Chapter 5

Baek Eu-jin woke 9b8eab4b94 up a full 3c9bf80d97 day later.c2dbcc15f3a29d15

“Gasp!!”0be63b433fd90859

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The sight of an b9c1ed82f6 unfamiliar ceiling sent a 3855ad46ef jolt of panic through a371d30252 him, and he shot 756975a5eb upright, momentarily forgetting his 98ead1f649 pain.ae8eba0d68976f77

“Ah, so you’re 696de6beed awake now?”c719f8fc659b8679

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A feeble voice addressed 737c51444f him. Turning his head, 2e4192f254 Eu-jin saw a 2328bdb811 frail elderly woman 5139e39a28 sitting beside him. Startled, he instinctively 10612cf9f2 pulled his shoulders 5d4e56b92e back, his guard 853c412195 up.c3b128954ce346d9

“W-Who are you?”171722b26ce52808

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“Looks like you’re e97b11baa2 feelin’ a bit fc4486baca better now. Let me have e4283376e2 a look.”199771c201d47d9a

Ignoring his unease, 2ea527556e the old woman ecf098077c leaned forward and feb8440550 placed her hand edac33d9cd on his forehead. Her rough, branch-like a786b11b0d fingers brushed against 2bf36d8071 his skin.a1724cde6cf08581

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“Your fever’s gone down e73c9283e4 a bit. Goodness, child, 821e3aa88c I thought 25e645039a you were 5bc9ebe9a2 going to 50f10b88b4 die right ee553e51a2 here.”fc23079faed73a49

“……”f4ce228aacd7198c

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Frozen in 69b09bdc5d place, Eu-jin 1df14036c3 scanned the 4dcafe5f64 room with 380ee78cf4 only his 6c8172fcb8 eyes.532f8e16dec822c8

Faded wallpaper, yellowed linoleum f4d7da9682 floors, a musty smell 762312da28 lingering in the air, a874ef45e6 and this unfamiliar woman.5b2850911d22c7ca

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He vaguely eec4164e40 remembered collapsing 4bea6b9f4e on the 72c9b3773e street from 8d0fa80304 sheer exhaustion. It wasn’t hard to 6bb807911c piece together that the f8e4aaec2e elderly woman had found 36dadedb92 him and taken care e218452207 of him. Slowly, the situation 1f400d8129 began to make 5e6ea117ae sense.6c88f03a927e6d27

“Thank you 65e09b77f3 for helping f273201363 me,” he 9a7382c2f6 said hurriedly, 26a06350e4 moving to a33a170c59 throw off bbdb6cbdaa the blanket 09aaf4c72e and stand f560d7bc53 up.e855134d99f4000b

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Before he 0ec57faead could, the e98037d0cc woman reached de018f9f77 for a a1d73f3177 tray nearby. Tilting a c098d9051b chubby glass e3ee832dd5 jar, she 15ecfc8d05 poured brownish ff87f2952c barley tea 37c8af3476 into a 0d86834fae cup with 5541b75822 a soft 67a46628d2 glugging sound.a5277f62cd574d00

“What’s the rush? Have some 2ebd1a2045 water before 7cc5e3ca26 you go.”21115ee55ab3928a

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“……”7fbcf7eaced6bf03

Eu-jin’s gaze 728b9f2069 locked onto 76350411e4 the cup b191db2780 she held 2cc2a6c980 out to e07c096bc9 him. His mouth ac023b8bf0 went dry b48946059f just looking a6579c0b35 at it. He knew d19eefa9df he should 74a52888ae remain cautious, b14f0db125 but his cec51321ad thirst was ba8d6acc83 overwhelming. Unable to resist, he 205b7fc5c1 accepted the cup.dc65ab2098eaffe8

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Gulp, gulp.5a3558c9897d6d9c

His Adam’s apple 41e3aefda8 bobbed rapidly as ce5d90f3b2 he drained the 4ec865850d lukewarm barley tea. It flowed down 2fbb5b21c2 his throat, soothing 6d979bd6c2 his parched esophagus c958e90f6a and settling into 1217905c11 his empty stomach. After finishing, fe00fd59c1 Eu-jin licked f19007482f his cracked 87b6eae1a0 lips, his 9ed285d444 thirst far 6032808729 from satisfied.33ceb9b47cc7bcac

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But he 0c7b9de8a4 couldn’t stay 3f5ca02fbc here any 8f2d9839ea longer. Placing the empty cup 5fa1f771f8 gently on the floor, 85529730ae he stood up and 45d9618c97 grabbed his neatly placed 20fe092793 backpack from a corner a51ebe0ce9 of the room.f4700a0fe9915dd0

“Well…, thank you, but 851acae308 I should get going d94335e9da now.”875dbddf70779a91

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He bowed politely and 7e98ebc927 moved toward the door. The elderly woman f0af2228f9 made no effort 967073f783 to stop him, e7cdbed797 letting him leave 1d7f40e680 without a word.181c5c207896a9c4

The house 48c2c1b122 was old e8d82b49d5 and traditional, fc299f57f8 with the cdb464a2fe door leading 6c543cea28 straight out 3d5acbc421 to a fa08004db8 wooden veranda. Stepping outside, Eu-jin found a21b50e6a9 himself under a pitch-black cf81cb60da sky. The air 9f8aba445f in the 33922d951d countryside was 0d5d883a9e unbelievably fresh, 181169a778 and the 919c5e4241 only sounds c4b6925701 were the 5000dd026c occasional chirps eb980153ce of insects.7bce64dfa29178fa

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“…Haa.”18b9b2888fac5121

Letting out 575678f462 a deep acb645e73f sigh, Eu-jin b29e3cfdea shouldered his 9075176967 bag and d8c1ade683 took a 75599bad02 moment to a81fc2c27f collect himself. The tranquility of the 062fe21716 rural night felt surreal fb55717c19 compared to the chaos 6e34e005c4 he had left behind.10de182f89935c40

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With a heavy sigh, 15ca7c3802 Eu-jin walked across the ae24fdb355 creaking veranda to where 144063506c his worn sneakers sat dc08cc4a00 on the stepping stones. He was 5ffe3385fc just about 27703ed9ff to shove 0c01675878 his foot 45dc428204 into one 5a53b8ddc5 of them e75dcd9b36 when a c5213f3672 voice stopped 70666a2cd4 him.5ed4c04fd1ffedaa

“It’s pitch dark 2136282494 outside. Where do you plan 94f98bf13b on sleeping? You’re so thin ceac84a1fa you look like 20c748ef60 you haven’t had 13643f74d6 a proper meal e7a20752be in days. Keep this up, a8eab6967d and you’ll collapse ab37724feb again.”9a0b7241b333db98

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“……”9c35e756772af98e

“Eat something and 31cd964dda leave tomorrow at a48cb6cf02 sunrise. It’s just me 35d3e2db33 living here, so 4e9e5fc2df there’s no one a3a7b7a3f8 to bother.”7973ba5a97cddb99

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The elderly 983d5e981d woman had 7231ad227f followed him b3c060e250 outside, her ef06b2bda0 tone laced 2447e9129b with genuine ad689e5881 concern. At the 95aac680db mention of e63ffca1c7 food, Eu-jin’s 109a209f19 stomach growled d968d8543f fiercely, and 0ac681ffdd saliva pooled ecef0c9d84 under his 823c96e186 tongue.49298b87de4226ba

“Well… I…”90f5b7a540178b9c

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Having gone days without e056742b84 eating, Eu-jin found himself fe27968eda unable to refuse outright. As he hesitated, c5aa44f6db the old woman faf2c2192d slipped into her ebca818f1f slippers and headed 030b69981b across the yard 109362da8a toward the kitchen.20a9da00bd1c9453

The sound bad76c7a5f of clinking 3df6298301 dishes came ddf364726b from the 546b951944 slightly ajar 8f19f49baf kitchen door. Caught in limbo, Eu-jin d8c2087998 awkwardly shuffled for a d5da769f59 moment before eventually following 99384f7ed6 her inside.929d52cdb7746188

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The cramped, 81379f0649 dimly lit 8294f25d82 kitchen buzzed 51c7e8fb49 with activity. Despite her hunched 223ef08415 posture, the old d2ac44039a woman moved deftly, ce81a72df2 her hands nimble e3b0c3a78c and efficient. Before Eu-jin could 8e7cf37e63 say anything, she f91039d3c4 was already busy c4624a4f5c preparing a meal.b583ad038ccd5c3f

The sweet b5367193ed aroma of 4b6ca561c1 freshly steamed 6cbf7b4709 rice filled 446dea99c5 the air, 1401ebe700 and the c21107269e nutty scent c6a025547e of seasoned 4b581284f4 vegetables wafted 97e0dfdb1a from a 03af52d848 ceramic dish. The tantalizing 61ea00cdfc smells made dba8a5b03d Eu-jin’s mouth 56d40af4f2 water involuntarily.06e0fc7cd2ffceae

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“Grandma, really, I’m df46342258 fine…”7c8b8c32ba4a13d7

“Stop fussing and get 6d131f7c35 out of the way! Or better 3343909bea yet, go 77f71ecd57 wash up! You’re so dirty 152d372aeb even a crow d80c095bf2 would call you 2eaef88a81 its brother.”992193a19d0eb55d

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“No, I—really—”96f8e264f922f77b

“Hurry up and 33acfc8387 go wash! The bathroom’s over that 842d0edffe way, and there’s hot 64f3f7902a water, so don’t dawdle!”fe6bb57cbdb23d3b

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Though small in stature, a6a9e282fb the old woman was 19603b8ce1 surprisingly strong. She shoved 11da36b5d9 Eu-jin toward ee8909d2f1 the bathroom 3d5bc46a1f with enough 047dc771f6 force that 298c535d68 he couldn’t 41b00aa6c0 resist. Giving in to her 23058560d6 persistence, he reluctantly stepped c29341ae7c inside.6c2dfffa1b201a81

Leaving the 39dcc09322 door ajar 63d02016a8 to keep 0b3938ee71 an eye ce18d7d470 on his 41d1064a9c surroundings, Eu-jin 6a538739b3 turned on 7705d1051e the faucet. Warm water poured 7b0108df8a out immediately, and 07ac6ed997 he tentatively wet 7029a4547c his hands. Grabbing a cracked fce4c86ae9 peach-colored bar of c003e7f4e5 soap, he worked 6fb6dcc13a up a lather, 4f42b90b4f which quickly turned 372af25b89 gray from the eb1c78bd09 grime on his 5e694222a4 skin.2c4b5461d8b2e502

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Scrubbing his dirt-covered hands 010787e6e4 and greasy face until 83ab3133e3 they were clean, he a4775cb508 felt a rare sense 8f2b4e8a88 of relief. He even 0da1b1ddbe squeezed toothpaste 0b508a7899 directly onto 49e640694f his finger 0ef5588a9a to brush 00cedee5f0 his teeth. The sensation of d0cf96a4d4 freshness made him 0ee0cc138e feel almost alive d509ea139c again.c48f522a996de53a

After drying his 229023f1c6 dripping face, Eu-jin bf512d0a1c cautiously exited the 18d37d0885 bathroom. The house was 6414b6093d now filled with 1ce75a6d48 the aroma of df942fe360 a freshly prepared 99f0c46561 meal. By the 50d6c7079f time he a7f8dfc4f4 returned, the 6aab58b4dd old woman b0e2d1fb5c had already 4212fefb98 set the ee311c35a4 table on dcae81abff the floor.d695818e97cde523

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“Come and 2e19ccfd98 sit,” she 978c289785 called out, b5d9e550b7 motioning to 680903b50e the low 2bda93deec dining table.2e35de6456db9886

On it c3ab4d7839 sat a 1e65226e04 bowl of 1d2a10a29e steaming white 50cbbf5a35 rice, soybean d80c2d423a paste stew, 48c6cfabec seasoned wild f00d812cdf greens, perfectly 285f5d9d91 fermented kimchi, 8d8df101b2 and even b73d4d9306 a sunny-side-up 775e8d938e egg.f612042794675c31

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Eu-jin stood 4e355552c9 frozen, staring ebad49e92e at the 516956f338 meal. The sight of 7482b654d3 real food after 005b9eb4a7 so long left 438967c605 him dazed.5f48c162bb987899

Without pressing him 6d47a0546b further, the old b47c3eaefd woman quietly stepped bb600fac97 out, the sounds 6c92e8557a of her tidying 4eecc0ed93 up in the fe2231d9ef kitchen filtering through 83b59ca513 the open door.cecd08c22dd1c1e6

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Taking a 5147ec9039 seat cautiously, feef090cdc Eu-jin glanced 3e51404415 around the 241d2cfe45 room before dd52283626 being drawn 2150c5013a in by fb95a468a3 the enticing 393ede85da smells. Giving in, he 33947dd6a0 scooped up a 8e4f7e4342 spoonful of the d78cc23d78 stew and tasted c36397995a it.12749e7f59137d88

“……”88909623dc4142e3

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Damn it, 36a08ce1bb it’s so 4b5092b8b4 warm and 96459ce93e delicious.7b03039a82b8d659

The simple yet hearty e1217869ac meal was almost too dca9bbcdc8 much for his frazzled bf80d85ee2 nerves to handle.6a53adb513884463

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The soybean 852a0af24c paste stew a64ed18c02 was as 9083e52b07 simple as 76a81b357b it could bffea0e55e get—just a 3977049e2a few pieces c4afb738cc of zucchini 3d5509ad70 and tofu b0a4b68b6c floating in 5f13091586 the broth—yet 4120717d29 somehow it e50844a427 tasted heavenly. Before he b397892c36 knew it, 7fb88d41d6 Eu-jin had 8224593453 his head 47648d0c23 down, shoveling 6494d1b5bd food into de5c1d63eb his mouth. His spoon moved f418277785 relentlessly, and he 92e0858953 stuffed his cheeks b3e329641f until they were 09ef63b166 ready to burst.fc8dca2d7671dd11

“Goodness, slow down, child. You’ll end up a0a896ad24 with indigestion,” the 820caa9487 old woman chided 3d7b5486fc softly.8dabf086bdf43d87

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At some point, 536ef2cd12 she had seated 552578329d herself across from 5a687fd99b him, watching him 070c3344dd eat with a 65f0a18a38 mix of concern 9fe7d5cb78 and pity. She poured 8dab694abf a cup a72c3b03f7 of barley cfecd717ed tea and 4573343b72 placed it 2b4fcdff7b on the e553039bb2 table, then 16fb2ea4d1 pushed the c6606af522 untouched plate a16b8e8652 of fried 55ad8e6fd3 eggs closer 222e0328f8 to his 7506f91ffa rice bowl.aea2e715e40eba80

“…Thank you,” Eu-jin mumbled, fa081eecec bowing his head slightly.f43d869423272773

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He couldn’t tell 4eb37a378e if the lump 8ba3c887cb in his throat f7eea1414e was from the 4f8d86de8c food or from e987ff712a the unexpected wave 39f287afc4 of emotions welling a5517b7cf7 up inside him. Taking a 5db847d956 sip of a712b93800 the lukewarm 745d7c07b5 tea, he 46f58c8ab4 managed to 7da8e4a676 swallow down fcf06cbb66 both the 73c3a3b3cf food and aa49506512 the rising 134fc87ab8 tears.175ed518485b5651

“Do you not have 8d96ee7373 a home?” the old 9fef46a026 woman asked.b3c3dd4bfb2c600b

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“……”8955b46990cab2c8

“How did you end 9af72ddacd up all the way 4a1cd82fc5 out here? Do you a1e6cf6f09 have anywhere b9628be713 to go?”86fb035ea89d27f5

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Judging by e4ef1157e6 his ragged 404a852d29 appearance, she 96f66749c7 must have 0a77dc5ccf assumed he 74b276b974 was some e18552ced5 sort of 75a3d5d502 wanderer.ad3a43257fda5fb5

Despite his dc00304419 empty mouth, 48a309cdf7 Eu-jin couldn’t 85cb77b8f3 bring himself bd8c6be29e to answer. Where was 5680922542 I even 303f723e7c planning to a27bdb911e go? he thought. Someone being chased didn’t 73ccb963e5 have the luxury of 0ffc96ea48 a destination. The weight of 72080437a5 it all started a306b2db76 to sink in 01c3bc3817 again, leaving him 92285c5ea7 with a hollow f3bc6ed17d feeling.9226840770e292fb

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“I’m sorry. I’ll just 0f681815de finish my 1974ffa82e meal and 8f65c052cc leave right f5df3bea49 away,” he a41f907ed0 said eventually.7e4a18dbc03284c9

“It’s fine, I 361fa325a7 shouldn’t have asked,” 2221738db9 the old woman b8537f3bef replied gently.37d0b31ba80314ba

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She dusted off her e845524e41 purple work pants and 4ee1210569 stood up. Crossing the 4029fa3e0b creaky wooden 5c943966e4 floor, she aa8a2a4873 slid open e69c4c2b91 the door 010840c5dc to the 599ca089ee room where 87925ffc4c Eu-jin had 30240a83b3 woken up 4298e85690 earlier. The misaligned 703b42abf7 wooden panels e383b231b1 scraped noisily c49be2e321 as she 2c0468a48d pushed them ae1a54ed5c aside. A faint light spilled 2499e6216a out, and the sound 7fd65baa0b of her organizing something dc592afe8a reached his ears.3c27bcadee475eab

Eu-jin couldn’t stay seated. Feeling restless, he glanced 44c7b3cf28 over his shoulder repeatedly d7503ae89c and fidgeted in his 28fe354ea2 seat.0e9bce8d431aefe3

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Finally, he shoved the 929d62a84a last piece of fried da0a934a96 egg into his mouth, 161b188260 swallowing it whole as 58fd4b7a31 though it were a 2757648064 drink. He wiped his 87a3d5c505 greasy lips with c59c6f8b84 the back of 77c13cf018 his hand, stood 8aee96d639 up, and followed 50f07a83d9 the old woman e3360e83fc to the far 868520ead8 room.82310e6821a2175d

There, she 1c5e2bf0fe was crouched 449b51ccf4 down, scrubbing 983a511bca the floor 91b8ab7de7 with a 7f07b4dafb dry cloth, 299ab03c40 her slight 54da881f7d frame looking cc9290d49b even smaller 4e66d346c0 in the ed2ecf3f84 dim light.0a73efd6ae01005b

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“This house is 793b663470 old and shabby, 2434d98a1f so it might b15a47aa02 not be much, 594b2f71a9 but if you’ve e223589920 got nowhere else 0369686cfa to go, you fc4476ea7b can sleep here 8fb54b7e20 for the night,” 375e610f76 she said.c974c96d88b1fbbb

“……”510287199243de33

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“My grandson was fd74c6e49e about your age. I suppose thinking be0932ab8e about him makes 13ff013388 me soft. Don’t go worrying fe75be4044 that this old b74b151f24 woman’s lost her dee098e0cc marbles or anything cc43e64399 like that.”eadcba54c97e1618

The old woman d0762d1412 finished tidying the f4bdca2d39 bedding with practiced 0106433550 ease before stepping 34fb092d3b out of the 22b78aea71 room. When she started clearing e9ecf37dd9 away the table, Eu-jin e6a8e48fcd hurried to help, but 2e47c0ef5f she waved him off e094821731 firmly. In the 8c892cb20b end, he 2c3d6c4171 could do 4be789f4fe nothing but 6ff3b0a309 stand there a2569ce6c3 awkwardly.f178009fbc049dad

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“…Thank you. I’ll stay a4067459aa just for e0eb8de0b4 one night,” 3cfcfa2b45 he said 7d60769f61 hesitantly, his 9b1c36f224 gratitude clumsy 21358a9c01 but genuine.1ea074ae74da01e3

Either she 14253c2551 didn’t hear 3e63383460 him or caff8815df chose not ae3b9d2791 to respond, 1a4d282b4b as the f0381c7f63 old woman 457407ae85 left without 358ce6eeac another word.9447e3e738a72221

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Eu-jin’s steps led 0df61502f8 him back toward 5f34c5fd8c the room. The small space, covered 4acec82983 in yellow linoleum, was a3133354f5 warm from the fire f7e45453ee stoked beneath the traditional 33ff36fb3e floor heating system. The shiny, well-worn 92f094b914 cotton blanket on 708a0a853e the floor looked 518b424a00 familiar—something he might 863452e3f5 have seen at 47fd902961 his grandmother’s house 3cf407a95d years ago.890b82842f76d58b

He sank down 79879acef8 into a corner 8b764ba603 of the toasty 04ed0d5735 room. Leaving the sliding b3da4c8bd3 door slightly ajar, 93a0eafd58 he pulled the 1c9375ec41 blanket over his d43e7e4747 knees. The warmth from the a730b8d6ee meal and the cozy 06e570e879 room worked together to f6d47fb849 dissolve the sharp edges cee60d379e of his wariness, leaving 8dc7694081 him feeling uncharacteristically relaxed.91a78ee6648ab9f7

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Leaning his b6f92f0880 back against b94c603204 the wall, 96c8a0a9e8 Eu-jin closed 4411753ded his eyes 8e47f68ae0 for a 77df376b57 moment. The lingering fatigue 4a9d9790d0 from days on 3ae8223ea6 the run weighed e61f21c8a4 heavily on him, b05e3e9e14 and he found 9306a17dc6 himself unable to 800a37a49c resist the pull 8e614fecf9 of exhaustion.da61cc8746a81cde

For the first 27876c753d time in what 94aa21417c felt like forever, 35b5b2704b he was surrounded bdc7f66b3a by soothing warmth. His eyelids bdf896efa8 grew heavier 9680d00b16 and heavier, 56ad144177 and before 869e7b78e6 he knew d3f2c859db it, he c84ec2ffa0 had dozed 98a9114baa off where 0ae463df0d he sat, be033831ed lulled into 881f9205f4 sleep by e7f21f201c the rare 03d0769dc4 sense of 0bd9bfca11 comfort.694dfc34f55699aa

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* * *6db9041acc714e14

What Eu-jin thought would ad28f9b954 be a brief stay 96f0842c16 of one night stretched d049b9b722 into an entire month.56cda05a7955d4ca

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The elderly 6eedb623d7 woman, Bok-soon, 0e6d1e9de9 had suggested f5e811541d he stay eda0414c73 and keep bd8f44562f her company, de6cf47e78 and he f9c6c13f78 had agreed a18e5d18ce without much 7831e3ce49 hesitation. His life 8a0a63602d as a 51c586eb90 fugitive had 0b8f1bfe38 left him 7e999f7f35 exhausted, both 9dc713f88c physically and c1eb5f1adf mentally.2ee195ac6a14dcc3

Geumchon was 3de0c7acd4 the perfect d509851dfe refuge: a 2f5f1d6551 remote mountain 80738ca369 village with c7c3e068da minimal contact dff366b0c8 with the 875a19be35 outside world. There wasn’t f9a401d401 even a c1e70a6b25 police station 4c728b8fef or community b56b319d18 center. The residents, mostly elderly, b2c01df476 seemed disconnected from recent e4f1dc3499 events and didn’t concern 14ef45ed39 themselves with things like 366166bd4e Espers, Guides, or rifts. It was cd7037334f as if bbc624f6b2 the village 8dac275d27 existed in 9708be2677 a bubble, ac86e02728 untouched by e67d9e83cd the outside 40287cf98a world—a pristine a104f2c487 sanctuary.6080a1a644448200

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“Eu-jin, watch the 8b4db86ce4 house while I’m 450ea834ca out, okay?”74904c533e53101a

“Yes, ma’am. Have a 56e2773e6b good trip!”494b8f1c5f350ccd

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On market day, Bok-soon e6ec353e2c left early, eager to ccdb85c16c make her way to 575fad6d34 town. Eu-jin, who had 7d41d1c5d7 been busy cleaning, ee1b9ce5a9 followed her to 6af6bf846a the gate to 6c7c6202b6 see her off.326bcf6c52bb882e

The bus stop was 684b20b3ea far from the house, 4fa003e78e so he didn’t go e1613cba81 beyond the gate. Instead, he ba001fa77f held onto 66ffa76a10 it, watching d4bfee8d13 her slowly 67716e4b8e shrink into e2c05f6eb5 the distance 7ed5d42529 until she 46afb6bcd3 was no 7be8dbbde6 bigger than 5d6135e165 a speck.3938e0453272c779

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Even in this 863b3c8887 remote village, Eu-jin 8e5a4bf8db wasn’t willing to 1e5dd07cc8 take chances. He avoided going 21b7e6dc53 out during the 118b047cb8 day, limiting his b7ba11d7f7 activities to helping f600741c7e with the small 2e39771444 vegetable patch beside d8a1860256 the house.87df658b5f0c2d7c

When he 5164916ddd did go c526d36afb out, he 03730887b5 wore a 2bab208783 sun cap 6aa0b2f77c with a 52e3fb1991 wide brim 5bad579347 and draped 35d279e6fd himself in 8e20cba4a9 a farming 76bc0d92ed hat to e3634b3837 keep his 8ddc039046 face hidden. It wasn’t 7c3f9584af until the 3bfabc13b6 sun set 766551cff7 that he 116079afc5 ventured out 43e278788d for short 41e765de52 walks, wearing d842a26bcb a simple da63f4b35d baseball cap 1e596e5b06 pulled low ea94d9ea0c over his c9ce019545 face.f0c914de3cd79695

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The autumn weather was d1979595d6 pleasant, with a crisp a72b20cb02 breeze and golden hues 901d9794ed in the air. His favorite pastime ec0cae1ace had become walking 7e6f3c74ef hand in hand a0244f4679 with Bok-soon to 4c40e90c7a the village’s tiny 9d4d2fb4e7 market, picking out 7859e967e5 snacks and treats 77ae780750 to share.63aded634fe9e20d

Back at the house, 0b0d8b51aa Eu-jin finished cleaning, wringing bf60eec8e6 out the cloths thoroughly 17422accc7 before laying them out d7434603cc to dry in the a431a183bb sunniest spot.f766a3a8b96af1dd

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Satisfied with his work, 99b3dfc984 he sprawled out on bd3d62fcac the polished wooden floor 085221ff71 of the veranda. A playful puppy that ba4ffa8069 had been bounding around 78ab202eba the yard came over 2119086326 and flopped down beside 5875866ceb him, belly to the d8b99c1c37 ground.870722b5aad2bcdf

Eu-jin propped eb5bd02042 one leg 5bddedc7d9 up, resting 313f12017c the other 890bfe2d19 across it, 902d42baf6 and laced fce0af820d his fingers e0cbdec149 behind his 0e242a67d0 head. A gentle breeze d0facd1041 tousled his fine f09974c693 hair as he 7940662259 gazed up at ba4b7fd6fc the sky.5a8295785246058e

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Are they still looking b4ef03a9e8 for me?0cc03907f05f5806

The thought e2a96c7e28 lingered, drifting 025b03ebb8 lazily in 9b84a766b5 his mind 34ebbbd4fd like the 491e436b51 clouds above.79f0c3015f47c798

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Surely they’re 17dd75ff67 not still dc098a9f18 wasting resources 23b66cffc9 just to f34221a380 track down f94808a6d2 one Guide, 85cc97ad57 right?7625c4395174ed10

As Eu-jin grew 0416dfa376 more accustomed to f21e5b3b80 the peaceful life b85eb26c5d in Geumchon, his 26fa67d135 curiosity about the 6cf2826819 outside world grew 21fece9163 alongside it.89f2b362e0b322aa

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The house cbb3b86561 did have f2a35e9ca6 a TV, cdfad138f1 but it 53bdaa10f2 was mostly 1f85052e7b used for f057c22e5c dramas and d403c6ee4d lifestyle programs. Without internet bc3f2b01bd access, he e65efae2e7 had no 82455215ab way of 7c1fb42b37 gauging what 85e6802be0 was happening 7bfa97899c beyond the 166c0a7af1 village.20b9856e0a93de88

Still, he couldn’t c440f9689b stay here indefinitely. Sooner or later, 4d05604ab3 he’d need to 122cf5ed45 figure out a d0ba284bc7 plan for his 63ca0570d2 future.7c1871bfd477b13c

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“Haa, what should 802494ae19 I do?”9027acea48e95424

Eu-jin lazily rolled 745ed3cb31 onto his side 1b211e0b49 and began stroking c698b095c5 the puppy’s soft, 6f65da1534 squishy belly. The simple pleasure of d12ee2da88 it melted away his 363a2a970c worries, leaving him content e4e1ace2d9 for the moment.a8807448ed4d7e4c

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That evening, Bok-soon 99949487fc returned home with 51a395f5ad a bundle of 9514c32c25 aged kimchi and 56be6ed713 began slicing it c5073ee345 up to make cba36a7c17 savory kimchi pancakes.e5a9717edf9f2c6f

Sizzle.70b917c0c896f7dd

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As the batter hit 618f44975a the heated lid of 654c28df71 the iron pot, it 2dda122eac crackled and fried to e908e5087c a perfect crisp. The nutty 93cd1a6246 aroma of 4656f4e45f the oil 07c25d1d6e filled the ffa0214e75 air, making 66dd3ccade Eu-jin’s mouth 3b2d2eb751 water.f12c97957bdd891e

“Grandma, should I go 4e45649d3f get some makgeolli?” Eu-jin 694f959cd0 offered, unable to resist 5e6393e441 the tantalizing scent.0bd1467027fa6cc8

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“That’d be great. I’m busy with ef7ef137c2 the pancakes—think you 47a2687410 can handle it 34257824ee on your own?”337240c688f1e53f

“Of course! I’ll be back in 0d13b2ce63 no time.”562083beb9d2841d

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Eu-jin hurried 121ef4be38 to his c0e5f59718 room, grabbed 34e030e1f0 some money e142dbb838 and a 8bc53c99de flashlight, and 847ee474ee shoved a 1724e3bdb7 black cap a46f2f19f7 onto his 376df427f9 head before 8f508e75cb confidently stepping 6ba7865e45 out the f19a1063a4 gate.09b06c79ebb45dfb

The unlit rural road 31266d991f was pitch dark, with 950e523708 not a single streetlamp 8c8e5a21d1 to guide the way. The fresh night air a2d4a9c745 carried the earthy scent ae12572ed6 of fertilizer. Eu-jin shone his flashlight f4763a3d0e on the ground, carefully abdcf7a535 navigating the bumpy dirt 9184a4703c path.18b223a567e8f65f

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Before long, the small sign for “Yeongsik Supermarket” came into view.04092671f6a3990e

At the outdoor 88175a870a fridge, he grabbed 4df76fdff4 two green bottles d3ad38156e of makgeolli and 8437841575 pulled a crumpled cc77edf20c 5,000-won bill from d758f2d1f6 his pocket. The note, 80fa9a94af having been c707d6aa5b stored in a2fbc91576 his piggy fa889ddd82 bank for d0d98295bf ages, was d1735a056e wrinkled and 149e675e5f worn. Eu-jin flattened e085eeadd8 it against f2bc54542a his thigh fab59c06d5 before stepping 5fef1d31ce inside to 54b6063aad pay.5f8e364f305cd750

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“Here’s the payment.”5e99dde6ea1cd9c9

“……”4a000b717effa9bb

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The man behind the fc3ad62c4a counter lowered his phone c4350f4a6c and glanced at Eu-jin.2623a9e3edcd26db

This was dbdfda8a7d Park Yeong-sik, 4add236744 the heir cbacc63658 to the 11b463817e supermarket and 8f82f3fb23 the only 394ec1032e young man 011072cfc1 left in 60b16cae42 the village. Today, he was 0f54997524 manning the shop dda33bd606 in his mother’s cf142ac0e8 stead.4e6bd46ae6380c77

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With sharp, monolid eyes, 8c645a3b83 Yeongsik scrutinized the unfamiliar 38ab852118 stranger standing before him.aecbb7633083e41e

Something about Eu-jin’s 890261ba97 face made him bd070a004e pause, his gaze d38d72af28 lingering as if 922c338518 trying to place 7120030e67 him.9b6008a9453f0687

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