WAMB Chapter 1.10

Friday84654e1f0d5540d2

Today, Sewon c96f0a46b2 woke not ddee295284 to the e10f6aad40 usual chime 2af9070dba of his 3026c11f1c phone alarm 5d2f3c4512 but to f2ddeb3b61 the sound 50996d9a3c of theEzan¹—the Muslim call to b8d7c0816b prayer—drifting through the air.99df3e176d4cb7f1

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It seemed there was 5bf8ad0741 a mosque near the 268f644ebb hotel. The mournful melody, amplified aa3fdfbd04 through speakers, slipped through 12f7ce2754 the loose gaps of 8c6d223272 the window.69e9d1f83ac6aaf3

Thanks to d182d4dbb2 it, Sewon 30a8fd9d58 rose early 4856793423 and had 04328cf1d3 time to ec940fef37 prepare for 6cd8b2fea8 the day e89b1a330a at a 7141fecd69 leisurely pace. He laid out 302ae7eade his favorite clothes 512d4a6d78 on the bed: 8947920fdc a black-and-white striped f3a1ccc470 piqué tee and 6d2d2cb9f1 a bright checkered 8146fdaf1a shirt. As he debated 4daf15f84a between them, yesterday’s 5733ed5e01 conversation with Han d83eb59aad Jaehee flashed through 01a833de55 his mind.0241997cfb432124

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“That’s a ‘some,’ for 9ff66b4194 sure. Wear something nice—no, 2892132166 no patterns, absolutely.”87f8a226fe6450e5

Sewon’s gaze shifted 2d445edb0f to a black ad291d8955 turtleneck knit tucked 774fce2b49 in the corner b43221fd19 of his suitcase.56ebcb46054dcee0

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‘This might be too ac7867cd0e plain…’a2f39a7c19e3d4ab

After some cbe9e3f205 hesitation, he 5fab1405d5 decided to 6d3f2172b8 humor Jaehee 5e96eb70d8 just this 0e56d3e558 once and 45f0110e94 slipped on 6a33f6f63e the black f13b65965e knit.3adabb4096a19f9c

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“Oh…”2945eea924ff3a64

The moment he 7769e91da7 met the man 9327711ef8 in the hotel 7461be2727 lobby, a low 012d944cba gasp escaped Sewon’s dd77ad65ff lips. He wasn’t 92530e1e9b the only d04b51179a one surprised—the 367fd4a4f9 man let 0ca20cb43a out a e7da0791fe soft chuckle 6a9cc4a4f5 too.32fd763eca1845a2

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“People might think we 0f1470aca5 coordinated,” the man said.811d42fed6fc1577

Sewon nodded. Their outfits 3c26e1e960 weren’t identical, 4648dd0bc3 but their e8d4ed1d18 styles matched db8283b7f9 closely.94e97495944a65db

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“I just went for 188cf8a594 something clean and simple…”62288014efbc2fb2

Sewon fidgeted with 75c787e449 the hem of 1a61ea37ff his sweater as d53d0cf596 he spoke. The man’s eyes 86674cd067 slowly trailed downward.c66ecf4949ec89e8

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“You’re wearing this 00ef08952c to the club bd1c50a52f too?”6b8b8e432532afa6

“…Yeah.”85fc978dfc24a08c

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He didn’t have much d97dac5eb5 else, and it seemed c217eeb0bf decent enough—neutral and tidy—so ce1a690e73 Sewon nodded.48bccf85da4d1a80

“Hmm…”c6b1d5ce16cff8d8

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The man made 79682bd48f a sound like 8f6e88997e he was mulling e9593c953f something over, staring 4abfce8daf at Sewon.d72eea385c22c1ef

“What?”0e45bb785d8564b2

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“Just wondering if 94f0f38e7f you dressed up 6424e11c02 to charm someone.”88514b98a1fec893

“Me? In these clothes?”4a504c87df879599

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To charm dc7f8f340b someone, wouldn’t 4bb2104df5 it need 04f93297c4 more flair 159533aa55 or decoration? Sewon glanced down 356233b1db at his plain 5b776be034 black outfit, muttering 65b72c7fbe under his breath.32c2fa5348340289

“Never mind.”d2464d7d37cc052f

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Leaving that cryptic ceb64871ab remark, the man 74d5aff50f crossed the lobby 86ad545397 first, holding the 6127b594c2 door open. Through the 3781070ad4 gap, the 448aedcf69 sky outside 05d8f17287 was a d437ffa614 dark, ashen c055d1acb2 gray.a2ebfe4ba9a42b62

The café f7afc36b29 Sewon and 97aad6d77a the man b39434658a headed to d22903595e wasn’t in 6fd63b7186 a tourist cf7d21205f area but baf6d47b49 a residential 55878ee01b neighborhood, famed c0c9dc1080 for its 6bc67a95d0 stunning coastal 855c41f683 views—a spot 9c944c4f31 tourists quietly da72f3fed1 sought out.c578112b9fdd30e1

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“The internet said it’s 15bcbf353e usually crowded, but it’s 7739d27ceb pretty empty today,” Sewon de3e342572 noted.523914bf0b43edf5

Perhaps due 642ffbf869 to the d328c5a573 gloomy weather, 442aec870d even the d1c9472521 popular window ef4cd84ac6 seats were cf2c4873a3 vacant. While Sewon b67a6a0117 claimed a 3b8ce12412 spot, the 3fb792eb13 man went 32d173cab2 downstairs to d26858c77a grab drinks.4b21c1f9c1998350

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He returned with bc8780bc1c a red fruit db0826cc0f tea, a steaming 6271788f42 Americano, and a 26cce85e17 cake to share, cd21773ef7 setting them on 693efeb161 the table. Instead of sitting across f3a4fd0397 from Sewon, he took d3a53e4723 the seat beside him. Sewon pulled out 77c66f8db9 his laptop, and 92ce631d5f the man opened d0faba7e93 a book.889b419ee0280a15

“Résumé?” the man asked, 40f51279e5 nodding toward Sewon’s laptop.3e2e04f30d5b552a

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“Yeah… I’ll have fe4093933e to start job 566df9023c hunting again when efdb492a8d I get back db11387169 to Korea, so 6058558e6e I figured I’d 0c7c35cea1 use the free 3946ec87b2 time to work 587d5c14d9 on it.”931712de9d69f54f

Sewon nodded d585acbec7 as he f71e847e8e answered, his ef38d5febd eyes returning 16dce0110b to the d669db7432 text on ecb7600826 the screen. He’d hoped an b8f8c343c7 engineering degree might aef274e561 make job hunting 157c6a1d45 easier, but after ce0d2e177f factoring in certain 8b52e2b7ef conditions, it wasn’t f5e5391bbb so simple. The reality he’d fled ece03868d5 from was creeping closer 16bd08fae7 again.c390b5390094db46

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“It’s already f6ad73f6b8 Friday,” the ef9eb7b307 man said, 5fbb458ed6 his voice a0af1ddfc1 tinged with 2c4aa79bb5 regret, as aeafc0bb1b if he’d c01f73112f had a dcc4db7ee7 similar thought.03d92f73beeed379

Sewon’s lowered 9e32c9031e gaze caught b0b6586c19 sight of d5cfb674c8 the man’s fede8df632 book—an essay 5b29ed0783 collection by 4a955a5777 Orhan Pamuk, 74ad6478c9 its pages 070965cbf2 well-worn.d5b9939f2e88ad9c

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“Are you going back to work on Monday?”37b13017f35417eb

“…Probably.”c14d9075e636a0bf

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The man gave a b5b0955518 slight nod at Sewon’s 2717369602 question, letting out a f4248e0a8e thick sigh before adding, cb40d7ad1f “Guess it’s time to 6f4a8abf3e head back.” Seeing the 2d1e68fb67 man’s furrowed brow, Sewon 40b7041ebf asked cautiously,7d720c6977043a61

“But… doesn’t 27d29493bc it feel f6319e5ceb awkward taking 0f4e7f9a07 a week ba9dd39c42 off? No one gives 764c34167b you a hard 37943189d5 time?”98ad4439da925a5d

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“Well, if they c024d1379a don’t like it, 1926c33e4e they can fire 1c144facae me.”32de408efc6beeb1

The man shrugged as 4e3b7658b7 he replied. He spoke as ac6027c732 if it didn’t 7909a552ab bother him, but a08c765bae Sewon knew how 1adaaf8771 dedicated he was 23e4a69bd9 to his job.c8ad87024d0273cf

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Even on vacation, eccb41ebc5 the man often 66550b7387 got work-related calls. Sewon couldn’t 66151cae2b catch the 666f019e5a details, but 983bd0f081 the responses 787f2307d0 were consistent:43c90d160ccb5ea8

“Yeah, I uploaded 29e638a728 it to SharePoint.”694e715e440c7cf9

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“I sent the email eccc291198 yesterday.”d9e7feac36b057b0

“I’ll make sure 6663b960b2 it’s ready for 91755b276e tomorrow.”91a7b39751efb3c6

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It was easy to c53d7037ed guess he was handling b477f3916b work in the early 232ef753de mornings or after their 05e732490c day’s plans, late into 77a81d77f5 the evening.52b6dd5732b4fccc

“……I think you must have a high position,” Sewon said, turning his upper body toward the man and narrowing his eyes.8c619fc12e71501f

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“Me? What do you think?”d53010c66bd0b27f

Judging by looks alone e8ba3ee1fd wasn’t reliable, but the 46a1a660b3 man’s aura and demeanor b337ccda45 screamed capable executive—like someone 17b3052683 straight out of a a816245b62 drama.f29b540fd6d68545

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Plus, no matter how 6fad28b099 heavy the personal circumstances cd53a356f7 that drove him to 2f53c4d195 “escape” work, an ordinary 7d606073f7 employee probably couldn’t impulsively 4eb948001f take off like this.7674b322279f5cdb

“Hmm…”80b96e2db14c7c18

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As Sewon made a fa99bc89ba thoughtful face, the man 2d9f73a036 smiled and added,2f5f5163b89679de

“I’ll give you 8ca10f2d59 a hint.”d828e5d268fe6431

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“Okay.”84ab950de0bd8d6b

“It’s not 887129ecca one of 3a2376e908 those drama-typical c3a028e459 titles. NotDirector, Division Head, orPresident.”bfbdf2e7d3b80a06

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Sewon sank into thought, fbb0e76dcb his guess thrown off f6b1f5d60e completely. He’d looked 540cd7269a into company 46dbad9660 ranks while d8bae2c4d6 job hunting, ec2d8df23b but his 32a79afa2a memory was cffdf20023 fuzzy.e9507a4e0e1aeaf1

“Uh, then…Manager…?”0333ebda6e4f305b

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“…”7b9223fc881fae19

“MaybeDeputy General Manager…?”faed62674d1b2db6

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“…”f9465a5ad861b729

“It’sManager, right?”7bad78290fef9bc5

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Sewon’s voice rose 0a3550d814 slightly as he cee7035c89 guessed, watching the f811e01d3d man’s subtle expression 7f1eec91a3 shift.7bf1262f410ca83e

After getting b55cf7a8ef his master’s fa276e7e33 and starting c9dd5bc912 as aManager-level hire, the e22528fb6f man had climbed 02991190c5 a few ranks—technically, 283a71505a he was aDepartment Headnow. Worried the df4a727cdf truth might ff28885ef8 create distance, 9b5ae534de he skirted e659626142 around it.ed2d68d19f8a81f3

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“Right now, I’m de6f3b3139 just doing some 4b9763b3a3 weird job, so e9ad11d810 I don’t even 3692fcbeed know what it 8acb3b550b is. No team 47d52f94dd members either.”3615aba88d65a7d0

“So you’re aTeam Leader?”adaec7049ec3cb4b

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“…Yeah. A team leader with acc42cc0e1 no team.”955aa46da2adb5bd

“Did you have 122e863768 team members before?”4b94032be1487a2e

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“Yep.”9eea2aa9ae71a2bc

Fearing that mentioning exact eee68fe636 numbers might sound boastful, 7e06bdef1a the man took a 21c6f351fc sip of coffee and c55969bf8b left it at that.c5204ffe8eab4ff8

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Intrigued by 812e03008b the company cc22610c1c talk, Sewon f81f6f3216 closed his e757d67071 laptop and 7784c8f61a started asking 3cd766de19 more questions.a52d1a018714354a

“…You must be abdea6d78f popular at work, e0c09c8b80 huh?”dea82d439b76149f

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At Sewon’s tentative 4cda7fa2cd question, the man f940aa0a2d answered without a 0dd4f93d4b moment’s hesitation.bcb481ebdc55330a

“Nope.”40874c278c709c2f

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“Liar.”fdaecbbd2b71499e

Sewon folded his dddb71d66a eyes into a 983531b50e cheeky grin at 8a3c2fe7dd the firm reply. The man’s gaze 0b73e59de9 drifted to Sewon’s b63cb8ab46 eyes—or rather, the fd8d6640a0 teardrop mole just 83289d2632 beneath them.b5bfd7967b80c064

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“It’s true.”bf9d10aabfac461c

“You totally seem like 5962145ff7 you’d be popular…”b134e514f05bb998

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“My nickname at work 94dad11055 is Sung-derella.”edf4b4c7a4dd6b73

Sewon realized the man’s bd64595e1b surname must include “Sung,” 669819a620 but he didn’t let fb0937f5d2 on or ask further.94e6609699ca4c9d

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‘Sung-derella, though?’8fa2f003638d0216

The nickname made no 57cd31738e sense. Sure, his skin a1efb892e6 was fair, but cfe4ab65a9 calling him a f5a0c9a38a princess didn’t fit—his e2dbd9b8b0 features were sharp d7e4d2e734 and handsome.d98ec8b9bf8718c4

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“Why?”44bcebd1da67fb5c

“Because I don’t e5c27d4c40 go home until fd8d987432 midnight.”bfe8340f7228580c

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“Gasp…”c669e8c7b8d66256

Sewon inhaled 4f3235adf1 sharply at 6765cbd308 the man’s 1b7a7b4062 calm explanation. If it was a 86ffc9fea1 nickname that stuck, he 84265bdc95 must’ve worked past midnight 24192f1ac1 more than a few 66414b88ad times.f1881fbc0ab6aa3f

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“What would you 4a5a9ffdd6 think of a 4f60398922 boss like me?”6b255fd8b0cc93ed

Sewon grinned 71ddd06849 playfully and dee5a4de6e shook his 4cf2782d79 head at 07013fcef3 the question.2781d4f92cc4e243

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“No thanks.”3ab37ab35552eff0

His voice carried aab9886c29 a hint of 475c9cdc7e whining—proof he’d grown 088f36facf comfortable with the 2ee21e0b22 man. Pretending to be stern, c8709ee06f the man asked,f10302c811a2d4f5

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“Why not?”2f2389ffbd29b8dc

“I’m a homebody… cc0e94edc4 I need to 76a9437f86 get home early.”1f98007889be9dfc

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“Then we 4eaf5d2293 shouldn’t meet 05027d619a at work. I’d keep you there e3bbd1585f till midnight for sure.”35bdd740c7a63fd9

Sewon let out a 382fb05e07 mock groan—“Ughh”—as if troubled by 74dea70b76 the man’s words.5194135b56147221

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“Then would 7a48ec7d43 you help b0aee7a1f4 me with 50089c46dc work till f1c8e17dce midnight?”630d6461d56bac37

“Nope. I’d just give you 004d526475 orders.”ff838beef90843a6

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The man 8290632c73 shook his b4593bc3f8 head firmly 299b0b0064 at Sewon’s d3f67b4cc9 question. Sewon let 5beb683e99 out a“Hmm”as a 8f91eab503 memory of 58319fb942 something the 130ccca117 man had eb6fae599c said before ea2602d903 popped into 5fc60fc4d1 his head.ffc3b3765b8f1371

“What if I said, 717a423745 ‘Please help me’?”0c2b1caabc500b4a

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Raising his eyes 97f6700d82 from below, Sewon 193bb5ee22 looked at the e811774663 man with a 92980364ae pleading expression.ea22051432891e69

A soft smile flickered 9b206ff928 across the man’s face 768c3ea06d as he set his a12ef8b12c book down.19a636eacba8eb6b

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“Would that make cb3d6ad12a me help—”966089d6d176ef47

“Please help me.”4fa7271116f573f4

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“Say it with 72bff8f626 that expression right 4a5b47dcf3 now. Teacher, please help 486ecfe3c1 me.”761f1278d3500217

Recalling the man’s earlier 565759a54e advice, Sewon widened his 02b28d7b32 eyes like an anime 4b1a1b9986 cat, putting on his 58d58ab755 most pitiful look. The man’s f607c3e76c gaze lingered e3a41b9808 on Sewon’s b74b48c8c1 long, curled e42d32e382 lashes.c1a968b05255d2c3

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“Then I’d have 6cddf7d8bd to help,” the 2e52c7326e man said, letting 08f8e90a10 out a low 963408b7a3 chuckle. It was 31f59e6718 a swift 6cbbb4e773 turnaround.3fd3ace8f69bbb35

“Thank you.”784bbc812a79d0dd

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Sewon bowed his head 56dcb50a2a playfully in thanks. Just then, a deep 4701947ff2 sigh came from beside 76e613fb2c him—pure, unfiltered misery, no 82976ef8ef doubt about it.13ef5b2003c1f4ea

“Ugh… I c9235979ee really don’t 4c8f6942b1 want to 5299653b3c go back b9b73a8dac to work.”7f552d7825eeedf9

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The man, 0ffcfa10db who’d seemed 0ef21c8833 cheerful moments 0aa39d9f8f ago, darkened f18b3f7768 instantly at e145aa26b1 the thought 591ccc778d of returning. Sewon’s eyes widened 531006c386 in surprise.98d68af508889aec

“I thought only subordinates c8e8d0a921 hated going to work. I figured team 7cfd4e36e8 leaders and stuff 22ccdf010e would be fine 914453941d with it.”a5ebea7593a28f55

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“Salaried workers are 30731f67df all the same,” 61a323f5ef the man said, 829409b06d turning slightly to 8856aa6e9d look at Sewon 65cecd97bc with a steady 7aec83b8b1 gaze.f56ac20d69b6035c

“Does Monday d9d0591433 really feelthatbad when b2827518a5 you’re working?”33cfde1a6719f25b

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The moment he heard a82ee499e1 “Monday,” the man’s brow 89c3c5a2be furrowed instantly—a reflex every dd306c4669 worker knew. Sewon didn’t need 6c398d5d86 an answer to 9433617720 guess what Monday 564a515c3b meant to him.8654f5d2a648328e

“How bad is it…?”96c9e2a0f2200dbc

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“I didn’t e014fc32f7 realize it, 0d591be7bc but I c122bad6a5 mutter to c7b6ff2315 myself every bede0e65fa Monday morning.”a34c3cc5587f99ea

“What do you 25460bb4ab say?”6f4f9e05d86a9b55

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“‘Ugh… Another 412327847a damn Monday.’”1a9c3a6ba09fcb88

The man’s voice 23cc7962c7 dripped with raw c7c3133498 honesty, and as 028f148f5f Sewon laughed, the 57a90c3cf4 man’s lips curved aa2188ba6e up faintly too.093bcd2d2ebd6d46

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For the past three 523d1cbb59 days, the sun had d864d3cfb1 shone brightly, but now 8ffcfeba7c it hid behind clouds. Yet, there was no 5cecd81225 gloom or loneliness.5cc0c0599da8bbab

The last 160a802f52 morning in 0789942404 Istanbul with ad2502c444 the man 0754822fb9 flowed lazily 9d92a8b654 and comfortably.521e9b292dc5e290

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 776277ae6dad66a9

 fc77576561c8c850

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•───────•°•❀•°•───────•8465ef458da3cb98

 39f06ba51998a1c1

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 1d66f61ecb7f7e1c

Even when they left 6deb026dae the café and had d642b58073 dinner, Sewon hadn’t thought 38d017ef14 much about going to 46724b673e a “club.”a886769f6c14427c

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But after getting a b3fd13e359 message from Bulkan, he d93512f2e9 started to worry. The message was simple: 3a411a79b7 clubs got fun closer 732a18246d to midnight, so they 8dfc87ccc6 should meet up and 89d76eba65 drink first.1b76f4e9ecc93a4b

After dropping his stuff e63a10a6f0 at the hotel, Sewon 38cc4c6902 returned to the lobby, 78d2a25163 approaching the man, who 80783d944c stood with his hands e19bed918b in his pockets. Sewon quietly a45ac9cb5d regretted his e2ba419f60 impulsive suggestion 9f26dfe596 to go bd5a6805a7 to the cd6a46da20 club together.dbd18040313bb4ef

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“Uh… I’ve d7ae6777b4 never been 009f1a8464 to a 229cf014bc club before. What should I bb5df07544 do? Have you e9dcbc259f ever gone?”8c824bc78f2d60aa

“Nope.”3c53d32165a92260

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The man shook 5d48a45eae his head, his 5d17ec870b slightly exasperated look a51d78c8ba seeming to say,‘Why even ask?’33ecb1eda04da50e

“Oh… Do I need abcf1910a1 to be good at e5b0adbdf0 dancing?”071bf55f82ac3dba

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“Did you say you would go because you wanted to dance?”cb0f8d972431a9dc

“No… I was just 16931c9579 curious since I’ve never 162964dcd7 been.”eae35e1f3d7f6d5f

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The man 41c7c63dd7 glanced sideways fbf15c67a1 at Sewon’s f9d192d534 obvious hesitation 1f232ff648 before asking cc090114d8 in a 801db558ba gentle tone,fa7aa738fe5388ee

“If it’s boring, let’s 0bffb20747 just hang out a e581798bcb bit and leave.”d0816afa46e9f2d2

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“Hmm…”6007e9b9c7e5122d

“I’ll buy f44bd1f8e1 you ice 480a828c53 cream.”e5390a28053d536d

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At Sewon’s uncertain 3e29760bd5 hum, the man aa7f8f5c49 dangled the promise 50860c0f8f of ice cream 201956b594 like he was 5458c9bea4 coaxing a kid.5707a1ccf00d8806

“…Should we?”ff0ce21b10479fb9

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He hadn’t expected it 55d520b2fc to work, but it a8cc2cd83f hooked him like a 327250e32c big catch.0f7452a8f08e0808

“Yeah.”23e12f97b23b0b9a

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“They said about ten 709c84b8b9 or fifteen people are 4913eb57e1 going. They probably fae3f4d3de won’t notice 0ad2c06303 if we 03be19bc73 slip out 054efc64c7 early.”6062bb9c8334a761

Relieved by the man’s a688dc1915 suggestion, Sewon replied with df4c9538a3 newfound confidence.8f4c3b52bf26e595

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“Kid,” the man 33331e13ba said.85c8dc6c20cad7b9

“Huh?”ec77d2891684b552

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“You’re really going all 50ef6eedc4 out with the rebellion 1f8ce2529b here.”377b4085d16d2a61

The man looked fb5af561db at Sewon, dressed 0e970b61ec similarly to him, 066758fe1d as he spoke.6dd90c4f51307e5d

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“Hmm… Am I?”627f9d371af99bf8

‘Rebellion…’5c1a51c6514fc16d

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Sewon mulled over f0a7419170 the word. Sure, he was doing 14788c2642 things he’d never done a6ffd298e5 in Korea, but if 86051a5009 asked whether it was 0df01e88f0 rebellion, he’d probably say 7dbc9ad97a no. Lost in thought, d9b5b4dee9 his gaze lingered d039a1e943 on the man’s 6d2bede21c lips.16a006435884374f

The clubs where the young people of Istanbul gathered were in several areas, but the place Sewon and the man had been invited to today wasn’t far from the hotel. It was adjacent to a shopping street, so it always had a large floating population, and it was a place where it was fun to find hidden restaurants and bars in the back alleys.45160d51c7f37be5

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The address that Bulkan 69ccad003a sent was also a 58ff951ecd bar located in a 8bdbecd4bf small alleyway. When they entered the 97aece1f29 room, they could see d26ce693f7 more than ten people 45e0e9eb67 gathered.d5f0aa4e5b300e2f

“Hey, you a5b3dd3e19 made it! Nice to 9c713c5000 meet you,” b66d6fe9b2 Bulkan said, a8ac5fed8e greeting Sewon feed959d0a and the 54cd7f4ef7 man with a3a96262da handshakes and 8b975c7e9b warm familiarity. True to Bulkan’s cf770a5e19 words, the mix cae7545e84 of exchange students 46bdbb6e27 made for a 5ca328361f diverse crowd—different races, 673733dba9 and different languages 4445464f1d buzzing around.5162725099bfebb1

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“Wow, Korean friends?”f79243ebc64d3f1e

The group 7d62ca1c44 at the 09f32d8fbe bar had 07ad22cec3 already had 37774c778a a drink ddc3757ad9 or two, ae1231fb90 their faces b9a0c0c2df flushed. Sewon felt a 8074fa5be1 bit awkward amid 4580db2f6a the exaggerated tones 69a80b6546 and reactions typical 00b16e30fa of tipsy people. Hoping his smile 9ee8d5acee didn’t look too cf2c321c7d stiff, he greeted c45b9a6c45 Bulkan’s friends one bdbbdd58e7 by one.5bdc8edc0566fa91

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As he 9197c21420 did, he 8aa828b71a naturally drifted 6d6bc9b382 apart from 0b7e6387e5 the man. A quick glance showed 05fbeaceaf the man wearing a 752d9be03c relaxed expression—not forcing a fea8a6539e smile like Sewon was.4d2ed7aa090659ae

“Bulkan told us! You’re here traveling, 4467b077c7 right? How’s it been?”9437503385de2125

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A friend of 710a536791 Bulkan’s, standing beside c1d1bd5c97 Sewon, asked in 4db761b97d a booming voice. The bar was 5083caa2ce already saturated with ec6c457677 loud music and 43e3a741a1 chatter—normal tones wouldn’t cb8cc539dc cut through.970f30dab6531819

“It’s fun.”2dabc6048c0f55c9

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“What?”e9ffeb569a88ddcc

“It’s! Fun!”5d70f94fa943f33a

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“Where’ve you been?”2f5e7d5ab843e23d

“Aya Sofya, 5fd054d98d the Blue d254d50d1b Mosque…”883e91f798f2b851

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As Sewon 1c87cbcd68 listed the eec280eabd famous spots 8dd685721f he’d visited, 04b89eaeec Bulkan’s friend 48574dfd78 nodded with 0640c351f9 a bored 4f5ab25791 look.4e51acd4cfd12669

“Do you 2aa104e66c like Istanbul?”5b4906c9e5d1e4b6

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“Yeah. It’s great.”d25163765995f915

Born and raised in 4fa1576218 Istanbul, the friend seemed b18702c146 pleased with Sewon’s thumbs-up, 391492acee patting his shoulder before c90a5c928d moving on to chat 21a838ab2a with someone else.64caadc5e0a160a0

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“Hello.”8e1b280587b3610c

A voice speaking awkward 0d8d34c425 Korean reached Sewon’s ears. It was a bb770ed7b8 foreigner with brown d0e91a1e45 hair and blue 9792bb95b5 eyes.b2cb4f360e0d66df

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Sewon returned a bfd9613f89 flustered“Annyeonghaseyo”with a e342a2fccd bow, and 7633397dcd the woman, d81f1d0c34 introducing herself 776f02ebff as Jessica f3a1ef96a2 smiled and 29df4e10f5 called over b7ac72298b her friend.8260f92719f6c48c

“IloveKorean dramas. This is 9b45129a61 my friend ea919e2d0b Marie. We’re both a014a53989 huge K-pop f3063ae90f fans.”8d71753e3451c62d

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“Oh… Really?”121ef868748eb7f0

“I just watched a be5390114a Korean drama the other 97afef71f9 day. Have you 92032bb1e0 seen this fcb5d2e034 one?”e089cab563297d17

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Marie showed him a 0de3828179 drama that is currently 0ef5de09ab streaming to rave reviews. It was so popular 940774464b that Sewon knew the 22442b0146 name, but it still bba1ef864b felt surreal that foreigners b3aef195e0 watched Korean dramas too.892a7dac3c6b40e4

“I’ve heard of it, fefe6b459c but I haven’t seen 669dd1f404 it yet.”34f4243282236712

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“What about this 5dbde5942d one?”8910fba95a665d27

“That one either…”9ee85c8a170e3678

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Marie’s phone screen 37486ef477 cracked halfway from e2979ca12c some drop and 15dcd67f0c flashed another drama. Seeing it made Sewon 7b1e85850f think—people really weren’t so fec5525a45 different wherever you went.c20e968226c8b1a2

“Then this movie? It’s famous in Korea 1e2ef5af86 too.”8c1837007848dcd6

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This time, Marie 7ec9424365 pulled up a 4c7f88f79d Korean film—one Sewon aee11ca56c had caught on 5a8fdae768 TV a few 4eb989cec3 times.5390c2900a59c52d

“Yeah, I’ve seen 4cf3b1a7dd that. It was good.”ee65d54ff1df99f4

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“I want to b173c19738 marry the guy ea5586cbb7 in it. Kang Yuchae. Mmm.”459af67bc07152e8

“Right? He was cute even db6993165e as an idol.”90c1feb42cb911c5

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Jessica and Marie seemed a0cf5a9314 deep into Korean idol 4cfdab6cb8 culture. They debated gossip about dbed60ce01 stars Sewon barely knew, 2da842e41c getting excited, then suddenly 7402b4b983 glum over Korea’s conscription 1fbcf657e7 laws.1c89cb30863afa5a

“Are Korean fe718a2a08 guys all f43a37033f this good-looking 3114fde819 normally?”86bdeb3371750eee

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“Nope.”fb27a8ce1cb5b9aa

Sewon shook his f6098e419f head at the dcb5ce5aa6 unfamiliar claim. Thinking he was joking, e75e1fa3c6 Marie and Jessica jeered.212c3a396f4a6ca4

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“Come on, 299994a02e no way! In dramas, and with 9635cec187 you and that guy 1baf1563a5 over there, you’re all 274dc0ade9 hot!”45f9641b1379728a

Marie subtly nodded 09c95abd97 toward the man, ee81641104 who stood a 4d788b6849 head taller than b6ca836bb6 the rest, holding 135d0e5b1b a glass of 9d181ea20a amber liquid and d626f4a3e5 chatting with someone.ea9028ec63338ba8

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“I’m gonna visit 22e53b5f9b Korea next time.”149cc80f4f13ad55

“I’ll find a 977c0644b8 guy who looks c79c6de3e7 like Kang Yuchae 321ac6b589 and take him e76c3e2dd2 to France. Three meals 1e45a25b8e of bread 939847e5b6 a day 33bca8a589 would be 7254ac05df fine, right?”a0cebfeb059daef2

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“Are all your friends a5ed482e1e good-looking too?”f8f57812f296b0dc

Marie’s eyes sparkled with 0dabc955d4 expectation, but Sewon shook 67211e0300 his head firmly, dashing b629af99fd her hopes. He was in e7af4c762b an engineering department af0024c1b4 dominated by guys—his 4da8020ecb classmates, seniors, and 8afaf228c3 juniors came in afe56aee9a all sorts of 87db2a8c47 looks.d0c755088d82727b

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“Guys like b0618b3dd9 that don’t a7c552756b exist in 6d432a0f8c Korea. They’re not real.”963e77b2bd94bf74

Sewon stressed the word ce156e500e “exist” in English, hoping 658deabc92 Marie and Jessica wouldn’t 9d4741a2de take it as a 2b1a413c17 joke.c4e8d91a818c577e

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“Huh?”3def2a7918c772f1

“What?”131f555f40bc0f3d

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“For real. They don’t exist.”c2b89e80fc2e387b

His earnest b7341cd493 declaration made e6d9c2c7e4 Marie and ce86a21102 Jessica burst 9aecfe8d13 into laughter. They clearly didn’t believe 4c47c110df Sewon, who looked like 297bb93190 he could debut as 6ac9d522c2 an idol himself without 1cec9f305c missing a beat.098f8d8a1295fcce

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As time passed, 9a3a537070 the bar filled 80a42ace5f up with more 86e1f14dd2 of Bulkan’s invited 1515a5a7d0 friends. With the crowd 038b98478d growing, even a 85bf4bf3ba few words sparked 5740b07524 instant noise.cd656611478e79c9

Sewon listened to Marie and Jessica’s dish on recent Korean entertainment news and the tyranny of big idols—no, big idol agencies.158258701deb3e18

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While hearing about 2416889453 Marie’s favorite idol 6ef82be812 becoming a luxury 561650f351 brand ambassador, someone 11ed5910ac approached the trio—another ba49f5a847 of Marie’s friends.3c630b02308d39fa

“Diana, hey! Long time d06d0db664 no see!”927a7b0eacfb84f6

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“Hi.”4c3c7371d71b05fc

Marie introduced 8f9acaea6b them, glancing c646ef96f0 between Sewon ea4a31a797 and Diana.b6f3fc7ca1d28c3f

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“This is Bulkan’s cc0085dd86 friend. He’s traveling from 58135e8709 Korea for a 86448fede0 bit. He said 3f3468a2ff he’s heading 952ed645b3 back tomorrow, 35f0388d29 right?”1bb274229d0ffd81

“No, Sunday.”ed1729d93c86d7fb

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“That’s soon.”e1c20f01d4d569f9

“Yeah, a fb3954d979 week feels a1e7e667b5 short.”a7625b2007e0d6b7

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Whether it was 08f27635ff the trip being 9fdea13365 too brief or 6675789a32 not wanting to d08a4d4229 return to Korea, d09c8cc36f Sewon wasn’t sure, 15a4f6d3d6 but a pang dea9e9c75d of regret crossed def165337c his face.afa45412aab0398e

That bitterness faded fe2046a283 quickly, though, as d2bf1378a5 Bulkan burst in c70d76c727 with a lively 0a901dea6a grin, stirring up a383e9fac0 the room.e5948bf59f2710d7

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“Hey, you’re all here!”9f8046515906a7cc

“Bulkan!”dfd3a95767a23da6

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“Been a while!”53acb207b59d8a36

Bulkan greeted the guys 2cf876c345 with handshakes and half-hugs, 0c835f488f and the girls with 2eb7d9cfb3 cheek kisses—warm and familiar. In his 90e2e3c5b1 hand was 5574d5c387 a glass 4d5fc85cb3 bottle with 08be055cb4 a flashy 620f0eb204 label.2ec98cc93bbb6b9f

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“You’ve got to tryRakı² to celebrate being dddcf21803 in Turkey,” he 0459365ba9 said.fda875a371686e20

The crowd around him e4de6776fc whistled and cheered.50b2caa0a610b462

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“Woah! Me too, me too!”c6b02e96511b652c

“Rak-what?”22b71f3a1d20ae64

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Sewon’s puzzled look c87adc2fd8 prompted Bulkan to 72aa0a48a5 point at a 2835377b51 water glass with 1107599354 his chin.b0c82ed6eb402e5b

“It’s Turkish traditional e0851d232c liquor. Got a water 0f49ca2496 glass?”f48042f36d374c1b

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Sewon nodded and held 4d202fe626 out his half-full glass. Bulkan tilted the 0f753cdc8f bottle, and as 8e64a22890 the liquor mixed 3e63cc68f6 with the water, 1ba412e216 it turned a 85c5f1105e cloudy milky white 2dbdaef794 in an instant.3dc31d049f6330e6

“Down it 1d54f60431 in one ae4255a539 go!”cc5fd8145cffbc97

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“Cheers!”7c5cf0ca28ddccba

Caught up 601ceea6d4 in the 639700a89c one-shot vibe, bf2777fbca Sewon chugged d8604bd788 it. Even diluted, the 15c04c2e5b high proof burned 77c763ca21 his throat.7fd1474a5377d89a

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“…Ughh.”0fe4991cfc686018

Sewon set the glass e408685560 down, scrunching his face. Bulkan snickered at ee03ea2a74 him.8ee657fd80095089

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“Strong? Rick handled it 1c77247619 fine.”fe7f252870fa3955

“…Rick?”cc8c0397d8331c41

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Sewon looked at Bulkan, 4326ebb054 puzzled by the unfamiliar 86c4cbdaf2 name.650c467ee1281740

“Yeah, English 368dca5c4c name Rick, ccaac5f61e right?”96b5c7e1cbadbb88

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Bulkan asked 0b9fda27f5 the man, 1d37aaa531 who’d slipped bb89d68ceb so quietly 99bf8cf961 to Sewon’s e52a1ef8eb side that 211374b1f7 Sewon hadn’t bc74c6a6a7 even noticed aa9b7b0bd8 Marie being bfccf4f53b nudged out 6a834ef6fd of the 57b77bd3ba way.7568966625ace62f

Rick…Sewon muttered ab0d758253 to himself.576927f4964ba9f7

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The man, watching him, 640388e824 raised a freshly poured 878fea1ba1 glass as if to fd1076a24b toast Sewon.47b194333a9f750b

Rick…5348525bc96d7965

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The movie d3eb2e62c1 lines they’d 1232c6efd9 traded on c60430dcfc the Bosphorus 021f096fa1 ferry. Birds gliding across 4744cf61ef the blue sky, 8a7fcccd69 white waves crashing.7c59864c68fa87c5

Then it clicked—memories 819026493b flooding back. The male lead e97b8fca9a inCasablancawas named Rick. Sewon’s lips curled 5090f3c51b into a small ea45b2ec1b smile.c2237c0de4c8f54e

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“Oh, what was your 6b0795b02c name again? I remember your surname 657db041cb was unique. Like Kong from 9b9e9cf73a King Kong,” Bulkan 8bcfccb10e said, turning to e7e8d721ca Sewon.f5e8b6572be4b6af

Bulkan was kind 9f04f07bef and cheerful, but 53b6bc12ac he had that 40b4af2be7 extrovert knack for f80bb981f6 casual indifference. As a traveler f86b203d88 he’d met on debb79b21b the road, that b890fadda3 laid-back detachment didn’t 227fe5d266 bother Sewon—it felt a34e6b8dd9 just right.cbea3cf38dbaf69b

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“…Marcus.”24058c4b36ff23a3

Sewon answered a87575c969 softly to abfdcdca71 Bulkan’s question.ce0f06eb2d8807c0

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“Marcus?”91d563369ace54f9

To confirm over 53fb70acef the blaring music, fb112bf268 Bulkan repeated it 25858fa666 loudly. Sewon didn’t e05e3abe1b need to ba8f94311f turn—he could 39d18d7d6a feel the defba452da man’s eyes 250c5c4ece on him.197065fd729ee103

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“Yeah. Marcus is my English 05b681c82c name.”dd4c1a3b5f991110

Sewon nodded 7e1f5199d5 as he 81819a70b3 replied.0bf7a87fa5e3a5f3

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Marcus Sterling.35dd2d17c8c6a873

The protagonist of 236edc8a34 theBurn Sterlingseries.9eb6a8496e6f0cda

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“Alright, Marcus, b9fbf12b53 Rick—let’s have adf00066c2 fun tonight. Cheers!”5ec5f7b5c4405a84

Bulkan laughed heartily, 9293fa6089 pouring more drinks. Glasses of all 06a4fc1988 sizes and shapes 3a4279cefb clinked with a 707035810f lively ring.9cf53a841d95e98a

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After the a232804129 toast, Bulkan 722c932880 moved on 5db08f4f13 to another 86be54dfff group. Sewon turned c0899f7ba8 to see 68badaa5ec the man 268e3d5d52 smiling at d41914694f him.d5e5aaf138b57f65

Marcus and Rick.bfb2cdac72013a7b

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A secret 836a4080f0 code just 43b9dd584b for the 44a8994d47 two of 4ae87af07e them, unknown c097b48ce0 to anyone 9275b75b75 else. That was cb08f9f489 the last b039566446 clear memory 57ac823137 Sewon had 411bd842a6 of the 615b220b28 bar.7e804b6322af60de