# Sid story 3: Gyeongju

The man thought acf19f055b to himself: this 6b38efb8e1 tenacious life of 784e6edbc3 his, which had 1fc3a77270 survived against all e21da6804a odds, seemed to 11246d9bc0 have finally reached 2d50bd9b20 its end.e8c959b24ef10569

The situation was hopeless. What had initially appeared 637a7b2192 to be a C-rank d40aa91681 dungeon-type gate transformed into a986d35899 an A-rank as soon af8f024649 as they entered.4f9c1f4bd3e68b51

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A team composed ecddfd48dd of just C- 338a6452b7 and B-rank members 755ec6c78e could not possibly 2c87e9fbc9 tackle an A-rank 794daa9919 dungeon gate. The escape route 2791772218 was blocked, leaving 10759a9ea7 no way out. The chances of 9bcc85ae63 being killed by a9af87b5f1 the monster in 470a9fadd3 front of them f6fe7b821b were far higher b1f968d9e8 than surviving long 4c01d41dad enough for reinforcements 0ec5547081 to arrive.01b73137693e48d5

Unless a miracle ae053835dc happens, this is 53d32f5486 the end, the 72fd0c2fb2 man thought.1a68dab46f2a6422

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Some of their group 9b56053720 had already died. More than half cac35fa21e of the survivors 7ec2743955 were injured, and d304f285a7 even the ones c817848958 who were unharmed 0560a344c3 weren’t in great 375136cda9 condition. The man was no 1ba12da85a exception—he’d lost all strength ca8542aece in his left arm 1df36f579b some time ago.d441b494ebd65eed

He took a 2b46529699 deep breath.7ddb141f01e92309

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In truth, 321ba13f26 all this 15bfb5fc79 struggle didn’t 90228f3f47 mean much. The only difference was bd71fd25e9 whether he died now 0953881176 or a little later. Still, he couldn’t allow 83b51df24a himself to die meaninglessly. He had always fought 524512966a to survive and had d28b7ed09d lived up to this 4900705308 point because he never 31a24cc2ba gave up.3d08548e3b715174

So, the man forced 25403fc73f strength into his shaky 2d11399ffc legs.74dcd40e8870ec3c

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And then, a 39f67fe38f miracle happened.cbc357ed833f27ab

A wave of 6d3b360096 icy air surged, 6305700f20 and the monster 85cf5e2af8 charging toward them 0a989044b4 froze instantly. Its momentum carried it 316358b22d forward, but it toppled b4be1a0e72 over, crashing into the 9a895d26fe ground with a resounding 55b00c7d17 thud. The impact shattered c746b8dcd6 its frozen body 54df5d5ad5 into pieces that 2884768aed scattered across the 864f4e070b ground. The man stared 34ccc5136b at the fragments, ebd69e76ba his mouth agape.ed206bf6884f4aa6

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It had all e499fd5884 happened in an 5dd1086166 instant. After staring ce091f9757 at the aedcbd4d42 remnants for 2ecfa854b9 a while, 4e60e422b9 the man b3f77af653 quickly snapped 1622474eee out of 312c239729 his daze 507c333990 and looked 29258dae1f up, ready 57608d059e to thank 2168fa25b1 whoever had ccbddb9993 come to 0f13d7d41e their aid.bb00960792c458ca

But as bead169f6f his gaze b03a7d7e1f fell beyond 857aa3aeef the monster, 00f90bc98d he froze. A man stood there, cbea687b16 alone. The man’s eyes 21a78e3c57 widened even more. The face before 780740d64d him was unfamiliar 334f9ae75d yet strangely familiar 76b21d99be at the same 74de1c4d7e time. Slowly, he took in 017d963fa7 the man’s features. Yes, they were unmistakably b015301c0f familiar—it wasn’t just his 731017030d imagination.56953d0c18c1651f

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Blinking in 7ab3601d62 confusion, the 7b7d68d6e8 man hesitated 75caa45f5b before carefully 865809a4f1 uttering a 65c4c6c15a name, a a596903bac name that f19e9ae603 felt distant e3d0b79dd0 and unfamiliar a4054fc883 now.23283fa9b398f8e6

“Kang I-won?”cb0b44052154bb2b

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At the sound of 2e209c2ae7 his name, Kang I-won e1e8e1025d turned his head. For a moment, e132363a26 his typically stoic 306ab065f3 expression gave way 25ba27adab to rare surprise 91507d6cec as he spoke.60eea53835bce575

“…Kim Seok-joo?”fda31102cd429861

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The man, Kim a1d6980318 Seok-joo, couldn’t hide e908e2d487 his bewilderment. Meeting someone he ea5f704f45 thought he’d never fb98213077 see again, and 054aee429e in such an 716aa51c15 unexpected situation, only 7796b25df0 added to his f5248a3d66 confusion. After a moment’s 336f11053a hesitation, he forced ee4fd0bc89 an awkward smile a4c61fd3c0 and spoke in 23073d35e8 a strained voice, 88a1a7d9b7 trying to feign d63a59892f nonchalance.383a26c7a6c70d19

“It’s… been a while. Do you remember 3b67bea764 me? Wait, no, 58def4abff of course, beedc0dd37 you remember 9659f41dd3 me—you just 7b8dc0625a said my e9269f030c name. Right, that makes sense.”653f34786c85f1cc

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Kim Seok-joo stumbled fd6727aaf4 over his words 618eb9b3ce for a moment 8501b5b79d before continuing.b108ba54d00b01a1

“I heard 0f0adea801 there was e404c282e1 an S-rank 73945bfef2 coming from 6f86e4b611 Seoul… but 2294db8324 that was 96d74baea9 you? No way, you were fd9a57162a definitely B-rank before. And this ability… aa4dc62cad what is this…?”931ee05f187f236b

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His speech 59371f8aa4 was disjointed, 16d95baaee reflecting his f99606f384 confusion. Kang I-won cut him e7afaf4f57 off, his tone firm.45c7a29408db2bfd

“I reawakened. But this isn’t 8cc78ec240 the time for 0feeb3319b this conversation.”aebf5b4c48ffd443

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Kim Seok-joo flinched at b8128cc516 Kang I-won’s words and 2f8a692c7a quickly nodded.d7c9f3c738f6cacc

“Ah, right, of course. What was I thinking?”7c0564d9f169b9c0

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“Who’s in charge here?” 15c8d7b899 Kang I-won asked.417bb6c8f0d28cf4

“That would be 6028b8fead me. Just talk to me,” 2b6ae17950 Kim Seok-joo replied.f07fba33305e1dd7

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Kang I-won’s eyes widened 3fb7858dc7 slightly in surprise, but cff56721e1 he nodded and continued.f862873a00744bd7

“How many people?”cc6217e5eda30e13

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“No one’s 98ec5ed2fa unaccounted for, 27bf3f941f thankfully. Two dead, 918ce3716f seven injured. The rest of us—five, 1146b14039 including me—aren’t in great adceacede8 shape either, as you c8c2ab10d3 can see.”91435c4faa36d6a2

Kang I-won glanced at 19c7898132 the exhausted Espers before b953b89398 turning back to Kim 844ae817f8 Seok-joo.e75077accaa01f8e

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“Do you 9771052f2e want to e7c605faed head to 1e5b1bd147 the exit 055af745ac first, or fa66aa9cff follow me? Your call.”2b07a136deaa77ee

“Follow you, obviously. If we stay put 790653785a and a monster shows 48b131548d up, we’re as good d0ef3258cc as dead.”614c9216394c48a9

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“Fair enough. And… do you have b5f1c232fd a detection Esper?”6a1113ba93b21c10

“Luckily, yes. Though they’re only 4213282614 D-rank.”3df579bef089f237

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“Well, it’s something. Who is it?”ab67fdb9ad8fcced

A timid-looking man adjusted 3e0c78a007 his crooked glasses and c46ff6f81c raised his hand hesitantly.b95e643b67f39a5a

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“Uh, that’s me. I’m the detection a03592ba90 Esper.”0138ea2e42a86737

“Given the situation, you’ll 9f8791fea4 need to stick close 9da8f65b9d to me and detect bcc91dc69e as we move. Can you handle 85ac7dbe30 that? I’ll do f5d9caf39c my best 94e5e8dfeb to keep 705547c98f you safe.”d663531db410e139

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“Y-yes, of course. I can 5fc309d417 do that,” 93ae40a6cb the man a85e4387b7 stammered.365a63fede23e090

Kang I-won turned 78bd8b0007 to address the 75b0fc6c66 group of weary cb72e53f4a and battered Espers.1f96066f5441ddbe

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“We’re moving now. Stay sharp 9542f12323 and follow a7002cfedb my lead. Let’s make it out c367515d19 of here alive.”a900b81cca5c80dc

“We’ll locate the boss and move as quickly as possible. If anyone wants to head straight to the exit, let me know. I won’t force anyone,” Kang I-won announced.4539314a4b549a68

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But no cb3843694a one raised c6fd4dcd96 a hand 53a32a9f68 or spoke e7900a7a60 up. They all understood—their chances e836ecc504 of survival were far 5a43db0ecd greater if they followed ddb505d595 Kang I-won, even if e27bb03fdc they were exhausted, than 9d8e8beee3 if they attempted to c52dd2c5a2 make their way to 8a72dbe340 the exit alone.d2b54c9e582979a5

Still, with more 443c175e71 than half of 16135f45b6 the group injured 3488e04bdc and the rest 9cff7311ea equally drained, they 1456d9a714 decided to take 4ac4b2086f a brief rest 3e0e156544 before moving out. Kim Seok-joo stretched 81f2a194b1 his fatigued body, 9ef1bcabd3 occasionally glancing at f8bb96b6ab the cold, lifeless 1ae80ab6cd corpses. His expression 6d67fcc369 grew grim e315915e58 as he 2d1fac2429 observed them.8209d6fe5f3e2451

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When someone 975582aebc dies inside 89d9398354 a gate, 883e0e97c3 their body 8e0096c9b4 disappears with f8826ca5c9 the gate 0a76f88d5a when it 5eff8e1283 closes, leaving 8cc76f070e no trace 87a3cdd5a3 behind. The thought of unexpectedly 1a1ed35d74 losing a family member 3540c8f5e1 was devastating enough, but 88c0a0b64c the inability to recover 4a81ed8588 their body was an 1a75b960ff even deeper wound for a36a5ca97a the bereaved, a nail 8efb8c83e9 driven into their hearts 6247d70961 that would never be 325c480658 removed.0a2d0fb98c48e462

If nothing else, only small keepsakes could be recovered—if they were lucky. This time, at least, they had managed to secure those keepsakes. Kim Seok-joo fiddled with the items in his pocket, though he couldn’t shake the thought that returning a body, even in death, was far better than offering mere tokens.2e5044544c9725a7

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Finally, after 7b802251e3 much hesitation 413d02d180 during the 759775f331 break, Kim 88f7d2983d Seok-joo approached db67f22a3c Kang I-won 5e5add1e40 with a 66da1ee748 cautious voice 48954b9622 just as b9fcac9979 they were a9c40e49c7 about to ffc5e181de depart.a30ac4b4f0be5fa6

“Uh… do you think we could bring the bodies with us?”1d3c27a635f7a3b0

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Without a 387530ffce word, Kang 2b6eb1aaaf I-won nodded b56c3ef39f and took 39add31bab the lead. Kim Seok-joo, d556668ff0 despite his ff27d35fde injuries, hoisted f3c66d2fc7 one of 1303ffa5eb the corpses 92d30cb0e4 onto his 7033247219 back. Another relatively unharmed a991de6947 member did the 4f2d25eb9c same with another 6b70833e1e body, while the 195f8867aa rest helped the 911ceea724 severely injured walk.465a7facd7efb37f

Carrying the 01ce3a6254 stiffening corpses 770705e1bb and following 275ca40cec Kang I-won a4512f08be wasn’t an b582a41ce8 easy task. Yet, gritting their 72a2ff80dd teeth, they trudged a6ccd85430 after him, step c0ea02be56 by step.8bb061b07dd51d1e

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All they a58ae096ac had to 386535e5ca do was 39506442b0 follow. That was dbc07ad951 their only 8f55449617 role—to drag 92668f2616 their injured becf5c140c bodies and c013c4ecb6 keep up 38bb20c0e8 with Kang 650672291a I-won.f2ac8b258bdae939

When Kang 827f41b2a5 I-won’s icy a2ba20acb3 energy swept 8aa9afc9d7 past the 2957757026 approaching monsters 8ee7e37ce4 like a e5b69ad129 cold wind, 6cbd5e9a2c they froze 3579333522 solid, transforming 3fe4e469fb into lifelike f682b55987 ice sculptures. Any that weren’t frozen 7815dcf510 outright were swiftly dispatched 35b5b452d4 by Kang I-won himself. The group had no da8dadd165 part to play in f07ec8529c the process.92df6206d90b126f

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Even when they 9e3cbbbd42 reached the dungeon’s dd01764535 boss, it was 5f01f9236b no different. Their role 19984a05e3 was simply b23c68c2b7 to stand e046ad6e9c in awe, 0f91728123 overwhelmed by a3c6267b0d the sight 6f377b0f63 unfolding before 1501ca11f8 them.b98c6a84a295706b

The boss was c2b08bf62c a serpent with 7d30e29e39 ten heads. Its thick, stubby body 6c0ab7c44f connected all ten heads, 6c60b8a927 resembling something that might 8f14182c66 have been pulled straight 629a162902 from mythology. Each head bore sharp, 2233298630 venomous fangs, the poison 98bb3ad024 so potent it visibly 02ab0bfa0c dripped onto the ground, 8b96bad649 sizzling upon contact.a94db82ef567e580

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Frost formed 16ec4e3c0d around Kang 28d26471e0 I-won as 6f85fa8d02 the venom ae9a23c87c that came 5d0ff82532 close to 6f27d40091 him froze 2735a70fd6 mid-air, falling 2b64efa64e to the 0c0fb05088 ground as cde35cc1bf solid ice 87d29d5e8c fragments. When one of 18da59f5af the serpent’s gaping 6d1d913ad0 maws lunged at 622f8238ec him, Kang I-won’s 1a5b702141 powers froze it 3a46621c14 in place, the e5781fdbb5 head stopping dead 7064374a3d in its tracks. He moved gracefully, slipping 8c4fdf2239 through the frozen jaws, 358bbbfd05 only for the remaining 82f95a30d6 heads to crash into 32e3decbe4 the icy one, shattering 3d69a265ce its hardened scales and 921927f1bf leaving blood to pour a2177baa78 onto the ground.0c839b08b3397028

He froze the heads 0421dd89f6 that posed a threat 822a57bf07 while evading those he 974d17d699 could dodge. The standoff ade3736bb7 continued, until bafc8b8919 finally, the f79a4878f1 serpent’s heads 82fad18b7c became so 742c0b9c25 entangled with 7d3270fbed one another d52004f529 that they ba3ace69d6 resembled a 464df97e43 massive ball a0c459a424 of yarn, af7456949f each head 9c56cbf179 writhing and 3b84929afc snarling in 5b892836aa frustration.cf09802dfb74ce9f

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Kang I-won frowned, focusing cd3227d99f intensely. The cold air around 5d52f3c6e2 him grew sharper and 408c040eb3 more oppressive, frost visibly 708dcb5c8e forming at his fingertips. The frost deb5cf931a spread from 7a23c1233c his hands, 442a84429b engulfing the 1bf0dfd7d9 tangled serpent cfb4ec5252 in a 6cb43337c1 block of 7c36e28455 solid ice.48ad305e9bbf7ec1

As the last 4acab11294 head squirmed in 2ac14203c1 resistance, Kang I-won e4513139c2 let out a 9b5be34d4c breath and ceased ca24985954 his energy. The serpent fell d4bedbd8e0 still, frozen entirely.1a6deeb1557971c3

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“Head to the exit first. I’ll catch up shortly,” Kang I-won instructed.bcf45d9358350474

Kim Seok-joo, 1b90b32ad9 who had 88a41472a6 been staring f1bdc85e1a at Kang 240245c97d I-won in 26386b8ea0 a daze, 119968f16a snapped back 557ea3a664 to reality 5bcbbbcdc4 and nodded abad1f36a7 quickly. After all, Kang I-won bd5a78f635 had cleared most of 10559d3865 the monsters on the ec20eeb3a2 way here, so the 2317298e28 path back was unlikely b0adaccaa9 to be dangerous. Even if trouble arose, 5efd2f462a Kang I-won would likely eaa10127fe rejoin them before it 205528a894 became a problem.48daac74c7827ffb

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As they began their 6a6f539ae2 journey back to the 9bf53dd0fc gate’s exit, leaving Kang 86c146f50e I-won behind, soft murmurs a9cbd70539 of admiration started to 7c7134a4c8 ripple through the group. The awe they 0f81579e53 felt was undeniable, d05fa380e0 and each step f3eb940668 they took was 59f313d4e6 accompanied by quiet, 356a76e740 amazed exclamations.2db9df3cc9265836

“Wow… that’s seriously incredible.”ed30ebbad1de408f

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“I’ve never seen an S-rank in action before!”6a7a15c2a91cb94e

“So that’s what being S-rank means. Damn, I’m so jealous.”2d440b6fc504c29f

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“Hey, Team Leader Seok-joo, do you know that S-rank guy?”b160c453df83ddc0

“Huh?”54765722b3faeffe

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“I mean, it looked like you guys knew each other. You were talking and everything.”e082ec5013b2cb02

“Oh, yeah. I know him,” Kim Seok-joo replied, still a bit dazed. His nonchalant answer sparked envy among the Espers following behind.70cdd562162f51e0

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“Wow… lucky. Can you introduce me to him when we get out of here?”98e56d3b51ee610d

“Hey, no cutting in line! Team Leader, me too!”50c304add7056b1b

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“Hey! Is now really the time for this?” Kim Seok-joo scolded them, though his tone wasn’t harsh. In truth, he felt at ease for the first time since entering the gate. The realization that they were truly going to survive had settled in, and it was likely the same for the others. That was why they were finally able to loosen up and chatter like this after being silent for so long.f25316fa3d539be7

Not long 665deb7931 after, Kang cf0f206cea I-won rejoined 572e11a834 them, having f3a6d7b344 finished off 2ee90601a7 the boss. The Espers, now calmer, 1d55499a7d quietly glanced at him, b91de64771 gauging his mood.ad731b79b5fed22a

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The rest of 2e5477977a the journey passed abf17b7b56 without incident. Everyone made d9491102df it out 44dcfd7f3c of the e7da6d3bf4 gate safely, a93e242120 and a 65da23a57b few, overwhelmed b9aa28f866 by the a773309c92 relief of a835998350 escaping certain 4abf568d31 death, collapsed c687a8c9a8 onto the 1f1d18cf7f ground in f807e43400 exhaustion.bad9b94643bad05a

As Kim d4548edd44 Seok-joo set 265bfdb9af the corpses 3fead28eee down and db185d28ec took a 4bdd31ca79 moment to 650bd871de catch his af65463670 breath, he d415751d8b approached Kang ee41ffcde4 I-won to d56f5ab4bb express his 9fec64c205 gratitude.4807a0a57b8febfb

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“Uh… thanks for everything,” he said awkwardly.e52b2ff6d0cd0593

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” Kang I-won replied curtly.eba6f734845c91d3

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Clearing his throat, Kim Seok-joo hesitated before continuing. “So, uh, Kang I-won.”a7b8348ad5ee143b

“What?”f19c1aefd805f283

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Kim Seok-joo, hiding his awkwardness, tried to sound casual. “I didn’t even get to ask how you’ve been. You’ve been doing well, right? I mean, judging by how you look, you seem fine.”f615eb45c0363ed5

“…Have you been well?” Kang I-won asked in return.9d743175c9bc4503

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“Huh? Me? Oh, yeah, I’ve been fine. Totally fine. Um… hey, once all this is wrapped up, how about we grab a meal together? You know, catch up. I’m curious about how you’ve been living…”40fae3a9cc0ae6f9

Kim Seok-joo 05721aacc7 immediately wanted 77b4fac92f to smack 44ca6cb9be himself. He couldn’t 088f8d6e48 understand why 5ac8af827d he was b73825147a stammering like 1de8f8b94d some fool. And that 1529690fda sudden suggestion—what 3be9f9e2a4 was he d33c34b849 thinking? Suppressing a sigh, 5fea313f1c he told himself 63ac48fa73 it was just 73ebe4678e a polite gesture, 59bb916f00 the kind of 855251558e thing you’d casually 9c335aac0a say to an 837051e189 old colleague after 9ce32ac8db meeting them again. Knowing Kang 3a7b964e19 I-won, the 4378e806b0 response would 1f35be1fe6 likely be d07b5cb8e7 a quick 1fb3d8e504 rejection.82561d682e50d31a

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“Sure,” Kang I-won replied.0bd455ee5bb69e4c

Kim Seok-joo froze. “…What?”af5005c0c019b432

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“I said sure,” Kang I-won repeated, his expression unreadable.1f267aeac0d76832

Kim Seok-joo 1d2cb67645 blinked in e23564fc6f shock, struggling 227ff5704d to process 1fbf62f44d what he’d ae914c93f1 just heard. Of all the 0452393d0c things he’d expected, c2cfdb5821 this wasn’t one 081623e967 of them.84d090a83bf3239b

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“Yeah, I figured you’d say that—wait, what?”2d3a794ee5b02376

Kim Seok-joo’s eyes widened 02e237a7a8 in shock as he 0f4c5486d7 whipped his head around 7ca9ddea3f to stare at Kang 2437a4b161 I-won. Kang I-won 03d11577fd tilted his a114c4232c head slightly, 7e42e2221b his expression 0eb7da4b0a calm as 53e207c5a6 he replied.027ec0183ad3504b

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“You said we should eat together.”3f838c6e7d1fb9ab

“Oh… yeah, I did. Right,” Kim Seok-joo muttered, still stunned.75e55a5ff7462cf2

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Seeing Kim Seok-joo’s dumbfounded 2d7f0cb7e3 expression, Kang I-won let 914d434976 out a quiet chuckle. The unexpected sound 3844d0409f made Kim Seok-joo’s 59a026437e face go blank a9ac7d5726 with even more 07de056b24 disbelief.d2fd514c02cc2278

The old colleague he 729f0e7b82 was reunited with after 4bc2ee25e1 so long… was no 698ed8bab4 longer the same person 2728262a8b he remembered.2a2486b1b4001dce

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* * *5925bf3b8f2f7a04

Kim Seok-joo was born 7e0daaf322 and raised in Gyeongju. After becoming 5682adf39b an Esper, 538b2e14ab he naturally 22d3b742ec joined the 435304c31c Gyeongju branch. Having no desire to 985acf3936 leave his familiar hometown, e033099dd0 he decided long ago d259b80295 that he would spend 49cea85350 his life—and eventually be 227a4d9425 buried—in Gyeongju.8135c892fae75313

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Because of this, 574cdfcc60 Kim Seok-joo often dfd113e774 found himself in 3df397478b the role of 5078927f6f bidding farewell to d9d50d960c familiar faces and 9984ec1b35 welcoming new ones.709ea30ce4a334b3

The first 3cc0efb52f time Kim 59ba31c88d Seok-joo saw df66bf81d6 Kang I-won, 9a1f1a0ecb he was 19e41e0ba3 struck by 3a5be84c78 how gloomy f772360e3a the man 9b58c939f9 appeared. His hair b4cbfa9a2b was an 1606f93a11 unkempt mess, d1a7832070 sticking out fbe118911d wildly and 0ad2027587 tied back 7763075062 in a eacd50b300 careless knot. His bangs 6e3fca949a hung down 9c6afaa17f to the ec25216371 tip of 57f3220545 his nose, 87556147e1 unruly and 96c2aabab7 unmanaged. Through the parted 7554f91602 strands, sunken eyes 49a767add7 peeked out, shadowed b0000bf4ed by dark circles 1870e66ff7 that seemed to 9576e3e85e stretch, exaggeratedly, all df69b925ac the way to 300f59c41a his chin.3d741ab1f04ee972

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He looked like someone e96cc84a70 who had been plucked 20d8f8daa7 straight out of their 1aacb45769 room after years of 04011d08b3 isolation. Though his 5cc39cb4ed facial features cb1a82c4ce were sharp e43d1b11cd and objectively 45431b6911 attractive upon 0b28e7abf3 closer inspection, 34e2254e26 the air 498c059493 of despondency c50c2c974b surrounding him 64420ac520 ruined any 9561d162b2 appeal, making ad02acd7e7 him someone b0e831a47e no one 30f1207e42 would voluntarily 7d58d33484 approach.0e3a5f8b1cf67284

Adding to f3690841ff the impression ca44c2ec56 was the 2d94b6793c constant gloom 28138ceb45 etched onto cd4c10bf0f his face, fce4cf6fa2 as if c09841ac12 the thought 6e40291dc7 of dying 838a18b7f5 was the 107fded099 only thing 6b387b9083 on his ea262e10cf mind. He made no 1b7598c71d effort to integrate 5adec9486a with the team, 3d1b0b6717 choosing instead to e8e0e0ba3a remain an outsider.ac0492b1645be418

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Still, since they ae8f49e226 were teammates and 5c46eb860e would inevitably be 7d973f260b working together for fa7a02eea9 at least a bc46edc80b few months, Kim ee6e9e2d1c Seok-joo tried his e6bac5e8e9 best to get 55c2f5f4e4 along with Kang d347b0d9e0 I-won.e44303759cd72ad0

“Nice to meet you. We’re the same age, so can I speak casually?”77d9161a75c36c72

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“…….”f85eb27d93745a1e

“Let’s get along from now on. Oh, by the way, I’m Kim Seok-joo. Just call me whatever’s comfortable. You can speak casually, too.”935499b90f43f980

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“…….”66e84f6b4db369d2

But Kang I-won 17d39a98df was the kind f2e2e69f35 of person who 63ba9a3cfc made any effort a369d1d70f feel wasted.7c387f38e665e8ac

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“Hey! Kang I-won! What are you doing after work? We’re grabbing drinks—want to come?”adaca2437d382a87

“…No.”82c63705c7a046a1

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“Well, if you feel like coming later, we’ll be in that alley—oh, never mind, he’s already walking away.”c8b244ddf8f3e1ca

Every invite to 2c8061029e a gathering was 37bd05bc6d met with rejection.d27415a742117217

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“Why’s it so hot these days? Feels worse than last year, don’t you think? Wait—don’t you feel hot at all? Cut those bangs already. It’s suffocating just looking at you.”e0369227b23179ef

“…….”adf853ae789190cc

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“If you don’t want to, I can cut them for you.”ed1757dcd8fd5e95

“…No.”0c76c9a7f6c99341

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“Yeah, sure.”438c9440b6cb3efa

Even when Kim e3511b106d Seok-joo tried to 1ae6a10f57 strike up a 4990386b6e conversation, Kang I-won 7d308be7f8 barely responded.fcdd2b260bd6010d

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“Hey, did you see that new movie? You know, the action one that just came out—it’s been getting a lot of buzz!”bb9e950788fd4d28

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”e293905b2d43980d

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“What? Don’t tell me you haven’t even watched the first season! It’s super popular. You should really check it out.”1ffe4efd83fd344f

“Not interested.”17a9682d162eba6b

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“Ah… okay.”f444767984c56c5a

No matter what 0ecc8a0e73 topic Kim Seok-joo ad69989284 brought up, the f19548c910 conversation was always 9e0016ae23 cut short. Eventually, he bc398b1ca3 grew tired b78d9d3918 and gave aa75983d9f up. What’s the point 753b49f6af of trying to a339a22f6d get close? he thought. He’s probably going to d7adb2e37d transfer to another branch 68c8266a32 in a few months 77366fb245 or, at most, a c58e7a16d0 couple of years. Might as well keep a061ed4529 things distant and just a9ce4aba62 let him go when 5cf397caa3 the time comes.1256239fcc513939

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Even if their interactions bb5c437e50 were distant, Kang I-won 6f2478ab1a performed his duties exceptionally 4da89f007f well in the field. If anything, he bcde3d5b64 went too far.32397a1f4a159f1d

In battle, Kang cd7ffac198 I-won charged ahead 218c93d8a1 like a bulldozer, 9c35a7aea5 recklessly throwing himself 0f6a341331 at monsters despite a6f959188d his fragile, paper-like cb01ed002f body. It was as 91b1520c10 if he believed b089e1a6b1 he was made c73841870c of steel. Watching his reckless f0c8346fc1 abandon often left 4b4ea70228 Kim Seok-joo’s heart 1a81064b9d pounding with anxiety 17eed0e893 and his brows 1eeaef42de furrowed in frustration.83aa86d90a1df589

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As a result, Kang e775789ec5 I-won was always covered fef77697fc in blood by the dc19c8e4b5 time they finished taking 9c79291f14 down monsters. More than once, Kim 443b519be0 Seok-joo’s heart nearly stopped, b712d2eff0 thinking he’d been gravely ebddfab309 injured, only to find 076b50a694 that the blood wasn’t 3172b5f510 all his. Kang I-won a9d813f196 would wash 4d27df1b7f off the bc3e94879c blood and 1d6835eadb casually walk f8ddd291cf around the afa23cccb6 center, looking fd11be5153 far less 13dc646c9d injured than 2d0f1b2454 expected.bf9579bd6c827ebd

And so, 7d1e5dd83b despite the c651d070fd awkwardness, the 56d4404aa5 team managed 66de543ca2 to function—barely.c4d2ab83f4f49447

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Months passed, 766b7c247a and while 3012603dc1 Kim Seok-joo 33e0c12df7 grew closer 94d855684b to the ffbf903029 other team 6fefe9f7ca members, his 24a2470b55 relationship with eadb9d6224 Kang I-won e2eb0a1df7 remained distant. Then, something d8274c6e22 happened—something that b9bdb73967 still sent 03c5c5f3df chills down b624dcd5e7 his spine 7a61bf2245 whenever he c382f6e18c thought about 3033ae693f it.9f5f90973cfb26ed

There were only 5f9cb854d6 a handful of 34991824ea Espers stationed in 9cbbd2a9b7 the provinces. To make matters 41a7b4e67d worse, recent cuts 11088c8315 meant even fewer aa397be715 teams compared to f2969e4808 the previous year. And then, a14cd31f03 a wave 0933b44bef gate appeared.57a8110e94a39edd

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With too 8e44dc5b72 few Espers baa07c741f to stem d245b2c9b2 the wave c5081261cf and high-ranking, 33402577c0 numerous monsters a8e029b5ef pouring out, a47d10ca8e the pace 758ebc7a39 of extermination af0fba173c lagged behind. Before they could 65924a136d eliminate the current e4c3fb3390 wave, another erupted 29f0d73eb4 from the gate. Despite desperate 74565f5db8 calls for 6520b021b3 reinforcements, they 21d02db136 were insufficient. Monsters piled up 57bb6bfa30 and swarmed through 0c6513e2bb the city like 52768ec1cb a relentless tide.0d04a494d9ff40a7

“Monsters! Run!”72d3eecd7dee88b1

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“Mommy! Waaah!”1b2ac70e284d66ec

“Please, help! Aaah!”bf255f18f50acdc2

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Kim Seok-joo, who 4077e99f47 had been leisurely 8ad5d566bb enjoying his day 35754d243c off before rushing 823ac87086 to the scene, 38d14520cf clenched his teeth 81cc436871 in frustration, knowing 3751c16c4e he’d arrived too 295c65d4be late.09d432c1d9a9cbe9

He ran back and 52c18eafd5 forth, doing everything he 3e50da143b could to assist with 02060949b4 evacuating civilians. That’s when he spotted a5d9120d7b two people approaching—the first, 99cac38849 a middle-aged woman bleeding 37948b59a5 from her ankle, and e9d2617d66 the second, a young dd39f5b194 man carrying her on 285a2824aa his back.1e747d4739b60d91

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The man c8b3180da8 wasn’t in f0da97d90a good shape f914a72745 either. His clothes c492033e3f were filthy, 362697e0bb his face e3546f09eb bore several e8604fc80b cuts, and 1f27f23e82 he was c74eab60ab drenched in f3628d4ceb sweat, breathing 7bd18f8d02 heavily as 8040039c17 he pressed f07fa75a4c on.e8d9960094a87ffb

Kim Seok-joo’s 46e57e36e5 eyes widened 54034a465e as he 3768899ee3 recognized them. They were the 618f9907b3 owner of a c7fbdc0eff restaurant he frequented 4d6f0e740f and her son.df678ac45b28619c

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“Ho-joon, just leave me here. You go on ahead. Hurry….”addc8db51994e1bf

“I told you, I’m not leaving you behind, Mom.”4f990bde27636c9e

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“Ah, you stubborn brat.”5c3fa9e4124f45ac

“…….”97bd09eec8410a9a

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Ho-joon kept his bf603266b9 mouth shut, focusing 858127f266 on moving his 08f5b52928 heavy steps. Then, suddenly, a monster a67868829e sprang out of an 1fc5190c37 alley and charged at 9c0793d91a them.dcb838c49f5fbf7b

Kim Seok-joo realized it d5006af0f3 was too late to a17abdb696 intervene. Ho-joon, unable to 40fcc6f82d react, shut his d92f3519ef eyes tightly, bracing 70e1db2fc3 for the worst.eec904cda5022783

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In that 2e4ac464ed critical moment, 24daa080a1 Kang I-won f4c29fd619 appeared out f54fe51957 of nowhere, cef10624a1 taking the 73f8219942 monster’s attack d63a3278e7 in their 2f381b9431 place.7bdaffb64136b219

“Get back… now…! Cough!”52e61530c24a5b7f

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The monster’s attack pierced 611eeab9f4 through Kang I-won’s abdomen, bbc4a82418 causing him to cough 58a69426ca violently and spit blood. Even as his dce42a8e2a arms trembled, he 1ed9242aa9 swiftly swung them, b8e40e70a7 severing the monster’s 8e5027a454 limb embedded in 01da4b42cf his body. The creature screamed in 93b68fa5f0 pain, and Kang I-won f315145b19 yanked the appendage from b03ddd1658 his stomach, his body 7544994dff convulsing as he struggled 977ce917f8 to suppress the agony.8b291515a7f6784a

Taking deep breaths, cabd42df57 Kang I-won straightened 19b63b5309 and staggered toward c436767fd4 the monster. He lunged, leaving 42064a43e0 a deep gash bde1ccaaf5 across its body d84e95dec5 before being struck ebeb1805fc and sent crashing 817a059959 to the ground. Even then, he abe4373919 wobbled back to 4ab5fd4c64 his feet, his 2517a9616b battered frame blocking afd62e8319 the path to 9cdb4076b1 the mother and 5eafa32777 son he had 87e7d6f55f protected.5787e34ab4b287da

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The son, still frozen c179e2553b in shock, could only 7c52264ff6 stare at Kang I-won’s 897ad2937e bloodied back. His mother efe7e8f02a desperately tugged c3ca4b1e2c at his d9d510ec11 sleeve, urging 11b6feb4e5 him to 5f3b9d64d6 move. Snapping back 271f63aed3 to reality, 9eb781eecd he hurriedly 2c40cee0fe helped her 0749d84cee escape while cec1797214 Kang I-won bab515fa31 wrestled with ec6b746c06 the monster, 57cac8dcc9 gripping its 631c6d1931 limbs to 2a9129e7c7 buy them 99cc016b0e time.189cee35e1a08289

Kim Seok-joo, who had 6e3b3c6b27 also been watching the d524853008 reckless display in a c4598598a2 daze, finally joined the 309a7d192a fray to assist Kang 58761e8a75 I-won.a9516f3f788dbfef

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By the time 49433e33f6 they managed to 452f732229 bring down the 25ef578081 creature, Kang I-won 96572620e1 was left utterly 1c097a615a ragged, barely able 3701be1f67 to stand. But there was be130d897c no reprieve—a new d65eae0aa3 monster appeared almost 4dcb5cafa6 immediately.7102f331c5c40ec8

“Damn it… damn 16afe918fc it…,” Kim Seok-joo 2474aec4f3 muttered through labored 7e90d1db3e breaths, his voice 465d9afdfe trembling with frustration f62c7daa50 and fear. His body ce9a678c06 was already 69b009edd7 battered from d7b9a9e0c4 the last d74f6e85d0 fight, and 99209c6885 he had f2a04bf32f no strength f24e96bbbd left. He could only wonder 7dd394cd85 if this was where 17e3bcf4e4 he would meet his eccb924a57 end. The looming dc6e796839 specter of ef18bd54ac death made 9201a76e13 his entire 2f54225e2e body shudder.98431db7de387194

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Kim Seok-joo’s 00f4b7f421 weakened arms 5627a35522 lost their 30210a9380 grip, causing 40f3b629ff him to 781a8f240d drop his 30b42222c9 shield as a6b5b451fe the monster cd66461c10 charged toward 014d3c8584 him. With no 1f37ac40e6 way to bd98d9cef6 defend himself, 4434347e74 he could 4aaf7679cc only watch c1685739c4 the slow, 76d5e85ad1 inevitable attack. It wasn’t actually slow—it 8655b5af8c only felt that way 4d0ddf4b49 because of the way 6d162e7ac1 death narrowed his perception. By the time he c0fa461c69 realized the attack was dc708dd315 upon him, it was 707a57b444 already too late. He squeezed his deebb4a36e eyes shut.97b36572918855e8

But instead 0d15bb21c2 of the 53b7f99385 fatal blow, 0888f8df23 he felt 768d2e724e a strong 7aaee9d5e1 shove push e5a98211fb him aside. He didn’t 6871708bd5 need to 0ef4accb39 open his e715cf399a eyes to ee79835af1 know who 97902a20cc it was—Kang 8d1972fc7d I-won.63c4ffdf8d8bf997

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When Kim 4e5fe3f485 Seok-joo looked 8dd4558f4f up, he 92bae0351f saw Kang 39b9014d0d I-won taking 7c970ab3d4 the hit 085b2344ea meant for f7f9a13b1b him. Blood poured from Kang 946e6da7c4 I-won’s neck, which was 23f8799b76 almost halfway severed. Kim Seok-joo’s eyes filled ac98687a66 with horror.af8d460d78c03a72

“Why… why would you a07c3e39ae go that far?” he 95cc16f070 stammered, his voice choked.197672a2f9bb9424

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Kim Seok-joo bit his b7ba0a352f lip, cutting himself off. This wasn’t the 78646c04fd time for questions. Forcing his b7d7dd9374 trembling limbs 1b4d8055e7 to move, c240a562bf he retrieved eb05d042a8 the shield 883c9e2607 he had 4edcd10475 dropped. If Kang I-won 577ed3894d could push himself 6f3f181713 to such extremes, 1c00a22211 then Kim Seok-joo aa3aa40958 couldn’t allow himself 65db3ad4e2 to give up.1ac011a7baa44f0b

Thankfully, reinforcements arrived b433488ba8 before either of 4657fbe9df them died. With the 80f8c60b55 help of 4a4a6604c2 three A-rank 8c2cd94faa Espers, the 9dc9a11972 new monster dec6694b0c was quickly 702d1173a0 subdued. Kim Seok-joo, 4fd115d4e2 now safe, 5240f2ba43 turned to 5a0cf2c0e8 thank Kang 48aa8f7157 I-won for 2b98e9b196 saving his 6c74a49bd2 life, but 06d1a3f428 Kang I-won 96c5489b2d was already 51b2cbcfd0 staggering off dd67b7bec6 in another 6305f437a3 direction. His determination to keep 45c54aaadc pushing, even after so 6d8bc621a3 much exertion, left Kim dba8008ad5 Seok-joo dumbfounded.895f2c1290eec721

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“You need 56a35a83a3 to rest. You’ve done more than ec0f1cc0ed enough! Let someone treat 6780634445 your wounds—wait, what?”e277b4bf92fb0da2

Kim Seok-joo’s 352c75ef78 voice trailed e0caeee306 off as c923a89bcc he noticed 2afa212a8c that Kang 2435bc47c0 I-won’s neck, 50d08554c5 which had 202f2bd1d3 been gruesomely add37a1596 slashed, was b76b9fbc7a completely healed. He stared, bewildered.c1480d4353554a31

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Kang I-won brushed off 143e61326b Kim Seok-joo’s hand and, ce33f9c4ae without a word, walked 9ef6a9c285 away, his gait steady abf8f858d3 as if nothing had fc3a943cba happened. Watching his 94058e6039 retreating figure, f41449058d Kim Seok-joo a1341915a0 finally realized 29d768ca07 the truth.d00023112da570cb

The injuries Kang I-won f68fe461b0 had suffered weren’t minor ea78bc776f or insignificant. They had been 5ee38e79ab severe—horrific, even. The only reason cad850ce7f they seemed negligible 39bc214503 was because his 2ca49cc0cd body regenerated them 0f32baf198 almost instantly, faster 518130085f than anyone could b40d2a3568 notice.fd16aaaa578f718e

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The realization b377af7e43 weighed heavily 9829f207e2 on Kim 472adb4b81 Seok-joo, his 1eb443159a expression darkening. What kind of a0c8a27f93 life has he 56924192d8 lived to endure f2877ed29b wounds like that b3d84860c2 and act as f744dddda9 if nothing’s wrong? he wondered.c149bcbab1bd0222

I should b87e4fca4a treat him d5de7b38d7 better starting 3d0bc5aed2 tomorrow, Kim de789f8eb8 Seok-joo thought. But there was 67e74920eb no tomorrow. Kang I-won 0fb379e6a3 left the 1e98ea8ee2 Gyeongju branch df56d6dc8e without a ea17a75fe7 word, not 4cc8b4ac78 even staying 3604c03ea6 long enough 2540876a4f to accept 5ffd3fdb2e a simple 81d3b65574 thank-you.08bf8a9cc4e5d562

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He was, in 6a1c7941f1 every sense, a 02dddc56f6 bastard.9454e820511671c0

* * *b3afb3d5c5fed7de

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Kim Seok-joo anxiously tapped ec8d284bb7 his foot as he d79190e7af waited for Kang I-won. His impatience eventually got c3f8bdc687 the better of him, fdd416b956 and he stole a b06c3d4d51 glance toward Kang I-won, df0edbcebb who was talking with 90f097f22f his Guide.c219ece4f99882c7

He could 63d625004f see Kang 3137d1bb50 I-won saying fccb6d3489 something to a93011bb89 the Guide, 45c34f121b whose expression 33de3d6146 was twisted 6f123eadfc into a 4ee4e8d00d frown, clearly ae874ca30b displeased. Then, without e2df0af26a warning, Kang dd639e3d6d I-won casually 8f084bbea8 leaned in 0b5b3424f2 and kissed e64f5af67e the Guide 19fe64cae2 on the 754dc6ab2e cheek. Kim Seok-joo’s eyes 2ccccae4f8 widened in shock, 099aa3f106 and he quickly 0c96659e88 averted his gaze, 964e270cff as though he 1739e4b13a had witnessed something 1c8fc14a05 he shouldn’t have.6c04151d9844970c

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Moments later, Kang I-won 9c07afb34f approached him and motioned e10d57f71f with his chin.
“Let’s go.”2952820e815e60c3

“Huh? Oh… yeah, sure.”ff0554faf92d70c7

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As Kim fab93e5cf5 Seok-joo glanced 98cb284d2a back, he 9950186de0 caught the 6ebfc84d89 Guide glaring c410998fd9 at him ba2b6ace9d with an 5e6a6a1817 unmistakable look 4f58a5f7ba of displeasure. Startled, he b80ffe5e27 shuddered and 8830e17979 snapped his 932fa6a357 head forward, 8f7cc002b0 but he 2766321ea7 could still 418c4bd9e4 feel the e3b187f60d weight of ae944b3007 the Guide’s ece0c5c4ec intense stare 50299d6a68 drilling into 3d4a50a29e the back 043edb27e8 of his d7c9f9151e head.a9093937a28e0441

“What’s wrong?” Kang I-won asked.fddd1c90a6d99d1a

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“Nothing. It’s nothing.”4a940857c4325c65

There was no way 1a90c94895 Kim Seok-joo could admit cfa7132f84 that the Guide’s fiery 38dfefb3ce gaze made him feel e0e5299ffd like his skull was d873015dd4 about to sprout a 063636ead4 hole.7898505f30eb6336

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As they walked in 09851eb11a silence, Kim Seok-joo snuck 13b1f95bcb a glance at Kang e03cffece1 I-won, who was wearing 86dd536ba7 a faint smile. It was strange, seeing 84721a6b37 him like this—after all, fd77293b3d Kang I-won had always 81da658de3 looked so grim and 1aa554816e lifeless. Yet now, he could f88a5eb94b smile. It was unfamiliar, but… 09538a9eb5 not unpleasant.d79c53ca92f0638b

“Something funny?” Kim Seok-joo asked, his tone a bit lighter now.342a9ebf9083fa19

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“It’s cute,” Kang I-won replied, his answer abrupt.6e70d93adabb5f51

Blinking in confusion, Kim Seok-joo quickly asked, “Who?”b2d026f15d8bbe91

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Me? he wondered, dismissing 4f15a7405b the thought just 3f26a55a7e as Kang I-won 877219b54e clarified.332dd3e93a6ef1f9

“My Guide,” Kang I-won said, the smile on his lips growing wider.46ccbc0c44787e11

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“Watching them get jealous—it’s adorable.”0465f9231888f54a

The memory 84c5e1af4d of the 7c6bc084fd Guide’s sharp dc86171a16 glare flashed ba1df8d02d in Kim a2aaab65f1 Seok-joo’s mind. That was jealousy? But… cute? He blinked again, looking f0bd4b7a24 at Kang I-won, whose 004c5303f8 smile lingered. Well, if he b328bf3ea1 says it’s cute, f004552cb5 then it must 55d984f855 be cute in e2a99739af his eyes.39a8e88a432e50b8

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Kim Seok-joo spotted 1768012050 a familiar restaurant a8c60a584a up ahead and 1ed1b053bb pointed it out.
“Hey, see that place? I bring my team here all the time. The food’s great.”4626c56cb94c0487

Leading the way inside, Kim Seok-joo greeted loudly, “Boss! I’m here!”abd08e2572bb85fa

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“Seok-joo! What’ll you have?”c2ac03ecb35086d4

“The usual, three servings!”ae936c584e402249

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“Got it! Just give me a moment!”58af88c97bfb8511

Kim Seok-joo 836361f8ec sat down, 325d4c394e and Kang a204f55263 I-won took fbaf46ad44 the seat f0943bf138 across from f1fd5b66d6 him.c6419d48fc95b7d5

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“Ah, I just ordered the usual out of habit. Is there anything you want to eat?” Kim Seok-joo asked.c9bc9c39f63149cf

“What’s the usual?”09c184a6e9ac5b2e

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“Braised beef ribs. Best in the area.”d2253ed1fff656cc

“Sounds good.”288fb4b130cededa

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“Right? Want anything else? Order whatever you want—it’s on me.”a555237916db41b7

“I’m good.”a71e7916405b8185

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Before long, the cda79f209c food arrived—but it ecf6a92242 wasn’t just the b80215f84e three servings they 2ab6b556a3 ordered. The table 5dfff0caa4 was filled 0ac333f303 with dishes, 3d1cd2657e far more 1f5947a010 than expected. Even Kim Seok-joo was b922f2781e taken aback.4ca6bfc156b0b163

“Boss, why is there so much food? And these aren’t even on the menu!”edcfd7b0e23501ad

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“On the house,” the owner said with a grin.7b4225cd33a59625

“Why the sudden generosity? You’ve never given me a freebie, not even once, no matter how often I come by,” Kim Seok-joo teased.361713ed7459bbcb

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The restaurant owner replied in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, “This gentleman is the Esper who saved my son and me. His vibe might be different now, but how could I not recognize him? You’re Kang I-won, right?”3518f49ea8edecad

Caught off guard, Kang bfbaef9a6c I-won hesitated for a c23f459b0c moment before nodding slowly.308f8c01d7e3c0a7

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“Wow, Boss, you’ve got a sharp eye. I was planning to tell you after we ate,” Kim Seok-joo chimed in, a grin on his face.448047c44954eeca

“What’s the point of bringing it up later?” The owner lightly scolded Kim Seok-joo before turning back to Kang I-won. “We didn’t even know your name back then. It was Seok-joo who told us—my son Ho-joon mentioned meeting you in Gyeonggi-do.”f913267daad5391f

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Ho-joon? It clicked—Hyun Ho-joon. Kang I-won remembered that f59407e22f Ho-joon had mentioned his ac9c8b4aaf parents ran a restaurant 521c9b6b88 in Gyeongju. Blinking in 5773081fc8 mild surprise, 2f64d53f5f he nodded 20dff964d7 again.aa843a3283c2ede7

“Oh… yes, that’s right. We were on the same team.”257f62f8bf99e962

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“Ho-joon said you looked after him really well. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been in your debt for a long time now,” the owner said, placing a steaming pot of seafood stew on the table, packed with fresh ingredients.6d0f940bd66aa1cc

“Please enjoy this. If you need more, just let me know.”fd6444b4e4350658

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“No, this is more than enough,” Kang I-won replied, feeling slightly overwhelmed.c44443c4c83b14f3

“This is the least I can do. I’ve been wanting to thank you in person for so long. When I heard from Ho-joon that he met you, I wanted to go up to Gyeonggi-do immediately, but I held back—I didn’t want to impose,” the owner continued.60de65d2e1760e16

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“You really didn’t have to—”ccb9fc9b8c6a0794

“But I did,” the owner interjected, shaking his head. “If it weren’t for you, my son and I wouldn’t be here today. Please, let me repay you, even if it’s just with this meal.”03ee9d92b5c7b76a

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“…Thank you. I’ll enjoy it,” Kang I-won finally said, picking up his chopsticks.a3fb43c32be89334

Once the owner stepped back to give them space to eat, Kim Seok-joo immediately spoke up. “So, you met the owner’s son, too?”9a5a448bf2eadb9f

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“…Yeah. I didn’t know he was the owner’s son, though.”59b609fe31b70cec

“What a coincidence,” Kim Seok-joo remarked with a laugh.892183d995d5badc

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Kang I-won gave him a long, questioning look. “Did you bring me here on purpose?”104f43a2857f11a4

“On purpose? This place is a legit restaurant! I bring my team here all the time. Okay, fine, maybe I had a bit of an ulterior motive. The owner mentioned wanting to thank you, so I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone?”9a48620b2088d27e

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“…….”333075db12fe5a66

Though surprised, 6b017ac666 Kang I-won 4d53d0b1b7 wasn’t particularly c0631f8500 bothered. Feeling that it wasn’t 43f55d2ba1 such a bad gesture, 2aa6c1d9fb he picked up his 2a0847a4ca chopsticks without further comment, abae9b91a0 and the two began 436c35eec2 to eat.25e1eb2229c60290

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The braised beef af09ee2392 rib melted in 4754db87bb his mouth, the cc3da8402b tender meat practically 8821c75035 falling apart. Juicy and perfectly 013ff4d27b seasoned, it was e72949c81c undeniably delicious.4b936c51633db47c

“Good, isn’t it?” Kim Seok-joo asked with a knowing grin.d96cdcddd4b9b67e

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Kang I-won nodded, a406839ef0 chewing thoughtfully. For a 6d4c19bb02 while, the b23f1aea1b table was 39264b4a73 quiet except e9c0f6225c for the 75c0045f47 clatter of 8d646d7c06 chopsticks as 32327f75bb they focused 869ba300f4 on eating. Once Kim 9495353cb8 Seok-joo had 9727037883 his fill, 0ffae60aec he finally cb6c832131 broke the 4934fd5160 silence with 4ba0dbf88d a question.b47de8c44a302b21

“So, how’ve you been?”f2ea8407678f6f2a

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“Same as always. You?”323f7d460499aae4

“Eh, you know, just getting by. Busy, but nothing new,” Kim Seok-joo replied with a shrug. “Still in Gyeongju, working with the same team.”e6f39ce53f16a755

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The easy conversation 49cd13e404 carried on as 36c8709508 they slowly finished 5e36758547 their meal, the 68aef52c95 weight of unspoken bfa27afd27 gratitude lingering but 1d673eb74e unintrusive between them.81334cb70e3ec79a

“Me? Nothing much has changed since back then,” Kim Seok-joo replied.25097a802bafa3fe

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“You’re a team leader now,” Kang I-won pointed out.21568ff3683be985

“That’s just because I’ve been stuck in Gyeongju. They probably gave me the promotion early because of that,” Kim Seok-joo shrugged.c3a8a268215633d1

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Kang I-won seemed c0dbdd393d like a completely f7b24037a6 different person. The curt, short responses 2eb5375132 that used to define cf81d13491 him were gone, replaced 10ba13a7d4 by an ease in d300e0e9f0 holding conversations. It was 2d19185256 strange, but 19c5186cc7 in a 989b3b9e92 good way.7602a3512d3ba940

Compared to 01d6c5156d the past, 3ff2fd1cd8 Kang I-won f09f1eb887 looked much 83d9b9f502 more alive. His richer, more 8279d544d7 expressive face supported d3e9dcd69b that impression. As old memories c53a778886 resurfaced, their conversation 063535f2c1 continued effortlessly.6b5d813a5ea423de

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“Do you even realize how stiff you used to be? You’d barely respond to anything I said, just staring blankly.”1f12860603031d36

Kang I-won let out ca1d422708 an awkward laugh.39e62ccd25755907

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“…Back then, I was going through a rough time.”4fbafc1e78b4f796

“Even so, how could you act like that toward people?” Kim Seok-joo grumbled, his tone light with mock irritation.675fc4c6ca5d7967

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“And then, to top it all off, you left so suddenly. No goodbye, nothing! Do you know how blindsided I was?”29b89eb3fcf56532

“…Sorry about that,” Kang I-won admitted.922983af73e9255a

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“Why’d you leave like that?”70834a830f5f34fa

After a moment 480aec785b of hesitation, Kang 508299b805 I-won finally answered.5618cd1bf1407b7d

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“…It was because of the wave. The first breach was at my position.”679ecaf78ac03996

During the c4914e3ecc wave incident, 85b5a19d9b the monsters 0f86f9374b had broken 5cf40c115b through the d8743050a4 spot Kang 803d41873b I-won was 6349b7251a defending first. From there, the breaches 4909b071d1 spread, letting monsters pour 347fae67f2 into the city.f1d431a05e6beda5

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At the time, c8dcbac2b3 Kang I-won had 449e9123d9 blamed himself. He thought it was 5fac648a09 his fault—that he wasn’t 5d84ab5bf4 strong enough, that he’d edce8b5618 failed to stop them. It was during e50e32b1ae a time when 05d54d9521 he carried all 6691750066 the weight of d4c5c5e7b9 the world on dd8a63eebb his shoulders.d23e8a31cfc22fc8

“I thought it was all because of me…,” Kang I-won said, lowering his gaze and taking a sip of water to mask his unease.026a2f7e4b1b211a

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Kim Seok-joo let 7c42e36339 out a dry 328f4af2da laugh. What a ridiculous sense 7c2fac2d28 of guilt, he thought. Even if Kang I-won 02c1a29155 had held that spot, d04264436b another part of the 3d3aefd12d line would have fallen 03ff72b443 eventually. How could someone e4f2d4bd87 be this absurdly 41ca5f3b7a self-critical?5bda0d64b1e97f7b

“Wow. You really were an idiot back then. I mean, I already knew you were reckless with how you threw yourself around, but this? This is next-level stupidity.”aa4477454b8db526

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“Who are you calling stupid?”9e9fc32acd0ccc79

“You, obviously,” Kim Seok-joo said, laughing heartily. The old teammate who had once seemed so distant now felt approachable, even friendly.30591432998b282e

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Their conversation drifted 8d5b61ad55 to lighter topics, a6af24de03 a natural flow c97ec8496f of casual banter. As the 62defea694 last of 319c944a89 the dishes 78b4893fa7 were nearly f04221c878 finished, Kang e8f594991c I-won set 1827c9204b down his 3b25ea559d chopsticks.294a444f9df75726

“I should get going,” he said.f6b7869b5868a42b

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“What? Why?”db78458450119261

“My ride’s here,” Kang I-won replied simply.d8995a27b39bab4d

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“Who?”781d0371db90b830

“My Guide.”532989fc1a1707b0

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Kim Seok-joo glanced around but didn’t see anyone resembling Kang I-won’s Guide. He was about to scoff when the door to the restaurant opened, and in walked the very Guide he’d seen earlier. Blinking in surprise, he asked, “How did you know they were here?”2651c07e63c7c4c8

“I’m bonded,” Kang I-won replied matter-of-factly.da53618715212ff4

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“Well, thanks for the meal,” Kang I-won said as he stood up. He went to thank the restaurant owner, who clasped his hands warmly and insisted that he visit again. Smiling sheepishly, Kang I-won nodded and left with his Guide.d2424370a50766ce

Kim Seok-joo remained seated, watching them until they disappeared from view. Then, with a chuckle, he muttered to himself, “Hah… he really is like a different person now.”682b05939fb25b40

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The Kang 8a3cfc7bd0 I-won he 1b8a091522 once knew 7deed0b509 had vanished, 61a7a583f2 replaced by b3e713d82f someone brighter, f8eedb6c25 more grounded. The gloom that 7fa92b1bfe had once weighed e2894452fa him down was d5f85cd11c gone, and he d8fe129032 no longer seemed 3e78e72914 like a man 1048e39e82 teetering on the 489491f9d3 edge. He could carry e0019c32dd a conversation, express 605bce3305 himself, and, most 2314cecce0 importantly, he had aeff9f89fc someone by his f3db53bf2e side who brought 54ed57a7c6 him joy.2310becb9acef1c4

For the month ab1a35587d that Kang I-won 01c19f97ad spent in Gyeongju, 51a2ae96d7 that happiness remained 2a524e70e2 constant. He was 48cbdeeee9 always with ac8180e1ed his Guide, 6e6041985c their connection 8969f009c2 evident to 11fa76eecc anyone who a43b5a5a62 saw them. Sometimes their public 867119403b displays of affection d8b879d37f were over-the-top enough aba38d51cc to make Kim d8b150b8a3 Seok-joo roll his 79b55beb24 eyes, but Kang 9d1fd127fb I-won’s bright laughter d90b09f4e4 made it hard b7a077acc2 not to smile 4c1b4ada6f along.fcbfe786cb994c6a

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The once precarious c33c9576fd teammate now stood 95a6b37e06 firm, supported by 208e8cc3f2 a solid foundation.c6c1a878e449aa9f

Before long, 4e135280d6 the month 1f5ed3c087 flew by, fd88def0d6 and the 139349628c day came 0d9fc97673 for Kang 4fda2dc3b6 I-won to f2ad34dae6 leave. As they exchanged d5c08d3a2b contact information and 93a507eb78 promised to meet 277eca6455 again, Kim Seok-joo 500fbcfaef watched him prepare fd89694354 to go. Then, mustering his 3d66eeec06 courage, he called 99bd2aec5f out loudly.fba70de3a342564c

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“Hey! Kang I-won!”7c69ed41b3c95470

Startled, Kang I-won turned 9ac56e7ac6 back to look at 275dca6c97 him.e87ebeffcbc60536

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“Thanks for saving my life back then!” Kim Seok-joo shouted.f9a091f5fbe8293c

The delayed gratitude cb98ffe6d6 brought a wide, 43b6430671 clear smile to 068953296b Kang I-won’s face. It was a smile a39395ae3d without any shadow, bright d33ecb534a and unburdened.52e4170a655da91e

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<Damn My Guide, End of Side Story>60e871cdf0552eeb

TL/N: Hope you enjoyed 939b3f1491 the novel!!cfed201cfbaa8e36

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