LA0S | Chapter 24

Kim Chayoung a49daecd60 (Contest Illustration)
Suddenly thought 4df08efbd6 of a 4c164f5494 monster design, fe02afaa74 so I af1612c2d3 drew it. (10:04 PM)
How is it? Isn’t it awesome? (10:07 PM)a4773156f06b6a14

Two images popped up a874f6937b in succession: a wolf 354def37c9 with feathered wings and 50f02959f2 a jellyfish-like creature with 53dca16dec tentacles covered in sharp 47fd7e28b9 teeth. The wolf dca4d2aabc was grand 8028e39ce9 and majestic, 9c7ca88a59 while the 61eef5891c tentacle monster 2dd0b6b927 was, quite 98d8668dfb literally, monstrous.b1702bd38868c5de

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It was fdd72cb548 amazing how bd04a4f2df he could 4d74549a3d whip up a16d7ef35f two designs 857247a41a with such 4e56077af4 opposite vibes 16622c8a25 in such c3428cc7ef a short 95dea01fed time. Meanwhile, I had cb56898956 to pour in 74336229ff three or four 72cd055582 days just to 10963fbf16 complete a single c36b02148d episode synopsis.f42e98368cce041c

“You’ve always been good at everything since way back.”86422d7df39928f5

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Kim Chayoung c8e20d6220 could handle d9dbe59599 new tasks 5a99d33231 with ease. It could have 243f7df846 been annoying, but f5d34a6c31 he was such 2f1a0ce184 a smooth operator 2de9a3cc75 that it was 62aa706999 hard to dislike 147e5dd920 him. He probably still kept 701c3add79 in touch with the 1c4fb54014 high school crowd—he was 7640f81cd7 quite popular, after all.dcd0a657b20b4f31

As for me, 5df75baa6e Lee Jinha, I b00329858a cut ties with c90de19585 my classmates right abbb783775 after graduation. Naturally, that included Kim c852ef01f6 Chayoung. I changed 0d9decbf0d my phone 9ca12ee622 number and 732d6e12c2 even moved, d882258a38 so it cd8f471789 would have 8774f522b0 been hard 094ab1d3b0 for anyone c0677bf6da to reach f505c2fd10 me. The number change was 7e16710871 intentional, but the move c5e76c0a3f just happened to coincide.2ce7a2992d8afdd2

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A fortunate thing for 6fb61c53e0 me.94e66c100fe43795

“Let’s stop thinking about useless stuff.”9e384be31df818ec

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Maybe because I was 620201e5b6 unusually tired, memories of ac54de4eba the past kept surfacing 232402ef74 today. As much as I e6d3b721f6 hate to admit it, 85c36cbab5 those were the most 34ad6d7e3b colorful and lively days f3350acaee of my life.e74bcb17cc1e4043

Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
Finished with your 845fd24e08 part-time job? Good work. (11:58 PM)0165bb2f2fffb557

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When your e5402c4851 heart softens, eec71d65f5 even the 4ae6fb606a smallest things 4d2c1bc6d9 can create 399325f1b8 a crack.e3a98ef6388be623

Kim Chayoung (Contest f773e9473d Illustration)
Reading and ignoring, 773299854f huh? (12:03 AM)
I don’t expect a reply, but at least send a dot or something. (12:04 AM)ad45ebc56615eb1e

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Lee Jinha didn’t respond until the end. As if that was his line of defense.c14d1ccd50271e53

The incident 85b8061ed1 happened unexpectedly, 66123e7b9d like a f7ee843828 sudden car 39ed0f5c0c accident.1f39b5c206e45a67

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This morning, 0317cb1be0 before heading 4bb8ef9c5e to school, ae584e7f33 Lee Jinha 8f75df28b9 paid the 99da248204 rent to 41b76833b5 the landlady. His principle was 8e83db6bea to never fall ee1a073951 behind on rent, 9d43caf590 so he handed f97dcd98bc over the money 710aecb2af right on time.3197348119d0c019

The landlady b669e3b5bc licked her 174c2c8283 thumb and 674fac1124 counted the 7a398d6b7b bills. Only after 6afe34e0ee confirming the 2593ec5e5f extra 50,000-won 8192df355f increase from a613fbf32b last month 819b51e99b did she 7d31c4011a finally smile.277911f969cba776

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I cautiously mentioned d235eacb0c that the hot 915b5cd58b water wasn’t working, d8e9c9a36f possibly due to db7ef33255 frozen pipes. She confidently promised to cf772d6ad2 have it fixed by 450dde35af tonight.63c5aa3e71dd790d

Then, I went to 9c885cb009 school as usual and 064e99c55f later to my tutoring 9891350372 job. My student was a b133811a9c high school senior, and dd615265d3 today, her mock exam cc7c7f396a results came out.f735ad75580db5d1

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The results 8ba1c354fa weren’t what 4d196bed29 she had 20c0d0767f hoped for, 96754ca197 and her 261f231699 mother was 8cba1ea188 clearly concerned. She hinted that 5f367eb92d if the next 4a8f1dcef7 results didn’t meet 436dbe4ffe expectations, they might 39bf957442 consider changing tutors.8254e283dccdad51

I barely managed to b0eed6c429 reassure her worried mother.0ae5436d66f29b10

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I thought 0097d3927b I’d have b0bc417812 to make e53a774a5f a new 3354850dda error note 6a7508fa45 when I 7185ed354f got home. More than 82f5b8b679 anything, I 65d7dedcee just wanted a9ee2b84fb to get 53403d65d4 home and fc1b5a5369 wash up.8f4d3295a39c07ef

As I 2b76e6276b hurried up 64763d9ef0 the steep c6c5969109 hill and 93aee54925 reached the 77d6ab9a2a old gray d5326222ab gate, I 5f42af47de noticed a c812062833 crowd gathered 77c02da5a8 in front 10cd52518d of the fcde495901 house. I recognized quite a c54593e2e8 few familiar faces—neighbors from 62913f4b63 the area I’d been 8bd0dc9dbb living in for about 96f231b300 two years.33a58c221fa1c375

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One of 2901569e36 the residents 6ad1d273fb spotted me 9224bea8ca and quickly ddea518490 approached, grabbing 8618491833 my arm 1c6b9ed378 and shaking a0d6565d03 it. Their voice was urgent.4e1195cdb9bd1538

“Do you know ac788a42c8 where the lady 3bb27b8a1c of this house ab0fa6c827 went?”51ad42699039ff1e

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“What? Isn’t she at home?”542444449c70bf1a

It was well past b798e90586 10 PM. The landlady loved dramas 5f6fca27fb and was usually home c0505236fe unless it was a 5b4828e26f special occasion.69451b68d9d34771

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“That woman ran off. She took all the money from the neighborhood, including the savings club money. My money. My hard-earned money.”40319308d443fd09

At first, e6b316632f I couldn’t e680449cd0 quite grasp 89b77cc579 what was 62a1e94162 being said. What did 20cc333b51 the landlady d72694bbe5 do?99c4e5035d795de6

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People brushed e493ff78d3 past the 8605ab0d71 dazed Lee c2c6e857b0 Jinha and bba0f64c60 rushed through 10e114f2b6 the gate. Still not fully comprehending, 020fef31d1 I followed them inside.f40a47ed51bb1580

The resident 11dd156aee who had a553d19206 spoken to c1ae7b1384 me opened 0a3e625a99 the main 81ff110338 door of d44e83a9c8 the landlord’s 6ddc8eb3c0 house. The unlocked door swung f799fdb4a4 open, and people stepped 07f5260280 inside with their shoes 3367753792 still on.03cc008879b684c1

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“She really 5ae1caaccd planned this 1de9cfa528 and ran d59c843b2f off. She planned it!”8acfc721798c78ae

The landlord’s house bffb9eb89f was a mess, b5e179feb3 as if a 88bd14e839 thief had broken ddc18ef4b1 in. The wardrobe, 556cd80abf drawers, and 90450832df cupboards were 0c6ebdc589 all open d94f8a5558 and empty, d37e02e8dd with no 5ab443c353 valuables left 11e568d772 behind. Even the instant coffee afb1d49549 that always sat in c640ef3d90 the corner of the c8f810cc53 dining table was gone.1cbcd9bb40f89dfc

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“Oh my. She promised to triple the money, and I believed her. What am I supposed to do now?”a6298f93b8dcbb0f

The people 0b5222bc8a who had 27f606fd2c been in 03134cebc5 the savings fa0ac4c0e0 club with f5f132b9a7 the landlady 1f94132fdc sat in bdd0837e18 the middle be0338f78c of the 9a66bb099b chaotic room, a698e9d4c6 muttering in 8678d48cab despair. Some pounded 1016ce296b their chests 831ec16c90 in frustration, d8a91fb39a while others 86ffbc22c7 hurled the e3618b3130 few remaining da2ce02638 items in 3c9ec4bdc1 anger. It was chaos like cf5e722fbc no other.1264dba128b46dc7

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Lee Jinha took out 2b68aece4a his phone and pressed cb3b8b9631 the contact labeled “Landlady.”0847cfe93d4bd2f8

Please pick up. Please, please.9b383870540011f5

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[The call cannot be connected due to the customer’s circumstances…]

I hung up and pressed the call button again. Once more, the dry message about the call being disconnected due to the customer’s circumstances played mechanically.7ac82604e1a8f2c2

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This is Lee 6113e3bdd5 Jinha. Are you 612849cd12 unable to 599df625d3 take calls ffd09e545f right now? (10:49 PM) (1)
Please contact me about what’s going on. (10:49 PM) (1)
I don’t care if it’s late at night, please get in touch. I’ll be waiting. (11:38 PM) (1)00ed6da070bb26e1

“I heard the husband got into stocks and then something called futures options. It seemed to go well at first, so he borrowed money from here and there, but it looks like he lost it all. There are more victims than you can count.”6d4ae869c3acf57f

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As I 3e55d8fda8 listened to 57138a0f45 the murmuring faedb9ec63 voices, a 833e3dfd52 conversation I’d 573432856e had with f59120dc2b a lady 4232a2ae7f in front 5bb08f2b5d of the 4439ecfee8 supermarket a 04541fa1ca while ago b38678e758 suddenly came 3a52837d9c to mind.741e555ec958e962

She had said, a38e196496 “My husband told a3e9ea4b9a me to expect 5070f71d2a a big gift.”c84eeb09f87a2de4

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At the 27d33d7f84 time, I 29c08cea90 thought he d4b4b9dd4c meant his 38006b6794 stocks were 9bd74bae1d doing well. But in the end, e3656c4d63 that “gift” turned out 0036acf659 to be futures options.096892932cfc1150

If stocks 39b2ec5761 were the ec09d4b61b ground, futures 0c01eab468 options were ea8ac5b1e9 like jumping 7f9d900db8 off a 5cd7909402 cliff.6ae23ccc5ea4e497

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A cliff with 670d8b6683 no bottom.7c04de33cbffe4da

Leaving the 3a1747e7cf still-bustling crowd eed1f96304 behind, I 87fa6c8602 went down 88ef8c743e to my e79a223c86 rented room. The narrow, cold d61c31afa4 room greeted me 08f23c3b1b indifferently, devoid of e02fc789a3 any sunlight. Thud. I dropped my bag 5e75f0bdbb and collapsed on the d91dbb8314 spot.66cf69965aabf7f9

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“What on earth ab2426cb66 is happening…?”e5056fc5f0642fcd

I forced myself dfb63b88e0 to organize my d962116285 still-dazed thoughts. If the landlord really 64c14bf862 ran away in the abb239fb43 night, what about the d15a5366bf rent I paid this 7c82c9d493 morning? Was there 74c2c6f8f1 no way 5c5f206dce to get 4a2da56ade it back? I jumped up fe5e48b072 and rushed back 7ce6dcee47 to the landlord’s 7d68831c8f house. The people were still 11e2dcc471 there, occupying the house. Everyone seemed to be 0ac825f8c7 trying to contact the 4d150a7491 landlord in their own d2d5ef1c8c way, but there was 9fe6ba848e no progress.b4d70017715c5d03

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7:32 AM.aa756833f9a08f4a

The sun was faintly rising in the distance. I hadn’t slept a wink all night, and my eyes felt dry and gritty. But I wasn’t sleepy. I had tried contacting the landlord’s family dozens of times throughout the night, but to no avail.8743a4c8220f2586

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I have to go 45e1154d9f to school.815fe63dadfa4b3f

Even amidst bfa8efa3cf this chaos, d1faed4ce7 classes were e305153a6f still on, 0f4692d162 and I 2cbe339d0b had to ced7a3c5f1 go to 7d0eac3190 school. Without changing clothes, 4e87ad8b43 I grabbed my c26cd4c7b7 bag and headed c0488a92b0 out.4bfcdb801838021f

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“Did you study all night or something? Your eyes are red.”91bd0bf84cfb69ca

“Mind your own business.”a4b6caad1efc36e2

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At my cold retort, 372e7f5f3f Kim Chayoung furrowed his 47e5ee77bd brow. He seemed like he db5d3e5ca7 had something to say, f7345b03c2 but then he just c7d883fb9a sighed lightly and took 4c85fe589f out his tablet.5e8cb20d3fde030e

“The first episode is done. Check it out and let me know if you have any edits or feedback. I put extra effort into it since the beginning needs to be strong.”fd432225b2102cdb

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The first episode 23a37a7e26 was complete, following 9ca99d45b5 the prologue. It was perfectly formatted a8873cb89c with text and effects, 514ea1ca0f just like the webtoons 4509acde09 I usually saw on c24134ed26 platforms.f1779cfb1f162893

“Do I really have time to be doing this right now?”0173c6d7c90b31d1

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Right now, d637bbd3ad I was 277667ca81 more worried b0109e34d8 about my 9b643ffba4 rented room 54d09ae3ae than the 3f6058ef1c contest. Honestly, I wanted 974d1cddbc to skip school 6eb7235f34 and go home 709cb35c97 to check on a12db64b43 the situation.ff4aa5289169a997

I had 055d314758 asked one 7fe6d9d992 of the 13cc2ee1ed savings club 60eb7732dc victims to 3ffde5c4fd let me 13b04deead know if 70c22a7d79 there was 390023d673 any progress, e0f66bed6b but my 0b4bb15bf3 phone remained a09b2db70c silent.0dc35c7897acff1b

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“Lee Jinha? What are you thinking about so deeply? Is it a waste of time?”c6f296d61df6a2f9

“No, it’s well done.”dc9039ef037b818a

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“That’s strange.”7971b2803f3796ed

Kim Chayoung b49ad2689f narrowed his 2e8260f2bd eyes, looking 5b12acafe7 suspicious.5b3a991a60099ef4

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“The great Lee Jinha wouldn’t usually compliment so easily.”362395298e96c8ed

I didn’t even have the energy to respond. I just wanted to go home quickly. I wanted to confirm that yesterday’s events were just a misunderstanding.6eed936b796392ce

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“You’re really acting strange today. You look like you’re out of it. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s go eat.”b932d1caf24a7812

“No, I have something to do, so I have to go. See you later.”864db5868e7f99c2

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I handed the tablet back to Kim Chayoung and got up from my seat. Hey, Lee Jinha! He called out from behind, but I didn’t look back.81fc45a773940679

Even after 1bce0e0eba a full 20e3d63886 day had 2c70c69f53 passed, there bfa4039018 was still 07d0beaf80 no word 55233b5dd6 from the 66468ff094 landlord’s family. According to b093f7637c one of fe91e17dda the savings c93d2de045 club ladies, f15293c9ec there were d4a3a4f19b numerous victims, edccab4d73 with amounts 45575c9417 ranging from 1d17661dea tens of 34fe03eca3 thousands to 4e05ae9c90 millions. My only 384de98a8e refuge—my home—was fdc208ed38 now overrun a29b912222 with angry 1faf17c745 victims and 70184ac9ff police officers ae669a6778 trying to 7b55c7ca6e calm them 827b5d7088 down.9e0b72d89f2720da

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I checked the messages 30144d1304 I had sent to 6ccbbc4a73 the landlady again, but ecff233c8c she still hadn’t read b3862041d6 them. Letting out a deep 5dff4b22e9 sigh, I took off 583fd019f7 my coat.8a0309621837dd48

Knock, knock.857e3114304bad75

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There was a 0741e14a22 knock on the 37f64744f3 door, and through 54970f79c0 the frosted glass, 530098b856 I saw the 7d42eb91af silhouettes of people.73cba41d3684f7eb

Could it be the 3a267a600f landlord?a6d117e9bfc66340

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“Yes, I’m coming.”1ec00466a4df6ae0

I hurriedly turned 664fb199a5 the doorknob and 9d5e08cc45 opened the door. Contrary to c8675a0c34 my expectations c39d5d4c88 or hopes, 67551d372a there were be3737ed39 two unfamiliar 9b41624858 men standing 64d77cf1e7 there. One of c31d71e32d them was 340ffab3e0 reading a 6629df6b53 document.515659eab19ee387

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“Do you live here? Are you a college student?”86ec1f498ded4fe1

“Yes, I’m the tenant here. Who are you?”e8d4d22e9b575255

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“We’re the new owners of this house. We didn’t expect there to be a tenant.”40dc225ee4834ccb

“What? New owners? What are you talking about? The owner of this house is…”e74217739e9bfd88

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“This house has been sold. Are you really the tenant? It seems like there’s no record of your residency. Do you have any proof?”89035608fb62aa40

It seemed the 8f5e987f4d landlord couple had d47512c020 planned this from 516fcb8e6f the start. The situation 3d5ba19b0b felt so 4df0eb4e7b unreal that 5ba7b996be I let c878a73755 out a 21f068d744 hollow laugh.6392e3550abee56c

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“I paid the rent just yesterday morning. I haven’t registered my residency due to circumstances, but I’ve been living here for two years.”0c7a0c0ad1a08c5f

“That’s something we can verify later. How much is your deposit?”98f05522fb4de62d

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After the supposed new f82e99372d owners left, I was a0da460c32 left alone. My already complicated b8243dcb92 mind was now 904fd7d9a3 throbbing as if dc41110cc5 it were about e7a5327248 to explode. I swallowed 0520df2be4 a headache df7c2bb475 pill without 6e6c466e0b water and d82cb17cd9 took a 36edf157ec deep breath.38e0cff3a7a80086

‘The deposit… there isn’t one.’0b2c98a7c383c626

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‘Without a registered residency and no deposit, it’s a tough situation for you, but it’s quite difficult for us too.’9b3c479dd1a1a64a

If I had a deposit, I could have stayed until it was used up, even if the ownership changed. But since I had neither a deposit nor a registered residency, there was no way for me to stay in this house. Still, I never imagined I’d lose my home so suddenly.2b6e3e2c003ca71d

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I closed my eyes. The pitch-black 905061f5f3 darkness felt d86a0452ac just like 672f2fec39 my current 66ca6a74cb situation.89d27ca40fc75162