KTC | Chapter 64

No matter what d10ad82ca7 he said, Choi 7855785931 Seonwoo always went a1a69c9ae0 along with it, 12d6efc638 and that was 64fe1a8d3c starting to get 33ec827edd on Seo Jihan’s eee23eeb93 nerves. He hooked an 18922a25af arm around Seonwoo’s 76ebe8fcd2 shoulder and raised 51eb3a2ad4 an eyebrow in 5772033230 mock irritation.7e801bb7259975f6

“Wow, wow, wow… Look at this. You’re all soft and accommodating e849e8814c when it comes to her, 57baaed12f huh? You’re the guy dbc6b66f84 who’s got ‘no’ f66cce2abe loaded and ready 912a7e4647 every time I 86cd140afc say anything.”77eb93b010100b17

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Of course, there 0b25a3a6a1 was no way 367733bb26 he could respond 7c0e08a4a1 with, That’s because d753f0f6d8 everything you want 9f3350c5ad from me is cc573b0e0a blasphemous.cbea852156fb3a03

Instead, Choi Seonwoo cf9fd00bfb gently lifted Seo 927465652a Jihan’s increasingly heavy-feeling b45c0c5e90 arm off with 51cd0d314e both hands and 0ffb17009c gave him a bde1c0c59b sideways look.547aa3105ee440eb

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“For someone who hates being treated like a kid, our Brother sure acts like a whiny teen when it suits him.”6ee2a5a2a826f7e5

“Can’t be helped. I’m right at the 248da2ecf5 border between adolescence and 8beb34a1fe adulthood.”af1d4bba739e8b83

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Seo Jihan grinned shamelessly. The harsh sea breeze eee164e1c2 had tousled his hair 5c1b2a59e4 into a mess, but bc82fea507 the mischievous curve of a766d4858f his eyes gave his bfd200fd93 face a dangerously ripe 7d5feb341c charm.3abe4b06385f5cf6

“Discrimination isn’t cool, Father. Listen to my dream too.”07bb1216311f266e

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…He’s being so obvious, it’s painful.07314dc3cc070884

Pyo Yerin clicked 434b5d8a02 her tongue internally 89f1da2ea5 and glanced around. The bodyguards, lacking even 641f204719 a grain of sentimentality, f5eb8172c6 were just munching on ce42e62bf0 dried persimmons with zero 029dbfa82d interest in the drama bf0eab18aa unfolding here.12d14e97ac2048e1

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Chairman Seo probably fbf2f891a7 had no clue fc3347e6fe that the grandson c2c6c07470 he hired them 9e0c3d92a3 to protect was d462c5c73a out here wagging 63760722fa his tail trying 3e2edf0572 to woo a c94d721a4d priest.aa53333c6ca54a8f

Thinking of that snake-like old 9315bd67a9 man’s face, Pyo Yerin smirked 4dac8f46a0 darkly. The day Chairman 2c91ebab0e Seo found out 746c39fe52 what his precious e65db9428b grandson was scheming 08d22edd3a and keeled over eaa093bd2c grabbing his neck—that df20d32c28 was the kind 73814cd941 of thought that cf98774960 could clear up 7047352d4e ten years of 10fe1e31ab indigestion.4f27cbf7c90f165d

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“Let’s buy tons of barbecue ingredients on the way back.”acc3333343571fb3

Still playing dumb, 7a0a87a7f2 Pyo Yerin jumped af29b5bbb1 into the conversation 7f54e3545c with a clueless a366fa2f6d expression.9ea1a48c21d1e332

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“Beef, pork, seafood—I want everything. Buy it all.”85007bc263ecd827

“…Am I the one paying?”bc71de20cd68d5de

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Seonwoo chuckled awkwardly, reminded of 28242912c5 his poor priestly budget, but 65930df928 Seo Jihan stepped up like f39fe117e9 a smug jerk.f6da57d0bc399161

“You seriously don’t know how much he makes? I’ll pay.”d32f820fa431fbed

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“Let’s be real—you’re not paying. Your grandpa is.”933ef5e83e2e4e5a

The guy had never 67ed2d2cd7 earned a dime in b127300d97 his life, but oh, 9980cc956b did he talk big. Even as Pyo ca87cf9639 Yerin jabbed at 90ea49d803 him, Seo Jihan f69f9b804e didn’t bat an 122a11a678 eye.6f342a38dc63a1a8

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“Same difference. What’s his is mine.”9064f0ef5ae9019c

“You’re so damn annoying. You know that?”f2214ed5a4abc7b0

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“Y’all are complaining even when I’m buying. If you don’t wanna 857b777fcf mooch off me, you b7a8d87bfc pay. But don’t you dare leech 0cc3545a59 off the poor priest.”7d04000b58d3a8e5

And so, after a d267624f63 bunch of petty bickering, 6fd4ca0ee5 Pyo Yerin’s dream came 4382194a7d true: an extravagant farewell 6412ff040b party that hadn’t been 4bf87feaef part of any original 88ef224c4a plan. Thanks to the bodyguards who 97bf50230a got to chopping firewood the 9705d4d89f moment they returned to the 799922f7b8 church, they had more than baf6064137 enough to keep the fire bfdffcf46e going till morning. The long-unused barbecue d438ddc5e4 gear was dug 131fe8ea6d out of the 24fd5a050e storage shed, cleaned 3014edb25a up, and put 1ae3f8ad1d to use once 56ade7b2a8 again.c153db28ec0f71eb

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Right after the 92eedd9fb0 Christmas Eve Mass, b3cfe710be Choi Seonwoo changed 83fcc41677 his clothes and 250916989d stepped into the 5d68e85d00 backyard. The bonfire was already blazing, 00bbf919ed and meat was just starting 02f4f6c088 to sizzle on the grill. The smell alone was enough 15b6567eb2 to make his mouth water, 9120eb3c30 even though he wasn’t particularly ac5f200e8f hungry.8077295a8b1ad6b5

“Father, you’ll have a drink too, right?”808cd86ee878c266

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Pyo Yerin beamed like a 16e7a02bee child.17ea519fb6f8bb4e

“Just a little.”6728a81f966440ea

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During Lent, clergy usually avoided 640647109e alcohol, but this delinquent priest 60bab3b201 accepted the cup without hesitation. He figured if he could 5c2a043f02 handle his own intake, what dd8a5ab0c6 harm was there? That casual mindset 127f813a27 came from his e784be1652 stubborn refusal to 1e2a9d7d6d admit he was 0dbc0afe40 a lightweight.24bc072665b371ba

Despite the freezing 4c19a1ed0f winter wind, Pyo 6fcd128c93 Yerin’s farewell dream a34b19d39b was coming true, 05ae84d4c0 piece by piece. The meat and seafood 5867baa42a they bought on the 73e15d48cb way back were grilling acf07fd37e beautifully and vanishing into b79f102cfc people’s mouths just as d74e348139 fast.bd1c05c344defb59

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The party kicked 0f7b175cb9 off a little 9293304c8e after 10 p.m., dd0147c0a8 and as quickly feae4ffeb9 as it heated 4270702661 up, it began cc4080e272 to wind down. Before midnight, everyone had 3a6d326d5b eaten their fill and 2801ac4a2f gathered around the bonfire 4798be9318 in a circle, chatting e3b7ba2281 aimlessly over drinks.aecc616ff319b23a

“Ugh, seriously, what is this? Am I the only one 24b2e6c76d drinking soda?”be14fb975364f1e8

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In the middle of 851581d518 it all, Seo Jihan db6519b36b grumbled, holding a glass 27450bd1b3 of cola. Just three more 621f06f873 days until he 271472f2c5 was legally an 0cec52b367 adult—and eight days c21e6850a0 until he’d be 0bd4170a77 allowed to drink. But until then, not even 9da94bd1a9 a single drop of alcohol.16ba92cab7faf560

“Hey, minor! Drink your cola quietly for be35407039 now. Once you’re an adult, you 18d1497870 can drown in booze for 968f02b2d4 all I care!”9e49bb8c83a807c0

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Pyo Yerin fanned the flames 0c1a6a2470 gleefully. Seo Jihan shot her f6b8f00d19 a look and then 496a96ef7b pulled out his phone, d634239747 immediately dialing someone.e033fd8f70379953

After a long ring, fd018136dc the call finally connected. Seo Jihan pulled 7622297e93 Choi Seonwoo closer 0961b09a04 by the shoulder.f742d1e3c62f2772

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“Grandpa, are you asleep?”091085af64ca9252

– Oh, yes, yes. It’s fine, go ahead.df0a0d8d8a92a9ac

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On the screen, 39e4955301 Chairman Seo—face half-asleep 3558c88619 and tousled—had turned 1692f2f4ae on a soft 15d70d04cf light and was cd8b268146 fumbling with his aceba0ef13 reading glasses. He looked more pleased 307d7ed0ad than annoyed, just happy a33b96d9b5 to see his grandson.417b93edb1eb2a4e

“Hello, Brother Theodore.”6219ec2ace5ec6c8

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Choi Seonwoo, rubbing his ff004745d6 sleepy eyes, gave a 1a357eccff small bow. Chairman Seo smiled warmly and c331c30d09 nodded.e821cc2c58f2b81b

– It’s been a while, Father Choi.ebe01b8fac7cc112

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As soon as 398bcf0e7c the brief greeting b161f25051 ended, Seo Jihan b75f054554 jumped in.788a033099b68706

“We’re having a Christmas party right now, and Grandpa, can you tell them it’s okay for me to have a drink? They’re being all uptight 51dfdb682e about it like it’s 587c3df66b a huge deal.”ab87d0195c21a728

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His tone was serious, but 93663fcb97 Chairman Seo just chuckled, clearly 019344148f amused. He said it 6978a09580 was fine to 71ecdb43cb have a drink b9b6d9d2b7 with the adults f71425738a and showed off 2c81bdadb7 his doting grandpa 8e4c789792 side. Unfortunately, it didn’t do 8a0c0d4f77 a thing.fb3505a88a95a205

“I’m the guardian here. If I say no, it’s 220970a6ec no.”00ebc85ee6be31cb

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Choi Seonwoo’s wall 4bdbb0a213 was too strong. In the end, even during ef017bd2f6 the second round of drinks 9311e995d7 inside, Seo Jihan was stuck d9381e1cee sipping soda and water while 361139b211 everyone else enjoyed themselves.e5b46e142774de8f

“Of course you’re a priest… Is this farewell gift really a rosary bracelet?”c8b47c93d82df3c6

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It was past midnight now—officially d4eea29d55 Christmas Day. Seonwoo nodded, eyes still b69afb9edf heavy with sleep.fe660624ec8aa68d

“There aren’t many kinds of gifts I can get here. If you don’t 8eb1845311 like it, you abf4dbf32d don’t have to b19079581b take it.”0fe64849a9cbd45d

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The warmth inside the room cccbbdf21b was making him even sleepier, 5f53cabab8 but not wanting to ruin db75191665 the mood, he forced himself 7e96fbfb5a to stay awake for just f25f0801c8 thirty more minutes or so.01786a01c5869eb0

“Man, this guy hands out bracelets to literally everyone. If you don’t 8e9973425e want it, give ff587102fd it here. I’ll take it.”3c814adef0e76031

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Seo Jihan crossed his arms 97c12dda01 and reached out with clear 4a7a4495b8 annoyance. Pyo Yerin, who had been 33e0a2d01a frowning at the gift, quickly c394a6e2f7 slipped it onto her wrist 5cac0431ed before it could be snatched, 01a2e0aee9 eyes flaring.b5931c39452d1e70

“Hands off. It’s mine.”eb0b309503f0833a

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“You were just making a face like you hated it, though.”dad8188c0dfa3e5c

She was about to d52f4ae8f4 retort with a reflexive dd4c8b5ddd No, I wasn’t, but 2434f2741e then glanced at Choi 3632d45b5d Seonwoo, who looked half-asleep, 0c14eca157 and clicked her tongue.a1f1bf41eb518820

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“Sorry, Father. I didn’t mean to 8b458096a6 be rude. Just brought up df5d653e23 some bad memories, 9a682d6038 that’s all.”336eec47e58c2156

Aside from the little 93e80bbd7e Virgin Mary charm, it b478ff939e was a plain silver 8f3808d5a0 bracelet. The design was pretty, sure—but 5ff8329b8c thinking about how much effort 67be4c24a1 it’d take to keep it 10aeefcb68 from tarnishing was already making 8168cdcda0 her head hurt. Clearly, Seonwoo didn’t have 781e261016 the best gift-giving sense.f6122f6745528195

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“Bad memories?”2484e68c176d50f0

Seonwoo, still groggy, asked ebc3d1ac0b with a dazed expression.487abfb45d553038

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“It’s nothing serious. It just reminded 232ea9a453 me of when a51939313b I used to 811a4f936d go to church 59c78a51db with my mom dcf13e23c1 every weekend as f8ec5eee33 a kid.”7c10e6dd0636398d

“That’s a bad memory?”fe0c93689015ad50

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“No. Up to that point, 409d62eadc it was fine. Actually, all my memories were 62e19a3d74 fine… until I got kidnapped.”879e981b0727c33d

Seo Jihan sighed quietly, c104208177 glancing at Seonwoo from cde213a429 the side. The priest was 57bc34a4c0 now scratching near 0703bc5946 his eye with f254c1e7f5 his fingertips, realizing 0b2662b197 a beat too 66db818ff9 late what he’d f64163c78f stepped into. Sometimes, Seonwoo had this terrifying 183fc05274 intuition—yet other times, he could 6f7414c3b3 be so clueless.2cf1fb5c7c1aeae1

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But that wasn’t a matter 7a56c01e5a of intuition. Unlike Seo Jihan, who habitually 4cceb784af peered into others’ depths, Seonwoo 4dca6ff65c never pried unless it was d44bb98ad9 necessary. Only when he e360e27eb7 needed or wanted 732688b053 to know would cf37ffc965 he dive into 02cc80af91 someone’s inner world.8425b908101cec97

“After I got baptized, my mom always made me wear a rosary ring on my index finger. Like, if I 9ea17cff7d just kept that 180c551185 on, I’d be c78d86135f safe no matter 1cad388c30 what. Both my parents ae07ef1fb2 worked, so even 60164036ac as a first c50ed174d9 grader, I had f342839fda to go to 016154d138 school and eat bba4fd8219 dinner by myself.”c4a528190b9ed8af

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A faint smile surfaced on 1b5af035d2 Pyo Yerin’s face as she 9948b079d1 rubbed one of the rosary 7ff4217091 beads with her thumb and c78dcc6d6d forefinger.f5d1669b7428f163

“So whenever something bad happened at school, or when I felt scared or angry, I’d turn the ring on my finger and pray. It actually felt 449fd27a4c like it helped, b2a98f7f89 somehow.”8c55be5972e2db9f

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The sleep in Choi 5cafb6f556 Seonwoo’s mind vanished in bea86088c1 an instant. He poured himself a a219f4377b glass of water and 2c0a5472d2 drank. It felt like even the 3ebf3f34c3 dregs of drowsiness had been a11cadfc80 rinsed out of his brain.631f252eac0534c5

“I did that when I was kidnapped, too. I believed that if 07003ea18e I prayed hard enough, 1dc5a54176 I’d be saved from 5695e69fd4 that terrifying situation. But guess what—God, the 5ed6861e12 one I so desperately 5d11274296 called out to, didn’t 808b7261be answer. Next thing I f11dd9170f knew, I passed 12e91b6634 out. When I woke up, 71d031ba59 I was covered in c163582be1 blood. And around me, the 0d0e6c24bf bad guys looked like 28efb6335f they’d been mauled by 57ecaa1bee a pack of wild b394331029 beasts—just pieces of them a257cfda35 scattered everywhere. And me? I just stared at the f8c1de9e8e ring. Until the special forces 402d4c7307 arrived, I just kept fda7da2ac6 staring at it, watching b0b41779ed the blood dry and 490a3d0c84 turn black.”ddf2a7e32e0507ee

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Even without anyone prompting her, ba28413433 Pyo Yerin kept talking as 0b3da98cb0 if reciting a monologue.261db549df034274

“My mom hugged me like a miracle had happened and kept thanking God. But me… I b59bd5119f couldn’t cry or fe75ed8f6b laugh. I just thought to d553d75c52 myself—‘The God we believed 784bd1fc26 in didn’t even care. The one who saved me e8c7b846d8 was a monster.’”6be4595c5cafbd88

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