Chapter 65.1

Chapter 65.1

The message from Suho came the next afternoon.

She had just finished lunch and, like the day before, was sprawled across the wooden floor of the old house, absorbed in her searching. That was when her phone began buzzing insistently, one alert after another.

“I figured you were in a difficult situation, so I waited a day. But when I still didn’t hear from you, I got worried.”

“Could you at least tell me if you’re doing okay?”

“Reply whenever you can. I’ll be waiting.”

Ara read the messages without opening the chat, catching each line as the notifications appeared and disappeared across the screen.

If she did not know the truth, it would have seemed like nothing but kindness.

He had been humiliated in a crowded cafe, yet not a single word of blame followed. Instead, he waited. Instead of pressing for answers, he asked only how she was, his tone careful and concerned.

“Creepy,” she muttered.

Ara rubbed her arms, a shiver crawling over her skin for no good reason.

If possession worked like this, did it mean the thing inside him could use the host’s memories, speech, even habits, as weapons?

Thinking back, she had never felt anything especially strange when she was with Suho. Sometimes his gaze seemed a little darker, but she had brushed it off as nothing more than shadows cast by the light.

And when they talked about the past, everything had flowed so smoothly. He remembered trivial stories even she had forgotten, old classmates’ names she barely recalled. She had even joked that his memory was terrifyingly good.

“This time, I’m not falling for it. Not again.”

She straightened up, resolve hardening.

Her fingers hovered over the edge of the phone, hesitating, before tapping the darkened screen and opening the message window.

If she had to face it anyway, sooner was better.

The longer she waited, the more time the thing inside him would have to prepare.

Ara took a deep breath. Faster than the pounding of her heart, her fingers began typing.

“Sunbae. I’m sorry.”

*Sunbae – senior, someone with more experience; upperclassmen

“I didn’t have my head on straight and couldn’t reach out.”

“About what happened that day, I’d like to apologize in person. Are you free today?”

Calm. Natural. Careful.

“If you’re okay with it, could you come here?”

Ara cast the die.

The gamble had begun.

Now it was time to set the trap.

—

“Ara.”

Luckily, Suho accepted the invitation without hesitation.

“Sunbae.”

Ara waved lightly from her seat in the restaurant.

In the brief moment it took him to approach, she fussed with the bag beside her for no real reason.

Inside the mini bag, barely big enough for both palms, were Seol-do’s peachwood  blade and the Seon twin’s jade keyring. Baekseol’s foxtail hairpin was tucked neatly into her hair.

Seok-kyung’s necklace rested safely against her collarbone.

“Thank you for coming.”

“That’s my line. I’m just glad you reached out.”

Suho sat across from her, his gentle expression unchanged.

“But is it really okay for us to meet like this? That day, I mean…”

He trailed off, clearly uncomfortable.

“It’s fine. I think he just misunderstood that day.”

Ara smiled calmly and waved it off.

“I shouldn’t say this about him, but he’s not actually a bad person.”

She offered the shameless explanation without a hint of hesitation.

“I’ll apologize to you on his behalf. I’m really sorry.”

The thing inside Suho had probably enjoyed deceiving her all this time.

Compared to that, this much audacity was nothing.

“I don’t know…”

Fake Suho, unaware of the truth, did not seem convinced.

“I don’t think that’s something you should apologize for. And I don’t think it’s your place to apologize either.”

Suho furrowed his brow slightly and bit his lip.

His red tongue swept once over the dry skin before slipping back in, as the act continued.

“Ara.”

“Yes?”

“Do you like him? That man?”

It was an impressive performance.

A worried voice, tender eyes, pupils trembling just enough to look sincere.

For an evil spirit, it was an award-worthy method of acting.

“Yes.”

But Ara had a weapon of her own.

“I actually like him a lot.”