Chapter 63.1

Chapter 63.1

“Na Ara.”

His deep, low voice brushed against her cheek.

Ara swallowed hard without realizing it.

Seok-kyung’s face filled her narrowed field of vision, close enough that their noses could almost touch. The air in the room wasn’t warm at all, yet her chest and cheeks burned.

This was dangerous. Way too dangerous.

Just as she started to move back, her fingers twitching nervously, Seok-kyung spoke.

“Don’t move.”

His hand came up to cradle the back of her neck.

“W-wait…”

Ara’s hands clenched on her thighs as she forced her lips to move.

She wasn’t ignorant of what this kind of atmosphere meant. She knew, at least in theory, how these situations usually unfolded, how a distance this small could change everything.

At least, she knew it in her head.

But knowing was one thing, and facing it was another. No man had ever touched her like this… so close, so deliberate.

Seok-kyung studied her for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. The faint gold shimmer in his dark eyes flickered with amusement.

Why is he laughing? Does it show that I have no experience? Is this nothing to him, just another game?

Ara’s lips parted in protest, but before she could speak, Seok-kyung lifted his other hand. Heat brushed against her collarbone.

Before she could even process the touch, he leaned closer.

Ara’s eyes squeezed shut on instinct.

But his lips didn’t touch hers.

Instead, he stopped at her neck, the corner of his mouth curling faintly as he pressed his lips against the jewel hanging from her necklace.

A long, languid breath escaped him, seeping into the gem.

A soft blue light, like a will-o’-the-wisp, shimmered around the diamond and began to ripple faintly.

Ara shivered, her shoulders trembling as his breath brushed her skin. She looked down and met Seok-kyung’s eyes, gazing up at her from beneath her chin.

“…”

His fingers still held the tiny jewel. Warm breath slipped through slightly parted lips, and those steady, beautiful eyes stayed fixed on her.

Ara couldn’t breathe. Everything about the moment felt unreal.

Seok-kyung only straightened once he was sure the energy had settled. The necklace slipped from his fingers and brushed softly against her chest.

“It’s temporary, but it should work as a protective charm.”

He tapped his fingers together, and the blue aura flickering around the gem folded inward, fading until it looked completely ordinary again.

Ara gasped for air, coughing as if her breath had been trapped the whole time. Her heart raced, a mix of heat, confusion, and something dangerously close to disappointment clogging her throat.

“You did that on purpose.”

Her eyes narrowed, sharp and accusing.

“What?”

He looked genuinely blank, as if he had no idea what she meant.

“Don’t play dumb. You could’ve just asked me to take it off.”

“Ah. I didn’t think of that.”

He even looked regretful, as if he meant it.

Unbelievable.

Ara sighed hard, berating herself for falling for it again.

“Forget it. I was stupid to say anything.”

Seok-kyung’s lips curved in quiet amusement. Somehow, even while teasing her, he never lost that maddeningly perfect face.

“Do you remember the tracker I used last time?”

He nodded toward the necklace. “This one works the same way. Think of it as a GPS that also wards off evil.”

Still sulking, Ara touched the gem. The faint pulse of warmth inside it told her enough that it was his power.

Which meant…

“You’re helping me?”

“Not enough to risk my life for it.”

The words sounded cold, but to Ara they were as good as a yes. Her face lit up, and she jumped to her feet.

“That’s fine! I promise I won’t drag you into danger. Just giving me this is more than enough. If you could just wait until I find a way–”

“Don’t be reckless.”

His voice cut through hers, firm again.

“That charm won’t save you if you provoke it. You still don’t understand how malicious that thing inside Yoon Suho really is.”

Ara waited until he finished, then hesitated.

“It’s okay if I just meet him, right? To check on him?”

“…”

“What about introducing him to a shaman or a priest? A monk? Maybe a pastor?”

“And if I say no, will you actually listen?”

Seok-kyung clicked his tongue. Ara laughed awkwardly, caught red-handed.

He sighed. “Then follow two rules.”

She straightened, hopeful.

“First, don’t let him know you’re aware of what’s inside him.”

“And second?”

“Don’t get too close.”