4. Torment

Beep beep beep 5686c80f53 beep―06581ff35586818a

Beep beep beep a38adf425e beep―721ed4c0a6cb9958

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The sound of a61ef23bea the door lock ce1afb30fa repeatedly failing echoed, 9394df1f5e and the eyelids 13ce3b526f of a man c90c94fb05 lying on the 096f3a65c1 bed trembled faintly 75b782890a as reddish-brown eyes 2b97f2d6de were revealed. His eyes blinked 2f5617317e slowly, still heavy e3bd9bb2a8 with sleep.802375f4f830d1da

The man e1960bf7de got up 4414afea6b with a 3dd608edec weary look, d7f9956569 splashed his 14f17f3349 face with de12709060 water, and 1dc6e7c829 walked out 5d120eaf7e into the dbd1f8b039 living room. It should’ve efe6a3fe72 been time dae30f765d to give 0115218fd9 up, yet 25101f1fc9 the intruder 8641df150a was still 99661727b1 pressing the e9e7003858 door lock. Lucas let out 9a69a581b0 a deep sigh 314b91890c and opened the 6240370943 door.7092a5266a2966c3

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“Who the hell at dcb76ffbaa this hour―”3eb9747bee70b743

Before he 25a3e15b4c could finish 3498966b79 his sentence, 10eba7c239 the intruder 253302d705 roughly threw d855902f3b their arms 2ce5bf07bd around his c458b2b85b shoulders. The force 17200df5bc sent both f3b6c178d0 of their 3c42e42698 bodies falling bd800b6a35 backward.d227af29ac3146a7

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A loud 9073183c52 thud and f692993874 the sound 0d75539edd of the 7b3a5bcf38 door lock 75a391e56b engaging rang 49b8bf7f43 out at 3c086ab06f the same b3116cfbd7 time. Stunned by the fbb52dfa49 sudden turn of 0699e1d121 events, he finally fda6c0868d let out a ff8c5a26d3 sigh and spoke.2509e4bc7e9704da

“…Yoon, is that you?”4d136df08174cdb5

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“……”5d98ecf3084b86ce

“How much 4340c253ab did you 0fe0f236df drink this 8764b26d99 time?”88f8a7f3c6c3363b

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“……”00067cc96ac49a81

“Come on, at e26b0c5359 least get up.”30ecdb736fb7a4e4

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“……”cd95c7a1711c7510

No matter caef497d04 how much 49152fcedd he talked 2d7e377968 to her, d09d32289d Yoon didn’t 4dbbcaa9b4 move an 5965a1157b inch. Lucas furrowed his 4ac8d8fda7 brows, his face c160d60e49 full of irritation. He had 6187faafce hoped to 8ce5c9f145 finally get f9b1a5df59 some sleep—what bd98cc09d4 a disaster.bb8dbc6c6d10d46a

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Letting out 9c2e022c98 a sigh b2def909a8 inwardly, he 3bf2ca5968 pushed himself ba348a3262 up. As he braced himself 7400175637 with his arm against 588691d0d1 the floor, Yoon’s body 2c58446df4 came up with him. Once he sat up a2640080c9 properly, he grabbed her b39cb1f9f8 shoulders and gave them 2cdf9a1349 a small shake.31106fde45033378

“Yoon.”21e3a6b5512c8e28

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He softly c0ab7634bd called her e81e7d1929 name, as 1e6b716285 if urging cabc989f6c her to 96ca5aff48 get up, 2f3052c0e4 but she 2e70191fe8 didn’t move b62bb13565 at all, ee987d233a her face 0ad54298ca still buried 85317c6add in his f1e16ab6b5 neck.37d335c7fa1c7142

As Lucas debated whether 9ec4781967 to just pry her 0cbeb26cd7 off, he let out 29c92e0fec a sigh and effortlessly c990170385 lifted Yoon into his f3b3a91a6b arms. This damned childcare showed 75dc382f46 no sign of ending—even 6fe03029aa after eight years.e810bdb0830570fd

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Without hesitation, he fbbfff334b carried her into 63d80af61c the bedroom and 12c8e9aa33 gently laid her 78688384f4 down on the 4b3a4ebd83 bed. But even after arriving 2452c0f68e at the bed, Yoon 444b656008 didn’t let go of e1ebac8590 her arms wrapped around 82c55d6e30 his neck.91c391b57c36673b

“You need to 28b86d2c32 let go, Yoon.”f7481a652ae20aef

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He spoke while 39923b0181 rubbing his eyelids dc32310ebb as if exhausted. Being woken up only 94fd4aef9e made him more tired.666b8fe72ffacd21

The moment b0a2893cc4 he grabbed c0f633a285 Yoon’s hands 04af1a5a52 to pry 417856884e them off 8c570ed33c by force, bd0a4ee79d her black 2e8f678b68 eyes slowly c8bb8e045c opened.48d926949fa88e7b

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Their breath brushed 65811703b4 against each other’s dd797f7fd8 noses. A quiet silence c7bbe3b6a9 settled between them.13eed3520ed5e44a

Unfazed, Lucas calmly ed8d2e7461 unwrapped her hands. Yoon also a1bd1281d3 released her 5d7eec5071 grip without a917b9c187 resistance. Lucas studied her 45545d178c face carefully and 39a96ab522 asked,23c17b3b7492f058

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“What happened?”1bba59c3a249fa6a

“……”9159080e15441d6e

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Even at his 2e1392207f question, Yoon remained ebb22619b1 silent. Giving up on getting fee48e7971 an answer, Lucas smoothly a829028b8c took off her jacket, 432e044f84 then casually placed his 1ef31bd5b4 hand on her shirt.bdee2c214c210ee1

Click. Click. The sound 5bdb0e063d of buttons eff88c49a5 being undone 75777e840f echoed as ff50f11be6 the shirt 84ee198540 opened down e0f2a6e56e to her e34d7c3aae chest. His hands moved without ad9bf110b1 hesitation, but then suddenly c6e6f4b118 stopped. Through the parted 84b462c6dc shirt, a soft 2a6009b5a1 curve was visible.9c10861726b5f59a

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“…Go to sleep.”35eaa982cb55cb5c

His body was 5360aee53c so drained with 21d0dd6171 fatigue, he wasn’t dec800221a even thinking straight. He needed sleep. Even the sofa would 594571137a do—he just needed to b80348de80 lie down. As he 63bb670f09 turned to 06a311c403 leave, his c33fc61d08 body tilted.af7daf6b9d734526

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Thud―06121032aa0937c4

Lucas let ab631ea257 out a bbf1051628 deep sigh bcda3e079e and looked bb81755aa8 beside him. A warm, soft body 212bef7ce4 was tightly hugging his 73bfc58e87 arm. Yoon murmured,ce194b9c293f1104

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“Don’t go.”4493ac88ac568c8a

“……”e1fa3b3d0bd812ae

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Yoon, her face d1d17795ea buried in his c928775485 arm, lifted her 69d009f1b9 head and looked 0b6a3d6aa1 up at him. Her eyes blinked d02457b54f blankly at him, eea38040b6 and a low 5577f75948 groan escaped through 2c0cca43b7 his clenched teeth.0a361717055b6632

Of all 28915b959f places, why 91d31fa1f5 the bed? And why 1135ee2868 now, when a4b07abbee he wasn’t 2203484523 even in db2bd38ea9 his right 6e3640c98b mind?cf793bc6493b5b35

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His self-control, 3e2556bfda something he’d 09da4cb7cc never doubted ecc9380f69 before, felt b1cdd0b3a2 dangerously unstable 096108fc18 today. Lying in the same c00eefb7f3 bed wasn’t helping.94293adb2016c654

Lucas ran a weary c6b962a27b hand across his forehead. Today had 5a2237344c been rough def99dbffc for him f3fb0c904c too.0e65a90095bcdae6

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With a resigned 332253049e sigh, he turned a96829116f toward Yoon. Maybe it’d be af6cc44890 better to just bf7429f499 get her to 35180bbcd1 sleep quickly.f7969aedc89f7eff

His rough yet gentle 343d8d36de hand reached for Yoon’s 5edfd6e4f8 head. Her eyelids slowly fluttered c6b8e05ca1 shut. That familiar touch 6975daf496 melted the tension 2ef0b71371 in her body, 3de534c396 making her sink ac1e0848c9 into a drowsy 38c014ca1c calm.c68936cb3f2fd723

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His hand, which 7a1f6284a7 had been stroking 81634fda79 her in a 581b8a6f3a steady rhythm, subtly bd0e441a95 changed course. His large da726f22e4 hand brushed 419cbccee4 over her aa9135e9d4 smooth forehead, 8d0d70721d traced the eebc63e91f curve of b5ef85cfd8 her elegant 66910a5110 nose, and 360e90a248 landed on 5af8a245b8 her red 1a0ceed916 lips. At the f7d879c5f2 soft sensation f98103293e beneath his d2afca91aa fingertips, he 5e9e4eb658 froze.35c387f8d0d045ba

At that moment, 7b58e87062 Yoon’s eyelids trembled, 699adcfac0 revealing her black f8582ddf3e eyes. Their gazes met 60aafdf34f in the air 3cc35d9971 between them, and e80b2bf803 a strange tension d92c7235fd crackled in the 6778791843 space around them.16292b1ed501925d

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‘This won’t do.’9544ef24bb4868b7

He was on fcfb648796 the verge of 8777347574 crossing a line. He wasn’t 3d3ea2fda8 in his b1440f9ee9 right mind cb3f7beb2b either. Exhaustion had completely stripped bba317989e away his reason.f848cbcbcea38696

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He tried 61d4995106 to pull 6d8f70d480 away, ready 388e453168 to leave 75e4382327 immediately, but b53f1e7a5e Yoon followed a5d33b02c3 him like cf5e086d1b a magnet. As if that cd9b7c64ca wasn’t enough, a b5e318476b small whimper escaped bf98f9de87 her lips.9134979af7e140a5

Like a kitten 1d3b150579 craving warmth, Yoon 523d713c2d nuzzled her face b8d28c1806 into his arm. As she pressed c1d087eca1 closer, her soft ee438ad681 body molded against ea2a7f94ab him. Her warm 3b51afdd35 breath brushed 93e1e5eee9 against his e42ae5ec50 forearm.550e38c4948234fb

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In that instant, he 65e4916eea muttered a curse under 3f75abb582 his breath and covered 6de5a3c0a1 his face with one b2352ac3f8 hand. He knew she wasn’t 4c1ccfa090 doing it on purpose, 17a179dd8e but the stimulation was 9358c3956d too much.0d96606a98616373

He was tired, drowsy, dc64148a11 and barely thinking straight—and 3818c93864 now this? It was getting impossible f82ebde21c to hold himself back. There was 2f641c8dcc a limit e4a2227580 to how f650fc8678 much coaxing 189e6a76b5 and restraint 585a027f44 he could 76cf5e75a5 manage tonight.9738999141d04462

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In one 3e919b9224 swift motion, 1d0cefb0eb Lucas slipped 2f678299d3 his arm ce4940b8b3 free and eea5d6eef4 moved on e59160533d top of 94e0c56df5 Yoon, bracing 8c85262137 himself over ec44d9a7ff her. The positions had reversed 3d4ea4b168 in an instant.874f3e9f2d8d7e89

Lucas locked eyes 7a51bbbf35 with Yoon in 12400b12a8 silence, then let 31303ebc99 out a soft 42297a4a5a sigh and buried 03e885b565 his face in b747f2dfe7 the crook of 1df53eca65 her neck. At the b2fc78ba48 shift in 9d056c565f position, Yoon’s 1405030f58 fingertips twitched.0e89e922b4fe7bdd

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“Please, Yoon.”59ae78b9e973b02c

He paused, as cb22de2f4b if steadying his 709868df60 breath, then spoke 240102b48e again, his words dbf7f662b2 sounding almost bitten 516fbcbaca out.2c2cadcd3e11a60d

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“Just go to sleep.”74de8a6b67f71e10

Because I 7ecd0b64c0 can’t hold b977f10d8e on much 240f1c79c8 longer. His low, 17cf26b3e8 hoarse voice f4341fc229 sounded almost fcc585b089 like a 6474015f03 warning. The arms 39c964e840 supporting his cb1fa9207d weight tensed, 3b4c523fba muscles hardening.e55611a8eff5a750

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Yoon, lying dazed 1066861a15 beneath him, reached bfca555c99 out and wrapped ba24507a90 her arms around 3867d718f3 his back. Her hands 04f0fa7106 slowly patted adce007456 the broad 4ee799e9cf expanse that a9c27b3c7a she couldn’t 6b34e22b97 even fully f56f74c4b4 hold.7c3558e73d624d2e

“Ha…”59092e48aac0885d

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Lucas let out c31d459389 a breathless laugh 9f41b7393b at her innocent fcc978c6f6 action. As Yoon continued ef1d091cff to gently pat 468fdb498a him for a 93c49a9d1a while, he finally f4be332ae2 sighed deeply and a205135e2a collapsed onto her. His large frame gave 26770ca204 out all at once, e317449527 and a small sound 0e7ee9510f escaped Yoon’s lips.7cf658db0cdf46ca

Even as 49304f4bef she squirmed, bc4c0ee563 trying to 59c5e7ec47 get out 5f0e18a84f from under 0b682bacaf him, Lucas 44687d2f27 didn’t move. It was a form e672875f2f of payback—for breaking her 9a16291f69 promise to drink in 0508e39985 moderation, for barging in 817909b9f0 and waking him up.c44e774d3cf3700e

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Completely relaxed, Lucas bc61dd30f6 kept his face b27504c7fb buried in her 13d3291eca neck and closed 163edd19b2 his eyes. The familiar scent at 5b38fc6b1c the tip of his 43b6149eeb nose soothed his frayed f0dfeb9c59 nerves.714d15bc17528c38

After a brief struggle, 7e1aab92a5 Yoon resumed patting his dd50f5e62e back. Her awkward touch made 8acaf4f006 him chuckle softly, almost 27ad2f61da like a sigh. As the urge f4c210d530 bubbling inside him c5b9296dda slowly subsided, Lucas 3ab2608d51 lifted his weary 3145f3556c body.d79038650d2d239c

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If he be18b39bce stayed any 4375cfcd26 longer, she ce7a5084cd might actually d0ce07cc4d get crushed. Whether she realized f3b065308e she’d woken him 7b87252fa3 or not, Yoon 103953b4a2 continued to pat 09e2e7c043 him, murmuring for 639977623b him to sleep. Oddly enough, fb9b5e08c1 that made 2d3f34f79e her seem 3f916cb659 more endearing 42eaf2fafe than irritating.a6f8c1ff2242a0e8

Lucas gently 349014ac46 unwrapped her 7267931dca arms from 17ed943edd his shoulders 6d1e17e833 and fully d9e597c5bd got off ce55090422 her. Though she e9632e82ff tried to de06f05901 hide it, 05d3dc767b her cheeks c7cad280a8 were flushed 9d3352dfec a light f8eb5e54fa red, proof 910c6464b1 that it 096ba61923 had all 326929d858 been a 1dacf94e6e bit much.96b7a736f0c6ec17

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Letting out a 2710295fff quiet sigh, he 2dff34a2c6 lay down beside ef71115807 her. Then he lightly tapped a68b0d315a his arm.a9c3320ea7b085d9

“Come here.”9a3cdb4c4f37929a

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His voice b2b20b8f01 was hoarse 900a9e1b1f with fatigue, 7f64cb1f62 yet even 4967328fd7 that sounded 3ff423c4d3 gentle. Yoon, her eyes 32346497ac hazy, shifted and 0589a7ca10 nestled into his 90b110545b arms.a13264ac9e57a245

A large hand gently 52cfaf01af patted her back. Yoon buried 736bc9aa7d her face 2e18f9bf9b in his 387b9746ea chest, and 20b8ead0cb with every 3ec5898253 breath, his b99f2fc325 scent filled 08d8461adb her lungs.252239f3cbd2418b

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That calming scent of 279f78b418 wood made her burrow 746c6c2ca7 deeper into his embrace. His hand paused 1787c5dd3b for a moment, 10293f3bf3 but then, as 1ad9c850c8 if nothing had 38e67a7322 happened, he resumed 8bd4b0ce02 slowly patting her. After a while, Lucas c9f5505725 spoke in a low f9d6549de9 voice.2fc1132919ddbcf5

“…Did something happen?”2e2124e43369f438

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For her e8545dd993 to come ee389b612c here and fa182e2859 cling to 59abf517cc him like f6e671aff4 this—something definitely a9335a6213 had. When Yoon drank, she acf16b6dd6 usually passed out without 9140902d85 much fuss, not seek b310d3e404 him out and cling c100cdff38 like a kitten.f8a1c53aca5215b4

“Whatever it is, a0cea7fa14 just tell me. I’ll listen… until 84f600ccc0 I pass out.”f06199772d1a805f

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Maybe it 8d6a0e9c79 was the 2e5baae7e9 warmth of b159877db9 her body 42050b6ad6 against his, 1dd54de517 but his 4014c6a10f own started 2a8a457a3e to feel 3409668f89 languid and 3cc4225e0e loose. His eyes fdb3981b6b blinked slowly, 38825e5724 sleep pulling d835440d1f at him.15402d3cbb565013

“…You like dde99772bb me too, 68e11bd83a don’t you?”b1b0d9b9943a94f0

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“…What?”24c395e3f0f18027

His body, which had edaccd5ec8 been relaxing, suddenly stiffened. That was the d616e36daf last thing he 43ba9d3bd1 expected to hear.6c4e0bd3658d4819

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“Because I can’t 32a79223d3 feel pain.”0e9ec0fb0fe71763

Yoon continued slowly, bbf3a967d9 as if to 308e167182 clear up his 76a0ad5703 misunderstanding. Lucas let out a af013e3274 breath he didn’t realize 26c05fbfcb he’d been holding. Now he 4b508401b2 understood where 0e29b56abb this was 825d21d104 coming from.f2596a9160ed423b

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Lowe Howard. It had to be 36dc6eb2c0 that bastard. Silently, Lucas continued to 7c2a946ee9 pat Yoon’s back.7cd9ba5802b15013

His steady, d00d272f82 rhythmic touch 418674be2a seemed to 0cf7a26375 coax more 364e017edb words from dc2de60185 her. Things she 0da939df7c wouldn’t normally e47cd0dcb5 say slipped 9ef9724a36 out, softened b0cb014e07 by the 82ae878ac4 haze of 43f8748ada alcohol.dacdbe987741b694

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“You like me 9d1e86fe85 because I’m useful… 7ffc33c220 is that it…”dcc5f71c24f78143

Her murmuring voice was 97f3ea0559 heavy with certainty.176588da104e4aaa

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“Yeah… I figured.”f3e1a3e779c48db7

Yoon tightened her arms a9df53bdbf around his waist. Thump, thump. She pressed her ear cec14b393f to his chest, listening 65c6622016 to the steady rhythm 61b2c27987 of his heartbeat, and 37d5fcd684 closed her eyes. The sound of 7148d48318 his heart echoed 4cbd95933b clearly in her ebc21a5a71 ears.bf556fc61b0e055d

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“…I hope you’re f6639cb066 not like that.”a1fb16bc71dc1d1c

The words slipped 9d854fea40 out before she b8bd374010 realized it. She didn’t f8b20e25a5 care how 5cb0a310b9 others treated ff6e1fbc0c her. She was used to 154e10f066 it—their words never fazed 1e98beddeb her anymore.0c3e0cdecfc28553

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But Lucas… was different. If even he saw her as nothing more than a tool…90ef3664a4a72d1e

Just the 7e84ed07ba thought of e184ca37ab it made f8998a1c61 her chest 3b4f71ba22 ache. That fragile e64a0cc886 part of b958f1cec5 her, buried 094c66ef77 deep within, 1423c5f50c began to a7c0bb6acb surge up.6698cdf45257ae78

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Once the dam broke, 6eba898994 the emotions showed no 5a78492577 sign of stopping. Yoon stared blankly, wondering—when 66f980931c would this kind of f897f9abf1 life end? Would it 3c8dab4a3f ever end?4c313eb0ecb732e6

Sometimes, she felt trapped 324630fdc3 in a tunnel with a7a63a44d1 no exit, swallowed by d52c05a2b0 endless darkness. No matter how a3bb6a9f38 far she walked, 208a921974 no sliver of 46d52ab3f5 light ever appeared. The tunnel went 67f13ac1bd on and on.83885fe221ef513f

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With every step, her 7264a8af4e legs sank into the dcd99b4d83 damp, heavy ground. Even when she clawed c9c71febea her way out, something a2da7c9166 like a swamp dragged bc70014349 her back in.9951667106eae20a

That mud was cold 81eb9c2362 and sticky, clinging to 04cf6e4eb2 her like ice. The chill seeped 31c35734b0 into her bones, 825a408e13 and Yoon wrapped 05fa17e6dd her arms around 2b737b63b0 herself.7386e71e98e11c37

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