Honbul: Flame of the Soul

“...There have long been rumors of rituals capable of granting an immortal body, but all such claims are false. In truth, they are merely groundless stories spread to deceive the public...”

As usual, Yoon Taehee spent part of the morning in the archives library at headquarters.

After exchanging several books and skimming through their contents, he checked the time on his wristwatch.

It was later than he thought.

Today was the day of the second-quarter budget presentation.

Pulling his mask back on, he left the archives.

“Chief, good morning!”

Staff members passing through the corridor immediately greeted him the moment they recognized Chief Yoon. Taehee acknowledged them with brief nods as he continued down the hallway at a brisk pace, long legs carrying him forward effortlessly.

By the time he reached the annex and rounded the corner toward Conference Room 2, he spotted Seok Juryeon approaching from the opposite direction with Han Juyoung at her side.

“Oh, Chief Yoon.”

Han Juyoung greeted him first.

Taehee, who had been walking with his hands clasped behind his back, slowed slightly and inclined his head toward Seok Juryeon.

“You’re here.”

Seok Juryeon merely nodded once.

Without another word, Taehee naturally fell into step beside her, turning Han Juyoung into what looked like a second aide trailing after them.

“I heard you were sick.”

Seok Juryeon spoke without looking at him.

Walking half a step behind her, Taehee glanced sideways. Apparently she already knew about his recent visits to the Purification Unit because of his fever and internal injuries.

“Yes. Just a cold.”

“...And now?”

“I’m fine.”

Again, Seok Juryeon said nothing further.

When they reached Conference Room 2, Taehee stepped ahead and opened the door for her. She walked in without even glancing his way.

“Unit Head, welcome!”

“Good morning, Unit Head!”

The Naja inside immediately rose from their seats.

Dozens of people bowed at once, creating an imposing sight. The atmosphere in the room shifted the moment Seok Juryeon entered. Conversation died almost instantly beneath the weight of her presence alone.

Taehee remained near the podium and slowly swept his gaze across the conference room.

Several long tables had been arranged in rows. Printed materials prepared in advance sat neatly at every seat. As usual, people were clustered together by department and team.

Since the presentation was being hosted by the Ritual Implements Department, most of those present belonged to that division, though personnel from the other departments—including the Exorcism Unit—were scattered throughout the room as well.

“Chief! Over here!”

A voice rang out from the back.

Kang Ibin was waving energetically with one arm raised high.

The members of Team 1 were gathered around her table, and Jaegyeom sat tucked away in a quiet corner near the back.

Even from that distance, their eyes met clearly.

Resting his chin against one hand, Jaegyeom stared blankly at Taehee for a moment before quietly looking away again.

The instant he saw him, his heart lurched heavily in his chest.

This was the first time they had seen each other since the cave.

Fortunately, they were not alone.

If they had been, the situation would have been far more uncomfortable.

Taehee slowly crossed the room from the podium.

The only empty seats remaining were the one beside Jaegyeom and the one beside Kang Ibin at the front of the table. Naturally, Jaegyeom assumed Taehee would sit near Kang Ibin, where it would be easier to watch the presentation.

But then the faint scent of cologne drifted closer.

And Jaegyeom realized he had been wrong.

Taehee deliberately chose the seat beside him in the far corner.

After sitting down, he exchanged a few casual words with the other team members before turning slightly toward Jaegyeom and studying his face.

“Hi.”

“...”

Jaegyeom barely managed to move his lips.

“...Yeah.”

It came out somewhere between a mumble and a grunt.

“Did you eat?”

“...Yeah.”

“What’d you have?”

Reluctantly, Jaegyeom glanced sideways at him.

“...Pork stir-fry over rice.”

“Was it good?”

Instead of answering, Jaegyeom gave a stiff nod.

“I didn’t eat,” Taehee said quietly, unprompted. “There wasn’t anyone to eat with.”

Jaegyeom wondered what the hell he was supposed to do with that information.

“...”

He glanced sideways again.

Because of the mask, he could not read Taehee’s expression at all. Only the lower half of his face remained visible beneath it—his sharp jawline and lips exposed through the opening.

After the awkward conversation about food, silence abruptly settled between them.

Pretending to review the documents in front of him, Jaegyeom became painfully aware of Taehee sitting right beside him.

The tension felt suffocating.

Awkward.

Unbearably uncomfortable.

He tried hard to regain his composure.

Just as Taehee appeared perfectly calm in Jaegyeom’s eyes, Jaegyeom hoped he himself looked equally unaffected.

The room, which had quieted when Seok Juryeon entered, gradually grew noisy again. Staff members from the Ritual Implements Department hurried around near the podium adjusting microphones and preparing materials for the presentation while conversations buzzed softly throughout the conference room.

Then suddenly, as if speaking to himself, Taehee murmured quietly, 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“I like you.”

Jaegyeom’s hand froze midway through turning a page.

...What?

He whipped his head around in disbelief.

But Taehee merely sat there casually twirling a pen between his fingers while looking down at the documents as if nothing had happened. His posture was so calm and indifferent that for a moment Jaegyeom wondered if he had imagined it.

Then the pen slipped from Taehee’s hand and fell between their chairs.

Jaegyeom glanced downward uncertainly.

In a flat voice, Taehee said,

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to pick it up?”

“...”

You drop it yourself and then order me to pick it up?

Completely dumbfounded by the shamelessness of it, Jaegyeom reluctantly bent down while remaining conscious of all the people around them.

But—

had he really just said that?

Did I hear wrong?

The moment ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Jaegyeom leaned down to retrieve the pen, Taehee tilted toward him and whispered softly near his temple.

“I like you.”

Jaegyeom froze on the spot, pen still in hand.

The whisper had been so quiet that no one else could possibly have heard it.

But Jaegyeom heard it clearly.

He had not imagined it.

Flushing hot, he straightened abruptly.

Meanwhile Taehee simply stared ahead and muttered again under his breath,

“I like you...”

The words spilled out as though he could no longer hold them back, a confession disguised as absent-minded murmuring.

At that point, Jaegyeom’s eye twitched violently.

They were inside headquarters.

Nearly a hundred people filled the conference room.

Team members sat directly in front of and behind them.

His heartbeat pounded wildly as cold sweat prickled down his back.

Underneath the table, Jaegyeom grabbed the hem of Taehee’s suit jacket and yanked hard.

“E-Everyone’s gonna hear you, you fucking lunatic...”

He hissed the words quietly through clenched teeth, desperately signaling him to stop.

Taehee glanced sideways at him.

Then, without a word, he calmly reached over and pulled Jaegyeom’s papers closer. Using the pen Jaegyeom had just picked up for him, he began writing something across the page.

Fidgeting nervously, Jaegyeom hurriedly scanned the room to make sure nobody had overheard anything.

Fortunately, everyone seemed focused elsewhere.

Only after confirming that did he finally look down at the paper.

The moment he saw the neatly written words, his eyes widened.

[I like you.]

“...”

Like someone caught in a trap, Jaegyeom slowly lifted his head.

Their faces were only inches apart now.

Their eyes locked silently against each other.

“The second-quarter budget presentation will now begin.”

At that exact moment, the lights in the conference room dimmed.