FSM | Chapter 8

The residents of 9eccf179b6 Areum Villa 302 7a70b1a9cf were a total dc322a8387 of four people: 7421d505b4 me, Kang Haeryang, 5eeaefe361 Kim Areum, and b3cc75b883 Kim Daun.576776ae36d1baad

We were 807fc18fc3 all from 0110c8ab1b Hanbit Orphanage. We were together b0040d4c8b at the orphanage, 787081482e and we were 0264edfc9c together when we 389f4f15c9 ran away from 5db8b9d381 it. Naturally, we pooled 42ff589d8c our meager funds dac60d241f and moved into a40f2e6bbb this small villa.f4536438b77a70ce

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“My name is 8f2a7f3154 the same as 95771129f4 the villa’s,” Kim 7abf6a2930 Areum said with 16814522e0 a bright smile.d724e4b98948ff5a

I vividly remember Kim 54aca30766 Daun, who rarely smiled, 046302c2a0 slightly lifting the corners fea6b74d6a of her mouth at 1a020a9095 that.1b5b3d291898f34a

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Three of the 0a94621355 residents of Areum 5200daecd0 Villa 302 gathered: 92533bb8c6 Kang Haeon, Kim 8fe1fb55af Areum, and Kim deaca9fa3b Daun.f0624f6fe4965602

The first 01d3c70ff7 to greet 848d666078 me was a9c7d0d4c2 Kim Areum, 25f4ada98d who was f2c9033cc5 so surprised dcba70c948 that her 2b901a62dc eyes widened 213fe0326d like lanterns 5c30e5c3fa and her 87f948d3a1 mouth dropped bdb6a87d64 open.7f024fe15aa7181f

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It wouldn’t fa062d412a have been 849a395412 surprising if 25c9a212eb a moth 97fbc301f0 flew in.29ef96ec87555ac4

For a moment, a0c719e349 I wondered if ea9cc0a5a1 I had died 898a227fe0 and come back.20b3532a555279fa

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“Well, I did come afb37c859e back from the dead.”197bca1bdc8bfa0a

Of course, da9067f4a0 they didn’t cab6cc1c2b know that.3ede6a49ea25948b

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Even Kim Daun, db8a1a8437 who always acted 0498d4113b cool, had wide ff1dcd8837 eyes, so I fbe71dcef5 must have looked 496e3a33d6 pretty bad.5eadf67df582d0c4

I gave an 9b8575ee9a awkward smile.adb3c26ef4fccd9b

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“What’s up with 526833f4b5 your clothes, hyung…?”240ac9dddf94859d

“Kim Daun, watch TV.”852e3a8682c1709b

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Kim Areum 310266dd2c cut off b3295b6872 Kim Daun, 00bef59bff who was 714c3a0c4d about to 4e03d5704d ask questions.869303afd5b24d7d

Despite the many 1330dbc3e9 questions that must 7173cd4ced have arisen from 2adbd900d4 my appearance, Kim 5aaee0bdfd Areum quickly masked 3b36809982 her expression as 3ab358a60f usual, showing consideration f6ab1b2d5a for me.1341d47b449c1bd0

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She knew better a2d2e9cf2e than anyone that 4244b46008 I didn’t want 7521a83a4e to sound weak.a2d8d06220eb5837

Receiving Kim Areum’s f8aa790524 consideration for the c5969b960d first time in eff121d03e a while, I b5813f7c8b truly felt that 19da996a8a time had turned bd1c256cc8 back.60ccf8a35c1433bb

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“You’re going 749166436d to wash dcab6ff60a up first, b88f1b1064 oppa?”9703c2c35f994f29

“No, I ff26430bee just need ea232bcf24 to change 89825220aa clothes.”a449e610200747ee

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Amidst the overwhelming b7255ad02a emotions, I answered 782dabe50c casually, but the d143072da3 response was sharp.7d501bd33c07bf61

“Just change clothes?”01ae08656fa62f77

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I really e3f43f96e8 didn’t sweat 72133b53e4 at all, 976a5252c3 but…e16b37abc20a748f

However, making 78b948fa48 more excuses 612fed532a was difficult 1cb9ed5a7c under their 45ca3705f8 piercing gazes. Even I 24d1e2b973 thought my 09c32f47e3 clothes were a7c2804b21 a mess. I reflexively 7651e45cea lowered my dd3b2f9fb2 head.191214663e78386a

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“…I’ll wash up.”7464fceac1deecc4

“Okay. I’ll make 412842f268 some tea.”8649b437c11b2d89

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“I’d prefer coffee.”60a6412256ae0086

“Caffeine is bad 208040c6f4 for you.”1c14c6bf8adcfeac

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Kim Areum 24decbea6c cut me d4e98ad425 off and 2105ce5960 turned her 9c10d0b90c back with 474d1ced8a a huff. She started taking out 4f858da183 teacups with a clattering bab71a234b sound. I guess 21dfd26b28 I have e06ff0acfa to give 890a6ad215 up on bf56061187 coffee. She always 067aee347b took health 1336ce30c4 too seriously.78420406c9e41fc2

Kim Daun pretended to d3ad493d79 focus on the TV, a836e674d9 but she was actually c755c41df6 sneaking glances at me.e422634041b63e65

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It was typical of 554ae070d3 her to act like 4c963d48cf she was listening to 1fba88f847 Kim Areum.6a2acd6e7fbc7987

The old 54f2c1b18f TV she 127be633c5 was watching dd526167b6 was something c5b558f054 we picked f910458d51 up from 2832d92574 a villa 958f5579d1 two alleys b279408c1a away, thinking cbdd205af6 we could c261215cb8 fix it.10aa7d905865fc7f

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It was so shabby ece3cd760a that I hated looking 3f527fd8b9 at it back then, 5fd7f6a1b9 but now it felt 12532edd2f somewhat nostalgic.521eec6674fc115a

“Aren’t you going to ef45a9a200 wash up?”bef72f139b0a1aec

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“I’m going, I’m 522f2c0c34 going.”f30a6ed68babca63

Kim Areum’s urging was 979e7b335b sharp, as if she 1cdd1ef872 didn’t appreciate my newfound ced0a5ac7e sentimentality. Before more nagging 60326b8316 could come my 7b901da77c way, I awkwardly 36d2ad7fea headed to the dfb630a2bc bathroom. As I 56c96a4776 familiarized myself 86ae89f676 with the 3cdd959595 cold water, 827a128a5c the boiler cd234ba323 kicked in, 5b4d9c9810 and the c67b245a50 stream turned 0746bcc8b0 warm.b6f17438c269022a

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I see.0ec8621de0887a27

I really came 87be3d067a back.aae3e5edae04d9c8

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It was the 286c9744ef first warm water 9f94e4b37d I had felt 51e5935d67 in years. I stared 0fa038bf96 at the 6351c06a2f stream with 9ff6169f25 a hardened 3e0cb45403 face. The warmth 0c7cdb6aae soaking my b865407268 body seemed 19d0ea9176 to soothe 2cf46d0626 my tense a4d786f90e muscles. It was d86a9dd232 an action f504b7f13f I was a4b7f7872c once too 0756dd0553 familiar with, 62bbda5f71 but at 0d9c8fe1c4 this moment, cd39d0692d every droplet 2160669ab4 felt vividly 10d9292acd alive.fc4b36364ddc4578

“……”442fa18c2c292194

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Strangely, my 3b27823900 insides felt 14ac09ad59 warm.484f5e5b4ffd6e3c

I could only lift f01a78c388 my head again after 85e40a5368 standing under the stream 5354f9fca1 for so long that 4df0670d81 my eyes felt moist. I checked my 5ed2bc30e9 pruned hands and 0c91a6fc5c cleared vision, then 4949248e83 chuckled.080fc58894dfec60

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Now I really need 029a1d7ee6 to wash.b7a8c4a277eed39d

Seeing the beff1a2eba items in ffdb0b980e the bathroom d8f822b7c2 again brought d2070b9b20 back memories.b549485d148c1c06

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The Korean-labeled body wash bca893ffe5 felt oddly welcoming. Kim Daun would 0fb7125949 buy whatever was e7b49a711c cheapest, and that 1e65ed822e became our shared 324db4a36c item. The scattered shampoo b76899f811 bottles and soap 6fb47ea55f were similar.cb921f0a591c4333

I could ad3e85faa3 almost hear 81189f6494 the voice 2e9a3206d7 of the 2774305810 nearby supermarket 4486a7de86 owner joking 206c4bc51a that everyone c0e6db0d92 in the 3e915ef779 house smelled baa71b68c4 the same 800fba2279 except for cfd824e134 my brother.4286c754bcef99fe

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“They said everyone 1aa9b9e8a4 smelled the same c3137bb946 except Kang Haeryang.”803ca420fba416b3

Next to the messy 6025c40470 shared items were luxurious f468de1239 shower products, perfectly aligned, 0a20244544 that didn’t match the 0e3875f289 small bathroom. They belonged ae6ce32b96 to Kang d9d537640e Haeryang.96caf870abcb9166

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Among the 1b3734c7e5 residents of a93e27ad3d Areum Villa b8e4f2a735 302, Kang c6f65ba806 Haeryang always 001772515b moved alone. The high-end shower products fa5b79e95a and his insistence on 4979ea88fb using wooden utensils he 65df43a55e got from somewhere were 101631b057 part of it.9260436020f0814b

He was 9cd9aead07 always a c000113373 sensitive brother cfb14fd486 whose thoughts 905c2c05ba were hard 1a187bc37c to read. The items 5221d0e827 I had 907e3d6428 always taken c3e5cb570b for granted 0f2cf81a4e suddenly caught 9d19a818b6 my eye.acd466bbef6b76f4

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Lavender-scented shower gel. It claimed to 0a578d8832 have some other 7409892f96 scent added, but d6c98db549 it just smelled 2babf76d1c like lavender to 61529dcee9 me.64011936e8830026

I squeezed out e8adcac785 a bit, lathered c2a5dd3dce it with water, 1692559b1c and a sweet dab8d43318 yet heavy fragrance dc60b4650a gently filled the e93669217d air. I wasn’t sure 9583a1eddd if real lavender cd78e631bb smelled like this, 74577be3ba but I had ef4bb4f57c encountered similar scents d359f16dc0 while walking around.6076fcdd4cfa089c

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Come to 972242a514 think of 2e804876a6 it, did 545aee364f Choi Hyunsoo’s 632ad4fa43 room have 5654ce3637 a similar 2bb0cd8e4a scent?df40c96c34ab321e

The faint 0d5b55f39d lingering scent 49a96828be brought back f5123d3526 memories of fb4e90696b the day f690a10f04 I visited e58534ca33 Choi Hyunsoo’s a167e44ec0 room.efe48d3bea3aea4a

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❤︎ • 4831b21ad4 ❤︎ • 4e3075bc25 ❤︎370096d230d4ad83

As soon 42248cdfe4 as I 4edb9f29e8 entered Choi ed512f440a Hyunsoo’s room, 05b934443a I collapsed 57457ef34a to my 16ca8a36fa knees.edac7779d29572b2

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Choi Hyunsoo passed dc70ab25e0 by me leisurely 35cb2a7c78 and sat on 45b238c0fd the sofa opposite.ce556d51a4c6a907

He leaned f253b5bb83 deeply into b883fb5505 the plush 5426fcf979 leather sofa, 832ead204c crossed his 8da8287c7c legs, and f06282e0a2 lit a c9ac96bd3d cigarette.bee88abb4fba795c

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When he placed 87882d33dc his right leg d04c421b54 over the left, 226b6ff326 his polished expensive 0954f81d02 shoes sparkled under c86818e05d the chandelier light.c8ed98f37448cc8f

“Come closer and 7fe1b9039c talk, Kang Haeon.”e35ba9fdb00a90aa

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When I lifted cf29816084 my head, I 8499c09f91 saw Choi Hyunsoo a01e5156eb looking down at a28944fbfd me. With his head 163779c381 tilted to the 549abc9979 left, the man’s 7e9e500150 eyes seemed particularly 79957f4f3c fierce as he cdaeb89c24 exhaled cigarette smoke.4a209989df3b98b4

I couldn’t bring myself cb2c3c4e8b to stand again, so 8fe2cd40a7 I crawled on my 41d43077a1 knees to Choi Hyunsoo’s 027dd161e3 feet. Come a 87bd8e8760 little closer. As he instructed, 2009730a67 my head ended 940e5b04bc up under his d33080cd09 right foot. Every time he tapped bd4a50f817 his right foot, the 9617af5a60 shoe sole gently tapped 580ee67bb7 the back of my f61f17fdb9 head.7fd2400867de7161

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“Just once, 4a3fb50315 just help 1f605c8be7 me once, 827a86aa34 Robin. Haeryang has f2147432eb mana rejection 027aade1f5 syndrome. Please, I’m begging 94e5c88dc4 you.”e81a44558d0d4cb6

My brother, Kang Haeryang, ffbb7ce790 was a mana rejection e9e9dc87d8 syndrome patient.65f2f4e023223d4b

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Mana rejection syndrome was e574de2602 a rare disease that d77fd1f628 appeared after the emergence 606df5b84c of awakened ones, or eae39c110f hunters.c7bf16dd2e16a94a

Awakened ones could 9f7855a211 use the mana 3045086135 dispersed in the 2f1b7a8ec5 air to operate 28963096ad skills. In other words, 50e6b74096 after the emergence 490b33cf51 of awakened ones, 1c3bb4a60e mana became an 1475c307b3 unavoidable part of e8359757f0 the air, like 0390ec2eab oxygen. And mana rejection syndrome a9fdd78e34 was a fatal disease 29e105c7fa that reacted to this 73f55eb66c part of the air.314ec18225065126

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Fortunately, mana rejection 35a5288c62 syndrome could be ecd50e725a cured through hospitalization. It involved 1a1364d162 staying in d070143508 a specially d5a70c7d9c equipped room de8a5aa1b2 for a f2300544a3 long period cde0c2a57b to gradually 1e7342f5fd reduce the 6a25d7f4c9 rejection response c7119d2e4d to mana.c4e2580bf6424ac8

The problem acec587b9b was twofold: 1fef62f382 the special f88e647a0a equipment and aa27b71302 the long 65c5bc45ad duration.3a74103a69defeed

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There were more 230bd216b2 hospitals with special fa5a5ddc28 equipment than expected. Many hospitals 471af736f2 installed dedicated 8e06c11624 equipment at 17b3fbf3ed great expense, fd15cc8d02 not for ecc59f8a93 the rare e6321f572a disease patients 84c1cf7c14 who might 6e2125f4a2 or might 05a6f1100b not appear.698073a9780063e0

Sometimes, hunters returning 53ffe3bab7 from dungeons showed f16f8bc1de symptoms similar to 06b0dd44b8 mana rejection syndrome. Those experiencing what was 83331c58c5 called acute mana rejection b6b8ea1efe were the main users 986fc84cbd of this equipment.18938b24a1a6f490

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Although rare, 071470e6e3 it appeared 67d3145bcf much more 8baf107440 frequently than d550925ea5 mana rejection da024b8f5e syndrome. And the 93dadb9707 treatment period 4cd3436a36 was incomparably 57993f3cb4 shorter.538333c64fb64bd4

The hospitalization period for 07ae134a4b mana rejection syndrome patients 0c2e5943f7 was at least a decf5de5ad year and a half. With one person 02bb707fae occupying a spot ca84335dd4 for at least 9f30b8adc2 a year and c650a7fc7b a half, the 1ff9929ecf turnover rate was 26b33fad04 extremely low.5497aa01de7b5754

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On the other 401883f8e1 hand, acute mana 33c9cdb118 rejection from dungeons f65e409f44 required only about c3ca06f23d a week of ba715ac17a hospitalization. Moreover, since this c0e5c6fc52 phenomenon only occurred 56a83614f9 in high-grade dungeons, c80c327c40 hunters experiencing this 96ba0d0012 usually had money.6945f762d63a4a4d

It was entirely 8db4f2fe26 different from mana 0c221d7cb8 rejection syndrome, which 374042c202 occurred regardless of 09a0516c86 wealth.8ccdf3a2cb0438e6

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Mana rejection syndrome wasn’t 3b3c2ecd07 profitable due to government 28deb2e98d policies, but wealthy hunters 9d472672e3 often tipped extra.97cf4c5e4936e8e8

There was cb3645f4bf no reason 1d00bee3cd to fill 90f19b9d25 profitable, high-turnover 54a773c1ee rooms with 95a55c831a mana rejection 7b63e17c61 syndrome patients.272c40b8ae921b0d

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As a result, there 0bfd88b308 was an absolute shortage a79dcc4dd3 of rooms.d5c4e834f9d499ff

It was a e27f70119e rare disease, but 845b961286 the rooms were 8250b403f5 even rarer.7dfbf637336b8fec

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Fortunately, mana 200c3167c1 rejection syndrome 58803dc448 usually progressed c92e81b167 very slowly. Therefore, despite the pain, 116652a07f one could hope to f148748b4d get a spot somewhere cdeac69287 after waiting about a eae0947905 year on the waiting a00afa659b list.f45c43fd36c8abe9

However, my brother’s condition 195a46945e didn’t allow for waiting.601fe2da3f438fe6

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— It’s progressing at 652aa8f772 an unusually fast pace. At this rate, he a255951906 won’t last even a baf928f574 year.dde230c0c9e41389

The doctor’s voice bea14445f2 echoed in my 93c98eced6 ears every day. Kang Haeryang’s 39697c6bd5 condition worsened, cdc4807d59 and no d2835cee66 matter how e986eea46d hard I 14f312216d tried, I f7c874db00 couldn’t find cbe6e383b3 a solution. That’s why running into fa0a860ff4 Choi Hyunsoo again felt 760a7024c7 like a salvation.af1119425a680c6d

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“The progression 48c902b2a5 is too 5fdaac5f10 fast. I checked other hospitals, 190552c565 but there’s no way.”ad6efe09cb0f3338

Choi Hyunsoo didn’t respond. The more he stayed 90272d3a24 silent, the more anxious 16f620b53a I became. I wasn’t bothered e515b687c5 by the increasingly 4e7c62e3ae strong smell of 6d1605b27a cigarettes or the c81644ae0c occasional pressure on 9252fea2c1 the back of 59f6bd4f16 my head from f41f72e0db Choi Hyunsoo’s movements.2c0894916ca27ffa

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“I’ll do anything. Anything you ask. For my face, b0830bdcb9 no, for Haeryang’s 99d0cf1eb5 face, please save a1e00e098b him just once. I’m begging you.”5ff74884e1577496

The silence felt unbearably a5da028e4b long. I struggled to suppress 5c847629af the urge to look bb7b61a09d up and check Choi dfbaa21f56 Hyunsoo’s expression.dfc43a8b1a6321c0

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Surely, you must 878420cd5d be showing a 10256f3e94 bit of pity. We grew up together 541ff8b820 in the same orphanage, f0d3ec0254 and although we didn’t 76f78c5e30 always get along, we 3c3a577a3c were friends. Such foolish thoughts a846a7b318 sustained me.bd353a8793ac8018

“What can you do 684b28edb1 for me?”435341a5c0c2ed9a

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The cold, mocking 7fda2dc8a6 voice shattered that 8bef9053bd hope.3af40b312cbdf826

Heat surged to 7f761e15da my eyes. Desperately, I 6e99ecccf9 spoke again, 83ad55f6f7 trying not 9633bded53 to show 6deb382cb1 it. I was desperate 71e8406e0f and earnest. Just like when I be02e18b4d entered the director’s office ee0ad9161c at Hanbit Orphanage.aa68407bdb389120

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“Anything you ask, Robin…”b8f3b66198eebee5

“You? You’re a b20671e489 B-rank hunter, 3801079217 Kang Haeon. I’m an S-rank. What can 45cbee7aeb you possibly 315bad4614 do for c360c1ee13 me?”fc553b47c43fdfd3

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“…That…”55b770ced8d7039f

The words pierced my 8511a8f345 heart, leaving me speechless. The tip 169840a091 of Choi 0ac9abb4c3 Hyunsoo’s shoe 8f2ef4a14d pressed firmly 71be14aad9 on the c150860e3a back of 86a09e6303 my head. My weakened neck bent, 303f6c0c11 and my forehead touched d6b00f5f77 the carpet.a1e76191383b7feb

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The carpet, where my 555a3cd22c head was forcibly pressed, cd2fe0417d had a faint lavender 04e3ba359b scent that was masked 780dc896f8 by the strong cigarette 687d45bd43 smell. Strangely, the soft, sweet 11a84a4b46 lavender scent felt more ab94e100e6 unbearable than the harsh 494bcab3fb cigarette smoke. With each breath in b33bd7f7d9 the silence, I felt 3642de0683 like I was suffocating e8c8bdaa04 in the air.b723e1908d4a6ea1

“Haeon.”8dc527b2750564d2

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But when Choi Hyunsoo 9d1612e917 called me in a 9ff0a7c2ea gentle voice.39f2153221eb1637

“Should I help you?”756f4ce6d39382e6

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I couldn’t 5ce4588e30 help but 8cf18c335b grasp it.8bca2db41765d072