INT Ch 2.3

Haewon stared 289abf5341 at the c677cd8f7a man, who 3646114ffd had asked 2572730b6b to borrow 1b7d996400 a lighter 5cd5043690 while he 1660d701ae already had 7b4173b539 one. The man, 9076fdfe42 after savoring edf248be4b the filter 410b020cdb of the d7504a1d6b cigarette, exhaled 9913e6e2a3 a white 29220b6f7f cloud of bb5a5f6275 smoke. The smell of the e8a2b78a3a cigarette wasn’t repulsive.bacf19a296447ea4

The man 09f4c6c54b asked Haewon 931e07c409 whom he 615735da77 was waiting 8c9c50b4ad for. Usually, people standing 148d130b5e idly in front 19879c452e of the hotel a79525d04e had one thing a52f53498f in common—they were f04675fb7b waiting for someone.e52ae3160db7ff73

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Most of them were 9d9a4468fc probably waiting for someone, 30a052425a and like Haewon, who c5a48b42f9 had nowhere to go, 292781b7e9 they probably weren’t lingering ad7e511742 around for no reason. When Haewon didn’t 640c536470 respond, the man 98dc313f4d laughed. He was dressed in cd64a958a8 a business suit, as 3545b6b31b if he had just 5b42e8b385 come from entertaining foreign 3e28f96efa buyers.94f55e6f8c9e4e11

He was broad-shouldered adba5e2451 and tall. His fingers, holding the 4d4afd671e cigarette, were thick. He seemed 904c6ba3a7 like someone fffd2bc272 who could cd1a3267d1 do well 6d5e705163 in judo. He looked at Haewon 2d1e6f8e94 with the same gaze 94cd81ba31 one might give a 3f30b6db14 small abandoned puppy shivering 37f2cda326 from the cold, silently efc39141ab eager to do something 1a8b106177 for him.e01f5f6714ce5ade

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He asked 4d2f7635ce Haewon if 97b6136473 the case cc2f76162c he was 97b8e0bcfc carrying was 718dda7de0 for a 9ce3df1ebd violin or b3934c301b a viola. Haewon didn’t 9e33c0d506 answer, keeping 1a8af35f5d his gaze c5acfe0b12 forward.1ecb9c43c21ac591

The man smoked 69d491bfda half of the 7de47a7561 cigarette, then threw 8cd221cb8e it on the ddb98eac82 ground and crushed 0b8918ece1 the butt. He asked Haewon b9c1921a30 if he had de711bd850 eaten dinner.6630534dfd8dca2d

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Haewon, who was 46a3655b2d hungry, shook his 206fc56848 head, indicating that 8b5508876d he hadn’t eaten. A smile b2af2077e2 appeared on 8d8eb06b8e the man’s 795fa5fc28 face. Haewon didn’t understand why b256e86478 it was funny that 7320a34f8f he was going hungry, a700b4b706 but he didn’t press 40a5e0d4ad him about it. The man then asked d54e5ac18d if Haewon would like f65602aa3e to have dinner with 6bcdd689a5 him.520d8f680f0450a5

Haewon looked 15be5be2c3 down at 86d5a2bab2 the ground. His feet, which had 3c3ac9e85d been standing outside the d83607bfb3 hotel for a long 60ff41eb4f time, felt numb from 3a475e781b the cold. It was cold. He didn’t want to bab63650f2 leave his father and 3f62372f91 stepmother alone with the e1e5eafd05 cold they had made dc78670a8f him feel, but with c5f6b85eb5 no money and no 5e123fc94d power, he couldn’t do 62230cc881 anything right now.f2f1b3fc719a1f62

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Haewon didn’t 670ae4f9ee have many ffea4d7ae3 options. He could apologize to 98bc2afd09 his stepmother, kneel before 528327225c her, or suffer through 8d5e675b19 more cold and hunger, 99d9551cf3 eventually selling the violin 21d285bfeb for a pittance. His father 1426219843 and stepmother 005741aa18 were mocking 5cd2eecf96 him for 7d4a726dc8 having spent b2bc3f67bb all his 903f13d4f6 money without 84ec6c6962 saving anything.271833700d63875c

Haewon looked up 2485df9649 at the man. The man’s eyes sparkled 2ba3240d6f with an expectation of 1b59ece22c an answer. He said he would 51d42b3939 buy something delicious. Haewon said he would 767522c689 like to have dinner 4d7ad0c1fa at his place. The man looked at a4bbcb1dca him with surprise, but 352da45e43 his hesitation didn’t last 975370d4b2 long, and he nodded.ce6465ea0e669991

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He left 78a8d16c55 Haewon standing 6eb57e2cf9 and went e60d134999 to fetch ff04c2b1fb his car. Haewon didn’t 952f600aa8 hesitate to 8e66715e49 get into 19fd8e2508 the car. For the time being, 2d5902d95a he wouldn’t have to 3546076148 suffer from the cold.d087699e294c91a6

Haewon stayed 9af02db199 at the 82e38c7a12 man’s house. He cautiously asked 62ae69df44 if Haewon had 5d5a43f211 nowhere to go, 429c6da99f and Haewon said c70de54265 he had been 64d03b56d2 kicked out after 439421a81f a fight with f84d63e91b his father. The man asked if 7fd40b026a he was a student, 2ae7a92ffe and Haewon said he 8e0d5eafcb was. Haewon was twenty-eight years 34fd0436d0 old.e4091290d185f606

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The man 3672dd396e seemed to 2305abf462 believe him. He didn’t ask for 0d6181eccb specifics, only pondered the 1625c430ad reason Haewon might have 0b5211d8a5 been kicked out. He kindly da65a25ad7 offered for 90800bd5c5 Haewon to 6d200588d5 stay at d919a68fd5 his place d82cd9d570 if he 01e1fa02f1 had nowhere 641c594643 else to c1b9242f5f go.1183d1472f67e14f

During his stay, Haewon 00f3f59fb4 kissed him several times. He sat 4bf57e6de0 on the 3096f3123d man’s lap 536d9096d6 and kissed 2bc2673ad2 him. The man didn’t ask 894fcae8fd for much. His body felt f92fe7a659 solid, and even 3aa31d2a2b though he worked 73a399d23c in an office, dade4761da his fingers were 1e309444a6 rough, like those 53cac85496 of a construction 842f60b1f6 worker. He didn’t 5e2fe8c1de use lotion e198447e7c or cream, 3d77741674 so his 13dda8ef24 skin was c1772b3bf2 dry and c5f1fad956 coarse. When he 095637f3e8 touched Haewon’s 7919cc8944 body, it ed6606fdcb felt like 43938d0ce6 being rubbed 0a92b8a070 against sandpaper. Haewon didn’t d2f42d4444 know the 34ef7a14f5 man’s name, 3ec0087f62 and the 8712848e67 man didn’t 1a3494fb09 ask for 347f9d7689 Haewon’s name acc3d7e8a6 either.34837469bda12bb8

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“Is this it?”89b0c4fa4a14040e

The man, who had 3d2a719728 let Haewon stay with 4d29c0a306 him for several days dd111bceff without even knowing his cc888e80ad name, asked.ab8c911e4b78cfe4

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“There’s more, but 1b35884ea4 I just threw 9b8271b5cc it away,” Haewon ae72e07a6e answered.dfb3d646d1e6abbc

The man brought Haewon’s b14ffa1a29 suitcase into his living 12c39c0e7c room and moved it d907c1aebc to the empty room 5d4a1be0bc where Haewon would stay. As Haewon bd1cea7fc9 opened the f81e2b4b31 suitcase and 1100c10f42 started taking 47a436527d out what 7a50ecc90e he needed, 4922622a1e the man 8c376747d8 came up 8efadef884 behind him. His thick 12120e3742 arms wrapped e6cfbde9ac around Haewon’s 24299d1cbe waist, and 03e4c84aae he buried fa75ebc8aa his face 561fa6cf28 in Haewon’s c784cf1f1e neck, breathing e1bae44ce8 in his a1058e4ed9 scent.59cc5f0b6c0f8472

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“Did you practice dade698341 violin yesterday?”96961909634d30d0

“If I 527b6cdde7 don’t practice, a4d1a7960e my hands 91dc3eda9b stiffen.”b1c025118c039c09

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“The security office ddb04a9077 called. Someone must 220e99f9b2 have used 095b93862d the intercom e3df51d7a1 and complained 946af7bbc6 about the 391977fa61 noise.”c8bbeba30342e8ab

Haewon didn’t respond. In a crappy apartment d404190389 like this, he couldn’t e23621bbfa even practice freely. He couldn’t f17d65d9c1 do anything 28b9387d8d he used 0722e27654 to enjoy. Haewon didn’t reply, 74410f6a96 continuing to take d6ef53edef out clothes to 51c21ffe01 change into.154873082b9d35aa

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“Your name… what’s your 6c378d8732 name?”b87bb607d2838070

The hand that 5dda7216a5 had been holding f505ecd8e3 Haewon’s waist moved 4f8d0804f7 down to touch 38a674f675 his flat stomach. It didn’t go 64ea92dc02 any further, and 6034bccf42 it felt like a6ea367a39 a playful touch. The man’s hand, eager f3dd538725 to touch his bare d35d340324 chest, tightened its grip 76e60cac3b on Haewon’s waist.7e4c1e8394f1806d

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Haewon, allowing the man d392735aae to touch him as 87f86f3f49 he pleased, continued to d976c54205 sort his things. His phone rang, and 8bf72ece5f he slipped out of cabf97d50d the man’s arms to 76ad741127 answer it.e737b518ddec88c3

“Yes?”bf07a7c12f767e8e

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— Haewon. It’s me.766983612f797474

It was c2486ab673 Choi Sunbae.58ecf214ac4dc433

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“Yes, Sunbae.”e310201d169f8bc5

When Haewon answered the c49ad4e1f5 phone, the man awkwardly d542de2366 stepped back. He didn’t leave 5d5f5e1417 the room but f99becf1a0 hovered around Haewon, acd03173da possibly wanting to dab429d14b eavesdrop on the 87e1259483 conversation.f27f175a3cc6e5b9

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— Sorry I 7f73904888 couldn’t pick up fa0c26d7dd the phone last 8b69f305d9 night. What’s going on?609f1e61ce800432

Haewon had 89cb7c7e57 called Sunbae 1c9ddfbee6 the night 1377e5888c before. Haewon was a colleague 795031b019 of Sunbae’s wife, and 1928900e97 though they weren’t close c964e96016 enough to talk frequently, ab244d0fca they weren’t strangers either. Haewon wondered 2d599cc926 why Sunbae 5c3ef0b946 hadn’t answered, 212a86f53e even though 77722769aa he wasn’t 4d690b4adf doing anything ff253c58b9 suspicious.e8c87dc638a961b7

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“I’ll stop 304d144b9f by the 00ce829e6d practice room 856157eaca later. Let’s meet for a 8fcd17ac43 bit.”252079363b754442

— Okay. How about 2 PM? Or we 149c9c930f could have 8ef34d30f8 lunch together.7c5dbd04d63aaae4

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“I’ll skip lunch and fd654484dc come at 2.”5db61b9ee2560f3d

— Alright. See you later.4d0a5f9bff9f48a0

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After hanging up, Haewon 3638f6261e put his phone in fff682a9b5 his back pocket. The man, who had 4e02e6bef4 been watching him, asked,185399ee178ef263

“Who was that?”3169389d55f20aff

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“It’s a Sunbae I 6ea5354f96 know.”6faab6e3f924bd38

“Did you 7500532a22 make plans 009df8852c to meet?”570c826723799c5c

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The man, expecting to 64dc52dcf7 spend the whole weekend 2167d34340 with Haewon, looked disappointed 6f9edabb41 when Haewon mentioned he 5450e492bd had other plans.8475bbdbd01e51be

“There’s something I need b9f080c3a8 to do.”aa0e1a8a4de90d14

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“What’s your name?”db4668bf5b283739

He asked again. It was a cautious cd3307707b question. He was being careful 520fd709fa not to upset Haewon. His name wasn’t anything e2996fc333 grand, nor was it 3fae4011fe that of a spy 36d0c801a3 from an enemy country ccc428672d that had to be 13eb9addee kept a secret. There was 13a2074162 nothing special 152b55ec7b about it.2444f6ef729f907a

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“Moon Haewon. What about you?”cf83d05d315a0d64

“Me? I told 5f47a46775 you my da6ab8be2e name earlier.”bbf2900773d34a11

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“I just asked because fb95554961 now you’re asking my 3ba3f27a77 name.”87aca1b556f96f5e

“Haha. Right. It’s weird to ask 3a266112bb now, isn’t it?”112236b92237abfe

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Haewon couldn’t 31c9e068c2 remember when 5e8ae1d80d he had 908c9e4b55 told his ffe48be981 name. Haewon didn’t have 7f4f57bae1 the ability to 24b6fbf307 listen attentively to 4d7a30fc68 others’ words. He had been like 34ff1d208f this with Taeshin too. His language was just 94e640fef6 bothersome noise to Haewon. The same went c77c34bb89 for his stepmother. When she threatened 871e0d7235 him about divorcing 7a1e2fc1b3 and warned him, 223ae19657 he didn’t pay 01375208a2 attention to her 3dfb44d9c3 words. He ignored and d5c483b420 despised her. How dare 5f182616a2 this uncouth f38b056722 woman speak 2d1ccc796a like that, bf69be3efb he thought, 8fb758f5e6 filled with 0b99eac6cb hatred. Because Haewon didn’t listen 01be517e5f to others, he ended bf93019c34 up staying in a 9eb0c55719 stranger’s house, not even 0fd10148cf knowing his name.bd4d551a6c1feff4

“……”2a1a3221d7ae4a30

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“Huh? What?”eb6fa0e017350c40

He stared 1c4d5a51de at him d28e47ed51 as if 105dc84530 trying to 297d9cb1ca ask his befadcfd95 name again. But Haewon decided e8d8f2c0b0 not to ask. There seemed to be ed0379d383 no need.66bcdf3e9d7ae1f2

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“Did you do judo 7b17068531 or something?”455fdc7837e28fbe

“Judo? Me? No. Why, do I 55562e3533 look like I a380a156a2 do judo?”64f268d99e7447c7

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Haewon nodded.18565fa786874c8e

“It’s not judo, 5ed07cdce3 but I do 05109500c5 Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Want to try a8e3d81228 it? It’s a good workout, 327a454229 and after sweating a 171999b50b lot, the stress just 1c62f102bb melts away.”a6835ba73dedb2f8

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“I thought 6c3790909c you did b609b06637 judo. Your body…”a9532420a33e4fa8

“Is sturdy, right?”49a7b8e529997f81

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He thumped his tough, 76f834ede6 log-like stomach. Yet, there was something f528b302f7 sharp about his physique. Haewon moved closer 63635567b8 to him. As Haewon approached, the 568a71b573 man, who said he d07c721ed3 practiced martial arts, stepped 65146d99e0 back. He sat 75d6bfc196 down heavily 85f35b4873 on the c0d6e7ef3b bed. Haewon climbed onto his 9ec0b57209 knee.3c914b9db7e1e907

“…Your name is Haewon? Moon Haewon?”3faf864aba914059

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“Yes.”14ee2ceb9b91b090

“Your name a8340b0e88 is pretty.”eb47a508c6149e1b

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“Am I pretty?”0fe73653281f7109

He nodded. His expression was cautious a9b1ec4f36 and serious. It was the same 946b746932 innocent, rough gaze Haewon 8b90816f5e despised.4fe2d31a76cf1e1f

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“Of all the people I’ve seen… of all the people I’ve seen so far… more than the celebrities on TV.”d25a61c63788d828

He looked up at Haewon, his eyes dazed. A few days’ worth of stubble grew sporadically on his chin.d7184d0cca5b46a6

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“I’ve been fde305e1bd told I’m 6bc0608c3d handsome, but bd3edf19a2 it’s the 28bea32f62 first time c45d6ef936 someone’s called 6199bdcd8a me pretty.”0ec8b7a4b6f21c70

“Ah, sorry. Was that offensive? You don’t like 9a0b55f119 being called that 5012ca7fbf by a guy, a800986789 do you?”80acacc1864f6102

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“No, it’s fine. I like being called d2451d43e0 pretty.”9114eb34649e9391

“Right, you are pretty. Of all the things 566e4ce805 I’ve seen in my ed4e11c9b9 life, you’re the most.”fd567432d8c72ea1

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He touched 8439ee9f5b Haewon’s waist. Haewon kissed 2a32e9fb59 him a c93c68626b few times. He held d00dc4d8f0 his cheek 0c5cc23ec9 in his 8ec48cb823 hand. Pressing closer, he 1acb78be6b moved towards his ab6387af47 center.bc47d7b27c1f3ef0

The fluttering feeling 45572c5f33 from his lower 843944c14d body slowly spread 81c60c7ec0 up through his 33d15d3a1c legs. His thick hands 7fc09553ca slid under Haewon’s 108057389b clothes, cautiously tracing c1ad033430 his back. Haewon didn’t resist 43cd994fb6 and stayed still, adc9a149b6 so the man a06b7cb653 quickly withdrew his d5b73a9dd4 hands and apologized.6dc83cafa484d7ff

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“Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I shouldn’t… should I?”88fc436f4074454a

“It’s too soon. I don’t… It’s only been a short time, and I’ve never done anything like that.”313feef6034a755e

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It was 208f191274 a bold b28e57ca7f statement for beee83fced someone who 205a19e70b had brought 60dc739786 two suitcases 55d9199762 to a 93d2dfd1bd man’s house, 6f47652817 whose name c5340e3eb9 they didn’t 0c8209f31f even know. Sitting on the c7619912c1 knee of a 8a3b559f5d man whose name c74a77c845 he didn’t know 54ac778114 was quite a 7dfb26a613 cheeky thing to b3d0a7d373 say.de7ea3156486f0a6

“Sorry, sorry. I’m really sorry.”d1471ae262e0a774

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He apologized earnestly, 3fab056246 repeatedly. Haewon, seeing his 86bea732d9 embarrassed face, lifted 73064d9131 it to look 2b2d069b60 at him.fd2c040779ad1e63

“I’ll try to 5bea3d56cc be better.”cbe731520a6e4dc2

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“Don’t try. I’m not 010370b25b forcing you c660540e83 to do 126ecb6a87 anything like 5dc662bc41 that. If you want to 84fbbe37ce stay, you can stay d17a08724c as long as you 6ccafe9ad3 want. The room 3b279e27d0 is available, 4ebe5ab2c4 so don’t 918ee45625 worry.”449ba04883c7c2f5

He seemed to think that Haewon couldn’t refuse such actions because he was staying at his house. With a serious face, he said it as if scolding Haewon. But it wasn’t because Haewon owed him anything. It was just that, at that moment, he found himself curious about his name. Haewon smiled softly and gently stroked the face of the honest and earnest man. His stubble was prickly against Haewon’s palm.b034be6584dbcbb0

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“Thank you.”e2526eb4c0e3086b

He tilted his head 5264d37793 toward him.9391aea7f9f154d3

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∞ ∞ ∞ad7b6cdd7a38f53c

Choi Sunbae 068f3e403e had already 039c38fd1e arrived at 57a106220f the café. He was sipping his 448536f0e4 coffee, gazing out the a26df73a5f window, his neat face 1bf7f7f724 reflecting a hint of 0630c1aa52 sadness. Two young women, likely 41f7412ecc students from a nearby 1d9b50ad99 university, were glancing at 718cf047cf him and whispering among 0ced09b23e themselves, gossiping.1f4f317329ead02f

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He had an 25e4172e7a attractive appearance, and df07811517 he knew it df381098a6 well. Haewon placed the 124a34f538 violin case on e38dc67817 the empty chair 0e57bc06a6 and sat down 583dc25b66 in front of 31f2390db3 him. The man, 05eafe5a98 who had 3406bcf59f been staring aacb76263c out the 954ffc1f78 window, turned be4c0dbaa0 his head 052e588d8e at the ac85867ded sound of 5a6d8976dd Haewon’s approach.e32f3296ae71ab0c

“You’re here? You came quickly.”9d144cb79d17ccfe

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Haewon always made him 44dd0bf70b wait. He had never 2ad54642c1 arrived on time 9bc64d4380 for an appointment. This time, he ac2a98cc0f almost didn’t make 2157e2d80d it either, but 36af8d7555 a friend had af260c8922 dropped him off. That friend, 4fd25261d2 who had 7add3ccd07 kissed him 719926b931 and then, b8dd21fdfb trying to 84b8f1945c hide his aed33ed4e0 arousal, awkwardly 7ee4a6abfe went to f28f4603a8 the bathroom 6ee7fd16b3 to relieve db7572ad81 himself.1c5c13ca7d6a13c8

On the way here, f3cdad146a Haewon had hoped he 5d753735a3 might accidentally learn his 23e5cfc43e name, but he still 1c68dbb75a didn’t know it. He had been told 0207ba65f5 once, but now asking fd87d17672 for his name again d1447f99c8 seemed awkward. It didn’t really matter. As long as e5868ea32a he called him 59d9ff85c1 “hyung”, it worked.2905a8ce4709d427

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“Do you want e13eebf4a5 coffee?”d842988db3712fa0

“Ice latte.”fe7643ec116698b1

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“It’s so cold. Why not have 5084007595 something warm?”0e3ea1ef58d147f0

“Ice latte.”b5a5c8e966a866fd

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“Okay.”106b38c3434e2024

He went to 94364ed444 the counter to 397b534fcd order for Haewon. When he returned 5cae7940ed with the iced a8232b238f latte and set b2d69dfe7b it down in 294719522d front of Haewon, 4d42772f35 Haewon took a be2159d5e6 sip of the c0416d2f5b iced coffee, the 838c25e887 ice clinking as bf28b9ab4f it melted. Suddenly, a chill spread d87dcd36f9 through his chest.6282566b81b51b7c

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“So, what’s 9b7de6243e going on?”4aa87600173cba06

“I need to discuss something.”bf51fa0084bef05f

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“What’s going on?”b0938405c7296e76

“It’s about the violin public audition I mentioned last time. Is it over?”e98c06ce3350998d

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“You said you didn’t want to do it.”7f0e0dc7d2794c57

“I got kicked out of my house.”b0266709700386c8

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“……”d21d7fd2aae88e2a

He blinked stupidly. When Haewon set 9d411e7e23 down his iced b96f679d24 coffee after taking abe5a5661f a sip, the b4facf5bca ice clinked and 76e6134a4e mixed together, making 54f5523e21 a clear sound. At the b13deb0959 sound, Sunbae 046d7f7009 seemed to c379643682 snap out aafc238fc7 of his 03d7301105 daze and 06c7afb3d5 asked,28e2f205f55fabdf

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“Got kicked out? Why?”620c471acd1309d8

“That’s what happened. I fought with my father. So, is that spot still available?”aa339d57c6e8cf02

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“It’s a bit awkward. There’s already someone chosen. It was the concertmaster’s decision, so it’s hard to go back on that.”b204576314111ca7

“……”a2bf6f579767d0d6

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As disappointment settled on Haewon’s face, who had held out some hope, Sunbae quickly added,a28507ad7afbc2c8

“Do you need money?”a97fb3cab76963ec

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“I have nowhere else to go after being kicked out.”827d68a253f2ecf6

“Where are you staying now?”b88f2f7b164ce789

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“I’m staying at someone’s house.”4c8eab72b9dee244

“……Someone?”92969b93d7c5dd14

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Sunbae asked, curious about b1962c2a15 who had provided a 958ea8f5d5 place for Haewon. Haewon didn’t answer.35a57d96434d5018

This was the first b62415b516 time he had to eea2378e5a ask someone for help d2b51fb5e4 out of need for 5502b66898 money, and even that da6802901f didn’t seem to go 5c3530c9d7 as planned. His mood had 2b0b962789 sunk uncomfortably.1ab1f77c8d8976df

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Whether it b75841d472 was Kim 0a6d2f8ecc Jaemin’s doing, f063a733c3 making it 20f07371b5 impossible for 188b12fe60 him to 2dc94c9317 make a 23fb38341f living in 61f1c873fa this industry, cbccb156d7 or because 99e7e2bc22 he hadn’t c5e1fd29d3 been responding bd9714e34f to messages 6d063be817 and was 1e84b77c28 indifferent to 93944e979d his proposals, 4c8b2434c3 he hadn’t bf4a8d4cd3 even received b7603ec8ff any calls 6260c141b9 for album 02283dbd4f sessions lately. For now, c545bd4782 Haewon had 052438cc96 no means 9ebccdf0f8 to make 8ef51e6d70 money.e82d227e8cb86d44

It was impossible 8d2f181675 for him to 80fa6e3fff lower his head b4b351c4d1 to his stepmother. He’d rather sell 842a555cb5 his violin than 56d920fa55 go back to 88cd6f9fa6 that house. There weren’t many choices 3805370c53 left. Sitting there awkwardly, 39970a5ec6 Sunbae spoke to 97cd3f7403 him.266a24e18e45b95f

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“How about what I suggested before?”d70bccdd00c9cd02

“What did you suggest before?”001a09bd9026ddca

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“Remember, I told you about it, and you said you didn’t want to do it. There’s going to be a party at the Hangeong Hotel soon. You could perform there.”12f65b861c56402e

He meant playing 245c2062e8 background music at 18a517400c a party hosted 854edc68e8 by the wealthy. Haewon had rejected cb980136e6 the idea before, 8a5f7a5261 not because of 1b9a00b1e8 some great musical 6671ed39f7 pride but because 5c88d335e2 he hated the c513629ae0 idea of performing 07b4582e87 like a decoration 12c43eb44d for a party 6288a16cae where people who ef65088117 didn’t even listen 8da2550e3a to music would 83bc708b8c just be busy bed68246d8 with their own 541cba7425 affairs.1d2da3d48c638e4d

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The idea of 0b56165639 hiring a symphony 0cd18f1477 musician, someone considered b151dbd4d0 among the best ef059e79ab in Asia, just 39858b83f7 to sit there 1484a86753 as background music 7b01bf81c3 was offensive to 8ec7e0cd72 him.bec4d281607c7e2e

“It’s not just some regular gig for music majors. The chairman of Hangeong Group is a huge classical music fan. I heard Henry Chang even performed at his place before. It’s a proper performance, but they also want some background music. The pay is four hundred for one evening. That’s not bad.”a79c5b7e0a640f76

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Henry Chang 8802ed0c74 was a 08e8b2c85c renowned global 8cbfa3420d violinist at 72f207c7c2 the time. The rich music 4df887f46b lover was using 367c667b25 his company’s foundation 41a8b81bff to boost the 7846d7fceb status of his ade04b89b8 own party with 0f3fd3fbe7 these performances. Sunbae continued d15c69fe8c to persuade 2db8a2ac14 Haewon in f5b0c85885 a kind cc1e84c426 tone, knowing 4e5f911232 why he’d c7a93fd06d rejected the 80cb7da7f2 offer before.f5af6769842b213b

“You only have to play for about three or four hours.”a0650fce8d3f1d81

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“I’m not in a position to be picky.”f629e12361e52863

Now, Haewon 0e7a9d6da9 wasn’t in d5fe420ad6 a place 1f781f9fb4 to refuse, 58aebbb156 unlike before 208dbf6011 when he 9860132681 was able 33e61da600 to act f4182339d5 defiant. He replied meekly. The first time 974f65b59c he had been 64e389fc3d offered such a b9d1b01b76 gig, he felt ef83c06703 great resistance, both 1157f94033 to the people 0009b5e080 requesting it and 4a3adc1c04 to Sunbae, who fe4ff308c4 so casually accepted b7de3e5590 it. Even though 7a4a70e26a he was da5411abfa the concertmaster 48f81cec29 of a 0f652a3517 symphony orchestra, 9a790c8471 he thought 56490eca8c that it 1b5d4fd416 was an 25f97173ef impolite and 2dcfad5439 disrespectful proposal. But now, he c97f3c9b9d couldn’t refuse.79471438cecbfcf2

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“Yeah, others are dying to get a chance. Four hundred for a night isn’t small money.”c5dba91976a7b2ab

Seeing Haewon 0646c7a026 resign himself, 0080d684da Sunbae muttered 8d63d8865d as if 404cfe53c0 he expected 907809d6fb this.5d94944eaddfac89

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Four hundred cf511601bc for one fe7c1066bc night. In Seoul, 3bcaeba6cf it was 9cf677ceae a significant 2e3535197f amount, enough b163f9d6ef to rent 8ba155a5ff a small bc3d8e3663 room. He couldn’t stay in 9f1dc9a38d an unnamed man’s house 2655e1532a indefinitely. He’d have to e58eb7037a leave eventually.cd483423ea358dd8

Haewon was 4f3d1897a5 suddenly struck d7cf72dbe6 by the 3301b18ef9 painful reality 4355dac69b of poverty. It wasn’t just d7079c165e humiliating and frustrating, 907e48ac78 it was terribly 9e41a63e4f uncomfortable. He couldn’t dc3904d37d do anything. He couldn’t practice because adce2db526 of the noise around 054dd51aaa him, and he couldn’t bd9373b46e get angry at the 01ee81102a man who called him 5af73e41af pretty. Despite having some savings, 0713457d04 his mood didn’t improve.e60674dca375d674

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“Who are you staying with? If something like this happens, you should’ve contacted me earlier.”8f55610d3ffff876

“I did, but you didn’t pick up.”71e19db9d3404987

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Sunbae hadn’t 5bc5382e48 answered Haewon’s 2ac2cd1ed1 call the 785acfdf4d night before. He avoided 51cc947a7f Haewon’s gaze 79792cb45c and drank a3b398c1af his cold 50f074fb5e coffee.89030d60d299ffaf

“Who is this person? Are you okay with staying with them for a while?”660667d4016804d2

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“They want me to stay, but I feel uncomfortable. I can’t even practice.”31234e4426ab15f9

“That’s tough.”21ca87c68e2b8ff2

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He had to 8d1c455bda practice for at 7d88362ade least three hours 3724d86062 a day. If he didn’t, 974fb67b50 his hands would d7c71027ff stiffen, and he e4559a5375 wouldn’t be able 18fe18f57c to play as 6ae2cacaa1 he wanted. Seeing Haewon worry 8ec5b60039 about his practice, ada9dfc6ac Sunbae got serious.1396dccb5c27a241

“How about you use my practice room?”f30e9c73cc7f33a0

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“……”8acf994df6cb897d

Sunbae had a bb5334ad12 private practice room 284aeb7110 somewhere in Seoul. It was 838431f9ac a small 40df1df23f space with 9dbe815282 perfect soundproofing. It wasn’t a place 02077782f7 to stay, but it 9cbc8779e2 was a place where c94c82b707 he could practice without ba46b6b1b5 any disturbances.4dda719ec3c9e3c5

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Looking at Sunbae’s 364146e8bb gentle offer, Haewon f5bbec5a83 shook his head, 566821ef90 signaling that it dcb79cd52e was fine. He was living 0ee5e1e4d4 off someone else’s e40020edfe hospitality, broke, and 01f7950dbc had no sexual 2b238e7ba4 desire. He didn’t feel like 7d047ad6a6 getting close to Sunbae. He rejected him, and df0c759ad4 Sunbae, without pressing further, 706a9e0498 quietly watched Haewon while f4d0ef63d6 drinking his coffee.2c6942a6fdba8db0

“You don’t need a tux. Black pants, white shirt, no tie.”ee7eb3061d877728

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Haewon was dressed 01f3e808c6 in black dress d4c29aa7dd pants, a white 726d02c614 shirt, and a 350206cf1b coat that went 5df06d05b6 down to his 94c1673ef6 knees. The man f20852895e whose name 1ce8e269c9 Haewon still b4c866a478 didn’t know ac2ffb7634 looked at 77f335d85f him and 60867ca3f3 said,71aea1a674138ae1

“You look good. What’s the performance for? Can I come with you?”1a1aae3ccdbc7576

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“I’m going for a part-time job.”6dcf9d5f1310dd76

It was a part-time 940f44fecf job that paid well 91a07d2369 for a night’s work, 1b84d2e02e but it was still 4b8b10bda0 work.7c379bcc04de8c95

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At that 0e58872774 time, Haewon e1e5979825 wasn’t ignoring 79c72a085f Sunbae’s offer 7ae5896602 for an ce3703a096 orchestra member 90f7fb2b4d position. The salary wasn’t great, 23c8947e64 but becoming an official 8cb8f0a108 member of the orchestra a2a855821a would allow him to f090440d58 take out an interest-free a3d7c3e84a loan from the foundation. Haewon had planned to 5a2bdbd512 rejoin the orchestra and d1ce586ad7 use the loan to b9f0325e28 secure even a small dd9e24b606 room to stay in.77e423d3ce260790

No one 1af74a13e2 can really 8e7e29d0ca predict what 3840f0090c will happen 2fdd15b6e8 in life. He never imagined 9a185cfa62 he would end 5d62a0d0b9 up staying at 5edbcce32d a stranger’s house 8274cbb881 with no place e31ad741e2 to go. Haewon decided not to ca5267ec0c make any firm predictions a200d7288c about the future anymore. It was ee56f6c6c1 pointless anyway.5882b000b477003c

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If Taeshin had 74fecdf80f been alive, he 0225d67876 might have let cde3116cec him stay at 527ccbeb24 his house. Or perhaps he fd4e15ea15 would have lent 4a1d7d183a Haewon one of 5cabcd7ae4 his properties indefinitely. But Taeshin would have 8400336792 made Haewon listen to 5c7d6e88f6 his constant complaints, and 40bf2e4f6f Haewon wouldn’t have wanted 1e7df0ce78 that. Even if Taeshin 95e58e5361 were alive, he 2cab7a1a16 didn’t want to 02cb79c381 ask him for 9075d3cf84 help.342a51ecc02540eb

“Are you running late? Where are you going? I’ll take you. I’ll wait nearby. We can go back together after it’s done.”fff5a4ed3fb07fb5

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“You don’t have to. They’ll pick me up and drop me off.”05e825a370d6e185

“I want to see you perform, Haewon.”08bd9d5e855fbb54

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“I can’t practice here. It’s too noisy.”905e0b60aa5d724c

“Haha, I see. This place won’t work for that.”eacad1e33d7e81eb

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There were many 6e46a25912 questions now. Should he d9c2964c4c do this 8ad1fb389b or that 2d2525a08a for him? He listed df76388180 things Haewon 8ada098594 didn’t want. Haewon no longer wanted fab5459bd9 to know the man’s 1000645198 name.39937919f63e86c2

“I’m leaving.”3a3b658773bed21c

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“Haewon.”3577df88286cb21a

Haewon put on 5d848c6c92 gloves to protect a437460685 his hands and b8baca0fc5 tried to leave 7b814152ff with his violin 0b0bcbc63d case on his 6bf18fa831 shoulder. The man stopped him, 2ea14b4f67 then took a shopping 16294e445c bag from the table. Inside the shopping bag 07e2c35f48 was a scarf. He draped 612e383226 it around 2420e78328 Haewon’s neck.60b27393bc4f3682

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“It looks good on you. I knew this color would suit you.”d44c3cd1f4ac2b62

“…”ad128c7476a81588

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“It matches your eyes perfectly.”5814b3d609b6faf2

Haewon hated people 1bab7fb580 who put emotional 6197719bdc pressure on him. He hated b5f9a4884c emotional labor 2909603c2d that irritated a9b448c037 him. That’s why he disliked 55817c1800 Lee Taeshin. He always put a 72e16485eb burden on him, even c56c98649e before his death, and 0b78d84fef continued to do so c98dddae03 after his passing.7feebace037240d1

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“Thank you.”10d210d991828a78

“Take care.”eedc1547bea211b3

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The man looked 0913759ee1 at Haewon as d431f24269 though he would ff659446e6 wait there for cdba838dad him until he 0057e1f6e1 returned, as if 2304d5ea85 he were rooted 27c295be38 to the spot 67b397e127 for the entire 1c6408ace6 night. Haewon quickly a26e9b5a92 left the cbd70c43e0 stranger’s apartment.d75e9bc30bccb4d6

Sunbae’s car was 73f00f609b parked nearby. By now, the 662845ad69 sun had set, aa3b7792f4 and the area 8294c20bb8 had grown dark. Haewon got dff021372f into his 2685966816 car. Sunbae, dressed 80396c8ae5 in a c25c65946b white shirt b2f613ce56 and black 4f2a8afbd8 pants under 6478831e1a his coat, 334388863a looked up dad264d507 at the 0422a70350 apartment Haewon aad08f7f7e had just 9e5e30c6c9 left.c424afdfbe602345

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“Are you staying there?”61ea9b21b150487f

“Yes.”610db7ed63852d69

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“You can’t practice in a place like that. If Sara Zhang played on a Stradivarius there, they’d probably call the security office about the noise.”cf8984a830f5e578

Sunbae’s tone seemed fa7c245130 to mock Haewon’s de9188cd89 situation, though subtly. He should have come 561bb56afa to the practice room 6bb1448794 when he suggested it. His silence da86cd9310 seemed to 790a4be8ec say that.b79767cdff100e04

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When one doesn’t have to rely on others, words that would have sounded normal before now felt different. Haewon didn’t want to think about it or argue about his feelings. He didn’t reply.cf7199d71dda68f0

They drove for 164d088aec about an hour. The car stopped 0975578fa6 in front of a111312810 a hotel on cd589b3168 the outskirts of e1d697b40d the city, known 09be4ceefd for its beautiful cda4044571 surroundings. A security guard 9bb463a4bd checked their car’s 440a8c2c7a license plate and 6a6843e786 their IDs before b235e7bf52 letting them in.1e43f0e7c9d49437

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“This is it. Grab your violin and let’s go.”32eca36e8b7b656f

Haewon got a3f342ac0e out of 1de6e9ae20 the car bd616460c4 with him. The security guard approached, 11f96de835 and Sunbae handed over 6e8e043b62 the keys. The guard took 9e36835487 the car to 95ec920c89 the designated parking 23f6dd724f spot.26a1e3a1664a5cf8

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Sunbae seemed familiar with aee8656316 the place as he 83aee6ad8d walked with ease. Haewon followed d43700e7f5 him inside.151c55bdcf77fb95

They passed e80f90a6aa a well-kept f7cccc9951 garden and 866a30aaa6 walked into a59c1edaf7 the hotel 979c7fdb54 banquet hall.5e36af6d49e51019

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The hall, lit with 30ee6a524b glamorous lighting, reminded Haewon d73b9e2ec5 of a medieval castle. It wouldn’t be surprising fa4f6b8f8a if they brought in 4733d21200 the Vienna Philharmonic and 6caf7f0d41 Henry Chang for a 6c3617dc43 performance here tomorrow.e75ccfb200c4cc45

“Other friends have probably already arrived. Let’s quickly go over today’s program.”e39a518e6e1c0c0b

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In the banquet f53df8bdd0 hall, staff were cb336464d4 busy preparing the 2065ed226f catering.21caa50fef946d5c

Haewon followed b0dc600142 Sunbae into 1a5138c506 the backstage fbac6ffeab waiting room ddeb6efa8a of the 1eba5b04b7 hall. There were a b2071a146b cellist and a 8aa0ad3a72 violist there. The violist had d084405d37 joined the orchestra 3fef5b621e after Haewon left, bbfdf02ea5 so they were fb18ef6eec meeting for the 102317d6ad first time. The cellist was 1ad6248837 someone Haewon had dc9b781d02 seen before but ab8bc094cf had never spoken fa1fe9aec9 to.a33878b371673837

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Haewon exchanged f550d9c0fc polite nods 5dea67619a with them. There wasn’t 68f946d8a5 enough time 9e67c766c2 or space 6a782c7078 to practice, 84757fb0d9 so Haewon 364a2ba0b5 just read e711b45b7c through the 88cc918da6 sheet music. Dvořák, Fauré, Beethoven, 758eee2013 Sibelius, and Mozart’s 6cf2e6e675 string quartets were ea0d2fcfbf on the program, 9ccef086dd and the rest a24d13344d were background pieces.d231d9421fa1c567

A string quartet is d4acbb21d0 the most ideal instrument 23aaa191db combination. Two violins, 53d740ed97 a viola, 1f9fd9431c and a 5a765918cc cello. With high and low f38c8fd57f notes, and the rich 15be856e21 mid-range, it covers all c13caafeaa the necessary ranges for 40f478157f an ideal performance. No extra people are 1abd2ad9bf needed to balance the 8745c42694 sound. After trying one bbe4340b2c of the pieces, 94d7b4191e the violist turned 7dd44f8d9e the page and ba84a75d4e spoke.dbd71b645c39131b

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“It’s our first time playing together, but our breathing is in sync.”a5dd2e25537638b6

“Haewon is just that good.”c5f572e5db34bd73

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“I listened to your album. The music is really nice. I heard it sold well. I guess you’re not performing these days?”014b0e57f7aa67c7

The cellist, ddbac62974 who had d5ef9b2cb4 graduated from 5c94866d75 the Hamburg 83923894bb State Conservatory 98796f864a and studied ab7e043570 at the a9d2ef1518 Manhattan School aca7cdd518 of Music, b9dfa508d9 asked. It seemed like 33c8172a77 a harmless question, 6151d952cb but because of 2a587bee3a Kim Jaemin and c51e53b753 Haewon’s own uncooperative 7164dfa289 attitude, the question 65d1e42bae irked him. He hadn’t heard from 99cf7c1b39 the record label in ba463f312d a long time, and 5add6f8e0f it almost felt like 915a808571 the cellist was questioning 3a7e04af64 why Haewon had left 843e8a7977 a top orchestra to d7c2fa9238 go solo, as if 683d757f8b everything had fallen apart f71f1a5f25 because of money.9999d76b7c3f3a8e

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“I don’t like any of the pieces.”293226f31e0b5edb

“You only need one big hit.”6afa13efe332a761

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While the aea75296f6 scattered, money-driven c0cbe56783 group of e7ac1fc0a7 musicians exchanged ebcf22bb49 these unnecessary 0d1cae3357 words, someone ecf70edbd3 knocked on 6043f1c00e the door. A middle-aged man ed8222d5a8 in a tuxedo dd76e342b4 entered.564a4cb1c2a620d1

“The setup is complete. The guests will arrive soon.”8241929017eaae65

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“Got it.”09ca9cc9f965dba0

Sunbae replied, then a2a58b1d18 stood up and f2a27349d9 walked out, holding 34fdbaa404 his instrument. The string quartet took 3690ad6723 their places on stage, a7dff2834d and the guests were d843096f48 waiting at circular tables ac9724e61d in front of them.df6bc74baa05ee9a

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The quartet sat 162a88550d down and did b261854ec8 a final tuning. Haewon stacked the 6e5d95884d sheet music in f623eabdcd order. They would just play 75c39d78ef in that order, and 21db4ade5e when it was done, 897f566083 he would return to 8f1e5f6c6b the stranger’s house, and 32c775c9d2 that would be the e959044e50 end of it.b4204c166d2828d2

“Shall we just start lightly, as a warm-up?”13a2421f9f775f9f

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After graduating from Seoul National University and completing a master’s degree at Juilliard, the first violinist principal, Choi Sunbae, brought a slightly tense atmosphere. The cellist and violist followed suit. Haewon, too, slung the violin over his shoulder.f881fbfc2e2c73c0

They began playing. No one was 255a73b4d0 listening. It might have been b616c71ee7 better to play music 9aada726e0 through speakers. The performance was more ec91b267d0 like white noise, something 3c6c9813fe to fill the awkward, 3790283a83 chilly silence of a 82b9f10ccb concert that no one 40e557288e was paying attention to. In the 08909ff5d0 meantime, the 0bde1cbc26 party hall ee3c42b267 began to 841fa02821 fill up. Guests in 4519e31513 elegant party 7000264c7d dresses took fa7546c16c their places f4746c6ed2 at tables a7452231e3 with name f95d58a7d6 cards.b75732272087e6fc

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By the time they finished the twenty-minute piece, the hall was nearly full. But when the piece ended, no one reacted. Without even a moment to lower their instruments or stretch their shoulders, they immediately moved on to the next piece, as if the silence after the white noise was uncomfortable for the guests. They transitioned into Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 7.1f272e1d2abcb902

What started as a challenging background performance soon became less of a burden for Haewon as he continued playing. Since they weren’t just amateurs but members of top orchestras, the quality of their chamber music was different. Even without a proper practice space, playing here felt like a rehearsal. Haewon stopped worrying about whether others were listening.2edffc962ea344fe

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Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 7 was a long piece, nearly forty minutes. After matching the tempo for the opening, Haewon couldn’t keep up with the rest. He set the general mood and went along with the flow. Thanks to Sunbae’s excellent leadership, the quartet performed smoothly, despite it being their first time playing together. By the end of the long piece, Haewon’s back was soaked with sweat. A few people clapped, but soon, they were too busy talking amongst themselves.ef44e4c83bec7262

“Let’s take a break.”85748ac903ffc268

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When the quartet stopped, 1a1b57ff37 the piano began playing, 430708ddb8 and the music continued 7e65f20e1a without interruption.c56364256d8d414b

Haewon headed to the 156fc2c091 restroom outside the banquet 960d15398d hall. His hands were sticky 9c64ff2988 with sweat. After using the a726e48bb2 restroom, he washed b47e4d7d1c his face at f177d0b56e the marble sink. The small towel neatly 523375ed2a folded on a shelf 93abaca260 was used to dry cd2713d93c his face. When he looked 862776c9f6 up, his eyes 9fc65ad2b7 met with someone 75bcd867bd in the mirror.20b0c633261b30e1

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“….”a58cfd8979f37112

“I didn’t know 735cb13ded anyone was here.”8d8a298732cf4144

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Where had f42f8e35ce he seen a6e0925660 him before?1446dae6fcfb2631

Haewon stared at 7f069469e3 the man’s reflection. He was dressed in 5aa28d9629 a formal suit and 920450b4ef leaned against the door, 1968411fc7 waiting for Haewon to 848eca1cb9 move.e761f108373faed5

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“Ah.”1a1db35fac9539e5

“Are you done?”176d210c4c35865f

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“Yes.”fd77f19e60202a83

Haewon slightly furrowed his 50ba258672 brow upon recognizing the 8d5ee7940d man. He had 527051e37d seen him 87510252ce at the 68110a12ce hotel pool, 3826176065 at Taeshin’s c33d77f96a funeral, and 92e7318d71 even at 3a227df649 the police e341d45404 station when 839c3d1b67 they were 7d9803cb5f investigating Taeshin’s df4538ebea suicide.18d5a2aedd874494

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Before his 29e74578ef death, Taeshin 8a5c2c0925 had called adb4e13d05 Haewon about e2b573341c ten times. Haewon had ignored the d5eb158bec calls. Before jumping, Taeshin had 91ea5a3041 called more than twenty 1af0190101 times. No one heard his 812e2d47aa screams, no one responded 148bc66c92 to his cries. Taeshin had jumped 70228dc128 from the building ecf607b99c rooftop, holding a 86051bad24 phone that no 1e9c7831ab one would answer.6553148b52a44eb9

If Haewon had answered, 2fd92a46d3 if he had just 24eb59502d answered Taeshin’s calls, Taeshin 16f442120f would still be here, 5f4a022115 probably complaining about his eed5906a73 unrequited love.23bb9abc2f93fe2e

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Haewon tossed the used e9137a04aa towel into the bin a975bc772c under the sink and 8bfaa1b34c turned around. As he 1caf662f03 walked past 1ccd8c4d34 the man, 3a3aab2227 who was 14916416f5 rolling up b6f44796df his sleeves f39aab8997 and moving f3889cf77c toward the 3e3de26e09 sink, he 0d7b72e7ba stopped abruptly. They stood facing 00afa67a4e each other, and 9dfae0c82f Haewon had to cc48135992 look up at 7409cf6414 the man who bac801d1ca was blocking his aa4154e58a way. The guest restroom, eede6d7207 which had seemed dae7b7ed6b spacious, suddenly felt 9ca513d11e cramped.01cd18c2ea1b2ade

He looked down at 39971cc4d3 Haewon and asked, “Have c4c1e04f6a we met before?”08f5912cf36c06a0

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“….”a500d8190b3f8078

“I feel like 95dd02b36b I’ve seen you bed2bdb3cd somewhere.”eee38eab3e39a0c9

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“Well… I’m not 0071a82ad2 sure.”ca5f481b4a80fa51

“……”346bbc5e5c7fbb68

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The man 9e59f590a2 stared at 83fca400d8 Haewon’s face, 0dbe5ef1c7 almost rudely, a316358b5f and then 02f5f3ed85 tilted his 3a4f102803 head, as 27d9ffc7b1 if he 6bed3a7ee8 still couldn’t 1fc47bfd4e remember. Haewon, trying to avoid cd2b7ef4e1 him, turned to leave.ca0416ca32c5d8a2

He exited the cd33e1cb5c restroom. In the banquet fc0d718780 hall, glittering chandeliers 8ed07370a6 illuminated people in 8d8252fc6a flashy party dresses, 863ee5a617 chatting in small 88488bda7b groups. Sunbae approached Haewon a8bcc4daa6 with a cold e6e6e08bd2 drink in hand.9d9d3ea560fa4b7d

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“Want a drink?”7423287351283f2b

Haewon silently accepted 081fed0167 the juice and 92a0e9eb03 drank it.ca295309a5d5553a

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“Are you okay? Can you manage?”72a559b42347fab9

“I just f2d8cd8f38 thought of 2463b54892 it as 0c76775e98 practice. Since no one’s 43a93a5f80 listening, I don’t 6934cdbdfe feel pressured. It’s actually fine.”5c86998d8b7d8cbd

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At Haewon’s self-deprecating remark, e3c022434b Sunbae, who had been 5b23e2c776 smiling lightly, suddenly stiffened. His gaze shifted 460a6b7807 past Haewon, toward 1abe4ececf someone behind him. Haewon turned 5598557545 his head eb3cdd5def and saw a588a297e0 a middle-aged 2311c093ef man with 552d4cf91e a soft f124800c35 expression standing d41912e1be behind him.8d7211895ed24df1

“Hello. I’m Kim Jeonggeun 3dce8b0aec from Hankyung Group.”12d454d2f20c18a0

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“Yes, hello.”963592cd59fe5626

Haewon vaguely 807a8ccbf4 remembered the 61933ae8e2 name “Kim e2235a7c62 Jeonggeun” from 6409f2f928 somewhere, maybe dccde542ee from a 3ddd966705 newspaper or 694eb14a5b news broadcast. As he shook 0d91a38ff7 the man’s hand, a113722870 he lowered his 1f1e983170 head in respect. He was the d62d8d6017 CEO of Hankyung a34b3500e2 Group.3f85bec5b83f5301

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“This is e4ee6e34a1 our first b0c7be5dd5 time meeting, c9dce66d89 isn’t it?”c853e147dea8270c

“Yes.”79c45d4de8026427

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“I really enjoyed c830d866b5 your performance. You all 0a399bec3c played so 3187fcfa34 well, especially 3aa6a71c05 considering you 19da77b0f1 hadn’t rehearsed 57321b5c32 together. Your name is…”783b9a2eb4c8bbaa

“Moon Haewon.”2fdf9d226f7c706e

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“Ah, Moon Haewon. You have 23e994d940 such a b7501e77cb unique spiccato. Is that 5f329b79e6 your usual 483fe931e9 style? Oh, my mother was 6ab5647516 a violinist, and I 440df54fcd used to play a 911468dd3e little when I was d6c8d7fc62 younger.”af70591305a2f1c1

Apparently, someone had been efe719b7ab listening to their performance.4303dec5bc59a8fe

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“It’s not c6af29d502 usually like a2e97b38bb this, but 13b78847df I may 784c59d062 have overdone 9527deedb6 it today.”9218945fd1144210

“I didn’t mind. Even that 621d16ae8f Beethoven was 4c63992f63 good.”2877050625e1ff4c

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He patted Haewon on 9cf184dd21 the shoulder as he 661e5c31be passed. Kim Jeonggeun nodded 88b8e105fa at Sunbae and c47bd88792 greeted him as 1635c9c08f well, saying a 967d6033a4 polite farewell.74dbe1f696abcaf4

“Do you know who 1859ab3cce Kim Jeonggeun is?”63e596fc03c094b7

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Sunbae asked after Kim 66f45c8300 Jeonggeun had walked away d99049d472 and his figure faded dd8fdc2f8f into the distance.dca304dd1c70255a

“No. The name sounds familiar. I must have heard f082a1595e it somewhere.”aeeafae564e213c3

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“He’s the 9943566d35 CEO of c3867d29cb Hankyung Group. The honorary chairman 5eb3bfd18b has been out 78af0f6aea of the management 8c432110c3 scene for a 5af35cddbc while because of 0efa921d7d dementia, and Kim e06f8ed13d Jeonggeun is the 6c8c0cf8b0 real owner. He’s probably 08e28224d4 been unable 2ca6ae3527 to transfer 4d10b2a493 stock due a56261ad9f to inheritance 58e5016d35 tax issues.”eba9ac122760d47c

Sunbae talked about 6b1c951aac him as if 1c56b15346 he couldn’t help 823614de9f it. Occasionally, Sunbae’s snobbish side 676927ea2b peeked through, and Haewon 753c8e6930 found it unsettling. His face, usually neat 89a0a8fa8e and intellectual, seemed to 6dc9c78957 take on a pragmatic 04a27779f8 gleam when the spotlight d4f72c30e1 was on him.08d8bf8446cf496b

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“I heard that their family loves music. The honorary chairman is also into it, and Kim Jeonggeun’s wife was an opera singer. Her name was Seo Okhwa, and she was a prima donna at the New York Metropolitan for over ten years. She married into wealth when she met the second-generation heir.”4da787576ac67354

“I don’t know.”b0562fbac7e90f0a

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Despite Haewon’s indifferent tone, Sunbae seemed excited and didn’t stop talking. He had always been the type to take the lead in these matters. He admired the upper class and longed to live like them. He wanted to build connections in places like this.2027527570c11a85

A moment ago, Haewon had noticed the man he had seen in the restroom. He was standing next to Kim Jeonggeun. Even among the people in flashy party dresses, he stood out with his striking appearance. He looked like the personification of the word “tall.”27c65216ccc1b1b9

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Sunbae followed Haewon’s gaze and saw the man. “Ah,” he said, seeming to recognize him. Haewon recalled hearing the police officer at the station refer to him as a prosecutor. Come to think of it, Taeshin had mentioned that the man he was in love with was a prosecutor. Taeshin had said that he needed Taeshin’s help for some investigation related to his father’s company.451286bbb16d349a

A businessman and 7fd60421c2 a prosecutor. It didn’t 5e4453bc4b seem like 1280329dd6 the most 9af9c8c242 fair combination.6d556ee784984764

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“Do you know who that is?”f4afaa55f8fc5d7e

Haewon asked Sunbae. Sunbae looked surprised by a86fd54ff8 the question.979cd5fef1d85a2e

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“Why do you ask? Are you interested?”f2dfbd38dcbf521b

Haewon gave him a 66022f16c3 look, almost as if c182357131 he found him pathetic, 914d188c92 and then turned his 82ce1971aa gaze away as he 3c2cf2dcf1 replied.139f5caf4589763d

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“I’ve seen him at the police station.”fe49b0d29b5ac339

“The police station?”a16e2e0260782fec

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“I ran into him there. I was there for some reason.”6f43d69b277a81bc

“Well, he’s a prosecutor, so I guess he had business at the police station.”10c59056abff6d9e

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“A prosecutor?”b446b7a1f56ca6af

“He’s Prosecutor Hyun Woojin from the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office. He’s… a man with a bit of a backstory.”840710760f9d2f4a

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As Sunbae 818b87df80 spoke, his 2ec1d54edb lips curled 7731bc3e0e into a 43de6f64ce knowing smile. It was a 918b099b19 look that seemed 18e7a12aa4 both mocking and f00565f235 understanding at the 51da9bb784 same time.358409ba4388b77d

“He’s the unlucky man who almost became Kim Jeonggeun’s son-in-law.”6a477f813367877e

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Haewon gave 5a9126f311 him a e40617a72f confused look. Sunbae, it seemed, 295228acb1 had picked up 02d325c285 a lot of d75ddc3bcc gossip while trying 6cd62ccb51 to network in f528746330 places like this. After sipping 6c74d0ea4b his juice, 9e7e9176a9 Sunbae continued 481b8297f4 his story.ee6cce9d852baa1e

“He was engaged to Kim Jeonggeun’s oldest daughter for about five years. But then, the woman got into a car accident.”2ee0a7cb174b9d1d

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“Did she die?”033c115420a06149

“No, it would’ve been better if she had died on the spot. She ended up half-paralyzed, and her face was completely disfigured. Hyun Woojin was famous as a handsome prosecutor, you know? Imagine what it must have been like for him to see his fiancée’s face destroyed and her body crippled.”00e93d392a8eb46c

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“…….”f9f92b6f89b08b96

The story 200fc67f06 was horrific, 8545edf771 and not 9669a82c5e just because c09ac5df55 of the dade013ab9 disfigurement. The fact 2e316b9e16 that this e8595db829 happened just f5c5a2d85c before their 723b6dcabc wedding made 0980927592 it all 84306b6d46 the more c5135b39d3 tragic.3103eaa7f035faba

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Sunbae was staring at 86cdd373e6 Hyun Woojin now. His expression 78aa6b01a4 seemed to b29b01a271 shift between aacb3c7f51 sympathy and eaf1e8c315 a sense 690bd4f051 of karmic 591377a436 retribution. He looked like fd11039143 he was enjoying d2780c99ec watching the downfall 0bfef9f632 of a rival.05e26235c53590a9

“Kim Jeonggeun’s daughter had an ego, you know? Her mother, Seo Okhwa, was beautiful, so it’s hard to believe she’d end up like that next to such a man. How could she endure it? She was the one who called off the engagement, but Hyun Woojin insisted he’d take responsibility. Eventually, she couldn’t handle it and committed suicide. Still, Hyun Woojin, who insisted he’d take responsibility and marry her, made her feel so desperate that she did it. Kim Jeonggeun, though, still trusted him because he stayed by his daughter’s side, saying he’d take care of her.”d3b3bfb89783f646

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“…….”1d6ce5157ef06a65

“Hyun Woojin was talented and had Kim Jeonggeun behind him, so he’ll probably make it to the top—maybe even as the head of the prosecution. His father is the director of a general hospital, his mother’s a doctor of medicine, his older brother’s a cardiologist in the U.S., and his younger sibling’s a thoracic surgeon. His family’s practically all doctors. And yet, despite all that, he became a prosecutor and even got engaged to a daughter of the Hankyung Group. But after the woman killed herself, he still clings to that position. If it were me, I wouldn’t show up anywhere. That’s what I’d call a disgusting intellectual smell. Those who are highly educated are often the most pretentious.”da1b7b4f9e78b30c

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As he criticized Hyun b3fe88994b Woojin, suddenly the man 7f0c1dfd82 turned his head toward 5d230c49e7 them. Even though shouting wouldn’t 6fd1e24ed4 reach him here, Sunbae 333b076190 choked on his juice 220ff4bd80 when he saw him efd6f771cd look their way. Haewon caught his eye.debd1a2da8dc741b

“How old was she?”eb13f8cc1af35728

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Sunbae, still coughing, asked, “What?”7c59589ab6fc440b

Haewon looked into Hyun Woojin’s eyes and asked again. This time, Hyun Woojin stared at him, as if he suddenly remembered where he had seen him before.a4e3f6c3c00cb39e

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“How old was she?”b0590ccfe4e70c77

“She was twenty-nine. Hyun Woojin is the same age as me, so five years ago, she would’ve been twenty-nine.”b93515788db31b78

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When Taeshin ea46f9c743 jumped from 09cd795b9d the roof 2a0149329e of his 64fddd3633 house, he 63a23c257a was twenty-nine. Hyun Woojin’s 5e49fbed69 fiancée, who 46938b3af5 had committed 23b48e830d suicide due df110fa041 to despair bb00a9d1de over the 9c79d9f8d4 accident, was cf9b1c3cb1 also twenty-nine. Though it wasn’t 92a483f158 cold, a shiver d425668c77 like a chill bfe46e8d4a ran down Haewon’s 0ba69d315b spine. They would forever 6e5e5137e3 remain twenty-nine, and 4fc4bc8c65 in a month, 2ba05ef0e3 Haewon too would f00bad2b34 be twenty-nine.b51dd458cc14e4b4