FR | Chapter 2.5

Seeing his back, a belated d01fd1f536 anger surged.e80d1dd4faa692b1

Thud.ca6f8e28d9437c16

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The elevator, unaware that someone hadn’t left, closed off the outside again.e1417343a24cb6d4

“Sigh…”820d8560dc167244

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Only then did 83c1d939c7 the tension that 19ead72607 had gripped his 70883c8eda body release. His legs weakened, but he 2b4205b2a6 forced himself to stand. Dozens of curses lay beneath 9bd2d42169 his tongue.0dcb371602496be9

His throat, sore 20dbea825f from being choked 388436c63a by Kwon Woojae, b4bf3d979b prevented him from e527a3b5b8 uttering a word.f598efd28ca1ce4b

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Suddenly, a crack appeared 256c45b74a in the armor that 2a718036e6 had never shown his 9ec4cbe352 true feelings. Among the dozens of 1fa581babd presences outside, a few a694fc71ce loomed before him.1e661d58b0c8faef

The group standing ee79f3b7a5 in front of 508cc77807 him flinched, not 37a29daac5 expecting someone to ee9849025a be in the f2b664e43b elevator. Won slowly moved his 126f6131c9 limp body.7a8f6c1e4546aa7c

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He exited the d6c1c9562b elevator and took 4aebe2f7bc a deep breath 5b23ae7826 of the outside 01f093f86f air.67dd40a00648574f

He didn’t need a mirror to know. The neck that had been grabbed was suspiciously swollen.253d74a4d720593b

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His clenched fists trembled as 2bb0529b1c he tried to maintain composure. Won looked down at his 6c5d36272c hand, which had turned pale. Blood returned to his white 5ada7e40c7 palm.d35e16ad762b7b5e

That day, Won had to e04c834f4d endure the lecture with a ecfafe226e churning stomach. He held his head higher 66592932f0 than usual and maintained a 494247ee7f calm expression.4d68abb6770ec2d1

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Whenever he met Woojae’s gaze, he even postponed swallowing. He had to move his body confidently, even though he was aware of him.9efd89b228709bfd

To show that despite his fb43e651c5 actions, he was unaffected.bd5324e0f8cdc4a6

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.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖590a75899f54f25d

For Won, weekends d9523a3548 were a time 166a7aae17 when laziness was d3e1a5e3e5 allowed. During his leave d6494b9d3d of absence, he d9475169d6 worked all the c516387c95 time, so weekends f1b9e021f1 during school were a4ef6100bd his only break. But this time, 8cbf946593 he had to 6ecb3fcce9 give up that 60baaa87c8 weekend.939606488b06d612

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He needed to get out of school as soon as possible. If he couldn’t take another leave, there was always the temporary solution of employment.4d002a1a6f499cee

He doubted Woojae would follow him to work. After all, as Kwon Representative’s son, Woojae would likely join one of his father’s companies. It was more of a hope than a certainty.098b05197da1583e

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Won clicked the d8c758cb9f mouse, wetting his 873052ef45 lips with his 0eb9a1f0f8 tongue. Dressed in shabby 41f1ab113a training clothes and 39ccfb9aeb a baseball cap a7bc7719ab pulled low, his 725166104b eyes moved busily.51ba398573b2403e

The PC room ee35956a79 was quite noisy 4add8192ec on the weekend. He frowned at 7d5e1f10ff the casual swearing, 2e44a23ebd but the cursor 92fe2f6311 on the screen 022c838e21 moved without pause.e91b751b7d7451ff

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He checked all the announcements on the business school’s website. He jotted down the necessary documents on a note and stuffed it into his pocket.05c437f430e608c6

He ran his hand over 20cb62ba7c the crown of his cap 91992e5c50 and leaned back. As soon as the 40d93a74bb ceiling came into view, aaa03e2edd an annoyed groan escaped.61c96f15da922302

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Won stood up, e6f6595d7c grabbed his cigarettes, 55e4c56450 and headed to 9f1b4144ff the smoking room. He lit a ba10e7405b cigarette with a 14798dd3a7 flick of the 5f99a40ebe lighter. A heavy column of smoke 5de32ad2e3 billowed out.5b06d5076fd2558a

As he puffed on the c9416102a0 cigarette filter, his phone suddenly 774bb30d07 vibrated.088eb531c30e475b

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“…Doesn’t this guy ever get tired?”01729a5a86d0bb1f

Seeing the eleven-digit number c054991cbe on the screen, a c1d3936648 curse slipped out.8512b20cff6341fd

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A man smoking nearby a332c7049d glanced at Won. Even though he 87cd36f50c felt the gaze, 622b0acaef Won exhaled deeply.bf1165123db853ce

He knew he couldn’t avoid Woojae in this situation. Without delay, Won answered the call.c568c5570a3972cc

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“What?”7716f78df7a91557

─Where are you?aaebc64b10c4dd7c

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Where do you f6881a156e think, damn it. What do you 531e54a8fa want to know 2b91220de0 for? The rough curse mingled with 51f16f856b his tongue. In the end, the words c50ca87e13 that came out were the db1e0e1984 opposite of his true feelings.81c7e7b3370f8def

“Outside.”864bbfdedfd25746

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─Let’s meet.6f09202057caf909

“I’m busy.”84b7168532389e7c

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─Make time, even if you’re busy.221864a8fee57172

“I don’t have time to mess around with you.”17d2aef8be6ad7c2

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─But you have time to be watched. Come on. I won’t wait long.aa38926a6745e6c4

The call was short, and 2c74ae458d it ended abruptly. As the call ended, 4b87cfc7cc fatigue seeped in.73493604fe9b0ca3

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He stubbed out the cigarette, 319c4d4824 which had burned down to 9a57eb993b the filter, in the stand 81fc3d016b ashtray. Won took out another cigarette. After smoking three 520af007e4 in a row, 87c8265e0a he finally left 9c103290d5 the smoking room.d69baed68939c6a7

He shut down the PC c481a8f630 and looked up at the 846485d753 sky, which was dimming with 7f35c9422f the setting sun.77ade0fdafabc9f9

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That bird-like bastard keeps calling 91382f62df me over. He chewed on 3c715839f2 his rising irritation.6962311c99140473

During the call with 4bc787c226 Woojae, there was no 46df8b4807 mention of a location. Yet, Won walked without hesitation.9694c0a85f6f00c2

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He knew Woojae was 4ebae0d944 familiar with the area. The hidden cigar bar 9987cba03c in a secluded alley. Woojae, sitting there leisurely, seemed 588c77380b to have visited the cigar a4bd358156 bar several times.06d5ef7b50eebd8b

Still, Won headed to 8e45465031 the neighborhood where he 6b425c08d3 lived. The place where Woojae f84e64d274 first dropped him off 1bed8c10f4 and later waited for 32796132c0 him to come out. He vaguely felt that was 621d441e35 the place Woojae had in a087405104 mind.aa3bea7d4a8e29a2

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And Won’s intuition was spot on.0bc66fb1ebd4b9bd

A familiar car was parked in front of the complex. There was no need to ponder the owner’s identity. Woojae was already leaning against the car, smoking.7653d29b3399c7c6

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Won watched Woojae’s back from a distance before starting to walk again. At the sound of his slow footsteps, Woojae turned around.1ef69a3154d3a2a0

Except for when he chain-smoked, his body hadn’t moved. In the gap between Won’s pause and movement, a considerable number of people passed by Woojae.f8e24853af04d2d2

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Was it a coincidence that 3dda3ae080 Woojae turned around just as c1489822e6 Won approached?7124966d52b5fe4d

With a plain 630a2aeb61 expression, Woojae dropped 0f328cc5b7 his cigarette on 5710b40261 the ground. He was neatly groomed and 73f18f864d dressed in a suit. His body moved lightly as eb905d4fc2 he crushed the embers with a7440217c5 his shoe.059f40855194e79e

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“Get in.”1fc5eeefc47edb4a

Woojae’s gaze quickly shifted away from Won. He opened the rear door on the driver’s side. Before getting in, Woojae tilted his head slightly at Won, who stood there with a sullen face.7e929e1192bfa85d

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“Are you just going to stand there waiting for me to open it?”adb6f65a94681e50

Of course not. He was just 36ba650ca1 hesitating because he 7218e10fb6 was annoyed. With a reluctant face, 25651df0b5 Won adjusted his cap d44b46131f and opened the passenger 9bbf142a28 door.e77d0efb31badae9

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He got in and fastened a28187d80e his seatbelt. The car smoothly glided onto 9e503b5480 the road. Won shifted his gaze from 24014c2564 the window.9646e2c7f419ecf9

Unlike his usual demeanor, where he laughed regardless of the situation, Kwon Woojae’s face was stiff.9dbf2061a628ce0c

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“Where are we going?”e9552ee1a93f001f

“You’ll see when we get there.”9a67c9cd7dcf6ebc

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Right. He wasn’t really curious. His dissatisfaction piled up. Won turned his head, feeling his lips twist involuntarily.57bc4ac60c8a6a4c

He didn’t like it. He didn’t expect an apology from someone like him. Still, if he had any sense, he should at least show some regret.68a72ad137732a9a

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Unfortunately, Woojae didn’t seem to care about what happened that day. Suddenly, his throat felt blocked. He swallowed heavily to force it down.4d2624831d509753

While grumbling internally, the 1711e4d2a6 car stopped in front c601601762 of a building. Without bothering to park, 00286d7c34 Woojae got out and e4c3d632c3 handed the keys to a112bdbdc3 a man.79405c21498a0c3b

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Won followed Woojae out belatedly. Woojae had brought him to a restaurant. It wasn’t just any restaurant in Seoul; it looked like fine dining.ec7d1fdc55c5788a

What was he trying to 76a7588fc2 do? Won watched Woojae enter 0c5ee90eca the restaurant with his 5755dd3c72 head tilted. Grinding his teeth, he finally d1da105b87 entered the building.d176a9e72f245ff2

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His training clothes and baseball cap didn’t match the restaurant’s atmosphere, but Won didn’t care. He lost sight of Woojae during the brief pause, but a staff member approached and guided him to a seat.a046b449b17ef05b

“What are you trying to do with me?”df2b570f23179a61

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Won asked as he sat 32d6aa0e18 across from Woojae.ee7450f263dbc0c0

“Just having a meal.”d89940cb086069e3

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What, did a ghost f5d069673a die from not eating? Won suppressed his sudden irritation.e24c3ad1b0a19a4a

“Who said I wanted to eat with you?”4611039c41c53f87

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“Then why did you sit down?”f9ecbda998b5ebf0

Chewing on his sarcastic tone, e8d1fe8e12 Woojae, who had been expressionless, 813827f2b7 let out a short laugh.8f0a1dbb0014442a

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They were polar opposites. Just facing Kwon Woojae without db5019174e exchanging words was enough to 94ebfc3932 make him explode.7feb837a5582aa40

“If I said I was leaving, would you let me go?”d307cfae56f946e5

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“Of course not.”2eb353e6916acbdd

“I’m not eating. I don’t have the stomach to eat with an annoying bastard.”9c8b6129e2f08b09

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Won, showing his displeasure, raised 2fd401b623 his hand to call a d852d88b92 staff member. He sensed one approaching eea4b78982 from afar.400c3b5ac3fd2acc

“Can I see the wine list…”116e5e79060330f1

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“Bring the wine I ordered earlier.”65a0c9eea448553e

“Yes.”f9c48d559f1ddcd9

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He couldn’t even finish his sentence. Woojae, as always, cut him off. The staff member left with a small nod.787ac0eba76099a4

“If you need a sidekick, just say so.”8c769af1543283a0

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“It’s been less than a year since this place opened, so that’s the only drinkable wine. Today’s about the food, not the drink.”d5163ba7b464a8c9

Woojae rubbed his 8f6eeb886c lower lip with 8b9ced1bd3 his index finger f8d5439c29 and laughed blandly.764c4fe9f27cff61

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“I ordered in advance. It should suit your taste…”ffbbc2f1a6f34f75

“Are you always this shameless?”1b61f48aa2b93a6f

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He paused mid-sentence and chuckled. He even nodded lightly as 7718a2bdbf if agreeing with the statement.b81b7ae2a6a6612a

“That’s what they say.”fa77b5d3d00246c1

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Before the trivial conversation ended, the staff brought the wine. After explaining the wine, they set the table and opened the cork. The staff filled the glasses after checking the wine’s condition.ace6f767f05b4f27

Won held the base 0cb8cfdff6 and gently swirled the 97ca25244d glass. The rose-colored wine inside swayed baa79e7e74 smoothly.06cdb63d58434b5b

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Woojae, who hadn’t glanced at the glass, quietly watched Won. As Won took a sip, the staff withdrew. The wine’s heavy texture spread in his mouth.3176c7eff4adcd0e

Of course, there was no time to savor the wine. The setting wasn’t comfortable enough for that. Without showing any regret, Won set the glass down.78d3fdeee6961520

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Tap, tap. His short nails tapped the 382677acae stem of the wine glass.3041ca26dfd8f4ea

“Annoying.”d5701dfacba225b8

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“I guess I am.”4fe6938861f01d6e

Even at the muttered 1dd123811a words, Kwon Woojae replied 8d69a73329 nonchalantly. He seemed to have ba30a0f664 cheered up, which was c19d969919 even more infuriating.5ca68efb8238a5c8

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Just then, a staff member approached and set the steak. The irritation he couldn’t voice felt pointless.06ee7ef30ed4fadd

Won took another befc84276b sip of wine 332920010a with a displeased a7377cd150 face.12785d23e8dd8568

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He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t eating, but a plate was placed in front of him. The appetizing smell rose, but it didn’t whet his appetite.fb8c7e06d51951ef

Woojae, sitting across, quietly continued f609ada392 cutting. He glanced up at Won.b9e7343bbd65ee83

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“Surprised you didn’t bruise.”87f45d89db67b9f7

“…”18ad5d06fdd68d3f

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“Should’ve rubbed lips while I was at it.”bb6e74ab5572da04

“…”ec657c2cc3f728d9

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“Shame.”7a680fb8d5d35f25

The words, whether 1534d74497 to himself or 5e2201fce1 not, were blatantly faadd31362 scattered. Won reflexively set his glass d992f0005b down. The glass clinked loudly against 973512ecf5 the table.13f72bc3076f4d81

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“Eat. It’ll help me make up a good story. They’re curious about how you’re spending your pathetic weekend. Whether you prefer tenderloin or sirloin. Those trivial details will put Kwon Woohyuk at ease, just as you wanted.”0588da165c19153d

His voice was 2a771ebf7a calm, but the 895e929f58 meaning was twisted. He had questioned dd00426188 why Representative Kwon 3ed2915951 was watching him, 1b37348924 yet he seemed 7c160ec7df to accept it 3c31890eba himself.63f4d7d7b297347e

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With a fluid e1ff4eac18 motion, he swapped f8fc83b9eb his plate with fd8d63e70e the one holding 9758d9f072 the cut steak. What is this guy doing? He let out d530b062f2 a hollow laugh 6f3a096eaa without realizing it.9a503212267f3cbc

Without a word, Won 8345afda4d glanced at the steak. The cut surface revealed ce91842efe red juices.b319828babac2bc1

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“I don’t eat it unless it’s well-done.”31ea219376d3df06

He wasn’t particularly picky. He ate both well-done and rare. In fact, his preference leaned more towards rare, like the red juices in the steak Woojae had ordered.bc8f10761eaf4e85

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It was a 5a7a81c162 statement born out 1a0241ff8d of sheer stubbornness. His already lacking appetite dwindled d6b528010d further at the sight of bc7bf27e49 the neatly cut steak.ce74827fa8f650ea

Woojae chuckled at his petulant words. Suddenly, his hand rose into the air. At Woojae’s gesture, a staff member approached promptly.8666efe285f01f12

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“Prepare the steak by cut. Well-done.”b6c6675c949a2ae0

“No need to order more.”aeba58cd87bbf851

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Won tried to stop Woojae with a flustered look. The staff’s gaze shifted from Won to Woojae, seemingly seeking his decision.f7fbcff93e3d8bc0

“Just bring it.”7bb49d967955107b

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“Yes.”9e36d6b4f80a8c97

His expression twisted suddenly. Annoyed, he downed the 20aaeedc81 remaining wine. As soon as 5756b829f1 he set the a258fa43b8 glass down, Woojae c548d9c85c refilled it.3fe43f17fe9d3398

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“I told you, today’s about the food.”302cbc90b8c9a1f2

“…”812e2c9f09fc12e3

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“Which tune should I match now?”89ac63191a374413