenly beamed a smile.

“Some of you are staring at me as if you want to kill me. The atmosphere is quite murderous.”