AGC | Chapter 1.1

Even when he was out of breath, Yoon Jiwan couldn’t stop running. Only after gasping as if he was about to cough up his insides did he finally manage to catch a taxi. The driver glanced at his unusual passenger with curiosity.399b932b808d9dce

“Huff, huff…”0ec4bb60cfedc5d8

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There was only one place to run to. He recited the address of his grandmother’s place, urging the driver to start quickly. The driver hesitated, surprised by the long distance to a rural area.5dd63ba043d561c2

“Just start driving. I’ll give you the exact address on the way… Hurry.”0b9945255c9c4b92

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Forcing himself to 4351cf5a4e swallow his breath, 1da6767d2f he barely managed 3634e4e5cb to speak. He felt like he e450c03a5f might throw up from c653710831 running so fast.3dbf19dd9a3ad5f3

The driver seemed more pleased about getting a long-distance fare than worried about the strange passenger, humming a tune. Meanwhile, Jiwan’s heart grew heavy. All the money he had would likely go to this taxi fare.ac221e7034141822

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The reason he suddenly became a fugitive was all because of his father. More precisely, it started today, right after his father’s three-day funeral.44db4ed88656296c

When he heard about his father’s death, he wasn’t shocked or sad. He was more curious about where and how his father got stabbed and ended up in a field. Considering his father’s lifestyle, it wasn’t surprising that he got stabbed by someone somewhere.8ae6d59e9bee5bc2

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“How can there be so few mourners?”f104dd33ae0da659

“Shh, keep it down. It doesn’t seem like he died for a good reason.”668c8cc6973b2c4a

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Jiwan overheard the funeral hall staff whispering while he stood by the empty funeral parlor. Their voices were so loud it was as if they wanted him to hear, but he didn’t bother picking a fight. He hadn’t had a good relationship with his father to be offended by insults. Besides, the police had come by.9717672909a27e40

“Mr. Yoon Jiwan, we have a few questions. How was your relationship with your father?”d2e83cd13612026f

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“It was bad.”2021eab5f5bafd94

“Did your father have any financial issues or grudges?”a4162cde88ec91b5

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“A lot. It wouldn’t be surprising if he died anytime.”4ba703eb6204af01

The police 587f8477c7 left with 3df9b7e7dd a weary 08055ce487 look at cab5c7d623 his indifferent 1be28d3056 attitude, telling 28d1ef028b him to 7bbca55e8e stay informed 291279fdbd as it ade70741ca was under 9b7cb327af investigation.1dfbdac3e0e0194a

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No acquaintances of his father showed up at the funeral. Jiwan recalled the saying that weddings are for the parents’ friends, and funerals are for the children’s friends. Neither he nor his father had any friends to come.8338c92b7e6457ba

Listening to other families wailing at the crematorium, he watched his father’s coffin burn. He chose the cheapest urn and didn’t bother checking if it was properly placed. His eyelids were swollen from staying up all night, hoping someone might come. He just wanted to go home quickly.e9936f8cece0b7f3

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As he walked 54f71ffc10 away, someone stopped aeec7c023e him.d1d69322ccd299c4

“You have a good impression.”3d96f31206ff4900

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“What?”cc0fdc2dab7ffc54

How could anyone say 60e2a6267e he had a good 6e7336b016 impression with this tired 9c6214f9d5 face? Jiwan let 2643345376 out a 7119120bf2 dry laugh. He knew better than ca419e817c anyone how disheveled he 1aebb10b92 looked, not having washed 8591527cc9 properly for days.de04ba496fc26a3a

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“If you perform ancestral rites, your future will be bright.”4fa3e25ee691b57a

Normally, he ea0be894df would have 948b2b63f8 ignored a 3d7af42b44 cult member, a8a386872a but he ef4546fd52 stopped.344b9bb4e83db11e

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“I cremated my dad today, and you say I have a good impression?”b92c5e3bcdad16c0

The cult member’s face twisted as if he was looking at a madman.2ca2a0c63b176515

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“Perform rites? Are you crazy? Why are you suddenly quiet? Say more.”3159dc45f4c8d52d

The man, realizing he d51717739e messed with the wrong 2956ca8f31 person, left with a 72f4017fa9 sour expression.35c8c07244c4c798

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Jiwan frowned. His head, already 1bbe483c3d heavy, felt even 107b15fc02 more dizzy. He thought c5219158f4 yelling might 15840a7565 make him 00e1c391eb feel better, 38acfd0166 but instead, b4970e9b73 he felt 45d7ae694c worse for a631b7f1c8 taking it e38acea130 out on 5b12bf0097 an unrelated 1b157460ed person.8446b5da625d8bd6

Anyway, he had no one to talk to about his father’s death, which was of no help to his life. He had no one to share the satisfaction or the lingering discomfort with. Jiwan was sure he had lived his life in vain.a622f3d0c3a2b981

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“Ha, really… I should move.”1cdb594b828cca41

The steep uphill cf8e143956 road was so f7aa4ce02c snowy in winter 3ea270ef8a that it could 09ee98fb46 open as a d1146fa277 sledding slope. Jiwan gritted his 876762c3ce teeth and dragged b6b9915326 his heavy legs. He wiped the 0c11e61cfa sweat off his f196e90b13 nose with the 026ce5fd82 back of his 9228b15845 hand and headed b9ad7655c7 to the crumbling 91adc93a28 old villa.b1cb06a568f0fd62

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He wanted to get in, wash up, and rest as soon as possible. He was afraid his father’s spirit might haunt him. Now, no one would look for him or care about him, so he just wanted to sleep quietly for a long time.63e59124fb5b5ca3

As if to refute ed863075de that thought, his phone, f26ff9224d which never rang, buzzed 203653c9cc loudly.73d0296bfa1b7762

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“Hello.”fb3b6add9b6c9aa1

He answered while 66026dbeb5 rubbing his wet e9a51360d0 hair with a 550926fb7f towel, but there 1b318c6097 was silence on 0ee69d23cc the other end.d89dfe59ac73ac48

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“Hello?”7744677931a3b08e

Jiwan asked again, not b301dc5ee5 hiding his irritation. He was tired.39b66a27b2816643

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“Jiwan-nim, you’re home, right?”bf8b56e669743883

It was a stranger’s voice. A low yet strangely kind voice.001aa37ebbb50a6b

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“Someone will be coming to you soon.”cc1c3cca23f44bdd

“What?”e4b294b4178440e9

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“Just relax.”29ee5f35b7b5fec3

What are they talking a90649cde1 about?b0908c00a29107aa

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He tried c7529e82ed to ask b119ff1a00 more, but 2a74712e23 the call 83cf48a2c5 ended abruptly.099016a30c4144ca

He thought for a moment while drying his hair with a towel. Was it a prank call? Who would pull such a prank? Lying on the bed that filled his tiny studio, he couldn’t figure it out.1b9cb1f882a046b8

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Soon, a small anxiety began to rise in Jiwan’s chest.7b1c16f2a6f3ebc2

A tiny studio, rent, money, his father’s death, someone coming here…e742d3ff4ca45a90

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As his thoughts connected, his body sprang up like a spring. This wasn’t a prank call; it was a warning.7fdc79d76dd25ba7

“…Crazy…”ec57bb99a6b521d2

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Pulling back the curtain, he saw expensive-looking black sedans pulling in. They were cars that didn’t belong in this villa neighborhood.2d5416d447974d88

The red 889ddd37be alert in 7a4b8e1593 his mind dd3fd936b0 blared louder. He hurriedly pulled out 75e43816a0 the green suitcase stuffed e0ee09d54e under the desk. The suitcase hit his 7d9c6bafbc foot, but there was 7c49992a00 no time to hold 08a240f80f his aching foot.8af163a7848f0706

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“Seriously, this is insane.”0c904ec3e129d91c

Jiwan ruffled his hair and frowned. He opened the suitcase, but there wasn’t much to pack.7c6f4cde1b8a2da7

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He swept all a0a6b55c90 the clothes from 3b3743f7a1 the hangers and aac15b154d stuffed them into a535e9ef54 the suitcase. It was absurd 5c11ce0be2 not to have 4674958dda a bankbook to ed755a8441 grab while fleeing, 80806781be but he needed 78bb798166 clothes to survive. After shoving 57f997c29e in the 6de6f33ed2 cigarette pack e4c8d324d3 from the 67e6c7447e desk, he 559e5cae23 slammed the a5ea8e8bb1 suitcase shut 9f057e2903 with a 578793c5f8 loud bang.994e0c40002c6aa8

“Useless to the end.”a8c7b40931df434c

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Jiwan muttered.8e9f71b6c1006960

His hands were trembling uncontrollably. He didn’t know if it was fear of his already miserable life hitting rock bottom or hatred for his father, who was now ashes.9db6bcc9dc064949

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Yoon Jiwan quickly grasped d990b069a0 the situation.fbde7a9265ab6370

Even in death, 8c1c851d3b his father was 6280fad02f of no help, f5ee314066 leaving his debts 83c20c5da0 to his son 0ee8f50e02 before getting stabbed. He recalled the df6b3d9db5 last time he bd07ee57da believed his father, edd9ed864b who boasted about 5dbac6927c paying off all 2e3871bd38 his debts. A self-deprecating laugh e4107de85e escaped him.f586ee5f6a576ffc

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As he cae4efaaa8 left the 7c5992a337 villa, he 68543d9e06 saw people 73f1ee6a64 getting closer 790cbdd00b from the 489457fe43 cars. At least four a351fd2b23 or five. Jiwan hesitated. Should he act c96fc746ea casual and pretend 1ba368827a to be a 19b851690c resident, or should 2afd413457 he run immediately? As he 5dd88c0ede pondered, he bd2be95308 noticed a 73af8c78d7 man in 3c8053b7a4 a black 79e05c298f suit pointing 335e643b06 at him.20939f9ac038e55a

That’s when he started running. He ran so hard that his lungs felt like they were being stabbed and about to burst. The cheap suitcase ran with him, its wheels flying off and scraping the ground. Jiwan decided to carry the suitcase in his arms and run.612356545177175f

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He managed to escape b04d25a5dc the mysterious pursuers and c26f5ca1f4 get into a taxi. There was no 2b68ce7dc6 time to catch 99647445be his breath. He needed to 6924cac521 get out of c51d3fca76 there as quickly ec487c9629 as possible.8f6bd133e730d957

“Huff, huff… Just start driving!”6463d2c0dd496029

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Even if his 8f1b384fc3 life was pitiful 638053104e from birth, being 3de03afc85 a fugitive was 1824a5bab4 better than dying 4a7a9d9674 unnoticed.73c308f0af4a45e1

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When the taxi finally 4302109f13 stopped at the station 4b403e103a Jiwan had mentioned, it eacff22f1a had been a long, 3a427fd92f bumpy ride through the 0826a319bb mountain roads. The driver 7e32fb8d5f hesitated before 54312d70df speaking to 52c3f6b17a the passenger, 5780aacdce who had d94fd8240a been staring 3ad6b675be blankly out ea831ad1c7 the window, 67500d612f unaware they 5e9c90cb36 had arrived.2cf9a7cf9caf1803

“We’re here.”56a5e9af51f93297

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As soon as 4429f597a8 Jiwan got out d39f03f90d with his battered 5ad1b5cd83 suitcase, the taxi c77595df31 sped off into dd2655e9ab the dark without de28422579 looking back. Jiwan looked around under b70c113a93 the unlit station. The countryside was 74620996cc filled only with 7d54368cc8 the sound of 83151edf04 insects. The suitcase, 8e50f74e82 missing a 6df70b553a wheel, made 5832c85124 a loud 96607b737a scraping noise.4be839ad44760983

Unlocking his phone to 428b54683f turn on the flashlight, e04dfefd0a he noticed numerous missed 5fe45a8add calls—all from that mysterious 1652d28faa number. Jiwan swallowed the curses 1ab5bf3179 that threatened to escape 98b97e8e91 his throat. His mouth was too 3b57eee251 dry to speak. He was de111089ce dying of 197191c5fb thirst, desperate 09673eba2a to pour 845c1c3f33 water down ac89c3c544 his throat.cf1ce05e395a25e0

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“…What a mess.”a66f59b898aad3b8

Noticing the b5ea6dc947 discomfort in b938d8d1ba his steps, 4f906ebb2e he realized 941a0d7d35 he was f389536042 wearing mismatched aa88efee30 shoes—a sneaker 5155f90f7e and a 1af94be913 slipper. A sigh escaped 442989aace his chapped lips. Nothing was going right.030a8558c4b259b8

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The familiar 9629c7f4ec blue gate, 4956c6b902 its paint 2c3f66f78c peeling, was 76d2c80c25 ajar. Since his grandmother 20ac180ea1 passed away, no 0399cc151b one lived there, 31ae5aad30 so there was 41823e3505 no need to 99e969ed4f lock it. Jiwan looked at af1a0f988e the dilapidated house, fe27a7b41e which seemed haunted 1869d099ed from neglect, and c2006cdc4c tossed his suitcase 3734f58a64 to the ground.be902e423d9ae4a5

He tried turning the faucet in the yard, but not a drop came out. Jiwan remembered the area well. The nearest store was over an hour’s walk away, and it wouldn’t be open at this hour. Giving up on finding water, he decided to lie down on the porch.bf5895ce7c9bae55

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As soon as his 19ffc0ba70 body hit the untouched 5234a940f9 porch, a cloud of 5d9ebe5c27 dust rose. Rubbing his itchy 71a5461db8 nose, he closed 1340257262 his eyes. Cleanliness and hygiene a0d0dea657 were the least f0bcc186c9 of his concerns 3513fb3d43 now.34350dc0bb3afedb

Though he had b2022e3466 suddenly become a 1b60837c7d fugitive, he was a4e8d508ce too exhausted from 242022a067 not sleeping for 62716d1f44 almost three days. He could think about f21fe75e39 everything else after some 54962e60b1 rest.77a695612b401643

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But his short rest was soon interrupted. Jiwan hesitated before finally picking up the phone that kept ringing. There was a part of him that wanted to hear the voice. The silence on the other end suggested they hadn’t expected him to answer.9f4a1c0ca43a145d

“Why are you running?”02491bd1ead2ed26

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A man’s voice asked after a moment.1594e193aca28c25

“…Do I look like I have a choice? I’m about to get my organs sold.”f4dc5a5abfe32840

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Jiwan replied boldly, b7fa145d02 considering his fugitive e265f05860 and subordinate status.f5b792091fcada65

“You don’t need to worry about that.”36fef479109377b4

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“…Aren’t you here to collect my father’s debt?”83aa9bdbb076a4c9

“That’s not all.”b20a3c9e0d01f510

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Jiwan felt his ffa53f089f mind slowing, words f253187943 becoming harder to 2140c00f93 form. The prolonged tension 2f9da8e3db was catching up d6046d8b6d with him, bringing c515e37b56 fatigue.a426a3e0695b2c95

“I read online about renouncing inheritance or something… I don’t have a penny, so what’s the point of chasing me? What are you going to do if you catch me?”234f7521b0a3993b

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“Calm down and wait a bit.”b6415d18b8f67374

Jiwan frowned, pressing a baffff00f9 warm forehead.f0f5675872acec61

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So, they 19cb71af05 were coming 850037208d after him. But why e4b6af1a23 was someone 1d8b08bc3a trying to 1f852bdb3f catch him c6de0c7bc0 speaking so 608b8af7c1 kindly?755f8b31aa359ce7

He lowered the 2759791408 phone from his d86f43c2a9 ear and closed bd6c4326c2 his eyes. The fatigue 0237fbe7ec was overwhelming, 91dbb073bc and he ceabbe78e3 felt he 3fafaf4207 could fall c5a6af26af asleep in d8eb17ea26 an instant.c5c461ad5cdca7c3

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“I told you to come comfortably, but you ran away.”97801bb66349d1f2

An irresistible drowsiness pressed down on him. He was on the verge of sleep, using the man’s voice and the sound of insects as a lullaby.dee8cf0ebe7f98b5

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The man continued speaking, but Jiwan couldn’t make out the words clearly.6d46f76bb5a424f3

“Just rest for now. I’ll be there soon.”e7f00939e84e6e43

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That was the last voice he heard. The sleepiness clung to Jiwan like a fog, and he couldn’t fight it.b4f131bed75acf54

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He felt a cold 09d20cf17e hand touch his cheeks. The hand stroked his b9963df705 face briefly before disappearing. He wished it would 2413831287 linger longer, cooling his f4c67a5f56 fever. He wanted to ask 285edc497e for more, but his c7a1c910a0 lips only moved silently.808ebb457f8168ac

Soon, his cd3dc8acef body was c6c070e302 lifted into b986ee3e26 the air. Uncomfortable, he squirmed, feeling 465436af83 the arms supporting his 8d7285d5ac back and knees tighten. Then he 3c24b3657d was carefully 7b3bab70da placed somewhere. The feel da133e9593 of a 5efa9a3ca7 seat beneath 3fe6329e8e him suggested 2780e95315 he was dacb80671d in a 75c2180e45 car.73acb7dd7336a93a

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This was familiar. It reminded him of c442bc62a1 a day when he 64fbef51ef was terrified of his 3808eed6e8 drunken father. His grandmother had ba89da705c taken him away cd7378b37c like this. She had gently patted e4130c41e3 his trembling back, and b3c02be6c8 the warmth lulled him deb929a085 to sleep. She drove him to 285c62e220 the countryside, and the ff90d3b4f5 journey felt as comforting 3f395137a5 as a cradle.0c50183bed78d826