"This is it."

"Okay, so after we paranormal investigators confirm that there are indeed supernatural forces at work, what do we do?" Seolhyun asked her superior, Seunghyub. The two and the rest of their investigation unit stared at the ancient jar that they had discovered to be the source of their client's grievances. It shook a bit, and the rookie investigators quickly retreated behind their seniors.

"We immediately contact the Order of Exorcists and they handle the rest of the case. Unless it's a joint effort from the start, our job is pretty much done, and we aren't liable for what occurs after this. I've already called their office, and one of their people should be arriving any minute now." Seunghyub answered before directing his body toward the team as a whole. "Good work, everyone! This was your first day on the job, but you did very well! I'll be expecting work like this from you in the future. You can wait for me in the van while I discuss payment and other issues with our client."

As the paranormal investigators exited the client's house, they excitedly spoke to one another about their new experience. It was nothing like they had expected, nothing like the so called 'investigations' they would see on broadcast. They were already enjoying their job, and one of the rookies, Kim Seolhyun, was no exception to this enthusiasm. However, she was much less vocal about her sentiments, and she quietly lagged behind her loud co-workers. She was more calm and reserved, so she didn't see herself getting along with the rest of her playful and outgoing unit.

Maybe she would be able to open up to them later. This job was a bit dangerous, so they would have to form stronger connections and trust with each other. Yes, that was it.

"Woah, is that the exorcist?!"

"So cool, a real exorcist! She's pretty too!"

"Make room for her, make room!"

Seolhyun was too absorbed in her own thoughts to pay any mind to her co-workers' screeching and warnings, and she suddenly found herself colliding into someone. Dazed, she peered up at the tall brunette that she had just walked into. The woman only offered her a small smile, but Seolhyun felt her heart set ablaze at the sight of this gorgeous stranger. "S-Sorry."

"It's fine. You're one of the new paranormal investigators, right? I definitely wouldn't be able to forget a beautiful face like yours." Seolhyun's face instantly reddened in reaction to the other woman's words, and she lowered her head in a poor attempt to hide it. Upon this action, she took notice of the brunette's clothing (particularly the black gown and rosary hanging from her neck) and realized that she was the exorcist sent to take care of the rest of their case. "I'd love to chat with you some more, but I'm here for work. I don't believe that we've exchanged our names yet?"

Seolhyun looked up in spite of her flushed face, gazing directly into the exorcist's eyes. "Kim Seolhyun."

"Shin Hyejeong. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Seolhyun. I hope to run into you again sometime."

With that said, Seolhyun stepped to the side and allowed Hyejeong to pass. She stared at the brunette in awe, but wasn't able to do so for long because one of her co-workers called for her attention and ushered her to the unit's van. Once she was seated inside with her team, they commenced bombarding her with questions.

"I can't believe you got to talk to the exorcist! I hear their sixth sense is super strong. Did you see anything different about her? Maybe her eyes?"

"Forget that! It looks like she was flirting with you! Did you get her number or anything?"

Seolhyun slowly shook her head, still recovering from her brief encounter with the exorcist. "I only got her name. It's Shin Hyejeong."

"Well, that's all you need. You can probably ask the boss about her later. We have other questions anyways. What did her breath smell like? I feel like exorcists would chew on garlic or something..."

A few days later, Seolhyun asked Seunghyub about Hyejeong, and the man was kind enough to give his junior her number. He even offered to personally arrange a meeting between the two, but the younger woman refused and insisted that she would do it on her own. She soon did, and she learned that Hyejeong was even more charming outside of her exorcist duties. Their meetings quickly became dates, and their dates eventually led to the development of a relationship.

Seolhyun really enjoyed her relationship with Hyejeong, especially since the two of them were involved in the same field of work and they could immerse themselves in the most fascinating discussions. Hyejeong herself was like a dream, so pleasant and so perfect, and Seolhyun felt like she couldn't be any more in love with the older girl. However, once they began living together, things became...questionable.

After a long, uneventful day at work, Seolhyun was more than ready to get in bed and sleep. She yawned, shuffling to where the light switch was and preparing to press it when Hyejeong suddenly shrieked, "Don't turn the light off until the nightlight is on!" 

A startled Seolhyun slowly nodded and made her way over to the nightlight plugged into the wall. She crouched down beside it and turned it on, earning a quiet sigh of relief from the brunette in her bed. "Okay, can I turn off the light now?"

"Yes, you may. Thank you."

Seolhyun herself sighed, out of exasperation, as she returned to her goal of turning off the lights. Darkness flooded the room in an instant, and Seolhyun could see her girlfriend wriggling in the blankets. "Why are you so afraid of the dark?" The younger woman murmured as she crawled into bed beside the other woman. Hyejeong didn't hesitate to curl up against Seolhyun, taking comfort in her presence.

"You should already know as a paranormal investigator that supernatural entities are attracted to darkness. You haven't really faced them head-on before, but these things are really scary, you know?" Hyejeong softly replied.

Because of the darkness, the older woman could not see the puzzled expression on the younger's face. "...but you're an exorcist? You vanquish them for a living. I didn't think you'd be remotely afraid of things like this."

"We may be exorcists, but we're also human. We still have our fears."

"Sorry, I can't watch horror movies, especially those involving exorcisms." Hyejeong shook her head, turning away from her unbelieving girlfriend. "They're too scary."

"That doesn't even make sense! You are an exorcist! This is what you do, except that it's real!" Seolhyun threw her arms up in frustration. She really couldn't believe it. This was the person she was in love with, the person she had devoted her time, affections, and loyalty to. She tried to understand it, she really did. "Is it exaggerated? Are the cinematic effects too much? Look, I'll be by your side as we watch it. You can even cover your eyes at the scary parts."

"No, I can't do it. You just don't understand... You can go watch it with your friends. I know how excited you were to see this. I'll wait out here." Hyejeong walked away to sit on a nearby bench, but Seolhyun nonetheless followed her.

"I'm not going to watch it without you. I won't leave you out here by yourself." Seolhyun muttered, sitting down beside her girlfriend. "We can just wait out here then, until the movie is over."

"...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Seolhyun wished that she could accept Hyejeong's apology, but this was just one of too many times.

With the loud racket that she could hear from her and Hyejeong's shared bedroom, Seolhyun immediately rushed out to see what the source of the noise was. She entered the kitchen to see Hyejeong tossing something into the trashcan and she peered over the older woman's shoulder to see what it was exactly. And once she did, she nearly lost herself to her anger.

"What are you doing? Do you realize what that is?!" 

Seolhyun waited for a response from her girlfriend but there was none, and it only inflamed her further. She grabbed the brunette's arm and forcibly pulled her away from the trashcan. She bent over and reached inside of the bin to retrieve the objects that Hyejeong had thrown in. Her trembling fingers gingerly traced over the cracked surface of the plates and cups, and she picked the rest out of the bin, one by one.

"These were my mother's." Seolhyun said, trying her best to maintain an even tone. "You know that."

"Things like this, they're going to attract - "

"No, stop it! I don't want to hear it. I've had enough. I've...had enough. Please, don't come near me right now."

"I'm sorry." Hyejeong whispered to Seolhyun as she walked out of the kitchen.

That would be the last time that she would have to apologize to her.

"You must already know, that this... This isn't working out. I can't deal with this anymore. I just can't. You're not the person I thought you were, I'm sorry." Seolhyun saw no change in Hyejeong's expression, most likely due to the fact that the older woman expected this to occur. "I tried my hardest to see past your flaws, but they're too much for me to handle."

"Well, I'm glad that you let me know. Because you're not the understanding person I thought you were either."

"I am an understanding person. I tried to be push past the limits of my understanding, for you. But you're asking for too much from me."

"I could say the same to you. I hope you'll be able to find someone who could pretend to be as perfect as they're not." Hyejeong placed the key to their apartment on the table and stood up. "If we were a little happier together, then this wouldn't have felt as much of a waste of time as it does now." She began to walk away, and Seolhyun stood up. However, she did not follow her. Instead, she yelled after her:

"I want my wasted time back too! You weak coward!”

(Approximately a month later)

"Welcome back. How was it?" Seunghyub greeted as Seolhyun and the other investigators entered his office. As they neared him, he visibly cringed, throwing a hand over his nose. "Goodness, what is that smell?"

"Possession case. Kid vomited all over me." Seolhyun curtly answered, sniffing herself to see if the horrible stench was as horrible as it was a few hours ago - and...it was. "Didn't get a chance to change since we got called here. So why'd you call us in? Doing a case back-to-back?"

Seunghyub shook his head, pulling the side of his coat to cover his nose while he sprayed a lemon-scented air freshener to temporarily get rid of the sour odor. "No, I actually called you all here to give you good news and inform you about something notable happening in our paranormal community. Well, it's actually someone that we're all quite familiar with, particularly Seolhyun." Said girl raised a brow at this part, and no good feelings whatsoever arose from this. "You all remember Shin Hyejeong, yes?"

Everyone in the room glanced at Seolhyun as they swore they heard the woman growl upon mention of her ex-girlfriend's name. Seolhyun barely saw Hyejeong around since they broke up, but she was still feeling as bitter as ever about the other woman. It was a bit odd that the exorcist rarely finished the second half of their cases for them anymore, but Seolhyun only assumed that was because of the animosity between the two of them.

"She's been performing exceptionally well lately so the higher-ups in the Order of Exorcists are considering ascension for her. It'll be great for her exorcist career." All of the subordinate investigators (with the exception of Seolhyun of course) cheered. They all maintained good relations with Hyejeong in spite of her current situation with Seolhyun. "As you should know, there are certain rules and regulations that come with ascension in the Order. One of these rules are providing witnesses who can attest to the competence of the exorcist in question and justify their ascension. Shin Hyejeong has accepted a private case for some folks at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy. This will guarantee her ascension - as long as she has at least one credible witness. She personally asked me if she could borrow one of my investigators to join her for the case, then go on trial afterwards to advocate for her ascension. So who's willing to - "

"I'll do it."

There was a hushed, collective gasp in the room as Seolhyun stepped forward, her expression hardened. Seunghyub fumbled for his air freshener and sprayed it in the air around the younger woman before replying, "Are you sure? The two of you have a lot of history, and as far as I know, most of it is very personal and not so good - "

"I can do it. Let me do it. We're not together anymore, and I believe that I can accept this role with an unbiased perspective." Seolhyun insisted with evident determination.

Seunghyub scratched at his brow. "This will be your very first joint case. Are you certain? There is absolutely no turning back once you are involved, and many complications can occur during the case. This is very risky, potentially life-threatening as exorcisms can become extremely messy, and I've heard that this case even involves demons - "

"Please."

"...very well then. Here are the official files and reports for the case. You should review everything as soon as possible." Seunghyub handed Seolhyun a manila folder. "Hyejeong will also provide a briefing before your arrival to the site of demonic activity. The case will officially open in three days. In the meantime, you best prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Good luck out there. You are relieved of your duties with our unit for now."

"Thank you very much sir. You won't regret this."

The main task in mind shouldn't be too difficult for Seolhyun, since all she needed to do was record everything that would occur during the case. Hyejeong's cowardice would reveal itself, she thought. Once she shows that footage to everyone at the trial, they would also see how undeserving a coward like Hyejeong is of an honor such as ascension. And the career she had built up would ultimately be destroyed. Seolhyun was doing the woman a favor anyway, seeing how afraid she was of her own work.

(Three days later)

Seolhyun waited at the pick-up location with all of her equipment in her briefcase, which included her usual investigation equipment and a few extra tools for her (self-proclaimed) duty as devil's advocate. Right on time, a sleek black car rolled up to the curb and Seolhyun opened the door to see a shocked Hyejeong in the driver's seat. "Hello. Can you open the trunk so I can store my things there?"

Hyejeong wordlessly nodded and unlocked the trunk for her ex-girlfriend. After the younger woman loaded everything in, she sat in the passenger seat beside the older and closed the door. Seolhyun buckled herself in and off they went, toward their destination.

In the silence that ensued, Seolhyun cursed herself for her physical attraction to Hyejeong. While she did bear some ill sentiment toward the older woman from their time together, her heart couldn’t help but race with her former lover within close proximity. It seemed that it has become habit of sorts for her body. And admittedly enough, Hyejeong was looking better than ever. Seolhyun rolled her eyes at her own embarrassing thoughts (that Hyejeong would never be able to find out as long as Seolhyun could prevent it).

"It's been a while." Hyejeong murmured, breaking the silence but keeping her eyes focused on the road.

"It has been."

"How have you been?"

"Fine. And I know you've been doing swell, with that upcoming ascension and all. Congratulations."

After a brief pause, Hyejeong replied, "I didn't know you were going to join me for the case. I didn't think you would take it."

"Of course I would. I know you better than anyone else in my unit, don't I?" Seolhyun could sense the tension and wariness in Hyejeong's demeanor, and it was slightly satisfying to know that she had this effect on the older woman. "By the way, this is my first joint case. Mind giving me a briefing?"

"First of all, you already know what joint cases are, they are a full cooperation between paranormal investigators and exorcists. Joint cases have many purposes, but they exist especially because of the presence of demons. Once a demon's territory and influence has been established, no one can enter or leave the premises without its permission...or when it has been vanquished. Thus, the exorcist makes an early participation in the case for precautionary measures. If there really is a demon as suspected, it will eventually sense the exorcist and do whatever it can to get rid of the threat. Demons are one of the most dangerous classes of supernatural entities." Hyejeong tightened her grip on the steering wheel, and this did not escape Seolhyun's perception. "We must be careful. We cannot afford to make any mistakes - it may cost us our lives."

"Take this." Once they reached a stoplight, Hyejeong took off her necklace, a black-beaded rosary with a silver cross attached to one end, and held it out. "Wear it around your neck from beginning to end. Do not take it off until the case has been officially determined 'closed' by the Order." Although Seolhyun felt reluctant to accept anything from the older woman, the latter's tone of voice prompted the former to accept it and wear it.

"Anyway, we are currently travelling to the home of one of our country's congresswomen, Park Choa, and her wife, Shin Jimin. They had previously reported high poltergeist activity, but there are other details in their report that do not coincide with the key identifications of a poltergeist...such as inexplicable injuries on the body, unidentifiable sightings, and constant, realistic nightmares. We performed further preliminary investigations and discovered that the two made an attempt at demonic summoning."

"Why would they do that?" Seolhyun questioned. Even as a child, she knew not to get involved in supernatural matters so recklessly.

"They're politicians. Believe me, there are worse things they can make an attempt at, or worse, succeed in doing. Can you pass me the water bottle at the side?" Seolhyun decided it would be best to maintain her professionalism throughout the case, so she simply did as the older woman told her. Hyejeong took the bottle gratefully and drank copious amounts until the bottle was empty. "Can you pass me the other one?"

Seolhyun wanted to grumble but pressed her lips together as tightly as she could to refrain from doing so. Unwillingly, she handed Hyejeong the other bottle. As her ex-girlfriend, she was already aware of some of the older woman's worst habits, one of which included the heavy intake of water when she felt nervous. 

Seolhyun sighed. That was the last bottle of water they had, but it seems like they were approaching their destination anyway, judging from the enormous house in the distance and the vast garden surrounding it. "Is that the house - oh my gosh!" Seolhyun hissed as she caught Hyejeong popping open a tiny glass bottle with a cross on top of it. "You're even drinking the holy water! Stop, we might need it!"

"I'm nervous! This is the case right before my ascension. Something is bound to go wrong, I just know it." Hyejeong replied, tucking the vial back into the pocket of her gown.

Before she could realize it herself, Seolhyun grabbed the other woman's hand and gave it a few reassuring squeezes. "It'll be fine. You'll be fine. Just do what you always do." When Hyejeong looked at her with surprise, Seolhyun realized her actions and immediately retracted her hand. "I'll be here to provide assistance anyway."

"...alright. Thank you."

Seolhyun had tagged along to sabotage Hyejeong’s ascension, but if she allowed the other woman to completely lose confidence, they could both be in grave danger. That was Seolhyun’s justification for her actions just now. She only did it out of necessity.

They finally reached the Park Choa and Shin Jimin residence, and since there was no formal area for parking, Hyejeong simply slowed the car to a stop right in front of the towering house. As they grew closer to the house, Seolhyun noticed something off about the garden. Upon closer inspection, she saw that all of the plants were dead, and there weren't even any insects roaming about. She held back a shudder.

"Let's meet the clients and assess the situation first." They got out of the car and walked up to the large white double doors. Before Hyejeong could even lay a finger on it, it opened and the politician couple appeared.

The pair were visibly worn out, both wearing clothes that covered as much skin as possible. Seolhyun didn't even want to think about what could be hidden underneath the fabric. She had completed many cases with her investigation unit before, but this was not only her first joint case - it was her first case of demonic activity as well. She has only heard about demonic cases, but being on the mere doorstep of this haunted residence gave her chills.

"Good afternoon. I suppose you two are the investigator and exorcist for our case? I believe you've heard of me already, but I'm your client, Park Choa, and this is my wife Shin Jimin. We're very glad to see you two here." Although the blonde was clearly speaking to Hyejeong, the latter seemed preoccupied with something else - namely the interior of the house. She peered inside with narrowed eyes, carefully examining everything inside until Seolhyun stuck an elbow into her side.

Hyejeong cleared and mustered up a smile. "My apologies. My name is Shin Hyejeong, and I am indeed the exorcist responsible for your case. This is Kim Seolhyun, my partner and the paranormal investigator assigned to the case. You can make your departure and be rest assured that you will able to live safely and comfortably in your home when you return. In the meantime, we will take care of everything. We will contact you immediately if the need arises."

"Thank you two. Thank you so much." Choa told them with sincerity, shaking their hands with her frail ones. That was all she could say before she and Jimin hurried out with their luggage and drove away.

With their clients gone, Hyejeong and Seolhyun got down to work, opening the trunk to retrieve their equipment. Seolhyun pulled out many video cameras, piquing Hyejeong's curiosity. "What are all the cameras for?"

"To monitor the demonic activity… and record evidence of your success, of course. This should be more solid evidence than mere eyewitness testimony, right?" Seolhyun answered, smiling with only a hint of her less-than-good intentions.

“You’re right…but I’m having second thoughts. Maybe you should stay in the car." Hyejeong was behaving strangely again, pausing to stare at the house. Seolhyun guessed that it was her sixth sense that exorcists all supposedly have. She must be sensing something, but Seolhyun didn’t need that strong of a sixth sense to know that there was something downright discomforting about this entire site.

"Why? You need me as a witness, don't you?" Seolhyun couldn’t let Hyejeong ruin her opportunity to ruin her.

"From the feel of thing