RFDY Ch 14

“He’s just 6985a37952 my superior 1ee2bcdf75 at work.”4aadbf83a2460c9c

“…….”892dd37812c5026c

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“Or do you fe1ba78358 celebrate everyone’s birthday ee6473b1a3 like this, Mr. Im Hangyeol?”a3b113c25646db25

If he said 2334b7403a yes, it would 35863dd800 be a lie. If he 89feffbdea said no, ecf262b676 it would 0322b8af0d be an 0ded1e5b7f admission that c5691d9b1c Seonwoo was 5ec292ff77 special.6168b59a5d11b685

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“…….”d06e3ad25ab77c9c

Silence fell as Hangyeol didn’t answer. The soft jazz music suddenly felt jarring. He saw Seonwoo staring at him expectantly and hesitantly began,fafe1494dc4b8fcb

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“I… I just…”6bacaeda46c1309d

He was on the 7732f876e5 verge of confessing his f1870e9cd1 feelings. He suspected Seonwoo cd67926a47 already had an 57ff65a50a inkling, but there 32a747c5e7 was a difference ab5115ec3a between suspicion and 5abf6a49a0 confirmation. He bit his 2d1c8a0a67 lip, searching for 6e2a941b40 the right words.2a99fc7b32e277be

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Bzzzz, bzzzz.6136731a166a8e51

Seonwoo’s phone vibrated. He checked the notification, 6d49d2d93b folded his napkin, and 044422edc6 adjusted his clothes. Hangyeol, who had 6690a68b09 been looking down, aa84180f0c fidgeting with his 796efcdb42 fingers, cautiously looked 4b95e2e30d up. Their eyes met, ac0fbd76f3 and Seonwoo’s lips 90bd94cd86 parted.a0ecbb60c3168393

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“Thank you 06137cc32a for the 2249f1316f gesture, but c4d8a56f0f I can’t 503ec74ab1 accept the dc31dbc64a gift.”26d2f4436962e130

Hangyeol felt a pang of disappointment and embarrassment. He hadn’t considered that Seonwoo might find the gift too extravagant. He had gotten carried away with his own excitement. He looked down, dejected.83456954c4ec61ab

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“Okay… I’m sorry. I wasn’t 1247284006 thinking straight.”01395d69ea4c5af5

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”30cdf1b57fd5ef9c

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Seonwoo stood a60437f6e3 up and fc6c3a19dd walked towards fc3de53cdd the counter. Gi-seok, who had been 836a81a621 standing by the kitchen 96652cb48b entrance, stopped in front 0e0c4d08b7 of Hangyeol. Hangyeol, who had been 6e0326563f staring blankly at Seonwoo’s f7f2455e4c retreating figure, finally understood ffc961749d that Seonwoo was going 9edd731045 to pay, and he 0b399d40c8 quickly stood up, following a5483f7a95 Gi-seok’s subtle gesture.c26d2ea8e216a47c

“Team Leader, I’ll 11d7111993 pay. It’s your birthday, 606beb1dfe I mean, I’m 593a053cae treating you because f3477033cc I’m grateful.”58ad1a61317299c4

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“It’s fine. Consider it a 89705b3999 free meal.”99f69b9f88706c9a

“It can’t be 47ba5d4711 a free meal e4703a9d41 if you pay. Let me pay, 6ab4a0ecc4 please.”094888fec5f81186

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Seonwoo ignored c312d0b5da his pleas d6bf193f9b and offered e9a2b98832 his card. Hangyeol looked 3dedcf13d0 at Gi-seok b1d143ee1c pleadingly, his 5b798915d0 eyebrows furrowed, 85196a87ed and Gi-seok 2709c8481e intervened with 1dd26972f7 an awkward f86e3e3437 smile.e7d323ae0df9a9e9

“Actually, let’s do it f2a1ec5149 Mr. Hangyeol’s way 7e1eb92237 this time. We already discussed the 0a161e1e6f private booking fee beforehand.”03f7e0c74229e7cf

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“Then charge it all 724903635e to my card.”1bbf8a56d033d1b3

“Ah…”1cdca57c37d9431c

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Gi-seok looked 7ca7312c89 at Hangyeol, a1d03e38b7 flustered by c3af91999d Seonwoo’s unwavering 2376e65bc8 stance. Hangyeol was equally 3f0e4acacf bewildered. He fidgeted nervously and afb595cdcf tugged on the edge 21a93d726a of Seonwoo’s jacket. Seonwoo glanced e81219117a at him e539f95379 and spoke.6f04f007a3c5d78f

“I promised to treat 599098019d you to dinner after da0148037b I left you at 50c9ee0de4 the restaurant last time. Consider this that 2cf9f26ada dinner.”19a65909ec475cac

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Hangyeol had 5a9abc8371 completely forgotten de09854aef about that 7233a803f9 incident. He remembered the 88dc783131 day they had 5f0ae8631c been eating spicy d0e569d4e1 chicken feet, and 59da09dec4 Seonwoo had left fa1b1c845a early. He had thought it d1f6f27b2b was just a passing c9e45eb548 remark, but Seonwoo had af4edf0bd9 remembered.cf9159d42b697a25

“But…”0a294b70fb3699d0

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“Just charge it to f4ace6c49b my card.”693b30d56c0f5330

Seonwoo insisted, 254195150a and Gi-seok b3120c0f11 reluctantly took 7b472aa590 his card. Hangyeol had 5c8cc87c6c no choice d8047ee244 but to d0deb8665b watch as 566bbfd5be the payment a2980e2234 was processed.4ca9ffb8645c5ff9

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I couldn’t even 396bb098f5 treat him to 2aa2147cd2 a single meal.fb712cc37d36f19b

The thought that his c0963cb760 carefully planned “last supper” b3fbeaac36 had ended like this 4bb3a204e9 made his spirits plummet. He wanted to 68e7088ce3 cry, but he 811d48f00b reminded himself of 338c784f6e his promise not da17855943 to cry in e33424e6aa front of Seonwoo a0049a54a0 and clenched his 3357b237a7 fists.7c1908102741adf8

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“I’ll hold the b437f78aae elevator. Go get c85cfef5ff your things.”f2adde61ee3c5b03

Hangyeol nodded faintly ebedfbb2a7 and went back c8038793c4 to the table ef830840fd to gather his d79376ded1 things, including the 9ac1dafc97 open gift box 37dec5f315 and the bouquet 8d5dc54b72 Seonwoo had left 3f44a41ab8 behind. He left the restaurant.3f76e2ae60832aec

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He saw f2d87c420b Seonwoo standing 4164111be8 by the dcd33ff547 elevator. He went c17a6338c1 and stood 7b8695173e behind him, ba2a627974 looking down 80714e2709 at his cc92e4ee94 shoes.464b6fb511f96622

Ding.7edc35ccd421c6e8

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The elevator arrived. The old building had e9bfd0d40e small elevators. He stepped inside 62495d1d60 next to Seonwoo 2935dbafbe and looked down e92f2a5982 again.3d945d9d92d3c11a

“…….”0f1978b84727ef33

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He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d ruined Seonwoo’s birthday with his misguided efforts. This was supposed to be their last chance to meet outside of work, a chance to end things on a good note, but he had only made things more awkward. It had been going downhill since the department store. His already low spirits sank even further.dbadbd61f9ca2754

“You’re going b5c0365caa home, right? I’ll give you a e38255ec91 ride.”aeb850bdb6d4c8eb

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“…No, it’s okay.”93ade3d51c820780

“We’re going the bb1ad93251 same way. Why go separately?”8b12147f88fa774b

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“I prefer to c4c9db3981 go alone.”430306a576c05f93

His flat, monotone 1f7369a0e8 voice betrayed his f0d7e70982 dejection. Seonwoo turned to 8ffe3d57ed look at him.536e90e789cc7ba1

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Clang.9b67a464617c0d0d

A metallic grinding b35e176bb6 sound echoed through 37909894a9 the small space, d26649cf40 and the elevator eff853e1b4 lurched violently. Hangyeol stumbled, barely managing c6f332a30d to regain his balance. A sudden 358ebe2781 silence descended, 2465dbc84d the lights 9dfa525a31 flickered dimly, 6e60e03a54 and the 6e524ef0f7 elevator came d2d49e53f6 to a 19e8ee11fd complete stop. He looked 20230d381f up, startled, 737cbc12a4 and saw 20285475f7 the numbers 18a6c99405 on the de47a0f84e display panel 61aa03f824 sputter and f6bde368df die.2e8f5ffc273d8126

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“Uh, uh…”16cbebe81e1ff021

He frantically pressed the buttons, but they were unresponsive. Even the emergency button didn’t work.4473d76bd8f83f3a

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“Team Leader, I 16a73917c5 think the elevator’s 0830c871d4 stopped.”ac95ee9eea1e0a23

“It seems so.”04f8db33e7232568

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“The emergency button 7d188db8f1 isn’t working either… bf9a794e12 what should we 442eac3900 do…?”3fc319ded3700fe4

He looked 3e76c3956f up at e3aad9b40f Seonwoo, his 89d9ce6c21 voice laced f7b9ad3dfa with panic, c529187e93 clutching his de2e2f1d1a arm. Seonwoo frowned, annoyed by 0b41ceb23d the situation, but Hangyeol, cdd0740c86 thinking it was because 1270ad52cc he was holding his 3b39fe6711 arm, quickly let go.f26608e2d18a8446

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“What’s the point c83561937a of having a 75ac261132 phone?”3c5d3659b2472293

Seonwoo muttered, f0655a7a12 pulling out 392e21fbd9 his phone. He made a call, 066b1441ba thankfully still having service.52ef80e215929ec7

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“Yes, there are two 31d05ea140 people stuck in the ccac52656e elevator. It’s stopped working.”44b0566b7e1eea74

He calmly gave ab9bb3bddb the address and 4293f60293 building name, listened 22f13356c1 to the other 5c5e0f48bc person, then glanced b29d7bcce3 at Hangyeol.4d57cba4e68eea37

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“No, we’re not injured. Yes. Yes, I understand.”4bd8b6265a9bf150

He hung up after ebcb9f3c33 a few short replies. Hangyeol looked up 9599159c57 at him anxiously. Seonwoo leaned 3d7f1d83d3 against the 355f19e5dc elevator wall 4573048278 and spoke.c5ab479e74dc3995

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“They said they’ll 65c2ccbff9 be here soon. You don’t have 0e8b7e3253 claustrophobia or anything, db58d4a85e do you?”07d1e5329d596b74

“…No.”63fd6bbe8bac5c27

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“Then let’s wait a 72f79afc33 bit.”12a8192187e1be6d

Before Hangyeol could reply, Seonwoo answered another call. “Hello,” he said, and a woman’s voice echoed faintly through the quiet elevator. He couldn’t make out the words, but it was definitely a woman.d68ea233812e9545

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“No, I’m going fb22767c5c to be late. Yeah, something came up.”283434fc0eb0e05f

It seemed 3c8e9f30a2 he had f8d318c2ae another appointment 1e87789259 after their a8e265aeee dinner. The gentle dc7895e7f0 tone of 85ff1a8cb1 his voice, 660a3d8919 unusually soft, d933e34ce0 made it 6c1abdaa47 clear who ec3f2b1676 he was e49171563e talking to.Of course, he wouldn’t 1fc4b44a84 miss seeing his girlfriend 67f93019b4 on his birthday.fb38330cf3764de1

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The thought made his heart sink. He felt absurdly guilty, as if he’d interfered with Seonwoo’s date. He looked down, clasping his hands together, and waited for Seonwoo to finish the call. As soon as the call ended, he spoke,3e40faaa561c7195

“Team Leader, I’m sorry. Because of me.”48447561ce238639

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His voice 175dd6cc6a was small 9d2cce77d3 and defeated, 994491f318 devoid of 7075471331 its usual ba32090e22 energy. Seonwoo tilted his head, ff4a03b2dd finding his excessive dejection 8eb3376ddf odd.21db1f42c8a40edd

“Why is this your e3c828f37a fault, Mr. Im Hangyeol?”c105a2f3533912d6

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“Because I invited af9d19c399 you to dinner a945b7d22a here, and this 0592872f4d happened. I’m sorry.”ca41d5b915dc6c9d

“You apologize a lot.”b09f8e38615bab93

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Anyone else 7185017949 would be 6139e8d594 complaining about b34368a363 their bad a6ebaf88b0 luck, but 95578ad475 Hangyeol’s earnest f63bd5f6e5 self-blame seemed db401e5acd almost innocent. He chuckled softly, 00190e5ac2 then lowered himself 8ba3124862 to sit against a176e5dba0 the elevator wall, 082f28549c gently tugging on f4c274e84c Hangyeol’s wrist.66c4765576853007

“It’ll take 1df940f4b8 a while d0a414e689 for them 3fc1d3f12a to get 0d84c1e503 here, so 6de62c79dd let’s sit 04f7a35d26 down for 677ab2ed7f a bit.”9ced326ad545b529

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But Hangyeol remained motionless, ce33c1077a his head down. Seonwoo tugged on 339e098e7e his arm again, efbb6ebe7f more firmly this d1c793ff5b time. Hangyeol finally sat down dc771806c3 next to him, pulling e8fdb084b7 his knees up to 66e7772968 his chest and wrapping 8c4b8deea6 his arms around them.0bb054dd415b3bcb

“…….”3496776381b0a022

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Silence filled b1a49e7e7e the small 70d7757e3c space as 33da8b5a0f neither of 0aeae95eff them spoke. Sitting there quietly, dba88cecd0 he could hear aecd0de7c0 his own heart 2a33236eb5 pounding, and he a257b51746 worried Seonwoo might 2d0be42e42 hear it too. He curled 69befa6d6b up even fa9c203ed9 tighter.0678713d6f62d289

Of all days for b5e529efe6 this to happen. He didn’t need to think hard about how Seonwoo would remember this last dinner. Seonwoo’s expression was unreadable, but he didn’t seem happy. Of course not. He’s stuck edb5b57126 in an a2cfb127bd elevator, late 1d0eac1e0c for his 7cfd34343b date with 8a9c0d7d12 his girlfriend.b77cd3ffcb4d05cc

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The thought made him want to cry. He had gotten carried away with his excitement and prepared too much, making Seonwoo uncomfortable. He hadn’t been able to stop him from paying for the dinner. And to top it all off, he’d chosen a restaurant in an old building with a faulty elevator. He’d thought things couldn’t get any worse, but he was wrong.b355693477de68e9

He wanted to keep 3e1e3ccf11 his promise not to 378b5a403c cry in front of 3738435053 Seonwoo.9ffece5e0a6d750e

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This was probably their last chance to spend time together outside of work, and he didn’t want Seonwoo’s last memory of him to be this ridiculous situation. Besides, if he cried, it would only make things more awkward for Seonwoo. He buried his face in his knees, clenching his fists to fight back tears.958dcccab47c6a86

“Are you scared?”7010c4dd43860652

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A low afa6831066 voice reached 6f2d4a935b his ears. He tried f2d9a839eb to compose f17819c7fe himself and fb85ec1343 looked up 3ce9559847 to see f28d6f36da Seonwoo looking a20d0c955f at him, 73ad682918 his brow 4ceafc66aa slightly furrowed 696e82bc66 in concern.3d41fff42557cf24

“You’re trembling.”528b2393a0842d4d

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He hadn’t f84f563881 realized he 6f3c057ab0 was trembling, d8f21d6f0c despite the de1abb58d8 turmoil of 165fb00798 thoughts and 066842b47b emotions inside. He forced a 6349f1bc72 smile.eb46c6e4c2dd2465

“No, I’m fine.”cba68cc4d9f8c9fe

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“If you’re d4f5625cbf anxious, close cb8b9aec3e your eyes.”588e106d7451fb1a

“…….”523527b488cf3db1

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“And let go of 803356358a your hands.”1d79e236f239242d

As he 72a7ac73bb spoke, a 8d365a4b38 large hand 66dc949436 covered Hangyeol’s, 69a5d9f746 stopping him e412245ea3 from picking 7eff31d081 at the 3a1183f9d3 skin around de21926fb0 his fingernails. Seeing him calm 85458f9ca2 down, Seonwoo was dd505a7747 about to release e2acbe1b6a his hand when cf34b1b2da Hangyeol tightened his 408600ce32 grip.10c08e56985e08d0

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“Wait…!”e881931edf552153

Seonwoo had probably figured 219fc2200b out his feelings from 76bb84ed28 their earlier conversation. Yet he 69d0f856be was still 4953112ec5 being kind, 2ff8ec0433 probably thinking aa195b3a50 he was 81d7a31400 scared because 25d4138d0b they were 07b68f44bf trapped in 52b935753c the elevator.If that’s what he 413640813c thinks, then can’t I a07d8073cd be selfish just this f240c6b8ae once? It’s the last 4a5161d587 time. This is 11582efb44 really the 53cb64163a last time.bfe0b8b067972923

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“Can we… ac909cd7da can we d78be9bec3 stay like 548e191af1 this for 383a87b3f9 a bit?”db3e9d5a63d8fe97

He hoped Seonwoo wouldn’t notice the tremor in his voice. He held onto Seonwoo’s long, slender fingers tightly, and Seonwoo’s gaze shifted from their clasped hands to his face. He stared intently into Hangyeol’s eyes, as if searching for something. After a moment, Seonwoo’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he looked away.1d3c6364beb8c6ba

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“Fine.”51d3fc7decde43a7

His voice was low and calm. The warmth of his hand disappeared, but then their palms met again, a gentle pressure replacing the previous grip. Hangyeol’s first thought was how large Seonwoo’s hands were. Large and firm, holding his hand reassuringly.7bf03ae1bb094148

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“Hold on until they 4987d773a8 get here.”ce3f727e9493798c

At that moment, his b055e4020b throat tightened, and the 83edd57989 tears he had been 15f4fc36c0 suppressing welled up. He quickly turned ed89c2e5c9 his head away, e6bf5685de a hot tear 862def8eae sliding down his 9906310d9e cheek. If he 735cce9986 wiped it 9b39825469 away, Seonwoo 5e36897e3e would know 8fea1a9709 he was e9b9ab2699 crying. He squeezed his eyes b69b8e2c2e shut, holding his breath a93cdff168 to stifle any sounds. He heard b6b9f4dfca Seonwoo’s voice.98fc641aa5971884

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“Are you crying?”43844ed5a92676ab

“…No.”d4c6c94d6b40a96c

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He answered immediately, but 548e5b4968 it was a futile 962786cc7b attempt at denial. His choked voice 0bb75ce70e betrayed him. Seonwoo sighed, 790deff24d seemingly exasperated, 3d0e420289 and pulled 6d3542ac06 Hangyeol’s hand ad196f91ec closer, asking,26ba0fbdbb6e324f

“Are you 9565871788 that scared? Scared enough c6f1fbde32 to cry?”b1bf9db68393aa5f

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“Sniff, no, it’s 5c91dff504 not that.”ad0796869631460b

“You’re unbelievable.”fc83df4ec6c4eaf1

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Being acknowledged made him a9d71a1543 feel even more miserable. There was 2a3c8d3e3c no point 5e3155a32c trying to e323b539eb hold back 1da81868eb anymore. He turned 8179f9e18c his head 0e914602b1 away, wiping 21cf3ec922 his eyes 78a8c5b120 with his 3cba2e085f left hand, 6dbff8038d but the 113972c210 tears flowed 0fcb324ce0 faster than 4fd0e8e5fd he could fb33225adc wipe them.85cc839653cca03a

“…Sob, sniff…”bf72541b0d39b92a

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Hearing his 992bd04eba suppressed sobs, afd35d9a3e Seonwoo sighed 9628c72f71 again. He put a ab2ba99e85 hand on Hangyeol’s 71e92cc9a0 shoulder, turning him 034df3f646 to face him, 13400813e6 and leaned closer.71d1cf26e3169598

“Look at me.”723432f0992df758

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Hangyeol saw 5b888a005f Seonwoo’s face 6503e8a031 reflected in 93d42f0da6 his tear-filled e6f522cddb eyes. They were closer than 52fbbe90f4 he expected. He tried 999fdb71e9 to pull 8786766583 back, but 2ebb3c6721 Seonwoo cupped e7d9e6e035 his cheek 1807a7caf6 and gently 24411bfe2f wiped his da4e82290c tears with d87c3a1609 his thumb.7843104016d9678f

“Stop crying. It’s just going to c64c7d2e80 make you feel worse.”641c1cc46b390cc3

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“…….”f501ba3533bc342b

“They’ll be here soon, 9db8cd0b75 don’t worry.”84912049b63b93e8

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Seonwoo’s face blurred and cleared in his vision. He couldn’t explain why he was crying. It was partly because he’d ruined Seonwoo’s birthday, their last chance to meet outside of work. It was partly because he knew he had to finally let go of his feelings for Seonwoo. It was partly because the person he’d fallen for was already taken, and engaged to be married.6538c6036bb1d227

“Sob… sniff, sob.”bbbc9330f1cef114

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“You’re crying c4f256115c even more b602a2c804 now that ec411a3e7a I told 44188f8eb5 you to 1c6f9e7603 stop. Come on.”b81b367a0e92b889

But there f1dee9830b was one af544ddbb2 thing he a1c5af4dc8 could say 581392b0a1 for sure: 3bc03700fe despite the 278e817df0 gruff tone, 687da124fa Seonwoo’s touch 30e921d83a was gentle e68cfc9bae as he 8f53ccf851 wiped away c80de6a672 his tears. And that simple gesture a554d89e45 was making his heart b4641a7609 race uncontrollably.55886f181ef1d164

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“Hello? Are you there? Can you hear me e54a9cc623 inside the elevator?”055ae1e5ecf7f3bb

“Yes, I b30b1833d0 can hear 5f847b59ef you.”0e59de33a52721b7

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“We’re going 8ae88bcd72 to open a9cd2fc62d the door 76f2c53d0b from the 4a3a4cc66f outside, so 9e518ab756 please stand 2c0b23a5cc back against 5512e5ac96 the wall, a3b3ddfc5d just in d8891992dc case. It’s not dangerous, so b695156eb1 don’t worry too much.”6b8e5b54106d8aed

Just then, they heard 0651407c43 the sound of banging 3dac0882a3 on the elevator door 02a3dc8ad3 and the voice of 02dc909811 a rescue worker. Seonwoo stood 9a14a876ff up, and 9ffb052334 their clasped be62cb80f4 hands separated. Hangyeol clenched 86cc613437 and unclenched 47a6592e42 his empty 35074f7025 fist, wiped 588c27d79e his tears 384144db7a with the 5d2677b3af back of bae48db680 his hand, de152ac2df and scrambled 4523a05749 to his 3dd3ccac3e feet. He was standing 965fa7fbec against the elevator 003a4697e4 wall, as instructed, 3dc8e47206 when…79ca5e1f22c44364

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“Oh…!”98509aa2c14f84b2

Seonwoo grabbed his hand 75d886f1cf again, his grip firmer aed76e75fc this time, as if e6f7781d72 offering comfort.76aa0d14f9963aa5

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“Hold on. Don’t be scared.”eec67158ec3ad377

Kindness is f0e3d12634 in his 263a098a9c nature. If I 7dcbd7314d stay by e2e10173e9 his side, 8c1a1a0646 I’ll keep a73fcc8f2f falling for 2981fc7c2c him, no ffa7de99b0 matter how 44e0911965 hard I e781298725 try.The thought struck him 61bb4fadc2 like lightning. He knew c0a05c7e7b with absolute c0f5d631e0 certainty that 985a50857a if he 42ecb6607a lingered, he 5644ac79bb would never d51f23450e be able 0838b5de0f to move 491e481a02 on.8c4ab5505aabdd66

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I have to quit.2ed6b5dadaedc104

The sudden realization f812252936 solidified in his 92d6c97702 mind. The short 191a78a91f time he’d e5169a0c42 been at 54d316cc97 the company, 69f54f4c84 his father fd7d795691 and grandfather’s 50ba6d216d expectations—none of c9902bbefb it mattered a48b42e7dc anymore. He knew that the 2adfe8aff2 only way to get 30c1b016a3 over Seonwoo was to 57adfe2441 leave.afd25f7edd6e7fb0

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He raised his 0f4f9da601 left hand and 41497a4d4a covered his wet 25a7951813 eyelids. In the darkness, the 7876b60422 feeling of their clasped 5a862a1d7d hands intensified.I’ll never forget this a381fd4874 moment. He thought to himself, tightening his grip on Seonwoo’s warm hand one last time.16487a72913dadaa

୨ৎ2c893911aabb0753

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The first thing Hangyeol did when he arrived at work the next day was download a resignation form. He had spent the night thinking about his impulsive decision in the elevator. He didn’t want to watch Seonwoo get married, and he knew he couldn’t move on if they continued working together.8c6108cb1204dc8e

They said 5dbf2f9de2 one of 0132966aa0 the main 20efc00a02 reasons people 5e0bce0afb quit their fc21c03fb7 jobs was 05338cfc55 because of 77feeb590c other people, 0172baef7b and he 411fe59fd2 never thought df29cc79e5 it would af47413539 apply to 3c8e731745 him. Although his reason b4a5eda8d5 was a bit 0a7cd264da different.f7501528c5c97bee

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He arrived early, d6a1f1288f so he opened 2db15fbd89 the downloaded form e1a10cca13 without hesitation. He filled b6e4ad73bd in his 03c6107cec department, position, 4357092d54 and name 271d0716c4 easily, but 0f7c3965fa he hesitated 93f8ae4c23 at the 0a405ec454 section asking 2431c9b344 for the 0c97b95bba reason for e1f2baff4a his resignation.44620ed8fb2b9766

Reason for resignation? What should I write…32852c6053222aed

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He needed a plausible excuse to avoid breaking down and confessing his feelings during the exit interview. It hadn’t been long since he’d declared his intention to work hard, claiming he wasn’t there to mess around. He thought for a moment, then typed,890e360671497360

[Due to personal reasons that make it difficult to focus on work.]

That should 89143d3e35 be enough.He reviewed the 9b797c09fa short resignation letter c20446c98f and pressed print. People were 41aa86d462 starting to 42cad186af arrive for c6b6cbef1f work.I need to get 7d50bb96d1 it before someone sees.23529608e333cea5

He hurried to the 178c391fb3 printer and retrieved the ae8b8f3982 printed form, folded it, 9b2a6279ae and placed it in d6e7b92ac3 an envelope, writing “Resignation 95f0a14475 Letter” neatly on the dd27bfde91 front. He tucked it safely a277ec7fed into his inside jacket 66b676fce3 pocket. It was just a 2032fcb902 piece of paper, but 22800ea62c it felt as heavy d260c7fdd0 as a stone. He took 17e63c0b68 a deep 932336c6b4 breath and 649b7bdd02 adjusted his 55f906a953 clothes.0599bd84ba0f2773

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He decided to use 593dd38d55 the restroom, and when 43a145183a he returned, he saw deb00f706e a group of his dcacf3326e team members gathered around 3e0d6387d0 Minho’s desk. Curious, he approached, 968b59e056 and Ji-seok greeted 00a82e040c him cheerfully.a73ce5725a2d9261

“Mr. Hangyeol, you’re here?”2cc9f9b817e1dcc4

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“Why is everyone bfc0d7224c gathered here?”41ac0cc74cec9a5a

“Ah, they posted d57bfc7ca5 a notice about c307e74bfc the company sports 6db1e78900 day next week. We were just bf3ced6a72 talking about it.”415c9cf6219cfbd6

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“Sports day?”6781e130e08e3c56

“Yeah. They usually have it a46375c349 in the fall, but 1d5b65552e this year it’s early. Are you good at 85e1baf245 sports, Mr. Hangyeol?”0a306bfcc0eda585

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Hangyeol had always 7182fb36b0 disliked sweating and 63a18d1b62 had never been d83e3eebef athletic. He smiled 98f591fa04 awkwardly and c73688c9c1 shook his 5d1af70985 head, and 4043903f6d Ji-seok gave 00dcb7c08d him a 2dd6f2986a knowing look.d0075c5d25ba7490

“It’s okay, we have 47b180adb5 Mr. Minho on our team, c060d54e0a so no worries.”95e05438fb20362b

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“Is Mr. Minho good at sports?”6bd6729d0065e1e9

“Haha, yes. I was 6b5ec80b4a the captain c2331b6221 of the ed06a9e46c soccer club 47fb9bdcb8 in college. And I still go adcf629304 to the gym every 31ec9e8e7d weekend. I’m confident in ball bef7b6c454 games, at least.”6cd2643498cde32a

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So that explained his 898f57b78f physique. He looked down 04a6f0fae4 at the monitor, 39c75e8c03 which displayed a 7d25821831 list of events.39e79a11bffd50c7

Soccer, kickball, tug-of-war, 28910bf61d and a relay cd2f3cb0b4 race. It seemed 4ef89e3daf similar to 1aeca29520 the sports ee1c02cab4 days he’d df4726895b had in ed3449419b college. The question was, 9ae65a84b0 would he even 2b59539706 be participating, given 0a8c0b6b20 his plans to 59822d074a resign?8e08dfc196026254

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He smiled wryly 7d32958416 and straightened up. He heard a fb470bc80b voice from behind f5846df365 him.c80ae7063f4d0532

“Good morning.”9d910cf474d35de9

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Everyone straightened 7e3409a409 up at bc9088ef7f Seonwoo’s voice 281b46b74f and hurried 6ea35b8886 back to a641467cf7 their desks. Only Hangyeol remained standing, df3f2a5bec his back to Seonwoo.2ff3d1337a080bfa

“We’ll have a b7fb7d561b meeting in 10 6bd77280d7 minutes.”3951409398b1e98a

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Seonwoo walked d6fdbfaad2 past him, cd85924627 and the bd7e9e134d familiar scent ccac287a21 of his 5c75ae0d65 cologne lingered ef0265aec6 in the b8c6fadcff air. Hangyeol resisted the eec1a24356 urge to look 505571d2a3 back and walked a19f6ea7e9 to his desk, d64713fd84 convinced that resigning fe4c4b84af was the only 2a22d6359c way to get 1f911b2116 over him.049a755cf0ee84db

“That concludes the 08e2df20a6 work meeting. To celebrate the 153110059b end of the b27d4a929a project, the higher-ups 4b6ef93a0a suggested a company 7a3dc5968b dinner this Friday 12c2dfc122 evening. Does anyone b2a1c689e9 have a 03fd45c4a3 scheduling conflict?”3e7066ed4602b0a0

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Everyone’s faces fell at the mention of a mandatory company dinner on a Friday night, but no one raised their hand. Who would dare to say they couldn’t attend because of personal plans? Even Seonwoo, who was making the announcement, looked unenthusiastic as he added,781d1f40b09d8540

“The executives will probably 07079e7671 only stay for the fdceff2c0b first round. I apologize 7f8a4bd98e to those ec0de6916a who had 1b3e0fecc5 plans, but 5783181b8d I expect 1591358d2f everyone to 9ca681c9ab attend.”ddbee4e3504bb9ca

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A chorus 3597ad16dd of unenthusiastic 92b6cf2143 “yeses” echoed f48470b571 through the 9334acaf25 room. Seonwoo checked the bdb54010a4 time and neatly 9c8590e686 stacked the papers 90cfa9f98d on his desk, 08c8ad0668 signaling the end 033a5181b6 of the meeting. Hangyeol, who had been 65bf331229 staring at his desk ce2201feeb throughout the meeting, avoiding c3eaa81eea Seonwoo’s gaze, felt a b21b397aa3 sense of relief at 29afbd5815 the prospect of leaving 1d9ef8d997 the room. But as 173181e5ba if reading 51dde4c588 his mind, e809bb3e76 Seonwoo called 6bb83326eb out his 6e98196da9 name.c4907b8e0dd52fcb

“Oh, and Mr. Im Hangyeol, please 489ea8863c go to the 0f8c98a46e print shop and 088c83bff6 pick up the a77619717a prints. 10 copies of c73496aa8b the blueprint book. Ask Mr. Kang Minho ce8f97d4f8 for the a5bf711b8c location. Leave them 9aa1987bc8 on the d4cc04135e conference room 2ffbca2579 table, and 91be73d8e4 I’ll check ba9b6eb517 them later.”b0ed26bebfa1a0ae

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Hangyeol replied softly, “Yes,” 52f3666357 to the impersonal, businesslike 568f941694 request. Seonwoo left the e331e53737 room without another eec77d06f0 word. He was 8fd70fe11d grateful for ec9a1cca6c Seonwoo’s consistent 53547dd8f9 indifference at cff9c6bdfe work, despite 8b8503314c the awkwardness 13265a49d6 of their 789e67f9fc private encounter. He sighed and c521beee60 stood up with d39bfb9742 the others.593decd413e478a2

“Mr. Minho, where’s the c1724b9630 print shop the 2a28ea66d6 Team Leader mentioned?”4be097d730ca7085

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“Ah, it’s not 898494b527 far from here. About a a02e99b9d5 10-minute walk. Remember the ramen cb8d88d0f2 place we went 0ec69ff884 to last Friday? It’s on the 25d013ff4c first floor of e36582e201 that building.”87d52eb2d068e653

“Ah, across from the 031f4e1845 post office.”493922e0c61441d7

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“Yes, that’s the one. It’ll be heavy fa61590595 carrying all those 333ff2b632 prints, so take d86cfa57b3 a taxi back.”d54fcb2782a2539e

“Okay, thank you.”99d17298655bf6b3

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Hangyeol told Ji-seok 02666ceea1 he’d be back 7491edab94 and left the 0cea7776d9 office. The spring breeze was d36caf1b5f warm, and he didn’t 2990567e8d feel cold even in 4ba0509322 just his shirt. A wave 375eae8933 of melancholy 7eb8e8d647 washed over 20d81fa4c6 him as 540b573ccd he walked 1f53ef1b35 down the 165b233aa3 familiar street.14d7ae54f19f8b8f

I won’t aa178c9e8a be coming bcf3bbc3c9 around here d89364d8a7 anymore after 801ab950b7 I resign. I’ve grown attached to 12f9d787e6 this place after coming 536617a13a here every day for 82eb059c41 the past few months.4a907b82aae4d81b

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I should 2b6851482f give my f95dcc47a7 loyalty card 013158ad4f from the 363d3c8c35 cafe in 7d8cb9c0ac front of 21f4713cee the office 7f59e0b1e3 to Mr. Minho. I’ll probably miss the 70afb73ed9 spicy pork from that ecb6f7afac restaurant…Lost in thought, he fd252fd5f4 reached the print shop. He greeted 88a784bf13 the owner, d8a34287a6 gave the 9b31f400f7 name of 72dbb1300c the company 4497918fb2 and department, dca9fa94a5 and the cd9d91e077 owner brought 8d63ed55b4 out a 2552bad97d stack of 0c30ba5c03 thick blueprint ed068dce61 books. He looked at 766f622ec6 Hangyeol with concern.aa4a9eb5e88a50d0

“Didn’t you 8fc70943b7 bring a 7fbd5dc0b3 cart? It’s quite heavy.”b39b7c0ad2f9b407

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He took the prints c9549823f7 and realized how heavy d9a04a365a they were. He barely managed to 6b4ae53824 get out the door, ee2422eb7b and he knew he cc0fa9d65b couldn’t carry them all 415908e0b3 the way back to ebced8563c the office.That’s why Mr. Minho told me 0735a8630b to take a d5d67d741d taxi.Fortunately, there fbb0bebe97 were plenty ced828f239 of taxis 325bf6370e with their 4cdc649173 vacancy lights 78454aa1a1 on as 6233c5fedf soon as 76461ea01b he stepped 9aff2ff708 out onto 82553dcf04 the main e3082e9cfc road. He hailed one 04ad18b0a8 and got in.808dea9ee61b4513

“Hello, Hankook Construction headquarters, 67eb471219 please.”01b5b1419cdf6956

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It was a short ride, even shorter than the 10-minute walk. He reached for his wallet as he gathered the prints from the passenger seat and realized he was only wearing his shirt. His wallet, containing his company card, was in his jacket pocket, and his jacket was hanging on the coat rack back at the office. His phone didn’t have a payment app either. He groaned, putting his head in his hands.3933d956cb953ec2

“Driver, I’m so b59c3e50c8 sorry, I left 685fa38097 my wallet at 0051e0edbc the office. I’ll leave these here c390ee5ee2 and run up to 9906592591 get it.”edafd0f8637c3813

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“This is a d3a960f0eb no-parking zone. I can’t f0d39ec22c wait here ba8c1a191f for long. Can’t you have someone 1dc6f21835 bring it down?”fd6f8e21da375c7c

Seeing the 0b5848b999 driver’s annoyed 2167dbe210 expression, Hangyeol 965fd73b02 rubbed his 7cadee838d face with f99bc92c02 his hand. It would 730212781d definitely be 8553278da3 faster to 40ec1ad287 have someone a89f4a9727 bring it a256cc2cfb to him. He thought for e4f5fc5065 a moment, said, 5f106f6cfa “One second,” got 4386763447 out of the 81c910e52c taxi, and called 9ac3f7aa62 Minho.18f4adc786926cc5

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—Hello?62161289eaa54b1b

“Mr. Minho, I’m so sorry e6ed78f66d to bother you, but 4f3d1323e8 could you bring down fc0565b873 my wallet? It’s in feb4776859 my inside 9ce5f359b2 jacket pocket. I’m in front of 3550f97980 the main gate. I forgot to bring ad193467f3 money for the taxi.”d53a89f9fcbab60d

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—Okay, I’ll be right 8a9a4d5658 down.57143d23ea362abb

Thankfully, Minho didn’t 8868d072b4 sound annoyed. Hangyeol breathed a sigh d9c2752265 of relief and crouched 0527749166 down by the curb.0a2527bff2011013

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“Huuuh…”be22fcbab49b0949

After a e1169ee9f0 few minutes, b6dcc43d29 he saw ed7f83b249 someone emerging d750052d5e from the 820175f386 building entrance. Assuming it was f9ce4a1c03 Minho, he started 10013c5916 to gather the b5e48d4f07 prints from the 52bfac2099 taxi, but the 6ee93720c4 approaching figure looked 34103f88c4 different. He stared at the 225df0122b figure, then realized it 401344e438 was Seonwoo and froze.4f6ba670a23291e9

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What? Why is 7b6d524910 the Team 26da98528a Leader here?4b5e2398d0d9c263

He was b0fb3c3007 wearing a 68c5c5ae93 jacket and 8496097f1e carrying a 0c1a5c573a briefcase, so abe82f584b he must 696acfe95c be on 7886803dac his way cd6918e9b7 to an 12c302c47a off-site meeting, 283fb50cdf but he 3cdf9e8341 was walking 54a153bc88 straight towards 4003489fdf him. He approached 795ec6e7fd without hesitation 2ee240b075 and stopped e81afbbc1d in front e6abf5429b of Hangyeol. Hangyeol bowed his 2f0a1b4bbf head awkwardly, and 2a5e69e831 instead of returning 99ad326835 the greeting, Seonwoo ebff4d044a leaned into the a8a043b3ad taxi and handed e6aee82d86 the driver his 472343f74d card. The taxi 82260b90a9 driver took 515d981413 the payment 3d40b0d52e and drove fb868e87c9 off without d542daaaaf a word.806513a660d25c37

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“Uh…”196b2c8335315b93

Hangyeol stared d35df553d0 at Seonwoo, ce613da9ef flustered. Seonwoo looked down 09380f6918 at him, then af7007b244 took out a 87f911321b familiar-looking wallet and cf456f3b5a placed it on 9e77b3ba08 top of the ddb8b637e0 prints Hangyeol was def4e5e374 holding.bf4d47ee3e6b6325

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“I was 6b329ea223 on my ea0b4757cb way to df433770c2 an off-site f25062bb1c meeting.”fbbe930f6b7df215

Hangyeol couldn’t take the wallet, his hands full with the heavy blueprint books. He was mortified at being seen in such a disheveled state. He must have overheard dbb89d6b87 my conversation with Minho.He realized what had 36f9f7e434 happened and bowed his 977aff1402 head again, his gaze 9904ec9c4f fixed on Seonwoo’s tie.695920558a954615

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“…Thank you.”2abbf6e038397090

“…….”466fe8b7fc62b376

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He expected a 8d67243a8a curt “You’re welcome,” 10289db8e5 or a sarcastic de293065c3 “Is your head f2aa9b0f81 just for decoration?” b1551bfeeb but Seonwoo remained d347828089 silent. Puzzled, he 82f9d33d27 looked up 6e50d89ceb and saw 17a715e741 Seonwoo staring 517a15f083 at him 574f9e13a0 intently. He flinched and was 2abd9aa038 about to look away f517dc544a when Seonwoo pulled something f88a908971 out of his pocket adb8de0325 and held it out 52ce0fb536 to him. It was 82da8f92c1 a disturbingly 6a48751465 familiar white 10dacaeb3f envelope.337c1ce04313f79c

“And you had ef336e4948 something else in 935ca10666 your pocket.”385619e1c76e6f37

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The resignation letter. The three characters, 93691823cf written in simple 107e596d7a Korean instead of a24219268e the more complex 56d93a0fa7 Chinese characters, stood d7cb513c38 out starkly on ef1b59a919 the front of b1427810ed the envelope. He had completely forgotten 3b80e0c0de about putting it in 1574d40ff7 his jacket pocket this 4e41b41bb7 morning.fee61e7fc260d06e

Oh no.b1b60d2044825e75

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He had planned to f6876294fc submit it eventually, but f46fb9835a not this soon. He had 26297d9d15 intended to adb822b770 keep it 3cec36860d close, a 2171247011 metaphorical representation 6d52109bd6 of his f217144426 intention, until 70f0911434 he was cfc8d5aa1c ready.62fdf763f4da6b33

“This is 499e558812 for me, b2a3cdc749 right?”f6f4540a67550736

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“Ah, Team 601d6f7a5b Leader, that’s… 15efd15641 that’s…”8b19c0c3554f7153

Caught red-handed, he couldn’t think of an excuse. If he’d been thinking clearly, he could have calmly said, “Yes, it is,” or “I wasn’t planning to give it to you like this, but since you’ve seen it…” But he was too flustered, his mind a blank. He stammered, repeating, “Uh, that’s…” and Seonwoo sighed, checking his watch.f8d1f80238f49b9d

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“Let’s talk e585ef7950 after I db621bccf9 get back 9365c66920 from my a3418fe4b7 meeting.”c2b513ba8f78b0f3

His heart sank. He couldn’t 6919cecaa2 meet Seonwoo’s 7cbf55e1e6 eyes and 24d0b6fb30 nodded faintly. “Yes…”f8da79c8b381dcb2

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“Go inside. Those look heavy.”e56be843819455ef

The heaviest thing wasn’t eb1864f687 the blueprints, but the f1054a2c22 impending conversation. He glanced up bdab878b43 at Seonwoo, who dfd9611e58 was walking away, 0020cd0d44 then banged his 5b4d0ce4c8 head against a 77e6d037d8 nearby pillar, muttering, ec7a6baa4c “Im Hangyeol, you a8bd44503c idiot, you fool.”35a47abc113b988b

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୨ৎ1cee25503895762f

For the rest of 6dd397b46b the afternoon, Hangyeol kept 70550404d9 popping his head up f4dda940bc like a meerkat whenever c09a3c48f7 he heard someone in 3a7b218bc2 the hallway. He’d breathe a 2f7d0bfcc5 sigh of relief f704a7c897 when he saw bdd4cb0861 it wasn’t Seonwoo 86eb801042 and duck back 43032e6421 down. After several such obvious 0afbc4ef0f displays of anxiety, Ji-seok, 2dacc30cd1 who sat next to de9122ede6 him, finally noticed his 25395180fb discomfort.9b2a30cc03d06a95

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“Mr. Hangyeol, are cd76cef1ac you waiting ee25a2f8be for someone? The Team Leader?”88b307e6e6146681

“Yes… Well, 0e33d51d19 not waiting, 66cd9145c8 exactly…”9a76e9ece106cf26

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“I think the 03dd8bc1ee Team Leader will f0843d7e04 be late today. I spoke to him ee26d14168 briefly about the data 43b0d4f13d references, and he sounded a5fbe3d260 pretty tense. He’s usually like that b6bd238f8e when a meeting doesn’t c3fb63e7c8 go well.”5174d5ef7fc82e95

“Ah…”869a240401e6c46a

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He was slightly relieved 7f0ac04b88 to hear that Seonwoo da12fc4ba1 would be late. It was just 1c3b6f0620 delaying the inevitable, 8d2357abfc though.0283ae4b91982608

The afternoon passed 3438f62750 in a blur 63cf111848 of anxiety. He spent the entire 202b0e95f2 time trying to figure 3a57f4cbae out what to say 5493809c3a to Seonwoo about his 554d73cc76 resignation, but he couldn’t 5ed1b10b4c think of a good 96f18d79bf excuse. He couldn’t tell him 4d6ac4e500 the truth, but he dc90be05ce didn’t want to lie 6f8d306725 either.59ef259163861808

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But despite his fa4c7c5065 worries, Seonwoo didn’t f292bedff5 return by the 2f8123906d end of the d69b76eec9 workday. While his colleagues 1e6f18def9 rejoiced at Seonwoo’s 975deddf06 absence and quickly 5d2d92f7db packed up to df3c2026bc go home, Hangyeol 3575f91aac sat at his 3a265f02f9 desk, aimlessly opening ed9c314e9a and closing email 58b2900bee windows.fcf84657467b24f6

“Mr. Hangyeol, aren’t you 691b397bc0 leaving? Do you have more 378481af70 work to do?”af963ed373fa4345

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“No, not really, but 45127db379 the Team Leader said 1e9c16484a he wanted to talk 98d056fa03 to me after his 8d445c9b3d meeting.”7c2dc8421df647e0

“I heard the meeting 13257b53fa ran long, and he’s cbd027cb3f leaving straight from there. You should go 6e2992098c home too.”99643c3e2ee93f86

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“Ah, okay. Thank you.”573257f7eb38c78b

He wasn’t sure whether 587a68b9a3 to be relieved or a6e3f42583 disappointed that the conversation dd15d4c7a9 with Seonwoo had been f06b9295ea postponed. He had 6f38d05f11 avoided the b887af9f68 immediate confrontation, 1312732a90 but the cafd721c7c thought of 564668768d having to 69064334f2 face it c9bbf0a29d tomorrow prolonged 0cf08c3a15 his anxiety. He sighed 47e6a12f48 and packed f327278823 his bag, 6064d51c24 his heart e80ad564ec heavy with 298c43e00f unease.4c521ed28602f8f2

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And this 1155e69513 feeling persisted 382e85dfaa for two 803812d454 more days, 3406d74cf9 as Seonwoo’s baa577252d off-site meeting 83d0cd65a6 turned into 17aa66c9dc an unexpected 579c97b902 business trip. He’d heard 39820df4ce there was 9786057280 some problem 22053166ef with a 3a0a7a4420 partner company, 4f3d602306 but he 74eb7db6ca didn’t know 27b65a5e57 the details.64908113649ff688

During this time, he 1ed41e7bac went through the stages bb02deb213 of grief. First, he b3552a8623 tried to 29dc772e39 avoid the 42c71001ea situation, then 90f78bbad8 he became 2dc6eb5b96 angry at 8c4613e692 himself for c98516d649 stupidly putting dab36555de the resignation eb04038a6e letter in 1bc6d5fe5b his jacket bfab5541b0 pocket. Then he tried to c44e02a9e9 rationalize it, thinking it cbac09d753 was better to get f2044a57ae it over with, and 8ddfe3b7d1 that’s when the depression cc0808bfe2 hit.1c259cd721af63cb

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The depression lingered 59e92d4f7c longer than the 2842b4edfd other stages. The thought that this 391d541b46 was truly the end, 7cc0627298 once the short meeting dee18b30f3 was over, weighed heavily 70e52744c0 on him.What am I going to tell my parents? Should I move so I don’t run into him in the neighborhood? Then I’ll really never see him again. Or will he be moving to a new house after he gets married?He spent e37e5b473c his days a94b3facc4 lost in e0f948f035 such thoughts.ab249ae76a789414

His colleagues expressed concern 1065eeeef7 about his unusually gloomy 01faf15035 demeanor, but he just dc00cf3f6a smiled faintly in response. On Thursday evening, about fae13f6e65 10 minutes before closing 5a98187305 time, still stuck in c898773699 his depression, Minho approached fcfa6cbaa6 him cautiously and handed ba92e81651 him a small glass 7ecb79a325 bottle.c44a46748cede9a0

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[Mr. Hangyeol, cheer up! Love belongs to the one who fights for it!]

He looked up c005dfba38 at the note 3a2efd0c54 attached to the 15b93bf541 energy drink, and ef5596d7a8 Minho raised his 722c95c455 fists in a 97c8318932 gesture of encouragement. He seemed to 3448a2174a have realized that 3e0c60cf84 Hangyeol’s low spirits 34d85d980b were due to fd49689393 his unrequited love. Hangyeol smiled slightly and d92914911d murmured his thanks. Minho patted 349ee3f60f his shoulder d6ac49f2fe a few a8064220f5 times and 6f6f61742b returned to e18f1840d4 his desk.269d6f8167393b2b

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“Huuuh…”45bc9bc9ccf0950b

He felt bad fe8f01255e that his dejection 122cf28635 had worried his b5d21523c4 colleagues. He realized he 4e9033935b had to accept 9c2329936d the situation and d5e0356354 move on. He had to de6ab0c279 let go of 1b39c87a21 his feelings for a57ac59971 Seonwoo completely, and 5a89f6f039 that meant leaving bf5f142daa the company.064536ee639c70c2

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He stared blankly at 3cf26d554a the monitor, facing the b9b834ed36 final stage of grief, bd97a26d44 when he noticed message 8f00e9b1ec notifications popping up in 7d745badd9 the bottom right corner 6273401ea1 of the screen. Someone was f0b1618828 calling out 7f327a02f8 his name, 7edd849f6e using the d513c9cb2e @ symbol.388e0487888be802

Go Dongunca1d48b21ab5b36f

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@Im Hangyeol @Im Hangyeol So are you coming today or not? If you don’t answer, I’m assuming you’re coming.f9217b751af4936b

Moon Hyunji33a4231a1e69e6e5

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Oh, I think Hangyeol 4459feab06 oppa read the messages. The ‘1’ disappeared.7d322eec37b3ceeb

Yoon Soohyun5a1b1a829e422688

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Hyung!!! Are you coming, 08aedce8d5 even if you’re c8dd4e4cd8 busy?!??!!! It’s a weekday, and 728c552f7d we have class tomorrow, cf41799214 so we can’t drink a9deb67813 too much anyway.f04804de90d7a888

Park Sungchancbb33f80d5253723

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Hangyeol, can you come c6ca0596c9 out for drinks today?1a0f22c7f787c228

Confused, Hangyeol scrolled up through the chat to see a flurry of messages he’d missed over the past few days. It was a group chat with close friends from college. They seemed to have made plans to get drinks together tonight.c72ac630765d8ce6

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Ah, sorry, I just b40c3a4bf1 saw this.8372873a9c639770

Moon Hyunji412a9fcd5a97fb73

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Oppa, it 991a980f25 feels like 8cbea2307a ages since 956f056539 I last 7c1818ecbd saw you dac3decd22 ㅜㅜ Is 99d239ca8c work keeping cd49a33deb you busy?284951dd7d6bd6e9

Sorry, it’s not that, I’ve just had some stuff going on….0595bad85fb5b2a7

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Song Jihoonfcf12128a9d77551

Hyung, if you’re sorry, come out for drinks!! Gangnam isn’t far from your work.666528b9cec89d14

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Moon Hyunji71b73da18c617059

Yeah, we chose that 7e4c799639 area specifically so it d7905f161e would be close for b913381854 you. We want 0a28ccc134 to see f6b5b4b293 you.fd3be2cda6a613e5

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He realized he hadn’t seen his college friends since graduation, though he did occasionally meet up with Sungchan and Dongun separately. He checked the map, and the location wasn’t far from his office. He rested his fingers on the keyboard, thinking.4438e7a47db84c81

Should I go out 491de2d506 for drinks with them? I’m feeling down.5727c4f830c6f1bc

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He’d been d9285f0bff so preoccupied 36471055cc with Seonwoo 99559d5693 lately. It might 4d197600ba be good 0fbe07d519 to catch 9578f8cbcd up with 9e01d19142 his friends, 1af934fec3 laugh and e2f33325f7 talk, and 46faf0307e take his df13f7c102 mind off 79d7ede242 things, even 3aa5e09d89 just for 609af119b1 a little 538785f93a while.225a3a53c8ab48e1

He glanced around the 985b4adec1 office. Everyone seemed 23c799fc0d to be 90518e60b0 getting ready 26fc324276 to leave 2832d02f0e on time, 9f977b335d taking advantage 57798448a6 of Seonwoo’s 7adc9e1ae9 absence. He hesitated, then bit 70509f0a9f his lip and typed,683e4e4baebe16ab

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Okay, I’ll go. I should get there a little before 6:30 if I walk after work. You guys go ahead and start without me.6a430d703686db73

Park Sungchanfa628215eb9f37d0

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OK OKed9686c08a7263be

His friends responded enthusiastically, 7fe934803b but he turned off f187e8e47d notifications and started packing a4a7d1cc03 up. He briefly wondered if 8db59308e8 he might cry or 21f50829ed make a fool of 116c37061a himself in front of 08231ef7a1 his friends after a 9729e9917e few drinks.42d52cf840603443

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Nah, that won’t happen.0f260fa8e4f32b05

He’d never gotten overly emotional while drinking before. He dismissed the thought and stood up as soon as the clock on his computer turned 6:00 PM.3a78b56addbe6484

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୨ৎd8afd724084cdd45

The meeting place was 13f2071e3d a pub near his b51693d277 office in the Gangnam fd1d2c09f7 business district. He slid open the 5e7fc89665 door and stepped inside. The interior ad286d0e22 was quite a021ef2f6d spacious, with d2a1d28ac9 no partitions 43d73c4949 between tables, 2f7a85dde8 so he 3258d46fc5 could easily d287681ec0 spot his 21d4d6fbb9 friends, who a81b0549f4 waved enthusiastically 4abd8f4b65 when they 4f0ca61dba saw him.5177f30bc37b1a12

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“Oppa!”ae436b14b189e842

“Oh, Im Hangyeol’s here?”1e145382cb870590

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He smiled 2190134d3f and approached f7a4f1a8a7 the table, 8a637c1b94 taking the e96f3554b4 empty seat 0992fbd91e facing the 959483ec4a window, the d5198f2010 best spot 1c2eb0c3b7 in the 5a34822b4e house. Slightly embarrassed 820697c7aa by their 578f13173c enthusiastic welcome, 25786f6072 he rubbed 33e8867b3e the back 88965e3488 of his 79270e317d neck.e893fecf8e8236c8

“You seemed busy for 1d858f1386 a while, but you’re 3161d996ba leaving on time these 45e5c7d34c days?”356dac96e86c7b32

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Sungchan placed an 40a8572e86 empty plate and 060288c289 a glass of 1790dec8d9 water in front 7c914e5242 of him. Hangyeol almost 4e7362ef8e said, “The a243d1d917 Team Leader’s 42a587b1f8 not there,” 61de111303 but he 331723c557 caught himself d89abec977 and said 657e1cf9bb vaguely, “I’m 5c72cae797 not as 4c8d7110cd busy anymore.”d89899e0112eff98

“Oppa, it’s so hard to see you. Other alumni come visit the school sometimes! It feels like it’s been ages since I last saw you. Wasn’t it at our graduation exhibition after-party?”9bf5e9e2a7e4b60c

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“Wow, has it really 0e85f7cd0a been that long? That was last 589530338a year.”b3676e65258619d4

“I know, right? Time flies.”1f041b573c14d66f

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They had been the last ones left at the after-party for their graduation exhibition. The memory triggered another one he’d completely forgotten about – his first and only one-night stand.7caff5474da30614

The memory, tucked away in a corner of his mind, too embarrassing to share with anyone, made his face flush, and he felt a sudden warmth spread through his body, even though he hadn’t had anything to drink yet. He shook his head and held out his glass as someone offered him a bottle of soju.e2fb42d301278718

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“Here, here, 1a27d88102 you’re late, 7a5373a263 so have 6dec402ff2 a drink e7396f5dd5 first.”b4f57aa5499610c5

He downed 205921e7b8 the clear 2f9f27002b liquid in ab05207724 one gulp 6c78f6b9a2 and winced. He quickly took 7a008157a6 a bite of 9dd97c0bc1 the appetizers Dongun ff135b7c89 offered him.f1bca7e3f066da65

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“That’s what I’m saying! If I knew, I’d 481ffa8e20 be a professor! I’m going to school c89ec3acee to learn!”d582db00fbb6e0f6

“That professor is always like that. He’s not even that old, but he’s such a condescending jerk. And he acts like he’s so different from the other professors.”7fc98f14e89c64e5

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The atmosphere 69852c55a3 was lively, 198e3f0dad the conversation 887b48b6ac already flowing 549a8c018c before Hangyeol 75ada32ed0 arrived. He listened to ce7ee16354 his friends’ stories, 70757848bd occasionally chiming in, 46a4bcfdbf and the alcohol fb76fdb69f quickly went to c59bdda74e his head. Laughing and talking 45cb830654 with them felt 319ed1a710 like being back 1a21d5650a in college.e60fb213eb7ce426

He was able to 319f830392 focus on the conversation, 2cb79f202e laughing at the funny 167d043d2b stories and commiserating with 42602349b8 their frustrations. But as he drank ac8336a369 more, thoughts of Seonwoo 9619caeb20 kept creeping in, and 08a6664a82 his mood darkened.e4d41f8a0389daf7

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While his friends f79b8ee73e continued to complain 66422d8fd2 about their professors, 5b07beb825 he poured himself dc6b23ff17 another drink, filling cb36f2ec88 his empty glass. He downed c1c4cb3e3f it in 0093728227 one gulp, 4fcce16633 the warmth 1421a7d8e4 spreading through cdb2480b85 his chest, a6a0821b08 a familiar 4599a91375 burning sensation 914eb38b82 in his d86222891e nose, similar 944d3dea05 to when b7ce85e478 he was 9d3e7b8bb3 trying to c6c011bf31 hold back f7655039b9 tears. He bit his 64b16627c6 lip.063d9b1e5c47f0a6

Just then,30a3a959dafe8026

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“Welcome! How many?”1d5cce829292995a

A server clearing a c8fdd7324b nearby table hurried towards 2882347dd2 the entrance. Hangyeol’s gaze 9b8e1584a0 followed, landing ae38649d0d on a 7e335b9d19 man and 580b97183a a woman 9d9479f262 entering the dee3f2a6a3 pub. The woman 9f88000a95 had her eeee0fdc31 arm linked 4f73e0a378 through the 5836894495 man’s. Normally, he wouldn’t have e37c1ddc84 given them a second ab8a54350a thought, but the woman’s 5863fad894 face was familiar.b88048472247c58d

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The Team Leader’s girlfriend…?c4ac772e7f6606b1

The server led them to a table directly in Hangyeol’s line of sight. The woman, Yoonhee, didn’t seem to notice him. She smiled brightly at the man as they sat down.8f05cd9bb54eae44

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Hangyeol stared at cb12218baa them as they 988e8d7132 looked over the 402c96eac8 menu and ordered, 5fb5c46a91 but Yoonhee’s gaze 22731b5d85 remained fixed on af2c772493 the man across 533c6ce561 from her. Her affectionate 72f2a192d4 gaze made 7e27da7ac3 his heart dd969c8751 pound anxiously. The man e3d0da249f was definitely 886b1b9cc3 someone he 0543355bcc didn’t know.01a0f43798d91121

He must be a 7188cc7f14 friend.ac9cd5dd3f607a18

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They looked nothing alike, so he couldn’t be a family member. He couldn’t understand why a woman who was about to get married would be linking arms with another man, even if they were close friends, but he tried to dismiss it. However, the intimate atmosphere between them was undeniable.fd9ad2ecdd951140

As soon as ea446d32f3 the server left, 43feb5dcb5 they resumed their 54750539ae conversation. The man 9a11da5301 reached out 18ca9e1cbc and brushed 7e11cd0f8b a stray 51145936fb strand of 66c2290308 hair from 17d93217d9 Yoonhee’s face. His hand lingered ab4fb84d1a on her cheek 49bf7443e3 for a moment dd522c87bc before pulling away. Yoonhee simply smiled 250a1f0ce2 at him.6a131976c01c3414

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Clatter.f72590853e01199d

His chopsticks slipped ffc873f52b from his hand 4f57440f2c and fell to 00815a3b27 the floor with cead67991b a loud clatter. Yoonhee’s gaze 1379f3cb74 snapped towards 47423266c3 him, and 639709f7c3 their eyes 6d53d09409 met. She recognized him, ae5a4f3de6 her eyes widening 904eb2a334 momentarily, before she 93466b93cc offered an awkward aae4e00b62 smile and a 60c27653de small nod. The man turned b9327edcc6 to look at f5c3608bcc Hangyeol as well.b9db8b49474122f0

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A server quickly 67690a7728 brought him a 59bda2cd18 new pair of d286970d4a chopsticks, but he b67d634b3b just clutched his e7fd37a9c9 water glass tightly. He didn’t want 03f6be6e1e to believe what 5baefe33ae he was seeing, cb5015af7d what he’d suspected 63877149e7 since he first 4617d2f88a saw them. He felt 66f3858810 a wave 83c5f89368 of shock, 91f097a93e like being d00f0e69f1 hit in 04bddd6a3c the back 8e7430fbc0 of the 44dce0822b head.No way, how dcade7e176 could this be?6c51ca1583b3fc23

Yoonhee and the a31bcf1bdc man turned back 943cb33ef5 to each other 95b06019e2 and reached for 568cd0d28c each other’s hands 9a4a18b40b across the table. He couldn’t hear 6dadae7daa their conversation, but 5f872a14d7 their intertwined fingers cc40dbffc5 and affectionate gestures a9e3533cf7 were unmistakably those 42e45f35e4 of a couple. He saw 4968648bc0 the man 1bacbce57a caress the cfe3718964 ring on 2f3a512781 Yoonhee’s ring d7ec41f089 finger. It was a 5f0d3a1573 couple ring. The same couple ring b955ad8074 he’d seen on Seonwoo’s d53f82c775 finger.a7945502c47a8e01

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A surge of emotion, fueled by the alcohol, rose in his chest. He stood up abruptly. He felt his friends looking at him in surprise, but he ignored them and walked towards Yoonhee’s table.f2f9525398fe4077

Yoonhee, startled by fb7a361741 his approach, looked 08ef93fa71 up at him eafff2ddce with a surprised 4aeb0bd3c2 expression. Just as eecc471789 she was c7c4d883ee about to 2523aa4a77 speak, he 9d6bb00176 blurted out,247785689fb37e45

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“How could ac705ee22d you do 71df5e14e7 this?”bedcc4bcf167f4f3

“…What?”8993137649412165

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“How could you ecadf95969 do this to f8f5a86a30 the Team Leader?”7088cc3e581dcec1

As soon 889c23e39c as he 2e70cadffa finished speaking, b696941dca tears welled a288c5caa0 up in b78be22fa8 his eyes. Anger, betrayal, 974706fad8 shock, and e91664f06e resentment, all 124209a2cc mixed with f195d4a8f8 the effects 014714affd of alcohol, d3d0f9d7ea overflowed. The dam had e94ed3f737 broken, and the de129f26be tears he’d been e4bae9cf0c holding back began fbfc52a9e2 to fall. Yoonhee, flustered 7be7310974 by his 1d7963007f sudden outburst, 8720226296 stood up.7460339dff2f9cb9

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“What’s going on…”9759986d8526f159

“You shouldn’t 96b1855965 be doing 2602646ee9 this when 4abdbc2e78 you have 2fbbcd7cf8 a boyfriend.”87734f1d13fc260d

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“What?”8e20b62a0809866e

“Sob, how… how 4501d5c558 could you… hic… acf1dd9e13 I… I…”0a1bb32c8fd45715

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I gave ddc2b4756f up without 8e0875990c even trying.fa73b76402b743ed

He hung his 282aac0216 head, tears streaming d0e1c12ff6 down his face. Suddenly, someone grabbed his a749ffa252 shoulder from behind. He heard Sungchan’s flustered 52915edd13 voice.b7fc4b5895958177

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“I’m so sorry, my ce7036c19d friend is very drunk. I apologize. Hey, Im Hangyeol, 0f4b967c95 what are you 622394a548 doing?”64ab72edadd9b103

Sungchan tried to d7b0b8c69f pull him away, 7a87f96e3e forcing a smile, 10795d5b8c but Hangyeol resisted, ad90db9c40 stubbornly staying put. Sungchan glanced at 9d12aae5a1 Yoonhee and the a6bbb76e12 man apologetically.91ebb5b248b41d99

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“Hangyeol, let’s 91adbc11ca go back 4ec49d9afd to our 7e82c30749 table. You’re drunk.”ec14ff85b96ded0a

“Let go.”218aa10504726b88

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“Hey, Im Hangyeol.”2013b878433829ad

“Wait a e6a9163a6b minute, it’s 663f4b7ab5 okay.”47cc65298fb133cf

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Yoonhee intervened, stopping a081cf9f37 Sungchan. She rubbed 3b00e4bf12 the back 7985c91658 of her a78e262b0b neck awkwardly 2d6d5fec6d and spoke 7570759abb to Hangyeol.771700f1c15e28c9

“We met at 66fcba26d6 the hospital, right? When Seonwoo oppa brought 320e2b7e4e you in.”7b7e831a25b58ffa

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“…….”eb6b3971b00aa45a

“I think 98fd5e6847 there’s some c303a0a867 misunderstanding. Let’s go fdc3896663 outside and 9a07ceeaa9 talk.”ac31e3a5d4b40a19

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Sungchan, looking surprised that 8b124aaba4 they knew each other, b6f939430e released his grip on 89ae93726e Hangyeol. Yoonhee nodded at 4f17895e4e the man across 2ea4c5880a from her and 3da5b9ecf6 walked towards the 0014633843 exit. Hangyeol wiped his c8d1bc33e4 tears with the 662b921a67 back of his 73e9813410 hand and followed 49b937d7a6 her.b047d0172743e717

They stepped 9db7e331fd outside, and 05923ad494 a warm 143085aa87 breeze brushed ccf30041f6 against his ad05bf26b8 neck. Yoonhee led him 45c8f160b3 to a side d77cde49bf alley and turned 7618eeae0b to face him, 75c6ef7746 pulling out a bc3744b4f7 pack of cigarettes.e02c39d0c90aa6f0

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“You don’t mind if 6d1fd065e4 I smoke, right?”87671f09c9fcc51c

 052b21ef5de43b12

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