A startled Randy rushed over to check on Park Moondae. Wiping away the thick whipped cream clinging to his hair with a napkin, he asked, “A-Are you all fine??”
Flustered, his Korean grammar slipped out of place. Was he fine? Moondae caught his breath. Calming his mind while imagining beating up that rude brat, he wiped the cream off his eyelids with the back of his hand and forced out a response.
“…Yeah.”
Nasty stickiness covered his skin, meaning he needed another shower, but at least it was soft cake. There was no need to handle him with such delicate care, like wiping down a porcelain doll. Moondae took the napkin from Randy’s hand and scrubbed his own face clean.
Randy checked Moondae’s nose, relieved to find it intact. Turning around, he addressed Hajun.
[You’ve… grown. Though next time, I do hope your growth extends to not throwing things at people.]
Hajun held up a middle finger in response and let out a snort.
Cha Eugene, looking heartbroken over the lost cake, stepped in. [Excuse me, but may I ask which part of that cake-throwing eight-year-old counts as growth? That was a fantastic cake…]
[Ah.]
After a moment of thought, Randy offered a serious explanation, treating it as advice—or perhaps a warning—for everyone present. “The young master once threw pudding and gave his classmate a nosebleed.”
“Huh?”
“Pudding??”
…Was that even possible? Hearing those words, Moondae reached up and touched his nose. His nose sat safe and firm. Seeing that reaction, Hajun scoffed.
“Think I’d throw it with full strength at someone who’s sick?”
“You still threw it…?” Keun Sejin muttered in disbelief, but Hajun ignored him, sticking out his tongue at Moondae. It was a sight that made fists clench on their own.
Randy chuckled and guided the troublemaking young master upstairs.
[Please go along now instead of adding to my workload.]
[Kicking out your employer? You’ve grown bold.]
[Come now, move along. The rest of this food is far harder than that cake, and it makes me nervous.]
Pushing Hajun by the back, Randy urged him to wash off the jam on his face and change his clothes. After a few complaints, the home owner left his guests with the butler and walked off.
Once the troublemaker disappeared, Randy let out a long sigh and offered an apology on behalf of his flawed master.
“I am very sorry. The young master is still a work in progress as a human being.”
“…You even know phrases like that.”
“Haha, I studied a wide range of apologies when learning Korean.”
It took little effort to guess who prompted those Korean lessons. Glancing at the messy carpet with a sad look, Randy led the guests out of the dining room. He fetched a chessboard and set it on the living room table.
“If you do not mind, would the two of you care to spend some time here? I will clean up and then arrange your ride home.”
Checking the chess pieces carved from ivory, Moondae wondered about the cost of this antique set before giving up. Cha Eugene showed instant interest.
“Chess! I’m good at this.”
“Oh~ You feel confident, Eugene?”
“Yes!”
Out of sympathy for the butler, the two joined the post-dinner board game. Following Randy as he guided him toward the hallway, Moondae left the living room.
“I will show you to the bathroom. I will bring you fresh clothes, so feel free to shower first.”
“Thanks.”
“Once again, I apologize.”
“…It’s fine.”
Walking down the hall, Randy stopped in his tracks. Stopping alongside him, Moondae looked down the long corridor that still had a way to go before reaching the bathroom, giving him a puzzled look.
“…”
“Um, though I hesitate to bring this up…” Hesitating to pick his words, Randy spoke in a measured tone. “Young Master Damon is… a special person.”
“…Yeah, well.”
“Since he makes little effort to hide it, I assume his friends have noticed already.”
Ah, that topic. Realizing Randy meant Hajun’s shamanic nature, Moondae lost interest and gave a brief nod. But seeing Moondae’s reaction, Randy spoke again, realizing he hadn’t reached the core point.
“You do not know yet, I see.”
“If you mean seeing things… all the members know about that.”
“No, aside from using eastern magic and communicating with spirits… Um. According to my research, Korean shamans contract a distinct illness.”
Moondae paused.
[Spirit Sickness (Inactive)]: Evil spirits gather in a house without a master. If not guarded, things may be lost.
The status condition on Won Hajun’s profile, which he had paid little mind to due to its inactive state, flashed through his memory. That meant…
“At irregular times, once every few years, the young master falls ill without any medical cause. Even doctors cannot find the reason.”
“…”
“During those times, there are specific items he always seeks. Salt, red beans, and peaches.”
“…”
“Those are the very items he requested today. Not for himself, but for you.”
Moondae felt a quiet stir inside. Noticing his shift in expression, Randy put on a clean smile once more.
“I will not pry. Everyone has their own circumstances.”
He added that prying into a guest’s affairs failed the standards of a good servant. Had Hajun stood beside them, he would have snapped at Randy for spilling his employer’s private business. But in Randy’s mind, he had long decided to view this not as gossip, but as an act of quiet care.
“If you ever see it, you will recognize it at once. This is a secret, but he becomes quite cute.”
“Pardon?”
No ears? Moondae wondered if he had misheard or if the foreign butler’s Korean remained clunky. But Randy’s response arrived with dead seriousness.
“He is cute. Servants seeing it for the first time have fainted from shock, but those who have worked here a long time all agree.”
“…Pardon?”
“You will see when the time comes. Just do as the young master asks then. He recovers in about three days.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Randy resumed walking. His mind stalling for a moment, Moondae followed behind with stiff steps.
…What did that man just say? Pandora’s box had opened before his eyes without his consent. Still, trying to stay positive, Moondae figured it was fortunate Hajun had survived and managed this condition on his own, forcing those two incompatible words—Won Hajun and cute—to the far corner of his mind. He wanted no part in knowing. Ever.
By the time Moondae finished his shower, a full-blown chess war had broken out in the living room. Having lost three games in a row, Keun Sejin walked out of the room and yelled.
“This is a scam!”
“How is me being talented and smart a scam!”
“I don’t care! It’s a scam! Sejin is going home!”
“Then go! Leave!”
Randy, who was leading out the bickering Keun Sejin, noticed Moondae and offered a brief nod. Spotting his friend, Keun Sejin raised a hand, dangling a small cake box beneath it.
“Oh, Moondae-moondae.”
“Leaving?”
“Gotta head out now. It’s late… Ah, the chef baked this cake for me to take home. Neat, right?”
Keun Sejin mentioned he had checked earlier and found custom lettering wishing him a happy birthday. Adding a comment that the staff must have taken all the character traits the home owner lacked, Keun Sejin caught a shout from Hajun inside telling him to get out faster. Moondae bade his friend a safe trip home and stepped into the living room.
Cha Eugene, who had snack crumbs around his mouth from eating more treats, was stacking chess pieces into a tower. Lounging on the sofa, Hajun lifted his head as Moondae entered.
“Want a game? Chess.”
“Hajun is super good! I lost every match.”
Nodding at Eugene as he explained with dramatic hand gestures how Hajun won in rapid moves, Moondae sat across from Won Hajun. Whether that strange exorcism set worked or not, his body felt light. Which meant the fever he suffered was some form of backlash from the System. He hadn’t known… one could approach it this way.
The System displaying the Status Window felt too rigid to call a spirit, making it strange to him. Standing up, Hajun knocked down Eugene’s chess tower to set up the board. Helping place the pieces, Moondae stole a glance at Hajun. Long eyelashes cast a shadow over his lowered eyes. Staying still in that posture, Hajun asked:
“What.”
How did any part of this look cu— Pandora’s box resurfaced, making Moondae bite the soft flesh inside his cheek. Don’t think about it. Forget it.
“…Nothing.”
“I’m not apologizing for throwing the cake. You attacked first with that tart.”
“…”
That was because a certain someone tried to bring up Ryu Gunwoo first. Wearing his Tibetan fox face, Moondae moved a chess piece to continue the game that had started without warning. Hajun’s play was aggressive from the start.
“I took care of you while you were sick.”
A storm of aggressive moves poured in, trading his own pieces without hesitation. Moondae, who always kept a calm eye on the full board, found himself thrown off.
“I stay careful so you don’t get hurt.”
He had never played a game like this before. Hajun narrowed the net with a skill that seemed almost supernatural, escaping tight spots with ease. Could this… even be called chess?
“I do so much for you…”
Dangerous, volatile moves followed one after another in rapid sequence. Passing beyond the edge of danger, Moondae spotted an opening at last and waited for his turn, but Hajun moved his rook to attack the king. Check. Moondae gave up his attack and moved to shield his king.
“Yet you only hate me.”
Checkmate. The black bishop knocked over the white king. A match that moved almost too fast to follow ended in an instant. Moondae stared at his fallen king for a moment before raising his eyes.
“…I don’t.”
He felt confused about how to describe it. It felt closer to standing at a distance and watching a strange thing for the first time, not knowing how to handle it. Won Hajun was that kind of presence. Stepping close without warning, stirring people up as he pleased. He had to stay on guard.
Frowning as he tried to read Moondae’s thoughts, Hajun threw a cushion at Cha Eugene, who sat right beside them rolling his eyes and whispering in a loud voice if they were fighting.
“Forget it. I’m going to sleep.”
“What about making up? Make up! Hyungs shouldn’t fight!”
“Fighting? Go to sleep before I show you what a real fight looks like.”
“Got it!”
Eugene retreated in a flash. Seeing that quick movement made Moondae fall quiet for a moment. Leaving the room, Hajun spoke to the quiet Moondae.
“We leave tomorrow at noon. …To see Ryu Gunwoo. Be ready on time.”
“…”
“Man, I am way too nice for my own good. Sigh…”
Muttering to himself, Hajun left. Moondae remained sitting alone beside the fallen chess board. The chess pieces scattered across the sixty-four squares looked like a reflection of himself—handled by a dark demon, left with no idea what to do.
