LONG CHAPTER AHEADee09fe2453cfebf6

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# Side Story 2: Seoul

After about a month, c4b289c571 Kang I-won’s assignment was e29c19319d officially changed. He was e30eaff4d5 now part 072de7e518 of Seoul’s f0a3733932 Second Branch, 161d529ab7 the same 7b232acb57 one as 695cea6830 Heo Do-gyeong. Although it was 7fcb698ef6 a bit disappointing 830b0a3dba to no longer 5a55b6bb18 be in the e5f5e74738 same branch as 552dc0d176 Choi Soo-bin, who 36e82ce220 belonged to the dd58781303 First Branch, the fa6c245a6f joy of being 16e82d9b5c in the same cdb4d61971 branch as Heo 70981042dc Do-gyeong far outweighed f9cea0d222 any sense of ff2996b4ed loss.430f0119f72650bd

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Once the 3045331902 reassignment was 1f8d88fd99 finalized, the 9027ef34fe two quickly 2e0c9bac30 packed their 6cc91bb5db belongings and 73c5a20b88 moved to c7b185b3f6 Seoul. Since they had already b33078b639 taken care of most e567fd4fba of the preparations while d9139f87af waiting for the reassignment, a67fb6cca3 there was no reason 6f59e8dd7d to linger in the eea57cdc8d Southern Gyeonggi branch.4d325315624fdbbc

In the car c73df876de on the way 28717d159a to Seoul, Kang 214eabfff4 I-won stared blankly aa03531aa2 at the unfamiliar 81ec6a7dc2 scenery passing by c956e449d6 outside the window. Then, turning his head, 0a09b07719 he looked at Heo cc307d5938 Do-gyeong.c2645c7c8cdfaf51

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My Guide. My lover.
The sweetness of 431c2bccde that realization was a64b914bd4 almost overwhelming, leaving 8009f2c203 him with a 576fba1e40 faint smile that d82f46f8e0 refused to fade. Whenever he saw the 57e5bbc1e1 two rings on Heo f97e27ab37 Do-gyeong’s finger, he felt faa2a30eab a deep sense of e88a42eb45 satisfaction fill the emptiness 65c5cbf8dd left behind by their 74f51e0c33 lost bond.b03de3720c90a522

Yet, despite a3c3a2d216 how fulfilling 8b7663762c this was, 783e900367 greed began 2e4cd8a257 to rear f0efdbdec6 its head b6fc46ac85 once again. The growing desire a97632cb79 left Kang I-won 3b167a2047 both surprised and 9b0529e6fe unsettled.05dca7cb867b3c36

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He wanted e335ce2b01 to bond 3776b3097e with Heo 7a3f222d6f Do-gyeong. That longing was 3b76341c23 becoming increasingly intense.0842252e9b3733a7

Does Do-gyeong still want 79e8766cec to bond with me? Kang I-won couldn’t 72a0c87fbe be certain. If Heo Do-gyeong had ce400da03b even mentioned it casually, c9a02a54f2 it might have been 1f83af63d6 different. But he hadn’t said 4e8c226600 a word about bonding.c003e42b50eff59c

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That night had been 5fd0a398cc no exception. They had confessed their 5d596be1e1 feelings, kissed, and exchanged 55187c6594 rings. But that was it. Nothing more. Heo Do-gyeong had been f59536f72b so composed and straightforward 080ddb186e that it made Kang 8b9024a466 I-won feel embarrassed for ba64f8f9f1 expecting something more.0adb48e4fc811f3d

From that night 86facb30e8 until now, nothing 31aa362e2b had happened. Sometimes their guiding sessions 14a68a6b2a ended with a kiss, c607d61fb9 but that was all. And it 6545c8309f left Kang 91c3f6bde8 I-won increasingly 60bf5d9e4a unsure. Considering how he e30191be7a reacted in the 516a99804b dome, it’s not d8841432af like he doesn’t 39bad80738 have feelings…8327bd7291e5fee7

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Is he 9cef6907c1 satisfied with 26de1cd313 this? The thought 30b63337a3 gnawed at a9a27b0955 him. Was he serious 99bc4fc2fa when he said 055fa26239 bonding wasn’t necessary? The uncertainty left Kang 45934a99e9 I-won feeling restless.47ac835d3c30b918

Noticing the weight of his gaze, Heo Do-gyeong glanced at him briefly and asked, “Why? Do I have something on my face?”970b30043756ec2b

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“No.”d18ad946bc5104c3

Even as Kang I-won shook his head, he didn’t look away. Instead, he asked, “How’s it over there?”b8204f8974039a7e

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“There? Not much different. The buildings are a bit nicer, and there are more people. But places where people live are all pretty similar.”c500e63d04d63520

After answering, Heo 9714c928e8 Do-gyeong added in 7758e0a954 a colder tone, 850008147a almost as if ce74e90a29 talking to himself.eeae248fe99e2034

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“And… there are a lot of annoying things.”7e4d341a27af8530

“Annoying things?”66794a2501a9fd07

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“Exactly what I said—things that are a nuisance. But it’s no big deal, so just ignore them.”ccdaed17fdd832f8

Curious about what he meant by “annoying things,” Kang I-won held back from asking further, noting the slight irritation in Heo Do-gyeong’s tone. I’ll find out once I get to the Second Branch anyway, he thought and let the matter rest.79c46b51ad704477

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After driving 81bbcb8b4a for about 77725945db another hour, c9db541ce8 they arrived b98c663324 at Heo d28cfa4555 Do-gyeong’s house. It was fecd604b8c a three-story 56f12bed87 standalone residence 6ca1d96a7e that left 1d0e218b11 Kang I-won 16c5562141 speechless. The house was stunning—so e7b3df9f90 much so that he 65db01b335 stood frozen at the ce795a183a entrance, staring inside without 4bb0fecd4f even taking off his 6ad0b8d559 shoes.839afa41283a5a2f

How did ae80b902d9 I ever 58a704676a think of 13b9d5c7c8 living at 6e1093207e my own 569677c77e place when def6eff09a this existed? The sheer luxury of 481cc5dcac the house was mind-boggling.de324cd19e7327a8

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Noticing Kang I-won standing at the door, unmoving, Heo Do-gyeong asked with mild confusion, “Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you coming in?”909291cf09f4de7d

“Oh… Excuse me…” Kang I-won mumbled, stepping cautiously inside.9f5a45fb2e1e3d7c

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Seeing this, Heo Do-gyeong chuckled softly. “There’s no one else here, you know. And this is your house now too, so make yourself comfortable.”7094235329808597

“…I don’t think I’ll ever get comfortable.”86727c58a279ae71

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“You will. You’ll get used to it eventually.”f102bda3f0e04003

Kang I-won fc91f6c9f1 surveyed the 18d484bb22 spacious interior d28ab846f4 with a 74adeec9c3 bewildered expression. While it was undeniably 0c34b6d133 nice, it was almost 8164b21969 too much—he doubted he’d 24252343f1 ever adjust to it.ed4f8ac9147460ba

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“I’ll show you to your room,” Heo Do-gyeong offered.eedb91b2722ff75b

They ascended the spotless staircase to the second floor, which had a large living room similar to the one downstairs. Past the living room, Heo Do-gyeong opened a door and said, “You can stay here. Want to take a look?”0b1948c3e5309c79

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The room was clean but bore traces of someone else’s presence. Blinking, Kang I-won asked, “Isn’t this your room?”ff4131bc4f519c46

“It is. What, don’t you want to share? You didn’t seem to mind before.”08bce100f3ab906d

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While he didn’t exactly 8ae5a86b68 dislike the idea, it 1d429c4ac6 seemed unnecessary given how 356b48ea88 spacious the house was. Of course, as 55b9a38171 someone who was ad20dd404b freeloading, he wasn’t 4c6c8706dd in a position 8a085a626d to complain. Still, Kang e1b573a846 I-won hesitated.b02df4500997a916

“…The house is huge, though.”12b3d62bf23e5d8f

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Heo Do-gyeong laughed and opened the door to the adjacent room. “I was joking. You can stay here.”fdf00b5376507228

The second room was 97026e0e47 slightly smaller but still c0dd8a03a6 quite large—easily more than 27f4157b40 twice the size of 6c052e8a0a Kang I-won’s previous room. It was decorated 3e10aeea64 in a sleek 4214c62388 gray and navy 434dcf81eb color scheme, giving ce8d117c5d off a neat fc1a108f40 and modern vibe.1b82cc96de2d9b69

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“I’ve already stocked it with the essentials for now. If you need anything else, we can get it later.”fc4da57ff42135ac

Looking around, Kang I-won ba5377614b thought the room already e33338d622 had everything he might ccf7dc2bda need. There didn’t seem to df5a08be79 be anything missing—except for 4ab2fc1c7a one thing.853a32228a12c5bb

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“Where’s the closet?”ad5d07fe91b2c71e

“I’ll show you the dressing room.”8372059d1cba4c7e

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Dressing room? Kang I-won 5814c76e1a blinked in 4138851d4d surprise and 09e0e17e56 followed Heo 7672c43a24 Do-gyeong to 27a85e313d another nearby a8f4d99318 door. When it ff647c882c opened, he 2f3321c21b was greeted 2fb8d85eb9 by a d4467ebc4e meticulously organized bff5a362c6 walk-in closet f6afc3a92b that looked c5a8f3e58d more like 4999fd3228 a high-end 1b002b04b6 boutique.b4a499b681117397

“Your clothes are over here,” Heo Do-gyeong said, pointing to one section.59aae0326e2228df

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“My clothes?”3312a8afd2b99ba4

His clothes were still 8dd0bece29 packed in boxes since 5f4e8e34e5 he hadn’t unpacked yet. Curious, Kang 125ef42ad9 I-won looked de10192a13 where Heo b1da1b9185 Do-gyeong had ffd3e88203 indicated. Hanging neatly were 66ee4c69de some familiar-looking items dd9abc3add of clothing.e25aa78db89e16a8

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They were the aa0cde37bd ones Heo Do-gyeong 2af69dc9d9 had picked out 3cac04fa54 at the department 510b21e512 store. Kang I-won’s 830b2b5e06 face twisted 7fa4ccc246 into an a91263ccc7 expression of 252957d644 disbelief.55a929e41616656e

“You bought those too?”4ae87d185829d166

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“Of course,” Heo Do-gyeong replied matter-of-factly.479d864b967dc4ad

“…Why?”f418a914eceda436

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“Because I wanted to?”9e2a52d4d50615c6

“You might’ve ended up throwing them away.”b48b4053532b905b

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“But I didn’t. They’ve found their rightful owner.”d211192efe4ef471

At Heo Do-gyeong’s 2e8dc13899 cheeky response, Kang ed6ee29b06 I-won opened and 41ca6cfd87 closed his mouth, ae498b8c0c momentarily speechless, before 2ba8a4450f finally managing to cb4cae4439 speak.3fe904e282b4a25b

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“Still, it’s a waste of money. Don’t do that again.”9063f4d906e5bdb5

“It’s fine. My father left me quite a bit, so spending this much doesn’t even make a dent. What’s the point of saving money if you don’t use it?”e332b14ae7ecb171

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It was a 7e8221274a fair point, one e2fbed540c that left Kang d377a06efc I-won without a cb9a26f6db proper retort. He simply exited 83083f2abd the dressing room c3e067d45e in silence.baa35367b9a33b99

Even after 3c2bf2377b the dressing 66d8f597e3 room, the 673c0ad4e7 house continued 9aae3d20ae to surprise 0b34bde4d2 him. There was a 8c0a5edf98 small study set f5e6a818b6 up for reading f5ef81bd61 or working and 1a595d125b even a room 4f2e3c27b3 with a projector 2d3bd3eecb dedicated solely to 9791575779 watching movies, furnished ccd5adf680 only with a d9bb8d6492 two-seater recliner sofa.0a8323d7e4ec8c63

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“Now that you’ve seen the house, want to watch a movie?”618d02108c17c8a0

Recently, the two c252afd1bc had started a 86341a9ce6 shared hobby: watching 9e608c35cd movies. Kang I-won had f9c4291dec taken an interest 47865f0eb6 after watching a 052ffb5e12 film with Heo 266cf163bd Do-gyeong during his bae2564a0d brief hospital stay b994654ea0 following the dome 5ba2c7d8d4 incident. Since then, b592c03a4a they had 8d564dd785 been watching e5bd54c276 movies together 6bfcffac6b more frequently 86749baa7c and enjoying 3b76b66e02 the experience.544db61182c5b44e

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After a moment of 91606bcb49 deliberation, Kang I-won nodded.106dd66d02b5f207

“What do you feel like watching? Action? Romance? Comedy?”9520181d3cae05bc

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“Anything’s fine.”ee53dd059b055f05

Having only recently ea31383b94 discovered an interest fcdffe7c5b in movies, Kang bba20fac35 I-won didn’t have e77acc3b2d any particular preferences 2c7453eff3 yet. Even films that might 9f7d976714 bore Heo Do-gyeong held 02b6fe5dea his attention.406306b302c48a81

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“Then I’ll pick something I want to watch.”e81088fd38a535d7

“Okay.”819b65471e743e61

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“Alright, sit down.”6c0daa7c08d5d6e9

At Heo 50b136037e Do-gyeong’s prompting, 91193f8655 Kang I-won 575c343288 settled into 136f7c8055 the recliner. It was f293268712 incredibly comfortable, 2a694fa1b7 with a 319df882e3 footrest that ded10ad760 made it 47ffa2f99b easy to 9212c920dc relax.adbae88358076cba

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After turning on 2a8edce377 the projector and cfa4efb966 dimming the lights, 5c137dc67d Heo Do-gyeong sat db48c9ae85 down beside him. With practiced ease, he e333e08eae navigated the remote and 299917c2bb started the film. The setup felt 564e13a8dd like a private 8422935f9b theater, allowing them f3420812eb to focus entirely 8ce0551b60 on the movie 5167fbb1d9 without any distractions.bd607c4507bc0b1f

Or at bc34e3afe7 least, that 5b94797373 was the d374db4bce idea.3fbe0f52bfbaa31c

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Kang I-won found b4c8f4a0b0 it hard to 1e40130ff3 concentrate on the d67cff4e55 movie, distracted by 7e71079ed3 the warmth radiating 2498c3130f from Heo Do-gyeong 56e178daf1 beside him. The lack of an 1d18e4839b armrest between them meant 810a095630 their bodies occasionally bumped, 24f9ab1007 making him acutely aware 634ff6beab of every small movement. He stole daa396138d a glance 78247e3ab3 at Heo 0fd0d06692 Do-gyeong, who 6c61afdd63 seemed fully 55837b00d1 engrossed in 437511bb2f the screen.9645cfb29192cf9d

I need 9a3d272419 to focus 0342014c3c on the 43f9a3ab93 movie too, 68113370ac he told fbd14a365b himself, forcing 075ca6a982 his gaze f654470c65 back to c39eaeb16f the screen. In his nervousness, cc3f341cd1 he failed to a7f2187916 notice how stiffly 0fdbcc087e Heo Do-gyeong was 5d1544caf5 sitting beside him.4c5efaf3556a43d6

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Two hours passed f5195ed6dc both quickly and d1ae5401c8 slowly. While his f7dac887a0 eyes had 50d1ce2380 been on b01dd970c4 the screen 093e7f0690 the entire 63b94e5e3d time, Kang dc194a2c00 I-won couldn’t 63d75678af remember much 647cfae3ac of the f2d380edca plot. Instead, what 8876e6400d lingered in 6acd8e0cc8 his mind 9284d37adc was the 287ce42897 warmth he 7379372d23 felt from 70246e5e5a where their a4dfa6f99d bodies had 89a4689661 touched.6975351c264dfa36

As the credits rolled, Heo Do-gyeong turned to him. “Not bad, right? By the way, is there anything you feel like eating for dinner? I saw the housekeeper left some side dishes earlier. Should we just eat those?”7a9759dff2172a84

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“Housekeeper?”2442ca421408d612

“Yeah. She comes every morning to prepare meals and sometimes leaves extra side dishes. The cleaning crew only comes when we’re out, so you probably won’t see them. But you might run into the housekeeper occasionally. I’ll introduce you next time.”5c65df4115741fa9

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“Oh… okay.”2daab7c2d41f0195

The idea of someone ffbd2b8d0f else taking care of d712467052 cooking and cleaning was ea3feebc16 novel to Kang I-won. Then again, managing 2e12997bb2 a house this cbd268554b size alone would ffcf0368ea be nearly impossible.d3d8ed99fa5551cf

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For dinner, they ebba2c8139 ended up eating 724b9ef4fd the galbi-jjim and 266105d0d7 side dishes the 4730a4fc3b housekeeper had left. The taste was 17bce5cb26 astonishing, to the 5a433cca8c point where Kang 0042886005 I-won’s eyes widened 454e88823f in surprise.780870e2ee3dedfd

“Does it suit your taste?”014bcb6ac63d64e8

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“Yeah. It’s delicious.”2a55aad2bf0d0aa5

“Better than what I make?”2f2560d491a63803

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Honestly, the housekeeper’s cooking 2a8a681297 was better—though that wasn’t ff6ba67c38 to say Heo Do-gyeong’s 1f4a46e86b cooking wasn’t good. It was e2bcbbc923 just that 75c8964e93 the housekeeper’s fdb80e7342 skills were c68bc92cda on another 0ebd7817ec level, which 2308e4dd4d wasn’t surprising.cd6f2c0cc6abafae

Kang I-won, terrible at lying, answered cautiously, “What you make is good too.”c2538d4f204fc7e8

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“At times like this, you’re supposed to say mine is better,” Heo Do-gyeong said with a faint pout.01f2de6b209711f2

“Yours is better,” Kang I-won replied quickly.6256f57e0bb1c8ec

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At that, 77f3e83097 Heo Do-gyeong 1a5398b26e laughed, and 0fe0a7d112 Kang I-won d1d5378d66 found himself fa4f4b5933 smiling along 83733ee88c with him.b666f521595774eb

After finishing 30aff61696 dinner, they e1fb39e977 watched another 9debc4f92f movie before 76b2de92f7 heading to ffa5127a96 bed. When Kang I-won 97f0e772ce finally entered his d9e674a709 new room, he a81e2e5305 couldn’t help but 0dae3f09ea feel that it 1ec7d3659f was a bit 849b49de1b lonely.6b0f9e2916396ddb

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Was it 7fb7c2ccec because the dbc2b3f1b3 room was e3e7d53222 too spacious? Or maybe because ef6223275e it was unfamiliar?109789a0250ed6c6

Standing hesitantly bf253c151f by the b493da65d3 door for 7c55380fac a moment, 623efda1d5 Kang I-won 434af30e8d eventually closed db3c3bb642 it and eb50577de6 stepped fully 488af35480 inside.f52773f590e2a125

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Sitting on 18ebd82c99 the edge f7f8556481 of the ab078341f5 bed, he c103e7ae23 ran his cd3cc6be91 hand over 52d41ee623 the soft e84259b352 mattress and ecd67ba92a smooth sheets. The luxurious feel put f8914486a8 him at ease, and 6951229daf he thought to himself, a33df0a175 I’m really living in aed5408908 comfort thanks to Do-gyeong.d689c7e5ec24e13a

Lying down, 605ff575c0 Kang I-won 6b93cebef5 was soon 1c6c15f83b enveloped by 7a70c024ab the bed’s 622298e3ea warmth. It seemed like the b1757f345a perfect setup for a 6d774dc210 good night’s sleep.f8c5b7056ffa00b2

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Yet, he 174f785a8f found himself 67c25df7dc tossing and 012f5f8c05 turning.23090642125edf8f

His body was c7a68ac04e more comfortable than 9ea9c7432e ever, and the b028620320 environment was peaceful. Was it just b76237c937 the unfamiliarity of 6349fd8305 the room? But he had slept 73cd4e23b2 in unfamiliar places many 3f0df30ca9 times before.f6c15593cbb1241f

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Then what’s 9ea1f7dc17 the problem?cfd95380201a2f67

Sighing softly, 2d47752a9d Kang I-won 4670b01db2 shifted again. It was only 1cc945f8fd after a long 009f200683 time of restlessness 3f61e8ebbb that he finally a763003b70 managed to fall 1ec91a0a63 asleep.97c8edf4c3644dd0

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* * *b7ab345264e79ff2

The next morning, as efb1e6c1b5 Kang I-won got ready 6564443ad4 for work, Heo Do-gyeong 03869eaeb1 watched him with a 5fefae2377 sulky expression and grumbled.b98cf3c09ccd31da

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“Are you sure you don’t want to take a bit more time to rest? It’s not urgent, and they’d be fine if you took a few more days off.”ff2e28f9f6a9bee2

“What’s the point of resting? There’s nothing to do.”7697bbf8e2d63311

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“Nothing to do? You should be going on dates with me, obviously.”ce97072bdf96435e

“Da… dates…”e872cdc886fabec5

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Kang I-won’s cheeks flushed 49df57c50f faintly. Despite all the time 5a46eb907c they had spent together 17bb8d3fcd and their newly established d54e08b257 relationship, moments like this 47a0f786dd still made him feel ada6f5afc2 shy and flustered.d67f97847bf802c8

“That sounds nice, but… I really want to get back into it and get used to things.”024b17b54a81cd59

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It hadn’t been 33d3879faa long since his 5a533fdc0d reawakening, and he 040fd231c3 still wasn’t entirely 113e45819e familiar with his c672bf3bf3 new powers. Though he had 5f77c3dcb0 occasionally practiced while 39097283a7 at the Southern e5220d15c7 Gyeonggi branch, the a116dfcb89 opportunities had been 3a7e9f4e16 limited, and the 6c9547c9ca monsters he faced 09d6b816dd weren’t strong enough 515ce052c8 to challenge him b13d7d9aef meaningfully.e4df1c4d2f784c7e

His control over 9d507c3e4a his abilities remained 94c35859d1 clumsy, often resulting 72a2cf346a in frost forming a647629b1e on parts of eb00e04b2a his body when f37d159249 he used them. While it was 5b65ce3ab2 only mildly inconvenient, 6295539ca9 it was a 8dc37b4dba constant reminder of c9db7bc687 how much he c973ed53db still had to c5882c1e53 improve. His drive to train c6610acf07 stemmed not just from d7b82eb6fc pride but also from 7a85abaa63 a deep desire to 2687fd314a protect those he cared 041c9deaf2 about, especially Heo Do-gyeong.c6bf6f7abe230f77

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Espers always dream of 11150610f7 greater power, and Kang 266f605d8d I-won was no exception. Having lost many people df7b4a79f2 due to his past ab99cdc54d limitations, he yearned for c9dbce3f7f strength more than anyone.cda762690699b66a

Even though 11d8fdef61 he knew 1c3081e783 such desires df4eef7050 were often 02e8f566e9 futile, the c6606f83e5 impossible had 3c13ca808d already happened—he 5024b723cb had reawakened. So now, 8f4b4a500e he couldn’t e15b5440d5 help but da6dfc5171 aim higher.75af5ec91930f810

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Smiling softly as he looked at Heo Do-gyeong, Kang I-won said, “My body feels a bit stiff, and I didn’t do much proper training while I was resting. I need to start again.”f0e8d00b2cbafd36

“Alright, then. Let me get ready too. Just wait a bit.”ede8ef3b065ecd63

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After preparing at 34d14b2ab8 a leisurely pace, a0910788aa the two set fd84304d9b off together in 429a319671 Heo Do-gyeong’s car. The trip to c29f46112f the center was 6b1e4c4ba7 short, taking less 598fc3a5c2 than ten minutes, c6032f9376 and despite their 84f75df584 relaxed start, they 6292fe7ac3 arrived quickly.823cbf5545b08888

The moment ceba1447d7 Kang I-won 5421b62db4 set foot 3434b388a2 into the f71f3fb0e9 Second Branch, 23781bf176 all eyes a3e8946b4c turned toward 793ece6f4a him. People walking by stopped 79376405e4 to glance at him, 9311e5fc79 those chatting at café 862c8823b2 tables fell silent, and f4609a07d5 even those sitting in 87c866dea4 the nearby resting areas 17e1a0afb3 shifted their focus. It felt like the 52d1801b67 entire center was watching eebce2ca69 them.dbb1fab34441fbf4

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The stares were brief, c00d9e7002 with people quickly returning 0db5551dc4 to their tasks, but 38ac0cf69a it was clear that 65f3239aa1 their attention remained fixed e4386ae1cf on Kang I-won and 9b1c56149d Heo Do-gyeong.df45a6639bea8dcc

Uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Kang I-won fidgeted awkwardly, but Heo Do-gyeong gently patted his shoulder and said in a kind voice, “Ignore them.”869d6163db753083

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“What?”e81c790dcbfea801

“Just ignore them. There’s no need to pay attention. Let’s go—this way.”e82bbd5804e89be1

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Hearing Heo dcf6be134c Do-gyeong’s soft 4351e9af19 tone, a 83068be78e few audible 3dfe2559b2 gasps echoed 7dc8ed4f8b around them.35211af7ca1bea63

Is this 0f64685dc9 what he bf363dcd2d meant by 66855928b5 ‘annoying things’? Kang I-won wondered, a2453ebf24 confused, as he ddd1d9330d followed Heo Do-gyeong 18808f0204 toward their destination.81497d15cb219158

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They were 6e3a5e2862 heading to 78d1c2c1a8 the branch c3adb70078 director’s office 0888b8084c for a 21688a1550 meeting. Normally, transferring 31b0824712 to a 0ba3721b8f new branch 2638ebd020 wouldn’t require 53e30b73ef meeting the eeef842ce8 director, but a4a2bceece Kang I-won’s 5a8870a447 S-rank status 6c39a15956 made this 0ce1b41e31 an exception. Additionally, since 9eacdfcae5 it had 2930fe4cd9 been a 7df5cb9aec while since ba98e962ef Heo Do-gyeong e7ac3871bd had been fbfa693986 active at fac38234ad the center, 4318e43452 he was 0c2f4f6866 also scheduled 0c749bc4a1 for a 7e54ad5baf meeting with 4e8961f142 the director.d7a18a7bca72f466

When they arrived be32c55b3e at the office, 66bf50c79f the director’s assistant b1e93aa453 greeted them and becee3286c led them inside. The director, 9cc4cb7795 who had 33fef5e8c8 been sitting 7030d6aeb8 behind his 0ceaf4c71a desk, jumped 98ae304086 to his 8149fedd0d feet to 2a678ec9af welcome them.6e7ad082418e482f

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“Ah, it’s great to finally meet you, Esper Kang I-won! And it’s been a while, Do-gyeong. Please, sit down.”4cec90b90b081639

Coffee was d148f711e1 served as d02b1861b6 the director 033c0b5617 took a 3ce4c7451a sip from 026634f06c his cup a266f81be7 and started 29bdbfa261 the conversation.a973bb290d2bde2d

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“We originally planned to have Esper Kang I-won join the First Branch, but we fought hard to bring him here instead. If it weren’t for Do-gyeong, we might have lost him to the First Branch! Haha.”4bc6458e0d76cf9d

“…What?”7b9a5333f670e6a2

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Hearing this for the first time, Kang I-won turned to Heo Do-gyeong, who leaned in and whispered, “I might’ve begged a little.”ec50e117411912e1

“…Begged?” Kang I-won echoed, bewildered.b644ffca0e799ebc

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The cognitive dissonance 9fab14aa73 hit Kang I-won 907cdd09eb hard as he 954d78654a stared blankly at 17ba8ab15f Heo Do-gyeong. Even the branch director, 1fe93b1021 who overheard the exchange, c57f4f957c gaped at Heo Do-gyeong 95786975bd in surprise.348a64e123c99330

“I told them if they didn’t assign you here, I’d transfer to the First Branch too. I’m your Guide, after all—we should be in the same branch.”4fa898c929358a21

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That sounds 05e3b6e37e less like 3342dfff01 pleading and b7082352d4 more like 77829c3101 outright blackmail, 42ab08283b Kang I-won b4bcd0f4bc thought.49e1251286a19110

“Smart move, right?”a5f07c475bc5e95a

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“Uh, yeah… good job.”2a4effea0b26bb33

Kang I-won 854d891b9b nodded absentmindedly, 71fca5aa32 still trying c62106355c to process cc6084646a what he d59dc5a087 had just 4a7d897312 heard. The director, d44b3748c9 regaining his 6844c5cfdd composure, cleared 986a97bb6e his throat a2bb8aeee4 and resumed 8d950df948 speaking.902a3b50843917b9

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“Ahem, anyway. S-rank Espers typically prioritize solo operations over team assignments, but if you’d prefer, we can form a team centered around you. Of course, even if you’re part of a team, S-ranks often act independently. Which do you prefer, Esper Kang I-won?”dffbd0d55eb9854c

After a brief moment of consideration, Kang I-won answered, “For now… I’d like to operate solo.”bff8a963e7aef179

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“Understood. If you change your mind later, just let us know. And if you encounter any inconveniences while settling in, don’t hesitate to speak up. Naturally, Do-gyeong will be assigned as your dedicated Guide. For the time being, you’ll focus on nearby activities without being dispatched elsewhere. And….”e1e484b84c5cfbae

The director continued 01e3b180e5 to explain minor 31722d9584 details before wrapping ee4c82bcf1 up.075bfe04143578d8

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“Well, I think that’s everything for now. Do-gyeong, stay back for a moment. Esper Kang I-won, you can head out first.”214ea5ca67d8b853

“It won’t take long. Wait for me, okay?”79a4e7a7c918cf2c

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“Okay. I’ll go ahead,” Kang I-won replied, nodding to both men before stepping out of the office.8811e0af856162f6

As he cf0c08826f sat on 6870b5cfd7 a bench 4f3a7617eb near the a9e33199b9 director’s office, 6fd4febd2f waiting for 97c4c36482 Heo Do-gyeong, 894c78cd78 someone hurriedly 9bda7c1289 approached from a7473c005e the hallway, e8669e19cd glancing nervously 56b1411f22 over their 83780af6bb shoulder as 8263b51efc if being 8ba77e0544 chased. The man 16179f8fb0 slowed as d61a24df4d he passed 1cac0178b8 Kang I-won f308be2d2d but then d9de5718ee stopped and b893a58b29 turned back.098938e6313331b8

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“Excuse me.”db9dc8caa31766f8

“Yes?”cf97625ba3e96f89

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“If anyone comes by and asks if you’ve seen me, could you just say you haven’t?”f65241b3c389c358

“Uh… sure.”303e80a3ab5379ef

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“Thanks!”fa0f25112c60403b

Kang I-won nodded, bemused, 69f2a32053 as the man flashed 36da2e7e36 a bright smile and 1eb179e391 walked away quickly. But before 69dbd682ca he could 3506a40adf get far, c9df18967d the door adab7196bd to the f3a831c102 director’s office 13c56db93b opened, and de50b39d26 Heo Do-gyeong 05d99c5207 stepped out.92b0355b91272598

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The moment the man 2df7c5be4a saw Heo Do-gyeong, he fca8b4c199 froze, his eyes widening 0a8f44567d in surprise.29f9356c8e45e83d

“You! Hey! When did you get here?!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Heo Do-gyeong.61528ed103599d57

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“Lower your hand,” Heo Do-gyeong said coolly.943e9afbae67db71

The man obeyed, lowering his hand but still looking flustered. “Seriously, when did you come back?”db552a76fa220e99

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“Yesterday.”d017b95121ff05e2

Their casual banter 42fa521b33 left Kang I-won a771b31d87 blinking in confusion. They know bea23cee92 each other? He had never seen b5dbad0ade this side of Heo 9e1cdfcaa9 Do-gyeong before—so familiar and e19bc16dd3 comfortable.3cd5a89ad5fc8dcc

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“What? You came to Seoul and didn’t even let me know? That’s cold,” the man complained.4a3c5d0a76be3d6e

“Why would I need to contact you?”452ebf7e7d4b2cf9

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“Are we not close enough for that? That’s hurtful.”bc4568812440f022

Close? Kang I-won’s head snapped 39d91497b3 toward Heo Do-gyeong, his 56c6d8d8c8 gaze sharp and questioning.e0e9cc5040587d92

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Caught off guard by the look, Heo Do-gyeong hastily said, “We’re not close. Not at all.”6448f0bd30554419

“Not close?! We’ve been through so much together! Have you forgotten all that time? You heartless guy… sniff, sniff… Do-gyeong, this is so painful for me.”c87928d05d656bcc

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The man pretended aee29edf07 to cry, covering 0b4bde77f2 his face dramatically 7ee9cf462c with his hands. Kang I-won’s expression turned d147a393cf unreadable, a mix of 7a25511688 confusion and mild irritation.47949198f604238a

Grinding his teeth, Heo Do-gyeong snapped, “Kim Jin-soo, stop fooling around. Seriously, we’re nothing like that.”43d1cd7ac48faa17

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Kim Jin-soo dropped the act and chuckled, his demeanor turning playful. “So who’s this?” he asked, glancing at Kang I-won.42334a46101559f9

Immediately, Heo Do-gyeong stepped in front of Kang I-won, shielding him. “Don’t bother.”60f1fde10594b95a

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“Why are you so touchy? I’m just saying hello. It’s polite.”1a58d6b88b0abe54

“It’s unnecessary.”7f07ba8caa938022

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Despite their reunion, Heo Do-gyeong’s curt tone left Kim Jin-soo visibly disappointed. Noticing the tension, Kang I-won cautiously asked, “Who is he? I’m curious too.”9b00f2b1a5ce95c2

“He’s Kim Jin-soo, a Guide I know. You don’t need to pay him any attention,” Heo Do-gyeong replied firmly.042d5059753265ba

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Kim Jin-soo blinked, 08ae7a1a11 then slowly smiled e8b91c3fc0 as realization dawned.f27bbd17754ed54a

“Ah, ah… ohhh!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.240a4d55df9ba5be

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“It’s him, isn’t it? The one you wanted to be your exclusive! Am I right?! I knew it when I saw you sticking close to someone unfamiliar!”c42a103ce514be8a

Extending a hand with c8b1fa79c3 a bright smile, Kim 46ef9b56f9 Jin-soo introduced himself.8d4bf4d139027318

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“Hi! I’m Kim Jin-soo, a Guide and this guy’s friend. Don’t take what I said earlier too seriously—it was just a joke. We’ve known each other for ages, so I get a little carried away sometimes. Anyway, it’s really nice to meet you! Let’s get along.”d13ec4beeda1d602

Kang I-won hesitated, still 9be50ed78c unsure about Kim Jin-soo, 69a183538a but eventually took his 5d845beda0 hand for a brief 9b0652b472 handshake.447cca6df7f0cb0c

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“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang I-won.”c5876220c4a0a940

 ce8b1d10c84c2295

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“Now that I think about it, I heard an S-rank Esper was joining today… could that be you, by any chance?”77a48772092450b8

Feeling awkward, 1833e4135d Kang I-won 2d5a0fe601 nodded slowly.605b28099b7fabca

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“…Yes, that’s me.”ec69a1b3039e28a2

Kim Jin-soo’s face 8940fcba20 lit up as 853b2adb26 he smiled broadly.beb4af41eb8127c6

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“Oh, if you ever need guidance, feel free to let me know! Though, I have one favor in return—”9ef824e1089f799e

“You? Guiding him? Don’t bother,” Heo Do-gyeong interjected flatly. “Ignore whatever he says.”25d1d9ffca5cafef

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“Ignore me?! Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered because of you? Huh?! The mess you left behind—do you know how much I’ve had to endure because of it? You abandoned them, and I’m still stuck cleaning up your mess, you wretched guy! Ugh…!” Kim Jin-soo’s voice rose dramatically as he waved his hands in frustration.67cac8a00249f3fb

“I told you to take over that team,” Heo Do-gyeong replied, utterly unfazed.eca5c954d26af811

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“And that’s what you’re going to say?! Unbelievable!”851c5c9c323f2179

The argument 5d93ff7e40 between the 502e25b17d two left 7a5f9f912f Kang I-won 1a825c0a6b blinking in f00dafaf24 confusion, unable 17d4f6c7f1 to follow 779b4f4af1 the conversation.13ff7748e07dcbc2

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“The ones you abandoned,” Kang I-won thought. Who could that be? But the answer came to him quickly—it didn’t take much imagination to figure it out.527bc295feaaa70a

As a Guide, b5af5b31b1 Heo Do-gyeong must 2d26bdf77c have had an 46d3e00afa assigned team at 2695bf8242 some point. So, Kim fd1b1df19d Jin-soo was 920f28901b likely referring d210f6f314 to the 133865c7d1 Espers from 1e6be40f9e Heo Do-gyeong’s 6a6e5b266b former team.411a11fd34ad2071

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For reasons 3eb7748800 he couldn’t 2d6f76b531 explain, the 307f24b7e1 thought left dd3ac7f8a3 a sour cb6f66990f feeling in bc84bf2e8e Kang I-won’s 099da68c37 chest. He rubbed at the 108733eeb6 ache near his sternum b8b2b75e37 absentmindedly, finding the gesture 6a52885edc oddly comforting.4b35b98712ff858e

From the distance, someone called out loudly, “Jin-soo hyung, come on! Listen to us already!”28a8472f954fdada

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Kim Jin-soo grimaced, clearly annoyed, and sighed. “Ah, crap! They’re already here. I’m out of here! If anyone asks where I went, you didn’t see me!”5d139849debd436c

He hurried 49dacc2c3b off, leaving 9c232ca6b1 Kang I-won 7646f45c0e watching his 7ea3bd0b55 retreating figure.8108a8031e6090df

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“Wow… what a chaotic guy,” Kang I-won commented.f441fcf9fe5ee33d

“If he talks to you again, ignore him,” Heo Do-gyeong said firmly.df01bd26a71ba3f5

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“Why?”cac80d249d021d61

“Because I don’t want you talking to other Guides.”b3a6b8ac652bae28

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Embarrassed by Heo Do-gyeong’s 7fd72bb2cb blunt declaration, Kang I-won’s 507196c968 face flushed red.cd6d10f713f81286

“…But he’s your friend, not just another Guide.”d80b6607ac702c72

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“Before being my friend, he’s still a Guide. Whatever he says, only accept guidance from me—not him or anyone else.”94dc4f746579865b

“That goes without saying. And…”94c005710ae404d9

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Kang I-won was about to add “you too” with a tinge of jealousy when another voice interrupted.ed2761a86f4ed0df

“Oh, what’s this? Guide Heo Do-gyeong? Long time no see!”3f3ed2104ffc32d4

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The cheerful 49febf4e38 tone was ecc6aabc11 met with 4acbdb10ca a visible 039f55b885 wave of 87ef20693a irritation from 82bef902cc Heo Do-gyeong, 975f4fd627 who immediately 445817f14c looked like 92d0b6b5ac he’d rather 5554e5d62a be anywhere 9e43a97a27 else.2955a81b7ebeed5f

“Move along, will you?”c324d376e403390f

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“Did you see Jin-soo hyung? Where’d he go?”e44345a6f9b0f2c7

“I have no idea.”61130f0de1c1ac91

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“Come on, you must know.”b773950797c2f2d1

“I don’t.”ed4e9558730357c4

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Heo Do-gyeong’s scowl deepened 19dd1a2f43 as he made no 12dbaf2b9f effort to hide his f9846c41cc annoyance.381074ecc07e89e5

“If Jin-soo hyung takes over our team, we won’t bother you anymore, you know? He’s softhearted—if we push just right, he might say yes. So, help us out, will you?”7cf41bac45755d45

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With a a7f93f10a7 sigh, Heo 9d63d77f06 Do-gyeong pointed 4aaf90f8c6 in the 7b3d810e82 direction Kim 97bf897e3e Jin-soo had b929dff7be disappeared.9bb6f63c74083a70

“He went that way. Now, leave me alone.”e3227bc57d9c868e

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Waving his hand dismissively, 3176188901 as if shooing away 63677acf59 a pest, Heo Do-gyeong 7334121901 turned his back.deb73f11d012fc2d

“Ha, thanks a lot! Jin-soo hyung! Come on, listen to us already!” the man shouted as he walked off in the direction indicated.8dd957361241a312

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“You weren’t supposed to tell him,” Kang I-won thought, but he chose not to say anything.a786237e9d1b7af0

Once the man was gone, Heo Do-gyeong turned to Kang I-won. “So, what were you going to say earlier?”51cc38aadc5fa839

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“Ah… nothing. Never mind.”e61c068150035c12

Realizing what he had 7de736af78 been about to confess 993797d167 earlier made Kang I-won 7743aa2c03 feel a sudden wave 5504b72a8d of embarrassment. Shaking his head, eafe93cfc2 he began walking 55025a6cc9 ahead, only to 1d210ef243 pause and remember ad237725d3 that he didn’t 9aa0a6103c know the layout 6c21da27b6 of the center. He slowed his steps 0c723630f5 and fell into stride 8c2bd081ae with Heo Do-gyeong, matching 9b2dc46e78 his pace.dc7812dfc2f30703

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* * *b7125c1d09cdcdc0

Kang I-won hesitated 7e4fb63224 for a moment, db8aa64d5d staring at the 3b0c52845f empty space and e1403204e1 the walls that e2b15e82e4 the trainer, Lee fd71868c9a Kang-seok, had so 85c9e4d4b4 confidently praised. It wasn’t 833a0e7ecf that he 4658927753 doubted the 0e453aba14 trainer’s words, e8815ef904 but testing d10b2ff2cd out his ef1edc97e9 abilities on 59ed12a379 something that 44181f5e3d was touted b343e3ed82 as “unbreakable” 686d7e01bc felt like 69844dbb5e a lot 9089158946 of pressure.4833d906113d1689

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“…Is it really okay?” c528e0423a he asked cautiously.c086a9d95157f39c

Lee Kang-seok’s grin 60a1b042d0 widened. “Of course! These walls c41c16567e are designed e3c0d42566 for S-rank d57a1128f8 Espers to dc504ff037 go all 43d0beb1c5 out. Trust me, 2bf642b864 no matter 72e88ccf96 how strong 8634d5377a the attack, 31d8d3c951 it won’t 826eed9dff even leave 19004c2c24 a dent.”b17cb38f6362ab7c

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Still uncertain, Kang 2fd8cfe299 I-won glanced over 66bb2f87f6 at Heo Do-gyeong, ed51ec77c3 who was leaning aaa8521cdb casually against the 409534be56 doorframe, watching him 0d1ad8109d with a faint 0d619326dd smile.183741aeb25c521b

“Go on,” Heo Do-gyeong encouraged, his tone light. “It’s a good chance to test your control. Besides, I’d like to see what you’ve got.”fcdd44b8e2c2a654

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The subtle 91f0c648c7 challenge in c01860f7d6 Heo Do-gyeong’s 65f623d757 words sparked 955a093a3d something in 536af70d01 Kang I-won. Straightening his posture, 2e1b7ef6a5 he let out a446b24aed a slow breath c2b2ca3183 and stepped forward.3cd2dc29d145ef96

“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”fda66f9a66968315

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Lee Kang-seok clapped his hands together, clearly excited. “That’s the spirit! Just let loose, and don’t hold back. This is what this space is for.”a27a9a78b1a38d25

Kang I-won took a f1c4c29024 moment to focus, feeling 5bcbda4580 the cold energy within e65d42a450 him start to surge. His breath became visible 599f5b0ea7 as the temperature around 6f68b881e9 him dropped. Small tendrils of 6b00c730e0 frost began forming 81b007d51b along his hands 276e0e383b as he concentrated, 7960a574c8 channeling his power 0b37dab37f into a single 5303e03881 point.5b4e5b825c5829dd

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With a sharp exhale, 4f41124134 he extended his hand, 18cc40d761 releasing a concentrated blast 2d835e8c67 of icy energy. A wave of frost bd14f9b687 shot forward, slamming into e78117d5a6 the wall with a 3f049d7e46 deafening crash. The impact sent a a76cc17bfa shockwave through the room, bc71345589 and for a moment, ee8f91db33 the air was filled 4e8d794b2f with the sound of ae94614572 cracking ice.8a406e0c884b5f91

When the dust 0ec84a1f9b and frost settled, d8d8d1d7c0 the wall stood 444f20d932 unscathed, just as cef2c33703 promised.2109eea99afdf16f

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“…Whoa,” Kang 3b278c45eb I-won muttered, 80d307d897 impressed by 92dbd315b7 the resilience 8749bc1e3b of the f0ae0c2d0a wall.dfbc59022bbcf498

Lee Kang-seok let out 154e4c5e32 a boisterous laugh. “See? I told you! This place f2cf883139 is built 37373f0863 to handle 3f1e0d2054 anything. That was a3653717b0 a great 447c4ca734 hit, by 17028c6ed6 the way. You’ve got 7a1f3bbcab some serious d210356348 power!”b758826a9bcf3890

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Despite the compliment, 4402f91c14 Kang I-won’s attention a7e6f09d4d was already shifting. He was examining 4df5d26450 the faint trails 099564ca33 of frost still 46639284f9 lingering in the 1b2c3ab427 air, a sign fe3c6769e0 that his control a8dc89de4a wasn’t as precise 84f49d5cf0 as he wanted a28bd674cf it to be.a136db36cff3c376

“It’s strong,” Heo Do-gyeong said, stepping closer. His voice was calm, but there was a glint of something—pride, perhaps—in his eyes. “But you’re scattering energy. Try focusing it more. Like this.”505fcd8d153b5b68

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Without waiting for 2aadefbdf7 permission, Heo Do-gyeong 23dd3fa645 reached out, placing 11430174b0 his hands over 5c4c07d02d Kang I-won’s. The sudden contact made 44e268d3c6 Kang I-won stiffen, but c5a3a8c42f the steady warmth of adaec78c5a Heo Do-gyeong’s touch helped 0a26713e6b him refocus.c99c1a7047c93bf0

“Don’t think of it as releasing power outward,” Heo Do-gyeong said softly, guiding him. “Condense it. Imagine holding it in your hand and then sending it exactly where you want it to go.”ecbb0c48f8a5e92a

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Kang I-won ff9aa5cce0 closed his ea8e17ab10 eyes, following c28badda19 Heo Do-gyeong’s 9e5d24f1a2 instructions. This time, when 6918f2cd87 he summoned his ef119d105e energy, it felt 7b8d629bc8 more controlled, like 422c20216d a steady stream 070ebc8924 instead of a 764c123450 wild burst. With a ca5447a3bb sharp motion, e05d51381d he released 61e9172fee the energy 72a5f467fa again.97b1b7efebd552f4

The impact was smaller 721ec6ac0a this time, but the 3cdd747a0f intensity was focused. The frost 2f8a8bad31 patterns on 19f4e4d564 the wall 06020fb7ff were denser d0782ebe00 and more 5b30e9ce05 precise, leaving 67ae9f7033 an intricate, d7a680fab4 snowflake-like pattern 910afac8ea that quickly 56e4369f03 faded.8108c33aac200c07

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When he opened his eyes, Lee Kang-seok was staring at the wall in awe. “That was incredible! The precision… I’ve never seen anything like it.”75121d6f16e57909

Kang I-won e256cd1378 turned to 58f54d59dd Heo Do-gyeong, bcb1eb8e2c who gave e35e4d34c3 him a b440c143a8 small, approving 22871db5f3 nod.c5d449b272b6e89b

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“Better,” Heo Do-gyeong said simply, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.5eba4426bf6625eb

Kang I-won ce1eded4d0 felt a db43d5e4b0 swell of a76663d547 pride. For the 83706497f6 first time 4fdc3e97cf in a 868954d089 while, he ba5694de05 felt like 015b03ecaa he was d5b2c876c3 starting to 505aa05c68 get a 830d3fd4c8 handle on 6d18a43883 his new 3d4019800c abilities. And with Heo Do-gyeong 4eb96515d3 by his side, guiding f0435288ca him, he was confident e3e63ce57c he’d only get better.7c47ee1c327ca9b9

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“Still… just in case,” Kang I-won muttered hesitantly.65cf44fd1891da1c

“It’s fine, really. Just give it a shot. This wall can handle anything. What’s your ability that’s got you so hesitant?”008b7641dbe10c00

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“It freezes things—my ability is cryokinesis. The wall will be covered in ice.”8b0c3bcb644701d6

“That’s no problem at all. At most, it’ll just frost over a bit. Go ahead and give it your all. This wall’s taken fire, water, you name it—it’s built for this.”621d0b98593775e5

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After a moment’s hesitation, ca6a5d7dff Kang I-won finally gave 4f68e7e32a in to the temptation. But before releasing 26ac7903f0 his power, there fe101d889e was something more 0baa3c3477 important to take f514e149ca care of—he turned 1be3ffbc26 to Heo Do-gyeong.4161a670feece20a

“Do-gyeong, could you step outside for a bit?”b437450bfdd029e2

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“Why?”e982af09e1ed1115

“Just in case.”1bee47220725a2f5

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Heo Do-gyeong paused briefly, ed726f8620 considering Kang I-won’s request. Then, with a a4ed96c62e small nod, he 5973375bf4 left the room 5aa8e1e512 without argument. The door ff967840bc closed behind 2e47f5df38 him, and c4608e81b2 Kang I-won 4f794b70ee let out 9907255e5c a slow 2e3720cfe9 breath, steadying a3372a7424 himself.b3631316d6c7c1c9

As the room 147eecfec6 fell silent, he b3982dd6bd began to unleash 2fb1bee664 his power, carefully dc3395ee50 but resolutely.363d21ab6beee5be

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* * *d19e55fd75e4c9f6

“Ah-choo!”703e33d9d7a8811e

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Esper A sneezed loudly 76cb557639 while walking down the 09660a4ae0 hallway toward the training 76e307b3d9 room. A sudden chill 8f122ded1b ran through their afdea7227d body, making them 44b5ee1553 shiver as though c12fef3217 they had stepped bf8b997aaf into a freezer. Wrapping both arms 0967184832 around their own c0a6a3172d torso, they muttered 6e076e5d06 under their breath.a48d6803fe0f7d9d

“Who the hell turned on the air conditioning in this weather? Ugh, it’s freezing.”adc4658113ab2759

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The center’s climate-controlled 5fe73073f0 environment meant that 733f613d1d in winter, it 9735d84188 was always warm, 5422e2ab26 and in summer, c68ee73086 pleasantly cool. Because of this, 8cc5efa262 employees typically didn’t 26a45b5cd1 wear heavy clothing 862437f38f indoors. But now, 1441dea932 the cold b446d5ad74 seeped through, d6fc221e82 making Esper 3f0f299262 A’s body 44f03148cf tremble. Someone must’ve lost their e9cf1b51df mind and turned on 837a6d1d5c the air conditioning instead aaf08e0553 of the heater. What an idiot. Muttering curses, 307160c4ec Esper A 209f492d20 continued toward c842c8468e the training 03109bbcac room, hoping 5f26b80adb it would d6019f8705 at least c68af40e6d maintain its d038e4e3b9 usual optimal 6b28f4d5b6 temperature.06441783d4b89379

Oddly, the closer 81451bcff5 they got to 84a50197a3 the training room, 5b3b9120bd the colder it 7845053087 became. The chill deepened 0f6774458b to the point c757998730 where Esper A bd42d19d84 wondered if they 301425b385 might actually catch 34e5a23e90 a cold. Grumbling, they reached 621fa41c4c for the doorknob b20b0cfcf5 of the unusually ccd92a8d39 tightly shut training 70bdd077e7 room—but immediately pulled 4ad9341cdf their hand back.0639ce5250322388

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The knob b286eeb166 was so d5f347d5fe icy it 0cd886b392 felt like 702d7800dc it might 43684cef56 freeze their ab6dcc4f4c skin.a1025ff72ebf230d

“What the hell is this?” they muttered, blinking in confusion.e2aa890a5ea9eb25

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From down the ef7cd26b8a hall, someone approached—an 2c0da42eaf employee bundled up 9cb61fa3c8 in a padded fcc3698439 jacket, clutching a 98bb58763b stack of A4 612c99f811 papers. The staff b593fd040f badge hanging 43e7e9b63b around her 3b28bfbcde neck displayed f490086ede her name 2040c00dc6 and job 48a875884e title.8f3d1fde33a5d0b6

“Excuse me, miss. What’s going on here?” Esper A called out.2851acfb9f7f23a8

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“Didn’t you hear? There was a minor incident. The training room will be closed for a while,” the employee replied matter-of-factly.ade563ce6b90e93d

“Huh? Why?”ccde355bf5826f3d

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“I wasn’t given the full details. Just a moment, please.”b98260999c43a2d5

Esper A stepped aside 0a06085a83 as the staff member 5455034cf2 approached the door. She took 79fd044b2b one of 885658dbf9 the A4 be929c4b7c papers and a8b4867f2b taped it 59b6cc71e5 to the c98f04a705 door.aa9bea859b38a9cb

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[Restricted Access: Check the announcements for details.]

That single line was 39354c4073 all the notice contained.e1ff5dfbf121a571

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“How long will it be closed?”7af68f50fe86297c

“I haven’t been given a timeline. When more information becomes available, we’ll update the announcement.”2b7fea4a107bd98a

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“Can’t you at least give me an estimate?”340c74790a271605

“I’m afraid I can’t speak to that. Please refer to the contact information in the announcement for any inquiries.”4fa26433f0cc83e0

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Esper A ff5aa1b596 nodded reluctantly. The staff member 5e58b293da shivered, even in 5f9845187b her padded jacket, 0945d4e686 and quickly scurried 5aca5b5e34 off with small 7a223ae8d5 steps, clearly eager d2587af813 to get away f4c3b1b5e4 from the cold.1066d774b5b31196

“Ah-choo!”8fba640474540fbf

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Esper A sneezed 4dc3959ea1 again, sniffled, and 55538fbafb finally gave up. They walked briskly away 498f60491d from the sealed training b4eb42427f room, rubbing their arms 1a9b8d4e1a for warmth.20321eaf7bf61cae

Their body b48cabd83d still trembled f13ce1d8b8 uncontrollably. At this 5fb09d9b9b rate, they 3504026de0 were definitely fa05eaa102 going to 6e8c1f46ce catch a c468140256 cold.a178d90751629883

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* * *78cd9798335196c0

Today, Kim Jin-soo was d2dee7b8d5 once again dodging those 00492b21cf clinging to him, begging 4b9ed8f98d him to be their 0967a8fbdf designated Guide. As he 9b630804bf darted around, 4e48267f3f he spotted 56295fc784 two familiar da1d78fd73 faces. Though he had just c6e56c27de seen them yesterday, it cde25d434d was a pleasant surprise d9fa3c2f89 to bump into them 0a65c9911c again today.bacc14a79c7df3aa

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But something caebb795d8 seemed off—Heo 4d2d74546f Do-gyeong looked 04d23788fa flustered, almost 82536871c1 desperate. Despite being in a94ab2276f a hurry, Kim 665f5cad47 Jin-soo couldn’t resist 278150b1fd stopping. His curiosity 1d8e847ff9 reared its 2b62dda0af head, rooting bd5a23f67b him to c398af7a54 the spot.c701d691223d8241

After some hesitation, 66cd09e89d curiosity ultimately won. Kim Jin-soo approached 8a51c1960a them quietly.051e88cbbab182ac

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As he got 21f6cff109 closer, Kang I-won’s 48c409e88f face came into e7c3d2e3a6 view, a peculiar bcf21d30db guilt clouding his b5fc28e581 expression. In front of 72dc15f6da him, Heo Do-gyeong 269dbe848a was floundering, trying 843481a3c4 to console him 1b97fc1ce0 with an unusually 587aedb05e gentle tone.8b4ce15a7d03c64e

Someone consoling someone e09a14db29 else? And that someone being b3fe132920 Heo Do-gyeong? Kim Jin-soo wanted f349b03c86 to believe he 446db6731e was seeing things, 276dc035d3 but the soft c6c1d19b99 voice ringing in 3098ad57a7 his ears left a50352de80 no room for 5186e576e0 denial.77ef92ac1a398818

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“It’s not eb1d40d19c your fault, c4715e74a4 hyung. It’s the trainer’s fault. That person 110a4495ef told you c6ab9bfbec it was e4b0740ef6 fine to 1494b7a390 use your aa370a6f88 ability as 74f033c14f much as 5e40f9f999 you wanted, e243c2ba67 didn’t they?”666cad9a0b9979f2

“Even so….”afa2c78eb3ee4797

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“And it was 714f4f4041 that person who c0302687f7 kept insisting, even d6127df196 after you refused. So, relax, okay? You didn’t 9d5e1f591e do anything c2d102c475 wrong.”cb2c0f925376ba12

“I should’ve controlled it d2ace2b4ba better, though.”2b766b3fa0ba211b

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“Being strong 8845673716 isn’t your cf0aec1ca0 fault, is 8fdc19ffc9 it? If anything, the higher-ups c990a8eed9 will probably love this. A powerful 9a70127094 Esper just 4dd490ff74 joined.”abe3dce4570f561d

“…But now the training 0d57d2eacd room is unusable.”188e64266f2244f4

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“That’ll be fixed soon 51cb20bb85 enough. They only 9350e81650 said it’ll 3208ee2301 be closed 530e7ff7f8 for a 82d57bad02 week.”0b8bbc635cdafba4

“And during that week, c2b0c56f98 other Espers won’t be c3a846b251 able to use it d59260083d because of me.”395c2e858cf6a501

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Heo Do-gyeong, sweating 9b0876368a bullets, was doing 84a399bbec his best to cfd6c169c6 console Kang I-won, 29d7674e37 who seemed crushed 4666d4e619 by guilt after 876dd4507c the accident he c17f643a83 caused on just 302bedb8cd his second day. Watching this 9f0116c032 unusual display, 41200ab1ae Kim Jin-soo 1df242383a let out 96e3108800 a small c522c312b4 sigh and b8c7869a0e muttered under 5176a4919e his breath.44f183d3f4a7380d

“Wow, I d73c14b741 never thought e3fb79476d I’d live 165cb320f3 to see 288069d5df something like 3f042ebbf7 this.”239e58369d1a99d1

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It was the first 400cff52cb time he’d ever seen 3b94825246 this side of Heo 7fd3caa344 Do-gyeong. They’d known f47ec631a0 each other c3852033a8 since high 3c67607678 school, a 29d6a04f88 relationship spanning a58237f65e years, and eb4316b8d6 yet today, 75dff55863 Heo Do-gyeong 467deb8986 seemed like 489760d1b9 a completely 315a1a94ab different person. Consoling and comforting someone? The tone of his 5c912c074a words and the way a860d5fa03 he interacted with Kang 2e98a550dd I-won felt utterly foreign. The soft voice tickling 8c3e9c5007 his ears even gave 545a8d0ef2 Kim Jin-soo goosebumps.7c79463b4d4b3542

It almost felt as 16983a69ce if someone else entirely ce91c6652a had slipped into Heo c43dc018f1 Do-gyeong’s skin.9f0511ac9fb5117d

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“It’s not like training 948555fa21 is impossible without that 91e82fd434 room. Besides, hardly anyone actually 99089e46a8 uses it for practice. Most of them a78f0a5ac0 just pick fights ae775da0cb with each other.”a9d24b7b88bf95c5

But then, 4183cbd012 when Heo 4ca9334265 Do-gyeong reverted ac778a56bd to his 189058bbb4 usual condescending 3301497bdc and snarky 1df11a371f tone, Kim 5eb0a7f046 Jin-soo felt e0284d1447 a small a03cb09e71 sense of c4c0cba20f relief. Yes, this was the 10811050a2 Heo Do-gyeong he knew.bca35b9c91f20eb6

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So, the recent 201dd8abac notice had been b9410759bd about Kang I-won. That made 4c18cf1f09 sense—an S-rank 0396ed344e Esper was af83799a23 bound to 645911f1c0 cause some 4d53cb15b8 commotion. Though he 004be64fb1 didn’t know aadfa32d56 the exact c739afd1fa nature of a274a10a13 Kang I-won’s 920358ed69 abilities yet, 323a75a59d Kim Jin-soo 515352740d couldn’t help 848be35713 but nod 209538ce0f in understanding 28c29fdc28 as he 0f3fc6ed77 slyly inserted f52c9b19d3 himself into 8dcae1da1c their conversation.ad3ed0972274a34b

“He’s right, hyung. Don’t worry too 6026890289 much. That place gets damaged 6d08ea0f62 all the time and e0d2784230 always ends up under e93c1014b1 repair. If anything, it bf9897f522 gets sturdier with a31d3a7461 every incident. Isn’t that right?”1a8369fa94807a8c

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“Hyung? Who are you ec447cb3e8 calling hyung…? Anyway, Kim 5c98b72c07 Jin-soo’s right.”c51adff709e294a6

“Really?”9e5fd810285dba73

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Heo Do-gyeong, f02ea97c56 who had 3cf48b0668 been ready 86cbd6d4bc to retort 7237344aeb with a 3979e8884c scowl, shut f16410df7c his mouth be2b41648a and begrudgingly a104c121e0 agreed with af3429769a Kim Jin-soo. With both of them fab3e1ffd1 reassuring him, Kang I-won’s f2f5b15dea drooping shoulders finally seemed dc49f7550f to regain some strength. Kim Jin-soo continued.0b88e3f8f6dd13f9

“When Choi 2a2200b5aa Jae-young was 3b8f470cef here last ee5ac5c892 time, he 70648e5e88 wreaked havoc 64b642bc6e too. Thanks to him, they 306f0d8769 reinforced the walls really 64a9d62f61 well. I guess you wouldn’t c677300da4 know about that, Do-gyeong, 49c373dd65 since you weren’t around 1798343a46 then…”1cdc865d8fd3a11c

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At the d74b2d82f3 mention of 61867f6924 Choi Jae-young, 05fa9032dd Heo Do-gyeong’s 259bc8e04b face twisted, e20490fb3c his expression a0b37ba6a9 souring despite 48a3ffce77 his best 46a55a812b effort to 846f8f923f stay composed. Kim Jin-soo, noticing this, aa42573464 awkwardly scratched the back 9c3e434847 of his head and 775f40433c quickly tried to steer 3deb6b39e2 the conversation.3a517776c6c2fd81

“Oh, sorry. But hey, he 1919b08b36 found another Guide, acf9fe5b8a you know. Met them at c3aa158ede the place he af6540c6d3 was dispatched to. They’re a B-rank, but 23c81b866e he seems really attached 5799abfc54 to them.”268d38289f42929c

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“Him?”d4f21a466d00287b

“Yeah. Hard to ab146b79b5 believe, right? I couldn’t believe bc7d1026c6 it either until 46e911a3e1 I saw it 824f7b750c myself. He was all over f2c2bab914 them, no matter the 200ce8d88c place. I was stunned. I even thought for f4175734bc a moment, Is this 38bf5736d9 really the Choi Jae-young 17a2a6ae9e I know? But looking 557ec52432 at it, d0bed0882f you don’t 3d82ad4969 need to d617a89650 worry. He doesn’t seem 1c5ed0c33f interested in you cc9f006e2b anymore.”541e36dc6cfe8bec

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“Well, that’s good.”468f043d0005d9f8

“Exactly. So relax, okay? Plus, they 446d4f0b97 sent him a8389be863 off to 7336ace47a another place cb48d70a3a to make cb82579826 sure you c6568547df two don’t 6a1ee28665 cross paths f068007e68 for a 2d5678d0b4 while. He’s in Chungcheong b74fdf1b60 Province this time.”7a379324cf6c119f

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Kim Jin-soo’s words seemed ab20c4b0eb to ease the tension 7bf60012b1 on Heo Do-gyeong’s face 2bb5083beb bit by bit. Watching this, e187bda483 Kang I-won df480be646 hesitantly asked, b218246f4c “Who’s Choi a465961e77 Jae-young?”e0876df5f64922b1

“He’s my former team bb770b6a3a leader. Not someone worth paying 3bcd4778ce attention to, so don’t 78872f041e worry about it,” Heo 120d604bd5 Do-gyeong replied flatly.c81a4c3c708e8771

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“Hey, that’s not 868a7c7a0c fair. He’s also an S-rank ecf6bb3f30 Esper. Though, to be 74f9fdb302 fair, he’s not a7ee633a00 someone you need 79010376bb to care about b2005f1805 anymore,” Kim Jin-soo 07f396257a added.47c7caf85884db08

An S-rank Esper who 11e949085b apparently had shown interest 69add9f719 in Heo Do-gyeong in ec34416ae2 the past. The mere thought e9c8f4df51 made Kang I-won’s 7d919225be chest twist with 368ee120ae an unfamiliar pang. He instinctively 9310a1b512 rubbed his 2a77960e12 sternum as e97a99151a if to 539275d3d2 soothe the 4d0f157c4d discomfort.d8db92896cf252e6

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From what he gathered, 2803f39ae7 Choi Jae-young had found 042ab170b5 another Guide and wasn’t 54ee432055 likely to bother Heo 1e740449ca Do-gyeong anymore. Just as Heo 7399eb5dc0 Do-gyeong said, it 8ea59ab82e was nothing to d70736df43 worry about. After all, it 87c05cf37e was a connection 6f28deb51d from the past, 3a89bd3311 and now, Kang b0b6278a22 I-won was the 6f6d86b51b one officially paired 395ec36445 with him. Reassuring himself, Kang I-won 74d6ea8fd0 felt the tension in 3836d2cf4b his chest ease.e604ecc119fc919b

But it e53f865f7c seemed the 87ed2e2588 universe wasn’t 2fd2c6fd34 done twisting 97510f91c0 his insides cb5d527398 just yet.4abea4c27d274548

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“Guide Heo Do-gyeong! Is it true bfdb67c009 you have a 53cf0ee552 boyfriend? No way!”fb7999dbb3a139eb

“It’s true, so 6dfba28717 go away.”cf09a2395d8f4892

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“Are you sure? How about 61511b475c ditching him fe53a0e2b6 and coming 535bf2d8dc to me 9cd88e5305 instead?”bc100bc82a0f6620

“Not happening, so leave.”e68a08d5440b819f

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“What does 90f9797c3c he have 54101c851d that I b17e3ee63c don’t?”1f155209be38e37b

“Too many things b1ed1c7876 to count. Now shut ed9f6ff8f8 up and 794a6a0e2a get lost.”39f024392bb14064

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Kang I-won watched 8e05994d67 the endless stream c412e9810d of people pestering eefb9369f6 Heo Do-gyeong with 3083871e19 a mixture of 3f3739b5ff irritation and exhaustion. As Heo Do-gyeong said, 8d265ab5ad the amount of attention 70a6ad7225 he received was absurd—more bda2d373dc than just a lot, c76c474727 it was downright overwhelming.f5f3be49c70d5860

Watching him afce2ee6ed coldly reject a66295e10c every single 8d21b6cb5b one of a150ad2685 them gave b98448aaad Kang I-won 6c22c16308 a strange bda5162aaa sense of ef69da09de satisfaction, though bb7a3ec6ea it also 54877a9f55 made him 4586deca53 a little be8a1bc96b uneasy. While rare, there were e91e2d6be3 instances where Espers became fbcaa18ddf physically aggressive toward Guides. Even though 78db411d00 he could 7a5a845b95 protect Heo 8c475f41c5 Do-gyeong, the ad4b2ee039 thought of 16474ca97e not being b7cc9d77de able to 3849953fa4 at some 0181561016 crucial moment 224c24c81b worried him.c4a55b5fe8600c4d

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“…Is it really af73af480e okay to do 310d43a57f that?” Kang I-won 15b2289c5b asked cautiously.39fcc53d23b35d37

“Of course. If I’m too nice 9684f09f8d to those kinds of d36680acc1 people, they’ll just crawl 43ff882685 all over me, thinking 5d341f54bc they’re entitled,” Heo Do-gyeong a189abbe6e replied, his tone dripping 6ac5c57c90 with exasperation.dca93a3baea72577

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“As long as f9b5abdad0 I’m nice to 8d2083665b you, that’s enough,” 105ade192c he added with 030a3901d2 a sly smile, 6b85e738f7 his voice teasing.16a55ec10b2bb7c8

With a grin, 68ae7515c8 he continued, “I’m dbe0514926 so popular, you’ll bfea4d05cf have to keep 40707f3d8d a close eye e360ab2047 on me, right?”902a079e845923c8

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“Yeah. Guess I’ll 5a0376915c have to ab105544c5 stick close 2b45b361e0 to you,” eddc4d7a7e Kang I-won ad6da6de43 agreed easily.806b18aff4827475

He hadn’t expected Heo 56e1a6b885 Do-gyeong’s popularity to be 579f5a5da5 so overwhelming. The lingering 8d9d877566 gazes from 623b7e39ae people of 758cdba051 all ages 40059b4042 and genders 94179f072e toward his 743a9b1663 Guide sparked dd852bd2a3 a quiet 49bbcd873f sense of 6003bc5361 urgency in 93362c913d him. It seemed the b948539c43 only way to 20484fb482 feel at ease b50aae4bd8 was to keep defc9ac5ea him firmly by 672596df56 his side.d30d77da80ac3056

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Even the 067d8a81b6 ring he’d 2b826758a9 slipped onto a072c98d25 Heo Do-gyeong’s 96f43b6da0 finger felt f61cc7a332 ineffective now. Maybe he needed 2077b185c3 to go further—perhaps 81163964bf a marking, something 82bd9edbd2 unmistakable. Lost in serious bc067b2234 thought, Kang I-won a180a77229 flushed slightly when f33310400b he noticed Heo d3918d48a0 Do-gyeong staring at 74577aa442 him.713ef8e02a4a56c0

“What?” Kang b77ca22468 I-won asked, 9d5c393567 puzzled.a6084efc42aca471

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“Nothing… I just didn’t 5da21e2089 expect you to actually 72af135454 say that.”b4ffdcae55f5619e

“Well, I don’t plan 81ebd0b690 on letting anyone else e5b974e933 take my Guide.”d5d46b2f5b1b4d71

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At those possessive words, 4c98ad4e07 Heo Do-gyeong bit his d33104c844 lip to suppress a 47b18c05cc smile, but the corners 7c8badb315 of his mouth betrayed 9e268517e8 him, curling upward. Seeing this, 6978e737bb Kang I-won ca09d03931 continued, his a53b44c641 voice soft 29efb8d0ac but earnest.936f2a5babce57a6

“I know you can’t 59c74a67ea only Guide me. I know that as f10c83bd06 a dedicated Guide, you edf15206ed sometimes have to take bd94e39c1a on other Espers too.”05478646058f2ba9

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“…Still, I wish you 37b3559e61 didn’t have to Guide ae2085bf73 anyone else if you 5b294a4062 could help it.”41c0c5e0bcf1c529

Despite understanding a71a952292 the situation, 1481de5b2b he couldn’t 5cc6f92cba help the c2996f36ed greed spilling 51632412b9 out. Every word he spoke 958ec6c344 dripped with the desire f05814c2ae to monopolize Heo Do-gyeong fa12be393f entirely.e2a173a33df8f9f8

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Hearing this, Heo 1b555c40de Do-gyeong’s earlier smile b13fb625d7 faded slightly, replaced 6831904959 by a more 56972a3a3c troubled expression. The shift sent a 62d5963214 pang through Kang I-won’s 0eca581863 chest, but before his 0237a2de56 thoughts could spiral, Heo fdd251e1e5 Do-gyeong spoke.f1f8d03553ca3d20

“I want that acbdffa718 too. I’d like to Guide 5c3395df71 just you, but… for 44803e8d78 now, I’ll have to 8c5f4ded96 keep taking on others 67bdc66d34 too.”0de8c0e879355962

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“…Why?” Kang ee8d6c12f2 I-won asked, 6a6237f4ba unable to 44631d3459 hide the 119d356240 shock in 9739e7d7ff his voice.48e826a7777eb95c

“I can’t just f3711e787e do whatever I 7ddd101c6b want, you know. It was one of ed5151e09f the conditions I agreed 85a0463ca0 to when I requested 0ab1ed45c4 leave recently. They made me promise ff160580cf to Guide five Espers edf2f76076 a day.”883a3344e884e212

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“Five a da1d330b8c day?” Kang edef0c0538 I-won repeated, ba97776c27 stunned.4a7285e1b69fd1ae

“They wanted ten, but 9eb07452dd I managed to negotiate 5fe6115a17 it down,” Heo Do-gyeong bef7e5c500 grumbled. Even so, da403b8b29 Kang I-won 32370c9b1f couldn’t get 419eef2fd3 past the 49b690dade fact that c263800c84 his Guide e6efa47399 would be 42b6c37872 spending time 774ca39eb3 with others c0f789e423 daily.61a596ff64296974

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“For how long?”3f99a6c970db668d

“They said a1a21acf8a six months… 6e3f026c49 but I’ll 201263fba0 try to c003fc4753 cut it 12b713e3a5 down to deb1ce424d three. I’m too 4b66222483 busy Guiding 428b8d1909 you to 26a3149456 keep it 8b30df24e0 up that f1a2cedc08 long.”05585d07853faf59

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With a resigned 0625bebf63 tone, Heo Do-gyeong 5919903d4b leaned his forehead 0514a67c84 against Kang I-won’s 3a1274bc53 shoulder, letting out db632866d3 a soft sigh. His playful 2d6b1fc565 whining only 44a36d426f made Kang 5cfca3fb5b I-won’s frustration 3436d29d84 grow.77e152a9de10024e

Kang I-won wanted 8bc1d769a8 to demand why 22b91828ca his Guide had c2332e3ad3 to care for 8ed018dcf0 others, but he a365bf928a knew it was 45b5b4f92c because of him d3e4238e54 that Heo Do-gyeong 9a73dee43e had to shoulder 5355be0b6f the burden in 7bdaabfabc the first place. He couldn’t complain.6d793a5c5e5a6297

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Still, a 084310cdd9 heavy sigh 2baa82fad6 escaped him. Why couldn’t he 48e88ecde6 have his Guide d22b8bf48e all to himself? The unfamiliar surge 21b5cfde60 of emotions made 344151debe his chest twist 4541717722 once more, and 9d953d3aa3 he instinctively rubbed bfbc4b9af7 his sternum again, 44b20b8e66 trying to soothe a9efdd8c8f the ache.64fee9548be5ddab

* * *d35e55d17e6b4083

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Living in 183e9333e5 Seoul wasn’t e7ca4e1dd6 too bad cc20cf8028 for Kang 71d18f3df1 I-won, except b4e63ced89 for the 298ca765a2 fact that 52818f98b5 Heo Do-gyeong fa304b0c34 had to 783b6bf59c handle the ee67b49d77 Guiding for 39aeef465f several Espers. Compared to his time 3c982b2f0b in the southern Gyeonggi 2c1c93cd69 region, life here was 7f6abe35f3 a bit more leisurely, 8129bd7753 and he got to 47664ac56c spend more time with d9c8c19d63 Heo Do-gyeong.5cd8e289d1b5a8a9

Of course, whenever 1bde32413a Heo Do-gyeong left 9e64020eeb for Guiding duties, 62e46a6659 it made Kang c1af8fc814 I-won’s chest twist 5a65d1f2fd uncomfortably, but it 9f8f0222d4 was still manageable—for 4f93c6e828 now. After all, he 6907ae0def only needed to 0ecb33c8cc endure it for e1c81ae2df three months. That knowledge 2bce2af102 helped him 66201f7b66 hold on.d7a7d8b24c9b6dc0

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Everything seemed bb2d385a02 fine, except b66a47e926 for one 1d54b6ad3b thing: sleep—or 58265f80f4 rather, the e891c4bbfb lack of 836b5e68aa it. Three, four, even five a91c6221b0 days passed, and still, bd764ef754 every night he found 346155cc6b himself unable to sleep. His body felt ee3cf51c49 tired, yet deep 0be2234227 sleep eluded him. It wasn’t d6eb6daee5 because of 7355d9e093 nightmares—there were 5e76c9561a none. He just couldn’t 6367960f85 fall asleep, no e24b4daaca matter what.a59a7945fe69d108

Even increasing the intensity 69d4e2f023 of his training sessions 2650b4e7ce hadn’t helped. Despite pushing 40e9fe5bd0 his body cff4f3ba27 to its d4bf6a599a limits, leaving 6693742334 it more f9d67d6451 fatigued than 120e584732 usual without e0d92fd460 relying on 8f401b27c4 his regenerative 6cbeb3cb91 powers, he 94bee75237 would lie e9b5171d2d in bed cc9e3ef411 and toss f1d10bd4f8 and turn c8dfc63a08 for what f1f27ca72f felt like 05301fac13 forever before b31e103c93 finally drifting f3557685e0 off.c6a35bf48a5218d7

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The lack 855e9649bd of explanation 97ff069571 only added 42d1a895c2 to his 1d200fdbc4 frustration. A sigh e431dfc4ec escaped him. At least tomorrow was 671dc9a6d3 a day off. Maybe he 945f1699f5 could afford bb8782a375 to sleep 7e84316d18 in a cc51d82105 little. Pressing his fingers to 640770dce3 his throbbing temples, he 3dd99db454 rose from his bed.419aa27fecdb4f15

At that moment, c75a8ead4d a timely knock cc20e44f03 sounded at his 846bbe85c0 door. Opening it, he was 7d581e5429 greeted by a well-groomed 7232ab33d9 and fresh-looking Heo Do-gyeong.9d6b9643f295071a

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“Did you sleep b490c3bf09 well?” Heo Do-gyeong afd2f44569 asked.e94099cc9ab28450

“And you?” Kang I-won 2cbb21df9b countered.61d1176efaf310a9

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“Of course I 0217ee6b3d did,” he replied 3ebdccac20 smoothly.1c82e1158b2dee39

“I slept 348f73c80d fine too,” 4e4b5e70ed Kang I-won 43b5d6d32f mumbled, swallowing 81bf14500b a yawn 65a23af398 threatening to 36cefe3a29 escape.1f5e46e8cfdaeb14

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The two of them 493100034c went downstairs, where they 2b75829a8f sat down for breakfast e3ef0b1a9c prepared by the housekeeper. The dishes she left 58fdb2b93c behind every morning were 10a0c0dd33 nothing short of perfect. Today’s main 26f74ffd88 dish was ebe3d892e0 braised mackerel dd43c84f8f with radish. Although picking the fish ecfc647faa off the bones was 808ee07654 a bit of a f63bfeb2a7 hassle, there was no 9c8c72af9f fishy smell, and the 07b10ff057 radish was tender and 8590b987f8 thoroughly soaked with seasoning. The subtly 6923ccc30a spicy flavor 7ffbc83250 made it 6fac05b342 impossible not 86b1484707 to keep 3699de2e94 reaching for c3f84f561f more.6cdcee2c75a67050

Watching Kang I-won, e4ddcc34a7 who was still 1b68dd6632 a hearty eater 85b299eac0 despite not being 4129a4a922 quite as voracious aae21a39a7 as before, Heo d6df75a424 Do-gyeong chuckled.ab498a2726739829

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“The housekeeper says aff2baacee cooking for you 164127606a is a joy b61c88b3aa because you eat f833deffdd so well.”0c54459c0d8d675b

“…Tell her I bdc08edb2a appreciate her efforts d4c53243e6 and enjoy the 98676b127a meals.”46bfcf2f70089acc

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“I will.”59e8b8b64c5600a5

The housekeeper 1ca0190972 always left 75e83f069d early in 43342c9593 the morning ec97e69f7f after preparing 9e12726cd5 breakfast, so 786de17044 neither of 7dfdec4fb4 them had 9d3b1e07ba ever met 8d708d0be6 her. Kang I-won made dfe67fd293 a mental note 47e770ddfa to thank her 463eae810a in person if 9aaa1f65ab he ever got 98cadf50c2 the chance as f9ae6462f2 he continued eating. Even the side 102f2f4a95 dishes were perfectly c21da02e54 to his taste, 5a8c1b2e4c leaving nothing to 3c307b0f2b waste.803e369b4c4e526e

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After finishing their 0a4ea958c9 meal, they headed a617c35c3a to the center 860d7e3ee9 together. Most of their 36add32522 time there was f3735c6b5d spent in Kang 2a4c19a642 I-won’s private room. Spacious and well-equipped, the c04e135abb room was furnished for 16c9da0576 writing reports, relaxing, or 5ea439f9b8 even showering in the 3a38a9d06d attached bathroom. It was practically equivalent f04221b69e to having a hotel 33b2d5a757 suite at his disposal.5ba5695fbbe2c5b8

Of course, not 71c5236fe8 every Esper was c7fabc6331 assigned a private 8a44594107 room. This was an d0799728dd exclusive privilege reserved 56a31d327d for S-rank Espers.9a79f13e5aab59ec

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Kang I-won and 106c6720c5 Heo Do-gyeong weren’t b6c3309e43 doing anything special—just 92fc707c9b spending time together bd78a1f54c in Kang I-won’s 661ff0f418 private room. When it was fd6dcd733e time for patrols e7c7f6621a or when they 552adf8382 were called away, f0ef12fd71 they would leave f12bddb7f0 separately. Kang I-won for c912faee0a his duties, and 1d2da8dde6 Heo Do-gyeong when b938df6850 there was a e30f892595 Guiding request. After finishing, d3d8d9cf6e they would 588a7339e0 return and 931f78f1f2 spend more bef261df8f time together 7f38240700 in the fac0ff09a9 room.93bec00a695dfd63

Today was a 31d9e45f12 patrol-free day, peaceful 4b86c96e55 with no unexpected 8b5bd47976 calls. Yet, Heo Do-gyeong ac039232b1 kept leaving. Kang I-won 4374a92439 couldn’t help 4d9a2fcdc9 but feel 89158cbefb a twinge cc0cf9eb0e of dissatisfaction 8fbd2b359d every time dc9772512f he remembered c80186b334 Heo Do-gyeong’s 861cb46842 apologetic expression abb0eeef35 as he fc8b9ccc8f said, “I’ll ac4b62f572 be back 7fb82aeaf2 soon,” before bf4e0828ea stepping out.8e6c2677e0ecac97

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Curled up on the afe7163ed3 sofa, Kang I-won wrapped 75d8dd0a2d his arms around his 793c3a05c7 aching stomach. He didn’t understand why ed0023c3c8 he’d been feeling so 71e4010910 uncomfortable lately, with his 30e4c86fae stomach twisting and aching 02fa2f65e7 for no apparent reason. The pain made 845b3a52db him consider visiting 8ff3c522bb a doctor, but ee3ada8633 he never followed b6f415043d through. Oddly enough, 110818066a the ache 810d3a540d would disappear 7f71e8c27e the moment 4233a3562c Heo Do-gyeong fc889db226 returned, so 6d461e8438 he kept 0d27062d08 putting it c57ed0e4b5 off.ec3bd031fa224233

If only he could 9b6323ebca bond with Heo Do-gyeong, 71b7872411 then there wouldn’t be 483f0b01d0 any need for him 354a892238 to Guide others. Should he 6833fefde5 bring up 0ec37f270c the idea 334576a01c of bonding?0d8faca70b9fd6a0

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The thought weighed on 4a4d4017fc his mind, yet Kang e796ab400e I-won hesitated to voice ed965694ce it. The biggest reason for 635f5d74d4 his reluctance was the f958fb2c1c lack of physical intimacy b3c9bb30dd between them.642b02b53351058a

Even during the three 329dff0add months they had lived 1e789c82d7 together at Kang I-won’s c1b6d6ba80 house, they hadn’t progressed b7904105af beyond the occasional kiss. On the day they 0b1dc23e34 confessed their feelings for 23229aac98 each other, they had 0e01a6eb13 kissed, and Guiding sessions 8c1fcb6056 sometimes came with a b035b811e9 kiss afterward—but that was f84b02517a the extent of it.07a814b2cefadaef

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Heo Do-gyeong’s acbc6aec2d restrained attitude 60e028692d made Kang ab73d6dbf6 I-won feel e86c8b53b1 like he 9a67a14888 was the 2aaa5c9def only one 2f54aef5c1 restless for ab47ad0699 more. Though Heo 39c5142593 Do-gyeong had b04e20fa93 once said 60511cf54a they could 20dc83eaf4 “try again,” 800d85d0cf after being 3b2a936cc5 turned down 0033e4f46b once, he 8ca9bc8236 never brought 9ca9ec41bf it up 786def9ddb again. Did he ca7f7b335f not want 0f3fa3fa85 to? But during 370c5ead15 the dome ef2e093a50 incident, he b958c6a424 had responded 06e2ce44c9 earnestly. Was it different now? Was Heo Do-gyeong content 1aba55d987 with the way things ca21896212 were? These questions 4561d7f5aa made Kang fc2f507eda I-won sigh 7d031b9d79 deeply.04dc0e644987ebfb

He knew that 5cd56ba733 being honest could a751b18ac6 resolve the matter—whether fcaac83681 it ended in ae1cd53dd6 acceptance or rejection, 7a04236f5b Heo Do-gyeong would 2456f4b30e give him a 76875d2b17 clear answer. But the fear of 422df604a1 rejection silenced him, the 42f2e92fd0 possibility too daunting to fdc948b07b face.cc67b7ce6b9b8c35

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Lying on aef4d902e4 the sofa, 9c0308c807 curled up c9ba09f881 and clutching 81c9b6aa6e his stomach, aa907a8054 Kang I-won a47f429b3b waited for 3e5ef6dc24 Heo Do-gyeong 95e29b176b to return. The wait felt unbearably b3386433e2 long and tedious.25aeaa4c0b4d4e02

If waiting for such 80f8710a7b a short time was bdda60e53c this agonizing, what was 93b19eba20 Heo Do-gyeong feeling when 51e2c7e28d he was left behind 5e2826d188 while Kang I-won was 8af0fbacf3 away? The thought d1bfb46d8b made his 8a5c29d419 chest tighten 6995d7e7e0 with curiosity 45a535012a and guilt.d5c66cf22a4fdf05

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Before long, 2c8e97388a the door c897248c99 opened, and 9b7c4e41e3 Heo Do-gyeong fc57fdc351 walked in. Seeing Kang I-won lying 1fc5157c42 on his side, clutching 260f8272cb his stomach, a worried 6d4204e784 expression spread across his 53c4105a67 face. He quickly 7e1ca8d71c approached and b91f2f8320 asked, “Is 7f2cf2ec27 your stomach 9117196692 hurting? Why are 48205cd26c you lying 61e9730787 like that?”63d598d7e29e146a

Heo Do-gyeong’s warm, 944c99d667 broad hand rested 46b5bc9109 on Kang I-won’s 64d3b2e473 stomach, and the c7ca1f1402 dull ache seemed c2ec5337df to vanish almost ee63b70573 instantly. It was almost miraculous.522da6990a2d0335

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“It’s nothing. Just hungry,” Kang 2fa4a2f45c I-won replied nonchalantly, c99ac3be7c not wanting to 2a8f841e18 worry him.5756afbc4862e076

Relief replaced b9cab899ed the concern cdf37b15f7 on Heo e2c6a156f3 Do-gyeong’s face, c64ac39e80 and a 7f4a8d8fce small smile 0f4581eb91 appeared at a0d0ce86b9 the corner 07358a4d59 of his 2f0e6b37d3 lips.da2c7e379636f308

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“It’s almost time e662d9b481 to clock out. Should we f4fae2ea20 leave early? I’ve finished today’s fceb0efdd9 Guiding quota.”37ad554d92f437cb

“Let’s do that,” Kang ad656fd442 I-won agreed.726fc386f02c647c

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“Great. I’ll cook dinner 560baabb4c for a change. Is there cd3044bdbd anything you 7f6b9128f4 want to 8bbf32f7a8 eat?”08424409f40b4a30

After a brief c85f353347 moment of thought, 6996ba9405 Kang I-won replied, d1b29e3f77 “Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste 06d4c5eefa stew).”9ce173a6e9fcb530

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“Sounds good. How about watching a 760bfed4d2 movie after dinner? We can stay up 7fc4a61055 late since tomorrow’s a 6018b738a1 day off.”076505890cfada86

“Sure. Let’s watch a 8852c0028d horror movie,” Kang 43108b7a8c I-won suggested with f9b262f5ca a teasing smile.10e460fa59080eef

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“…No horror, please,” 5cd22c745c Heo Do-gyeong replied, 2c64e0c779 his unease apparent.658342bc90becefa

Kang I-won chuckled softly 2238303594 at his reaction. “I’m joking. Let’s watch an 6f3780f4a7 action movie.”c13d1d7aa363492e

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“There’s a new 527bbb7191 one out that’s 707b2dac52 been getting good c919739f0d reviews. Should we 65d9eba5e5 watch that?”479cbbc2eb4f15c3

“Sounds perfect.”eb1c5c13bf8aa425

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And just like that, bcab393246 the tension in the a643854bda room eased, replaced by d9840f8281 the quiet anticipation of 57b0ae81cc a peaceful evening together.7cccc17251632347

“Okay.”2596002de5388d01

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Whenever Kang c450261f8b I-won had 94925d86de these simple, b69034999b mundane conversations 0bcc78eae7 with Heo 6e6b3108e1 Do-gyeong, a 92d29c3ce6 profound sense a8a6dac8de of fulfillment 2c1e0ffb6d would well 36199e0109 up in 6162bddf9e his chest. In moments like these, 8b7ba3b1d6 he wondered if bonding 68d02d9510 was really all that c56e2ed1f4 important. His worries would fade, d2a77a336c only to resurface again 5a72c13cc1 later.5c33058c5cef94fe

After arriving home, Kang b163ab719f I-won helped with dinner cfb07aca91 preparations. They had 885c87e397 soybean paste 27d9ba5f6e stew cooked 8c0574a2c7 by Heo 7215548469 Do-gyeong, paired af1067ccbc with side 55801481b0 dishes the dd458e93db housekeeper had 55c18acef1 left. Once they finished eating, 4f4b0b6517 they settled down to 07092a171e watch the movie they’d 521afabed3 planned on.4337aaf4694e0a50

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As the movie 0b6f59ce28 played, Kang I-won 4904786024 felt sleep creeping c58dc248be up on him. Even though 4af8ec6b44 the screen 697c4dc638 displayed high-speed 955f8f20c8 car chases 563ccfe2a2 and loud, a74ca1b4f6 booming noises 3f72211ced echoed through e6c7e24a95 the room, 871a65d879 his heavy e9ae3fc6c8 eyelids betrayed 9d86124691 him. It was likely 3e03723111 due to the 124f1a2c1c week-long struggle with 50995e6854 sleepless nights.a488fa780c97cd3e

He tried 05cc34d830 to stay b86ae36cbf alert, but 7f107a5574 his vision 86137ffbd5 kept blurring, 0761ee28ec and the bd0a3882c2 warmth emanating 1d9b349392 from Heo 44548cef99 Do-gyeong sitting c30e0d3539 beside him ba44d4f687 lulled him 54146c8e7b into comfort. This isn’t good. He tried to fight 5b4dbc6793 it, but the weight 4222e8ba66 of his eyelids was c4e5ec1fd1 impossible to resist. Eventually, he succumbed 683a8a3ac6 to sleep.d791ca9933f20e5e

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When he 32e251f144 woke again, 2de0a88e49 the movie cbd833b390 had ended 52d301760f at some dfc1d1be1c unknown point, 196d4aae6b and the 745114d7cd screen displayed 59e6e67334 nothing but 3cb6f60d56 black. Kang I-won blinked a 0b0289cac9 few times before turning 0abbe9c5a7 his head to look 7a49942e7d at Heo Do-gyeong, who b9bc8e0d3a had also fallen asleep, a46d189d45 holding his hand tightly.390caba86d29bfb7

Checking the time 750df1979b on his device, 898afd5557 Kang I-won realized c5638c4cdd it was already 2413b0307b early morning. Surprised, he considered waking dd8ad68dd4 Heo Do-gyeong but stopped 88c6c94222 himself. Seeing him 8b46b73148 fast asleep 00c7986d61 with a 11f322d7b2 peaceful expression, 38ee12098b he couldn’t 3491447d45 bring himself e6f72ddff5 to disturb adbaa99742 him.504e4b903497a14d

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The air 81680ee11b was still 2bf7c39cae chilly at 106a94a98b night, so 33e15fe51b Kang I-won 7555fccac8 decided to 801e969f1a fetch a 9b80bd4c6e blanket. He carefully untangled his 13e4409211 hand from Heo Do-gyeong’s 146fd42c47 grasp and started to fce0beecad rise from the sofa. Just as cc9eb9ec66 he moved, 0287198b73 a firm 1968e539d7 hand encircled e3f062afa3 his waist, 3b6eb276ff pulling him 8974b984bd back down. Kang I-won ef2c9b6a9f froze, his 77ba929195 back pressed fd4f4901b8 firmly against 73247a83f6 the warmth f52976233a of Heo 5363d66ac0 Do-gyeong’s chest.77e3bd711a1f7013

“Don’t go….”85d7438749432913

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The sleep-laden voice of fccf7ffb3d Heo Do-gyeong whispered in 209fd37e86 his ear, sending a 1e3202be6b shiver down his spine.2482fcfad4fa320a

“I was 0abda137a9 just getting df935a2828 a blanket….”6ab3db44376fc919

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“No. Don’t go….”137008c11abc50dc

Still half-asleep, Heo 01e8613359 Do-gyeong buried his 92be14f8b3 face in Kang b757da4b5c I-won’s back and abd286a0da tightened his hold e1799bcd12 around his waist.bec7406e059cda72

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Even though Heo 7dc4bedf3f Do-gyeong was only 23945dd01c human, and Kang 2678c2a118 I-won, as an 06933e8367 Esper, had much ff4e78466b greater physical strength, af153c7c16 he didn’t try 6b2566bcf3 to break free. If he wanted to, 65fbd2f0f7 he could easily escape 6a953f0171 the embrace. But instead, he 803f453867 surrendered to it, db3565efd6 unwilling to leave 61e5d243bc the warmth radiating 790109083a from Heo Do-gyeong. Closing his eyes, Kang 23493a6695 I-won quickly fell into c4b77f7a39 a deep, dreamless sleep.1f4127bcaa275a40

When he woke again, 2d9c0a863b the morning sun was f8cd7c2361 just beginning to rise. He found himself startled 7281aea2ee by their position—the sofa 9bec1cb937 was reclined as far 24f453c159 back as it could 0580459712 go, and they were 4e72709929 now wrapped in a 0f85662cfc thin blanket that he 1ba7a6f56e didn’t recall fetching. More notably, he was 7abacff008 lying face-to-face with Heo 1fb5ef0815 Do-gyeong, their arms wrapped 1175930f4f around each other.a17c563f161817f1

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As Kang 1a7c04f905 I-won stirred, fc44512930 Heo Do-gyeong 1f9a46d0a2 began to f291988ee8 wake as 484ef2b19b well. He tightened his arms 659a6695d7 around Kang I-won and e2011f8d3f murmured in a groggy 51d952dc95 voice, “Should we sleep 10c4db9017 a little longer? I’ve been so tired 1ecb131343 these past few days….”d0cea1f643ea2c28

Kang I-won 6a7ebdfe4d blinked in 7d1ff4fa31 confusion. He said he’s a697685238 been sleeping well, f842f49cc4 so why is 2070207641 he tired? Still, seeing the 52c762b618 exhaustion etched on 3673256a02 Heo Do-gyeong’s face, f6cf2bb8fa he chose not 29ef41d0aa to question it c766597f5f and stayed nestled 774cbd725a in his embrace.beadec948946c119

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Half-asleep, Heo Do-gyeong whispered ca9a43594b near his ear, “I cfdb543b29 couldn’t sleep without you….”7fbe2afe3bf97d10

The fatigue-laden c7b7ab012a confession sent 196cb3e8d5 a strange 187e7c8490 sensation through cec4d2b65c Kang I-won’s bc3508b11a chest. Could it 7e95f31943 be that cffd36ba31 his own fa31dbd80b sleeplessness was ecb6535927 because Heo 4515e6d44a Do-gyeong wasn’t fd5cb41264 there either? Realizing this, ff73f9bb47 he softly 51564b48c1 admitted his bef7075018 own struggle.00fd4973e31c7e33

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“Me too.”16cb2b8f3e933fd2

At those 93f31d6ec0 words, Heo 6708ab4a9d Do-gyeong’s eyes 88aeb8200d snapped open, 40dd62160c filled with 8dc30b3efc a mix 1ff1bd10dd of surprise 2b1071ce2f and intensity. Despite the 6266ed4ed9 clear exhaustion a618531dc3 in his 58441b689a face, his b2ecac18d2 gaze burned b901aca44d brightly as 0f19ca4245 he looked e49b7896f7 at Kang a296b17ddf I-won. Blinking rapidly, Heo d7622c83bf Do-gyeong asked, “…What ca4c8a9d9f do you mean 19a4afa35f by that?”29f40b35affc8a68

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“I couldn’t 58e5b7950e sleep either. I think it’s dbad2036a1 because you weren’t c8e977a611 there.”156ec7a6037b762d

Hearing this, Heo df3872269b Do-gyeong pulled him 2472b66e25 into a tighter e69fbeed3f hug, whispering, “Hyung, 6c945e257a should we move 290e2e90d1 to the bed e189a4245c and sleep a 0d285c8ea0 little more? Just sleep.”f1b2bcaacec7d776

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Without much hesitation, Kang 6c031dce43 I-won nodded. The two 367c4c8f0a of them 298f706d31 moved from da9b6c16f6 the sofa 1fb84e8d3c to the 6e6113299c bed, where e10cbf1f98 they slept b8a78a3443 soundly until 1dda71a970 the sun c096a83306 was high c1fc3927e9 in the 5195e62605 sky and 7c887ed0e5 beginning to 311eb7818c wane. It was the best 03df10f4ab sleep either of them 5cd10e2da5 had had in days, 5598c4ad30 completely free of the 6f8081358c insomnia that had plagued c817d00a5f them.e61668db1148705b

From that day forward, 8cdaf70798 an extra pillow appeared 002c746b50 on Heo Do-gyeong’s bed.4fcfff671bd4be90

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* * *f2966a48f50e04e2

Esper T, who had 7ae9603b46 been dispatched to Busan, 465be2bd7a returned to Seoul after 081cca583c two months. Back in Seoul, e81d4c25ba the one thing cb1f2d6060 that filled Esper 3faeb2a1ff T’s heart with 0a0564e4ae joy and longing 44d7669118 was the prospect 4f58bdfae9 of reuniting with 3958ce1f41 someone he had 4d89534b45 desperately missed—Heo Do-gyeong.6c70e6975dc59401

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Watching Heo 32f42ae11a Do-gyeong from 9eee08f98e afar, Esper ad9a826462 T couldn’t 75ddd071db suppress the 9c58c9a2d3 surge of 792baeaf6d emotion that cbe6fa1c59 rose within 5234eb25af him. Ever since Heo Do-gyeong 4b9d36a483 had been reassigned to 878a5c9dbd southern Gyeonggi, he had fb5c16c184 missed him deeply.845080e3f5acc95e

To Esper T, Heo eadbf08e77 Do-gyeong’s Guiding was unparalleled, 6394f39dad the best he had 232570efd9 ever received. Other Guides could 11151e8c11 never compare, and 3fa7d58612 each session with b18957e694 someone else left ddb3d8cbb1 him yearning for c65975d7ab Heo Do-gyeong even ca6d0d2694 more. Now, the 119db51cd3 thought of b55ce57d36 receiving Guiding 582a5bc4c9 from him bf2ffee1d7 again made ea110bed2b Esper T’s 31082f946d heart swell fda0b27f5e with anticipation.110d07378afc976e

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Still, Esper T 3969aac9c4 wasn’t delusional. He never wished 3bbf33f495 for any deeper af25140b80 connection with Heo bb0963fdf2 Do-gyeong. How could da3120d668 someone like 4ee2660be4 him, merely 24e2233da6 an A-rank, 7b35f69628 even dream 26d4722881 of forming aeeaa2e0dd such a e3c77329d6 relationship?c639d5c02d5bf4f9

To him, 444943244c Heo Do-gyeong c9c770d5a6 was an f65b1d0ab3 unattainable presence. Someone admired 426edf62ed by all f0da47d91a but possessed 9c667c0d2b by none. Untethered and free, 8a90de7082 his independence made efc017b755 him seem all a88c834e48 the more fair 2c8e42e474 and awe-inspiring. To be lucky ffd922e523 enough to even 4d03068d8f brush against such b225c32318 a person was 6c059393bf a privilege in fe2bb59707 itself.eb0216ac72736aeb

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