Harmonious Love

Yang Qi Thief (5)

“It stopped, you bastard.”

Indeed, Tae Young-won’s effect was remarkable. Truly, blood no longer flowed from Mo Yeon’s nose.

“…”

Tae Young-won, pushed against the wall, was frozen like a stone. It was the first time he had been rendered speechless like this.

And gradually, Mo Yeon was regaining his senses.

The man in front of him now was his senior from school, and he realized that he had no chance of winning if they fought, given the difference in build and height. This realization came only after their lips had already collided.

“!”

Just as Tae Young-won’s still dazed face was slowly turning into a frightening, fierce expression, Mo Yeon turned around and ran away with a clean face.

The soiled handkerchief fluttered to the ground.

It was highly impulsive and the boldest act Mo Yeon had ever done in his life.

It was two days before the end of classes, just before the winter break.

***

The first month of a new semester is perhaps the most vibrant time of the year.

Thanks to the lush green campus and sunlight streaming through the windows, even the empty lecture hall exuded the atmosphere of a new semester. It seemed as if there could be no dark presence here. Except, of course, for Mo Yeon, who had become even more shadow-like than the previous semester.

Mo Yeon had been pricking up his ears to a sound coming from one side for a while.

“…”

And a moment later, as if having made a decision, he stood up from his seat.

The lecture hall, where the professor had not yet arrived even though it was almost class time, was much noisier than before.

“Are we really having class today?”

“I heard this professor always fills up the class from day one?”

“Full three hours? Crazy.”

And behind the noisiest group of freshmen, a dark figure approached like a shadow.

“Is that today?”

The freshmen, who had barely noticed his presence, jumped in surprise at the sudden voice from somewhere.

“Aah! You startled me!”

“…”

The expressionless white face was hidden behind hair and glasses, and perhaps because of this, he didn’t even seem flustered by their reaction.

“W-what is it?”

It was the first time they had heard Mo Yeon’s voice, which they had only known through rumors. The voice flowing from his gloomy appearance was surprisingly close to a falsetto. The freshmen, who were staring intently at the thin jawline and plump red lips visible below his glasses, found it strange that Mo Yeon was talking to them at all. But Mo Yeon’s question was even more unexpected.

“The department event you’ve been talking about.”

“Ah… yes, it’s today.”

“Are you drinking afterwards too?”

“Are you coming too, sunbae?”

Kim Hyun-soo, the freshman who asked, tilted his head, unable to understand why Mo Yeon, of all people, was asking him this. Working in the Business Administration student council, he had never seen Mo Yeon participate in department events before.

“…Is Tae Young-won sunbae coming too?”

The moment this unexpected name was mentioned, the students exchanged glances.

They looked back at Mo Yeon with all sorts of questions in their minds.

Somehow, it was difficult to see the expression of this loner, who was like a ghost or shadow, even up close. Partly because of the glasses, but also as if he had an obsession with hiding his eyes, he kept his head slightly lowered.

The unique dark atmosphere he exuded made even momentary goodwill hesitate. Kim Hyun-soo, unconsciously suppressing his rising discomfort, answered.

“Yes, Young-won hyung said he’s coming too.”

“Ah…”

After hesitating for a moment at those words, Mo Yeon nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Then I’ll come too.”

“…”

Is that sunbae close to Tae Young-won sunbae? How are they close?

Kim Hyun-soo was frozen, and the other freshmen exchanged glances, expressing their doubts.

Honestly, everyone could tell. This person didn’t match Tae Young-won at all.

“You know where the bar is, right? Anyone from Business can come, so feel free to join.”

“I know.”

After answering like that and returning to his seat, the freshmen who had been staring blankly at Mo Yeon’s back burst into laughter at his subtle rudeness.

“Ah, so that’s why they call him ‘asocial jerk’.”

‘Asocial jerk’. It was a nickname known to everyone except Mo Yeon himself.

“I thought he was more normal than expected, but now I see why he’s a loner.”

“Let’s never become like that.”

All the freshmen nodded in agreement. Then Kim Hyun-soo asked.

“But have you ever seen that sunbae with Tae Young-won hyung?”

“No, I’ve never seen it. Isn’t there quite a gap in their year?”

“Then what is it…”

Since they seemed like an impossible combination under the same sky, Kim Hyun-soo tilted his head, watching Mo Yeon’s back as he lingered without returning to his seat.

Having finished his business with the freshmen, Mo Yeon was lingering behind the seat at the far end. The owner of that seat was Tae Young-won, whom Mo Yeon had just confirmed would be attending the general meeting.

Those sitting around him were upper-year students retaking the class, and unlike the excited first-years, they were busy with their own tasks and paid no attention to Mo Yeon. Especially Tae Young-won, who usually didn’t concentrate much during class, had been engrossed in a mobile game for a while.

‘Now’s the chance.’

Seizing the rare opportunity, Mo Yeon naturally passed by his side, brushing against the muscular forearm that was sticking out from the desk as he went by.

“Ah.”

As if his game control had slipped, Tae Young-won flinched irritably. Mo Yeon paused, half-turning back, and muttered quietly.

“Sorry…”

After saying that, he quickly returned to his seat, feeling a burning sensation on the back of his head, but Mo Yeon was certain that Tae Young-won, absorbed in his game, wouldn’t pay him any attention for more than a second.

Since the new semester started, Mo Yeon had been secretly snatching Tae Young-won’s yang energy as an inconspicuous loner within the school. Of course, his only goal was the yang energy, and the method to obtain it was through contact.

‘He doesn’t recognize me anyway, so what.’

Surprisingly, Tae Young-won really didn’t recognize Mo Yeon at all in school.

On the first day of the semester, he had only thought about avoiding him, but right after Tae Young-won’s back accidentally brushed against Mo Yeon, he felt his head clear up again. That’s when Mo Yeon thought.

Perhaps he could make good use of such indifference?

The fact that Tae Young-won couldn’t recognize him, with his dust-like presence, wasn’t something to be displeased about from the perspective of someone who needed his yang energy.

After the incident last time, Mo Yeon had avoided him throughout the remaining final exam period, whether at home or school, and spent the entire break at his parents’ home. It had been three months already, so he must have forgotten all about it by now.

It had been uncomfortable to tell his parents, who already saw him as socially maladjusted, about having trouble with a neighbor in the house he had just moved into. If there was no threat from Tae Young-won, it meant he didn’t have to move and could just wear his glasses well around the neighborhood.

And now, as time had passed since the semester began.

Mo Yeon was repeatedly confirming that Tae Young-won was indeed an easy target for snatching yang energy. This was because of a few reasons he had noted in his notebook during the last class…

One. He has no interest in others at all. (Extremely selfish personality)

Two. He doesn’t remember other people’s faces well. (Only knows himself)

In the end, these two reasons meant the same thing, so Tae Young-won sunbae, who was utterly uninterested in others, seemed to be the most suitable person for secretly stealing yang energy without being noticed. Of course, if caught, it could be life-threatening.

The fact that he couldn’t recognize Mo Yeon at all just because he wore glasses, even after what had happened, was only possible because he had no interest in others.

Whether Mo Yeon received protection from ghosts or temporarily improved his health by touching him slightly or being near him, Tae Young-won wouldn’t notice anything anyway.

As for whether Tae Young-won experienced any negative effects from Mo Yeon snatching his yang energy, it didn’t seem so at all. He was still the yang-filled man that even ghosts avoided.

Mo Yeon, having briefly made contact with Tae Young-won who was focused on his game, returned to his seat with a refreshed face. Of course, it wouldn’t be noticeable to others.

‘Fortunately, I’ll be able to see him again later.’

Today was the day of the opening general meeting, after all.

Mo Yeon smiled for the first time in a long while as he took out his writing materials and printed documents.

This level of distance was good. Wanting more would be greedy, so just doing this was enough. No more, no less, if he could just keep it like this… at least until he graduated, life would be a little easier.

But Mo Yeon didn’t realize. That Tae Young-won, who should still be engrossed in his game, was not anymore.

“…Hmm.”

At that moment, Tae Young-won was staring intently at the back of Mo Yeon’s head, with his chin resting on his hand.