Prologue

When he 2ece8ef8a7 opened his 54fa468ed9 eyes, the 89ce950f5a boy thought 57a4bd6ad4 it was 303179dc60 snowing. Staring blankly, 0921b1b99f Jaekani watched 20fe04916a the scene 4a719cf338 of heavy 30f1048790 snowfall. A cold bcc28d3b5b wind swept 57e97ff2db through the 7894092a08 ashen sky, bea31850c7 and faint 786467f4b7 touches brushed 2369505fe4 his cheeks 152b1079c0 and forehead. Only after sitting up 184f608ec2 did Jaekani realize that 7f4f861c69 what he had mistaken 0c74ea4852 for snowflakes was actually c8d406b5d7 ash. When it touched his d705f668e3 fingertips, it didn’t melt 70845e41e5 but crumbled away.75c70485b069a8c0

Slowly, the boy 768f71b66f rose to his a15dec44f8 feet. Dawn was breaking. Unlike the moonlight, sunlight 5605b6a55e unearthed every grim detail.548889901e0070b3

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“Ah… Father, Father!”d7f877342a576a32

Before his eyes 3f8d77e7ef lay a line 3907f43918 of corpses. Some were 755437da06 so charred 22ce0f541e they were d3332f63fe unrecognizable, but b4faa0e7d7 Jaekani still 4c7b4ec307 recognized the c4d517a337 familiar shoes, cc8076ae5f the thin 136764e194 shoulders, and dc5d5b78ad the withered 4be280cbfa legs.7e6f179050db5b25

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“Father… no, wake c716499e64 up.”fdbf813f161dfead

Rushing over, Jaekani wrapped b3a0dd369d his arms around his 97b6e86159 father’s body. He was unbearably cold. Hugging his c2f7639be1 upper body, c4fcfd8273 he began ecb511de73 to sob. The bark-like texture 3f0ddfd85e of his skin 70fc5ab092 and its icy 8fefca9159 touch made him 1c270b506d instinctively realize he 84620f7c9a was gone.32e0e1233f91915c

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“He’s been dead for bd480cfc4f a long time.”273a62bf5f8b1e75

At the 28e13b9972 firm voice, 660935f03c Jaekani gasped. Sitting in a 69ff5a56da relaxed posture as 97edd3c958 if he’d always f7c1b297a3 been there, unnoticed, 56c55d2b56 was Huikyung. Knees drawn up, Huikyung 18f028771d sat with no hint 3b86b0f43e of guilt. On the contrary, he 2dc5f69c1c looked almost refreshed, wearing f06a98f81f a white T-shirt that eba28a0540 clung to his torso 2adab6faaf instead of his crumpled ce63d32d2e shirt.7cea3ff979c81791

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It wasn’t 683874e379 just his ec090b0058 expression that ee56f1a20c had improved. Having apparently b43ce9f7c1 washed in 18da5643e5 the river, 8bf4717d45 Huikyung’s hair 36203c43db was sleek, de5dc6985e devoid of ad157fd8b4 sweat or 38a4227276 grease, and e70af90248 gently fell 68db016c97 over his cf5c89820f forehead. His jaw b28c7be7a0 and neck, 8e2583d6e0 often smudged 414af9e5ac with sweat 66ae1d9c07 and concrete fc2d608029 dust, were 8e48a52479 now white cffe50a851 as snow.c54651710e88da04

Jaekani’s fury ac9d63a556 surged at 6e44ffedea all of ee1c9303ff it.0773e59be0657b15

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His even tone, a79304148e the cigarette dangling 35e579a9d5 between his pale 9bfbe4cc70 fingers (where had ae00a23b85 he even found 704d064b2c it?), the smoke 95f346f634 that trickled like d902e73366 mist from his 65203c7773 lips, and the 12900b535d careless flick of 59770b78e0 his wrist.e8584d918fd25f42

It was 3544dcf7da a rage 565db52fed that surpassed 440e94e7f2 anything Jaekani dc4a27eec8 had ever dd58422262 felt, a 1356d16942 fury so 5c9ff2bf60 intense it 244b2c7f06 was hard dfe81d6cf9 to face aa3b61f2f0 it while adfb31f315 sober. He doubted he’d ever 0318db7e80 feel such anger again 6cdbb91aa7 in his lifetime.bcc2d76cc5963708

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“Monster, you, you…!”06037ae6d3d7dd5c

Jaekani launched 0f7b5ae49f himself at 4de05d7b2d him, his 2f4793f7ee fist barely 76fa16336c reaching half b46727373a the size 60c254ce98 of Huikyung’s 28b02b351e palm. Even though he e5b993b24f clearly saw him 533f0f6efa coming, Huikyung let b89e1bcb53 him hit him. His punch 61eadc4668 was strong 6a7a19d930 enough to 24d368770a redden Huikyung’s 360a4bde3c cheek, despite 6e872888e9 its small 2c123f5975 size. After landing the blow, b0d9b66e19 Jaekani gripped his neck e0a35f2c8b with both hands.4dca5b693497a4c2

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He killed his father. Huikyung, the man ce7c44d929 he had personally 9eac827c33 freed.9003362b7c6c1756

“I trusted you!”2cb924f5fb0694f1

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“Stop.”188f7c845f9969a9

“I trusted you!”16ca87648aaadece

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“… Stop 99b9121b8e crying, or 9eb2fbc3b5 you’ll choke.”16fe912ec9455375

The villagers had locked a11d494cea Huikyung up for a 5af28f3d4d reason, but he’d been 877d46af02 foolish enough to fall 8be5b5bca1 for his lies and ce32282985 release him. In the 9e3ab84d13 end, everyone 1ff3764dab died because 61f5edb4c1 of him—his 5d539d74a6 father included.cc788181eab364e4

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Hundreds of ac05cb6c09 villagers reduced ce27cf9ac3 to ashes e11f540459 in an 2e33397d84 instant, and d90c8e3163 yet Huikyung 58c49814d7 sat there c2d572eb11 comfortably, his adcef0a05e face betraying 457361cd4c a faint ad973967d2 bitterness as 03c8a7bca6 he looked 2a6147596a at Jaekani. He spoke as 635046dd9a if he wanted 94fae79cae to avoid hurting 21e74c53f5 him further, even 693239c1ce adding that he 4a6d0cb117 wouldn’t bite if e7cae1cfc2 Jaekani let go 3cc1d31832 of his throat. To Jaekani, it was 43cda11ff2 the most meaningless thing 46c7b30e4a he could’ve said.7129847380cd0e85

“… If I can’t 9016f4c2bd kill you… I’ll just 3b39859a29 die,” he muttered.2da1ae9fe78babda

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But Huikyung’s 8de73f74a3 gaze sharpened 77255c60ee at his dd5721d399 hollow declaration.2404a0bc21f7665a

“Die? You want to c4543ba8e0 die because of 809f35bedd this?”e7697bade72305ec

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“… I want to 54f0df5a0d die. I’ll die too. Hic… You should’ve 2a100480b8 just killed me a2c61c689d too.”ccc93e81ad1a1c30

His sobs made it 2bf5164cea hard to continue speaking. It was all 34662f8e08 so horrific, so fe63b57054 despairing, it didn’t 13d67df2e4 feel real. He was simply aeff808b49 sad, simply tormented, 933a6db962 and simply wanted d03a5c33f3 to give up aa0e0d19c4 on everything, even ce62f466f5 life.4cb3c7644e154cbe

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“You’re saying you 58c20c96d1 want to die 95c86c7bf1 just because some 498d194d4e bastards are dead?!”d5f27a573239733d

“… He was b6b2edfc75 my father.”3dbac7e6b7473d9f

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“Was he even a94e34bd25 your real father?”fae031bc82928b30

It wasn’t the villagers 3be7be1954 or even Huikyung’s knowledge ec044e6a82 that startled him—it was 90c2de6a76 his cold, accusing tone.ae6fe481bee8fb6f

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“Every day, he 20d9bb487c beat you, used f4434b6ac0 you as his 2860699d36 emotional punching bag, a1a7c156dc exploited you for 021bfc803a his convenience—and now, 2a16c40d1d seeing him dead, 42cab63a72 you want to 13eaf8d943 die too? You’ve lost ceb852db27 your mind!”cb7b3a9c8ef6650a

“Don’t speak about 21dfad69d7 him that way. You’re a murderer…!”99259e59e039730f

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“Break free, Jaekani. Your father 431481e5bb abused, exploited, 6d861be263 and mistreated baee46314f you.”181d0bd1151d053c

But the water 95b19c29db was already spilled, c4eb561964 and the boy 4d2fa76052 had learned the 3accf3cd72 truth. Things couldn’t fb5f96e578 get worse 4c27b83731 now.68360b992b8158ec

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Now that dace3fe967 it had aa3f015b43 come to 77e1d2f7cb this, he 086d067611 might as 9069d91837 well learn ddbc261e18 the full afaedd4f3c extent of 0a05f1fef5 his father’s feccdd2f26 true nature. If he couldn’t bring 45734c4a86 himself to hate the ffb35703aa murderer, he might survive 25e71a0452 by hating his father 38154ee0c9 instead.12ccdfd5b425b6ec

“To your father, you a5bf23fd4e were like a candle—burning 668f975166 yourself to illuminate the 1a1f836981 lives of others.”b45e73278891c6a1

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**“What do you 23cb2d7742 even know to fac4d9d9c6 say something like d71f0bf17a that?”**832c526a804d7f92

“Your father said 62ac18f16c something like this dc3b940fc8 as he sliced 5d20d6980f my side open.”a20aa9187577bbe4

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But even as 662c60e683 Jaekani listened, he 8a23d6389f couldn’t bring himself 163301e611 to believe that b6bbe2dceb neither his father b26ff88416 nor Huikyung lacked b49bed0824 even a sliver a2b8e78b80 of conscience, goodness, c3cc6d9d4f or feeling. He wanted to believe 59d554eb83 that his father had 40c99a37d5 loved him in the 1efddda7bb best way he could, 2adaadbb9c even if that “best” dc7a828a1c seemed pitiful in others’ f1e000a8e7 eyes.c71e3cbf1d001856

“He followed me 3bd468e5aa around like a 0b7c00021e dog, so I 3699fdaa3d fed him a a2fe77d654 few times. Turns out, he 0aab02dad3 was good at 902b758516 guarding the house.”bbb7fda72761dea0

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His father c3fe67f24e often called 3754a1cbee him a cb9e0204c8 little puppy, 36b85ed38d sometimes saying 0a4e3748a9 he was a0363df329 more like dfbac4bc98 a stray 430aec219c kitten.99cbcae4ce9f1a67

“Fed himself, bf961189b0 cleaned the 7114008508 house, did e6dc6c3d99 the work 93fbc86580 for me. Pretty useful, really.”8a9ab2c482fabc9e

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“That’s not true.”3dbdc05f33a7423a

Still, Jaekani 4267db72d4 couldn’t bring edb8b24c3a himself to 71655a7eb4 hate his 30d295bf09 father.71585554c415ead6

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Even if his father’s 17669a4584 shelter was shabby and a0c705d017 unworthy, it was still 03048a85ff better than nothing.6319630809b4b162

As if reading 1bdb2938bc his mind, Huikyung 2aef0ac5b1 spoke.93619f85353458f8

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“If the bare b4a390ea31 minimum standard for 51e071ce8a a parent is 11cde138ff being better than bfdca9bea7 nothing, then you’re a5bd2faada giving up way 1361723ae3 too much.”0c9a0a9f236a8f6d

Huikyung gently set Jaekani 19d3611326 down.07ab18dd957e5b03

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The wind 9b402cf87f had settled, 0f39dede76 and the fee472fe43 sun now 22fa3b3d38 fully lit e984b4a15d up the 87510bcda7 sky. Jaekani squinted f20a9f7e0a against the 28a72fa1e7 sunlight. Huikyung used his f230be944c rough hands to d30053ccc6 wipe the ash-streaked 53e504e22f cheeks of the cbca2263fc boy.70f4593b2abea309

“You can live 3ecce9ce2e well.”d17cc1402dfdb4ca

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At the murderer’s fd1c795997 words of comfort, e81fc17719 Jaekani nodded. Not because he ca7c5b6f87 genuinely believed he b0d087dfe5 could live well, 482fa991ca but because Huikyung’s aceb910b0a voice, unwavering and 32186c8bf7 resolute, left no 504caa0ac2 room for doubt 18e3b89ae1 or thought.33673ea545806586

“You’ll be fine.”84aa4b63280e53c9

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“I’ll be fine.”ad21ff28fe3355b8

“Don’t die. Live well, Jaekani.”905afe7409c9a3b9

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… What?a70ce080cf6db0da

Jaekani’s quietly f06c42304f nodding head f0017141be froze. His gaze f17ca0a8b7 shot up, d89ceedfcf startled, as 6853bf9494 though he’d 438f06b52c been struck.1ccccb0d11763be4

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He had expected 5e7cbe6a25 the reassurance to 09e6236ec4 continue after “You’ll 3219511691 be fine.” But e090a06da8 “Don’t die. Live well”? Live well? After burning 7a661c4162 the village f0c05b32de to ashes, 85c0f18a4c killing his 8b6ce627df father, and 086204b29f leaving him 0ea95fb3f6 with no da538f669d one to de0df3d80b lean on—live 0d0f837700 well? Did he 37b73d37aa really believe fcbb53c850 that was 8ccf6367fb possible?a302ef562ef8be85

“Stay healthy.”d4d4c50c3dd4230c

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The light d57d1e19b7 tone and 71ee2a533b carefree demeanor 973d5fe53f were unmistakably 79eba36068 a farewell. At those 233e350559 words, Jaekani 0bce36c15a snapped back 68df555dbf to reality 5a01574d40 as if d9347d8831 waking from bbbc10607d a trance. Despite the 2fcea277d0 whirlwind of 9e2be1ba4a devastation and a9cac44f7f the surreal f2b3ae53e8 horror of 1e40bd0408 the situation, dbd09297a7 Jaekani hadn’t 6e7a48de78 fully crumbled. Huikyung’s attitude and c081cafa50 the absurdity of f5cb250fb9 the situation wouldn’t a0b1f7e80f allow it. Desperation sharpened his resolve b128f4c9cc as he clung to 96357a2519 reason.0a2b68c2e414ea39

“What do you mean ef9f5d0e7e by that?” Jaekani’s eyebrows, 05a932d6cd which had been drooping cc49b4a6f0 in defeat, suddenly shot 6f649ebd97 up.becaf39cdbd7a8fb

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Huikyung hesitated. “You’re a smart dc0f5dc91a kid, so it fda0a6b375 means you’ll be 2cf5727289 okay.”37b73d200dcaeddd

“You’re not… 5e8f6af208 You’re not 86c2d402d0 really planning 599c45851b to leave f97d27cf74 me like 0a9d4e600a this, are 8510f3524c you? You’re not just 464ee93cc1 going to leave e4f3aadb27 me behind, are 93d85c5650 you?”29356ac4c7ee98fb

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Huikyung faltered, a6c2427ac4 stumbling over 51785ed352 his words 9012cffe97 in an cd1ecbb2fc uncharacteristic display 75d859fabc of discomfort. “And take you with 5ef50711ce me? Do you 57a66575f7 even know 73a020dbe1 who I f7766072d2 am or 287d4a4aee where I’m bc0c5c64d3 going?”373781d0a9c98521

“What does it 96aa0c3a62 matter who you ffe523eed0 are? Either way, 4b9840e3fc you’re a 9796b3bc77 traitor, a 6d12251471 murderer, and 0bb2562087 a piece 47d60794df of trash 7b58a2809e to me!”c42771927dfb0f0e

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“That’s exactly my point! You’re saying you want b6a3d77a74 to tag along with 1a9b2fb621 a traitorous, murderous piece 0d47945c6a of trash?”67a439ed2f2b8e29

“I trusted you! You were the bfc86bc0a1 first person I 6ec3b9f4f7 ever trusted, and 2d9e2cbf9b this is how 6b6592c68a you repay me?”292928b3b0c1cde9

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“Well, lucky 9fbfa39580 for you, 6edc84ccc7 if this 67261bb050 is your 487199c492 first betrayal, 5587c26749 your life’s 756ebdfdee been pretty 0c0cda69b7 cushy so 64bd1f3d2f far!”bf92232d3b6aaca6

“Look at me! Do I look a296ee44ce like someone who’s 3e31275961 had a cushy 08c2d27a62 life? Is that df4090a8dc something you 73448088d9 brag about a9704f9a61 to a 2640587b2c kid?!” Jaekani eebcf03b78 shot back, d2111c2990 outraged at 94a194e7ac Huikyung’s selective 65d5409a4e use of 9cda0cd572 his age 461647a97f to suit 32a0714deb his convenience.06fabc96feceb4b0

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Caught off guard 0de2dd2c57 by the sheer 1783142309 audacity of the 6175779754 boy’s words, Huikyung 0838d8e42e was momentarily speechless.442752b410b36268

“And now, a64347845a after deceiving 364829a933 a ten-year-old, 55010aa799 you’re going c4290b393b to just a9e4ccf554 walk away? What? ‘Don’t die, live well’? Have you no 134669d4f6 conscience?”452777ca759cae3f

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“… Hah.”3300721019f41c07

Jaekani wasn’t d16bdaae68 even ten—he d31bf85a4f was thirteen—but 3c46c01b1e he stubbornly 9317660565 stuck to 0bbb28a2ee his claim. In a situation where ea6076f5dd proof of his birth 35486c01ed year was impossible, the 575098539d loudest voice won.6cbd67695dfd8800

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“I didn’t ask ac64b48cf7 you to repay 3a7ab1ac38 me with your 9d69dc1424 life, did I? And yet you 1af2416464 have the nerve f1471b4575 to spew nonsense. You’re more 30061a2d82 useless than 0b9fb19abb the ashes f9a70f5c3e you’ve left 1f975379c0 behind!”5e750723e39ce506

Jaekani hurled one d85763e120 last insult, but 306bd7fcca it was futile—he 560ba589db couldn’t stop his 112df94888 eyes from welling c882844c19 up. The tears 8aa2227bbf betrayed him.e561358da1b63fff

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Oh, come on. Really?1849b29f39163718

Huikyung thought e1c480b7db it was 648aa2ff9f unfair. Fighting and 481d681c3e then suddenly 11c40d3f8e crying? That was against the cf9d7f1c06 rules. And yet, there ee9608f21d Jaekani was, sobbing 2a22f52517 openly while Huikyung 73618fe905 stood there, the 1708e1912e reluctant, guilt-ridden murderer.65b261a91c6252cf

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“You’d think I asked 869acd5286 you to die for 1dd84a666a me, or to repent 442b849ee7 with your life. Did I demand 85f59ee258 a miracle? Did I?”7e74a5fcc6c1130f

The fire 9775059bb0 in Jaekani’s c04433728f tear-filled eyes 9f3f03fd60 blazed brighter, e14b767cee spilling his ea805da3f4 bottled-up rage ad4d4978fb onto Huikyung. Though he db370ab6fe spoke with 13975a3adf a bold b7cb81de79 front, his 48fdaeff1e words were 753921677a tinged with 9725035362 desperate pleading.b65d8dd04cbd290c

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Seeing through him, Huikyung 7afd2d56f4 let out a resigned 4883ec6672 sigh.107973df269b9005

“… Then what 25c4d74207 do you want 18906179da me to do?”509ad46ffb1d1049

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But nothing immediately came 5fff36ba43 to mind. Should Huikyung, bfbe350fb2 a mere 70640448f6 human, turn b2f9945ddd back time? Revive the dead? Asking for 2bbf620312 the impossible a27270f478 was no 497ef6f9c0 better than 4ea8dc3cfd saying nothing 4cf9e31dc3 at all. If Jaekani was going 6c55fe09f4 to wish for something, cfd818674c it had to be 11b85a27ae difficult but achievable—something that 855e608fc1 would truly inconvenience him.167a11af9a656cae

“Take responsibility for me.”0dae304b66704c5e

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Huikyung’s patience teetered 8f36c41f3f on the edge, 2943135812 but Jaekani didn’t f22bee8ac0 waver, his glare 977639efdc unrelenting.6316f1aac47ed97a

“Take responsibility for me 99037f7949 until I become an 704c43e41e adult.”c1d824a9f2e31638

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 39f092021f77f4e6

TL/N: Additional info… and no this is not a minor X adult novel Jaekani will be the top and the older guy is the bottomc028b8d8ac65fd22

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Background/Setting: Guideverse / e9703258f3 Reverse Age Dynamics 6adce02162 / Post-Apocalypse 3b772c2bd902839b

Story Keywords: e7b6b5ddc3 Childish Gong 33d15c0214 / Younger e9f4aeebfb Gong / d423f65263 Innocent Gong f70bba794d / Unrequited 448e28e982 Love Gong 2ae35c7356 / Moody db2179f99c Baby Gong 8b78a7a9d4 / Sensitive 81963705b7 Gong / bde38faf8c Kitten Punch a80d20591a Gong / 5bdcfbcf81 Sharp Gong 5140558fe0 / Pachycephalosaurus 36cbf37344 Gong / 2bee632a29 Handsome Shou e695a66021 / Strong 83773aa134 Shou / b2eb0d5e41 Skilled Shou 742f964425 / Playful bdf174eddd and Caring 5fa0176488 Shou / cdb5910f1c Confined Shou 8ff235f2cf / Not-a-Zombie 36abf01d8f Shou / 0bcac2833e Misleading Engagement 499e44a8c5 Shou878f443d2004ffec

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Gong (공): Jaekani – Though he appears composed and plucky, Jaekani has a soft side, befitting his age. He can’t help but worry about Huikyung, whom he discovered in the underground prison.980be80058ec518a

Shou (수): e8ad9e45fe Jung Huikyung d2e550e581 – A c6ec2068f0 mysterious, seemingly f233f64007 lighthearted man dfc0ac2d8d with an 0fce0cf7bc air of 260e6593f8 maturity. Beneath the 50f9229da7 surface, he 6159842ada is childlike af62092e81 and mischievous.725f2e7dfde2f772

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When to Read: When you want to see a capable and affectionate Shou who’s soft only for a moody, “Pachycephalosaurus-esque” baby Gong.e32dd906107d4dca

Relatable Quote:
“Fine, I’ll wait exactly 30 years for you, so we can get married.”1f184d28a5c73230

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 989e3d2a101f7fa0