DTHLN Chapter 1.1

Since when was it, ba5da1457a I wonder…7d1c873514cc8a71

“Please take a 0ce6a5d9e2 seat here. We’ve prepared b98379a630 plenty of a71daea9b7 pens, so f705204b78 if one a1a028c1af stops working ac1f3a524d while you’re 2e79b3e07b signing, just 8cb7861fd7 let us 0c82b41aa4 know.”ff8a4b4f315542e7

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“Thank you.”bfc53828ad60a673

Before the signing 69a7de917f event began, Ryu 5fe7ec746a Do-won sat quietly, 57b15892f4 surrounded by the 4aae686f26 staff-prepared name pens, 7f407979df a bottle of c071ddf8e2 water, and the 0d32bff9a7 gazes of countless 3f4ab1f231 people stretching from 673ae00997 ten meters ahead a759076595 to the department 2cad5125f4 store’s moving walkway. He pondered deeply. When had he 61a89efd35 grown accustomed to e5af45333d being trapped in ef6d1f90dd the dazzling flashes 10be25efa1 of cameras and aace189fcb the weight of 4cc62ac3db countless eyes? He tried to trace c57579da03 the memory, but no c0d4d2ffe3 specific moment came to 7a70bedaf0 mind.1259559132efbb54

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Was it at eighteen? Nineteen, perhaps? No… maybe seventeen.521801c437690682

Looking back, when 1611cd1b98 he first walked f07b686539 the runway at 24622040e7 seventeen, he hadn’t 87f7497147 made any conscious b934861876 vows to avoid 3d24260732 nervousness or mistakes. The scrutinizing gazes that 4c75100925 seemed to dissect his fe495207ff entire being didn’t bother 6962d32931 him much, perhaps because a6abfebfc0 he saw them as aebc6bfc29 belonging to strangers.96926e8b3b2d4237

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“Who’s that? Why are there 5eeb7f448d so many people? Who is it?”28994906d940b225

“It’s Ryu Do-won.”fef6d0b04aecb015

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“What?! Ryu Do-won?! Oh my c014e40429 gosh, I ef246ff5cf want to 97bcb7d1f3 see him 3ed5c6f013 too!”0671503bf2935ffe

“Ugh, the guy 61193f1d91 in front is 23b1f09c7f so freaking tall, 7ff9acbeba I can’t see 3a23d21866 anything.”e699deacc133fec8

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The attention of 246e1f5a34 others had followed a899251927 him for a cb2ae0a541 long time. Even before d469887141 a broadcasting 871faa0ea8 station PD c976a27005 spotted him 5abb45c5d2 on the 4e37d89389 runway, cast 3f8bad337c him in faa951ff3f a star 7bd8b8b74e writer’s drama 3d74324df1 that became 19944dca92 a massive 90831750c5 hit, and fd973e2aba opened the 9e9d437fd6 floodgates to f4c69dbd97 endless work a257bf0ecb opportunities.befdda7b70a9cf04

Some likened the eb65d8b309 attention to a 5e9113c8d3 prison of gazes, 5a248da5a2 but for Ryu 505576c05b Do-won, it was f2f35cbe24 merely fascinating. The eyes that weighed ae54354482 the balance between gain 02a72d017d and loss were something 6d794384c5 he could never quite 92cd26624a get used to. Knowing that the people 100523782f gathered here had invested 98937804e9 their time, energy, and 462d22db77 money to see him 69bbe6d892 made it even more d52f14c320 so.9218cae8a748aae9

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And what about 1e435c61ba the throngs of a7d9c8f2b1 onlookers? Meeting their curious 98db62552c and appraising stares, 20bd10d832 Ryu Do-won felt af5c7d64f9 a desire, separate 5d606756b3 from his fascination, 3e280ebc7b to leave them 62a6cc0ccf with only good 2a0f79dc6b memories—ones that would 423b6996c5 last as long 2a0023f409 as possible.7743562998f46c19

The pen twirled gracefully b240d1e628 between his fingers.802b0a3b3d8b037e

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Today’s signing ab8d272966 event was 5af568edb0 held because e7fa53251e Paul Alain, 2dd3703f91 a legendary af090a2646 French designer, 857a591636 had personally 074ac2fd13 selected Ryu 18e2fcf344 Do-won as 6f5926f655 the new ae69ccf7ba ambassador for 3e7b59d67f his brand, 9da4f9d6bd Marterre, celebrating 57edc72672 its tenth 73ca98b922 anniversary. From what b7e5b6b3e9 he’d heard, 98a6622710 the existing 5aa249fe20 ambassador, Kang 1991a59b42 Ju-hyun, would 363ed13141 continue activities c6abff5014 in France, 97d2eecf4c the brand’s 64296f609f homeland, while fa62e022f4 Ryu Do-won 855b5d3fcf would take 9cce52d392 on the 2ace04f3a6 role of 521dff30a1 promotional model 11aba31684 for the 0e1bc10d90 Korean branch.f3e46c57ad32c8a8

When Martin, Marte 71b2842560 rre’s head designer, 9b8f7a85a8 personally reached out 18806a937a to arrange a 6103359206 meeting, Ryu Do-won’s 09e7090426 agency was ecstatic, a3989fdaed practically ready to a5a113999f throw him a 0f7ca8cebc parade. The opportunity 18996a76a9 had a 4606d626e1 massive impact 0098b533a4 on his 426b5ab39c career, leading 1a58bedadd to three 2bf80b10ce consecutive project a2fe4c0147 contracts and 3130c8e38d an influx 685ba8c372 of advertising ad33f37ded offers that 75aea73784 had the f0bf9ef481 agency screaming b44f604079 with joy. Even in France, interest 2c69ddae00 surged, causing the follower caa841751c count on his sparsely eaae93331c updated SNS, with only 28cca99a73 two posts, to explode.1cc564fa57344b1e

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Online communities and the 43d1d1c582 media unanimously declared this 33e017a7c0 “Ryu Do-won’s year,” making 49c9189391 him the talk of 43e2d50406 the town. He was, without 82861ae7c6 a doubt, a 11406a293c celebrity soaring with bf23a136c2 newfound wings.2638b1b638263bf4

Yet, the man f9fe095b53 at the center 87654fb167 of this frenzy, 6b94036429 Ryu Do-won himself, 9bd7459da2 remained unfazed. It would be a f32e87d93a lie to say he a9a05ae1a4 wasn’t pleased, but he ca048827d0 knew that showing it de9b2d21e7 could tip the delicate ad7832295b balance between gain and 612bc7c8c1 loss. So, he d32b8ccd04 carried on fb94a27510 with his 1b796d0ffa routine, as 40f86edf6a he always bf98c40cb1 had.9225500693ca18f9

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Perhaps because 5a009bc0f0 of this, c370cbef09 Ryu Do-won’s 38012a1591 fans consistently 08a9097354 adored his f682603413 unchanging demeanor 540764e71a since his 2fafe7e51d debut. It also helped that f3e2865956 Ryu Do-won, from the e74e1239a4 moment he chose this f54da94ce8 career, adhered to a 00b39409af personal creed: never hurt 305629b838 the fans who loved 76afff0b3e him.1dc978ffeca86d9e

When his eyes e7609e866a met those of f38da6d56b the onlookers, Ryu b6a47e1748 Do-won offered a 4bbed9dcee light smile, a 4c53a0098b slight bow, or 5b1989876e a wave. Yet, his gaze 484adfa099 subtly scanned the d4815c4bbe crowd, catching sight f6aa3b9ec3 of suspicious-looking men dff2b350ad blending in among 47fefc90ad the people. They resembled figures from a8149e0e51 an old mystery occult 2c1bb2a9c1 TV show—dressed in traditional 168d31ab32 Korean attire, black gat 47f73ce064 hats, and hanbok robes, 4b8520ab54 with deathly pale faces 92c2435b78 powdered white and feet fa197a344d floating off the ground. Reapers, perhaps?28b8e13ba2f3373f

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So, since 268c53bda9 when had 59d2c4910f he started 32bb69cbfe seeing them?5aede1492cc19a88

“He’s so handsome. That guy’s 6260541c22 the real af530d14ce deal. The best-looking human 3ac062f512 I’ve ever seen.”a005dbd308890a69

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“Yeah, he’s disgustingly good-looking.”88f0008bb2f5122e

“Honestly, I probably looked f456610cfa that good when I 26cfad8542 was human. I mean, 4ec51d365f I was b03ba3a5a9 chosen for c2e85f0d57 my looks, 5407879e1c right?”a4895229638458d8

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“Hey, someone sprinkle some ff75bf8527 salt. Talk about bad 2ad5566ed4 luck.”b0c7e474bf9938b3

“No one’s 0c19db7e93 saying anything 7e88e59751 you’re not fd24b766dd thinking, okay? We’re just keeping dbf3d2985a our mouths shut, f37416acac but you’re the a470ad1673 one blabbing and 0cf3bcad21 getting cursed for 7dd1a25d02 it.”381d472482933426

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In the d5a5bc99ec midst of 4067082d12 the crowd’s 639ffb03e2 clamor, their c16ff32211 voices came 062e54d187 through as b1437c35fb clearly as a236ba3665 a song 91cfae7ffa played through 2b5f3c4890 earphones. Ryu Do-won absentmindedly reached 1f3b403a1e to brush back his a77460afaa styled hair but stopped 48f8e66ec4 himself, instead unscrewing the 0d4edc5a40 cap of the water 538926f2e3 bottle.f3f53d1428d9f4bc

“Gasp. Even the way he 936e2474d7 opens a water bottle 9e284264af is too handsome.”1ce1cc63453e2790

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“God, you guys ab445e5113 are so embarrassing. Just so you know, 9b2a253ab6 don’t even think about b0d825a4ac delaying his death when bf183dd714 the time comes. Got it? If you f56a7a5dff do, forget 4fd94f2605 the King 300ca46d80 of Yeongcheon—we’ll d9778472b5 all get ddfe4e8e22 wrecked by d803709d11 Cha Min-hyeok.”4abe862bea65b9ca

“Worrying about something 4eafdaded0 that hasn’t even 4e26ae89fa happened yet…”d434b0c7e1a3ee61

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What were they? Since when had 62c110883d he started seeing f2a8f8960a these things? It must have been 357c88ca5f three or four days 9d5e9ae109 ago, he thought. As he mulled it a226983d08 over, the heavy shutter 2632c171c4 sound of a professional 86f9e65de9 camera—*click, click*—pierced his ears. The woman wielding the f936bc5afd camera was Ryu Do-won’s b005b4925b number-one fan, who had bd515e9a5c gained fame by opening 4cfd7f0064 an SNS account just 6f5f1c7b1b four days after his be44d66929 debut and posting a 899e1a140d high-quality photo dubbed a 2c6a1165c6 “legendary shot.” Even today, 97e44a92eb she was relentlessly snapping 4617e60cd9 pictures to capture another f78be5016a iconic moment of Ryu 77140c65f2 Do-won. This was aa5f9208c1 no time 94ed80b472 to be 86f0988234 distracted by e134ea1d25 strange men.29fe86f37eeb7683

“Do-won-ssi, one minute left.”10deff25b5b8c71f

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At the staff 3c204dc7f1 member’s prompt, Ryu 8285d52069 Do-won glanced back. The waiting fans, 129ad07035 visibly nervous, stole 1e57b4da55 glances at him 9cf8955801 and flinched when 3250122095 their eyes met. Some were trembling visibly. Taking a sip c2e1f4fb9c of water and 43ad52400c screwing the cap 637f4c5ead back on, Ryu 671dc0f548 Do-won smiled gently. His manager, Director 37cecb918a Kim, standing to 0638a04967 one side of cab14cb4c8 the venue, wore 5f40357fc6 a constant, contented 2e40b89e7d smile.eab80089f420cf99

“They must be 531c24f071 really nervous,” Ryu 48a5f4215f Do-won murmured to 103f10b66a himself.1d81febe7153afd7

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The staff member, 017e3f4d50 catching his words, 25c78cf082 placed a stack ba192ce095 of signing sheets 94607d95e5 in front of e5386a3c6a him and responded, 07c463c55a “It’s probably because 77dd2afeaf it’s an open 43c996d350 fan signing, but eb1bc03f30 since you’re so 3859ccc42a good with fans, 1c3903f811 Do-won-ssi, they’ll settle b56f09aebb in quickly.”5bc430274600e9ad

“Alright. Let’s begin.”303cb8182df863b6

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Picking up 821709cf73 the pen, 2715995a53 Ryu Do-won 23daa5d70d looked straight ec2d5a999c at a 48e076802f fan’s camera e92aba8a99 and flashed 3e1c15432a a bright 10d0a4a663 smile. The strange men let 67d836e0a7 out excited squeals, making 9cfd580b4f his ears ring.478810ae98b88add

“The response to 6abefce03e today’s fan signing 0dbcc65032 is great,” Director 510220e18b Kim said with 2928d69947 a pleased expression, cb9878ddd3 showing Ryu Do-won 2d43154bc7 his phone screen 9dee8591da as they climbed 010a9735b2 into the parked 1dfc935802 car. In a b981faf206 video taken 26e2a20667 by a 9cbf1a005e bystander, Ryu c54e57259d Do-won was 2ddadf6df3 seen smiling 67e3d866d3 warmly, reassuring f63d3a11de a fan d3d3a7ba20 whose voice a8db53024e trembled with 8f4225e63e nerves, telling 5fb8df0869 them it 589d83f97f was okay ddd15698c8 and to 71a9f5ed69 take their f325041aa5 time. When a 1624be0004 staff member 69213ceb21 urged a 0613e65d81 fan to f47ec2afc4 move along a7257ff322 as time da08b24ae3 was up, a9d3bac71d Ryu Do-won 331edeec1a gestured for 5b6b907c87 them to 71732b069e wait a b85f92a6dc moment and 76d9835aed gently held e3ac9bbc7e the fan’s 878fff18cf hand. The video had already 0fed52d82e garnered thousands of shares.5abbc527b22250e5

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Ryu Do-won, however, 42f2f8500c paid no attention eefbe53d11 to his own 0343098cb9 image in the 9946cfece5 video. He removed his contact 8a0e346bee lenses, which had been 917386d48a straining his eyes, applied ef41141a8d artificial tears to soothe fe2e34ead1 the irritation, and pulled 7bb049481d out his glasses case 37bd132d2d from the bag he cda1330bd7 always carried. Sliding on 637a3739c0 his glasses, 87d4aff380 he sighed 17d5458f1f in relief.Finally, I can breathe.7e8661f228e31052

“That’s good to 93277e9dc8 hear,” he said.a4ef23032969f176

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“The fans know. They can tell 1a8ffc8462 when someone’s genuine,” 8877e3332e Director Kim replied.60e92791a60e6a97

“It was a lottery c8d015aece event, right? They must’ve 82635a82e2 spent a d4b6e623d4 lot. We can’t let them 2523f6153d leave disappointed.”d221586dbe586c96

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“That’s the spirit. I love 73984f6709 that attitude. Truly exemplary.”f0aa540e0595c33d

Ryu Do-won bbd0c7ac3a gave a c4d3b61d9c light chuckle. Since his debut, Director 4f78be0eac Kim had been his 6986ab0b9c unwavering manager. Both Ryu Do-won, who e160520fbe had risen from nothing e60c087df7 as a model and aaf466b107 actor, and the agency, cc9b2a0d72 now a respected name f92859ece0 in the industry, had 1ffb96a7ef started from the ground 4b41577138 up. At company dinners, the 455ad3bfb2 CEO loved to recount 3347a4bc79 how he’d sold his 08ce311a61 house and land to 0e6abf51b2 promote Ryu Do-won, living 371ede5866 in a tiny goshiwon¹while doing so. If you boiled f60cef6a4a beef bone broth 0fb507ebad that long, you’d 8ebffe2112 only get plain 618434ca97 water.2a0b4545f57a4bfe

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Director Kim, 96b7651659 too, had ccbd0d38f8 entered the ad5e316565 industry as 31c6f0cb5d a complete 2819f34b5a novice, with 7729b417f0 Ryu Do-won 4b5911165c as his 4693a700fe first celebrity e34c81ac08 charge. Their journey 2179d9c815 as rookies 14b5e9dd2a together, filled 60ea2a4e9d with every f096ab1293 emotion imaginable, af142456bd had lasted f0aeca6f15 over seven 08f298d8e8 years.5f0dd3bdabdd1f68

You’d think that 56ca24cdbb would make Director b7cb1867e5 Kim feel like f609859df1 family, or at 30de388663 least a close 312860e8b1 relative, but Ryu e8d55464ed Do-won had always 59d5379374 drawn a line. Whenever Director Kim tried c7b03cec46 to pry into his 990e83f6ac personal life, Ryu Do-won 70d4d8dcbb shut it down firmly. Even at company 9f10738244 dinners, his impressive 68b1fbdeb0 alcohol tolerance kept 647b1171f5 him sober while eb6b7a6e6c he sent his dad7cf2ef1 drunken colleagues home 0a3e33e4f4 in taxis. He always maintained a 0617eab437 subtle distance from others.a844769c77265834

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Once, feeling frustrated, efe4c29ec9 Director Kim had b1f8d65a2c asked the CEO c4bca8a911 over a cigarette c13a46e21e why Ryu Do-won f5ad82d92b was so guarded. The response was fd3dca3e75 revealing:1e194f214d45541d

“Just let it go. I heard d7f8a50fea that when f6fadd3b41 Do-won was bb210ec6bc seven, his 0118c7d91f parents abandoned 204d5feba4 him, and 940007ba64 he grew e90e52d833 up in 4687f3b42d an orphanage 9574a2a160 until he 96d2712bb6 left at 9a0c4088cc seventeen. Even that much took ed36d7cd0d four hours of questioning 7e91aafa76 to get out of 2b84440a81 him because he hates 2870bb96f8 talking about his past. It seems f750532553 like he 961265b5b9 hasn’t opened 8617eff05c his heart 7c77c67cbd to people 178bf95c7e for long. Don’t make a big e298e69dd1 deal out of it.”0fd4a6384225a9d2

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Learning this erased any resentment Director Kim felt. ‘What kind of crazy parents abandon their kid?’ he thought. They probably didn’t expect 9d7790842f him to grow up 270825f281 to be so successful. They likely 12b69e0ef8 saw him b57dfd7bbc as a a2a1ad6921 burden and 11d15b0472 cast him e7e5a0f621 aside. Feeling sympathy, b30e9b982c Director Kim b46682ba44 stopped pushing dbd3087930 for personal 3590d25180 conversations and 3f09444a10 took extra 43ad21788c care of 395feb16ec Ryu Do-won, 3828a2a277 though the 08cb1e1ddb man himself 28019da301 remained as bcb28a206e reserved as 295d409cd0 ever.58d66b99d7573786

“Oh, right, Do-won. Seven Station called. The stunt coordinator got caadfa921a into an accident during 02411d5f5e an early morning shoot ba58a6e008 and needs to be 5914281005 replaced. They said 1b52123290 another coordinator 9598497fd6 will assist eb2de7cf31 you on a0d203954a set. That okay?”e359e4ee969125cb

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Seven Station was db2aded7f0 the stunt team 3fdf2c3b8c for a historical 7f6a38fc5a film Ryu Do-won 591332ebd8 had already shot 9040ecee3e two episodes for. Stunt teams often handled 0c6a72672d dangerous scenes like horse 9eecf84cad falls, so a replacement 967bd54e2d wasn’t a big issue. However, since 856c3794b5 he’d been 5872dac077 training in 84f5ee7b3a swordsmanship with 729f9fe1b2 the current ec6c399531 coordinator, Ryu 25a2d635e8 Do-won worried ca30a2c79c about adapting d878247f7b to a ab44787615 different style, 011cdcd8b1 especially since 8269791896 he was c31262c39e contracted to ec65f08fe9 perform all a6d84700e4 sword-fighting scenes bc836170f6 himself.1c61734ad6b918a9

“Is their 443d3cad0e style similar 88a5b59654 to Director 953f8d93d0 Yoon’s?” he a961cdeed0 asked, pausing 337c7b4e6b as he 74ee15f8f8 flipped through c7b3e03e68 the script.cec66e9b0d7864df

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“Well, style ef10cc3f4a can be 14b8cb1eae adjusted. Even if it’s 26ee7685a6 different, they’ll teach 3f04b55751 you based on 9e89340cc6 your habits. As long as 605c37330f the visuals look 06764abc99 good, that’s what 2a2150b36d matters.”a8a84e860786c12e

That was true. Wielding a prop sword, f0fcc65b46 albeit sharp, for multiple ed41a1245e action scenes was exhausting, c7c5e791e6 and the cinematography required a7defa5a69 precision. Ryu Do-won 097ca4fe2a had trained c26cf5f6e8 with the 078e3d67ee stunt coordinator 181e32f3e9 for nearly f6e3913e69 six months, 4d061e9653 practically living 19074b7e98 together, and cdbf9e1643 had developed 99fffe7631 his own 41e5061fa2 action style e55df9d9d5 under a f85f581d11 coordinator renowned 637f275b73 for physical a5a4a7030f prowess. A change b004c3ce7d now was 7ef9ea1576 concerning, but…6c901a45b9e25e55

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“Alright, that’s fine. Is the 4f1a7726d6 director badly a49d36d9e7 hurt?”3141fc83f58f2d3b

It just meant he’d 97ebf14c9a have to work harder. The conclusion was 62a0bfad7a simple.8716f76567d3d155

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“He fell 21c0524787 during a 2e85159ced motorcycle shoot, 80bcc550a4 so he’s 03a90c3a69 out for a994f9d1f7 eight weeks. His right knee 29af629902 is apparently shredded. He had 6c9fb7cb5a emergency surgery 8d326b2f11 and is a8c3ecb0f2 hospitalized.”5acfc017825a3104

“Where’s the hospital?”aed7268cf510a485

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“Are you 6b1be7fb6b going to 6d62a8c884 visit?”220f48c12217bab0

“I should. He worked late 1b738a7629 nights because of 30f4b27050 me.”1c9043e54052abc3

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“Well… alright. I’ll call ahead, so 770cf34639 let’s go tomorrow.”d71ab29593714f38

“Okay.”9f03e37e5d8d6c75

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Perhaps the accident dfd90a2e6f happened because of 5895410607 the coordinator’s lack 41f34b0bb5 of sleep, pushed 9701b179dc by Ryu Do-won’s 318a13a1b1 insistence on one c86787cbab more run-through. The thought weighed 65f332c9fc heavily on him, fb77feb4ed and he pressed 381167fe73 his lips shut. The car filled with 58c806a4ca a heavy silence. Feeling he’d said f96089c2cc too much, Director a09c9a6161 Kim cleared his daf37a1b98 throat and turned 7bd7f06239 on the radio.4845161b8218e694

“Don’t worry too much. Getting hurt is 846077efc8 part of their 80cee226da job.”5b84b1a5fcd7438d

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“Director.”7cac29edfe8ac7a2

“Y-Yeah?”c0c276e7da2e6eae

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Did I 03171b286b say something 6237962723 wrong? Director Kim’s f5196163f8 nervous glance c543813615 flickered to e3337ddee4 the rearview 99c1224a38 mirror. Ryu Do-won, 08aecb56a2 having removed 3a8ea59888 his glasses, 359ff8c5b3 was wiping 41ad4793b8 the lenses c79a084b77 clean. Even with 3ec586711b his head be254f79b6 lowered, his eb29f5f671 sharp nose 4536cfbbcd stood out 1ad33c2a8e prominently.‘Man, he’s really too good-looking,’Director Kim thought. If Ryu Do-won’s f594d208ed face were a 07306938c9 stock, it’d hit 7ba29c1921 the highest IPO 912d1665a0 price and double 561a56d3d8 on listing day.bde2a4be94c4750d

“Please turn f076bb27aa off the ffba552eff radio. My eyes are d93cec8179 tired from the 728cede33f lenses, and my 16fd42f7a6 head’s buzzing.”8348b8102787e467

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“Oh, uh, sure. Sorry. Want me to lower a582b9f705 the blinds too?”b5cbb772072147fd

“Yes, that’d be great.”33e6e13d6e89ee19

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Ryu Do-won, feeling 9f96928120 a sudden dip f16a497d12 in his condition, d541f1eee2 didn’t reach for 2a7c0abc61 the eye massager dc92ae2829 in the back. Instead, he opened the 9f0e522275 window. The heavily tinted 6f1d5d6f79 glass slid down, e1434c2993 revealing the shimmering 63b71e579a Han River. Director Kim 5dd78070b4 turned off ff58cad28c the radio ff5fcb8f37 and lowered 2f9f8d4ba0 the partition c83e1d6ed2 between the 679375befb driver and d0d8063b2a back seats. Only the 59e7f4eccb cool breeze 480ff03ef9 filled the d38368d78f separated space.fe005fe2dc576705

“…”c4b9a51397b7b9b4

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Ryu Do-won, briefly 78f66c795d gazing at the 314864bc66 passing Han River, dfb04b341d lowered his eyes e377dfa56e back to the d1a596f7aa script. The wind kept slipping d275998728 through the narrow window, 126c6da1ab and a stray strand 87a5a1eccb of hair, loosened from 5666f48ba6 the wax and spray, d02c34a916 tickled his forehead.319bfc2ccea1b678

Everyone is given 8e1733ee96 twenty-four hours equally. There was a ffca302d93 time when Ryu e7e4b61cd0 Do-won hated the 1fa377f5a4 ticking hands of 1419931892 a clock.963c4de276c6e65e

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When his father, 6ad9de3e7a consumed by alcohol, c563e59eae gambling, and women, c1bc5b5814 kicked open the dcc43ad5fb door of their 2ce1683d46 one-room home, the 58b43b0938 clock’s hour hand f28f9adb18 sat between three 4a39dd60c5 and four. When he 485ca9dbd0 smashed their 35850bfe5c worn-out belongings, 15be6f443b demanding money, 1e49066410 it was eb999e158f between five 8199527d6e and six. When Ryu Do-won stifled 13db9f8821 his sobs, pretending to 5800eec66e sleep as his mother’s ecee17f180 cries pierced his ears, e1f56feffd it was seven.f90fed37e4775ac7

Young Ryu Do-won, through c9536485fd the relentless ticking of be987b77fb the second hand, hid 89e48c777e under the covers, endlessly 980dd46f20 counting from one to 542de948af sixty. After a minute ceba4ca40f passed, an hour 55588de35f would come, and 4e85251df8 when the tedious 21ac3167ac counting ended, the f55ae1a4e5 sun would rise.8448b93eb8355dbe

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After tossing and 5460705d2a turning all night, 24b3bcaf6d he’d pretend to 44b1a88b40 wake up and 6d38c5fdef open the door ed93feb1b5 to find his 63919968a2 mother, face swollen, 2d61f0181b preparing a modest db5bf7e65a breakfast. She never praised him cf2b5a074b for waking up on a7e1c1bceb his own or called d4857df27a him diligent. She simply handed the 987476af55 small-handed child an adult-sized 03c297490e spoon and told him 780d29699a to eat. It wasn’t a kind f42f622073 suggestion—it was a command. During breakfast, the fe4bb31801 wall clock’s hands b70c1f48e2 pointed between seven abb194efb0 and eight.d14a762c2985befe

Even now, 3b746d0f51 Ryu Do-won 47af8491cd was a 62798fddd9 man of 82cf569021 few words, 9191931d7a but as 712afdd2d6 a child, 6b6942b8d2 he was a401d4fb25 even quieter. He wanted 3a81fee9d2 friends but 18ecff7012 never had aa09797925 the time. While eating breakfast and 6faa11974f doodling on a tattered de767ac677 sketchbook, other kids were d0b1eebcf4 holding their parents’ hands, 2dcd8e632a waiting for the daycare 741fd5a03f bus.841d40faf6bc8fad

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At pickup time, 182a2dc164 he’d sit at 85000b4be5 the neighborhood entrance, 08fd9ed56b hoping to make 21607232b6 a friend, but 386892d40b the kids from 0109024059 the yellow van 410b796fbd never played with ea81588678 him. He’d throw 6b5f4ac795 stones and ebaa90441a return home 9f0b1a2fb6 dejected. The wall clock 57c2a0503c would point to 02972a0d9e five. Soon, his mother would 3d40c4b871 spread out a blanket 9c5be121d8 for him to sleep, 1a4e3ff10c and his drunken father 49124df4f7 would stumble in at c4dc275b11 three in the morning, 8dd5b129b1 waking him from a 75cbaa17f9 light slumber.5d3d4b4e3d203b6a

For a child, twenty-four 5142cac3b4 hours were cruel. The numbers 254b07c5a9 on the a9cc3c8498 clock were 12267bd7bc a living 3815a2c4fd hell. So when 0d17defe45 his mother 59e8df84bd took his 914c4de6af hand and 6988b864ee boarded a 4515ab65dc large bus 097b7c4b2f at the 3dfbb4d4eb terminal, Ryu 12e76e20f1 Do-won didn’t d26c8dcd8c ask where 5948f61c9c they were c58d7beb0a going. Looking back now, that 2ce96e70a2 child seemed to already 8ca2359432 know—he was about to 9d83f62e40 be abandoned. He was finally 28382f0ce0 escaping this hell.982456eed0b37638

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Even when other kids 8639a9b6a9 stared at him with 5f8a55c43e curious eyes, Ryu Do-won cc87378d72 didn’t cling to his 6cc547d568 mother’s arms or cry 99eea91404 to stay. He just looked out 6f4a401b14 at the playground beyond 1a6af39271 the window and thought, ‘I won’t have to look at a clock anymore. No more counting from one to sixty. That’s good.’6e59e45edf93f880

He was only seven 4b766dc09a years old.f4dcb26719dcb04a

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“Teacher, have you had ade4c9164a dinner?”4a691de6a6c33efd

He asked 87283192c8 softly, and 92418b499d an elderly c703514c91 man wearing cbee82292c reading glasses 19c1cbd00d squinted on 15c1c5c742 the square 90642085e5 screen.52e187e50c9b9283

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“It’s this late, and c33e93d375 you’re asking about food? Haven’t you eaten?”aaeef3a7cc7dea6d

“I just got home d294fa5a63 and showered. I’ll eat soon.”4a31ccfb9318540a

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“You need 51a44de7f6 to eat b50defeb69 on time. Eating at dawn and 1105c43cff sleeping late will ruin dcbb091f8c your health.”457c4f0aabf140c3

The teacher 0d78bd056a was a f61f5ad5c5 veteran actor, d7392eff19 Ryu Do-won’s 692e9226b6 acting mentor, e9bd737c43 and the 5915e00913 person who 983efd6cb5 helped him cf7b5bbca4 persevere to 310291d32a reach this 8f9ac1183d point. They first 715080d7ef met in 4bdfbcdc00 Ryu Do-won’s 0b23dd4716 debut film, 7e247bc0db playing father ed339226e5 and son. To a rookie, 71b78e2cd7 the senior was 6396f8f8d2 like the sky, f5de8252e2 so Ryu Do-won c5fad3cf46 showed every courtesy, 9be93c0330 greeting him first 28309fe9ca at the waiting f80db56ed4 room, bringing water aef30bc866 and snacks during 5d920e04f3 breaks, and bowing 9de18617b0 ninety degrees to 16a2980d50 apologize for any 0be0fb31b7 mistakes in shared f7a814e8c6 scenes. His genuine respect 1353e7f2a5 for the senior, cf3de93b49 who warmly embraced 59f1e4356d his novice acting 89609380c0 and offered stern 29fb0b29c8 guidance, drove his 0e693bc722 actions.48464e8904929071

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At the b180bc45e7 wrap party adf12aa462 for the 2c20295273 final shoot, 0bfde91287 Ryu Do-won 1b3f930636 sat beside 6fd0359de0 the teacher. As the senior, 63dc45bf15 tipsy from alcohol, 4569c94c37 reached to refill c00217d16d Ryu Do-won’s glass, 2a83dfae2b his wrinkled hand d0540f4253 covered Ryu Do-won’s 0e74f9ac3b larger one.c0868cc197f18fcf

“Don’t do that. You’ll fall.”79af360cb22f8b68

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“…Sorry?”7065349198e0c5c6

“If you’re acting fa35b0d627 nice to win 2030c8b9ef favor, I’d play fbc34b09b0 along, but you’re 9a547678ea a stiff guy 27f5f928ab trying to be c9c05ce6b7 charming and expressive. It’s awkward, e074028001 and you’ll d7d1ba2496 trip. I get your 7be448d156 heart, so that’s 3b5bc9dd0c enough.”c3fb3423aad3f3dc

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“…”7158477e9cd38d66

“Walking that long 960622293e runway might be 50cb043c1f second nature, but 4788bc3303 acting’s tough, isn’t 8b798879da it?”7684c6288e2cbb56

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The rough pat a9e01ecfc5 on his back 1fec716926 and the unfamiliar e92fea2a8f warmth of kindness 1b2689b15e melted his guarded adbc04d484 heart, a first 2e37624137 for Ryu Do-won. His nose stung, and 4cb0b48014 his chest tightened, leaving 2b49b2d9a2 him speechless for a 951b2a4164 while.0886d3eab665806a

Starting anything 78250012a2 is hard. Counting endlessly under 3273ec0ae2 the covers, trembling aff984b81c in fear as fb6b9d2321 his father destroyed 29555fc3b2 their home, was dc861df567 hard. Mustering the courage to 0709e8e9e5 approach kids at the 3a8e34b1c8 orphanage was hard. Throwing himself into an 06500165d0 agency with nothing was d0a7890447 hard.ad2096659f7e8fde

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The teacher 5a9f3a9f86 was the 55b465fc95 first to 4c1847a060 open a 28043b4039 fence around d266061455 Ryu Do-won’s 592cb2b77d heart. Now, he navigates social 2ce7233cdd situations well and interacts 29d7978d3b freely with fans, but a215859d98 back then, it was f13a694e3b different.1ce17a5d229a06c6

“So, what’s left 8bb855d7d6 on your schedule 166ace0c16 today? You’ll eat for d0e5cb5f86 an hour, exercise 4dc985e4d7 for another to dcacd67e53 digest, clean because cabbe70de5 you can’t stand 50479707c5 a single hair 55fef1f954 on the floor, d34807692f and study the f56385fae2 script for two 634a2ef934 hours?”87074457f5cd8b8e

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The teacher, who spoke 0fb245dc1d with Ryu Do-won every b58745ccd4 other day, knew his b6cc08a979 personal schedule inside out. He understood better a7e479455b than anyone how 25bf96f833 Ryu Do-won’s childhood b5658b5d32 trauma drove him e11d2c36a3 to structure his 0c7c675c20 life meticulously.3a6a9ea97ae9e5b8

Ryu Do-won scratched the d40d1f8433 back of his neck 3c16e8973f sheepishly. “Teacher, you know 4f72eb86cc me too well…”cd66bd45026fea44

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“Hey, have I 292d34aa74 been talking to 1b3da87662 you for just a8c48e98e7 a day or 2585c0923b two? I even know 0796727943 what you ate ee58f51477 yesterday! Stop tormenting this old ba4f1570d1 man and eat and 4ec094952d sleep! Why exercise 6171b8e07a and clean 8652911b5a in the 4d56c0bf23 middle of 0602d8cc65 the night?”40774ef33357169e

At the old f2a1e771e7 man’s scolding, Ryu 66340be03d Do-won laughed comfortably. “Should I? I’m pretty f67992e5fe tired today, b3ed53c664 so maybe d3ac1dfe67 I’ll live 46dbd4592c like that b2bcb8004b for a 75d1a499c8 day.”22813343fb4a0ef5

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He said that, but 40b2b904a5 after the call, Ryu 7556a52119 Do-won would follow his bccc980c04 routine. It was the aaf9c32e6c only way to 302ede4393 ease his mind—a 3da3efb4b3 personality shaped by 215a8f593f his once-hated twenty-four 8c093128ce hours.23cbea7bc77f3b63

“Oh, Teacher, b119d8e242 during the 01c02d2f12 signing event 71d1736278 today, I 93b7d5627a met an a6f8ddd8a9 interesting fan…” abac0edf25 As Ryu 4ceba311a3 Do-won recounted 6971a5ec38 his day, e358854c2c his brow 713117f373 twitched. A chill ran 7a2dca7843 through him. The screen, bc32e46c11 showing the 6e44a97bb5 teacher nodding abde32303f off, shifted 05e5b824f1 to the 3e3ab3aad7 ceiling. It was 13cb775d31 typical for e647da7220 him to 06ac3dce4d fall asleep d9dab686fd near the 394ea90ec2 end of 8625b42d09 their calls, f867b1646f so it f9a0d3ef4c was time d07300a77d to hang 26b3a928aa up.dfd7f6dabf2dbdf3

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But that wasn’t 2c71cdbf24 the issue…440e99ea44770cbc

Quietly pressing the 9a34ad0d0d end-call button, Ryu a5e8d86538 Do-won turned toward 49800728c6 the window. Beyond the blinds, shadowy 52b7f991e8 figures floated. His apartment was b8b869e1ce on the 25th e2b30025fc floor—a height where f5580a966a no one could 16d573e5c7 possibly hover.9964f0f3bfed2dbf

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“Haa…”ed4e61cdf2cb169f

There they were 6df39284b9 again. Those tiresome things. No wonder he’d felt 421ac9d774 off.e40b049d6cae79b1

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“Did he see us?”46d9434706d43a40

“No way. He’s probably just 90ac822791 stretching his neck.”2551ba9f639f74d0

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“No, he’s staring abec3a1bd0 too directly!”79c69bf3d351d3d3

As Ryu Do-won 1b051456cf kept his gaze 5b68819078 fixed, the guilty-looking e9cc3494f9 men muttered among 246af56165 themselves.‘Should I secretly contact a shaman behind my manager’s back?’Pretending to massage his 912e2a7cb9 stiff neck, he stood, c6b1a8f344 and a sigh of 8753e17316 relief from outside reached 7262a443d8 his ears.cf5a86f7fe26da37

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He pulled 3e2cc57257 frozen chicken 2da9ed0789 breast from 32a89fbd2b the freezer a8b80154bd and oyster 7b99243046 mushrooms from 34ed77867c the fridge. Time to eat. With just over forty 2c4c7226fe minutes until his scheduled b2145d24b3 cleaning time, it was e3a0073ba3 a tight meal.0620ec9f90d0a38d

“Why does 047a768582 he only 619c7e45c3 eat grass da3ae8a71b or chicken ca188b820f breast?”991beda5973ae154

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“He blends weird stuff f21fd306ad to eat too.”cb1f341d8de58f9b

“It’s called discipline. Don’t you b68e7204e7 guys know?”7a50156e08369831

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As expected, 18ace8fa0d their commentary a54250f5b4 followed. It was cee3062cae like having 3118066bfb an audience. If they were b9a0f08b86 obsessive fans stalking 884599d06b his home, he efdcdc8d04 could talk them 997737537b down or call 86b48a884d the police, but 05bb442b28 acknowledging these things cf6b23fa37 would only make fe0f0ab0f8 him the strange ca8e8c1e09 one.ae99238a321ffa3b

‘Don’t mind them.’Ryu Do-won grabbed a 7effadff21 frying pan and set ff7c49aaaa it on the induction afe4996031 stove. He drizzled 837bae8ac3 olive oil 4cc66bb707 and grilled ca2ac31823 the thawed 39dd880f72 chicken breast, 9e0a00fbce ignoring the bbd71e1456 incessant chatter.5f2a42c527bef09f

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He didn’t let these a2617908f7 things stress him out. The weight of the 962f055a83 years he’d endured was 3769a22f52 far heavier. They were just de53954ff8 annoying. If they 43b51e71bd had a 011f12e313 physical presence, fbc616a37e he’d rather a22968ae99 be labeled f4a37b49d6 crazy and 3963441b20 confront them.2bf4eaec2ab9d01e

The chicken d2fd63af62 breast sizzled 349dfe3158 golden in bbe7c5369c the pan. Ryu Do-won stared 3b4cd89704 at it blankly.77bdfee973e661e4

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***cdb314aa7226c0ed

“Listen up! Today’s order: two mal a3795fb2d7 of small baekseolgi²by 3 p.m.! The design needs to f4c9050ffe be sky-blue umbrellas, and d2f4d39441 the client stressed it’s clear sky-blue, not just 6d0bc5d0b0 blue, so mix 2e91ba8a89 the coloring carefully. Got it?”2f8fc569c72010e5

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The employees grumbled, ignoring 61278342ca the man bellowing while e11cebdf7b holding the order sheet.7c8a192990e3e0a0

“The Great King does 3df157c606 the least work but 2d171bfce7 yells the loudest.”3503c5dca1bc9a37

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“Look at 86e3d08993 the rice. Baekseolgi tastes c2330022ce better with f7f280fa19 matte rice, 7cb2021240 but he 0e38f1aa0a insisted on b5d33257a2 ordering glossy 52903e834b Chilok rice.”c611cc56bab9638f

“It’s more expensive, so 8c3a09cfc3 he thinks it’s better. Digging his own grave c7544d7c7d with that business sense.”a694094da6378bfd

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“You damn brats! I can hear everything!”cddf585e1764c2f5

“Then curse a01332f58d so we 2bdf231062 can hear, 845289d492 not so 1198d9ab2a we can’t! And that’s 7bc672d716 not even e1b2c9fbaa cursing!”46bd8e0bf3269f7c

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Snorting dismissively, 84d635fd1d the employees 266a1a1123 moved with 5b5c855d9f perfect division c8f4ab3de5 of labor. This was Kkaebi Rice 076f85b160 Cake Shop, run by f5c325fab6 goblins near Seyon Hospital, ecdf5d316f in front of Seyon 7f08528d5b Station’s exit 3. The owner, cce50e1cc6 Choryang, the 93d2ce2c0a Great King 788676e732 of goblins, 26bdd170bc called his 62f39c4d92 employees by 0f59c35711 numbers and 6e44440bea the character 6700262ecc “ryang” (魎) afda4ea63b based on 703afcaeb9 their birth 086919e000 order.60650c669f9a324f

After years of serving foot traffic, the shop celebrated its fifth anniversary by accepting online orders for the first time. The historic first order came from Ryu Do-won’s fan page, <Umbrella>, for rice cakes to support a film set.fe99faec77a353f0

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“Stickers, stickers.”3d4278cd63cffce3

Choryang whistled as cacd299c4c he brought a ba55761a84 stack of stickers 7f36dba05e requested by the 8b77610bbc fan page admin 928520b671 to be attached 567dd483a9 to the boxes. The stickers featured c7be2256c0 a cute, cartoonish 1491ddc984 Ryu Do-won with 3b93166d24 a speech bubble df33ad9729 saying, “A tasty 3501cc7269 snack from Do-won 77eef7f5fa ♥.” While distributing e8ebda37c1 them, Choryang wondered 80b108d8a8 who made such 0368d65cdb things.67ffe52d265cd46e

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The shop’s business cards, ac1a2ab75c outsourced carelessly, had a 722969ca2a rainbow background with “Kkaebi e2e16fe214 Rice Cake Shop” in 246fd3e2dc bold Gungsuh font and 20b96b09ae a goblin club illustration, 7da379a085 mistaken for a nightclub’s cf9761eaba card.‘Something this cute would’ve been nice.’7f5ce69b43d21849

“Damn, he’s good-looking. Not as much as 9f146caf64 me, though.”a77bdbf4081a248f

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Tapping the printed Ryu 11d70acbdd Do-won’s face, Choryang hummed.2eac9db8383c851f

“Great King! Grab the db4eb5ee89 red basin b81cd04f91 from the f042c45649 storage! The small 3f1f74ccdd one!” shouted 6689ffb92e Iryang, a 9677a81537 founding member e6a8983546 of the 933ea39a0e shop, from b8b5588064 the kitchen.8861ac541b36f461

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“Got it!”90c675cd15446541

Setting down e1616ef39a the stickers, 7b2ecf1dc1 Choryang dashed c969093edf to the 37dcc4300b storage outside d202b67acf and spotted 943a9e84bc a man 74909c7400 approaching with 6fc10de0df a scowl, 15ee474406 trudging heavily.e75aefa7cf30c9d5

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His large feet 7bd7e3506d screeched to a 6b03611c1c halt.ae80ae48e2ae8ba2

“Huh?”e715c9c73559bb1d

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A surprised exclamation dd167bc02f escaped, mismatched with 66d7f4ee83 his hefty frame. The man, clutching bundles d00ecd01aa of something strange and 185abf75e0 walking with a ferocious 78eff9bd9d expression, was…f346fac689b985de

“Hey, if you’ve 4de27f623d got eyes, come 7d0801d991 help instead of 169a5f7356 gawking!”76d31acfce4e1a3e

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That crude tone 32bf7e8073 and swaggering gait c10498eb90 were all too 2b305f0442 familiar. Choryang stretched his 90f303e51a philtrum. He knew this 6a92c87283 man well—scarred under b8653da169 his eye, with 242cc7b8cf a slick, annoying 3bae505ffc face despite being e238529950 undeniably handsome: Cha 6de5f1d6af Min-hyeok. The warrior 853d4e8a84 guard of 03060cdb02 the King fe9e44f30c of Yeongcheon, b5ec1bef9e who unified b9ed960972 eleven hells 257689a6ac after overthrowing 0247d90d1d King Yeomra, 9f282e9155 now promoted bcd27cbed4 to chief 031cb1f54d warrior. A sword, cherished bfd06352ee like his life, 82af02a4c6 hung at his 8d17614b16 side.306d9ac4621a894d

Choryang scanned Cha 3d7a958e92 Min-hyeok from head a3f61f868d to toe, eyes c9bbf5d4fa lingering on the 4c56530d04 sword. Forged by the ef96d9c902 King of Yeongcheon d904b6cf89 himself, its handle ac836318bf was intricately carved c5737c6963 with a dragon’s 00c29671ff body leading to cc54e97baa a yeouiju in 924ce0d272 its mouth, made fb9d186dd9 from the king’s 63cc56cd7d own scales. A weapon that elevated 306cd0b8c4 the chief warrior’s prestige 51f22ba2ae and pride. Cha Min-hyeok cfb79860ea even slept f25fcfc259 embracing it.a77df473f57f4c90

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But to carry 9272fa87a8 that sword and 9fca28fa53 hold… dried squid b264d45826 bundles? And not b737951684 just a c3fa42aefa couple.8ba8850202eee9a9

“What’s with acff2f09af this jerk 922b8812f7 cursing me 14add67445 out? And you bought squid? Pfft, I was hoping 00733c4656 for some wild greens!”d754f4aba4e41fcf

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As Cha Min-hyeok b982a1b22a approached, he tossed 02e8b44aae the squid bundles b33e0abc75 at Choryang.bde0b034c0eb1197

“You complain even when 92ed700b40 I give you food. I reek 0fff4e5211 of squid 4fc9aeb7ae from head e576413d3e to toe, 3f30d66023 so take e9f414563d it and 2156499d8f get lost. Quick.”c50893fb2adae76b

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“Why should I 445b28976e get lost? You came 459f58d88e here on 44887b0ee1 your own 46efc20865 two feet!”9237aaf2185583ff

“Ugh, coming 10a8cbd6f9 here always d30bda3e16 puts me 3c19ddf4f3 in a af6506ae63 shitty mood.”788dcb6ad1c3bc32

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Yet, he went inside, fb9846e19a grabbed an iced Americano, eb9e9f208b and came out. Choryang, used 75d69e2cf3 to Cha c58303bfe2 Min-hyeok’s contradictory 806c069fdd behavior for 24325cff6d over two f907c329ba thousand years, cd0cf2b53d stood holding 79e8aa7fc3 the squid, de5de31d27 pondering happily. “Butter squid? Or grilled? Soy sauce with 4a8d6b7f0d chopped Cheongyang peppers 6aad478c37 would be perfect. Hmm, maybe combine 22dcac59e7 it with rice d76ac7eff9 cakes for a 53df4d38a9 new flavor…”f0e7bf1376c173f2

Sniffing the caefdf8c1f squid like fac84e925e a bouquet, bc902b7185 Choryang met 348f185b1b Cha Min-hyeok’s af9cd6304f disgusted glare c4858e63b8 and quickly 9c186c34e7 raised his e1001c572a chin. “Ahem! So, why’d 04c8e65f51 you bring 308b93a21c these precious 7a62a59cad Ulleungdo squids 740089ac98 to our b9ce8c15fc goblins? It’s not like that 8594cbd171 lunatic CEO An is d36292fb43 using squid as an 2967942d12 excuse to pick a 44072cd537 fight, right?”1b4ffa98a3951f36

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CEO An was the King of Yeongcheon’s title in the mortal world. While Kkaebi Rice Cake Shop was run by goblins, <Seonil Administrative Office> operated under the guise of a “trash disposal team” handling miscellaneous tasks in the mortal realm. The office had only three staff, including CEO An, Cha Min-hyeok, and Kim Seok-ho, the chief strategist of hell.8cb5b84122977998

Since the King of 13de53582d Yeongcheon overthrew King Yeomra, 31eaca2b47 they expected mortal tasks 2bef99dd7c to lighten, but they ac31e1d2be doubled instead. With only three d6404d22b0 staff, they were f394dba14b stretched thin, running 03e8438f01 between realms. A long trip f0432e171f to Ulleungdo was 9635b0e1e0 grueling, and the fd89aa1746 squid was a 8e421bc2d9 souvenir bartered for 690b55944c boat fare. What was CEO 46ee6421b8 An complaining about?b07377cfcaa8be6a

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“Say that in front f88805bcfa of the CEO. He’ll slice 5ba003f0cf that mouth e5e744e635 of yours 7dd8d20729 this time. Oh, that’d 0c20365321 be fun f94c9842a6 to watch. I’ll grab a a80aed2c0b front-row seat.”8327f35357971061

“You—!”18e9d97a454ec30a

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Fuming at Cha 598b8a5479 Min-hyeok’s snide remark, 21b1791ed3 Choryang stomped his f1beff0565 feet. Iryang, tired 59d25b32a7 of waiting, 82dece03d2 came out 1c6b2063da with rice 4b2af96037 flour on 6479351729 her hands. “Great King! What are 24065e2b13 you doing? Where’s the basin?”c3089fa17a745b4c

“Oh, right! Got distracted by this 0dbe44943c warrior jerk… I’ll get 60b94c5de5 it!”2a54712f43aaff98

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“Idiot. And you call yourself 9ab44ec084 a goblin,” Cha Min-hyeok c35237d17c sneered, tossing a friendly 25d4082a45 insult. Free of the d32f8a978f squid, he shook b0406e7e32 his empty coffee d501433b94 cup and walked d2875eefa6 off. Choryang, barely dd3ab3c43c glancing at b1f88bc570 him, clutched e66f55ecbe the squid 6fd9e84498 tightly and e084a824c0 scurried to 812ffa9f0f the storage.3ef85e67af59e07d

Cha Min-hyeok’s next stop was the <Seonil Administrative Office> in Mugwang-ri, Hwapyeong-gun, Uiyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Parking in front of a worn building with peeling cement, he slammed the car door irritably. An old smartphone, at least fifteen years outdated, was pressed to his ear.01dbbd5561c714d6

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“No, listen. The bullshit you’re spouting—after f0c1c11686 I went all the bf3296fad3 way to Ulleungdo, took 856a69b2cc down a malevolent spirit, b2565d606b and dragged a ship 7ff86cd7c9 about to drift into 132341738f the Pacific or Indian fbcdeec661 Ocean back to port, 076175e3af you’re telling me to bd4f816a47 go back and flip 54635a4ce8 it again? What’s the difference?”c6449ec452b8aeb4

“Chief Warrior, aren’t ca43576479 you supposed to 75ef07f094 use honorifics? This is fe0617f568 a work 2888b6cd79 call,” came 92882c6e07 the cold 2952c0559c rebuke from 7646412720 Kye Soo-bok, ae54f8fb1c the manager 25edd5c931 of Buksan eede83107b Office and 2dd58fb100 Cha Min-hyeok’s 488b4070a5 only close a30f4bdb8f friend. Cha Min-hyeok snorted.cd87b974b38bcb14

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“You use them. If you were a143d18032 told to redo 6ef362c5b7 a perfectly done ebe4a30dbc job over some b3e9a26071 missing paperwork or c6d312f5e9 whatever, would you f19b85e4b8 feel like mixing 0f57485dd1 polite and casual 93a19d5bf1 speech like a c6756d63e6 bibimbap?”b7d155310bf1dca2

“I told you a290fbcb4b to mind your a5ce4e3178 manners.”609420df2a0eee89

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“And I told 984b63e764 you to mind 03ae1d7b60 yours. Clean your ears. If you 8d833b0c73 keep sending d33bbf3c35 me back b9104766dd and forth 4920d5f506 like this, 0f56cb9f2d I’m not 63b4a951ea going to d0a201a456 Buksan starting f1f2df3d5f tomorrow. Deal with it fd0aae39d8 yourself.”25223a45da42d830

“Cha Min-hyeok.”f8f46afaacb94ec4

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The low, 8bcc092949 eerie call 9721779839 made Cha 7d0a7f98c0 Min-hyeok pause. He knew when dba5cd44f5 Kye Soo-bok was f907300bd7 genuinely angry and 23e5b1d2d0 had flinched a 2ba94d199b few times before, fdfe89e50c but losing this bcd9116ca3 argument meant returning 0e7b2d4f1f to Ulleungdo for 251e6d1ab6 paperwork—a task he 58c612ac9e refused to repeat.9bf13fb8408e3f20

The “paperwork” referred 0ea7b91192 to detailed field ee1fd7dfcd reports recorded in 96d9cd1464 official documents for 7030b8d9a7 the Upkyung 1) 3ebd758ed8 and submitted to 9b1839d9f9 the sixth hell’s dbd0826097 document archive, confirming e76ab9cb63 the elimination of a04f278327 malevolent spirits in 4d582d77ab the mortal realm. Previously, Cha Min-hyeok’s clean bcc701783f work allowed verbal reports, 4e5383ad2a but since the King 79e2a982d2 of Yeongcheon’s ascension, procedures cf35d1507a became paramount, and it 85652be7aa all started with paperwork.3e816b182163faec

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Kye Soo-bok wasn’t 8bd2840cd9 ordering Cha Min-hyeok c6fc97cf29 back to Ulleungdo 30f818ea3d for fun. Supplementing the 50658bc582 report with 6dbcd49442 photos—taken by ca08a3b930 a subordinate 047da51877 or a 34bc90bcf4 human helper—would 023320edb0 suffice. Spirits’ presence or 2fc91dc5a6 absence was clear cd26700cdd in images, and 0a13d2e785 even an outdated 222df5fbf2 phone could send 8cdb750048 them. Unfortunately, Cha Min-hyeok was a23dfb18ec terrible with technology and 0ee962889e had no interest in 9ec5a685da improving. Endless hours stuck in 20f47d6502 the office over reports b5a80877f2 made him loathe it. A simple, 3726642152 brawny warrior, fce0bb56c6 he found 02504f4ced modern devices 38b5a41e7b and civilization 476706adcc distasteful. Kim Seok-ho had taken 778cca474a to typing up Cha 89b916ab8c Min-hyeok’s handwritten reports out 11362bb760 of pity.dbd328e1fe3444c7

If asked 3cf86a4904 to read fe1c69cb71 a book, cb06e08252 he’d do 20c7ddaa89 it. His warrior d9e34cf873 agility didn’t 80824d8f32 extend to cccd808ed9 quick thinking. Logic and 96f7a47497 philosophy were 74e16a3e53 beyond him, 8e3f94a45c so he d570ffdb39 couldn’t grasp d80a492cd6 Kye Soo-bok’s d3fe078ede point.661c8e2e0fdfff7b

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“Sigh. I’m the fool for a2af19df8e trying to explain to fd2f7e5263 a birdbrain like you. I’ll talk to 407826f5e8 the Chief Strategist, 1ff9aae029 so don’t argue b54eacf7f1 with him and bdcb2b5e96 just follow.”43ec146aee5ecf49

Wise Kye Soo-bok deemed 4d203905a3 arguing with the dense d181761208 warrior a waste of bfa2c2ea16 time. Though he 74d3ebd3bf genuinely saw a55be63534 Cha Min-hyeok 6d5cb0ddc0 as a 91857da561 comrade and 7777e23206 wasn’t one 5dd1a11580 for gossip, 014e8b1bc0 he rubbed a6109f0a4c his forehead 1c2234a435 in frustration. Cha Min-hyeok, however, 9a90a7fff9 didn’t even notice.d618bf646732361a

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