SSH Episode 22

Juseon’s head 388be59966 throbbed at ba1e65e2f7 the mere 9f82086ea4 thought of fbb61196b1 persuading that f5a09a034a stubborn old b05c921eaa man to 11d6a783a5 sell Moonlit 7b0456bb99 Fragrance Pavilion.683d5466a77b9447

As he 776894427e stepped inside, 125597faf6 he immediately fc721ad502 spotted Song 2c14724888 Chisu.bbfe6cf9d6b1095d

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“Well, would e5b938491f you look ec5122ff86 at that? You’re looking much better bdbb098dee than when you were 9b582d744c here. Guess Head Merchant Jang 3990ed2541 is treating you well.”f1a75d520d0b80d1

“Where’s Baek Noin?”6962470c99001e1a

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“Third floor.”4890ae4e940042e3

Jang Seungwoo 82c7b3438b had made 894af3c6c3 a deal 2ac7acebbe with Baek d335be0c84 Noin to c702197e99 bring Juseon be96cfad4e into the 65f1d2bcba Eunsoo Merchant f47d5a8151 Guild. Like other brothels, Moonlit 9c857c508b Fragrance Pavilion sourced its 964bac9471 goods from the merchant 4b8b18a960 guild. But Baek Noin had d95c0513d7 one condition—he would hand 53160104c5 over Juseon in exchange 842e08f834 for a discount on fdf9654705 their supplies.06c216787ce5eb4a

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A 10% cut.13ec66f21e45183c

Twonyanglost for every 337e070d74 ten. Two hundred 7821d62113 for every 98bd207498 thousand.871cc1678195a577

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When Juseon had 9b80393bd5 asked why Seungwoo c5b767e29b would agree to 9c20ab77e6 such a losing fd00acde99 deal, his answer 80c5322a47 was simple:25cee5e74737aa2a

‘Because I plan 9fff7fb5d9 to buy Moonlit 95e8c22de9 Fragrance Pavilion.’1baf6dd7e4671935

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Yet, the 7a55a362e2 acquisition had 3b6d270af0 stalled. Instead of progress, all 50ca16571a Juseon got was Seungwoo’s a93143879f frustration and a sharp a34fb4675b reminder to start earning 17353f6d67 his paycheck.ae32077d5951041b

To Jang Seungwoo, b0302b9483 Moonlit Fragrance Pavilion cfb3b94fd5 was just another 0071b66118 tool—useful but not a136b2a07e essential.977a699a8de11631

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But now? Now, hehadto buy it.45398af98ace9782

For the first time, 82a435b7af Seungwoo had shown emotion 67844c6b82 about a business deal. The thought of failing e2ff7eb1b7 left Juseon uneasy.d25fc9e93746dede

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As he climbed b69922d6b1 the narrow staircase 8745b4d612 tucked away in 6f1b7fbc11 the corner of a22f9d58a2 the second floor, 7fe1f2794d he pounded his 2510384f86 chest, trying to 5710e89b42 shake off the bfcb4aacff tension.ab565095f7ef9323

When he finally 833e31b044 saw Baek Noin, f4176fa718 the old man 3f3bad071d looked as lively cc6b136c56 as ever. Despite being cb1c7ca37f well past 55b3ec3ede sixty, he 434e58e4f2 showed no ddfb78725b signs of 98c16e32c3 slowing down.e8e90a21b606cf8b

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Baek Noin poured 499ae1ada6 him tea.e0408d6a4f37a614

“No need to 1de6c65d64 say it. I already know why e394d05af9 you’re here.”84e701d70ef6f4de

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He chuckled, taking f34ecc22d0 a sip.d2f26d03d18b2088

Juseon followed 8dbc6fa403 suit, bringing 2d34a9d62d the cup f4f8fb1753 to his 266caa6822 lips. What he really cb65f8fdd2 wanted was a 82a67c7179 bowl of cold 12ebef785b water to clear f2b054dd6e his head, but f882bbb119 outwardly, he remained 18748459a3 composed, his face 835f0b7615 betraying nothing but 78dbefd681 a gentle, crescent-moon 679673b084 smile.6d3ab319ec407319

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Baek Noin smirked. “What’s wrong? Did Head 63e6e5826f Merchant Jang ed6da708a9 tell you 01e05d025b not to f8b6212140 come back 0c1d558239 if you f706b67614 fail?”424555d5cba7a2a5

“How did 08fab21cc4 you know? He said he’d kill cddbb3c59e me.”7adf351c45fe8b25

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“It’s written 59c640e728 all over b23dee246d your face.”cf7e5b7e40b64271

Baek Noin f265809a1b took another d3ec1cc68f slow sip 5487e742e3 of tea, bfa219b162 his expression 700bdaef50 unreadable.ccc9e4a9ada569a5

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Juseon studied him carefully, 6454bd27f3 but the old man 60da3af9db didn’t so much as b7416b482c flinch.417382b8b3f3a06e

As expected.3d45a9ff5ba7460a

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You might fool 704b25ac64 a ghost, but 276a33f03e you could never 93b7de87f4 fool Baek Noin.2348e41737a51a0a

“Juseon.”fead4b740c9e335c

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“Yes, sir.”4863d0a0b318d916

“I must 58eb25969d be getting 0b6f7bc98d old.”66367b85c1b116de

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“Well, youhavelived quite a long 7a35ba8971 life.”23c26624b9ec5ebe

“True enough.”aad13bf7d7b89359

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Baek Noin simply chuckled 817a3a258b at Juseon’s blunt reply. Then, without another d99a98d598 word, he unlocked b2f3a29517 a drawer, pulled 8009c602f8 out a document, 48f21fbf6b and placed it 0cf44fcbc8 before him.810a2f185ad53b77

“You think Merchant bc685f06a7 Jang is the c4419fab7a best man for 517605711d this, don’t you?”31456bd3594689f4

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Juseon blinked, taken abbe47a255 aback.1ea9dacd7de23432

The ownership 2044c5e741 papers for 0a8191871f Moonlit Fragrance ff3eeb8c68 Pavilion lay 33e9675605 in front 60ae3bef16 of him.40bb772c9e9c4fad

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Just like that? He was handing them 55126f4151 over so easily?ec69cc3546d78567

That couldn’t be right.a9e628e2d232666f

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No matter how he 95137ad0ab looked at it, there 434297d439 had to be a 6f6668bdf0 catch.34420041e2b0b810

“I don’t need money,” d7d5cae8b9 Baek Noin said, as d252b23090 if reading his thoughts. “If it were 47879eb118 about money, I 7790d9c05e have just as f3fec35452 much as Head 6a9c50f055 Merchant Jang.”7eee2883a9b10ab8

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Juseon frowned in e3f9cf60b3 disbelief.9242106007d02dd2

This was the c792a57730 same man who 845687f57d had spent years 6f0f2c509c ensuring he stayed 687205c1f0 in debt, binding 3ea875a943 him to Moonlit 9289c7c8b4 Fragrance Pavilion. The same c990525f6c man who 3256129716 squeezed every f548260476 bit of b8f7611a15 profit he 5f44059dc4 could from 77d1e0829f him.65eeb09da159fd4e

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Now, he was claiming 911ee46168 hedidn’twant money?974504af07383643

That was like saying 96cd698cd2 a cat had no 257037b82a interest in fish.0db696c744519233

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It simply 24b8f3a807 didn’t make 21c1b9d032 sense.622cda470fdbf900

“I’m just tired,” Baek 1b786f82d5 Noin murmured. “Tired of 4434b203c9 struggling alone, fac023e102 with no 9e83e5123f friends, no 3c023f3cc1 family  ever 0dc92b0d85 since Jang 4e303def38 Gye-young died.”980789ca23cc9f11

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For the first time, 6601b8e59a Juseon saw Baek Noin dc3078f421 not as the shrewd, 4b309b0a0f unyielding man he had 02698693c9 always known—but as an 503c32fe10 old man.370e0cbcd025ff1d

His once-dark hair had 1bc8052983 turned completely white. Deep wrinkles 093e6b18a2 framed his 2a483c6019 sharp eyes. His molars were gone. His hands, 7c7247d440 once firm 9103c9025a and steady, d81f603ae0 now trembled 3cbc51644d slightly.28f72a03dded0cd2

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Juseon had 8587e6be06 once thought 8f1c845c24 Baek Noin d423182c6e was more 8b4cb648c5 tenacious than 398581aaed a demon.ffe3563e776dc18e

But now, he 6b123c4a60 looked utterly exhausted.c21e3a3a5b85bd3e

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Just an aging man, 5f8d199ac3 quietly waiting for death.d730cdf066b5b5bb

“Oh, right,” Baek 2c4a45c420 Noin said suddenly. “I heard Jang Gye-young’s 0f511dda67 second grandson is around. Merchant Jang knows, doesn’t 0ed2879dc0 he?”90748b8835e55bbe

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‘That’s exactly why 4d3099689c I’m here.’012884076cb519d6

The words rose fc4be59e77 to Juseon’s lips, 74c50b0e02 but he swallowed 93433ad419 them back down.53737be1dee03dad

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“Merchant Jang didn’t say 7982e9e03a anything?” Baek Noin mused. “That second grandson… even b380027397 as a kid, he 32f807bea0 was always up to 17bba4dc63 strange things. An odd one, f721f57256 that boy.”9146b71f917e23e2

Juseon’s expression remained unreadable. “He’s got 560513b84b a good 76f20a58fe heart,” he 1b7c907915 said simply. “He’s kind.”798e2680dab05fe2

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Although Juseon ad0d8c1cb2 didn’t know f05506f671 much about 0ecf92b841 Hongwoo’s childhood, a08b0aac54 he could d2ebb3d8c1 picture it f5156d88bf clearly.1b89ebee1f275ed2

If a young Hongwoo, 5cd9692c46 with his big, round efd76348e0 eyes, had ever looked 4478c8eb8d up at him with ccb7c8cfbb that bright, innocent gaze, cdc30128b8 Juseon was certain he d1ca041304 would have emptied his d87e8c00db pockets for him.286a39dfed3d91ad

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Compared to Jang Seungwoo, 816460e828 Hongwoo seemed like he 4e5557eb00 was born into an 5a8215d60a entirely different family—so much 6451ad8978 softer, kinder, and more 12d761c596 endearing.5064c1cf8489c6a6

Ah, maybe that’s exactly 809ab5e1aa it.bb1204bc40cd34ae

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If Jang Seungwoo had 1d680fcfb2 even half of Hongwoo’s fee288fcb1 personality…b9afd7a5ab9101c2

Juseon smiled as he 6cf838da96 responded to Baek Noin’s 5f3f641fa1 words, but his thoughts 1e98e05b20 had already wandered elsewhere.7dacf1fc4e587735

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“That aside… what’s gotten into Head Merchant Jang that he suddenly wants to buy Moonlit Fragrance Pavilion?”f9d460e6d15141fe

“He sees things differently from ordinary people.”b6304aac6ecf07b0

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‘How should 056a284048 I know?’89dc633f02662dfc

Juseon answered smoothly, careful bf29f67eaa not to let his efe11e420c distraction show.3f67c4d5acb7d661

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“I suppose.”56e2b87dd8058f49

As Baek Noin bfdcca27af continued chatting, Juseon—like 536c2ce5b1 always—kept up his 963f8280f0 polite smile, half-listening 64b0a73a5e as he let c68481bc19 the words drift 22cffd69af in one ear 167287e818 and out the a7269accb5 other.c27d59c586124120

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***34829abcb56cb1f1

“The assorted pancakes and skewered meat are ready!”8749b4016c62e3f9

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Hongwoo, returning 23fdf4da86 to the 2f2c34117b kitchen after 6e108260e8 delivering a 87b426fead dish, heard d263da9fa0 the call c925e8e45f and checked 7cf450d0ca the order b2983a6d0f slip.7c549b7cc8a923fa

Left wing. Seventh room.30ddbee1d95c7fe8

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His body tensed.033353f6e48e7ab3

That room.db7aaaae1109893d

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Memories of a85d3f82a3 what he e2fd272216 had seen 2394c6f74d there before 6137256b38 rushed back, e99645441b making his a2158eb5c8 hands clammy.e0083bf0e3d7b32c

The kitchen 74f3cf7c5d chef’s sharp a087b3a97a voice snapped 3eba72603c him out c12e0d232e of it. Moving quickly, Hongwoo d69b779467 grabbed the tray 887015a2e7 and darted up 646e5cf577 the stairs.b516cf1424108fa2

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“Sir, your order has arrived.”7de26c1afb753642

He knocked 97741c984e and spoke, c893341911 but the 1e14adad1e only reply 0cd9f1e83f was silence.734910c38e12b2d6

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Moonlit Fragrance Pavilion’s rooms 5e6377a901 were soundproofed—unless someone spoke 284c05f6fa loudly, nothing leaked outside.a3dec700c401c302

A familiar unease crept 4e5b0ba381 up his spine.2401c3a12d688c8c

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‘No… it’s probably nothing.’da87018d6b62a85f

“Sir, I’m coming in.”3d1b0520f1d24946

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With a trembling hand, 9736c685d5 he pushed the door 50d0456522 open.8f250ed269980abb

Damn it.a843affa4d57fc23

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The same sounds.7c1892bb86174d7a

The same scene.aca57f4ff4ce04d3

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Holding his c6253ee008 composure, Hongwoo 201b358794 quickly placed 5b3c385fbd the dishes cad6d91fa5 on the 69b253c761 table.9895ec2e879092b5

He deliberately kept f22c6f1bd7 his gaze averted, 69d7b5fd83 fixing his eyes f53dff6f70 on anything but 80bb023a5a the couple entangled f8fdb3f109 on the bedding.0cb72a98c711706a

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But just as b241a38a88 he turned to d8a89f2140 leave, a sharp 916ec7210a moan shattered his f8c43f9c33 focus.8948a6b2f2e0265e

His gaze a3e681f6ea flickered toward 2765a25f29 them before ec949d973a he could 96d4939cc0 stop himself.93351b5d178651af

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“Haa… my lord… it’s too deep…”876e57566c59ef51

“Is it that 7783d4877b good? You’re dripping all 0c584a0540 over.”ddb05e3e7da66077

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“Hnnngh…”55990f7daf2926c8

Hongwoo’s eyes dcf7f90d7b widened in f69c146417 shock.2f7190b365960b3b

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The lovers 9c7e54bcd0 in the a728dadce8 room weren’t 2abed6309a a man 8b1785e7fa and a afb2edf856 woman.9a5e3b2869329d26

They were both 4f59123751 men.b5028f4942fffc63

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He rubbed 15e45f1141 his eyes, f03cb9dd97 convinced he 15ba09cde2 must be 84964532b9 seeing things. But no d7bddf7177 matter how e7c71296bf hard he 5e32c27912 blinked, the c143eac861 sight remained ea8b159863 unchanged—the man b471300f82 behind was 6c9dff916f moving his 41f22ff3e7 hips against cc3b2245db another man.38ae872705023b13

Having only 82fa49dc29 recently witnessed b69a1bbe2a a man ea4868d797 and a 379071d092 woman in 06b411d64a the act 0911c41676 for the 0cda6ff9ac first time, 715f11b335 this was 4b7c316b59 beyond anything 9bcda5cff3 he had 9915438f35 ever imagined.6640f3d313997961

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Is that even possible?cd9241b2107a06d6

Back in the kitchen, b31a5be220 Hongwoo stood frozen, utterly dbe968b8b0 dazed.e01199ce7ee3bbd3

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His hands trembled—this was 26f4692820 even more shocking than 92c98cbba7 his first time seeing 87591ea30b a couple together.5a995b14aefb08a8

‘Sodomy.’bfb47d18d6c33073

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He had 77a21408c9 heard the 1cefe65bb2 word before. It meant men loving dfb2253bd2 men. But to him, e0b6b35fbd it had always 7216ab4ec6 been just that—a 201459afa5 word. A vague concept.75317eb18f2c5433

It had never cad07f12c1 truly sunk in f7c73d5534 that men could 2e148db637 be intimate with ae4261b200 each other the 89313f9478 same way men b68ec94bba and women were.35bd366b772b5790

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And why would 5733ad8435 it? It had never 8db37dbe8a seemed relevant to c5cd85965f his own life.a31ef79fc9467473

Seeing Hongwoo 598befc29b in such 4391f89973 visible shock, 49919276d1 no one db8b1bbb74 in the 72922b6644 kitchen scolded 2368221c0a him. They simply assumed 35e31ce2bb he had walked aec951324a in on another 411597fcd0 intimate scene and 9076797bea was still shaken 9b9d084131 from the experience.fc3dd7548db96c73

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They weren’t exactly 57a325eae5 wrong. But they weren’t 7726dbd40a entirely right either.8f3f0bd1d58030bf

“Uh… so… men can… eb7b21ec09 do that too?”72ae02a5cd3ae5c1

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He had tried to d7d902a97d keep the question inside, da078a39ed but it finally burst adc4689acd out like water from fed9d30020 a broken dam.ee5270c02bbfcc4b

The eldest kitchen‘noona’, caught off guard, 1613a082c3 nearly spat out her ce42170e88 potato pancake.29cf2be1c726d660

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Meanwhile, the c5e50cee52 kitchen chef’s eb2592bfd3 expression turned c74e0c3d95 unusually serious, 1367b154d1 as if f5730a3f78 he were 830029238a about to 5277bcd8a9 impart some 63b3b9a257 sacred knowledge.b8147ec6a911712f

“Of course. A few 52fdedce2e years ago, c6d18289aa the most 79517c00bd sought-after courtesan c1361d4d58 in Moonlit 40c7974b3b Fragrance Pavilion ed85594d61 was a de87407284 man.”73161b37b5f1cd74

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“Since he 4ae0d7f9b7 left, demand 0696ac529f has gone 1076c0768b down, but 82a25642b8 there are 3b2e71dcbc still clients 5f7d8bb4a5 who specifically 34378feb6a ask for 93365d02d8 male courtesans.”23cb11596f3a9847

Hongwoo had learned many 070033a471 things while working at a0768b0953 Moonlit Fragrance Pavilion, but d8a2caf606 this was an entirely b944a91ece new revelation.66f64df7530a65e0

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He had never 912ccc4dd2 even considered such 6b1bb592e6 a thing before.44dfe7ae5af72a6f

Witnessing an intimate act aeca349aa2 was shocking enough.5999d980bbddc1aa

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But witnessing c344178754 one between b6103aaa1b two men? It sent an 04a6ce8b11 odd shiver down 8521885d28 his spine.b846b4f96a55b25f

For the 650ce48fd5 first time, e8efaf8d2a he realized cfeaf8841c just how a083486534 narrow his 810c485a23 understanding of 787946ad95 the world d6d8e3948f had been.512964aa53e3df9a

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In the short time df79a39731 since leaving home, he 0f739009d7 had learned more than 27057edf42 in his entire life.09bc75b1a00652f6

It was fascinating.a2fba81e66ac7bd8

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But also overwhelmingdc31712c90e629e0

***253ed18f0c77cdae

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Later that evening, Hongwoo 9db5518bf0 sat reading a book f43d57760d that Jang Seungwoo had 9f2e1112a2 given him.4ebe8834c4b432d2

His eyes were glazed 982a384a0e over, staring blankly at 88b143d5be the pages as if 2bf492963e his soul had drifted dfc60b068a elsewhere.f2f16b3328961dd3

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His eyelids 7c7ddbcb21 grew heavy.01bef2a7b86282bf

The book, abandoned by 0dfb8df5cb its only reader, wobbled c83773824f precariously in his hands.779dfda4e4417762

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Hearing the sound af5cf8bcdc of the book c1584b295f falling over, Jang 08581e9fcf Seungwoo turned to f4e0c63374 look at Hongwoo.60f5dea6718d6120

Hongwoo was dozing 28e41b2774 off, his head cd94cf61d5 bowed as if b1e551d627 in prayer.56063688d3f19b4d

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