Mu-ryeong’s Spirit

The sky, covered in thick storm clouds, looked ready to unleash a downpour at any moment. The forecast about the rainy season arriving hadn’t been wrong—it was gloomy even in broad daylight. Mu-ryeong sat on the window ledge, tilting his head back as he gazed up at the sky.

“How long is it going to stay like this…”

On days as overcast as this, spirits with strong yin energy often lost their way and wandered aimlessly. Regular spirits couldn’t roam in the daytime, but those with a bit more power could hide in the elongated shadows. That was why strange occurrences were more common on rainy days.

“The rainy season lasts at least a week,” Seung-joo responded absentmindedly, flipping through his notes from class. He then scolded Mu-ryeong to get down from the window. Mu-ryeong grinned wordlessly and returned to his seat beside him.

“Just one more hour to go, then it’s finally lunchtime.”

“…Did you come to school just to eat?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“Yeah… Actually, same.”

With final exams approaching, Seung-joo looked half out of his mind. Unlike Mu-ryeong, he actually put effort into studying, which naturally reflected in his grades.

Mu-ryeong observed him quietly for a moment before speaking as if something had just come to mind.

“Ki Hwan-young is eating lunch with us today.”

“That guy again—” Seung-joo stopped mid-sentence, clicking his tongue in frustration. “That’s not even his real name, you know.”

Mu-ryeong had been bringing up Ki Hwan-young so often that Seung-joo had long stopped listening. But this time, Mu-ryeong responded with conviction.

“No, he knows now.”

“…”

Snap.

Seung-joo’s mechanical pencil broke with a sharp crack. He furrowed his brows, clicking out more lead while letting out a low sigh. Then, as if something clicked, he let out a small exclamation.

“Oh… Right, you two came to school together today.”

Gossip really did spread fast. There had barely been anyone on their way to school this morning, yet the news had already reached Seung-joo. When Mu-ryeong didn’t deny it, Seung-joo simply nodded.

“So what happened?”

“Hmm…”

Instead of answering right away, Mu-ryeong rested his head on the desk with a thoughtful hum. Seung-joo glanced at him from the corner of his eye.