UL Chapter 9

The entire school ecdbd4a1dd was buzzing with 0e84c2660d excitement on festival 2ef9bd0011 day. Students ran through d1d29541e8 the hallways carrying f413ba3187 decorations and promotional a03510622b flyers, their faces 32321f4625 bright with enthusiasm 753895b381 despite being busy.e090d075bcb10e60

Even the teachers, 575b908f3f acknowledging this as 4be257455c the last official 17fab2e438 event before senior 3195cfd49d year exams, had 4b1709266b replaced lessons with 9ed702d645 self-study and disappeared 02f72529ca from the classrooms. But Yeonha, as f5a6acd955 always, remained seated 593606dc35 in the nearly 5286d48f2b empty room, idly 6dcc6d1a3b rolling her mechanical a07f3ce8f5 pencil across the 62200ec505 desk.8351fd5093b1ab18

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“Choi Yeonha! Are you serious right now?!”cf9393c47e55a57c

Aejeong stormed into ff71dbb62b the classroom, huffing, 7659f709e2 and grabbed Yeonha’s d1fc47a02d hand. Her mechanical pencil dropped 6d2cba1c24 to the floor with 26f55b9e7b a softclatter, but 5e418c8ecc before she 954c5498b2 could pick 2c1e5e8eb2 it up, d98fec9c87 Aejeong was d29a72393b already pulling be8f197861 her away.bf292bf894c5ace1

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“What? What do you want to do?”56be4c205b4186dc

“Come on, let’s at least look around! There’s a dance team performing today, and I’ll even buy you something! The home economics club is selling tteokbokki, and I heard it’s really good. Hurry up!”7245b13071e5b61c

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Reluctantly, Yeonha 08ad9788c3 let herself b30bd95016 be dragged 82e12f792b out of 444a20a2a5 the classroom.a7b9247d461898b8

The May sky b1892cd25a was brilliantly blue, 1725083f59 almost painfully so. Having spent 37b3bf23db so much 7a548b9414 time staring f070a185a7 at black-and-white 22c5108181 textbooks, her f78b0c5a23 vision was b3df3410d9 momentarily overwhelmed 5558aae96a by the 1136185dfa explosion of 88f4f7e79b colors. She blinked several 2839918377 times, trying to 27967a8d92 adjust.b5514e52b1838b4c

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Surrounded by the chatter f03f4b0086 and laughter of students 52eb9a6ea1 excited over the smallest fd9d5c051f things, Yeonha and Aejeong 6c81aa0ef6 strolled through the festival, 404b80b6dd blending in perfectly as f740eb6b45 high school girls enjoying 76b613b3ba the moment.c631f8f40c592064

They never got e43f5cf3b2 around to trying 30dd51d649 the much-hyped tteokbokki, b5ee9627d4 but instead, they 4a9ce794a1 snacked on poorly 2058dc762b made cotton candy, 89c178871c giggling as they f64fba75b0 explored the festival. Even the sticky residue 8179fbf08a on their fingertips felt b236cd7709 strangely pleasant. Despite her earlier 980bd94637 disinterest, Yeonha found 20c7b7e1f5 herself completely immersed ef9cdf2033 in the lively 1d65f9d64b atmosphere.e0440c756cb09e4f

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“Yeonha, aren’t those guys from Hamyeong High?”20c6bc43364f95a7

Aejeong nudged cf91da70e2 her waist 8376e66fc3 and gestured d2e16975d7 with her 5e66804f02 eyes. Following her gaze, 0081cc873e Yeonha spotted a d3ceda110b group of boys 1c3ae37d1e from a nearby c75dbfd579 all-boys school. As soon 9268e6227e as their 16fd6c2149 eyes met, 467f5bbf4b the boys 1ecb2d435b whispered among 71b3662aa2 themselves, chuckling.c536925b719e7196

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“Oh my god, do you think they’re about to come talk to us?”a06bfc3ceee45b83

Yeonha was 6e5087be76 about to 1089308503 question what fca6c8f100 she meant 4d475a133d when, sure 74c7401c8a enough, one d9895f73da of the c80b8a5256 boys stepped ffbc8019d2 forward as 4494352946 if representing a9db0367c4 the group. His gaze flickered toward 2a670b9ff6 Yeonha, quickly darting away cc96900a57 as if embarrassed, yet 6b750292f7 he kept walking toward b99dc78d69 them with determination.4aa89d29f1ccf748

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Aejeong quickly smoothed down 5cfb32969f her bangs with a d5dd988ce1 comb and adjusted her 4ca0696fe8 skirt.55430d8f6ca2e05b

Yeonha, on eff6431a8d the other 4b236bba8a hand, found 471536c474 the whole ec69db4344 situation unpleasant. She didn’t like this d81e0da2bf kind of thing. She was 29204a695e trying to ee93122d16 figure out 0155d8fa2f how to dbb16f1941 decline when—e344963a141bddfc

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“Choi Yeonha!”e5a57cf6d0905766

Turning toward 0ae4842381 the familiar b34e463786 voice, Yeonha’s 9a2de24815 gaze landed c41a4d5594 on someone f35ef57e06 she wasn’t f02ffc7c5d particularly happy 6d407a7194 to see. With a 82b00d7e5f bright, well-groomed e8a4bfb108 face, her c42fa89718 older brother, 2abf503f47 Choi Jaeha, e2d1360fe7 was enthusiastically ac175c3618 waving at 836bceabec her. Behind him, e3a32d4449 a male bcc114f6ec student—presumably a 5421188810 friend—was practically c53ab19621 hanging off fa8426b99d his back 14926ca430 as they 683e3480bc slowly made 691bfbd6f8 their way 10ba6a873e over. Yeonha let out 3f1f651aeb a sigh.e93528e51e8f1fe0

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A college 3fd0ced820 student showing cb38acde5a up at 2d492cee14 a high 50daa05ab5 school festival—athis younger sister’sall-girls high a442dfec0c school, no 49e8b0cbef less.e84a617ed5af4294

“Yeonha, aren’t 711b1ba19a you happy 77422da766 to see f6f8b6f2dd me outside 3930665942 of home?”0b0a70221994ac48

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“…What are 1c9d857adb you doing acb90d9660 here?”e472e3202210a66a

“It’s your 52428cdfb4 last school e471368e39 festival, so 426397b506 I figured c8cafe4e68 I’d buy e3f914f914 you something 112c6ab1c8 good to aa50d55a4f eat. We barely 91d64a71c1 spend time 25f1ab5b02 together, you 6020102d31 know? Is this 408a3f99d2 your friend?”a7e525ce9af5be31

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“Hello, I’m e7159f3804 Yeonha’s friend, d5f07ab2a5 Aejeong. Kim Aejeong.”096fddf64f0a9f40

“Ah, nice to meet e13072f7d2 you. Mind if I d329d7c697 drop the formalities? I’m Choi Jaeha, 15ddaaa984 Yeonha’s older brother.”5e22050182e109eb

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With his good 7bb54dab71 looks and easygoing 809aa154af demeanor, Jaeha had 0668845476 a way of 8e0c59f2c8 making a good 75f729b004 impression wherever he 0997d3ed70 went. Aejeong, a little flustered, de4f49fda7 shyly shook his outstretched ad611ee96a hand.45b3ceafd13c26b4

“Oh, let me introduce 2d07b204b8 my friend too. This is Geum 7a93b51567 Hojun, my classmate. Handsome, right?”8ffee073afd52c00

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The guy in 1c2ea6de59 question gave a 7575eb8a6a small laugh and 2a92367dc1 greeted them. He had obviously put f5b40b4925 a lot of effort 8b8bed19ef into his appearance, dressing de79de4880 up as if he 12c417795a were going somewhere far 77bd7ba0fd more important. Yeonha found it a 6300174124 bit ridiculous—getting all dolled 66c42e7505 up for ahigh schoolfestival…4c5397ae54c550da

When their eyes 4ffd3ddf3e briefly met, she b22ea9acb5 caught the unmistakable 11b8291dcd glint of curiosity 7273946c55 and interest in 1811168d74 his gaze.e220feadc592a9a4

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“Yeonha, where’s 233f14a0cd the bathroom a44a72403c around here? I need to f9bfe756ff wash my hands. Aejeong, can d531fe15f0 you show fb5ea7f02f my friend 051e0b39de around for 40fbf4eb2e a bit?”8b9e3a30304c70a7

Aejeong nodded 736a08eb05 eagerly, and 073f152b67 Jaeha took 1cbcd05ff8 the chance 330ab1d76d to pull 803895f9fd his sister 38041a6968 aside, putting 856a9c5d7d some distance 6db3977481 between them 733decdc4a and the 694903ab48 group.5b30f48170a2fc8d

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Still smiling, 00c92cd090 he looked e031a83869 at her 7d5a458bf8 expectantly, but d04b7a6dee Yeonha’s response 64defa8516 was blunt.ff682add2e62d906

“How much is it d3e162f8ea this time?”cfabf82d49482f10

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“…What?”59833c1c239ab7ce

“You came to borrow d7764381ae money again, didn’t you? …I really don’t d6688c7897 have any, Jaeha.”0069cd785bbd75dc

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Just saying it 7c5d72e413 made her feel ce93d5afe5 pathetic.4ed7d4babbfeb769

Jaeha had 80da29ecd7 gotten hooked 1b6cd7b25a on sports 0377cf73ec betting back f2aa225389 in high 0bc9cb9ae4 school and a7ceb11747 had once 8e72c380c1 caused a 9bfaaef6ad huge financial 50cdf386b2 mess. After that, their 858145a940 father strictly controlled 8732c4e0f4 every penny he cd6453dbbf had access to, d3817d4206 blocking off any fd451ffd94 potential sources of f637646c97 extra cash once 1fc81e917b he became an 473f4fbfca adult.3fc2c94142c2c364

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With nowhere else to 73fcd606ab turn, Jaeha started borrowing 957894f650 money from friends and 7579b4edc7 acquaintances—small amounts that he 5ca9841c5e could get away with 3d39c6b40e not paying back for ca98735349 months, but frequently and 66aed64bfe from multiple people.a4c2ef41715a17a4

Yeonha had given f2fb9a5888 him some of 7d295d7c2a her allowance a ca5e58078c couple of times f21e203bd0 before, but that f67ee44040 had been a 1e24cc9339 mistake.7bff8f157671c1a8

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“What, is 69b3cf49c8 showing you 99531564b4 around the 54e9c42935 festival such 3d63be18bd a huge ab1125315e favor now?”66cd61f2047ce51b

Jaeha’s expression b0684f0720 was one 5d3cdf4895 of obvious 183e5803fe disappointment.a2743bd05cb78f61

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“You’re really 0f5cc9786a making a 166b99c3ee big deal 520cc923e7 out of 20842ad4d6 this, huh?”24123c6a461bfbe5

“……”f823c2907f998693

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“What, am I ca16aa254a not even allowed ad6bca23b4 to visit my b412988e8f little sister’s festival? Did Iaskyou for money just 3371bb99cc now?”6e1e00b2cd6c797c

“…What’s even worth 9c24e89d99 seeing here? And you brought afriendalong too….”181ef97625e3d1e5

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Jaeha let out a e1363d3989 long, frustrated sigh, as 52f3eee720 if he couldn’t believe 495fe21137 what he was hearing.dfcfebd90d58ef50

“That guy never got 7deaf76b40 to go to festivals 56e795a140 when he was in 9bb524d6c5 high school because he 2c7a7bae1b had no friends and 4466b87856 was always stuck at d503450cd1 home. This is something he bb29152e1e always wanted to experience. YouknowI always pay 9b40c9b0cb back even the 916e823691 smallest favors. He’s helped me out 438a081241 before—lent me money when e8c6d9bc7e I needed it, covered 62e523df08 for me in class, 8eebd526d4 even did my assignments. Is it so hard 77598c353f to be nice to 8be3aff7ee someone who’s helped your d6e443d05f brother?”adefbf1882b2eba2

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Why did he 0cf9b6a483 even put himself 21ef495a5c in those positions 00d267539e to begin with?f9cbb9c94ba961c7

If Jaeha had c167ae1a5c gotten into somehugetrouble, if he 64badba544 had a massive 77fd46ce95 debt hanging over c59659c664 his head, maybe 7408d6104d Yeonha could understand. But no—he fd5e726128 was just a33ca9996d the kind d620c78fa0 of person 889648dcef who made edcb32fa00 a habit e48fb535c0 of owing e196ea87d6 people things.59a2b1d9616bb9b0

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Yeonha clenched her jaw 4f0e91d3b3 for a moment before d7258050e0 speaking again.50b575ef15283d8f

“…Just tell Dad. Tell him 7eab755704 you’ve come 02d379d2a9 to your 9ea2d1830b senses and 9a9ad50240 that you’ll ea1d7c7af6 do better.”bf85c6484e59e516

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“You think I haven’t b8940805de tried? …Do you really think 812c73c692 that would work in f394b66a64 our family?”f49f7696850aeda5

A shared memory flickered 5d28b6ae9f through both Choi Jaeha 6984b3d303 and Choi Yeonha’s minds.0196b8fe2f94aa3b

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Yeonha found her 1cc323c867 brother pathetic, yet 8103b56b57 at the same 0ecc57bd4d time, she couldn’t 635dc3232b help but understand aab16c58bf him. And that cc7c7f5252 made it 1f9a21d506 even worse.f6603563f696a128

She hated b6099b02e0 herself for a9168f3ec7 sympathizing with e31f4a503c his shameless 88fea3f1e2 actions, for 36c7a9ed2f sharing the 50a572a749 same bitter, 988bdefb0b sorrowful fragments d1c653b91a of life efaf1571dd with him.d163d5497b8135a5

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“Yeonha. I know… f44dee25c4 I know 1fa2bcbd28 I’ve lost c0c61731f7 your trust 867de586b7 too.”d94a4b101277d448

“……”41253b5631b8eb83

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“That’s actually why de952def51 I came. We barely bd19d44eac have any 32a2228940 memories together e2d96f44cc since we 03fe54d21a were kids… 1b636671d4 And I 4a6324d465 know I’ve 78bdebdda7 been a 22b06fb908 complete failure 565367b302 as an 140cb42986 older brother, e2d5eaf295 so I e4a0e75891 just wanted 56dba0bf98 to… soften 895770c3ea things a 0e8d655c8a little.”8f406d7fad5b391d

For a ded2ca7b1a brief moment, da192851b4 she remembered 2b131c1887 when they b920442d6f were much 859f1b647a younger—when her f33f486f37 brother, with cd07fc67f3 tear-streaked cheeks, d5c33da63e had hidden 365217c6c5 her in b9519c1cd9 a closet f3e435d959 so she 36a5b34559 wouldn’t hear c884ccc442 their parents f358859dc3 fighting.4ebb0e2832c0b35e

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“I just 01c27e2725 wanted to 12e0494c67 try, at 51b6097bc1 least like e3494bf26d this… But 9c9bbf313a I guess 86c679191f coming here e7049906c1 was a 863eaf2904 mistake.”7ec7927c8037db0a

He looked almost despairing.425eb58614153875

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And oddly enough, that 8451038845 gave Yeonha a strange d9b484d099 sense of relief.d2287d988c0c5ecc

At least 40f081b6d2 Jaeha still 1f7b51cbf1 cared about 691aee71d4 her. At least her 5cd9e73269 older brother wasn’tcompletelythe worst kind of dff8418ce2 person.9af13377daeffbfb

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Jaeha let out 4f50c3ffeb a deep sigh 0234f1e40c and ran a e966642794 hand through his c04848bdde hair.d872b02fd2bdc33b

“I’m sorry. But… since I’m 2d4cab2924 already here, let 0d5f560a7f me at least bed5b0adfe buy you something fdbff0c224 good to eat, 4e6b37a69b okay?”9ae5ab80d42e4710

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His face, one 6f1e5ab89c that resembled both 71cf70d0aa hers and their 7e77536b4d mother’s, looked almost 03ff57bc9a pleading. Glancing briefly toward c8dcbea119 where her friend d214131c71 stood near a d7bf254ecd festival tent, he ee0bdd9199 continued.c1929ad823d7a08d

“And just… put cf820087b6 up with him 9f81c59449 for today. He knows what 1e531b4ada our dad does 409b8354a2 for a living. I went 877e4e7c1c through all da95e89322 this trouble 3a2218a86b bringing him f5e1a78f8f here—what if 6ac5d25f8c he gets d919c8b779 offended and 627a2d8986 makes something c9912eeca6 up online? If even ae100f1fdf the tiniest 58f2af685e scratch lands d8e60a83d3 on Dad’s 878295ada7 reputation, I’m a596524b0c done for, 677da8984b Yeonha.”1f61cd8f4aae3b99

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“……”27a65f0a5a8736f3

“Youknowwhat would happen if 7c030b259f Mom found out. …Remember? How we always 40509055fb said our house 0f584aa709 was like a 39cb0e3e6b sandcastle? One wrong move, 0434cbd87c and it all 81e543230d crumbles.”677ce60f886108fd

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She did remember.db095d5f56d30a88

When she was little, b9c408d810 crying silently in a 51ae1ecd76 corner, it was Jaeha a61199f53f who told her—just stay efd78f37b4 quiet, just quietly accept a1f1dafdd1 Mom’s love, and everything 789b28da66 will be fine.383338fd1a93ea7b

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“Do you really 17b4e52e5e think I’d treat 05abb90c3b my little sister 936611904e badly? Do you know how c60760a98e much I love you?”c9a6ef4e2071804d

Just this once. Just this a22c64abea one time.66ae81a6ab72aa18

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His whispered 078f600418 plea was fee644698a like a 52c7f30083 spell, and c7ed6a553d Yeonha closed 337f8b4aa6 her eyes.4d85b5c0903c5789

The tall ade117514b guy with ad0fc84ff4 a rodent-like 9de4564831 face kept 04e27c3b4d glancing at e75f52d396 her as 9199ea20a0 they walked. He looked like he 703a202d6d wanted to say something 160daf99c0 but hesitated in the d237f29cc0 face of her cold 37e4bc8030 expression.16ed4e67832e9746

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Yeonha inwardly cursed herself.How stupid, Choi Yeonha. You always e6884b3c02 act so 5f4bd85845 smart…93b65f9ae937b264

In the 97c42c935d end, she cacce7e901 couldn’t ignore 31f9d40b09 Jaeha’s desperate 87fba98dfc plea. She told herself 7de37998b3 it was just 89c21b7c0c one loop around 8ee63f6140 the school, a 385bed767d short walk under 07eb1dce7d the excuse of 28137a515d showing him the b9a8032bf6 festival. And so here fd60968ba1 she was, with a6446b14c9 a guy she’d b10ebb2404 met for the 7bd915300f first time today—Jaeha’s 87f40bf9da so-called friend.3ab238845a867857

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“You’re quieter 27ec550b59 than I a92ca0a11f expected. Shy, huh?”274ad258e0cbf909

“……”db4bbe13b6173aa4

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“It’s fine, you can 54d149a9b3 relax. No need 556ae6136a to be f2b5ae6af0 nervous.”ce10a6f32f523c75

He seemed to a2e8548241 think her silence ba315ac877 was just shyness 3b86b17e48 toward him. When Yeonha didn’t respond, a6b71e252e he took that as 76bb638370 encouragement, growing more confident.7155cfcd1df44432

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“Being a college a56f97dde5 student isn’t that a445439189 special, you know. Though, I guess since 094b0faf7a I go to a 17bed40c22 top university in Seoul, 303c0675ff you might have some bf32c26942 expectations. …By the 4e580e346b way, you 32652362d9 looked really 6ad205c62d cute laughing 9269f3c8ee with your bbb9870319 friend earlier.”492cec6498711066

Sincewhenhad he been watching?0f4c551aad16eae7

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The thought of 9b3e0cb35f him observing her 2b02a32d41 and Aejeong giggling ce7d3cfc83 together made even 9428428f09 the good parts a5d03a32d7 of today’s festival 94c20276be feel tainted.de55875002d04ac0

“But, you know, 4b99d09752 you also look f67e925f1d really pretty when d8a9ceaab9 you’re all serious 02c2b73284 like this.”aa6230106f0fd5c9

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“…This is everything there 9218e2449a is to the festival.”a12da2c3d23982cb

Yeonha stopped walking.775ca41431a841ca

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They had 5e13c1b169 made a 484d23c6ee full round 67257b9c9a of the e0c3c7be63 campus, passing 5c534e418f by all 81ce0fb69e the booths 4c5fae403c and even f322d8cecf stopping by 992c7fbf2a the back 56653dfc7b of the 9a10b893c9 school near 846d76cf01 the convenience bf65c6a05d store. The guy looked c5fa5f0ca2 around, taking it d8a2e94db6 all in.38e29b77750a7323

As she had planned, 5b6e7a8362 their last stop was cf7f902838 near the school gate. Most of the students 390a7a2143 were still in the 474a5ea77e festival area in the 1691ac6e32 center of the field, 8009a27900 leaving the entrance relatively 36cc109875 empty.a5bacf3e68c6b9e8

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If she sent him 6382ec735a off now, this ordeal 691c29a9ff would finally be over.e325790e331f5916

“High school d9806a0055 festivals aren’t d32805945c like college a16555fef4 ones—there’s not 3cfa7c28b3 much to e553b4d698 see. This is all 993206ccbd there is.”de26ab2c718b887a

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“Ah, really?”3abeb0d738b98d13

He nodded, shoving his f97853e7e6 hands into his jeans cbf33da098 pockets.a33ca91f0a6da81f

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Yeonha was 7c1889d1d8 about to 88670ecfa9 say,Then, have a 24dceb2f23 good day,when he finally f31dd4664d spoke again.bf05c1961133b6a3

 363edab3b7c584c6

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