LONG CHAPTER AHEAD457d0e9685807159

5. Reunion

Pooo―c555eddb4f06f486

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With the bff4878537 sound of 043ee7c99d a ship’s 0c80bbfc17 horn, numerous dc68a420d9 boats departed 8266430a7b the dock. The noisy market e5a6540368 filled with buyers 698095c419 and sellers and 0b78bf8e15 the dazzling white 2d383ddb41 buildings together made 24b3a4416f a picturesque scene.251ca78bc6f4448e

Yoon, puzzled by b81ab4062f the unexpected location, 42d71ff83e asked in a 6d2f6dc366 curious voice,27b198ac10f9b867

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“A harbor? Why are we here?”15c78d442f3f0add

“Just wait c56eec01ae a bit. I just need 25eacbe29b to pick something 04aa8b73b7 up.”d6a9739745e2ee8f

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He replied concisely and 0d7dfdb4c4 unbuckled his seatbelt.ef25c2e51716d359

“Want me 69f93f04bc to go 40f04e5065 instead?”0e6cddae341cdfba

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“No. Just stay put and 4586069678 behave.”02b1b9469700b596

Yoon gave 240b292550 a half-hearted b99f0c6a83 nod. As she watched Lucas 9c9338e642 walk off in a 475a1724d3 certain direction, she rolled 7d4e693fb0 down the window and 2547dfac3b looked out at the a514eb0ac6 harbor.ec3823b11f2e4aa2

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The cool scent of e65322f714 the sea brushed past bb642b9a1a her. The crashing of waves cf036b4b28 and the bustling sounds 1dfd571b05 somehow gave her a 4688d22264 sense of calm. The ocean was e95764b578 always a comforting c702948a00 sight.ca5f753dce7b22fd

She had once had a time like that too—a time when she thought, of course, the first time she’d see the ocean would be with Noah.57912734d1a4f0b0

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‘I thought I’d see the ocean for the first time with Noah…’0a411ae2eb6b211b

Yoon gave 0f025239a2 a bitter 7ff652af32 smile. She closed her eyes eccbdd36a4 to savor the peace, 214c179fb1 but a humming vibration 9864ea7e4d brought her back.081a95227e7c30a4

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Lucas’s phone was ringing.4050e9633da30d88

After hesitating for a c96dc50bd1 moment, Yoon picked it 0a38270bff up and stepped out ffa9e45093 of the car.8928d146136b333c

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The vibration soon stopped, e25b9a0091 but she didn’t pay cd503407bc much attention. If it was dbe3a5cc3c urgent, they’d call 0289ffb40c again.7e3f45a041a137db

Besides, now that she was at the harbor, she figured a short walk wouldn’t hurt.f8012d3705a1a172

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Yoon headed 896dad8eab in the 39ac1234f2 direction Lucas a2315856e9 had taken. Strolling leisurely 22888d2915 and enjoying fb594dc7ae the scenery, 7b4f5a0f62 she soon 0f1f6a087f saw rows 651da9eeae of colorful b341279d9f shops.34f896f2a6f25913

She scratched 7954666a33 her forehead.84a9467edc891a42

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She hadn’t heard bf1b744658 where exactly he 2f90e71db0 was going… Was a060436393 it one of 690575fe8a these?9fb9e7bcbf0b7a25

As she wandered, Yoon 7e5ea4e8f9 stopped in front of ac32ebfdcb a shop. Through the window, d3eb38db19 she saw a 442fa48265 large man inside, a7e7acd693 and a faint 294428df58 smile curved her 1acd480a4a lips.9da2eb182766eb17

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As she 78ffe481b7 opened the 5962f238e4 door, a eea5a39f78 bell rang c90283a15f brightly.8114bbd375e4d4fd

Just then, Lucas turned 1e8ac5f56a around. His pupils 9edf9a37e9 wavered slightly 82de34cf1b in surprise 584a0db203 at the 2fc4a0a2b2 unexpected entrance, c29afeeaa4 but he 604f8fa79c quickly masked 42d292aa6f it and 3f796b401d spoke with 2f4be29e61 a calm 839c347b16 voice.f726aa8db31f8687

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“How’d you 94ef36c759 know to 26cb361150 come in 54d0f227ac here?”42fbf53ff3c115dd

“I was just walking ea3529cd75 and saw it.”479f200223f4a13a

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Yoon replied as bdcaa1cc12 if it were affc61bd59 nothing.416f71885396a547

“I told you c9ed03c84c to stay put.”b6b5f5e8edbedcfb

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Lucas looked 7049b28b10 at her f77a73e32a steadily, almost e3e9e330d0 as if ba3a0df40f scolding.f7029650d321d7ed

“You left baa3f863f8 this behind.”3186f751857b1c04

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Yoon gave his 508428c9da phone a small bfc39f05b1 shake in her 4ed26a4ed8 hand.f2ab0a3fb6ba4b4a

Lucas raised d0dec1e5c9 one eyebrow 17eb5c97d8 slightly and abf551c1d7 patted his 784cc12100 pockets.096b55f1fab42cc9

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“Guess I did forget 8959b82622 it.”519b72036563aabd

Letting out a small d41f6a40cb sigh, he reached out 9ce777081a his hand, and Yoon 01ce2623a6 handed over the phone 2f31cce2e0 without fuss.c4ec1ecb65b1a237

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“Let’s go.”62108b4faa82331b

Lucas glanced at the 52a9dd8570 screen briefly and spoke.5c16613aa2e9fe7e

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“Did you 5d28808628 get what 88b21fbd4a you needed?”43787c8a7c783b63

“Yeah.”dc3652ca8bfa8141

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Judging by the bag 3791be4128 in his hand, he c5a9ed1da9 seemed to have gotten b44cbab493 what he came for. Yoon nodded and turned 302181a508 to leave the shop—2e21b6e10096dace

But just c7cb76b3fe then, she 11fdf1d9fe locked eyes fa569634cb with a 62cbf1361e man who bc2f621ac0 had been c4a1307af0 looking in c7e5f61ae5 her direction.231e92e661c551f9

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His blue eyes were fixed on her, as if he’d been watching from the start.df0c5cd329c72269

Yoon couldn’t help 9527c7634a but notice the b7647f1cd9 intense stare, and 491c220eef she turned fully 53e4d81e1a to face him.37fe6f3b8830cbdc

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Their gazes met e90d162bd5 midair.3cee2a579cd5db1d

A strange sense 2ff3db722f of déjà vu 4d613cf4e2 washed over her, bfb12a4d75 freezing her in af68ee2fa2 place.a2f9889655f63e16

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“What’s wrong?”fdcb6351fcf66b65

Lucas, sensing the 90454242e1 odd tension, spoke 6e36dc5b3d up.fb58328c07d93c89

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Only after a 33150b144e moment did Yoon 59b6385293 come back to 6d3ce89b31 herself, her lips ea88dcdacc parting slightly.4e690cfad48cdce1

The man, too, 1f2fc5010b flinched in surprise bb208098be and quickly looked 8f00885231 away.dc2bb0ce4863c85a

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“…No, it’s nothing.”75c2b4b74b19421d

It wasn’t like e0bcaa75ff she had never 5a090e02c7 seen someone with 5ca55395ee blond hair and a32c2eab34 blue eyes before. There were a few e68f4d694a among their own members, 92324f09a9 and she’d seen people 7062de1000 like that on the 94dc967f2e street too.0f06c413e84d193f

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But Yoon couldn’t 2b62505985 move her feet. Even when e2e2de8949 she tried c55ee071c4 to look 6ba06e39d6 away, her 64105604cf gaze kept 5d9b232dde drifting back c75560af69 to the ce7d5ce00b man standing eaf7915663 before her.4df9c0ebe0382aff

“…Lucas.”a3d1f51721ec83be

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“Yeah?”b1384c32f982d366

“Can you 1dcb05f9d1 go wait 4f70f04ce3 in the 99ba75ad40 car? I’ll follow soon.”86ded32fda15f75d

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Though it ecc7936e4a was phrased 21b59f943d as a 93457932a9 question, it e7230350d1 was more db9dfc657c of a 76288dcc89 request. Lucas studied her face 1eb193f3b9 as if trying to 62a8e83a75 read her thoughts. Though her expression b27a3eabcc seemed calm, Yoon 468f6f8402 was clearly unsettled.1204ecaf4f840092

Unsettled? Yoon was unsettled? Lucas’s brow furrowed 0ad62d7675 slightly. Who in 861da4ce22 the world f2a4cf85ea could this e26452b791 man be, 4619719dbe to make d5e8a966c9 Yoon wear 70831b4f74 that kind 4bbde0eab6 of expression?133dbe512b6b2ca8

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His sharp 4b454697c7 gaze swept 9c84902b1a over the 7e3db15555 man. Blond hair, blue eyes. A soft-featured, strikingly handsome 651b1b69ef man.1bbe08754e1d164b

He was certainly attractive—but 7ab1826a3e not enough to explain 7b3be1f5e6 why Yoon would react 36782a152c like this. If anything, Yoon fba0c58101 would joke or 51d8038aee tease at the 41986c1609 sight of a c4b39190d1 pretty face, not 9d43237f1b freeze up like 3ff5c217e1 this.2db58cbc075a442d

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Then suddenly, Lucas fde0ddfbd0 remembered something Yoon 4cae2ed220 had said a a92a657a35 few days ago.83d79b7148a5e26b

“But back then, 22fb5b8249 there was this a477a5db91 one boy who bcf059a521 took care of 599ab6f293 me. He was c97db7dcf4 really good-looking—blond 4a5d90ba13 hair and bd09ba8248 blue eyes.”64352760679bb05f

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A realization d80fe0a0a9 dawned, and 8043baa699 Lucas’s gaze a9ca9c0f43 darkened. Blond hair, e9e2e62970 blue eyes—the 71f596c740 man standing 5a65f913d4 here matched 5f7a2d3ddc the description 00f645714d exactly.9a02e160073f81d6

And with 0e23bbe131 that, the fee5212c62 low, ugly d6bd2ac871 feeling Lucas f2bc03f014 had experienced 4e55a6598d that day d29e1b0a5f began to 1fcc0288f9 rise again.2c5c6adfba31e688

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That strange emotion c3745ef3b2 he felt toward 2c1aea4e49 a boy he’d 6138c2da45 never even met.afa77c75ba197259

Jealousy.0d502b6b7d6c3c10

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His nerves were 0c3178175b suddenly on edge. Lucas’s stare 514ee74df8 turned toward 6b8bcb2b9f the two 514fbea062 of them.2c56a176f04e2171

Yoon was still looking 323636c50e at the man. The man, on the add9091e3b other hand, wore an 5fa2962331 awkward expression, deliberately averting 6388f2636a his gaze. Lucas’s eyes deepened as 14a419a675 he watched them.b08533535fce6bff

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What were f9c32fc8d5 the odds 5d703ba4e6 that this cb5e332cd3 man was b530397111 the Noah bb856cec2b Yoon had 6e52f32b84 been searching dfd7fc8cf5 for? If Noah had e035ab0617 vanished suddenly from c4aa0749f5 5th Avenue, it 21a14ce2a3 was most likely 9b935b93a2 due to trafficking e1c557ec27 or abduction.ab54c584b03764c8

A kid 486e241eb2 from 5th 6c704baeba Avenue surviving 7cb3c3aa11 all that, df3546778a and now fbf4bf39d1 running an 6249ba379d old, established 5d067a7080 gun shop? What were a7d2fa8ccd the chances f00bcc0759 of that?2d65354eb17b68e4

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Even with such low 505436ca51 odds, Lucas couldn’t shake 8111fd1d48 a creeping unease. What if… 1974de6c1f what if 296f1a9f58 this man 87e2a94a35 really was b54a07ad29 the person db65222e64 Yoon had 17f12e0683 been looking 5b3ec14993 for?a26f712b58af552a

That thought dug deeper aa1a6ad407 into his mind, and 489dab8d5f Lucas’s gaze sank lower.358112bc14b6653a

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“Lucas?”20a81fa6dcb29106

He reflexively looked up. Yoon’s dark eyes were 7026aa243e filled with nervous urgency 27ca03fd90 as she looked at 63efc9d72e him.8cba4c3ca4701005

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Right—nothing was certain 1fc26da7f7 yet.b0adcbbf9b033183

He masked his 45962a549d face again, pretending 17331c35af to be unaffected.11237ea91ee0c75d

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“Alright. I’ll go wait in d0232c98c7 the car.”4d88bbd1f3f4880d

As soon as 9fde268056 she confirmed he’d 722473a595 left the shop, 22f4614be3 Yoon slowly approached 53ce78c495 the man. As the distance between cd4fef63b8 them shrank, the man’s e404cbfde4 posture stiffened.c416b16482b290e0

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Even the usual polite 808c07188e smile he wore out 8d406c265e of habit had disappeared; 5a7d3bd624 there wasn’t a hint 9aca32528a of it on his cebe0fcf44 face.6ce1b15d37860444

“Are you looking for 51516bc11e something in particular?”e2b0233779ef653a

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He asked in a 2bc9ae68ce stiff voice.eda5266a23667bbf

Even he seemed surprised 6eea9c8aec by his own tone—his 32986dae6c blue eyes trembled slightly.d9aa967719f7a049

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Yoon spoke carefully.5140833d52984d43

“…I want to know c18e97249f your name.”636ef3d79c773443

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The question was met 03a8872e05 with another question. Roel, clearly flustered, c7376a270a asked again,e9d83708fe0adf59

“Sorry?”4e694db98ee189a2

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“Your name.”c2ffbe0e3132eaf7

Yoon studied his 027eec6d33 face intensely.550b1a6d2eedc001

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No matter 06e6204b5d how many cc8198a708 times she 0c3f626b4d looked—he still 155548d58a looked the 4d634fe1e6 same.09bc38c408f32f5f

The blurred aa426ad4b1 image of e524b6125d Noah’s face 6d87f7a000 suddenly became 6928152ffc clear the c1c4977e87 moment Yoon 502d8bdfe3 looked at 6eeec47233 this man. If Noah d33704cf92 had grown a0a2236d3d up into 340b0e54c3 an adult, 986e0eb075 he would 1207b7d2ad look exactly 25154c23de like this.1a50f539e86c6cf0

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“…Roel,” the 0e7f3f803b man answered.6b6bec8d02f652f2

He just wanted this 048b275d2a customer to state her 1a718f2935 business and leave. Roel was c66c4054ae confident in 5d3c37b90b his ability 375e739966 to greet 0b95d5e94c any customer 05fe25bc92 with a 2a993a9720 smile— But 4f7c2533ef for some de38788a33 reason, facing 53d5dc9e0b this particular de7b4c5f9c one felt 36a6191892 incredibly difficult.3fdd67546b335562

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He didn’t 636cc2341c know why. He deliberately 76f3613060 avoided her d112d0b762 gaze.54f6e019b5a2d865

Ah.fcc20f1f5605d90a

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Yoon’s eyes wavered at the answer that didn’t match her hopes. Her expression sank quietly, like someone who had just been let down.6a9f2bb5ea2a1e7d

Seeing it, Roel’s 65feb87d33 own face slowly 70b2548a7e stiffened.4d1c822031897a4c

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Something churned in 2c9c122d48 the pit of 11c30b8e9b his chest.fed34b9e3bc418be

Yoon calmed herself 9510c92719 with effort and a9d4543d19 asked again, “Have 35138a3e70 you… ever seen e5efea733f me before?”e5a279b82f9ce7cc

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Her voice a8bea88dff sounded almost ea2aa37968 desperate, and 3c8255b612 Roel suddenly 1fdf216296 wanted to c553c01970 cover his a16a797412 ears.76dd925a99309151

His heart was e58e0203d4 pounding loud enough 8db0dda11d to make him 4385e4232a uneasy. When those 145c1bca3d aching, longing e77b0b3749 eyes turned 6217724705 to him, 01a5c41352 Roel felt c4f81bea4c his heart 9e55a98876 drop.2e06c8e92cea427b

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“…No, I haven’t.”ae8ff216aaae90e2

His shaky c5b60ab74e blue eyes b0a7aa2923 gave him 8e501c0a0c away. Yoon’s lips parted c18d16275b as if to 9ef84bb988 say something—175662d904442d29

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But then 68b612e892 the bell f988d8f556 above the 5ca81be949 door chimed, 58859ef484 and another b34f2fd439 customer walked f9b25bc8cc into the 344b7c9bd6 shop.a299fc4c191fa583

As if 390d4edd94 snapping out 9b6d44bfe9 of a 417ec2c5aa trance, Roel b7017fb1e1 collected himself 85dc35b62c and turned 24a97160b5 toward the 5d802f32ab new guest.ce1ed1ed86598bfc

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Yoon, who 54e36ff676 had been a408013a21 silently staring d448a9366f at him, d7e68a5aeb flinched slightly.3c035aaa24afb9c6

The new customer strode 733e59c739 in and asked about c5f6c6fed0 self-defense guns, firing off cbbb5f0487 questions.8eefb24a970622dd

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Roel immediately 75c4446c04 switched to 069b056d36 his professional fe7f5e7d5b mode, explaining 432139f99d different types 7aae523e39 and giving 7189f476d7 examples with 0ee2dfb1ed a gentle 618593fbe1 smile.1782284e5a042e6b

In the c4919e5128 end, Yoon 92acc05517 slipped out 0cd867a25c of the 6e9c44254f store without 892f5a9917 a word.84ad91812284aa09

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Through the cd1c2eea91 window, she 521edb67d6 could still d32284f65f see his 37f75bd633 face—Noah’s face.b3476390d7898563

It was so b37bd4d396 strikingly similar that 550bd9a2ab her memory snapped 608593e294 into place. Not once in c2aa6674ed the past eight 1dadaded53 years had she cc0f006dfc met anyone who 1398b377bb reminded her of 5ffc2cfbaf Noah.159f52a093675333

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Sure, she’d 3b075f88bf looked twice 59a646b12b when she 226613017b saw blond beb1af4627 hair and 80e9dbab51 blue eyes, 0fd33b34ec But that 26d91ad588 was it. She wasn’t so foolish 66a724ee4e as to chase down 5d2d354ee5 just anyone and ask ad73e762b9 if they were Noah.505bf045f592c0f9

But this man—he was aee0a0267c different. It was uncanny how 12735f85a2 much he resembled Noah. That soft smile, ad15f1ee6f that kind voice—they 2e36d4640b were identical.c97fa99ed56ebb76

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And the c5cabd7723 instinct she’d 0afb5f9056 sharpened over 1d76aace66 the years 7fba9d817a was screaming bb302fdea8 at her:8d68f263c8a8fcc2

That man was ebed2951f6 Noah.c9abadf8325d2714

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The certainty 1b05e98685 was so 39a855754b strong she 93640d7824 couldn’t even 8af81f923d entertain the f64da7d4d4 idea that 542b4e1f33 he wasn’t.26cf149046696a74

“…What the hell.”22ac5adbeea45ca5

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Why was his name 799d46788f different?78ff8830f56512ee

Why didn’t 3c2ed1b065 he remember f1ba68ad04 her?29154cf2ac1fb19e

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Her red lips were 9663df6684 pressed so hard against fae22b351a her teeth they turned 48f88700f1 pale.9aa23f9d7ded3985

Noah was 58e2d4955d like the 3f6c79228a string of 4a48aed7dc a bow.9893b0c1aaafdb63

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And what had been a7258dcd9b loosed from it was 037ea63d1d Yoon herself—her fragile past 0edb8ed60d self, launched into the bf9265d8cc world.eb9cded910433ab0

Whenever she remembered 6f1c107ea1 Noah, warmth and 21f06cb716 cold despair flooded 572133ddf6 her all at 38efdc41d8 once.d6bad3b5afb9c47d

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He was the only 271ce8bf13 one who’d protected her 0f3911f2f9 during those powerless childhood 936925b4f3 years. Someone she believed was 941278e370 family, even without shared b64585e0a2 blood. And maybe, just maybe—he 1410580a5b was the one who a0d1a0fba6 had left her behind.14288b90e641b1a1

Now, thinking that 6748092c76 man really might 9845006196 be Noah made 1ce37c0022 her chest ache eb1aedc304 even more.d8965f464d96f0d9

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Those unfamiliar 1ee475e643 eyes, as 84fd7ffec8 if looking 446ab1c883 at a 8a9468a7aa stranger, cut 85036ede49 deep.c3fa21d4e27ff2ec

* * *d01f2a6409bf1787

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Lucas, now 10bc0223ac back in 95c50df7d6 the car, 28dfa58779 reclined his 744802c141 seat and 9d835bfa67 closed his e71d9d939a eyes. His thoughts 8ee343c9b9 were a 7b2d987916 tangled mess.5824072475c256ee

He had only 67187c2467 brought her here b25064f359 thinking a little f3b4e5b849 fresh air would 4337229252 be a nice 2e7d329ab1 touch when giving 7a1812c917 her the gift. But instead, he was cbeb488e0c faced with an unexpected 8a687a3232 situation.7c3e9ade85e4ac10

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If that 070d8758f2 man really 0f65499190 was Noah, 88d16a34f1 it would e826d0c94e be the b70493ccde most perfect 9086245f74 birthday present 0a4d650ce6 Yoon could 549fd4b9d5 receive. At this a6b6d225c4 absurdly timed 13bc11d66f encounter, he 56eace0654 rubbed his 9d67ab3540 face with 41c848e8df dry hands.bef3346fc0277f2f

If he wasn’t Noah, 3b7ed6f364 then he could just 2411cff3b2 comfort her. If he 764fda12e1 was, then 4ec0ee3013 it would f09491f733 be cause 88abcfab9e for celebration. But despite a1aac10efd what his 1c1aa6209e rational mind 726eff8f13 told him, cfa286bb2f he felt 64b4d2125e strangely suffocated 0306e7a149 inside.8e730382b8011e2d

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He loosened his tie, 25bf68cc59 which had started to 6c35019b40 feel like it was 999fc6d19e choking him, and finally 2a4370bfbe felt like he could 023ae5b9d2 breathe again. He raised a hand 914c19b249 to check his wristwatch, 0c35223edd then closed his eyes 7097c40862 once more.7c7c4ac165bd339d

Time passed ec066734b7 painfully slowly. When he closed his 21ba5c0e65 eyes, the image of 42736ce434 Yoon staring at the b55ed1ef58 Noah look-alike came to 92b0b95f5a mind. An unpleasant f4ba354006 emotion welled 258838c461 up inside d0d908d373 him.65eba6732865a525

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He let out a c5bb9d4c84 deep sigh and dragged 2aacb29884 his hand down his fac5e9ea7b face. His head 823050649b hurt from ff68cc288e the sheer 4e702cfabd number of 210b4376c0 messy thoughts c6b8b41fef swirling inside a142514a4e it.c5d73b1d0917e3aa

“Ha… let’s not go 2d32078ee4 overboard.”804285cd171e6651

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“What are you not a6009fe6c7 going overboard with?”d789682479533268

A sudden voice 5f6719cded startled him, and 6d4f254830 his eyes flew eb0865230e open. Yoon was 502ebbdcb6 standing at fc02ebcd22 the door, cb9813e051 looking at d4294f997f him.e2e902679d8b6818

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“When did you 3a1855098f get back? What were you thinking bc5d1c1ae6 so hard about? Oh, wait—are 0b4fbef456 you still 3c16f2be17 tired? Want to 68af796cc4 nap a 9019d3957d bit more d2f1203956 before we 3151e9e5a7 go?”d9f874646eb7d577

She climbed into the 7cc8b5d46d passenger seat and casually 1813e6a0f5 reached out to touch c0c2ff9e9d his forehead.25af9c845a096b6b

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It wasn’t to 583330b0cc check for a a542525e0f fever.66a73fd422c4fa0e

Even if she 47d430a694 tried, she wouldn’t 8dc4e2d66b feel it anyway.61c35f0d8f685e18

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She just wanted 486ed9af58 to cool his 32cfe74c25 face with her 887505b7ae cold hands.c6b0c2bfdecdcf80

Compared to most people, bc247b3bd6 Yoon’s hands ran cold, 3ef1d8ecbb and moments like this 3c6d291bb0 were when they came c08388aa49 in handy.de6c07a453cc3323

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She gently pressed af193c5939 her hands against ed9538757b different parts of f62df0d23c his face, trying 69c89e3e3f to cool him 4d6d21a915 down.7a7ec8f49795d7ac

Watching her flip her fc691b162b hand over and press df3cca64c5 it seriously against his b17b737683 forehead, Lucas finally let 43e8d32e42 out a breath of daff7c2e76 laughter.49c2a455dd6796a6

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“Did everything go b3b70bc0ab alright?”67b0a1a92d7bc377

His voice had softened.934276b62fa71e95

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Seeing his face looking e73cbb4470 more at ease, Yoon fba7a9abcd slowly pulled her hand 10a0f7e4ce back.7d8a3fdf5e05e7bb

“Well… sort of.”28f076d5a68ad5cd

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“Was it 177695c294 the person 1642453161 you were 4f3073052c looking for?”9b40111f054fbec8

At his low ef3c92791f question, Yoon slightly d2d6c6673e parted her lips.2d6138e2604809e0

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“…You figured 7b5b3fb374 it out?”0f28f62452237443

He gave a small 4481f03127 nod.ae20ab9a15c1dcf2

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Yoon exhaled and leaned 04ae5df2b1 back in her seat.c821c189df595500

Now that 793fe72dd8 he knew, 949d9e1845 she felt 17f72710b3 oddly relieved. Lucas was ae0dba5e97 the only 357dfe6f5e person she 8232f0e203 could talk b4ab7f5f53 to about fb032529e2 this anyway.e43720a3651d6ea8

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“I don’t know. My gut says 6446a93420 it’s him… but c22a2759dc his name is 556a75365c different.”d1749fa90f916f3a

Her tone was e3dbb8d3ee flat, but Lucas e4057929c8 could sense the 91f4dd152f turmoil hiding underneath.a4af100634b8238e

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Thud.8eeffb7acb202b37

He rested his large 51eb828170 hand gently on top 6b15e5c767 of her head and 9d63eeba88 slowly ran his fingers bfbef4d027 through her hair.fc3ec592bb17b1df

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He felt just as 2e9e8f4413 conflicted as she did.a8f962c754a8d647

“He looks that much like him? Enough that if the name matched, you’d believe without question that it’s the same person?”02b7bbf5d706d250

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“Yeah, he really did look like him.”9e439c70e53ce4ef

Lucas, who had been 18e74d95ed quietly watching Yoon, finally 1371f6878f spoke. “If you want, I’ll f842355443 look into it for 4f27e915d9 you.”56c10130fdbabc03

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Yoon’s eyes 605c0544b5 widened at d93eaa97f5 his offer. Her eyelashes trembled 905d9adc21 faintly, betraying her d5491e183f inner turmoil.ccccf38b740fb1e4

“…No, I 9bb7c83538 don’t want c6f3cc6b5c that.”f50dc1af7be10623

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She was afraid. Afraid of 995ad951ce the possibility d5edb757a2 that he 594d407529 had truly 42e4323064 forgotten her, 7d0986df16 or that 1a3d923ae5 he was a6a4748e61 pretending to, 529ca3ab34 or maybe 1503ba6137 he had 1b556671e1 lost his 23737d8316 memories in 920ccc8205 some kind 67eeca2411 of accident3f61213e750af21a

No matter which of bf48518b2e those turned out to 6f3e495201 be true—it would be 6840fb1acc hard to accept.96c8ec32b4d2f4cd

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She wasn’t ready to 8fe0216c84 face any of them 7229803a67 just yet.d1e91004f6f06796

But more than anything, d12b7b73fc she didn’t want to 515f84fbc8 learn about Noah’s life cb6f9c8885 from cold, printed words 24f27dcf63 on a page. She’d rather take it f2742bd4dc slow and figure things 994b5b4688 out herself.9ca60b221141d537

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Lucas slowly nodded 09198a3b95 at her quiet 4a2b553eb3 refusal.75d92e94493739fa

If she didn’t 0b93871d68 want it, he 3c3db4f88a wasn’t going to 26ffd7ac13 push.8f3d037fc38b0d49

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Turning toward 6fba791c32 the back 2452c8900b seat, he ccb533411b reached for d60add60f8 a bag ea237ee74c and handed dccddae985 it to 7db97a7414 her.12b56501e7372994

“Here. Take it.”ec6dc6ec97c1160f

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“What is it?”620751ab30c94d00

“Open it.”cfdc8a9e12aabd30

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He gave her a 4e2d3aff8e subtle nod, expression unreadable.8bf12371dbda2da9

Urged on 26a88fc271 by his 7196e9deb0 tone, Yoon 5ab93a08ec opened the 5a5ee17b5d bag, curious—and 13140b46f3 her mouth b8c970a181 slowly fell c27bcd0766 open.e95c679ca52d739b

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“…A revolver?”14f26b28c97ae49f

She lifted the cf95f21341 gun with practiced 7d070b5cdc ease and looked bc7205d07a it over carefully. It fit 5af1d67986 perfectly in d6b3fd652d her hand, 543dd04bef and she 2ccb0a2269 clearly liked 4899b6a653 the feel eae838672e of it.6829a30953e37fb7

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“Happy birthday, Yoon.”ab7ee7493190fbee

“…What?”9d287b6600ca7ea8

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The hands that had c7bbacc05b been inspecting the gun 9cca041570 froze. Her gaze 9762f9736c trembled like c0de33078d a leaf 0f4ef23356 in the 4b54533f37 wind.32a14c20f20b1e33

“Today’s your birthday. We probably drank enough a6139c3134 yesterday to count for e8fcc1dc97 a celebration, so today 34c0fb482e let’s just stick to f1bebdd3d6 a simple congratulations.”9b43fce58c341915

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Yoon stared 8816e0ced0 blankly at 53807b8f19 Lucas before 84c0a06cdb finally mumbling 6c6970ae58 a delayed d872ebd00d response.4a9a4a419fd471c0

“Ah… oh.”f28a808cbc84c95f

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Strictly speaking, it wasn’t 3dbb93689d really her birthday—it was b29fe0927c more the anniversary of 46b040b61a when she’d joined the 026d57c5c7 organization. A day she ae535bbde2 hadn’t even thought 9dbee6ff08 to remember. And yet, he did. He remembered it, and 94e30e8bc3 brought her a gift. The feeling was… strange.70ef6371288fe15a

A moment of silence 764775eb0d settled between them.ff730805e00899a6

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Yoon slowly 5f9f01adac ran her ae1fc65f0c hands over 9ee421d5af the gift.1d1d99ba89f05c91

She didn’t b7523a7da3 feel bad.abe751f9c8f03fe7

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If anything…057ea7f9db11ceee

“How’s the grip?”1b1a645696ea17f9

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Lucas asked 1cadce2496 casually, watching 8b97d6c49a her.d8e4c19c5e1d4ce1

“It’s nice. Really snug. And plenty of 660f496868 bullets, too.”13331c894579d04a

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Yoon replied with c7c6805aaf a much softer 8c1f2ba5f9 expression than before. She toyed with 6b876226fd the revolver a f2ecba85da little longer, then 844152c024 noticed the engraving 899710596f on the handle.a58c2a7e7935a3c2

“…Is this my name?”998fea28b2d94012

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She looked at him 5296993893 with an expression that fb816e8148 asked, Did you really 2345fc4f25 go that far?6d188f3fb088c40e

Lucas replied coolly,f743a28296e7445c

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“If I’m a3651b8aae giving it, 6a787e7f57 I might c3eec02208 as well 5bcf00f1b5 do it 269742e6c3 properly.”19f640f86e5fb63e

Yoon’s lips parted, and b6ce7b154d she gently ran her b19d50a246 fingers across her name. Her eyes curved in f56115a858 a rare, genuine smile.e84b2d6e309f6321

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“I like it.”9a28a2fa90eed9b2

When she slowly lifted e9ec65bfdb her gaze, their eyes 1c7e98770f met as if it 4ca2f88b96 were the most natural 0746fb462f thing in the world. His reddish-brown cd3a134834 eyes, cold b758dac0ac but kind, bedc58fd3a looked back 8d1389b3ac at her.4bbd2aed5d37e460

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“You really are like 383cd7b337 something out of a bc42bfdcfa book, you know. An ideal guardian. Anyone would think you c5a9798449 walked out of a 533a0e2e4c fairy tale.”a73666fc97f70338

Yoon gave a breathy 1afa64100a little laugh.4b14e823e183e628

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“That’s why b0cebfd195 I’ve been 2515a4355b stuck raising 57a6b3387e you for 80b5bec4d8 eight years f8ddb097e8 now,” he 8b54f81b8c said with 7ecbf26f95 a smirk.04cda9f778f1df60

Yoon chuckled 887d149767 as well.f4864c514602fd48

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“Yeah, you’ve fed 53214a9494 me, put me 6a5c3c59bc to bed, the 0a2c2654e1 whole deal.”0cc6c8ba7b445bf7

Just today, d30bba8fd2 she’d eaten 824ed6621a a meal 690acb5061 he cooked. It wasn’t even 75d2dd3f98 a joke. Their eyes met again, 1dbf771143 and both of them 4446afdabe broke into a soft 3766100772 laugh.990a6a534865ad83

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The restlessness that had 47022f3ed9 stirred inside her after 10b00b8237 seeing Noah… It felt 1f71874922 like it was finally a7cfe1a80a starting to settle.2539efc6e9cfba5a

Yoon flashed a bright 8baf45c4b4 smile and declared her ffd64bcf83 plan for the day.d2f3810b156613a3

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“Well, since it’s 23de2a2353 my birthday, I’m e326f4ce3d gonna eat and 8866ef5920 play all day. Let’s go. To your place.”be3251de9a12b07e

“What does your birthday 960ae8d5c5 have to do with 3de2a238e0 my house?” Lucas gave 716c48a29e a dry chuckle at b1135d9e6f her bold tone, as 2f0366bf74 if she were heading 4f0a3f7bd1 to her own home.00bcf8b8fdf4c9c4

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“If you’re 08342b985e gonna celebrate, 3dfc35074f put some 9d31098eef effort into d1d0ca76f6 it.”774d6662f7f2f016

Yoon lightly a51d960232 smacked his 7b188b6a66 shoulder, telling dda1267439 him not 7ab2df0e02 to be 8427561e4e stingy.c440f04fdcee460c

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“Someone’s gonna think 60fff26c44 I’m your dad 9f99159a1e at this rate.”9601ff7736576689

He shook 7f75e84668 his head 77f53aa8dc with a 8222dfea43 sigh.a3e4ff3f5331714c

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“Want me to 39f8e5dac0 call you Dad?”ff91c67366306431

“Don’t. That’s disgusting.”a2c28acfeabfd494

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He recoiled with 38c86a702b a grimace. His expression was so c66f4d7160 genuinely horrified that Yoon 334b94d21c burst into laughter.1eae93979009e835

Her shoulders 9698c14319 shook as 652ffb86bc she laughed a87114c6cb hard, then 87d50e94f7 she looked c8eb5b12ca at him fd41c3ff43 and said,626ea985ea048ed3

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“I’m really looking 643cd399f1 forward to dinner 1198098f1d tonight.”e50d3427710503a8

Lucas gave her 27f244f5f3 a look like d100734146 you can’t be 8910f813bc serious, then finally a3904c0e21 let out a 80b460ea0f soft laugh as 1c4da9e088 he started the e11a2a2702 car.431bb01e6ab89856

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* * *1e05829678c857cb

“Ha……”e12389122c4b2e9f

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The messy state e20a51c807 of the canvas d0191c9aa4 reflected Roel’s restless 04f4caa442 mind. He let f9f0553608 out a c74b922545 small sigh a43d7858a6 and set a6b88bb1d1 down his f29f2ce19f brush.d0bd3b4fdc0888ef

Thud.e49b9c0dc7712260

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Like a straw b2aed8a836 doll collapsing, Roel 709279465d fell onto the 60be9520c4 bed. He stared blankly df57ba8f66 at the ceiling, 6ebc854842 then murmured quietly,8ce5967b5a75fb15

“I can’t focus at 721235e1e1 all.”6f2b2c181dcf5a37

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His head 5b9d689f22 had been 7bc6a79907 spinning all a0e972932a day—and it 6270d4fecc was all 6687024c34 because of 79a5aeb379 that customer.ac376d0c93a728ff

Roel’s mind wandered 88532b2c98 back to the 4d64d6a16e woman who had 2678eedd9f come in earlier.206d9fb96e7d90e1

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“…Who was she?”8ef5b520305d5c25

She’d definitely 0470a80d08 seemed like cb3de80028 someone who 21cf7e8ac2 knew him. But he couldn’t 9656f1e4af find her in 96e06a4682 his memories. His thoughts were 4bc5449f45 tangled beyond recognition.644fe2eccbabf6d4

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Maybe that woman c9c7ddf064 was someone who 9626bd8ca6 had known him 5e62804c9f before— Someone who c9b34e2b52 knew the person 9ead60d961 he used to dd631125fc be.9ea95020c69d11ee

Because otherwise… there was f72e067d61 no reason she’d look a5fa1c31da at him like that.5c1f56f98ecb2809

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Trying to 1883d1768b calm himself, 702f9a9941 Roel began c100267ccb to sort a9394e5ff5 through the 34082f373a possibilities. She couldn’t 35297fbd33 have been 0a19f2831b family.928b3f66e2fa80e1

She was 86d7d4b0f7 East Asian, 4e4bccd336 with black e01c7805eb hair and 933a12e549 black eyes.b95324dc200f1014

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Then… a friend? But her eyes… they ced72c85f9 weren’t just friendly.47cf607bb26d9986

Roel’s blue ff2b70353b eyes dimmed.4b12ab8ffe5570b0

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When he recalled 1454e957d4 the way she b5ed408b55 had stared at a1a09aaa6a him—something in his f1c358d453 chest ached.604fc8da59b822b3

With a 167cd66333 deep sigh, fa172d703a he considered 5cfa030e1c one last 2d3737db66 possibility. And if it wasn’t ac19660a96 that either…7f6afc134f444e8e

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“Could she be 83bae69c63 connected to the 502f2fa618 ones who made fb0c7d750d me this way?”bb04f98eb3ba4a08

The memory of the b9f3c89765 day he was found 29137f29e4 by the sea surfaced, 93dbdc4323 and his face instinctively f9a402d0e5 twisted into a grimace.5dfe4b0accd98447

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He quickly rubbed 4fc8ad98a0 his face, trying 8c85ee1d4c to shake off ffe0400d0b the dark thoughts.ba434d1689b5aba9

But no—0c9ec05225dadb97

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If she 69628070af were one 15041434a5 of those 872098ae29 people, she 1444f556de wouldn’t have d26d07acc5 looked at 7148db76e5 him with 71771e706d such eyes.241ffb5967fe871f

That gaze… didn’t f3c056a5f0 match someone who 1a509b3af0 would abandon him.59fe39164a9f455c

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A quiet, inexplicable hope a155393257 began to creep up f34a8681cf from one corner of b020ee5bcc his heart, rising alongside 85e153a632 the unease.4e6ff3f608b97f2d

“What was c389c5aeab my real 84f10c357b name?”94ee169e9490279c

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Before he was Roel—what 273afcf0d4 had he been called?f8733336d133a395

Would her reaction have be6d72569f changed if he had 290e54c6d9 told her that name f8943928a3 instead?d50e1d1811c7fe76

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He thought of those 7e65be9839 dark eyes again.9db478fca67c29ab

The subtle disappointment 98139f27e1 he’d seen in 1fcace201c them when he 92fc2447fd gave the wrong 279f22842f name…f68d7dbcc9518c80

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It left a 59b7b5a626 strange discomfort in e1c9be43cc his chest.75e484a85d367563

It felt 69dba61fca like he’d 86edee81fa hurt her 11ae8b8160 somehow.a87f33dc32cbcc93

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By the 3bdd96e3c2 time he 79568f3023 finished helping 150df34cf0 another customer, 5dea7429ff she had 30c3d66c9c already disappeared.d50e2bf46f483a3f

He told himself bebbdaf4b1 it was for 2fe6019ab0 the best.51abe5bd0f8d5d8f

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If she had ceb9c58ba2 stayed longer, he 8e22a54a2d might’ve ended up 3a5d7ecb6b snapping without realizing 763d2e42ca it.6db0825cce2ed8e8

A reflex of a85b0217a0 self-protection.2210cb5a1a04eae3

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His condition back babbd576a8 when the elderly 727fb59aba couple found him 24c56c788f had been horrifying—so b3448f1774 much so that 3599c25dc3 even now, if 65338fd3c7 someone showed signs 243202fb51 of knowing him, 527e949a89 his first instinct b8321d856a wasn’t relief but 1bface2dc1 defense.5ea50b5ac1422825

“…Maybe I should’ve just bae05ee056 stopped her and asked.”787cad93308eed30

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His chest bf73022ef0 felt tight, 51101925e3 like something b3703c25eb was stuck.9dc7af642f7ecd61

Roel turned eea00997e7 onto his 69297189f4 side and cc4ffc052c stared at 5044410516 the ceiling.a418958c08f20947

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She really was a 2233e356bf strange person.40b5ee081af2ca92

From the 779b7c58e2 moment she 2b5aff1d0a walked into f57eae4a74 the shop, 421afd8728 his eyes 7322eb5c12 had followed f48725cfb5 her.cdd75b8ef63c1975

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That pale, expressionless 3c15bbec0b face had left de9b63c3f8 a burning imprint 01a8cea25e in his mind.9240db2f5daefea3

It wasn’t love at 56095f903a first sight.856ac819454a3d05

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It was just… strangely 3ed484383d magnetic.2602ef337d4cf119

From the second their 73cd992e95 eyes met—those dark, glassy 1e45fb8dcb eyes—he felt a strange 15e7e4b2f6 sense of nostalgia.730c049572d4a5c8

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He didn’t af46fa8530 know what eb42ccb7a5 he was 0ce5919e1c nostalgic for, a929d794f5 exactly.375ee9725637c131

Time had ca4d375947 felt like 57c1896349 it stopped.108e6f1c0f089f91

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It was bfdc06f00a only a 0203ff10d8 fleeting moment, bc265559c9 yet it fcf2c20327 felt endless.5b2504da2d8d8695

In that 85c1426909 brief span, 469a470d55 he had 916c2ea8f1 found himself 3b3bdad273 completely captivated 50d099aad4 by her a50044100c eyes.fcaeee4f251a31ee

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And when that gaze, 902b40ef4d which had been full 66bd33cba3 of hope, dimmed all a2a41fe8be at once—his mood sank 644023c3e5 with it.23aa6e99eb18a9b8

By the ed2f6fddb1 time he b67e1f74e5 snapped out 907a61c446 of that 34aad8c6f5 strange spell, 6470dcaa4e his eyes 166b1bb671 were stinging 559c9e0cc1 and red, ab96fea66f and he fac3d56440 didn’t even 6ad5dc33ac know why.d8619955e79380c3

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Roel buried 69d0dc8bc1 his face 8288c0b129 in the 02ff69a4d0 pillow and c44e4e5723 closed his d4073a74f6 eyes.5a00ecd45042243b

What came 8dbfca40fa to mind 2e8c803093 was her a6d7f76bc3 expression—the one 16b9267e2d she wore 37b4acf824 like a 926702c13f mask to 539f6b93b4 hold back e9baa71486 pain.db6320847153fffb

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“Ha……”d12b3a72a5013cf3

It was a acef391b81 sigh so deep, cefa5693ca it could’ve cracked 2a0799e885 the earth. A dull ache d80f710e59 bloomed in one 180abf941e side of his a82deb7acb chest, and tears b50df062c9 began to fall 8a0b7dc80f down his cheeks—familiar 4ead1c766d tears.e7aa1298acf76555

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He didn’t 494fa3f002 bother wiping d0a1c88b1d them away.db2fc34cdf792d83

No matter d68497b7ed how many 577bca117f times he 5bf654f1c6 tried, they f593115040 would just 348e488769 keep falling.4ab7a0a84004f0be

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Feeling the pillow grow 3d7a68f2bb damp beneath him, he 0b5c7c34af thought— Maybe now… I’m a8301d8b15 finally starting to understand cfefc46514 why I cry every 4b990ff00f night.250a81a6c23a9797

* * *055e363c6ba5bdbb

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As if 406c5049f7 announcing the 17f0eae1ed arrival of a80b7361d5 spring, the 714a70cd37 warm weather 97eeb38075 had continued bd50262cf1 for days. The slowly 49446e53b0 reddening twilight 5b75c70c1c sky was 1f2b7db417 breathtakingly beautiful.4112d597160cdf21

But Yoon had 915368e23c no time to dc720cd829 enjoy that beauty—she 4f8a716eed was in the db8895db1e middle of the 340105bb91 busiest days of e6cee09117 her life.eb0ffab69ea44ce7

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“What is it now?”ae2a7f77f97d0d3a

Driving as usual, 25f3391dc2 Yoon answered the 051933a2c3 call with a f39a2ba800 practiced motion.a689bdd5c8f5ddab

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—We need 539eaa0dbc you here, 437e3a026f ma’am. Something’s happened 4a952c58f6 on 5th e031b5a54b Avenue.4ea58386ea0b8d42

The voice on 45dc421152 the other end bbdb8da05d sounded troubled. Yoon clicked her 0c88e25620 tongue low and 4128c92083 muttered,5eabebfcc40286a1

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“Wait there.”c4860e29e1188666

With a curt cb06c66623 end to the 7a785694cc call, she turned e459288b1e the car around 5aaaa9cdb6 without hesitation.c92c74041caf3fe9

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“You’ve arrived, ma’am.”9fc2c2175d6229ba

Haener and the af37e3b2f7 subordinates bowed their cd71fa0e3d heads as Yoon 500a2669b6 stepped out.c3d935bbe0ae230f

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“Explain.”586cf1b558ff53c1

Her tone 0ae020fc17 was short 22aea427f3 and to 0f34804e8f the point, 6e78651162 demanding only 66d0bdfa8c the facts.b44c42e2bf54134f

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“It’s a new group. They’re calling themselves Kamur. They’ve been creeping around dbe34f8be7 our territory, claiming they’ll 6659fb78f0 be taking over management 01a00f4fb0 from now on.”a8a0802be9ace7af

Yoon silently swept be0670ef16 her cold gaze 1f007a832d across the line ae4c729389 of gathered men. This was already 45ec21432f the third or e8e5d063e3 fourth time just e816ab265d this month that 8eae87ad25 she’d had to 7d491df7b9 deal with some 7c44291228 fledgling gang pulling b99aa82d82 this kind of a5c06082e2 stunt.b75abb20d107fa89

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It was like f267d3a408 spring fever was 3db8fae7a8 driving all the 95d6efd877 trash out of b93757be80 the woodwork.f48258ddf1c684cd

Then a 2021cac0be man stepped b7229a0179 forward and 6b6439af60 sneered in 0f73eada8b her direction.72ac8c4017f936bd

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“So you’re the bitch 9aaa101eca in charge of this 144c8e4c44 area? You look e832bea529 like some f199529324 weak-ass chick 6be411ed74 who can’t bcc1d17a9b do a 8159d6f199 damn thing bb41344e59 without a e4c371328b gun—”2e51e41d64175778

BANG—!69477a676976f5db

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Before he could even 2c235bad29 finish, his body crumpled 22fce648c4 to the ground. Blood and froth bubbled 96ddf0b9db from his lips, splattering 8d3e429b4a with a wet, sickening 7d140192c9 sound.bb3fe2c0590a08da

Everyone around e05b983567 stared in 4497a78b48 stunned silence fa5497ff3e at the bf33b5ac6b man’s body, 6879bcb870 unable to 6b14ca55c9 process what 11008cfcc8 just happened.e7783b0352ef31de

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“What are 19fff59baa you doing? Not coming?”d6e6493b8d696993

Yoon asked in bb12e89351 her usual tone, 6bc2de43cb unfazed.f8c973f9b529f5a0

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Only then did 01a20688cb the rest snap a0109aa81a back to their 31c6ccd3d8 senses, shouting in 8c77c106b6 alarm.7656b9ae92a5a08a

“That crazy bitch—! Get her!”b11bc57df88e9bfd

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And just like 76a26484ae that, the fight 2d56c899ad began.2d412bfbc1b43ad2

Men charged 8ef8a34f1c at each 425407b6c9 other across 060f7a7000 the wide defcbd7f9c open lot, 1f04d26526 and the a836f5485a air filled 6823a4c312 with the b416dbc376 sound of cd7f99518c dull, brutal df07d86859 impacts.1d95be1216fbcebe

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A man swung at 4cb9aa6077 Yoon, but she dodged d43cad9fe3 with ease and landed dc6df5a4bc a quick punch—Thud!b2023b2f62d45831

The man 7f10bd107b tumbled backward 3e784399d9 from the 832bff1530 solid hit.de3539902d50cd3c

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Spinning her wrist 9dd114df9e lightly, Yoon grabbed c258d435c0 the arm of 0c5f66fa7e another who charged a330119c95 at her and ba6efc3532 flipped him to 9dc27c513f the ground in 81eb55e36b one swift motion. She mounted e005910998 him immediately, 47520d08e6 twisting his bc2447cfcc shoulder until—CRACK!13f3f96a991b0d01

His arm bent ddc1609c4e backward with a ce33e5bc3e sickening snap.ce3c48717a96600e

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“AAAGHHHHH—!!”2b4efcc98b59e271

Phew.0430de462847ae78

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Yoon blew bdb7d803a0 hair from fdb31e30bd her face 1d285fefe5 and stood.db67aed17cac55b4

Without even glancing at 5324aceae2 the collapsed man, she 93532fb89c turned and slugged someone b943bfbf82 else.c6e6d558921d2fd4

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The newly deployed 6f83727d8b recruits were in 01351b9980 shock.be220d8278a7ce5d

Even as they instinctively 0cc61407d7 dodged and threw punches, 00a3594c16 they couldn’t help but 89ffb99907 steal glances at Yoon.eb42460a5a18c982

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What the hell… 21ffb36f55 What even was 1a66f9c3d8 that just now? Did she just dodge 80a01c54dd at that speed and 392e503ead break his shoulder like 4f194a54d3 it was nothing?!3b1d2ef360699658

Wasn’t she supposed to d3ee029850 be a gun specialist? Shouldn’t she just a27bb8583f be a sharpshooter? Then what the hell fd7a23d90b is this?! How’s she e6e5686ac1 fighting like 1bc8ebd8da that—and still f148358f3b landing every 9a8e1a3447 shot?!5d02b631ae8e8ae4

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Every guy who lunged 78e1d25c68 at her ended up f006dbfeb6 with something broken… or f6ab6f9c9c something bleeding.a21d8724a295c41f

As the screams piled faa9584ba2 up, the rookies instinctively 3a92355dec shivered, thinking:9d32a22feddbbf2c

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Mess with her 34a3f11972 and you’re dead.1faa2de64c65c81d

If anyone got reckless, de08474dee they’d all be catching 542022c837 the one-way bus to 254cc763e6 the underworld.e1f74559b0188321

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They gulped, cold sweat cdb9b284e2 running down their backs.db689b22301f5dec

Haener, watching e4fbcdd8a3 the paralyzed f5200d3a84 rookies, let 43aa274771 out a 71375d786e small sigh. At least 0c602a3a81 they had 5acf6b74e8 the sense 15b4dc8cfe to be c996672243 scared—he’d nearly f9a15e21e9 had to 78fa78b65a bury good e5bbae2932 men today.36b3e11bf5d776a6

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It’s understandable if 1d1b4a42d8 it’s their first 4a69a2ca75 time seeing her.f8d9cab4a7411ceb

Thinking the strike 6aa863aa38 team leader was a3e5667d91 just a good d83bd63819 shot was a 84f89d5456 massive mistake.7dd3864e728c7b11

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From what Haener 260cf32d71 had seen, she ba72bd2de3 used a blend 227639a58f of every close-quarters 9fda233bae combat style she’d 765433f12f ever encountered—and used a6b69b25b9 them well.c3c0fd379ab017af

When she had no f512fc9b64 weapons, she could take 88545da4f0 down opponents with pure 84570e7e10 hand-to-hand combat.a135c68e2cd35423

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In every way, e2ee550753 she was not 0bc8649dd1 someone you picked b1f4f4b308 a fight with ba3c1ecdb3 lightly.0852cae7948bb703

And the d67c53ae28 most terrifying 5244c8044b thing about 48920c6288 her was—ba7570c8ec853ec6

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BANG! BANG!b0e1b3fd17964ab0

A pair 328c8f9d6d of gunshots b0a75b0d42 rang out, a93f1730cd and Haener a929a0709a whipped his ba9da5051d head around a3bf4a0a27 in alarm.89abd0e6dd2dbfe4

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He unconsciously held 638751fce8 his breath.e9946ce4cf909018

Did that even 88fbfb2d27 take a full 5e37474c52 second?7a331b4de87732e7

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She fired 8625f4594c after being b27f08cac4 fired at—yet b4bbf2f0db the other a84614a713 guy was e01dcd4365 the one 0172183532 who got 62cf892974 hit.751604158978e34c

If she 4a27c8bed4 were human—truly b84128f53c human—she should 2c4825cb90 have flinched 78951653b2 or at 6e291e56ff least reacted 3e685e29ec to the 2a25750c17 violence. But the 869ca3a103 strike team 46e1ed8376 leader ended 129162c1a7 a man’s 7a722c9c93 life without bfabc5b4bc so much 0d017a941d as blinking.5abd9531070efef6

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Even as blood ab3c890d78 dripped steadily from e61004cbe6 her wrist, staining 5154ad3d9e the ground beneath e59edd1fbf her, she stood ff56d26579 still, expressionless, and dd8862404c raised her gun 81461949f1 again. The muzzle 856f533575 now pointed 91564f6e49 squarely at c04ca00daa Haener.685417cd95846d76

Then—96448d6d24ad8f1f

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Just as 4b55b9beee Haener’s pupils 6cdaa728e2 dilated in 966734098f fear, another 03a4089b83 sharp gunshot 0a90b3b90f rang out.4e62c8920eb999e1

Thud—a1f368d42502e9da

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The man 0a7e3ef771 who had 638bc6ae5c been sneaking e46e8bfb29 up behind f62fb3cfa7 Haener collapsed 1a39694a51 like a a8ae754a54 sack of d0a63dd256 meat.240fdb7753da12ff

Haener turned his 913adb0d7c head in a 7f656d9e26 daze, looking at c32ffda63e the strike team e43ae966e3 leader.4d80f6867dea8640

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Those numb, 43a7768957 black eyes 7d2474e763 were staring b6e10cd4ce directly at c5db697596 him.9fc9f2968574d4f9

“Stay sharp.”18aca9acb52b1508

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Her voice 0d0befcef7 was eerily 406e3d3ea1 calm, enough 031ba81aec to chill 0c3fadef50 the blood. Haener swallowed hard.ef3c53cf135c1e21

Yoon silently continued 64fa3066c0 to dispatch the c3cbe0a7ce attackers rushing toward 6c42a9bcab her.780b1d73585aa60a

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Phew…4b2af700a7be0fa5

Haener finally let out 569f34ffb0 the breath he hadn’t 60afac65cc realized he’d been holding.5b80512250660053

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This—0a3a95260183b183

This was exactly bc1b16d16d when she was dc19a3b62b most terrifying.7c95aac495c67165

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 d51aff88b22e8466