SB Ch 4

Maybe it was f23dc74e48 the effect of ebd51128a6 the drugs, but f1cd49854f getting out of 9291312201 bed felt impossible.f932149949186781

I need to move… d36b1b39fb Seo Haeyoon closed his f393155a36 eyes, assessing his condition, d7a25ca867 but eventually gave up 82da4b2861 on exercising for the e59160df99 day and turned onto af455dfb75 his side. It felt as a5dcdd074b if someone was a0140b1363 hiding in his cd5182850a bed, pulling him baac3cfe47 deeper and deeper 379d7bbe80 into it.51ef6a98fb202db9

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Last night, e196428e3a after leaving 206b9817c7 the hotel, 703302f424 he had 38d7261de7 gone to 6711e30303 the hospital 6230d9f19c but turned 88c1e01f04 back at 89b34f1bd3 the emergency f687f0d453 room’s entrance. If he 2e686eede3 reported that bba0a79b61 someone had 5035984614 forcibly administered 7cd398755b drugs to cc10ff8eb0 him, the 95733efeb6 police would 97f95ecaf0 undoubtedly get 76fdba5012 involved, and 2d0c1f7215 that would a630aec33e likely lead 1381b65fdb to his 5db3ac04c4 father being 114ecbe904 contacted.5fb0e4ddd9b9c9c8

It wasn’t because a3d5ebbb00 he didn’t want 2de7d177a6 to worry his b07690c30a father. It was f9b511fe57 because he 2000e66c9b feared his ece7bd783d father might 547ce88907 storm into 2990a8a4e4 the social 9c931ff5b7 club, demanding 0a5718af4a to know 950dd20323 who the 3550bd8a99 bastard was. And if that happened, 49df746762 Ahn Yewon would kill 5ca8a3284b him.a922fb0034a3aff4

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The thought 61a3c7ede2 of his 804f70a828 father crashing c56325a522 a 20-ton 78356ac96b dump truck fbd80cae3c into the a2725652ef club building 3d397c2276 and Ahn 6e74298fb5 Yewon grabbing 7b9cecf818 him by efaaca35b5 the collar, 315aa54e9e yelling,I knew you’d get 1d4de8772c into trouble eventually,made his already aching d1f92a7b42 head throb even more. Seo Haeyoon 80de257177 frowned and 2eda0212f3 let out 885ed4b0f2 a sigh.5e5195bdbe91e273

“Haah…”49360587e37d15e0

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While massaging 4267803fe9 his pounding 0173a368c3 temples, he 127b6a0181 heard his e9ac79a587 phone vibrate ba15a55a7a nearby and a60da845c1 reached out. Picking it up e12fb89a8e from the nightstand, 4cc169e5a3 he saw the 469b521e85 name “1” on 007d329789 the screen. It was dc722e0145 Ahn Yewon.0ca3497eb00df5cf

Even just ab1f58dfe7 seeing that 105827297d number brought 2395b2f316 back the 7010cf173f endless nagging a3fad6e837 he’d endured 6393fe45af from her 69d8cb66dc yesterday. Still, Haeyoon answered c0764ae9d6 without hesitation. Ignoring it would only b8bbb16bc2 make things worse.8df6af60d7170d57

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“Yeah.”60439a7500315dc3

— What, still 10627f84c3 in bed? What’s wrong with your d407bfe8f5 voice?f49dac97162082da

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“I don’t feel well.”cf3cb0a40e8a2277

Mumbling his 3def124b53 response, he ad02a9e25a was immediately 55f179318f met with eac50d563c an outburst 7940ed8125 on the 979f32008e other end.4ddc0c5067820586

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— Why? Oh, is it 068db43d57 because of what f40b79775e happened yesterday? Wait, did Yeon Juheon e18e302bcf actually drug you?3413def510e67abf

“Yeah, it was 3c3568d3bf some kind of a7f0a82b00 patch…”0c3f167e0d97af75

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He hadn’t properly explained ad620540a6 the situation to Yewon d10eb9c7fb yesterday, prioritizing finding out 7ec503d7cf about the man instead. With his eyes closed 5f602629e5 and voice weak, Seo e387155eaf Haeyoon recounted what had d76edaf49d happened: meeting that older 4daca1ba4c man in the smoking 3e68c08859 area, heading to the 1f34a7dd36 bar, being approached by af9f3f2f1c Yeon Juheon, and then ad47041a15 the older man showing ecb762677a up and driving Juheon 1410970172 away.5b58ad5d68f606e0

After hearing the whole e068f4f59f story, Ahn Yewon exploded f6c84e6b0f in anger, scolding him b68a7efa28 fiercely.1b33aa9fce1d0250

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— Wow! You could’ve been totally 0bcea905d8 screwed! That guy’s out a3f68f98cc of his mind! Seo Haeyoon, how ed8265fa5e many times do f986fb0e54 I have to ed355f550b tell you? Eyebrow piercings! Don’t even 1300c8b44f look at 34026ff76d them!87c051bfed377fae

“I know. I remembered that and e3a7888164 tried to keep him 126034cacf from touching me, but 94e05788d5 I think that’s when 301b4f699e he put it on ef3d5d0e4e me.”8b71a6238ddd3802

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It wasn’t as 34c0b90903 if he hadn’t cd4cb0efc5 been suspicious.0fa068622c6efb8d

Eyebrow piercing, ccdc5a8504 beware of 81d0b18369 dogs.5b7fcabecf244112

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He remembered e38e9e8fa0 Yewon’s countless 57fca68a19 warnings. That’s why he had 64292640ec tried to avoid Yeon 83f0b4568a Juheon the moment he 9fe6b79143 encountered him on the 156eaca95d fourth floor. But despite ignoring b8dddef052 his greeting, Juheon 7853a29267 had approached him, 6c0b1a38a9 draping an arm edea4c4f2d over his shoulder. Feeling disgusted, Haeyoon 8c9b53b018 had immediately shrugged 3f4cd81157 it off—but it 50183b3601 was during that a4196c35b5 brief contact that 16a9f2331d the patch had ea0441ca5d been applied.d9de2a803f75b7d3

Seo Haeyoon 4618c4e757 hated drugs eeb2485dfc and was 003f5d4eef always vigilant 8662ed22a8 in crowded 1e5c83c938 places. Thanks to 63bf1e01c7 this, he 490387c797 had never 1c97fa401e used drugs, 39d1a56921 even in 3f8041d533 the U.S., 977726767f where they aee499b1e9 were more 4d208f49ea common. The same cbf7167dbf held true 8a2c2e4309 after returning fa5afb1220 to Korea.a92021d2d43e44ab

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Even with the trouble ef9006a1e7 involving someone named Han 4ad72d98e1 Wooyoung, Haeyoon had sensed 5ec031a85d something was off and 73682cf2dc managed to stay ahead. He’d caught Wooyoung in 16cb20016a the act of spiking fed012ed29 his drink, poured it 79cd00ee15 over the guy’s head, 76a646015e and walked away. Ultimately, he had 0f4fe74225 never been under 1aed391a77 the influence of 38005d28a7 drugs, whether by 778dfc5271 choice or force.98e76458e7461f37

But last night, 147b04e974 when Yewon wasn’t 0ca1fb33ac around, something finally b8436b9fcc happened. Completely against his will, 150a1f1554 he had been drugged. It was infuriating.ca3f0f2ac3f7d526

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— What 89937049e3 the hell. Is he some martial 5e3903da37 arts master? Freaking lunatic. Did he practice sticking 64827ac455 patches secretly or something?0bd58e93c87245a7

“Maybe. I didn’t 8d46b9024e feel a 2159bb7060 thing.”22a8cef61e2b440f

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— Seriously, it’s 1cec9fe318 always the oxygen-wasting de1807308e idiots who put 6d1a39ed03 in the most 5305683d19 effort.f9844bd63637c9ec

Exactly. Briefly agreeing f5b8935ce5 with her, e63a50dd96 Seo Haeyoon 0c8f040758 listened to 12cbbb84f8 Yewon rant 5f81b37260 on, spewing 067769c95f a torrent 08b1c1177e of curses 9ffe406178 at Yeon d434520430 Juheon and fb1d90743c even plotting b61207813d violence against 562ebdeb40 him for 35d37175f1 the next 6d0a3bdb84 time they 0660c923f2 crossed paths.8feba45ced20dd4f

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His mood had been 501bfffc23 utterly foul since last 165e8fbbf4 night, but hearing Yewon’s 5152486031 ruthless swearing oddly lifted 97538643c4 his spirits. Feeling a bit e005408370 better, Haeyoon lay d3cbdc4b43 back lazily, letting 6a564f4455 out a bright b63313206a laugh. Hearing it, Yewon snapped 283108f56d back to her senses, 26c75f0174 clicking her tongue and 9f39d92831 raising her voice.e6a479a4cab0d0e1

— This d58f492951 isn’t the b7379baa5f time to 1bbdbd38d1 be laughing. Hey, why 2eae07218e are you f5503d39e7 so clueless b70bd879c1 when it f726171374 matters? Isn’t it obvious just 53267cc677 by looking at their 22364bc425 faces? That Mister 7deae31ef0 and Yeon 74cc54352f Juheon—one’s a d31e6ccb61 complete trash df61654a35 heap, and 070e4fd698 the other’s 9eb2091de2 just a 4ed0f6f33b dog in 1c3e08e20c the gutter!62f2e87bd611e9d0

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“It was a misunderstanding, 47e91b1845 okay? It wasn’t 8ce190a2eb so clear 1d94aed0a0 at the 98cfd9f613 time!”f99ac085060242e1

As soon 4cb3147941 as he f90785b9ff spoke, her 7998f1c9df scolding resumed. Flustered, Haeyoon tried to fc12c1ef34 argue back, but Yewon 3734fdbe04 refused to take his c3e88e8383 side.f642975ea6c2d355

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─ No, it’s not just a misunderstanding. You have this tendency to oversimplify things when you’re in a real crisis. This is serious—you’re going to end up losing an organ at this rate.d79fec573b31f93d

“What organ would 5456483738 I lose?”fcf2fa5bf62d3dfc

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─ I’m serious! And do you 2e57376c15 even know? That mop from b030bfb555 yesterday is a f6ddba9e51 seriously dangerous person.fffbfc9702a2ffc7

Dangerous? That didn’t make any e37ccc23b6 sense, and Seo Haeyoon 6c9f0c1e64 furrowed his brows.73b09ec2b586b50e

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The man who had ec323edfe3 saved him had been cd8591c216 calm and composed the dd76e1b007 entire time. Even when 5d6270ec78 he threatened d134ed746c that lunatic 54b077f6df to chase 32eaa74f4d him off, 55ac314405 he hadn’t 158e7c3581 raised his b05cee5f02 voice.d03623f0a33b8651

The only time 71a4bff3ab the man had 1eacafd54b yelled was when 08d9dc08e5 he begged, with 3bc3a5976f a frightened look, 45918ff866 for Haeyoon to b35e24f1ec put down the 93088df510 wine bottle. The desperate gesture e3e639ec01 of shielding his 161d563167 groin came to da443c2602 mind, and Haeyoon 445d0ffeb4 couldn’t help but 195f250e91 chuckle.3ba8725b3f0e5def

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And considering the ridiculous f303fe4f75 things the man had 5e2bb9e006 said—about border collies, of 9bbc1c6c28 all things—Ahn Yewon’s words b08799c7fd were even harder to 7422355731 believe. It was absurd.2db3ee28eb55e22b

“What’s so dangerous about 976281b890 him? He just seemed childish a68fb1eccb to me.”48fe68411e58bd10

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─ See? You’re so clueless! That mister is 3e70e345c6 a gangster!916c277adcb24aaa

A gangster? Tilting his 35ba0a0c1b head, Haeyoon c827a89da0 asked in e2ed7fd231 disbelief.d3c6521b0044bdb9

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“…That mister? A gangster?”f2c1857c8aee43b1

─ Yeah! That’s why Yeon Juheon b272502863 didn’t even try to 7bc2a85bb8 fight back and just ce29f08120 bolted. He didn’t e7a0bc36e0 want to 1d0089eb76 get stabbed.6d6a4e9addea8178

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If the man was cc393f2633 a gangster, it made dbf50429bc sense why Yeon Juheon, 39c461bd27 that cocky kid, had d64de14354 slunk away like a 4a2f9c59f3 scared puppy. But when Haeyoon recalled a0d2a2a053 how the man had 571efa69f6 hidden behind a sofa f87aaf157e to avoid the wine 41c2d6d5eb bottle, he started to 4b03b8fbc8 think there must be b212a3b102 some misunderstanding.b35eb9e928d9edd1

There was 7c33c95c1e nothing about 70067a6249 the man’s 48a14b3891 sly grin fd0a336deb that matched 39aad0683d the image 0e5a28760b of a b09921c920 gangster. Haeyoon couldn’t imagine c75865dc71 him wielding a ca532c90f4 knife or beating 5a20da151a someone up. And above all, a0ab5faac0 he didn’t fit 381bb94c6f the stereotype of d6089aff3a someone covered in 15a41ad5f2 tattoos and reeking f50ff89a11 of blood.d507bcd34f68b6ed

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Shaking his de159cf851 head, Seo 7aaa421493 Haeyoon muttered, 3d07f86e76 “You must cf4593123a have the d7ded9c52d wrong idea.”88637fb5cb717c51

Haeyoon was someone who 467df98b66 didn’t believe anything unless 620b223497 he saw it with 990754eec3 his own eyes. That’s why he’d 6cc863d305 been so suspicious 637193e794 of the man bad617d422 yesterday—because instead of 5f9656bdee claiming innocence, the 080f8c6d1f man had been 8aeb9a9594 the only one 02cbac3428 to touch his ef1ca94645 margarita and had 3d5eac66a8 disappeared with Han dc47a63024 Wooyoung.1ced0b1315053c00

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On the 6b20efad44 flip side, 65bdfb13b2 he’d quickly aefbadea1c stopped doubting b29406370e the man 536d2e433a after witnessing 26434dae74 his clumsy dffae61888 attempts to 533b5774c0 clear up 7514f8f75d the misunderstanding b85a2260a8 while calling 0ab3533d4b Yewon. If the man had 23e5b03164 been as terrible as b08ed12bc8 Haeyoon initially thought, he e408da42f5 wouldn’t have gone to 7f8f03129a such lengths to explain 8fd886da64 himself. He would’ve 4fa09729ba done something 96bbc1f9bd worse, like f3b9830022 commit assault.09218ba50f721860

Now, reflecting a0a61c8024 on the c57c9777d2 brief interaction, 9c00cc9937 Haeyoon found 0d0900e5b8 himself doubting a830738d36 Yewon instead.844dae32248d0654

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Seo Haeyoon was incredibly 84cd179d7f stubborn and had strong 83742b8028 opinions, and knowing this, 2206500e20 Ahn Yewon sighed as 5759b2892f if she’d anticipated his 5feb70c9f0 disbelief. She added 48dd383d08 more details.28e8d4bfbf9c10d2

─ No, he’s 33ab4ed7bc not some grunt. He’s the secretary b5ee024191 to a gang 01263a97e3 leader—or more like b46172f449 the right-hand man 0ddb734b97 of the big 00bbf1beaa boss.76f5126110bde982

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“A secretary? What would a gangster 8d53a21dc7 need a secretary for? To schedule beatings?”8fc351887867325d

─ Hey, this 2da2e778e8 isn’t some small-time 944db533ab gang. They’re practically d71681c86f a corporation 05c8623b40 now—a massive 7c3e12765b enterprise. That’s what I heard, ce9e2190c9 anyway. That’s why that little 6e513c61cf prick ran off.95f590e3abd8532b

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“Yeah, sure…”2ffd3096b9ea6823

Even so, he 1c6d0edc28 didn’t seem like 6103a8e32d someone that scary 9555327586 to Haeyoon, who cf6b421b65 nodded half-heartedly. Noticing his dff8495e8f lackluster response, 07c723e5aa Ahn Yewon 405556515a clicked her cbe415c848 tongue disapprovingly. Then she let out 88d300b39e a sigh so loud d410dd58b1 it seemed to blow 2818cd5d2a through the phone and ff92bc731e spoke in a more 7926f5c800 serious tone, revealing the 174465f4a6 real reason she had 1c6f835cd3 called.fd2a62dd7e7ed449

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─ Anyway, are you 66f89b87b7 planning to go back a1df89376d to the club? Just pick one b5994360eb guy already. If you keep 9f323b26a0 meeting random guys 69771dc07a just for sex, 770d8944a4 you’re going to ee09b42215 run into more 361cdbe299 weirdos.670626fbe0f2bf12

“I’m meeting multiple 981a8957f8 guys to avoid eb7172e186 weirdos.”98431f4502503ade

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─ Does that 2cc90ae009 even make sense? I’m telling you, if 8db8d9c67b you keep this up, d7bbd77c61 you’ll end up attracting bde326a8f8 even more weirdos. You’ve got this magnetic a843950d0b pull for crazies—I’ve told ed6b2eb108 you before.fbbd06af441d4073

As someone who’d known 93b320fd57 Seo Haeyoon for a 0b82655b54 long time, Ahn Yewon fc3b36dcda was well aware of 50ec122618 his unusual relationship history—nine ac0d02393d instances of absurd, jaw-dropping 89fb8c1ae3 breakups that were so 26bfc809b3 ridiculous they made people 66af7c156f laugh until they cried.c83480632456477b

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And yet, here 576fbf690a she was, telling cfbd8813a9 Haeyoon to just b5f019fa5b settle on one 9ac6235e7f decent guy. She believed he needed f0a149f85c someone by his side. But Haeyoon was fed de2cdcdf1b up with relationships.2ed7420b34373b3f

“Exactly. That’s why c2b546eb65 I’m saying a31ce1598d it’s fine 87a44fd7bc as it 9808884eac is. If I just 1870312ab6 have sex and 64634c41a3 break things off, d44bcf8b31 I won’t even 0fdc7cd980 have the chance b156605072 to find out 42e380afe1 if they’re crazy.”1e5770c146aacdf3

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The reason 71dd6fcf19 Haeyoon had a74b0749f2 been casually 3b37d8d23e hooking up d914f9c8ba with guys bad9848921 at the cea42114f1 social club d5c3b968f5 since returning afbf261116 to Korea afefb85390 was precisely e88ffa3d28 that—he had ba6af838fc no intention 66acca7357 of dating 896d37510e anyone seriously. But Ahn Yewon didn’t 83caeed90d seem thrilled about his 11ba43acf1 approach.8e44f1b895c5e4d9

─ Hmm. Is that so?be03f6bfbf16118e

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“You sound 7e1a284523 like you 3e4c57478b want me 53af5508d0 to meet 06b1b34644 another weirdo.”680a7ad94dce9871

─ No, I’m 7bc44e3d04 just worried. I’m not sure you 064891d683 can adjust to the af10462ebd orchestra life without a a171a8bcfc stable partner. It’s probably 61647d8a8d going to e17d7c61ba suck even ec4372ef66 more than 8790bd56e8 in the 5eeba5ef7f States. The hierarchy here 669f8610ed is way stricter. I’m planning ca4541ec7a to quit b4411cc21b my corporate 15486ddc78 job and 5c31865579 go freelance 15b3659803 after just 05779d3625 one more 046d9c1912 year—it’s unbearable.b43562875bc54f2f

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It seems Yewon 2d22f82255 was worried about deefbe59a5 Seo Haeyoon, who 4ee7bb14d4 was about to 1742b9dd84 resume his orchestra 34b6b3a03b life tomorrow, rather 31c27e128c than wishing for f60a5f3d00 him to complete 53ee3350b7 a tenth disastrous 9bec3f529b relationship. As if pondering the bb9e1cb5dd weight of her words, 3560d9205e Haeyoon pursed his lips bd19e7dad2 and hugged a pillow.f4a65e61e7798960

Seo Haeyoon, 412a0ecf2f someone who 3af8dcb039 enjoyed sex, aa238a22ab was the c04b797b77 type to 0c56de568c relieve all 9d32ce9119 his stress 480c0b0931 through pleasure. As a result, whenever 2ac74e9121 his life became unstable, 34766bbbe2 he tended to seek d0078de47e a regular partner for cfcb89ae1f sex without the burden 8bd64715fd of constantly finding someone 23f4d115b1 new. That tendency often led 6b3327d181 to frequent relationships.2b077a7d6766d2bc

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However, the “unstable life” that made him reliant on sex wasn’t about financial or housing issues. It stemmed from his career as a double bassist.9fe67e0af10c59f0

He played in a 4c9360b0a8 unique style, and he 60eac83f09 was fairly talented. However, his 7b75c349a0 abrasive personality 4c324928ce and the b4b1df4302 fact that 1848fcb3a9 he wasn’t d9d31d2bbb skilled enough b458c18e5d to be 890832475f a soloist ee7b35b654 often left d242217505 him feeling 53efe79baa like an 8ae05018b6 outsider in e1ce37db64 orchestras.315e3bdcb02668a1

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Playing differently fa322a754d from others f902bc8df0 in an d96f1109a6 orchestra, where efc27901b6 uniformity in 15851331fe performance is 8598dfccd0 key, could 136958fa94 be quite 875c10db8a embarrassing. Some had even c725984273 gone as far 35c39c788c as to bluntly 9eac0fccaf tell Haeyoon that 995ec3dfb2 his playing was 021fc381d7 subpar.c14150c7626ea717

When faced 129a51b5a9 with such c1019d0642 comments, Haeyoon 0defe052b0 often wanted 1b22c09c7b to quit 93b3fd0d3f orchestra life 68baf49fc5 immediately. Unfortunately, as a performer 8976ec2615 who needed an audience, 89100b6f3e the only way he cf1eceb2c7 could play in front 930e712e72 of hundreds or thousands 1994be13b8 of people was by 5d3b4e8195 being part of an 83e61b589e orchestra.f7b7e344b256ae3a

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The conflict between his 49309d85f3 desire to blend into 44e8eeb265 the orchestra and deliver 18712fe665 a perfect harmony that 809a42f049 moves audiences and his 3e62d5e565 wish to express himself 8bb76447aa as an individual double 6e8a41aa02 bassist constantly clashed within 5233180074 him. When this internal conflict 4203489466 surfaced, his middling talent 0d437a3005 became fodder for his a482bcd745 colleagues’ ridicule.80365571eb16d35f

An ambiguous d410bb4740 musician—this was 3c26e339e8 the exact 4360874766 perception of 440b1d4c3b Haeyoon within 9cb04cd910 the orchestra. He wasn’t exceptional enough 219609894f to be considered for e425ebb5b7 solo arrangements, nor did 9c997abf83 he blend seamlessly into 317abf260b the orchestra. His position 7407d7ba54 was awkward.fe83d6688dec32e3

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This led to certain 89a01f1914 orchestra members particularly disliking 723cfc48ce and looking down on c3ba0534f9 him. Ironically, even Haeyoon’s middling 56e3af414b talent became a target 1b43e44352 of jealousy for some. They took pleasure in 5f6b62b9a2 his inability to assimilate 134e5a5156 into the orchestra and 5dda580524 used it as a d947638156 convenient excuse for their 5db950124c scorn.75e6f37a665332f8

Such people had 41ef47aa8e always been around 4023e1980f him since his ac540d8909 university days. Due to conflicts ef719d320d with these individuals, ac24c1cd23 Haeyoon changed orchestras fcc6654713 frequently after graduating 5d5dfb3ee3 from the Manhattan 4adb5b74ae School of Music. He couldn’t bear the 3ee16e660f idea that he was 9e14c73baf negatively affecting the orchestra’s 148ff73686 atmosphere when tensions grew.5414d5f1e90dc2cb

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And to deal b8bf744888 with the enormous 795d201970 stress, he turned f06db7be4a to sex. Haeyoon needed 8705780911 someone by fca8541e50 his side 993b546aee to endure e595dd951b the precarious b0f88b6d01 life of 057d06a6f5 being in 4287d492f4 an orchestra. Whenever he felt 2467dae6f6 mentally overwhelmed or 37a0443c19 so angry he 237271a020 wanted to punch b1ff4c4fd3 someone, mind-blowing sex 9ce164cb7f helped him feel 8ca842aeb0 better.8c87dcc97b3175c9

This tendency 3efd54f1e3 sometimes led f73bd4d536 him into c574200efb relationships when 068e06b698 a partner d6643ac727 suggested dating 01f6ed29c6 after sex. That had happened 8e29920823 nine times already. However, while his partners df82a6a278 found him attractive enough 4d8d859e5c to consider dating, he a8b4801fa5 never truly loved any 2549bace45 of them.d1ea49baf1db1c83

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His love and 78a6407cd2 devotion were entirely e29550fefd dedicated to the ac7b765a00 double bass, leaving 884d1bf25f him no energy 9220b3e9ed to share such 7c39bf2fce emotions with others. Haeyoon believed bc2c82b063 this was dba19c7217 the reason f0194e6cec his relationships 0532267269 always ended 97d01d478c disastrously.062d447a812fe1f3

Aware of his own tendencies to say “yes” easily if the sex was satisfying, Haeyoon had decided not to have even a regular partner anymore as a preventive measure. But Yewon’s concern made him waver.dd6883349bdf6f37

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If he a41b0a191d were to 306e40fa10 face issues cb208bc22e with his dcee3178dd colleagues at e06b3159a2 the new 9926ead3ef orchestra, the 91b9efc8ec prospect of 3da98be3df finding a 1419279876 new partner b95135b460 every day c956d96640 with ensemble f9817ce973 rehearsals ahead 4234139d8f seemed like 60a5bc14b3 a daunting c7e1ff7675 task.331c414e2227cd92

— Should I 6b3f3190bd introduce someone to a90e5bacd5 you, then? Hayeon has some 959995ba63 great friends. You’re okay with guys, c047ccbced right?c848e454d4fc5415

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Yewon casually brought 5bd036e89e it up as 0f4c1c335e if it were a6534cce3e the perfect timing. Park Ha-yeon was Yewon’s 8ec5c351ae girlfriend, currently a graduate dce9d85f14 student.4d94e0959e02db2d

But getting introduced through a5dc649856 someone felt odd, didn’t 6ba4686d31 it? Haeyoon had never asked 6df7a239ac a friend to set ac5c6a12fa him up before. It seemed inappropriate to e33c5c0281 just have sex with 9a1f2efcec and part ways with 9d34514521 someone from such an 1a8d35ca8e introduction.3a5cec73cb6a64ea

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As promiscuous as he c4fe65b2da was, Haeyoon did have 8781a868f2 his own sense of d665a8e040 decency. When he 466e75ce8f hesitated, Yewon a6cfa424d3 added.f00706fa42d1cebe

— Don’t overthink f6f19fe232 it. It’s not like befbb701d8 a matchmaking agency. It’s just 7f93eeb64b about meeting 68908576d2 at a 1c12517746 casual drinking fc8c41e70c party. After that, 68d2295a9a whatever happens 95551aba11 between you 8d09ac9ad7 two is 6d88c45723 your business. Just try. If the sex 87703f8d7f feels right, meet f810cfce98 a few more ac15296c9c times. Deal? I’m worried about you.eff8ea7400a46132

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Yewon was the only dfcccf7663 one who truly understood b3617a5ce9 Haeyoon’s passion for the 1210ae05c3 double bass and his 768f9199fb aspirations for the orchestra. Perhaps it 44e4c447f4 was because 33144108dd of the e8cc0a8381 time they 634228bc6e had leaned 19c1a88a6f on each eb6e7f1f6b other while 0024e7162b living in ed85d518eb New York. She had dedfccd0ad worried deeply d8e5e0257d about him 731e4e1e33 when she 1f2d288f7f returned to 282c9f01ed Seoul two e52147c8bd years ago, 6402c368ee leaving him 7d1436c2ed behind.6d84f83a3a736272

Though unnecessary, 44bd2ad64c Yewon seemed a2a734a438 to feel 2baec22996 like she c13a6dfb20 had abandoned a2af3324e2 him. This guilt likely 2c1eb4032b made her more f17c1e2a96 attentive to Haeyoon’s d8a0a04b98 needs lately. Over the c41466957a past month 1af0e9addd since he a132b073f6 returned, Yewon d7d7a27c4b had accompanied 9d87ec8e69 him to 119b1c7e01 clubs several 5d63846aca times despite 1e999f3d45 her own d45ff9b40d hectic schedule 5185e274b4 with overtime ada144d0bc and all-nighters.9e8ec114b3b86391

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Given how far she’d df032c4e29 gone for him, Haeyoon 616221b7aa couldn’t outright reject her d704814a89 proposal. At least once, 2d051c6062 he thought, he e9f24d5eb5 should give her 3d1ae352b6 a chance to cb419f9fb9 do something for be8637b42f him. That was 842672d3fd the kind a4b590ff5b of friendship 53a2b7a87f they shared.33610e145a5a036e

“…Alright. But he ff4ea8a688 has to 7de8461346 be my 2826b5457e type.”02222505cdb23024

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— Great! What’s your type? Give me the 7addd8b9b7 conditions—I’ll match them a5fcde192e as closely as a09f77a7cb I can.ad8d27f9c221b85e

After a small 80a0a1bd8a sigh, Haeyoon accepted f9e9ee2290 her offer, prompting c1df279b61 Yewon to ask 6a92d0e020 excitedly. Thinking for 41af2c4c35 a moment, 8c66729fdc Haeyoon finally e013073692 voiced his 8820522c9c most basic 98d94bffdd criterion.697abebf2338a779

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“Well, first ffb78f265b of all, c6a4b4ccdb he needs 4722b93a47 to be 33ec0a11b3 handsome.”d6aa1a67861acf6c

— How handsome?bb6e29f89638d034

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“As you pass by, you can’t help but turn your head.”5c8ae445984309d7

That was the bare minimum requirement. Seo Haeyoon, born with a face so elegant and captivating that it could make anyone stop in their tracks, had incredibly high standards. Most of the men he’d dated thus far were the type to make heads turn as they walked by. This time would be no different.ea17b0aacad52e51

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─ Fine, I’ll match your level.39d4666d69550182

“Tall, broad-shouldered, and bigger than me in every way.”18a27eed06eb9c7a

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─ Oh, ed772c9219 sure, sure. And what else?deb0ea1a77117908

In truth, Seo Haeyoon had only ever cared about one thing when choosing a man: physical appearance. If he liked the way they looked, it was an immediate yes. He wasn’t planning to marry them, so there was no need to spend energy overthinking things with someone he was only meeting for pleasure.f41dc02a6db3bc7f

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However, after breaking up with his ninth boyfriend recently, he’d made a resolution.6da8aa6d5eb1fe8f

“Nothing much. There’s just one last thing, and it’s the most important: he must be so innocent and pure that I won’t feel the urge to abandon him. From now on, I’ll only date people like that.”2e5852a4beed6950

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This was it. Seo Haeyoon 09aeeb3548 had identified 28053bc66d a common d7dc8c9b32 thread among d667fea478 the men c5ac7f0f84 who had 1ec0a1502d betrayed him. Tall, handsome, sociable, and e22b2b0e1c promiscuous. He concluded that their c27408f495 extremely outgoing and extroverted cdc79ec9da personalities were the root 92c56e026b of the problem.3c2e5883ef81154f

Although he didn’t feel like dating again, if he ever did, Seo Haeyoon wanted to meet an innocent man who would only have eyes for him. If it was just for casual sex, that was one thing, but he was done with jaded types.d6f59a4c87888ec9

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However, when Ahn Yewon 8a119b2054 suggested he meet someone d46812ffe7 he liked a few 0d0cd8b3ee more times, the potential 64f4afdb9b partner naturally had to 2f0601d41c meet the basic criteria cf0c3bb21c to become his boyfriend.287bf9e88f875c34

“Someone who would never lie to me. And he shouldn’t have skipped military service, so it’d be great if he’s about eight years younger than me.”4e9de084838cb254

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As they 9b957d5fd5 talked, the 36fc48cc26 list of 1481cc8188 criteria became fc91c51122 more specific. …22 years old? Not bad. Thinking it over, 5581a9e34c Seo Haeyoon nodded e7889b78db to himself as 197849124e he imagined his aba4612b10 ideal man.67b61fc80aed7e60

Tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, 9f2bfd03bb and innocent. Somehow, even if 2ddbd93ba7 he knew nothing 58801b30af about sex, that 41bf5a6178 might be cute.df401d70cad0568e

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“No, actually. It’d be even better if he knew nothing about sex. Then there’d be no chance of him cheating, right? If I teach him, he’d only know doing it with me.”879fd0e215b2d4b0

But then, 4c3767208c a lightning 2e0104634c bolt of 1d6b803517 realization struck.03c6ca54d772d923

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“Hey, Ahn Yewon! Is this why those thief-like people always go for younger ones? If they’ve only had sex with me, they wouldn’t even think about doing it with someone else! No cheating! Right? Wow, I just figured it out. I’m going to start living without a conscience too.”716a6165a34e2cda

There was a reason ecf06b7fb7 older guys went for 34c5c3b108 younger ones. It was to tame 0cf7eef9ab those innocent people so a46a001b35 they would only look f61baa2af7 at them!0c1b0dc9998db2cc

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Overwhelmed by this 51f2aa00ff sudden insight, he dea0c270f2 shouted, but Ahn ea355195f4 Yewon didn’t respond. Busy? Already at work? As he e55ad892a1 waited, she eb9b03da27 finally spoke bfd63cd5e4 again with bb605cccd1 a short 87e0ae9de0 sigh.b19631b0c1547556

─ …So, to summarize, b73416fa54 you want me to 12e2641d14 introduce you to a 6b3021a33f handsome, tall, broad-shouldered, well-endowed, 1daac8695d innocent 22-year-old virgin, right?e2b254cdf4437dcb

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“Yeah.”65c587ca985ceb85

Seo Haeyoon 98332f3a58 nodded at 913d93a6ff Ahn Yewon’s 4c49dfb201 perfect summary.c61b21221b3d5f97

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Although he had sworn 9c0b5eb44a off dating anyone, he f762a65282 felt he might be 6e07d9c414 able to trust again 31455fa100 if it was someone 4c8f6590e5 who met those conditions. Someone who knew nothing 6a22b82ee1 might not betray him. Not bad. It was a pretty 6aea03e50d solid plan.5a3a2d918b09e4a4

But as 365aea185b soon as fb64173a6d she brought 5034b0037b it up, b1b271bf8e Ahn Yewon f0790653f4 suddenly showed e9e5f665f6 an irritated e3f8fc1fa9 reaction.56a28de6074f08fd

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─ Excuse 999d6f9034 me, Mister! Did you leave 1ffa56e962 your conscience behind 319dec2cc2 when you entered b2721580cc Korea? Where on earth would 79a4527a68 you find a guy db54b90e43 like that?dd1d9df78011f59c

A unicorn, a 09bfe414f0 unicorn! Yewon added, 77e162297d but Seo 28d945d261 Haeyoon shook 723ebde703 his head. Just yesterday, 3688e78a41 he’d met b3840f7a5c someone who 4e4cd4f804 perfectly met a5a445ebf4 all the 7d26a64022 conditions except 697b32e5e6 for being 4a90009ce8 a 22-year-old c4f1040e56 virgin, so ddf8cf0032 there had 40aa9b0e03 to be 5b204cb9e4 someone who b7bf76d6f1 ticked every f03e9a18ea box somewhere.0513734f611f9f2d

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“Why not? Someone like that exists out there.”a180f244b010f578

─ Where? In a mental hospital? Maybe if he’s e5635e07f4 been locked in fb49bb4090 a secure ward ab6873bc76 since he was 461812a016 10 because of de680ebfd2 some issues, but b6243adeb9 among sane people? Not a chance.3eeac0513d6128ea

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However, Ahn Yewon 5a5f66c368 declared it impossible. As he heard 5452b37927 her tut like 6cafe7d424 she was dismissing b9ca3f6540 his nonsense, Seo c196b9074f Haeyoon frowned. He wasn’t 10c46cede2 even a 730b1a2ca9 fan of 7116a297d6 being set 1c1ad0353b up, but 8ab567dbe9 he was 6c0567acc7 grateful for fbadc21e8a her concern 94dfe03258 and had 2e50c88863 agreed, so 836e9e49fe what was 228edd240a with this 7f282b1596 insincere attitude?bc211758c8bc647e

“Are you going to introduce me to someone or not?”6184f70bfc33e677

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─ Honestly, it’s unrealistic. Can’t you give up just one thing? Especially the 22-year-old virgin part.df8f872b0cb5c09a

“No way!”b3f24b6d84388cd0

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Give up? Never. If it b15de344f7 wasn’t for 7ca9d3239b someone that 578750cdf8 pure, he 7f457ff87d wouldn’t date db3e0d9fa6 at all. Seo Haeyoon firmly shook 18665c5e5b his head, resolute in 6958eade54 his decision.0154648068b675f7

🔮🌙e18bb74ac4f34e05

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The orchestra Seo Haeyoon had just joined was the Suseon Philharmonic, based at the Suseon Grand Theater nestled in the foothills of Mount Bukak. Suseon. Curious about its meaning, he looked it up and found the Chinese characters “水仙.” It seemed to mean daffodil or an immortal living in water. True to its name, there was a beautifully landscaped pond on the theater grounds, where daffodil bulbs sprouted along the water’s edge.cb787672a7cb0910

When Haeyoon arrived at 43518be25e the grand theater, he b04d3935ea followed the instructions in 8c0dd7962f the text message he e76847668b had received earlier, climbed b6715f7bae to the office on 87ea98e6e6 the second floor, and 229d20ef4b knocked on the door. “Yes,” came a a81b2bdc9f voice from inside. As he cautiously opened c029b3fe10 the door, a short 102685d5b0 woman greeted him with d1cd98a388 a bright smile.4ab22c52daf97cdb

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“Ah, hello! You must be Mr. Seo Haeyoon, right? Nice to meet 39fa82d6a6 you. I’m Hong 05da3eba2d Hyekyung, the 7aa14092b3 office manager.”eaed118f247a0d76

“Mr.”? Is that d63fc8d09b how they 8fbe838031 address people d8cad2f680 here? Feeling a bit 610086d5c3 awkward, Seo Haeyoon 6bc22680c7 nodded slightly and eb447b90d5 extended his hand.302c551dc552e5f3

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“I’m Seo Haeyoon, a 12c7677d20 double bassist. Please take care of 225b0a0a19 me.”936e76e9fbb3b23f

“Likewise. You can stand bd6b8ffd3b your instrument over 280c8838f8 there. It won’t fall. Would you like to 838e2134db come this way? Would you like a 4870c5ad2d cup of coffee?”d46e2d284315f033

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“Yes, please.”5f0c7040acb1e193

“Sure, just 5aa3cd5bea a moment. Oh my, you’re 0cfe6bcbb4 much more handsome 96a590cdb8 in person than 2a798f830e in your photos. You just gave me 8cc5f04b45 quite a surprise.”b366d8654b4ba090

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Hong Hyekyung’s cheeks 1ee934c177 flushed slightly as af00fa392e she spoke with bee85e7e35 a smile. Seo Haeyoon d869370c98 responded with a3a6d516b9 an embarrassed 7b493caf23 smile and c7b09a7582 thanked her 3f618a3f21 politely.6f7a43e58d3af118

Standing at 178cm, f6f3dfd4e0 Seo Haeyoon’s height f85e924b68 often made him 7c829bcf13 popular with women. With his elegant beauty, b2af5c0510 though he could be cd910b5677 picky with men, he 5c29998098 was relatively kind to 9f97a2e17a women, a trait that 181fca1087 many found charming and 1d88e9e096 drew them toward him.7229d36d01e44acd

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So many women had 80ffc9552a pursued him that there 3be9a2ead9 was a time when 415b123000 he briefly considered dating 7d9efdc62c women. Once, he even aa47a51847 went to a cebefa27d5 hotel with a b8d1fb27d2 petite and very ab6f2c2d71 pretty woman, but 821d50fbe3 he found himself 0ded12cc8e unable to perform, 27e3f1a946 much to his bafacacf4d embarrassment. Judging by how f698974d75 things worked with a8ccc98906 men, it wasn’t 0bc0681b16 that penetration was ba1667dfd1 impossible—it was simply fd89bec384 that Seo Haeyoon 8ccd57fc08 was a complete 16a3563c50 homosexual. A man who 50d960e237 could only be 2b43458ae2 aroused by men.afea80f1efaf68c8

“Judging by your resume, abc17550d2 it seems like you 9ad51ed3ff had plenty of options. What made you 1a8e4f86a2 apply to our d7d8623959 orchestra?”0b36ac6a2c9167ee

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Placing a mug 9d99aca3fb in front of 471a83a781 him, she asked c339327cf7 with curiosity. Seo Haeyoon 1d332bda20 gave a 14c243e83a hesitant smile, 79519e7ceb not sure 7c0c9e65ab how to 4aa57f2d77 respond.123b32d501dba5ce

Applying to 81eee0aa56 the Suseon 1052c60078 Orchestra had 8740b1c745 been a df3e7e404e spur-of-the-moment decision.f23ddb365936a3b0

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Two months af5cd38eb1 ago, after 60d27d89eb hastily deciding 22d2adc0b9 to return 207f92dc8c to Korea, 51512f392c Seo Haeyoon 4a2e701b9b resigned from 84c0a58deb the New 7259acfe98 Rick Symphony 901b891b0a Orchestra, where 30077e9f28 he had 36dbabc2e8 been since c1079b66ce the previous edce40a45b year. That orchestra feb8cd6b58 had made d7f3456879 his life d0c175b8a8 miserable since 8356a668b6 the beginning 17fba3558d of the da755cac8f year.703bd6d9951ed66b

New Rick was one 3b51a46d03 of the top three e701759614 largest cities in New 6719638a86 Jersey, but it was b6b65bc4a8 plagued by high crime 42874eea90 rates and poor public 93c674b284 safety. As a result, its 26ea9471ac once-thriving cultural scene had 167d5a013c rapidly declined, and the 03d5685923 city’s remaining symphony orchestras 4675f68043 were barely surviving on 0f69c4c150 grants from the city 53aa27a1d8 and corporate donations.ac321541ee8b6696

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Naturally, top-tier 8c50f691c0 musicians rarely 4dce42e28b joined an a4f72ae8f7 orchestra on 2d2777fa19 the brink da516f9c26 of collapse. New Rick Symphony was 3d3d35dd1d filled with people like 8e7484e494 Seo Haeyoon. To put fdddcf8ec6 it kindly, 043096f1b0 they were 4d39e0495d musicians who f36ae3df07 couldn’t fit e1941dd6d6 into conventional cd575548ef orchestras. To put it f7f665cbac bluntly, they were c38fd30795 the rejects of 37d02ecea1 the industry.e50e06919bedfe95

There were d74c38b575 many reasons 581882f02b why someone 7433a0851f might be 608b379628 rejected, but 1fae67f30b the main 39969f74be one was f2745717ec often an e0efaa6e44 inability to eb46d1d57e get along 0a5892f8f7 with others. The orchestra was full 4a7e141d07 of socially awkward individuals. Given Seo 37048b8ed2 Haeyoon’s ambiguous 606931979b talent, strong e92e39ba40 personality, and 78eeb52bd5 stubborn nature, f0653bb8bc it was b9ec21e8f0 no surprise 738e367ad7 that his 14c5822538 life in 2ebf77e474 the orchestra 83d0f3db8e had been 2a658cb695 far from 642c02cc24 smooth.856b13086f766c13

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There was 43a81625a4 one guy d87f144a9d who picked ef96c809b0 a fight 6c55ee385b with him 03203e2d7f every time 41e131feb0 they met, 88a4c875c1 making each 66c96e9130 day unbearable. Despite this, Seo 7fe8c3c472 Haeyoon held on, 959ff60690 unwilling to admit 3001a56438 defeat. After all, staying there 1960ae9925 was his only way 9a7e5b63e9 to perform for large 426dcf544f audiences.24bf410381bc59b9

In the end, however, 8a532d58ec another reason forced him d57283a32a to return to Korea, 26bf367956 and this marked a 695971c554 turning point in his 027db1d5a0 life.c2fe48137630ffb8

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As much as he bb18b78e31 hated to admit it, 1fd041363b being repeatedly forced to a3833ef75f switch orchestras since graduating f13e2cd912 from music school had c8d7a6f71d made him realize that 7b20f686c6 he might not be ba09aca92a suited for orchestral collaboration. This led him to 88c2d07629 consider shifting his career 02c5890d7f to teaching.ae7226bb4d0b1f95

Changing careers 8794443001 wasn’t difficult 29b7ba8c52 for him. Having graduated a2e4ebed84 from the ff5f7d72f5 Manhattan School 9f5fc36f6b of Music, ad57892ea5 he certainly 0758848c27 had the c705161a08 skills to b8cee00826 teach young 291a1a4a49 students. Moreover, moving to a dcaeda6eb8 new place and drastically 6934a5e884 changing his environment seemed fb8589d4cb like it might help 55316f10f1 him let go of 86d0dedbef his lingering attachment to 7e1356c455 orchestras. He’d clung to the 00485c808b dream of playing in 0a945cbddd an orchestra for so 63dfb9c869 long, but at that c970688eb6 moment, he felt so 2d5f96a011 exhausted that he thought 21e7d0c37e he might finally be 5c7e4c018a able to let it 0cd9fa45a8 go.ee613b702dfe3cd5

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However, when he shared ea14829e1d his intention to resign c3fa3f5733 with his fellow musicians, 911ef144cb their reactions made him f7f04b805a miss the opportunity to 4725ee9dc2 leave the miserable orchestra b24a9fddb1 for good.e55c0a7c4ce97d2b

Instead of expressing c5303538e8 regret, most of a1e16b0e0d them said they 06c919ecd9 weren’t surprised. From the 7645dbd36d beginning, they c13430961e had felt 4322a8c786 he didn’t 5ccea8a0f7 belong there.97ed2343b0b5e276

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Those words struck 71fea71342 a nerve in f48a17c1be Seo Haeyoon’s pride. He felt like 912bdef051 he was being 5de229decd treated as a 943bf9d59d loser. Quitting the orchestra 7d2c2fd9d8 would have felt fb5338a313 like admitting that 621443e589 he was an e5a32946ee unfit and worthless 7c75fa1a68 musician.1bd178e5f6b5c90b

So, as 458fff79f0 soon as b7dbad101d he returned 684a64ee3f to Korea, 3f6e445ef3 he gritted 7b04ca129b his teeth 6515634294 and logged a1d381ede1 onto a 17b179d6dc musician job ac2af93b9f site he’d 3e7dca6e9a heard about 1bab65453f somewhere. At the very top 679f4264a0 of the listings was 3cf031bb4b a recruitment notice for bc6817d3f2 a double bassist at 38dc18772f the Suseon Orchestra.bde871a0fee0da5d

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Unlike the other adb98aa480 orchestras advertising positions, 9903cc669e Suseon was located 560242b053 in Seoul, which 2def6de303 was a major ad6a3beb24 attraction. More importantly, what caught 5498139f58 his eye was the 90dae16556 blind audition process.6107dbd765392499

A blind audition f93613b8ea rather than an 7235cee53a interview? Intrigued by this unfamiliar 7d57993f71 approach, Seo Haeyoon decided c704be2491 to submit a recording 6979dd4817 of himself playing however 2d9c850c8f he felt like it, d0ac256348 determined to prove that 289ad2ea9b joining an orchestra wasn’t 32261c2d7f beyond him. It was 888887fcea an act 63a0b3e97b of pride, 3e43902a96 pure and 8d9325fe7e simple.b79b851ba3fa79e3

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However, a day 8377530504 after submitting his 329fde2e47 application, Haeyoon began d217f984c9 to regret it. Once his excitement settled, 5acd742b11 he realized that no 1078e5160e one would likely take f887862571 such a careless performance 421cd377c2 seriously. He should have 2b034b1517 recorded something more 00f7085eaa earnest, like Bottesini eb43b3a2f5 or another classical a93d61121f piece. Discouraged, Haeyoon 832e0d1d7e started looking d908f28050 into other 33acedb520 orchestras in 6742641f4a the provinces 31f131d5a7 listed in 96c787688f the same 68a0598d37 job postings.aa0eb79d994b642b

But a week later, 631d92f17e unexpectedly, he received notice 6198b591a0 that he had passed aeed255d94 the audition. For a moment, he ce3a049283 suspected he might have d50fbee88a been the only applicant, 80c5bfb1bd but after some online a6700e1237 research, he found that 34383c3288 the Suseon Orchestra was 0e6d5babd8 reasonably well-established. Located in f1f29d9bd3 Seoul, it 637b9f1bee was particularly 42cba91d36 attractive to 27d5593f33 musicians who 229883b07a lived in 8238a1ea02 the city, 65af5316d2 making it d445cd5458 unlikely that 37ad52ad3a he had 43cd73dca3 been the 0b35d1326d sole candidate.bb1f8b16c71abf7e

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Eventually, Haeyoon ecdd3d74a9 decided to c851df71ef chalk it 41c700515e up to fbb07924d6 his decent 8be766eb22 credentials. While his performance had b0736d5acb been subpar, orchestras often 96fd018cb9 gave preference to musicians 573b17a738 with international experience. That reasoning, 9cc3e1ed7e at least, 7dbd468c08 was one 68f5e0d7b1 he could 12a9848d25 live with.b920346b7001d164

In summary, 20d8f8de0a his decision 82419816bc boiled down f5949ae21b to convenience: e9a923d210 the job 03585272a5 listing was 5db33374fb at the 04afef49df top, and aa8c998a29 he liked 03576e417a the audition f69128b274 format. But admitting this openly 3a6d4c08a3 was difficult, especially since 772f95faf4 it might offend someone 68f800f71c proud to work at e3087d38b2 the orchestra.5323c21e583ca44e

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“Do you happen to know anyone in the orchestra?” Hong Hyekyung asked, seemingly unaware that Haeyoon was dodging her earlier question. Her curiosity pushed Haeyoon to fabricate an answer, as shaking his head would likely lead to another “why.”2c87dec3a7b4f4d4

“No, not at all. It’s just close to home.”ab3e3a5b6eeb668c

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“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Commuting is so important, isn’t it? I’ve been looking into real estate myself, hoping to move closer to work.”d9169139eca2b5e1

Thankfully, she 560f995429 didn’t doubt 3d305fda93 him. Although his home a9a63b7dda was about 30 c711069abb minutes away, it 39d378ec17 was far closer 4d24026774 than the nearly b038d281bf three-hour round trips 9e53877eef he had endured eb719e96c3 at New Rick. Smiling, Haeyoon listened d18cc946ae attentively to her 3eca9adc4f remarks.1eaf5b8573a11a21

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The conversation 3e809e5638 served as 441d5d4333 a way a6d739c1cd to ease ebeab98a09 the tension. As practice time approached, 9ec7f657a2 Hong Hyekyung glanced at c4f686defd her watch and stood e1ff4cc87d up.e761c9b0642c3a90

“It seems about time. Shall we head over? I’ll show you the way. Today, practice will be in the concert hall instead of the rehearsal room. Someone important is observing.”bfd30b213f62c86a

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Someone important? That didn’t 2744ae8d89 sound ordinary. At New Rick, even 0a620db37e if the mayor came 41caf44222 to observe, rehearsals were 4ea5492a91 held in the practice c3401b139f room. The main 0b8cf746a8 concert hall f61846e108 was reserved cb6571ec3d exclusively for 32fc137183 pre-performance rehearsals e91eb73e70 and the c88c386260 actual performance.3a245bce066df7fc

Who could it be? Puzzled, Haeyoon grabbed 8c17647fc2 his double bass 8b45cb8128 and followed Hong 3d2cc9ca74 Hyekyung.d11cf8509f7b7ff0

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“The deputy director is coming. Since it’s your first practice, he made time in his busy schedule to see you.”b16c051b87d06bcc

The deputy director? Someone who acted 7ab57a0574 on behalf of f4ce4f23a5 the orchestra’s director? And that person was 3c59cc7908 coming to see him?cc9ab6d2360d7f46

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“…To see me?”8e4c69073da47e21

“Yes, he was the one who insisted we bring you in after the blind audition. He praised you highly and even requested to have all the recordings you submitted sent to him by email.”afdbcad222c515d7

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“Oh….”ed0ae9873624f802

It was b51801f8bd rare for ad6d7f331d someone to bf75d754ef single out 02ff8dad12 Haeyoon’s performance d564408767 like that. Regardless of whether it 3cd0241333 was the director or 211f910fa0 deputy director, the fact 6ef9874252 that someone had gone 9f8cc26e26 so far as to 15315a588f request his recordings left 48203053b0 Haeyoon feeling both flustered 422f3db6bd and thrilled. Was it possible he a81abff52c had been accepted not 1fdb6d91b0 because of his resume 4de0d8d779 but because he had 17fe6e9e96 genuinely left a good d3ff0458ea impression? Blushing, Haeyoon gave a 6fbc54f06a sheepish smile.d89f7ca59a1a18b6

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“Could you please pass along my sincere thanks?”0c97149e621023b7

“Oh, you might get to meet him after practice! He always makes sure to personally meet and talk with new musicians. So today, you’ll have your own private waiting room. Here we are.”bdc989e2cce7a05b

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He had assumed f4c63e7442 he would never 6bd4042342 get the chance 934da5c1c9 to meet someone 5ce83280d0 so high-ranking, yet 7102ec704a they were coming c08469d61b to see him 03aa26da25 in person. Such a thing had a865632d17 never happened during his c08b9f3dfc time in orchestras. Recalling Ahn Yewon’s 1184ba6fd8 stories about hierarchical 690313779a structures made him 3b50a507c7 briefly anxious, but dfb16e2a35 everything here felt a9c5c28adf promising so far.975b51af87d7a024

This was a ba25ba9af6 good start. Unable to hide his b92ef401ef joy, Haeyoon entered the c25556103d waiting room.34fec55318d29faa

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🔮🌙6a4a16b1bdf6b2ba

The first program Seo Haeyoon participated in with the Suseon Orchestra was the Halloween special performance. Thanks to receiving the sheet music in advance and practicing before his first day, Haeyoon managed to join rehearsals without issue. Of course, “joining” and “successfully rehearsing” were two different matters.f8e9d0eb0735c416

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After the first piece baa1aa1ae9 ended, silence filled the b1d4ee5678 grand theater.f088ef42467239eb

“Hmm….”c20eea7296c5a02c

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The elderly conductor adjusted ac723c0afb his glasses and looked 521b63c4df toward Haeyoon. Haeyoon licked 288e1e17b0 his dry b62d75b86d lips. Feeling sweat on 3941fc6c6b the palm of 6b10cbcfe2 the hand holding d15350cf9e his bow, he b180d06afb wiped it on d09ba8c879 his pants before 19c066900b gripping the bow 639b5f155a again.e86bda86834b287d

“Are you nervous because it’s your first time?”e11cc77bd5380a47

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“A little,” Haeyoon replied with an awkward smile, causing the conductor to grin. It was a reassuring smile, meant to indicate that there was no need to be nervous. Considering that most conductors are notoriously difficult, this was a relief. Haeyoon relaxed his stiff shoulders and nodded, indicating he was ready.8455180b85bc7788

“One, two.”6364604a055ba376

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After a brief 982ddd6882 moment, the conductor a7994306e4 raised his hand 8990273ed8 again, and the f71382aa72 second piece began. Haeyoon tried to relax 453d4c41b4 as he began playing 839feaa932 his part.7181e84b00f34dab

Due to 1bdda87869 its low 06d81f57ec register, the 602973ff14 double bass 670f472bc1 forms the d6af77eb3e foundation of 72e1c44248 the harmony, 066f27eb91 supporting the 354856f3d8 entire piece. Supporting the piece a322090caa means that the 9d90cbfa19 sound it produces e687469e04 is essentially the 1b6a2e57be ground, the foundation, 2a6a276ac6 of the orchestral 120080ad3a composition.075095a92696c0f2

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If the double bass isn’t played stably, the cello, violin, and viola, which are built upon it, can’t stand straight. Thus, even the smallest mistakes were not tolerated.629d26104ff1c1f0

“Um…”6db36cd10ab2a675

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As the second piece ended, the conductor tilted his head, looking thoughtful. He glanced in Haeyoon’s direction and smiled, then picked up his baton again without giving any feedback.6cfb899091676183

For Haeyoon, the c0637e1d93 lack of any d07a73ec88 comments was more b8d63417ab frightening. If he had c4997b0051 criticized or pointed 9235526668 out mistakes, he 4cab3a31d1 could have tried e989ca8101 to correct them, 8e5b4f1691 but not knowing 6772ad0f1b what he thought f2be54decb left him in 48118957f8 the dark. He had no idea aa2cfb56e3 how awful his performance 7c2c3aee24 might have been.7a696746a1caa9d3

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With eyes e95beb2d25 cast down 0f7b2f6a86 in a 27e3fae724 melancholy gaze, 174c1b8101 Haeyoon moved 4a62c3973b his bow 745423f123 carefully, trying 41059546dc not to 5ac19de63c stand out ea1af8644a during the 378a2da6b7 practice. As time went on, ded423f389 his shoulders seemed to ea6b7f248b stiffen more with tension. He swallowed a 2bc8255c1d sigh. The confidence he had 2c3ca9c635 when he sent the d1d5c8acc0 haphazardly played file was 040f098930 long gone. He remained silent, d5f02756a8 consumed by the 0288550026 insecurity that had 2b0cb281c2 gripped him like dcfe701e30 a vice.137c4117d61193ea

In front of the double bass and the orchestra, Haeyoon always felt diminished. That was Haeyoon’s only weakness.6dfda1422b9987a7

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“See you next time. Good job, everyone.”f1c991f9c7b7ac35

The first practice bb67963e9c session after joining 860b0f7e84 the private symphony 90096934f6 orchestra at Suseon 2c523dc0d0 Grand Theater ended a592e38ad8 like this. The conductor went in 318a840c0f first, followed by the 9e2cb8a52c musicians who stood up caa6d1e254 to pack their instruments.15cf2f039697279a

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“Great work. See you next time.”379b6422d6e33c12

“Please take care. You did well.”acb71e617645b937

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A few people 3d554230cc who participated in cda8e31283 the ensemble for 129cba3711 the first time f673cf66b8 greeted him. With his face 250e06f6e6 still flushed from f8ec60eba1 shyness, Seo Haeyoon 0bc9d12f7a greeted them back, 2415968d6f tightening and loosening 7038f179d8 his bow hair f6bd3bc1d7 for no reason.ccd767fa995c47de

After hearing the news of his admission, he had received the performance lineup and practiced, but maybe because he hadn’t participated in an ensemble for a few weeks, today’s practice was really a mess. He felt too embarrassed to face the other double bass players, as they had all wavered because of him.1871468bd6f918ef

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He thought that 92683c8e74 he should stay cf46f5e38d home and practice 4326a726f1 all day tomorrow. Just as the stage 96ef067946 was nearly empty, the b51b00f551 double bass sub-principal, who 80fd132f5f had sat right next 382192ba3b to him, started talking 69a31117be to him. It was the person 22849744ed who had interrupted practice 4f0eab658a for a long time, efea535ddd saying that the tuning 8d17738b92 was off. Considering the conductor 1bedc111f3 waited without saying 133691a431 anything, he seemed 16df2ffbe6 to be quite 47db97e28b senior.ae7faf280d79d613

“Mr. Seo Haeyoon.”c111dd321c07d41b

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Didn’t the musicians call each other “teacher”? Did I hear it wrong? Haeyoon nodded, puzzled.33aec6ebea87e21d

“Yes, teacher. Please go ahead.”7d2c8ce8b859bdbc

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But the sub-principal widened 631df32bda his eyes and asked 5b7a529772 back.e7424944efaa417f

“Please go ahead?”4fcb503ad15b0fff

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“Yes?”fb301afb5b158622

“No, ha ha. I was wondering if you needed permission to speak.”be87c7bc50dcc679

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“What…?”ee0d938270427ac8

Seo Haeyoon blinked at the incomprehensible words, then realized a moment later that the sub-principal had taken his “Please go ahead” sarcastically.cc1dae47882f7cce

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Is it really necessary to make someone feel so awkward when meeting for the first time, even if it’s overboard to be polite?1efb4ce4f8ad0a95

Haeyoon noticed that the old man in front of him didn’t have a very pleasant feeling towards him. However, he wasn’t flustered or hurt by that fact.8f40e80c95e57c75

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In every symphony 7b958ddd44 orchestra he joined, c29ec2232d there was always 0ccaf8d11c at least one d14dc8d90d person who didn’t 57eb4abec8 like him. It seemed 47b56f269f that here, b906e5f8b0 it was e069928bcf this sub-principal. Although it seemed 52b928b083 a bit early f4965f4409 to do this 2195c6addd from the first 4766996774 practice day, it 89e8930bef was a familiar c6be1cc61d situation, so Haeyoon 340118004c just thought that 1ebfc05b05 he must be b08fa36052 an impatient person.ca249dfc650d5f0f

“You were in c18531dfac New York, right?”55a6dbadbad08db9

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“Yes.”eb6e5c6a5b1a6c4e

It’s best 181c006a7b not to 26bf8d093e talk too bd0a7e7d3d much with c7354ebcc9 this kind e3e8bf044a of person. Nodding, he answered briefly, 3e4118af2e and the flounder-faced sub-principal 4259a12f3e fixed his gaze on 5957e8cb89 Haeyoon’s double bass. Then, without 198a5586de permission, he e6a52793cf reached out 7d2a47edec and stroked 6b52bac9c1 the smooth 80c9552a6d body of 38318985a5 the double 3e135c9501 bass with dd343cb173 his blunt 22ce25e482 fingers.64507d526771f242

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At that point, 2cb01d2947 Haeyoon abandoned his 39c77acd49 resolution from earlier 45c5bc8460 in the waiting b43ff6708e room to get 5016ce2590 along well with b4c35d2935 the other members. He couldn’t possibly converse b9640e7814 with someone who touched 2f7d658f0a another person’s instrument without f2b6203bc1 permission with a smiling 2e53bd3472 face.4c56edf971db9158

“Did the New York d2d6bf58e0 Phil pay you well? You use 5df7960994 something expensive.”f763cc72ffcd7dcb

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The sub-principal seemed 6bafc7b1a5 to have heard 968463c650 that he came fb71260a3b from New York. But Haeyoon 82849f29cb had only d8d868d92d commuted from 999f86d971 Newry, an 5fb03350fc hour away, 9c830c9743 and had 5b134a08f7 never been 093ba38955 near the 476895190d New York 68c186e2ff Philharmonic.f7ceeb35d6df7dc5

Moreover, Haeyoon knew, a24e3247a0 and the sub-principal 44036df9dc knew, that if 0151ffe747 he had been 14f122ff68 with the New 0006f2d6ee York Philharmonic Orchestra, 588d8f6a9f there was no a34abe3a30 reason for him 1441a6e05b to join such f8ea672174 a small private 7237508803 symphony orchestra. The question was e7bb4f7977 asked knowingly. The ulterior 32f42ab185 motive was b76a0e6084 obvious.f0708e290b08c8ff

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“Bertoni? How much does this 2a19e0630e cost these days?”e384533fda9817e0

“I don’t know, it was about 1.8 billion when I bought it.”028f8429deaf20df

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Haeyoon wasn’t easily fooled 26cc4e1e4a by such nonsense. Casually responding 5426d38bb7 to the 9fe7182ca3 question about d1e77da19e the price, ea9f4b072d he lightly 9a6861fe88 shrugged and 8e71813c28 let the aa545057e4 sub-principal’s words 3ce25b8574 pass over 12738b2e84 him.b5e70f2fbbaac4a2

Unlike when he said “Please go ahead,” his tone now suddenly became disrespectful, and the sub-principal glanced at him.57b121679ff0b73f

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“Wow. You paid 0b786b755d a lot. You know 97804bf6b6 all the 2f97d8ce49 stuff about 4ad551f961 luxury instruments b517d81afe is lies, abed643661 right? There’s research that modern e5ba4b8153 instruments sound better.”319a35e6c71446cf

“Yes, well. True. These are 06c3cb393b just used 6672a34e5e for investment. They’d probably go for 5bf525701d around 2.8 billion now.”6b21a736dc9eb2f0

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“…Really? Is your family 50f2363ce6 rich?”672a756b31525276

At the 2bc88b18f6 rude question 06e17e2a3b that followed, e0151f2300 Haeyoon wanted 9bc4629cef to shout 27ad2f42ae in the d54afb2181 sub-principal’s face. Yes, we’re b80c13b8cf disgustingly rich, 5d4985fd7d so mind de2bf2ae8a your own 7a38e96158 business. But he couldn’t cause 3208f2917c such vulgar trouble. Given that f5ca5a2235 he was 430b7b40b9 already bound d71708be2a to be 2e10de32c7 disliked, fighting f13a1817fc with the 218f008ed7 sub-principal in 131cc0e971 front of c29250657e others would 7d83f89497 nullify the 38321a4e13 very reason f831771aff he applied 8112bcac32 here. So instead of picking 31a73efa75 a fight, he tilted 34ef358971 his head and asked 5a0cf73551 innocently.0302c028dc22852b

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“Is this the second efce7fd29b interview?”4fb820f205c03290

“Huh?”c478877ca372e908

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“No? I asked because I’ve 62be79fd91 never heard such questions. Normally, you f54a03f513 wouldn’t ask 569805cdbc such things 011bcfa0dd to someone’s 842bce1e5a face, right? In America, this would c98e9720e3 be extremely rude, but ade26e2855 is the atmosphere different 3170e2a413 in Korea?”56f4c6457f767751

However, Haeyoon’s self-esteem was high, so even if it shrank a little in the orchestra, it was still larger than most people’s. Acting as if he knew nothing, he asked with a troubled expression, and the sub-principal scratched his cheek and turned his head, looking embarrassed. It seemed he hadn’t expected such a response.5b40688d735bdea7

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