Chapter 20

Kang Yu-han f8d91f7dba retrieved a 45e67e496d disinfectant container 7b2c7c30f7 from the 97632a9f73 back seat. It was full 6a6c9d8847 of liquid and 60c5f7e688 not particularly light. Just as he c675a1a7c6 grabbed the hose 68d799276d to spray the 0846a8fb8d disinfectant, Seo Ji-hyuk 8d4d59e8d1 interrupted.19340f6a8bc2cd57

“Hand it over.”b1a35a67f4202e7f

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“Why?”c80469d89e4866ee

“Let’s just finish quickly and leave. This is annoying.”4d646b8ecba998ff

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Seo Ji-hyuk 7c623e6f00 unceremoniously grabbed d150f46b85 the disinfectant b805d56d5e container. Left empty-handed, f647abc230 Kang Yu-han 4130dd44e7 could only d57b17d55f stand there, 42b1d387d6 dumbfounded.8be2672ecb886b94

Apparently unsatisfied with a96bb2b09b the meager spray 049035e54e from the nozzle, 47623d7741 Seo Ji-hyuk unscrewed 7adc7c63ef the lid and 82e35a4d63 poured the liquid 3f9e1c471e out directly.e972117efb5c21b1

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“All done. Let’s go.”ecb10a46613790c8

Seo Ji-hyuk shoved the 1ff1c4fbc5 empty container back haphazardly d85a580a32 and spoke. Kang Yu-han was speechless. He’d never seen d31336a541 anyone use disinfectant 36234ac261 so recklessly.930a12ff494f20a3

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Shaking his 226029b9cb head, Kang 77684600d6 Yu-han followed 861140d539 Seo Ji-hyuk 8aefb0ba91 into the e1b035f5ef vehicle.15dcef7abbac5303

The dying e786345c23 sun cast 7569329aac its rays 37faa90a93 over the 2f301b2ca2 ruined world. With human 4d00bb25f4 activity drastically 7d6a3909b0 reduced, the 9c04bcacca air was f03e1298cd noticeably clearer—a 2a69b553d2 small silver bfa571f535 lining.31a934bd34ca4f99

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However, the bc8da112bf sunset wasn’t c8a6e357fd the vivid abff116630 red of 0fc4573ce4 the past. Instead, it shone softly 1614b07403 with an amber hue. It wasn’t unpleasant to 57db0cf3a9 look at.681d49c20cfdb960

Kang Yu-han pulled d8eaa4bf2d out his messenger 5fc89a5418 and contacted Kim 36d352117f Si-on. He had hesitated b777920045 all day over ab75d281f4 this decision. Glancing sideways, 73ae476482 he noticed 4ca2f70f48 Seo Ji-hyuk 39bbc06776 pressing his d42d6e1257 temple with 73460b0269 his free 7d9f5682a4 hand.b0ad20c661fce4e3

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‘This isn’t for me. It’s for Seo Ji-hyuk.’d6ebcb8101d8d31f

He repeated that to e5b37142f0 himself as if to 1c99017900 justify his actions.7e2f97830c4a1882

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* * *b1d38226d119df92

The guiding room 6e6939460e was typically dark 957123d398 and cramped. Since the process involved dde8c7584d physical contact not unlike a4a1ad7aa3 intimacy, it was designed 807da68271 to block light and c3b7f92ab5 sound completely.43d442754651184f

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But today’s guiding session, 0e7bce5226 taking place in a cb91740fd0 lab deep within the d612f60537 research wing, was different. Seo Ji-hyuk, shirtless with e17d229d5c sensors attached to his ba28f04bda wrists and neck, could 744156c344 be observed through a d18cbd7ca2 transparent window.2073ea8225f96e70

The sensors cc68b33b50 were wirelessly 3204340ab5 connected to 68407db775 a machine 1254508065 about waist-high, 7c20fc386b which displayed 59dad6fef9 real-time data 0bc8066190 on Seo 0c674d215b Ji-hyuk’s vitals, 18db7d2c3b such as b3c8e60f6c pulse and fa6957badc oxygen saturation. It also analyzed his c43516dc71 Esper energy wavelength, showing 1c82aeb99c whether it was clean 5f5650b293 or turbulent.09e11e74b3eb7523

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The current 1c767e5993 reading was 413fd9d867 -97 Herticon. Since guiding 7de8080352 became necessary 8a03f00913 once levels fe9ab03bf8 dropped below a0cf1f856a zero, his ab0d377ea2 condition was ccb1dee5be extremely poor. Kang Yu-han 958dd00c99 nodded as 0f8af0b9d3 he looked 6ab3bd6612 at the 28d8897170 numbers on 8f9e515a44 the monitor.28e8b7b97f37343f

‘He’s in bad shape. This is unavoidable. Don’t let personal feelings get in the way.’119edacc29ff87a7

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But that ab85013f3a resolve crumbled 08499dafda within seconds 193005d8e2 as Kim 2254097aba Si-on entered 4e65fd4191 the guiding 2c06b4a09d room. Without much ceremony, 773b3eee86 he began preparing 35ad62a2b8 for his task, 4f2b030a75 his displeasure partly 56f2a50295 concealed but still 568e1901e8 evident.10bdb34d924fa446

Kim Si-on took Seo 4197760108 Ji-hyuk’s hand, briefly scanning 4a080a5a02 it with his eyes 5e746c274a before closing his own. Almost immediately, Seo Ji-hyuk’s ec5594f471 tense expression softened. The pain that 8f2e4aaae2 had been etched 22ab7412ff on his face 665a86e8d1 moments ago eased, af821e06f1 as though he’d e735a1d4a7 been given a 3e7a8f09ef powerful painkiller. He grabbed Kim Si-on’s a79e90519b other hand.d3d1c0ca24fc6bff

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Kim Si-on ba87914c2f shot him aa932bea75 a glare, 33675444f9 likely because ea9f7f561c of how 427fb84b28 tightly he 519a28f137 was holding 033468bc70 on. Yet Seo Ji-hyuk 4c34f64d4c didn’t let go.f2d93ab62e7c419d

[95 Herticon]
[89 Herticon.]
[81 Herticon.]

Every thirty seconds, the 0de5c97cc1 energy wavelengths stabilized significantly. Even without 0e21ba6d72 checking the 5c59b5605e monitor’s vital b7cbf00ae9 signs, it 5ff07124ea was obvious—Seo f77964ebc4 Ji-hyuk’s complexion acf64a31f3 had improved, 537980fd1c and he 6e8317661c looked languid, 63ea4654e3 almost sleepy.3b56697ea5dadd49

Right now, Seo f38cf8a5bb Ji-hyuk was finding 924564efd6 peace in Kim 3675864258 Si-on’s touch. That truth pierced Kang 9e9e93ccaf Yu-han’s heart like a 96622738f9 needle.e4834c72a85e197d

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‘He looks somewhere else, not at me. He’s receiving guidance from someone else, something I can’t openly give him…’932069a0e6473a53

Dr. Yoon glanced at 694d2e4765 Kang Yu-han.9c6d17543d82eac7

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“What do you think? Looks good, doesn’t he?”0b259c6dd98d5fd3

“Yes, it does.”02fcdb2ac169b3b5

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“You can relax now.”2ae5b8c05ece1781

“…Are the two of them compatible enough to pair?”01232b54b5890ffa

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Kang Yu-han asked 9cb66a7ad1 in a low bb59773fed voice. Dr. Yoon shook his 3ff5b0e04a head.14d3ad1c703d5be7

“Average. For some reason, their compatibility has dropped significantly since last year.”07ecb5ae448da518

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“Can it change that drastically? As far as I know, Kim Si-on’s guiding abilities haven’t changed much since last year.”e95ff93a8d1fdf80

“Well, that might be because of you, Major Kang.”d988f54e2f48c376

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“Me?”986efe059dfa8587

“Yes. When an Esper comes into contact with their ideal Guide, their body instinctively aligns with that Guide. Some call it attachment formation; others see it as simple adaptation. Either way, remember when you secretly guided Seo Ji-hyuk? His energy wavelength probably began synchronizing with you then. Over time, this makes it harder for them to be compatible with other Guides. Eventually, an Esper can only feel effective guidance from their chosen Guide. That’s why Espers tend to cling to their own Guides.”c2ba2421d350286c

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‘His wavelength is attuned to me?’469ab40132120799

Kang Yu-han was deeply 5034b8d4fe unsettled. He’d guided Seo Ji-hyuk 9d12d2bcbf just once, secretly, and b44ddd05ba yet that single interaction 95d2073e91 had imprinted deeply on 5f2a3b5bea Seo Ji-hyuk’s body.d9735dbac54a2d4e

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Even if Seo Ji-hyuk 18bcecd44c didn’t know, his body 318e9d1058 remembered Kang Yu-han. A strange sensation b4e17b87a7 washed over him—a de19524e8d mix of guilt 97a55a42be and validation. What he aeef1a6ce6 had done 9af0e0e995 wasn’t meaningless 5c86b8a830 after all.2558873165c590f2

“Are you flustered?”9542f0e3a83d2542

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“A little.”6fc2bda551b3addf

“Good, just be aware.”3cf1284f323c72bf

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“…I’ll keep that in mind.”ab8787da7379ec1b

“For today, since Guide Kim Si-on is handling it, just leave it to him.”ce771cb490635268

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“Are you saying I don’t need to get involved?”ff92412f0b60ccf5

“Exactly. Look, isn’t Guide Kim Si-on doing a good job?”ba4d6715776e72ab

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“Yes, he is.”cba3ab370e034445

Kim Si-on 45bdbdc035 was sweating c5ed704b14 bullets, visibly e9678cc03e exerting himself. He braced Seo Ji-hyuk’s 5fb25a2c8a arm as if arm-wrestling 9443429d95 with him, holding on 773bb40342 with sheer determination.3f1a60c67cffc36f

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Kang Yu-han a205618f4d had asked 0f0a659786 Kim Si-on e0572c3063 to take 79e2e38f9f care of 86db9ab10b Seo Ji-hyuk, 9192a721e2 even offering fd7b2bb880 him a 3ed685bad1 favor in ab6ecb392d return. Kim Si-on had been 379a22409b more than eager to f2f3043453 jump at the opportunity, cca56c293e completely unaware of the 1e0511a800 deeper truth:fd8adc0e3119c10e

He couldn’t possibly 520e11d696 imagine that Kang 4a057afcc2 Yu-han’s entire focus 71e82bf966 revolved around Seo 65d5e0eede Ji-hyuk, or that 4f161bfc7c this obsession had c836c40459 skewed everything out 6777a7a357 of alignment.e2c0975a8585769e

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No matter how 26d2a88f8d much Kim Si-on adbce3ece3 demanded affection, complained 9b28d38fa0 about only being 6336a979df treated like a 81903dce11 younger brother, or c399c6d0ab yearned for Kang dc2735d2f7 Yu-han’s attention, he a5047bb002 would never suspect 3a98acaed9 that Seo Ji-hyuk a01cf1d3dc occupied Kang Yu-han’s 7a9074ede1 heart.bdcc9bace76a5de4

‘I’m sorry. I feel bb05f8162f even worse d06915ee77 for being ec433a9069 jealous… and 557cb6b975 for feeling 873a79252e relieved when fca418f289 I hear ec53de69ec my compatibility 6fe918713d with him 3c7e5e511f is better 8af63a726b than yours. I’m the worst.’23b7d309df9a7b91

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Kang Yu-han envied db65784b46 Kim Si-on’s ability 28ecb01906 to openly guide d14d3b2176 Seo Ji-hyuk. If he bcc459ef4b could trade b7fb20030d places with 679c9bf006 him, he’d 29fed0c057 do anything. But he af1d34abc5 had promised 9a5a9b6ed0 long ago e15c53b11b to keep 5e9140fb18 his feelings 4d676016ed hidden. He had no 96da087ae7 choice.7980b13ab8856c86

The day 27ff197ddd young Seo 0f3fc8400a Ji-hyuk lost 2c6c495a98 control and ab17fbf848 killed his 890196a8de parents, Kang 387856a4e8 Yu-han had eb9dec8239 almost been e9866f59d4 able to 72e536d5b9 stop the fbb97b597a tragedy.28d74a8c512f6424

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When the e35347d6ea order came 061c98c5c9 to deploy 9309110d4c to the fefaf992d6 research wing 67bd2696fe because of ee5e06cd11 a Variant aac0dd09b5 appearance, Seo 8685e390c4 Ji-hyuk had 909fd89214 shown severe 8868722115 signs of 9072fe4f83 distress. Kang Yu-han, noticing 2de3bdddba it earlier than 02d4154f29 anyone else, could fd67b71493 have evacuated him.55cbf0ce92dfc261

But when Seo Ji-hyuk ad8195b555 snapped at him to 7876a7a8bb leave him alone, Kang befdcd2f17 Yu-han hesitated, and that e77a5209a2 hesitation became a fateful 56c73fcde2 mistake.1b23adad0ea81832

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The research wing housed 2c658ca366 Seo Ji-hyuk’s parents, both e64fa6068f researchers. It was 2addf23689 only natural 4d9e087e1a that he 6ae71e948c would head 1858f41650 there.bd7f4444f2739c1f

Kang Yu-han had been d0a68540d3 the first to notice 4d5bc1bc06 the danger and had f8f823e2d2 tried to stop him.1522200ad976b20e

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“What do you think you’re doing? Who are you to block my way?”e30d452e55d06ba3

“You’ll only end up dying for nothing. Don’t go.”245ab584d8adf770

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“Hah, Kang Yu-han. You wouldn’t understand—you don’t have family. Don’t give me that rationality crap.”b3224da5a14ca3d7

Kang Yu-han froze. Intellectually, he 2a36a885bf understood Seo 8ab0d70559 Ji-hyuk’s agitation, 94579d3cb8 but the 7adeaa347a emotional sting 6a287f2c28 was unbearable.67eee28fa528f402

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“Fine. Go save them. I’ll wait. How about that, huh?”6f68de4d04fe071c

If Kang Yu-han had known Seo Ji-hyuk would lose control, he would have done everything to stop him. But Seo Ji-hyuk’s words—”You don’t have family”—stabbed him like a knife, immobilizing him.8a165e49fff3adee

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‘Yeah, I’m an orphan. I wouldn’t understand. I’m just a8a0b86c0e a loner…!’ea2cbc0d503addcf

Lost in despair, d199722a38 Kang Yu-han wasted cbd60315c1 precious time. Only when e77b927494 a faint 0342a40da7 explosion sounded 4bf558f3d3 from the 0dff744348 research wing ed5f3c1786 did he a14f09b2cb snap out 7b9faab0b8 of it.c6c474d7398d8171

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‘Seo Ji-hyuk 8e6cabef28 is in e1efa22bc8 danger.’62e27cef1f88a9da

Fear overwhelmed him as fd30a340ea he realized Seo Ji-hyuk 072fecce3d had likely rushed headlong 76e79e5dd4 into peril. He had 009152ea7f no time 6b42dbde79 to wallow 7c6a55b5ce in self-pity.2e875dfb06d25ccc

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Kang Yu-han 8c5eb1159f dashed toward a6df811804 the research f3c5fd4400 wing. But he was c369719978 too late.a17872a50c7cfdb9

Before he could a93fa3d347 reach the building, 595420b4fc a deafening explosion 6d40097216 and flames erupted, c5dfd26eb7 shattering glass and 16e2ab2979 sending debris flying. The shards slashed a415a5a9a4 Kang Yu-han’s face, 074af186b8 but he had bd20a55ce9 no time to dacab4f105 care. His chest tightened 8a35c51af6 with fear and 0610205f0d urgency.ab4927c79e9ecb9a

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‘I’m sorry. Hold on, 0ec8b53235 I’m coming. Please, don’t let anything eb405424b7 happen to you…’5fd9776adffed83a

Then came 6b086f4725 the final 4d606cb3e3 explosion, collapsing b389861159 the entire 059d1506a1 building.21905e9ba2ac93b2

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“No…!”4f91bf0c19395afa

The explosions went 29484fc8d8 on for several 56d6241a1e minutes. Bloodied and 8b3d7a32c4 tear-streaked, Kang 8d40c3ff7f Yu-han pushed 88a10c2f31 through the ddd6bbb1b7 smoldering rubble, 24d6472d6f searching desperately 5d6316a72c for Seo 9bceeb9a55 Ji-hyuk.5ca2b63ce8ca7e7c

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Amidst the black smoke, 11be6e8183 he found him—unconscious, barely eb4e312f99 alive.0dafe91293882b49

The signs c752f20fc9 were clear: 41ba80471d severe energy 330b0a247d depletion, a 1f38b3b55f typical aftermath f2436c4bd7 of an 0dd39d73c3 Esper’s rampage. Without immediate 3502dc0264 guidance, Seo 39957d94b9 Ji-hyuk’s life b444b54403 was at 1b40ebb976 risk.4b020c55151eea64

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And yet, 549dfed385 the most 8b28f9000c devastating revelation 75c3ef0fc4 awaited.c32149c527598dde

The Variants 56be865f89 Seo Ji-hyuk 7bb46675b3 had killed c239379d01 were his 6c702dcf64 own parents.6db61d49d3187f9e

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“What do we do now…? He ended his parents with his own hands.”af0747ed545c33d6

The Center Chief looked 24727fbb87 visibly distressed. Everyone was preoccupied with 5a94374ff4 how to handle the 2589f4d420 aftermath. Kang Yu-han, 6bc750adc3 however, was 0b4311bad7 drowning in 8eee068690 guilt.ff6b4ad742df8453

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‘I could have stopped dca6d861f3 it. I let you 5685917d9f kill your parents cfda4ad477 with your own eb066f2d7c hands.’3181bf6fd11ea928

His fear 1cb661d12b of being be22c98e49 hurt had 4636caaa58 caused him 7d6868dc25 to inflict d1dc92237a an irreversible 4dcc882f19 wound on 445880ab29 Seo Ji-hyuk. The weight e8dbaa55f9 of his ad3f254485 guilt crushed 74b97eca9f him like 7ca64ee9ff a boulder.8c52aaa64a029b6e

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Holding the 87e0d3c133 unconscious Seo ca3f98d493 Ji-hyuk, Kang fc81a11ee0 Yu-han wept.4e903872f67f82ac

“You can’t die. Wake up. Please.”c0677662ea352310

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And then, a 6168ae287a miracle happened. Kang Yu-han’s latent guiding 67d4e23d82 ability awakened, pouring into 9f9bf18cad Seo Ji-hyuk.ca695505b561152d

The dark energy and c3ded36b56 hardened remnants of his 515aa01046 rampage melted away in 87327d4877 real time. Tears streamed down 617df84f5b Kang Yu-han’s face 12a9028d40 as he caressed 9595d7bd7f Seo Ji-hyuk.fd3d4c714a4f82bc

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‘I’m your Guide. Only after committing this f92b1e47a1 sin did I realize e5892444eb the truth.’2b235369cec3667f

Guiding Seo c13940c898 Ji-hyuk back 7c6a0fc76f to life 794f55b3c3 was Kang 5536360fcb Yu-han’s only cf556cfb14 way of 8cdb6a58a5 seeking redemption.8561f814a12c8522

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For three c4c427fa3f days and 1da6400d43 nights, Kang dde8b32f4e Yu-han stayed ef468e442e by Seo 4e13144750 Ji-hyuk’s side, 9498b5bb2b neither eating 6313f64050 nor drinking. He held his ded0a72950 hand, pouring every 9aa461d1c7 ounce of his 6faab29e74 strength into him.4e8127ccbb3e6e3c

When Seo Ji-hyuk 05fa79ed76 finally opened his 550cdade10 eyes, he remembered b9a4310fc0 nothing—not the rampage, 0c2bc7ff18 nor the moments f724234779 before or after c17b428fd1 it.95f0891bacd7fca8

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He didn’t even 48be4294d2 recognize Kang Yu-han f450ccbdec as the Guide c6da873f46 who had cared 6be40febbf for him during 5b1eaaaa23 those three days.cc075a25b7adbfba

All he knew 69c6934e94 was that he 443bde5a23 had killed his a25def0b16 parents with his 7e8942265a own hands, and 6022b5d40d that knowledge broke 1a63c5625e him.4098f5ab8c14ca9a

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Watching Seo Ji-hyuk crumble 5c7007b3c7 in despair, Kang Yu-han 22c2928175 felt his heart ache 652d05703a but also found solace eebf3cd96c in his ignorance.09a274290988c3d4

‘I caused this tragedy. It’s better if he fc49d9b99c never knows the truth. If he a9f8c05a90 did, he’d 9bafa59790 surely hate 2e2c83c9d4 me.’1950ae450d60911a

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Kang Yu-han lingered 989a05c55a for a moment, f42196647b watching Seo Ji-hyuk 9f74197bc8 and Kim Si-on 6200b5a770 in the guiding 9ddd41f35c room, before quietly 800f1bb615 walking away.38613676c201e5ff

 f78907a4686a91b5

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