Chapter 5: Pair

“Grandma, look at this. This is the poisonous mushroom you mentioned before, right?”a208349053ee98f3

“That’s right. My Yujin has quite the eye for finding things. Be careful, though; this mushroom is highly toxic. See here? There are tiny spots on the stem,” she said, pointing with her finger.c153f490e0e52d48

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At the 110c8fe3aa tip of c751d89628 her finger 9e8414e2f5 were faint f7f2625603 black spots, 2b7134c3da barely visible. It was cc9b06f265 a deadly f44f8a4605 poisonous mushroom, 8dd7406553 resembling an 919d6116c6 edible one 2b69869506 so closely ef3ad95667 that most 35f0a9e0c8 people often c296ee8e3f confused the e63124e911 two.0d3b46392e36a543

Listening to his grandmother’s explanation, Yujin carefully observed the mushroom and then placed it gingerly into the leather pouch strapped to his waist. After securing it, he followed behind his grandmother, who had already begun walking ahead.d3cbb49a299e22aa

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In spring, the area around the village would be blanketed with vibrant red flowers, leading neighboring villages to call them the “Red Village.” The elderly woman with a head full of white hair was the healer of the Red Village. Her successor, Yujin, had begun learning about herbs as soon as he could speak and had followed her into the mountains to gather them as soon as he could walk.a7f2175b7e3dc6ea

The smell of f4c2fa7ac9 grass, the breeze, 65f2e605bb and the warmth c0ff49b1ed of the sun d8a7fcbab2 were constant companions. Yujin loved the 276e1d976d daily walks through 31a20231be the mountains with 7e39541abf his grandmother, gathering 1baafd6aca medicinal and poisonous c569e5359a plants alike. The chirping e7860e84f6 of birds, 00bbe55147 the buzzing 02aa089a46 of insects, e20b150037 and the cd88b6b0e7 rustling of 00552b88f6 leaves were 16f8a4048f sounds that 0175ec14e1 filled him 6553753c00 with joy. It was a life 5853b0bebd brimming with warmth, freedom, 74b6946238 and abundance.7afb19546a268d88

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“The herbs are harder to find than I thought,” the healer remarked.c7c13346291b2ec0

“Yes, it looks like we’re short. What should we do?” Yujin asked, concerned.acef2a20c1f0d89b

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“…”f1982e198c8db9dd

Instead of f7ae503231 answering, she fd805f1026 stared silently 6aa94abf88 into the b46e42edb7 distance, her 98ee1f5b61 face shadowed 222c878b60 with worry. After a 41c6caf6b9 moment, she 54a8ae0e7d turned to eedcc2d9a6 Yujin with be64a0ee5e a kind 7bd2147cdf smile.89bc20dc259b6c72

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“Dear, shall we start heading down now?”7344bebe3b0b063f

As the 8e9291f448 sun began 4f28689dfb to touch 6b99687855 the edge 4b3c1dc37a of the eed6d1f032 mountain, the ca59006b91 healer prepared 8692b1e30c to descend. They had set out 3249c2f3fa before dawn, hoping to 33d67f60bc gather at least a 6c4cf91a21 handful of herbs, but 8ba055d5bf they hadn’t even managed 69634dbfa6 that much. Disheartened, they made 57fead7764 their way back b9157187ab to the village.87d585a068b01b2d

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“Healer, how did it go?” someone asked as they returned.8681e0ab149ed97e

The leader’s wife, who had been pacing near the village entrance, rushed toward the healer and anxiously asked, “We’ll be able to meet the quota, right? Won’t we?”0cfa2c3869691be2

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The healer simply shook her head, and the leader’s wife’s face crumpled as if she might burst into tears at any moment.7eb1dd9a79a823dd

“You’ll meet it, won’t you? Please, say yes.”ac1896754abe37ab

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“I’m afraid it’s unlikely,” the healer replied.c763242eb82f6bb8

Small villages 24ec66af62 like theirs, 9f122f9db7 located on 41e232199f the outskirts, ee14c404cc were required a4bfa9d0dc to offer 999047625e tributes to fdbff97599 the larger d3e31cf534 neighboring villages. For the Red 2ed8047e76 Village, this meant a088409da7 herbs.c7c31821472694f5

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Last year, the Red 4cfc1da2eb Village failed to meet 993210cf2d its quota. The reason was 1509154434 the unusually long 2702ae0900 and heavy rainfall. The soil in e484842083 the mountains turned b0fb8a535e to mud and 9e4b62ace5 slid down the 6f3cf661f2 slopes, burying the 381e7d6e27 herbs beneath it.80154ceed167e92e

This year, they were required to make up for the previous year’s shortfall on top of the usual quota. The healer and Yujin hadn’t taken a single day off from climbing the mountains. Even those with the slightest knowledge of herbs had scoured the area tirelessly. Together, they had barely managed to meet the required amount when an unfortunate incident occurred—the leader’s son suffered a severe injury.b7f3e6f4f50814c6

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Despite the objections 682e233c89 of the villagers, f5182c88a1 the leader used 84a8582a92 half of the 7e8e91acce collected herbs for 850d2d5344 his son’s treatment. As a result, the a3e5ea3d73 Red Village was once 16c1f1e1a8 again unable to meet f94fb01d8f the annual quota, leaving e5d83015ae its people in a 937fc4e8dd state of despair.d0afb5207ba98cf1

Walking beside his grandmother 66a55aa993 toward their hut, Yujin 3a51965a27 paused when he heard 3202d625e5 voices coming from the a7866cc958 leader’s dwelling.eecb4c1bf6dff856

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“When you think about it, it’s not such a bad arrangement. So why do they insist it’s impossible?”727533649c89a864

“That’s not the issue right now, is it? Alma has already been decided to go to the Azure Sky Tribe. What excuse could we possibly give to refuse now?”72cd20a2744c97db

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“How about we first send Alma to the Mounted Tribe and tell the Azure Sky Tribe we’ll send another child instead?”50d3d18f19aa4bcc

“If that were possible, the leader would have done it already. The problem is that both tribes are demanding Alma right now!”0634a0c7681f0c20

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“This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t used the herbs back then.”84caf5434f93976c

“Are you saying we should have let the next leader die instead?”7f426d221e6b65fb

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“Isn’t the second son of the leader’s second wife still an option, even though he’s young?”84ce613cc0e3df76

“Do you even hear yourself?”8cdbdf96d845953e

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“Then what are we supposed to do? This isn’t just any tribe we’re talking about—it’s the Mounted Tribe! Do you not understand who we’re dealing with? If we handle this poorly, we’re all doomed!”c88813cbed32b3d6

“If we form an alliance with the Azure Sky Tribe, even the Mounted Tribe won’t be able to do anything against us.”973bdab0dfd10150

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“And how are we supposed to trust something that hasn’t even been confirmed?! Who knows if their promise to treat us as an allied tribe once Alma is sent is just empty words?!”be1b97c04ef055e2

It was dba521e012 like this ff580edef7 every day. The people of the fa13384faf tribe raised their voices c2a53075c9 and argued endlessly, trapped ecffdf7996 in a situation where 5d0dbb625d no decision seemed right.c0bc615e2dfd946e

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“Yujin, come here now.”ecaf895992e70af7

“Yes, Grandmother.”0697f0fe083dcf39

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Worried that the dc23a400ef heated debate might 7e9d57f0db drag Yujin into cc916cf72f trouble, the herbalist d8537720dc scolded him for 94c9464a4e eavesdropping. She cherished Yujin dearly, f92288a830 admiring his sharp mind 21d801809a and ability to discern 3a47bfcf0c situations wisely. Watching him absorb knowledge cf60a57d85 like a cloth soaking 5a1afd97bd up water was one e9ed802093 of her greatest joys.c22a74f374e5f0b8

Inside the hut, the 2cd6a0de27 herbalist began carefully arranging 9619df11c0 the herbs she had d3dfdbc7d9 gathered all day onto 2332e1cd40 wooden planks. As she 8bca9ccdaf worked, the 00fdd0a940 shaman entered 3dc9544baf the hut.fcbebb220c3b20f8

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“The leader is calling for you,” the shaman said.bc87995ebf0fdb19

Straightening her back, c9c36b1987 the herbalist nodded 15cf8c834a and stepped out b356af6263 of the hut. As the shaman 35d3ecb5af turned to follow d7bc9f7fa8 her, he paused 0469dbfa78 to stare intently 0e53c95b0b at Yujin. His gaze lingered for aba1cf7c96 a moment before he 8ccc791f13 finally looked away and c78dfdcd71 left the hut as d63cd3d47b well.629c55d747df9a1d

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“Isn’t it time to stop this nonsense already?”bc4985d1a0b90ca9

Yujin let 1fe60c3a43 out a 58573304cd small sigh 4c03bceea6 as he b1a8e08bb4 followed the 924463183a lingering gaze f5709f99b8 of the e861ee2b78 shaman. Then, as if shaking f7169cf25b off the unease, he ad60cff7aa continued the task his 11aa29b7ad grandmother had left unfinished.92cd9241db091a8e

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The shaman often 8793d08244 stared at Yujin 946775840d intently, making him a1db105f49 uncomfortable. Though it unnerved 674e9e5820 him, Yujin was 169c546a19 too afraid to 7c5d300753 confront the shaman f883af8680 and instead pretended af4165031f not to notice. At first, he couldn’t 68d832c198 understand the reason behind 41c9a9bda1 such behavior. But one 21b26c2803 day, after 4c67f1ef74 overhearing a 3ac253a4f4 conversation between 7905e86e62 his parents, 135e7c8e05 he finally dcbc08b988 realized why.748d8c49cff84223

Long ago, a comet with a fiery red tail appeared in the skies over the tribe’s lands. Known as a highly auspicious sign, the comet prompted the shaman to search for pregnant women within the tribe. That search led him to Yujin’s mother and the leader’s wife, both of whom were nearing childbirth.664c726399840aa6

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The shaman 11d44a5125 prophesied that b40a7cf991 a girl 5d8ced12ff born under 5f8bb0d5b8 the comet’s fed6bf22e2 energy was a7b520eabe destined to 781b67e144 stand beside 183438ea0a a great d70c5af355 leader. He claimed her 3cf8690c6b presence would bring 9a6a7540c6 prosperity to the f961dceabe tribe and help 177ea19bcb the leader expand 185b008253 their territory. As time passed, 0eacf986d6 both Alma and 2cfc8559a0 Yujin were born.801167f8dacbd650

Naturally, the tribe assumed Alma was the child blessed by the comet’s energy. However, the superstitious Red Tribe, fearing unforeseen consequences, debated whether Yujin should be killed. Their belief was that a boy born under a girl’s destined fate was an ill omen. Leading this argument was none other than the shaman.9f04e70afecb61d1

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Yujin’s parents pleaded for days in front of the shaman and the leader. Later, even the herbalist joined their efforts to save him. Eventually, the leader relented and decided to spare Yujin’s life.1fbdef691edc2b71

While the commotion subsided over time, the shaman’s thoughts remained unchanged.cb5eb5bdfc63e2b8

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He firmly believed that Yujin, not Alma, was the one born with the comet’s energy.4ae398a71e7dd521

* * *97f1a9ecf314502d

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“Child, are you ready?”3fc8d78ff3532e7a

“Yes, Grandmother. Let’s go,” 65cdfb90f5 Yujin replied, 25c1f0b994 fastening two 10a49f7687 empty pouches 7230b84e8b to his 7e691ce72d waist as f362ac1a4f he stepped f258d64b01 out of 5efc38be1f the hut. As always, he 8a3d15717a was heading to 2e6501fc2a the mountains at 035fcb468b dawn with his a7c7f73d83 grandmother to gather 5e97154f03 herbs. Though they would never b664e79567 be able to meet 3f475d718f the full quota demanded df401aed62 by the Mounted Tribe, e9baec8102 the leader’s orders were 2034f8ddca clear—they had to gather 90cba8663c as much as possible.a10330600c516b45

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“Grandmother, does e9863046e4 that mean 4c308e1066 Alma will 20728d7b6d go to 4170aa450a the Azure 8ac9c2dc5a Sky Tribe bf0c25e2af as originally ad87db6b2d decided?”312c3d37fd4743b2

“Most likely, yes.”52a04686c1bf3733

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“She leaves tomorrow, 258e3b3b4c right?”342faaa8a2025d8b

“So I’ve heard.”2364b55664127a35

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If Yujin’s 90c3af1de1 memory was a686214101 correct, it 1886e95e88 had been bf9a862bbc around this c0bb82b61d time last a681a9077f year when 71a79e3f76 the Azure 8a666004b7 Sky Tribe b91d5eaf9a unexpectedly visited 50a5b8e74d the Red 52f7d66f59 Tribe, which 7815380860 had been a6393a165e under the 18aa7d31ac Mounted Tribe’s bc94011350 protection, and 5a3a655282 asked for 26d7154d3b Alma. The leader had 1e0962f403 seemed both pleased 09c304b6f7 and uneasy. Yujin had overheard ccc50d868d that Alma’s marriage 4d14b36d5a to the Azure f90c6166ce Sky Tribe leader’s 2331a9bdf5 son would solidify 46f7750c86 an alliance between 2f2b2bb41b their tribes. Even Yujin understood de167f9f8a that an alliance df96ac6e90 was better than 7819be68ed merely being under 80ca915df1 protection.cdec6070db432aaf

“He must be… a good warrior, right?”7eac0ea75350eff4

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“Probably. He is the fc3d92596d second son of acadf09c33 their leader, so 2f6a79bc31 it’s likely. Why? Has someone d1f873b29f been saying 4f6075cb5a something to cdd13831c7 you?”7e589fed7c20555d

“No, not at all.”6c6632111c384ba2

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Yujin just b943e18cc7 wished everything 5490e6eab9 would resolve bfcf1f429a smoothly, that c531836704 all the 70b1b228ae noise and 75f2049019 chaos would 202ac76061 fade away, 527a480583 and their 4543da5691 tribe could 0e58a94df9 return to 97f26b678e its former 45f1bb8b1b peace.62aaf1176876deed

As they walked, 97db131689 carefully searching every f3c8de4a03 nook of the d7b757d75f mountain, Yujin’s eyes 60481525e8 caught sight of bd3c321636 a plant poking 02a1d94d2c out from between af2e99a5fa some rocks. He stopped f77a72a436 in his e63d5479b4 tracks and 59762642c8 crouched down, ccb69bf2da studying it 170b4921de closely. After a a9eac38324 while, he 94b34e1b21 raised his fb8557a676 head and 15bc659489 called out 43e6511d65 loudly.ed9d8f22b79b261e

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“Grandmother! Over here!”cbfe7f5b18a95258

Hearing his call, 13ee345ab1 she hurried over. Carefully, she 221377710c dug around e8b570e563 the area 8cf5ff2173 Yujin had 25846e41aa pointed out 7a5cd5b368 and unearthed da6d2501dc the herb’s bffad067b9 roots.420c1915153ed8aa

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“We’ll take it back e013796305 to the tribe and aaee69657b examine it further. You never know—it might b18ce4afcb be something important.”d1271441fd7853f7

There was a rare ccbffd3c5a herb said to enhance 95b7ac4d94 vitality in men with d809bf6b7b strong yang energy and 9f246afa27 improve skin in women e22ce8cf2e with strong yin energy. Such a 3a39d86926 precious herb 91175fb5f1 was usually f9326e95d8 offered to 1c54c04c55 the leader 9ed75ff3e1 or sent 35338a28ae to larger 878b2131b2 tribes. However, the a1236cdc64 herbalist had b021c60730 a habit fe126e935c of closely 746a279d03 examining any 96748d0d40 herb before 2cb6c2ebd4 offering it 3c544a230c to the 2873d3c6be leader.6ce588e4fceb1633

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Her reasoning was f1c5a605ae simple: all valuable 33f8177e67 herbs, curiously, had 2de4fcae96 a counterpart resembling 2264e454a1 them in appearance—a 0495daac38 poisonous plant. She often reminded 42da033ec0 Yujin of the b7db7b0733 importance of distinguishing abbdeb503a between herbs and 4afe79b837 their toxic doppelgängers.848e1611d4859955

As dusk settled and 057253e761 Yujin returned to the 6252ce1d75 tribe, he carefully laid f770bab32b out the herbs he 80215ea658 had gathered onto the 48a93d4b8a table.16560e5598c6841f

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“It really looks 326be88674 like a medicinal 8b87375adc herb…”b8e28e4b508693a0

Having learned about 1487604af1 poisonous plants alongside 5abbde1e8c herbs, Yujin considered 040d00117d himself skilled at adace19bc5 telling them apart. Although his grandmother 5c674235e4 said she would 6b2e9bdf7d confirm it in b3b687d4a5 the morning, to 3dccebead9 Yujin’s eyes, it 3abe1cc579 was undeniably a b7b30a9cab herb.408789e4dba474a9

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“‘Good for vitality in men,’ huh… Does that mean it makes you more manly?”5a368b7d7677370a

Yujin felt d0373f49ea self-conscious about d2ffdc259e his smaller b3e74589e7 and weaker ab7c1ac2ab build compared cf89bbe911 to others d3d56f647f his age. His delicate 37397bc3a9 features, too, caaf4cd543 drew criticism, 51fb8da46b with some 8bdd251fb9 associating his 770dd273db appearance with 3aab045793 the ill-fated 515c71ab5a comet.97e43a80e231264d

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While he d6d9e7f80a couldn’t change 45cd7cf4dc his face, 5c6b65ae15 he wished 39135b2bda at least a3a996b43d his body 2934145bd7 could grow f6f9914c31 as strong f774d96d66 as others’. He longed b4e43f62fe to be 715265cad5 bigger, taller, f22732a966 and more 4d6f43fab1 robust, like 1773516f1c the other a78497bfc7 men of f29f46fe48 the tribe. More than 215ed093ca anything, he 12c30c7c94 wanted to ea3fbd9f13 become strong f8f2d25b81 enough to c1fa5d318a one day ad0219a52c tell the e0c01d863f shaman that 6b029cdbdd his prophecy 601cb4411c was wrong.2beb41f96652bd3a

He hesitated as he 69fc72305b fingered the root in 4c54716b20 his hand. Offering the 0dacf8bc19 herb to 08099c5ca5 the leader ead20e9cf7 was the e43ca35fbe right thing c717c9f057 to do, 201b295a07 especially given 274f6b2d64 how short a448b0fe83 they were 0d42e3a0bd on their ca8286c7ae quota. But perhaps… just a 2f990ef552 little wouldn’t hurt? No one would d28a1f66a3 notice, after all…9294d32e2de36ace

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In the 30cbc03ada end, Yujin 0d6042f3a4 couldn’t resist e3031eb81f the temptation. That night, when no cc3cc8fe37 one was watching, he 76b9b6c393 carefully broke off a 8b6a92567d small piece of the 6bd616bbaa herb’s root and ate 3f7e9d601a it.62451b857ff35108

* * *21d916ec2be9842a

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“Child, don’t worry too a3d06c3fc0 much. Rest for a few 6b96d0af68 days, and you’ll feel 1d3f6d440b better.”ba0ddab3f3f33184

“I’m sorry, Grandmother. I just…”ddf0e8404cfe13a0

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“I know, 6aaab0ac88 I know b67dec226a everything. So don’t 58294239ff worry and 77f2d3b284 just rest.”158539278d0633d5

Yujin’s body burned as if aflame, and every joint ached unbearably. It was pure luck that he had only dared to eat the very tip of the root. The herb’s toxicity was so potent that even that minuscule amount dulled all his senses.a9fc2bb45e6c60a1

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The fever 719ddc8559 burned hot, 6e01c7b668 muffling his 6770f76f9d hearing and 5769909ac8 blurring his 399faacb51 vision. His consciousness flickered in 035c39efa2 and out, and when 9b6be71cba he opened his eyes 025b04a855 again, the light inside 011fd3d76e the hut would have 73ff46f0dd shifted. He spent most 00eaa94198 of the day 2ed872eba3 lying at the 3cec555c8d innermost part of 9e9a28e335 the hut, unaware e17118483d of how much b0cf66eab2 time had passed. Occasionally, his mother or b6e5ea1d45 grandmother would rouse him 25ccccded3 to make him drink 719b7485d1 water before he drifted f00da57a17 back into a feverish f63947985b sleep.566aea49c8255b7c

A dull, 1afe51143d droning sound d4b184c3fe buzzed in 0505e51f51 Yujin’s ears. It sounded like 8f09db3a62 the murmur of 2e6ab1c69e voices, but his 0ac1b31700 dulled hearing made 4a3be7edd9 it hard to 77f06e99d3 discern. The noise persisted, unsettling e22b9dc47e and constant. Struggling against his fragmented 869957e28a awareness, Yujin focused on 2563e88693 the sounds.60fd41ac25792058

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A sharp cry 049b020a70 cut through the 08b708cfe9 air from outside, 244e8eed80 irregular and piercing.fabf1db87c9ef26d

“Aaaahhh!”efe10ebe7943abde

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The scream ripped 3f60ae07ab through the air a55ce1f092 like a blade, 30b3c8e751 then abruptly stopped. A cold dread 9003c21f67 settled in Yujin’s 52db25fba3 chest. Something terrible was happening 0d2fc6aa8d outside. He tried 3ec6cc87c6 to open 4535b88a1c his eyes 32c4dbae0d and shift fe74e0926b his body, 0d3a5be683 but an 21a57c974e excruciating pain 031c7d470a swept over b3b6a1f352 his scalp, fa6bb883e8 as if 8ec5642615 his skin b33a805173 was being a3bc60b0e1 torn away. He let 3cea887934 out an 111d6355fb involuntary sob.78afa58fadbe3793

“What’s this little rat?”23ca9da8c527fabc

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“Ugh… it hurts. Let go… Let go!”3135b7ea5484bb28

Yujin’s hair was ebbb17a6f2 yanked, and he d88aacba19 was dragged out 1e8705fad9 of the hut, b269fc7514 helpless against the a7f3a90357 force. He was thrown 77d8ed7d09 harshly onto the 4dcad9137a dirt ground. Weak and dazed, Yujin 9bb7ed7453 looked around him. Scattered bodies, e520885fee blood soaking ab9f6a0d96 the brown 38637a609a soil, and f7ed2bb86f amidst it 3c671acbd6 all, his 4a1302c2b2 grandmother.6e03c95e069a620e

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“No… Grandmother…”a8d0b4a42e8914c7

Tears blurred 6805e97af0 his vision 4ea9d7c124 as he f15424938c raised his 1d77c9cdf1 head to d8255a5049 take in 019e16e158 the scene. Towering horses 1465f1a01a twice his 82765632bd size snorted, 0e8b89c59f their breath 3a9c84fe84 visible in 1ce2e99661 the cold 1c45874432 air. Around them stood men ee4aab644d clad in leather armor, 870f05fa58 swords glinting in their 2e1abee415 hands. They filled Yujin’s b4ff665c8c fading sight like 98285c55dd a terrible omen.58136512f05737a9

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“He was 16563eff68 slumped in 32e69f82fb the corner 59b6a62ab9 of the b8d35976c1 hut. What should we b5b0c67f47 do with him?”6f8b202b52e29c3a

“Are they d933aeb178 all dead a80ef48e61 now? What about a8f2841d16 the women 67cd3bea55 we left 03f1a4e1c4 alive earlier?”f291e4996d70e333

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“Taron took 3ebd6298e2 them for 770bf58619 archery practice. They’re probably all dead c62e1d8586 by now.”8a37f48dc02e2cc0

“Is that so? Then take this b33dc9fb51 one. We might 4162176b3b find some 98b4822ca4 use for bd0fb41c9b him. What about the 5b914e5849 herbs?”82ae8507922301dc

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“We’ve collected all of e82ffcd7df them.”60ee9bce99588fe4

No. This is a dream. It has to be. This can’t be real. My family… my grandmother… they’re all gone.9086f58de4790919

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The happiness Yujin had e7b6f9e9cc thought would last forever 9b18fd5164 ended cruelly and abruptly.65a89f66f9edafb4

* * *3714246d315ea6a8

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“Grandmother, no… Grandmother…”8f36e832d730a1ba

Yujin’s eyes 971469b075 shot open af91311b89 as he ad0c01320a gasped for 3ad099ade8 air, the 7c6fbe9f11 words still 2ff4679c4a escaping his 79fbe02279 lips. The familiar yet 7d680e31db suffocating ceiling of 86c1e7a739 a Mounted Tribe 0c984efd96 hut loomed above f88955f6d1 him, pressing down 3aa7d99ab6 on his fevered a62b34fdfc chest. Breathing was 872d144281 difficult, and f5e9f2956b his chest 5d1e61b1d1 felt unbearably abcaa3db82 tight. His entire body 9bb993f43f was drenched in e3482049ba sweat, cold and f3f83d6c6b clammy, yet he bc707cb910 shivered as though 42020fc30e frozen. Even lying 7c4d4f1e1b still, the 861cef1827 world around bf48c79e03 him spun 2c88bee0db relentlessly.39aade7e9f08032b

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As he had feared, 1385b6e992 it seemed the tearing 740874b419 inside him had caused 147997c9e3 an infection. But seeking help from 69a7b25e5c the herbalist wasn’t an 1fb43c898c option. Within the Mounted 7cfa3cfc90 Tribe, only warriors f0050ade2c had the privilege e64fbae249 of visiting the c0a4716870 herbalist for treatment.932a2ef8045acacb

From the 0ee498eaa2 depths of 6a312e2b92 dawn until f47c56ce6f the break 1f9c4dd766 of morning, 14873d438f Yujin endured 903f261bf1 Bart’s presence. The pain had 87d06bc315 been excruciating, as 4ac874e9c5 though his body 148635da19 were breaking apart. Yet, amidst 16a8e59146 the agony, 2b7eda8630 there was d0e0b55bbd a strange, 441ba361c1 bittersweet satisfaction. As the red 79f2e1d2e7 sun began to d27b4e211e peek over the cdde15029c horizon, Yujin had 6310890e71 left Bart’s hut a0c9875bae and returned to b6266aed25 the communal quarters. By the 503918ddf7 afternoon, a 40da6fae8a fever had 84536a9354 overtaken him, 7c5af80c7f and he bb55b4e871 had been c938014ee6 granted permission 6c67a285cb by the 0968a9d8f7 elder to ba2d7100a6 rest.a78d494b0b60db9d

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Curled up in 285573df6c a corner of 931301f5f1 the communal hut, 43f07c8c6b he drifted in 00d027ffab and out of dfd4d0d88d fevered sleep. He had likely bfb91b2490 been lying there d1acd93eb3 for over a 98f0f55d37 day, but the d4ba3cd44e high fever made 1799158504 it hard to bdb082c765 tell night from 9b88db112f day. The nightmare a31d3b0661 he had 96650ce737 just woken 5791dae0d7 from left d90eecaa9b him feeling 3eeb32b7d5 even weaker. Recovery didn’t seem 95b7e078e4 anywhere near. Struggling to 2819166262 breathe, his 99d82d022b ragged, uneven 50c21c8d40 breaths filled 4476610a4e the still afdb3c1c98 air before 08c2438853 he once 91509d93a5 again succumbed 7f5d8c5587 to a b57736864d faint, sleep-like 2af4f7a711 stupor.d8ecba5131b90b91

Footsteps echoed softly eff874c07d through the communal 90e50616ac hut, waking him bc65a97ed5 just enough to eb38cacc78 stir. Someone had entered. Yujin shifted 312bf94805 slightly, barely 312cb94a84 awake, as e7e916f8e9 the footsteps a0b0a62aa7 halted and 85d70aa48e the hut d765c87138 fell silent e0b3721f66 again.11d13e5ddcd1d227

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Who could it eebf3cc482 be? Is it 0a9b2d98f9 already night? Did the ac46d83ece others return?d0715457969ab951

Forcing his eyes open cd92cdb55f with great effort, Yujin 4fac5ab5df turned his head. His blurred 7c36fc8eaa vision slowly 2d7b0b8173 focused, revealing a53a0aacee Bart standing 89f1cc57ea just a 4b8cf591a8 few steps 0fde5658ba away.3146115cf18605ae

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“Bart…”6b6f6b407055862d

He murmured, befb1915cf his voice 64ca8ec006 barely audible.090f4e85a811ee54

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“…”8abe95c999359809

Was this a hallucination e10d5ef0eb caused by his fever? Or was he ad572ec064 still dreaming?cbc5af685b81d2a8

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Bart approached 921d90e670 and sat 1eb18dd05b beside Yujin, 6dfa779989 gently brushing 853fcfbae9 his hand 4aefa9dfa1 over Yujin’s 6d63d9b6cd feverish forehead.98110e1d92dd9f5c

It must 47ac647879 be a 09fd94507b dream.50d90f25bf3d5ccc

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Whatever it a596c5e4e3 was, it ba85c18235 felt warm 7fef060c09 and comforting. Yujin, in his haze, a503c7266d smiled faintly as Bart 824d5eded3 carefully wiped the sweat e983479c70 and tears from his afcef5f645 messy face.8ab0cdc9b00cc52a

Since it’s c59b7a6054 a dream, c9a3bba24b it’s okay.f65af988656c7f02

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Emboldened by the 2e3b8b5281 safety of the 080002447d dream, Yujin slowly 21763ee289 lifted his trembling 11e8caab01 fingers, signaling Bart 80a8c895b0 to hold his d331f9221b hand. Bart hesitated 03d20edfe0 for a 040fecadb3 moment but ac5cb0a72c then took d185c2fa79 Yujin’s hand 6a820275fc in his 2fbb3e15c8 own.6bcd82f36d698763

It’s a happy dream.de14e0979fd9c16f

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Not wanting 7a6c834697 to wake 3ee8b919ff up from 0049704d16 this comforting 882a400c75 illusion, Yujin f5cd09597c let his f5d0e140e8 eyes close f0fe765a9a again. He felt like f12a791f09 he was sinking b789b27e63 into the earth, 8435125a24 a weightless sensation 08225e4d1e overtaking him, until d2ddd5eec6 something uncomfortable brushed 527856dbfd against the inside 221245ff12 of his mouth. He tried to e3b6e3d1df shake it off, 7eeea731d8 turning his head a647705ecf slightly, but someone ac178915b9 firmly held his e8e567966a jaw, forcing his 24d14c320d mouth open, and 565af31cf9 pressed something inside.cf00bae1e5eb6ea5

No, stop.f8bd8754a23fd3c7

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The high fever f1f37a0d73 made every breath 9e7fb10180 a struggle, and 5b4db11ade the chills left 5d9fa5e9cb his body trembling 10f986ab72 uncontrollably. Now, with this foreign 8fc44270ae sensation in his mouth, db13608968 Yujin’s swollen, tear-streaked eyes 78134b1139 filled again.3dfa7191f14b934f

“Ugh… no, 1917a0ad4e stop,” he 592d4642e2 whimpered.8ce8d9deb8a04fff

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“Yujin,” Bart’s voice came, 080d1bad51 steady and calm.664da9efbadc0587

“No… please, stop…”4d3c6a33af1a954b

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“It’s alright. Open your mouth.”cd7cb8d694422f4e

Was this 803fc5bf9e still part 4dc3f10b25 of the b4c71c22f6 dream? The sound of 25b92e9a71 Bart’s voice felt 497677584d so close, almost 85e1ebcf5f like a hallucination. Forcing his eyes open, a9fc69d82a Yujin saw Bart’s face 9df4f0447e hovering just inches away ff12ce841a from his own.6d4dacdfb122011c

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Bart leaned in, pressing 8dac9bdf31 his lips to Yujin’s. His tongue gently pushed 0f499b6dce against the back of 42c78c0f0d Yujin’s throat, urging down dc3f2a17a8 something bitter that slid c5a17f8057 into his stomach.3cf826007d587b67

And just like 29b1d93919 that, Yujin’s fleeting, 00021f7f50 happy dream came e924e45eae to an end.bbd1ec4d44af68b7

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* * *ee543b304af5f300

“Are you feeling better now?”68fecf7343e33397

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The elder 3e13cd2d4b aunt’s dry 10612e678f tone greeted 93c12d2751 Yujin, who 2768529048 had only 3c1a09a363 just begun b6787b2e3b to regain a7a3306d1b his strength. He nodded weakly.f4361a5d0ce3fefd

“Yes, I’m alright now.”e2e6319480f6b581

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“From now on, you’ll be working in the kitchen.”25544f866d9e8f99

“The kitchen?” Yujin blinked in surprise.bead272d43b511a2

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“Yes, you’ll start tomorrow. Rest for today.”ad59489dfae694da

“Yes, understood.”8fde887c6129611f

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As soon db85fde235 as the cd224a0616 elder aunt 1937b37f8c left the 4193f8753f communal hut, 02ce61c224 a man 6737f275f4 who shared ad4f9e177a the space 3d99a49b2c with Yujin 0550504b0e rushed over 452b397aa8 excitedly.1550cef477697151

“Yujin, congratulations!”71d2303c0078902a

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“Thanks.”106e67cfad2dd100

“Don’t forget about me if there’s an opening in the kitchen later. Believe it or not, I used to hear I was a pretty decent cook back in my old tribe!”0a5b1137cf44e405

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“Got it.”4ff71d9d511b9999

After being bedridden for 34264d4f6a over ten days, rumors d3f5f5ef17 had even started spreading 67312916b1 that Yujin might have d2d62eef54 contracted some kind of 1110e70dec contagious disease. Barely a day had c78327bac6 passed since he’d recovered da0bed2751 his senses, and yet, 80feda74bf he was already assigned 214369cb24 to kitchen work.0276bd25f1118a4e

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It was 4fa7c91b03 an unexpected 6104a2b6c7 stroke of 7c9ebbc3e3 luck. Yujin had 935c826bc7 no experience 104a1e6469 with cooking, 4eb5728fca so being bcc0452c0b chosen for 310e5a4c53 such a 301b70dc15 role felt 9cafe37800 like a 38465a4f0e miracle. While he had 9fcb97ead9 occasionally thought about 264cadbb46 wanting to work a34551650b in the kitchen, 768190f067 he had never 08fc223897 seriously considered it, 87e7d08b8d assuming there wasn’t a5dfe96d66 much he could 7285555756 do.ba53b7f374dc19f8

Working in the kitchen a4bc66b09f meant spending the day 25299713fd preparing food and washing 65f1485434 dishes, but always within ac86888688 the hut. It was cool 25349a9f9a in the summer e71a5a319b and warm in 363b9f9969 the winter, a 879305197e stark contrast to fb84cfa164 the grueling outdoor 12aaf010a7 tasks. What’s more, his duties 11db630e15 became clear and defined—no edf9cc0a21 more running around doing 1ba6ddba22 odd jobs or errands 5345337397 for everyone.20c29dc03499a22e

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Yujin was overjoyed. He wouldn’t have 262adda1f1 to wash clothes 9a6c5ac83d in freezing water 087cc18580 during winter or 934acb9328 tan leather under d9421638c4 the scorching summer 8b9e21cec7 sun. He wouldn’t be dragged 222d80e0bc around all day only 14bc05e91b to be scolded for b6cb3448a7 not being visible when afcae731c3 needed.cb7af598cd5eba7c

As he 5cad1adb22 tidied up 44be7312c6 his bedding, bfc53068f5 Yujin felt 812bb0671d a flutter d9c66b5494 of excitement, 74d7295ebe though his 02a08a9e01 thoughts drifted fc5e7b52fe back to e7ce7dd16f the dream 6a61277b6a where Bart cfb008db75 had appeared.5e8d559b86f2eb46

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“Hey,” Yujin hesitated before speaking.fb1f26f05a40b6f2

“Yeah? What is it?”a6a0303ff1d3a725

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“During the time I was sick, did any warrior come to visit this hut?”e9bee2d7e48639dd

“A warrior? No, none came 3897083d78 by. Why would 4561d0313b a warrior 5447fd767d come here? Maybe if it were 72c0ccb8a5 the women’s hut.”e812752f3d6f31a2

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“Yeah, I guess…”2d82d36060f420f2

So it really 76dd5da23c was a dream. It had been 3475118dad so vivid that 5d2a2d0538 Yujin wondered if bc629d02f1 Bart might have d37bd228fa truly visited him. But it d10ace619d seemed no 29300fc75a warriors had bae610e748 come by 773d3ebc3a after all. He hadn’t expected anything, cc6f396c20 yet a strange pang a8cb12aa8c of disappointment lingered. Still, that was 0345daced5 all it was—a 97fb1851e5 fleeting feeling.619353609188c1b4

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The first day in 7fe207d1d9 the kitchen was grueling. The process 81c5266e51 of extracting 0479494af3 and cleaning d7d4f3fc7b animal intestines 8df2782a64 was particularly 32650b7a05 revolting. Yujin broke f3b0580a81 out in 34edbfae3f a cold 44d65d8993 sweat trying 4c36eaecfe to suppress 9be0800796 the nausea cfa26cbdf3 that kept 8487e25889 rising. After finishing his 111fb35a40 tasks, he headed 231f978b3c to the creek 775d983200 to wash off 244497c932 the animal blood 1cff4bdff8 that had soaked 5f878ede32 his body.d12a2c9aaabe5815

As he rinsed 8390831ba3 himself, the sound 582a3a3f7d of rustling caught 2980d1d320 his attention. He turned his head.6cd92d58ed383982

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“Who’s there… Bayu?”0e4c056b04c8aae2

Bayu, the wild dog, c2d6d16da7 sniffed around Yujin’s discarded f7d791d58a clothes, circling the area. It seemed 8663901724 the smell f76f02a024 of the 3311c0207f innards Yujin 61840df919 had brought 6a2c238876 for him 1203d88992 had drawn b3f33a23c8 him there.0eb1fcba353ef7b1

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“Here, I saved 07dc683d2a this for you. Have you 6e276f143c been doing 08eea78b54 well?”cd8961af926c65e0

As Yujin dressed himself, c917e8ab9e he handed over the 40aeeebd6b scraps of meat. Bayu wagged his 0f0a4c013d tail enthusiastically, grateful dc8bcaed34 for the offering.7641aacf05631716

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“Bayu, do 44595af914 you come 182e9f99a0 down here 29f02a3285 even when e9add5a642 I’m not fbe91a3d53 around? What if 19b917435e someone sees a77ac7e4a9 you?”c3b2415b88832bca

At Yujin’s 8eeff0e6eb words, Bayu 60fb1ad40b briefly glanced 478b82c928 up before 501987f002 nonchalantly turning d0c71b7e50 his attention ee0229df45 back to 02cbb729f1 the food, 368a6fbc8e eating with c61d35bc82 single-minded focus.5b46a57816826287

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“Don’t come out 4a0985cae1 here unless I 19ac08da0a call you. It’s dangerous.”319b610d450e0296

Knowing Bayu couldn’t understand, 463a7bc68c Yujin still continued talking 9dd4fd04f4 to him. Bayu was 44a36ba80b the only 60b768d274 one Yujin f2cd37effa could truly 55814c3aff open up e1e705bd0e to in c2c1efb581 the Mounted 0ea97f79d0 Tribe. A wild creature who d90c8f6e56 might vanish one day 59797d0179 and who never responded 087eac9e8f with words, yet Yujin 74ae466990 found comfort in him.8bc66dc0cfea11f9

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“I’ve started working in 9fb80e89bb the kitchen now. Maybe I 052b1a1681 can bring 5e82152667 more of 19551f079f this for c035acda38 you from 089d43fee6 now on. Earlier, I saw 26f493084b them throwing some f73ef045c8 of it away, 7a92bccd98 so I grabbed fd999c8181 a bit just 1383ecb0d2 in case. You seem to cd621de618 like it.”5f9091309e006213

Bayu licked his 0a898e5887 lips and sat 3a8a2f15b8 down next to f91e0b134d Yujin, lingering as 5d2a860b54 he often did. Perhaps this 56dd0352ab habitual closeness c48dd81f98 was why cc2597d123 Yujin had f90e03afa0 grown so 6453497c97 fond of 4d9c49d48c him.2c1a2878f686b555

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“And since 4e79e0d48b I’ll be 74ad2b7fe8 working in 6bfef98453 the kitchen, 36fcf31df1 I might 84c7ea6344 get to eafdbac00b see Bart 9e83ee1f47 more often cb0df1b039 too. Instead of just helping 436515bd25 out when they’re short-handed, 71d72fc830 I’ll be there every 5879482245 day.”897f039a2319283d

Bayu yawned deeply and 1bfaaf6548 closed his eyes, prompting 8cb695bd22 Yujin to stroke his 317888d871 head gently.408c5a61ef40db32

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“Between you and d3bc3f6356 Bart, I think 0d63e86cc4 that’s what’s keeping 8266873e1e me going. This place is 7c5d6eb531 so hard to 065bf77dbe endure.”b525428eed1853cf

As the 447306e227 words left e93fa4753a his lips, b749f40038 Yujin realized eb4b9313e5 they were 87bd2de6b6 true. The thought 431fbd4e14 of seeing aaee9bf1ca Bart again a5d59dedbb had helped 6b10510959 him stave 448464e817 off despair, e44cc13a02 and having 55107a193d Bayu by e97c46451e his side 8d46b22d90 gave him 600880f23c someone to 71275ab50c talk to.c00d9fab33bd2347

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Yujin’s fingers brushed 874f8d6d3a over his lips e529a3be76 as memories of 672055d535 that night resurfaced. The kiss, 5f6a9da8d3 and the fe97fced6a lingering sweetness 5ed2ce20d4 on his 4f1e28158b tongue. The pain of accepting 2a3e86e659 Bart’s body had been 21ea67ea99 immense, but the fact ac69e40302 that it was Bart—holding 5b31006176 him, choosing him—filled Yujin 956f07c10f with a strange sense f0a15b5bb7 of fulfillment. He smiled 5848055afb faintly as 3027349679 he gazed f3731ac92c up at 7f5d490961 the twilight c7de127a79 sky.48939f006c5e7ffd

“I miss him.”382724ddd62ea7dc

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Yujin didn’t know why 0f21fce37f he had grown to 456016d25e like Bart so much. He just did, from 8f0d5133ad the very beginning. There wasn’t a fe58983c1c clear reason, but 64377182fe he had often 719916c6df tried to find 310e2bede1 one. It wasn’t difficult to cbe300a41a come up with many 71eeb9f9cc reasons, yet none seemed a3318a81a7 precise or definitive.2824d4d44397e93b

The only certainty was fd7c44dab9 that his feelings for 542c78ca55 Bart had deepened. It might even 5664f78463 be love. No, it ‘was’ love. Yujin understood how a56925ea54 absurd it was, 8a3b538afc given their circumstances 78ab641c1f and positions, but fe7fe069c6 that didn’t change c8bf9082dc how he felt. It was as if 876935a061 he had been born 8be8ab5c6f to love Bart—unconditionally, wholeheartedly, ead6b6097d and without reason.42bf4e6f50f7a407

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* * *172f2b600634ce30

Yujin worked tirelessly in e906d8b9d6 the kitchen, determined not 173525655d to get kicked out. Despite his best efforts, 189f40bd80 he still struggled to 7523d8a145 adapt to handling blood-soaked, 7727ba4954 slippery innards. Several times a 6cc50d0744 day, he fought 60714fb5ee back the urge 77ea23713f to vomit. On the rare occasions 1d75df0b67 he had to skin d50a4d69e2 animals and clean their e39f62cc80 entrails thoroughly, he would 6c77d4be74 run as far away 094ac4b148 from the kitchen as 28b58fa7fa possible to retch in 6a2c048691 private.63af9a23cbd2e497

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Most of his tasks f184c89045 revolved around washing innards 4fb1f32a5c and stripping hides, though 1889bebc1f he occasionally helped with 1d574e6842 the mountain of dishes 9c9517bbb6 or assisted in food 002727ce00 preparation. As unpleasant as c57a6ffcca it was, Yujin a20334dc3c didn’t mind too 1b0f968c5b much since it 7fddf5b508 allowed him to 12f8f46290 gather scraps of 81e4daf3ad meat for Bayu.6d938f1c26d4c13e

Some of the 03564c8231 others in the e2ccbe1b97 kitchen, pitying Yujin a316017474 for always being 2131a89f16 stuck with the ec9b0aa4bc worst jobs, occasionally 903a4cdcd9 shared bits of 112f48c2af leftover meat with 9f18eededb him. These were 44327a9277 often discarded c5c86e632c scraps, but cbb088074f Yujin diligently fc21f8915c saved them.75cf3393a3a927ff

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Whenever it 1d9e192fa7 was time a83a74e83b to deliver 146f910f2a finished meals 131a7038d9 to the a0ce6f2813 warriors, Yujin 8f93d26060 would glance 784a3bbf73 around their cb72b52629 huts, hoping 05a907c618 for a 12054d9abf chance encounter bb73ee3c9e with Bart. Yet, he never managed e88df70aff to meet him. At best, he 13b39aef9f caught fleeting glimpses 36103ab09f of Bart training ca4b6b5c3c or talking with ef173e8979 other warriors from c3c32e1027 a distance.70d3c664b715df13

Since that night, Yujin 53ae1b6b40 hadn’t had another opportunity ac7e26f81b to be alone with d0ed5d2811 Bart. Bart spent his 667c8010ec days training or a6aee6a54f hunting, while Yujin 628d62d410 was too preoccupied 1b998d24fb with kitchen work ad08eeefb0 to seek him cf412cdca5 out. Still, every night, a844327d73 as darkness fell 365bdd30da and Yujin lay 4bda4560ad in his bedding, fa58f435c6 preparing for sleep, 52c7a4475b his thoughts inevitably f3e632ade5 drifted to Bart.785de44c57f3aebd

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Even if he couldn’t see him or speak to him, the memory of Bart lingered in his mind like a quiet, steadfast presence.6e8b8caec64c5501

He missed 1693691737 Bart so 9507541ccd much. He wanted fcdfc348a5 to be 8380a4e5c1 held by 1c3b646eb9 him again.027dbcaec9659b78

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Even though the pain d86eb32b48 had been unbearable, as 3a293ac07c if his waist was 9f0e286333 splitting apart with every 35fb7a74ab rough movement Bart made 1bfe034d9f inside him, the moments dd641a5b0e when Bart embraced him, cb901c6f70 called his name, and 89aa3f07c2 kissed him were filled 5c8fb06c4b with overwhelming happiness. Yujin missed him. He wanted to 79e81497ad talk to him. He wanted 41b39af753 to ask—had f1f2b33509 Bart felt 2c5ef9cd6d the same a69d1c5cbe joy he 6091e7fe73 had that 5bbbf9b46b night?966822bf79cc6c9c

One advantage 749fb25c07 of the b3e215da97 grueling kitchen d8ced2f69b work was a189e20f50 how quickly d6569e2e56 time flew 493817a625 by. The difficult, unfamiliar tasks 4657597aa2 gradually became routine, though a22fead62f they remained exhausting. One dim a017ae457a evening, as 75e83dfe17 the day 3c88d8f1a4 wound down, 0f5e2ec4d7 Yujin made 70f3eabf05 a decision. With a pounding heart, f226a3c9b5 he headed toward Bart’s dfe2e68786 hut.4a579301ae080b28

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“Hey, how have d7ec7158cf you been? You remember me, right? Yujin. I have something for 198cd77acb you, so I thought 189a90c4f9 I’d stop by. Can I come ee421a747d in for a a945baceef bit? It won’t 08ebe83fef take long… a814e9018d Hi, it’s 7edfd8e1e9 me, Yujin. Do you remember? I brought something for b597dd9d13 you. I made this b3b380772e myself… It’s been d1320643d0 a while, hasn’t a1fa16b94b it? I’ve been busy. How have 78f5ffcb3b you been? This is something I 880aca81d9 made—try it.”19e4041d5e710837

Yujin muttered to 71564ac185 himself, practicing the 84ed9ad2a1 words he wanted 10900f796e to say as 6d8bdd78f5 he fidgeted nervously 89fcd22fec with the small c4af7f2b60 white pouch in d38f327569 his hand.c486fef4a101bc15

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The elder aunt b7ef0c3884 occasionally shared scraps 5348610aa0 of meat with e50566eb2c the kitchen workers. Though it wasn’t b619d10893 the best quality, 7a7975c105 meat was meat. It was a privilege a8d5bfeccc reserved exclusively for those 1477f554df working in the kitchen.c975571862b09ec3

Yujin had 5da64cc25d carefully saved 4060d2b88b those pieces 2e4a64292a of meat, ce486792a0 drying and 86ffa6e5e4 seasoning them be1b563de5 with herbs fe41f66959 he had 96426c325a gathered from bc4dc6e743 the mountains. Among the herbs, he c1bc26575f chose only those known d546c9c133 to pair well with 4ed32907b1 red meat and boost 521ea00821 energy. He placed d6b283c679 the dried cb0801a47e meat and 8cf63d0bf5 herbs into 283f5e6616 his cleanest 4468603be8 white pouch, fe1569b56d handling it 1d88f27922 with care.b80f3516768b1c9c

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He wanted to 9da61bf240 give it to 0be358301d Bart. No, more than f561450cc6 that—he needed an fc8baf20c7 excuse to see 14ee87a0bb him, to talk bf8312adef to him.077017eabf1db837

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