Chapter 56.2

Chapter 56.2

“They say even a bad connection is still a connection. So how about a handshake?”

He grinned shamelessly and thrust out his right hand.

Suho stared at the hand twitching so casually at his eye level. He hesitated for a beat, and in that space Seok-kyung let out a short, cutting laugh.

“What’s wrong? Afraid touching a lunatic will give you some kind of disease?”

Even at the jab, Suho’s face stayed smooth.

“No. As far as I know, there aren’t any legally recognized infectious diseases that spread that way.”

He rose slowly from his chair. Then, instead of taking Seok-kyung’s hand where he stood, he deliberately stepped sideways, two paces out, and faced him head-on.

“Ha…”

Seok-kyung’s laugh was hollow, sharp with the knowledge of Suho’s little ploy. From that angle, Ara, who was hidden behind Seok-kyung’s shoulder, could no longer read Suho’s expression.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim Seok-kyung.”

With formal politeness, Suho clasped his hand. But his once-ordinary gaze now rippled with the dangerous depth of a bottomless swamp.

The moment their hands locked, Seok-kyung bound him with sheer force. His grip crushed down, and between their palms, golden letters flared from the ring on his finger, branding themselves into Suho’s skin.

Crackle.

The sound of current tore through the air as blue sparks leapt between their joined hands. It was Chesi, the spell of true sight, crafted so it could never scar human flesh.

The holy sparks struck something hidden beneath Suho’s skin; a barrier, like a blade screeching across iron.

Seok-kyung’s brow furrowed deep, his whole face tightening.

In that instant, what he felt on the far side of the barrier was darker, fouler than he had imagined. It was an aura so vicious and secretive that the reek of black energy left no doubt.

The source of the miasma tainting Ara was buried deep inside this man, Yoon Suho.

“Interesting. You thought you could play hide-and-seek with me?”

Seok-kyung’s refined lips curled, his contempt unhidden.

‘Possession or spirit exchange.’

He couldn’t be certain yet, but either way it was trouble.

‘A demon that could take over a human body, and hide its presence so cleanly. This isn’t some ordinary restless ghost.’

Worse, since it wore human flesh, Seok-kyung was bound. He could never harm a human, which meant any exorcism would be a brutal challenge.

“I don’t know what scheme you’re running, but consider this a warning.”

His grip crushed down on Suho’s hand, yanking him forward with terrifying strength. Suho didn’t resist, and their faces were drawn close, eye to eye.

“If you so much as touch a single hair on Na Ara’s head…”

The words were low, a cold whisper pitched for Suho’s ears alone.

“…I’ll burn every trace of you. Not just your foul spirit, but your name in the underworld’s register too.”

Losing one’s soul and being erased from the registry meant annihilation. no foothold left in any realm. A threat equal to promising death itself.

“If you’re capable of it, then by all means.”

Suho’s reply came with a smile, his eyes twisting with a malice so cold it made the air prickle.

Seok-kyung let go, his face like ice, and flung Suho’s hand aside.

He spun around, reached for Ara, and ripped the hairpin from her hair. The pin clattered to the ground, and his shoe ground it underfoot without mercy.

Crack!

The sound was sharp, brutal enough to draw stares.

“What the h*ll do you think you’re doing?!”

Ara’s shout rang through the café.

“Just get outside. I’ll explain.”

Still gripping her hand, Seok-kyung pulled her with him and strode out the door.

To the other patrons, it looked like nothing more than a jealous lover’s quarrel. They averted their eyes and whispered among themselves.

“Wait! Hold on! Kim Seok-kyung! You can’t just– let me go! Kim Seok-kyung, I said let go!”

Half-dragged, Ara fought with all her strength. Even throwing her weight against him, she couldn’t slow his stride. He marched forward, unfazed, hauling her along until they turned into a narrow alley beside the café.

Only then did his grip loosen, their fingers unclasping.

“What the h*ll is wrong with you today?”

Ara clutched her aching wrist, glaring at him. Her hair, freed and whipped by the wind, brushed her cheeks like trailing tears.