IWYFB Chapter 25

Junseok arrived at the funeral 005b0e00ec hall past midnight, having been 607fb55e94 delayed on the highway late 344c7aa10e into the night.98239f174b707785

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As he had expected, the 9dfe0b1b2e hall was quiet.6e6f4bd6bfda52bd

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He had asked his father 6c3de62c9c to send funeral notices to 6109de5e01 Jiwoo’s father’s acquaintances.1048e912ce7ce6f5

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Everyone in the town ff51a4e340 knew Jiwoo’s father, and 360e7ea828 since his own father f98292846d had been close with 6e2fbd677e him, it was something 5213eb1586 that would have been a9d7a1f4ed done even without Junseok’s 195a36fa2b request.82bf4140387f9546

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The snowfall hadn’t let up, 8a1d02b573 and he assumed that no 33b5ce4ef8 guests would have arrived, but ed826fd4e3 to his relief, at least f61efadb31 one table was occupied.bc2b706ba958fff6

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Recognizing some familiar faces, 8d084ba28c Junseok greeted them before 9285b63d3a stepping inside to pay 2393265cf0 his respects.dcef0899f20c4540

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But the moment he 3ff33026b8 saw the man standing 462e706b3a beside Jiwoo, he froze a93a4c0d1e in place.229ff356312af1b7

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It was a cfbc784dc6 face he knew cd27e065af well.188a313b91479e05

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Han Taemu.9336ba5032274785

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In Haeju eup, there was c1c38e81c6 hardly anyone who didn’t know 73e80ca4b1 him.bfb7a24661016b7f

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He had been 88bb228085 a senior at 24627b7b7f Junseok’s high school, ed45f85999 famous not just 220a3ef025 for his prestigious e0c52642cd family background but d844676a47 also for his e4f8cadce4 sharp intellect and bc3f844982 striking looks.5dce14fed4732904

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Most of the 278c1da3b7 girls had been e808601cf3 infatuated with Han 73fad7935d Taemu, yet his 8196d5c091 cold and intimidating 203bd9c1c1 demeanor kept them 40918dffd9 at a distance. Even those who mustered 42c5e91b27 the courage to confess 036ca3655c were met with silence, 2ea309b3c6 their pride crushed by b98b24048e his indifference.73bdc9e14b063f0d

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Junseok remembered how even the 09259e49bb male students, despite finding his a1734c6264 arrogance insufferable, had shown deference 5951864494 in his presence.af84c369a7708750

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It wasn’t just ecb1f02642 because of his 1e643d7072 family, Taemu exuded 8021b59ee0 an innate, commanding e912d88949 charisma that made 901fca9a39 him untouchable.5797710a287edf41

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But at the bookstore, when 251fa0cb3f Junseok had seen him with 5e361f0840 Jiwoo, he had appeared entirely e4d4877aa0 different from the person he c5a9c9d3c8 had known.b5e16007f33d2ac0

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The intimidating presence that had made others hesitate seemed to soften in Jiwoo’s gaze. Junseok couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but there was something profoundly human in the way he looked at her.d8c94735688eedff

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And now, though the circumstances 37f4a6779d were different, that same intensity dccd9bf15e was present, Taemu was focused 33836d5ff5 solely on Jiwoo, as if f7c1c12bd1 nothing else around him existed.3fafe0e3e67af859

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The way he stood 409645133e beside her, as though 4eb2cd8d42 he were the chief 0db330b27e mourner, gnawed at Junseok.cd59fa99ecc39730

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But before he could 65b95d6356 approach the altar, something 547ee869ee else froze everyone in 32ea76f120 place.1f5672ea04d533ef

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A child suddenly ran 237b9437ec past him, straight toward 16ccd48d9f Jiwoo.9ce0cee3722432a4

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“Mom!”611dad7b2c819904

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The room fell into silence.ea1d9937e7b13971

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The small face buried 65f1e34a1c in Jiwoo’s skirt was a960194b1f unmistakably familiar, and Junseok 44e23d7099 knew that, of all d81dd0a9d8 the people in the 3ddc11dfc3 room, no one was b9adfaa3fe more shocked than Han 8f9953fd9f Taemu.90616c0d2c58e739

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The child’s face 5fb05f005a was a mirror 8be1c031b2 image of Taemu’s.ea85fe2f99e9494e

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A memory surfaced.f1de226fb12668be

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“Did you hear the news from the Biseonchae estate? Everyone in town is talking about how Taemu is about to get engaged. The girl is from a well known family in Seoul, his mother supposedly searched high and low for the perfect match. That woman wouldn’t settle for just any bride, so you can imagine how grand the arrangement must be.”bd97ad34ed94e650

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In that instant, 57d88ed80e everything that had a426fccc75 never quite made 680ea71694 sense fell into 30f7a041a2 place.e551053ad4e3a1e7

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The reason Jiwoo’s 12e61ef8eb family had to c17617b62d leave Haeju.6c0c2c3521504a6d

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The reason they had to 63ac86bf5d sever ties with the neighbors 29ae90e3ea they had once been so 0118ec862a close to.fb8a87da83a11996

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Perhaps, at the heart 295a8c3253 of it all, was 3a004cc3a8 this child.d4dcb1d28db37271

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Junseok composed himself, d07c61792f stepped forward, and 5981094cfb bowed respectfully before 4b9aa35115 Jiwoo’s father’s portrait.24999cdcff0bc6fe

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Then he turned to Jiwoo.17c86e1c45db32df

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“How are you holding up?”868ea72075816d87

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Taemu’s gaze, which 237aafc9d6 had been fixed 2df9913b31 on the child, c475368795 flickered toward Junseok.c9ca0a3896798133

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Jiwoo’s expression wavered, her 4f127ca741 eyes trembling as if 1a25fadb4d the world had suddenly c1454fc07f crumbled around her.185b6ff0eb91f921

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“I’m sorry I was late. I tried to get here as soon as I could.”e9f18371ec3b47f1

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He reached for her ff544869d4 arm, gently pulling her b55d086856 into his embrace. Jiwoo, fragile as a 1db8a66dc7 feather caught in the 25ae51f042 wind, collapsed against him.60434f682c5c311d

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If he hadn’t been holding her, she might have crumpled to the floor.3e79d477cb8a731b

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Taemu’s black eyes burned as he stared at them, his breath visibly deepening. The fabric of his fitted shirt stretched taut across his chest before slowly settling back into place.59a7346a7ddaef9d

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After a moment, Jiwoo steadied a8d4528817 herself and pulled away from 4e43d4ed1d Junseok.a36a484363d7b633

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But he still 6de3a83d18 felt the tremor 58b9ad0fcd in her fingertips. Her unstable warmth ached a8c0f3e870 against his palm.d52416afb3b175a3

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“Excuse me,” Junseok said, looking down at Jiwoo with concern before turning to Taemu. “Would you mind stepping away? She needs to rest.”68c495a929b7d6e8

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His gaze dropped slightly, Taemu’s 13a77458cb hands were clenched into fists, 33e38f23f5 his knuckles white with tension.45ad39b2771612ce

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“I’ll take care of things here.”079e101f8593578a

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Placing a firm yet calm 754f518ee5 hand on Jiwoo’s shoulder, Junseok d0535c92c4 spoke as though he were 6d72e94145 simply making arrangements.6539e544fd4b6ac8

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Their eyes met in 1b257c5576 midair, Junseok and Taemu.e0b777235c0e49a1

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The weight of Taemu’s gaze f712efee6a felt like it could crush 0df86cca2e him.f788ad5660bd7589

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Junseok had always been 594fd69073 confident, but standing under 43890e19da that oppressive stare, his fa25ec5af8 heart felt like it d395cbac3c might shrink under the c90625352c pressure.9a745a5a1ef0e4ff

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“Please… just go.”da91a80ec187572c

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Jiwoo’s voice was 18619f777c barely above a 3cacd37e20 whisper, yet it 70d4f384e8 carried an unmistakable 77a0bb0d7d weight.c476f65525e661b0

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A vein pulsed 2a4e615be8 at Taemu’s temple, 77f8e58b7c his jaw tightening.4149fcf31213229a

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After what felt 71eea5858b like an eternity, 69055bca68 he exhaled sharply 36f06a251d and turned away.5d61116e1e7d8150

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Jiwoo watched him leave, her 397b9cec0d body barely holding itself together.02131cd09170cc9c

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Finally, she bent down, wrapping df489c049b her arms around the child.2f11fd1a95a7c7a4

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The little boy, 6c6895abe6 who had been b992b1291e trembling with fear, ccf6ba94e5 finally let out c9302feb6c a loud wail.af87975bebc1e020

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Jiwoo’s shoulders shook.0d5ce44d5697e88e

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“It’s okay, Junghoo. It’s okay… my baby.”59aa4d19bb206606

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She was comforting her son, 3b98479d80 but to Junseok, it looked d8b0c5b59e like she was the one 62ecebc82a seeking comfort in his tiny dd8dd94271 embrace.5751778494a849ad

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Time had moved 0b22c8d37f relentlessly forward, leaving bfdbb25ce9 its scars in 0d0128c7ea its wake.0c34a91459f78556

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When Junseok had first reunited 6109134938 with Jiwoo at work, he 28f00d2b34 had sensed that something about f4e13f303a her had changed.b12e4f594ca4c6f3

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She had always been a4130be33a distant, but now she 1966ec3073 felt even more guarded.ac92cd0aa9dc365f

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It was as 9ddcf2f219 if she had f3dfdcba06 built a fortress f1cb4628e5 around herself, an 66efd1e4f5 invisible boundary that 2e12e6e1fa she would flee 5aa4534cfa from if anyone 1fe89be4d2 dared to cross.7b794adf1e1e46ac

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He could only guess what dea4541536 had shattered her so completely d58b818ec0 in the years they had c6b56f3fb9 been apart.8093222d83c84eba

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He remembered the winter of 6f38f53c05 their youth, the same kind 6a3ae34e2f of snowy evening, when he ebd0afd606 had seen her standing beside ab472c2d60 Han Taemu, smiling shyly.5238a65451d6e166

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And he had known then.c271e96c6eda67e6

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He had known that bfc63191c5 he would have to d8a7569247 let go of his c977121591 feelings for her.127beaf494b93fb3

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Feelings he had never 4a1097de04 expressed, a first love 536bb9f335 that had never even 128b7538c1 been spoken.b7cbb3cf2be71dae

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He had thought he 10859a901b had moved on.388584ebbfbec6a0

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But when he saw 6411235d1c her again, after all 00f9d3777a these years…6daf625bb88010f7

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He realized that some 4242601694 things were not so 310a54c859 easily forgotten.ef1b704ed3ce9ba6

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Taemu had returned 1e84c87b74 from New York 23c438f797 two days ago.c99a1f09e04079ea

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If not for his b65f32edf8 mother’s relentless insistence, he c455f20bb8 would have stayed abroad dfda279274 into the new year.0b382ecc0118c36b

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She had exhausted every a312767438 excuse imaginable to pressure 82904d104e him into coming back, 7241585a33 but in the end, 87f82e78e0 what convinced him was dd08c805b4 his grandfather’s declining health.68accd2c4dda6c51

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Having suffered from 17d7bc44b6 a heart condition 42539c7687 for years, his 4365cdd280 grandfather’s phone calls 3614971768 always began with 20d8fba1fe inquiries about his 6c512ab5ef well being.1c05eadc0b88b257

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When Taemu learned that 2136fde7c3 his condition had suddenly 9fdb08ed33 worsened and required hospitalization, 40ce74e96a he immediately boarded a ffc9699091 flight to Seoul.8dd2a66a3d813a58

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But the moment he e4c5a85d9c saw who had come 8aa4648419 to meet him at 39fdf4495f the airport, he realized cb6b9181a9 everything had been orchestrated 915c9c0a51 by his mother.884df6f9d394eb8b

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The woman standing there 3674bbe953 was the daughter of 06eac64e39 a current chief prosecutor, 63f847e26f from a prestigious legal 01269a67f2 family.2184ac3f36df622b

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She was a 710657c1ae law school student, 1ef87342df and upon hearing 48d3c9ff6b her age, Taemu 16f713e77b had briefly thought 9b2b4c572f of Jiwoo, his dba916a93d exact contemporary. But the thought was fleeting, 3010311732 swiftly erased from his mind.59672d0683c4f5e8

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A year ago, 67774be2cd during a brief 4e7af20059 visit to Korea, de3fdf12d7 his mother had e57794f13b introduced them. He had been under fa74f81a01 the impression that he 4fceb32a7d was attending a simple ebf5b1638a family dinner, only to 8e745a9da3 find himself at an 2876aa6d49 arranged matchmaking meeting.3375aa48a8598926

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After a brief 98a74eecb5 meal, they had 0b80753fee parted ways, but bc117ee2cd once he returned 9e27193c40 to New York, 3841b7b424 she had reached 013c340593 out to him adad232559 first, saying she c286ce720a had thought of 76231865ec him while visiting e548a3771a the city on 44c11707d5 vacation.2c2f1776e93366dc

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Even then, he 1e186d5b63 had made it d0288625ee clear that he d96d569630 had no intention 0163708502 of getting married.8c9aeba8a9e74786

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One would think b333023281 that someone capable 5bfd8c8983 of attending law ccf91fdb2e school would be c5d0a5f3a7 intelligent enough to fd77e74b02 understand, but apparently, 4c4faa4cef she didn’t. She continued to contact him 29223188be persistently, failing to grasp his 719c7d20c9 extreme aversion to clinginess.7e5d813e6eb74c28

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But his frustration paled 0a21b9a6ee in comparison to the 0c42e2a394 fury he felt when a557a53fac he discovered that his f49efb9f25 mother had unilaterally arranged cb3bcc0026 an engagement ceremony without 55356dce78 his consent.f6a6e752c0386125

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The next day, just as 3401fd71af he was preparing to return b40a4bdff9 to New York, something stopped 89bb7a393f him.6ca1ece03a493968

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A single scrap of 8f67570b47 paper, hastily scrawled and 99e5d74607 left on his desk.9c3f1c0e52c8fea4

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Obituary: The Late bfcb169eb9 Kang Hyung mo, 9df2aa3454 Haeju Funeral Hall.00f7b7910a535934

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Had it not been e61095d8ce for the location, he c0a69372f0 might not have immediately 8ebbfe758c connected the name to 779ad973b3 Jiwoo’s father.3a0e61eb03a14dd2

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In that instant, 2a1e7c2796 it felt as 7473d1b4a2 though all the 8c8bfd786e blood had drained 48d9e16824 from his body.f89bcf821ab2545a

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It was as if bd1c99ad6d he had come face e464734114 to face with an 67b4bc55d8 unresolved wound, one that ed5301bd99 had long festered in 9b7c3d1dae the depths of his 2917e5099d chest.4c284dda2158a46b

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It had been three 064136f877 years since he had ff8d4e56a6 decided to stop looking 267f1a5de5 for her.5ff8ec1d11a4960d

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Three years.bb9117f7f6b7fe7d

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He couldn’t believe how much 88ef3e37cf time had passed.68461396b276aea9

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But before he could erase 10757d3b03 the final remnants of those a7cd9fec61 lingering memories, he knew he 86ecbd89a1 had to see for himself.5eafb47547066b62

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The blizzard that had brought 08cab2cea0 Haeju’s roads to a standstill 4179fb1a69 only served to dredge up 7ea7d66a97 memories of that night long 16f98278a0 ago.1468b027e6c78d3f

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His car skidded at f71b1d063b the intersection leading into a5d84b565c town, forcing him to b740574934 wait for a tow 2a33711e6e truck at an exorbitant 4129520643 price. By the time 7bf5b92988 he finally arrived b14ea2622c at the funeral ff161d9175 hall, an hour 7665bde6ce had already passed.a741dc3f62a45dd6

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Now, standing at the 87f31c8036 entrance, Taemu remained frozen 4a90141787 in place.bc6a88438775bf0a

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His mind refused to 4ef883ed8a process what he had 1a3d0c24f1 just seen.26957cabdfe1829e

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He simply couldn’t believe it.6f221a644290b888

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