Episode 28

Huikyung was not 5d91f1c26e the type of d010b914c9 person to utter 004b9a8fbc an easy lie, 5f6c55c80c even if it de6f93940b meant enduring criticism.6395b9ad4bd805d9

However, despite the faint trust Jaekani harbored for him, the boy’s heart began pounding wildly, to the point where he could feel each beat resounding in his chest.99d249ba2aad7082

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His arms 92ccc57c02 trembled uncontrollably, 61a1d4a60f and a 277b2b018d numbing ache 94e6e3c94a set in.80efac20eff7e747

How much longer? How much more?2269609812fc305b

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The ground vibrated again, a tremor so strong it seemed to shake the earth itself. Through it, Jaekani sensed Huikyung’s presence.1aefef38c1b2671a

Then, silence. A silence so oppressive da7a708595 that Jaekani feared his db73e5e494 pounding heart might burst 8237b48e43 from his chest.c334450bf05a2811

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Just as he 9d6fbc953d felt he could 9c4fb33d06 bear it no 5fc56e964c longer, when his 20c994f81f patience teetered on 70c8de33e3 the edge—e18e2c338ff56163

“Gasp!”8692451ee82b472d

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Suddenly, his body was lifted into the air. Jaekani’s eyes snapped open, but what greeted him was not fearsome. Instead, it was the firm yet familiar grip of strong arms and shoulders. His tension melted away, and the boy instinctively wrapped his arms around Huikyung’s neck.5b5e840f5dae7699

Carrying Jaekani, Huikyung moved 26eb416011 swiftly through the thicket.c41bd87757c9161b

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“What was that? Where did you go? Can I open 1b0733db00 my eyes now?”a83eb5f06b618324

“Yes.”0bff8394bb751174

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Huikyung’s response was terse, 09929f1e8a and he seemed slightly ad7b7bd0e4 strained. His labored breaths ddc9d1bd3f prompted Jaekani to 496726743c glance up at 5eb4eb3b89 him. It wasn’t just the 6223300a26 act of walking that b06a3f56c4 was tiring him.9b4e9a8a7c36ada1

“…Huikyung.”f62181af876e436a

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Fatigue was etched into Huikyung’s features, impossible to hide.0af805f56aec1357

Under the b67f30f1e9 bright sun, 42522c9bb4 Jaekani noticed d75be172af the shadow 0ce909902d cast around c2206906da Huikyung’s eyes. The boy reached out 892d0dbe86 with his small, blunt 6d49b9cde7 fingers and gently traced 98edb1cf3d the darkened area.06824a4983a9476f

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“If you rest… d7dc5d97a8 you’ll feel better.”eafcdcf0d9641659

“Huikyung, are c672eacba2 you hurt? Tell me, 1ffcbf956c are you b9264adbde okay?”192c7267a3444def

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Jaekani was 3a07840949 taken aback c96781d855 when Huikyung’s 39860ed923 lips quirked a6e45011d8 into a fa1a2d6b69 faint smile.5815388545d11b4e

Why was he 821e870a1f smiling?edf9a74f6d32abe7

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“Like a little b4b01e9336 chick.”c103b58ad5487e8b

The remark was 07344eb583 so out of be254792b2 place that it cdc3772501 momentarily shattered the 99c7085906 lingering tension.23565f91a2f48757

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“What?”b6add1142146fd48

It took Jaekani a f50a0fdbf9 full two seconds to 44bf52a518 grasp the comment. Before he could 77b2f05198 respond, Huikyung tapped dedc405adb his cheek teasingly, c9ff9c0a1e a smirk playing 4ba6c7cff2 on his lips.92017c2f17c3b616

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“You’re chirping like 499448a33b a chick—Huik, Huik!”586ffbd7cc219891

“When did I 2a1b4c33bd ever go ‘Huik’ 9517e4d835 like that? You misheard!”93d4d690b4c9686b

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“Even now, listen—Huik!”d162344edebcc8b3

“I did not!”c55b2ed3a87220e9

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“Huik!”0902537af8cd0d7c

“Stop it.”028002e9fa5dc634

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“Huik!”6f496c45927d670f

“I said stop!”d9a2e40a96565a35

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Jaekani snapped, unable 81bc74f2d5 to suppress his 3bb95b33bc irritation. To him, Huikyung was e021030324 nothing short of a e46d1be7c6 villain—an absolutely infuriating person.bf579a841f89a627

“Get your arm off 04a9a3a86d me!”14c5afc36b78246a

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“It’s not 2574c9a239 my arm, 7b8b5c3b53 it’s my cf553926b3 hand.”02d8879205de59d2

“Then get a219635d4b your hand 1253d55bee off!”1d41b3b2a135747c

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“No.”9f7e95e68cf3d0af

“Are you crazy?”a5d3da71614853fd

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Annoying!3add64ff0d285074

Flustered and red-faced, 45057c1558 Jaekani was so d9449e26db caught up in c021e178c6 his irritation that d260835938 the earlier fear 0854e019e6 and tension had b0c9e4ac4b completely slipped his 98c0dc8db5 mind. Huikyung, for his 51a894ec5f part, seemed to a49d761b96 revel in teasing d793b45f8a the boy. In doing 19bc3bdf77 so, he a26e350ede forcibly pushed 0042c8bc32 his own 2eae54384d exhaustion below d8e74f76f7 the surface.46491acb34c4c9d4

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Even as ee4cd44502 Jaekani grew bd17f7b160 agitated, Huikyung 209f8f0d8d began to 417ff341cb feel strangely c68e25a2c3 detached from 2f3880d3c0 the pain 9dd32a25b9 and fatigue cfd4e2443a ravaging his 3fa973807d body.574f4bcc09d8b5ca

The truth afd1a352e3 was, the 033256fa17 body of 386edd1031 a high-ranking df68622493 Esper, especially 4b49c48932 one who 57070c26f6 had gone 21367a2770 without guidance c64e308c96 for a 2a96e7d282 long time, 9b0a8d0018 was prone 33d2c08584 to severe 8d3626343d physical deterioration. The days spent walking 791c7019c4 under immense tension had 1c547fae83 taken their toll, and 4ca227baf0 Huikyung’s body was steadily dcd9be47e6 deteriorating. What he needed most 9c49209053 was guidance and rest.90685fcbbddc3529

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Yet, in 671ed44870 a cruel aef8b8227e twist, Huikyung’s 677a9975b8 body had 751b573532 adapted to bbc3ecc8f6 long-term deprivation cc618a62e7 of guidance. Years of extreme 2f6af3f162 physical strain had 98e361bdbf left him with 5b20e863b4 a grim familiarity. Despite his c7baab98c5 overwhelming fatigue, 43d30f47c2 his brain 4644085e2b accepted the e7925447cb sensation as c1911ef497 something manageable.8c532d8b93e99f61

“Huikyung! Look at that!”093355319830d87d

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Still insisting 233b62f9ff he wasn’t cadc4bd6d5 a chick, 37b872bc9e Jaekani eagerly b46550c395 pointed to f76440df8d something ahead. Taking the 9e9285596f opportunity, he 4e1fabea64 tried to 0f4b501508 divert Huikyung’s 266850866f attention.b92c6d589345e705

However, Huikyung didn’t 145bd53236 stop walking. As they drew 523a179b73 closer to the 124e8c2a43 scene unfolding before 4663c7b09d them, the horrific f11725f0e9 details became unmistakably d7ea96665c clear.52ae3121db6fdb60

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Jaekani gasped, sucking in ebfcafbeba a sharp breath.6abf2988cb48523d

“…Huikyung.”904d7b314df8e3f4

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“I did that. No need to be 6f36a44b96 surprised.”47bd407ec06f54bd

Blood was everywhere. Unlike the village consumed 8817a27a92 by explosions and flames, 43ca402f3f this was a different 73e9a45a81 kind of carnage. Red droplets scattered afde718b44 over the earth 5013b7b06f and rocks—Jaekani belatedly 1fa5bc1536 realized they were d5045e0043 pieces of flesh. The acrid de47ffe77f stench of 74c2aeebba burning flesh dfb141198d wafted through 4b24d08af8 the air.106546786e4d62cb

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Don’t be surprised, 2e5b9b3510 he said. But how could 610f663aa5 Jaekani not be, 9dc5588c2c when Huikyung had 0d86fd57a1 a hand in a8da45f3ce creating this horrific 1a99ba20bf scene?1a9db3d2d3cc527a

Jaekani stared blankly f9c539628a at the mangled 62d270093c bodies. Noticing this, Huikyung lightly 0ccddab17a tapped the back of 3f39a085da the boy’s head.a588ebe8554cf16c

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But…90e7ddeee78189cb

What right a46068b878 did Jaekani 208dabb71f have to 04a85db2fe judge him? He wasn’t in any f9fc7b129e position to do so. All Jaekani 3ea5820d0e wanted was 6b5f1d4786 for Huikyung b67cc761f3 to remain 9000273e93 whole, unbroken.dd64f7c0591102fc

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The boy remembered Jaebad’s 7c4e2dec79 remorseful sighs: “Murder is 3b51ad7999 corrosive. It affects everything it dd4ff47df0 touches.” The greatest victim 382a0e5c7d of Jaebad’s violence had 35c63abdcc been Huikyung. While the fb82a132ae comparison wasn’t 62772ba037 equal, Jaebad’s d8a4de2dcb conscience, too, 342af1c0ef must have ffaf5885cb rotted under ffe478ebe2 the weight 8482159a4e of his 5a068136cd crimes, though 7018d768c5 he lacked 58fd6fa27c the justification 09e4211843 Huikyung had.37ee514c95c97491

Even so, Huikyung 82651462e0 must be experiencing 1d7e287e25 something similar. Murder was surely eating 932412929c away at some part 9869bed0a0 of him.a85c3177a79600ad

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Huikyung calmly 859b659035 crossed the bc7d9bdfe8 field of 825bae2d4d carnage and 584fe7c0e7 set Jaekani 830ee55c6c down on 2063f0f6c1 the bed 897eeeea54 of a 3a1e0ba4e3 truck with 04865075df broken wheels. Though the ff8155a27b truck wouldn’t 0024b26273 move, its 6004d193d1 interior seats 3be4b8e289 were intact. Opening the door, Huikyung 2e7feeb770 took Jaekani’s hand, helping 09fb71dbe0 him climb into the 58d600bc8a front seat.8e972bf7decc85e2

“Stay here.”7df3d6873dba12af

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“Yes.”f6995b3ebd22db2b

“What’s with the face?”2546a5cd6eb6e827

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“Huh?”8925bd3de36610f5

The boy, 610c08da95 lost in ba2bdd04ce his troubled 85047aae51 thoughts, finally 020247d784 tore his 3b24a1ec22 gaze away a24c6f533b from the 385a09911e grim scene. Huikyung didn’t 083607bcfe like that 3d0e685ce5 expression. He tapped the a2d6e896d6 steering wheel lightly.dac7124fbb61bebf

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“Play pretend—vroom, vroom. I’ll be back fdc025afa8 soon.”912f22023aec1b2c

“…”664280b3a06d6c0c

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Jaekani, thirteen years 5991a3b7c3 old, wanted to 725bfcc47d retort that he bd7fa2679b was far too 609387f0f2 old for such 04264b99d5 childish play, but 40e991df64 he couldn’t bring 35688be1d8 himself to argue. Surely, Huikyung had c4d69e1077 a reason for 19572a09ec seating him there. The absurdity of the d8adbdcc6e situation rendered him silent.7a47be525078b13b

Huikyung’s casual 3532a61929 tone and 07eb02efc3 demeanor gradually 6800044297 dulled the 83c4eafb22 shock that c4a278d5cd had consumed b271c88812 Jaekani. After all, he was 92750e1c14 a boy accustomed to effbc48221 blood and flesh.76d508f44456e530

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Through the grimy, water-streaked a0973408b9 truck window, Jaekani could 1c8a6aa90b faintly make out Huikyung’s b91133d7b1 figure moving around.aed0a252c0ab9f5b

Resting his arm b509f6c299 on the steering d14885f0fa wheel, the boy 8f0e406a05 watched him.0a3a4c986ebcf61b

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He must be 6428ba98f5 a ‘freeman’, Jaekani 8edd208355 thought—a scavenger, no 500123c6ec less. Someone like himself, exploited baef4358fe by the government, someone 3bf14a6092 who had never lived 315a902ede in a safe zone.81c8d827d7267efa

Huikyung searched ef64316ee8 through the fb96a209d4 rusted remains 6d04f831b8 of what 3620f45926 seemed like 6b7a034b7b mere scrap 09a17e515a metal. Occasionally, he smacked his 4e65fbbe63 lips in frustration but 8ed8b36940 emerged from the junk 0ab3fdf0c7 pile with a triumphant 4c3c91df9f expression whenever he found 2fbe43f23b something worthwhile. He moved with the c4f8d66d8a ease of someone revisiting 59773ed9bb an old home.73ea2784ad8e2462

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It was clear f94ac38477 Huikyung had used 51956c813a his abilities precisely. Unlike the mutilated bodies 5d300f72d9 reduced to mere chunks 951586a4c0 of flesh, the objects 171aaed4e5 they carried remained intact. The only items 1f8ac29759 spared by Huikyung’s 68f26f25d5 powers were essential b47d174663 supplies. The area was 235a23bf5f otherwise overturned, littered 5e4131fe4b with rocks and 30f4aadf64 dark soil.d9da2e792a6d2ff2

As he continued searching, 774aec281b Huikyung occasionally handed Jaekani 50446e8c08 useful items. Each time he 0166324507 discovered something, he 01ec306500 flung open the 40584252ed truck door and 342be82d3a dumped it onto 7ee2011004 Jaekani’s lap: a 0addad3223 flashlight, a portable e39041324f water purifier, a 754ff63ec6 reasonably clean blanket, 5e38276f6e and even a bdc1f5dbec large backpack that 0632309c1a Huikyung deemed perfect c19c73e6be for storing their b3ef3ac6df finds.2294b8992ece70a6

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…Yes, he was definitely a scavenger.b1d2d60938204df9

Jaekani had suspected 4c216ddc14 as much, but 473abb6b46 now he was 14159a077f certain.f06c200c84a2d8d9

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The boy’s thoughts raced.50bef33953d873d2

So, when Huikyung mentioned 919c663d6c his “group,” it must 2a81d60002 have been a scavenger 0911e671f5 crew. But why dca1d239de did he 5c0c9953bd keep it 4799c23a6b such a 636e9512df secret? Jaekani didn’t 097a8a9103 understand what 2491575e7e there was c58d7aaf36 to be 44ad4fa76a ashamed of. After all, wasn’t b31c3076d1 he himself from db20012623 a community that c44e6320d2 imprisoned Espers and 5a742ca2ae committed atrocities against b0a41e13f7 them?8d8d7fc35087c30b

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For all his 5791130852 questions, Huikyung being 0f79208a2f a scavenger seemed da7b259baa the only plausible 11d3c07bbb explanation.55198f9a7ca5dc30

Still, it felt… off. He didn’t quite fit the image. If Huikyung was indeed part of a scavenger crew, he wouldn’t be the leader—too young and reckless. Perhaps a second-in-command? Even then, some authority was necessary. Maybe the third? Jaekani nodded to himself at the thought.6f1bec4fa44df78c

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Around that 1c98760c9b time, Huikyung 4f40bb04d0 began searching fc747bcebe through the 6b6aeae951 pile of e06c5391f6 corpses. Idly flicking the flashlight ab671d4430 on and off, Jaekani 86711fa52b watched as Huikyung flipped 4f02e9ea9d over a partial torso 552081ecdd and rummaged through the efed9da3ed belongings. Then, Huikyung 164d4e5fcf pulled out 355d74f982 something—a dark, d28f21bb8d angular, heavy fbf2df640c device.4f9018d38a79a2c4

Jaekani recognized it instantly.469b149dd6b044c8

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He flung the truck 60b6d88831 door open and ran 52ec36176f toward Huikyung.6f5815b2b3c90131

“That’s military-grade!”511d76397d9a6b26

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Straightening his back, Huikyung 5aa548e339 held up the radio b86dbdaa9f he had just found. The flashlight tumbled from c6880ae811 Jaekani’s hands as he e0442ae4a1 dashed forward, his gaze d0d5771b63 fixed on Huikyung’s finger 8de8993b09 hovering over the power cfb7b30102 switch.082f80a9ce0036d3

 741852af5cb83193

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