Late at night, Mu-ryeong instinctively opened his eyes.
The room was sparsely furnished, with only the essentials. A blanket spread over the floor added a cozy touch to the space. No moonlight seeped in, leaving the room cloaked in darkness.
“......”
Blinking a few tis, Mu-ryeong turned his gaze toward the window.
The air was thick with the spiritual energy of an exorcist, yet sothing unfamiliar lingered within it. Squinting slightly, he scanned the room until a faint flickering light seeped through the narrow gap in the window.
Mu-ryeong rubbed his eyes with one hand and slowly sat up.
Pushing the sumr blanket aside, he got to his feet and walked toward the window. The closer he got, the more intense the presence that had stirred him from sleep beca.
Clatter.
He slid the window open.
A gust of hot sumr air rushed into the room.
At the sa ti, a vivid blue fla flickered past his vision, flaring up in the middle of the room.
“...Huh?”
The fla wavered weakly, its glow dim and unsteady.
It wasn’t showing off as usual.
Mu-ryeong stepped closer, cupping his hands together. The small fire hesitated before drifting toward him, settling atop his palms. It pulsed anxiously, swelling and shrinking, as if deeply unsettled.
“......”
As ti passed, the last traces of sleep disappeared from Mu-ryeong’s face.
His eyes sharpened, their usual warmth taking on a more focused intensity.
For a while, he simply stared at the fla, not making a sound.
Then, as if soothing a skittish animal, he gathered a faint thread of spiritual energy at his fingertips.
“It’s okay.”
His soft, patient voice carried reassurance.
The fla trembled for a mont, but gradually, it began to stabilize.
Mu-ryeong lightly ran his fingers through it, the way he would scratch under Seolgi’s chin.
“There, good boy...”
The once-restless fla settled, its flickering movents turning calm.
Then, like a sigh, it nuzzled against Mu-ryeong’s hands before dissolving into thin air, vanishing in wisps of smoke.
“......”
Darkness reclaid the room.
Instead of returning to his blanket, Mu-ryeong remained standing for a mont.
The silence that filled the space seed to mirror the complicated thoughts running through his mind.
***
Sumr vacation had begun.
The sun blazed down, heating the asphalt to a simr.
Cicadas droned endlessly, their cries rging with the low hum of a rolling suitcase and the chatter of two voices.
“Did you forget anything?”
“Nope.”
“You packed enough clothes?”
“Yeah, I’ve got everything.”
“If you run out, you can borrow so from my brother.”
“I won’t run out. I packed plenty.”
One person pulled the suitcase.
The other walked beside him, talking nonstop.
Mu-ryeong, of course, was the one chatting away—asking about lunch, suggesting they grab sothing to eat if they were hungry, keeping up a constant, easy stream of conversation.
“Seung-joo said he’s coming over for dinner.”
He turned to Hwan-young with a bright smile.
Mu-ryeong always smiled, but today, he seed especially cheerful.
He practically radiated warmth, shining even brighter than the relentless sumr sun above them.
‘Pack your things and co to my house tomorrow.’
Yesterday, after the last day of school, they had gone to the bus stop together like usual.
Mu-ryeong had casually told Hwan-young that he’d be staying at his place for the whole break—from the day after the closing ceremony to the day before school resud.
‘Should I co pick you up?’
When Mu-ryeong offered to carry his things, Hwan-young had refused.
He barely had much to pack, and if sothing was heavy for him, it would be heavy for Mu-ryeong too.
Mu-ryeong, already expecting the refusal, had simply grinned and nodded.
‘Seolgi’s gonna be happy.’
That’s what he had said, but in truth, Mu-ryeong was even happier than his dog would be.
He had always enjoyed being around people, so the idea of having soone stay with him for the entire sumr made him unreasonably excited.
Would he have felt this way if it were anyone but Hwan-young?
Mu-ryeong chose to ignore the curiosity that briefly surfaced in his mind.
“The weather’s nice. Maybe I should give Seolgi a bath today.”
“This is nice weather?”
“Yup! For fluffy dogs, cold weather is worse. If they get wet, they can catch a cold easily. As long as it’s not too humid, hot weather is /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ better. It’s like laundry—it dries faster on warm days.”
Mu-ryeong went on to explain how dog fur and clothes were pretty similar. Washing them wasn’t all that different either.
With how big and fluffy Seolgi was, giving him a bath was practically a full workout.
“...It’s so hot.”
By the ti they reached Mu-ryeong’s house, his face had turned pink from the heat.
He panted slightly, fanning himself with his shirt.
Hwan-young watched him for a mont before awkwardly clearing his throat and quickly looking away.
“Seung-joo! Co eat!”
Mu-ryeong didn’t bother with the doorbell or calling his phone—he just yelled.
It was a ridiculous thod, but the mont he shouted, the wooden gate creaked open.
“You’re gonna get noise complaints.”
Seung-joo clicked his tongue as he stepped outside.
He was dressed in casual athletic wear—loose-fitting shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt.
The brand logos on his outfit matched, making him look like he was about to model for a sports comrcial.
“Why do we always end up like this, even on break?”
Seung-joo sighed dramatically.
He glanced between them, unimpressed, as if they were just replicating their usual lunch table setup from school.
Then, noticing Hwan-young’s suitcase, he raised a brow.
“Did you pack everything?”
“You sound just like him.”
Hwan-young gave Mu-ryeong a sideways glance.
Seung-joo scoffed but didn’t deny it.
“Seung-joo, you should sleep over too.”
“Not happening.”
“Why not? My sister’s coming over later.”
“Mu-yeon? It’s been a while since I last saw her.”
The three of them walked through the gate and into Mu-ryeong’s house.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
The mont they stepped inside, Seolgi ca bounding toward them from the yard, his tail wagging furiously.
It was impossible to tell where he had been rolling around, but his fur was covered in burrs and grass seeds.
“Seolgi... What did you get into this ti?”
“Wow, White Seolgi definitely needs a bath today.”
Mu-ryeong sighed dramatically, while Seung-joo shook his head in resignation.
Seolgi, however, was completely unbothered, his front paws landing on Hwan-young’s legs as he wagged his tail harder, as if begging to be picked up.
When Hwan-young crouched down and placed his suitcase aside, Seolgi took the opportunity to lick his face enthusiastically.
“Look at him—he’s so excited.”
Seung-joo knelt as well, reaching out to pet Seolgi.
Or rather, he stealthily began plucking the burrs from the dog’s fur.
Unfortunately, he must have tugged a little too hard—
“Yelp!”
Seolgi let out an exaggerated cry, earning an amused look from Mu-ryeong.
“Help
bathe him later.”
Mu-ryeong scooped Seolgi up effortlessly despite his weight.
It was a stable hold, but considering how big Seolgi was, he still looked a bit strained.
And so, with Mu-ryeong carrying Seolgi, Hwan-young pulling his suitcase, and Seung-joo still trying to remove burrs from Seolgi’s fur, the three of them finally made their way into the house.
“Mom, we’re ho!”
“Seung-joo! You’re here? Hwan-young, welco.”
Mu-ryeong’s mother greeted them warmly, her usual bright smile stretching across her face.
When Mu-ryeong sighed about the ss Seolgi had gotten into, she playfully patted the dog’s plump backside.
Seolgi, the traitor, happily wagged his tail in response, enjoying the attention.
“Go wash up, then co eat. I made bulgogi.”
After wiping Seolgi’s paws with a wet tissue, the three of them gathered at the dining table.
Knowing that both Seung-joo and Hwan-young were coming, Mu-ryeong’s mother had prepared a feast.
Not surprisingly, all three of them cleared their plates quickly—Mu-ryeong and Hwan-young included, but even Seung-joo, who normally complained about being picky, polished off two servings.
After the al, they set up the hose in the yard, ready to bathe Seolgi.
The mont they pulled out the large basin, the normally docile dog bolted across the yard.
Mu-ryeong imdiately sprinted after him, tackling him before he could escape further.
anwhile, Seung-joo, unfazed, had already started filling the basin with water.
“...He’s whining a lot.”
“He’s being dramatic. He’ll be fine.”
Despite Seolgi’s pitiful whining, Mu-ryeong easily held onto him, placing him in the basin.
Hwan-young, watching from the side, felt a little bad.
Does he hate water?
That thought lasted only a second—
Because the mont Seolgi hit the water—
Splash!
Water flew everywhere.
“......”
“...Are you okay?”
Mu-ryeong looked at Hwan-young with a guilty smile.
In hindsight, he should have warned him, but he had been too focused on catching Seolgi.
Drenched and montarily stunned, Hwan-young stared at him blankly.
anwhile, Seung-joo, who had been kneeling next to the basin, grimaced.
“Hey... I got it way worse than him.”
He wasn’t exaggerating.
If Hwan-young had been splashed, Seung-joo had practically gone into the basin with Seolgi.
Since Seolgi had shaken off the water directly onto him, his entire front was soaked.
Sighing, Seung-joo wiped his face with his sleeve and then turned to Mu-ryeong.
“Hurry up and shampoo him already.”
With practiced ease, Mu-ryeong lathered Seolgi’s fur, making sure to scrub between his toes as well.
Throughout the whole process, he murmured softly, “All done, Seolgi, good boy, all done,” as if trying to reassure him.
Not that it helped—Seolgi kept inching forward in the basin, as if he could escape if he just walked far enough.
Finally, the bath ended.
The mont Mu-ryeong lifted him out of the water, Seolgi imdiately ran to Hwan-young.
Dripping wet, he shoved his face into Hwan-young’s chest, as if seeking comfort.
His tail drooped slightly, as if utterly betrayed.
It seed he had decided to ignore both Mu-ryeong, who had washed him, and Seung-joo, who had prepared the water—blaming only them for his suffering.
“Seolgi, you’re getting him all wet.”
Mu-ryeong scolded lightly, though he was laughing as he did.
Seolgi, of course, ignored him completely.
And as a result—
Now Hwan-young was just as soaked as the rest of them.
“...Sorry, now you’re drenched too.”
“It’s fine.”
“...Hey. I already said I got it worse than all of you.”
Shaking off the excess water with towels, they finally carried Seolgi back inside.
When Mu-ryeong’s mother saw the state they were in, she burst out laughing.
She asked if they had all bathed together, and none of them could bring themselves to deny it.
By the ti Seolgi dried off, he was back to his usual self.
Snatching up a ball, he happily bounded around the house.
First, he dropped it at Mu-ryeong’s feet.
Then, at Seung-joo’s.
And finally, at Hwan-young’s.
After making each of them throw it once, he plopped himself down in a sunny patch by the window, sprawled out as if exhausted.
With his slightly damp fur catching the light, he looked almost like freshly toasted bread.
“...He’s exhausting.”
Seung-joo groaned, flopping down onto the living room floor with his head resting on Seolgi’s side.
Petting the soft fur absentmindedly, he muttered, “White Seolgi, you’re way too much work.”
Between the full stomach, the warm house, and the gentle atmosphere, it wouldn’t be surprising if he drifted off soon.
“You should nap too.”
Mu-ryeong tapped Hwan-young’s leg lightly, his crescent eyes filled with warmth.
Hwan-young looked at Mu-ryeong, then at Seung-joo, then at Seolgi—
And for a brief mont, a thought crossed his mind.
It’s been so long since I spent a break like this.
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