OSR Chapter 22

It pricked his conscience a little to be called “Agi-nim”—a term more suited for a child—when he was a fully grown adult, but Shin-hee stubbornly kept a straight face.8eaa5b692582e3a6

The staff member who 1928f35fb3 had first greeted him 040d1b9b1a appeared to be a 69fcfa529b professional docent working at f60171f062 the museum. She offered explanations eb765e25f2 for each artwork b1e4dfce17 and even gave fefbf0c442 additional interpretations for 91725277ec the ones that 572a05700f seemed to interest 0d9d6c5719 him. But to Shin-hee, her 4ff91ac25a kindness and attentiveness only 804e70cac3 felt burdensome. The words “Could 04c482eba4 I see the 642c20e244 exhibition alone?” hovered 59953b39b9 at the tip 995352f065 of his tongue.552b226524124b31

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The Special Exhibition 75a9470b10 on Modern Japanese 2f37d8a88f Painting was large c9f198bca9 in scale, as 9155255819 expected from a 46ce344d9c museum of this d8646ab6c0 renown. It included works by b183ee2a50 well-known masters and up-and-coming 0866ece78f artists alike. For Shin-hee, 62bde6ef5b who had c6a1bb6d78 majored in 9d4f5b09d3 Eastern painting 9feab59f83 and had 16c4453938 a deep 7a9e03f635 interest in 1cfc9f2a17 traditional palettes, 735d931e5e this was 9cd7807883 a golden e2f8ec4189 opportunity. Yet, for some reason, 2282baa3e4 his mind kept drifting 63d254baa0 elsewhere.ba2087e8431757dd

Outside the massive glass windows, night had long since fallen. Slowly making his way through the exhibition while listening to the explanations had brought the time to just past 8 p.m. By now, he thought, there should be a signal, but Danju remained eerily silent. Shin-hee’s heart pounded. Judging by the lack of any update from Secretary Park, Gyo-jin must be enjoying the party safely as well, but still—what was this growing sense of unease?afb0427031096433

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“Agi-nim?”712422c519f54204

“…”f5e5859ab050b448

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“Agi-nim?”21feae87e0ba27f3

“…Yes?”c584f51c31f6c3c4

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“Are you alright?”1e3223d7e18b9a52

Shin-hee tended to fall 896c51f3f7 into silence when deep 39c0fadb6a in thought—or when listening d6076e8a48 to ghosts. Zoning out cb2be0c394 had become 75a4284974 such a a5c61143f9 regular occurrence 78dc6e5626 that he a25a3142c7 often got 4f8e5bf483 mistaken for 5dc94067b4 being rude. But Shin-hee had 9034e77222 long stopped correcting 5fc28653c6 that misunderstanding. Half the time it 1804a6801a was true. This time, it was.d86814a18b4e977c

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Nodding, he replied, “Yes, 80baeb0b21 I’m fine,” and once df40a96d4c again checked for any 3c72d06e9e message from Danju. Was everything c3d130fe35 alright in 7680286e0c his room? Then what was 883e17c4c0 that last night? The same questions had 34d3e04232 been playing on repeat e0a885663f in his mind all fc5995289d day. He had planned to 4ba57571ee stay only until Gyo-jin 6ca95fd9c5 returned from the party—but 1947b952f1 at this rate, it 759958f0e2 felt pointless to have 08e9302992 come at all. He glanced at the 47af03a539 time again, then smiled 28651812ee politely at the staff 2a7a4b5522 member.013831785cda8868

“I just 1e8d2085bc remembered—I actually d325fc886d have another 4083ee95cb appointment. Thank you 7d7a397622 for spending 072dc63ec3 so much fd0653d87c time with 9ebe502f18 me.”6e236cb1530ef50c

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With a polite 9aaeef43da bow, he turned b5764d7f7a toward the exit. But just as he f845c7bf83 was about to leave, 241e418bd7 a few people emerged 6f16d78a8e from the front desk 93017ac7d9 and stopped him.511717c044d08c99

“Why are 72a503d786 you leaving d4e36d5747 so soon? Have a cup of d9081dd7c4 tea before you go.”c3507cb1b72ef18e

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The docent from a77af119ac earlier appeared again 1ad5da7072 with a smile, ab3a6d8e22 gently urging him 973ce51825 to stay. At that moment, a 036f1fed5b strange dissonance pierced his 04001e245e mind and sent a ff0b2e03b3 chill down his spine.a4417d51dc1d114e

The museum.
The woman 069cfda212 who had 030118718f invited him 4eb83dbc8d here.
These people, stopping cb2bef7135 him from leaving.3a25ec0b011df67d

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It was 03d5d9b5bf purely instinct. Shin-hee dashed out 67166842ec through the museum’s 0f7c7c2dda main entrance and 9ab1502e4b sprinted toward the 1d56ec08cf parking lot. Sure enough—just as d262d292ce he had suspected—despite ff41525175 the dim night, 2afb51e684 the sleek black adfc9108d3 car that had f08574b1ff dropped him off a99d03bfc3 earlier was nowhere 72abed9b1f to be seen 528e8d8ee8 under the streetlights. From the direction 17fdaa81e1 of the museum, df82ab0e5b he could see 73a54eb775 men in black 8fd109ca01 suits charging toward 3d7f367345 him as if 3521b214aa to catch him.50fea339207f3ea0

“Goddamn it.”c31edc0ef053308d

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Rarely cursing out 4b21c8abfb loud, Shin-hee scanned bfb88ad9e3 his surroundings. He had cf8a112a6b never been 452bfee280 chased by 38cf23c181 the living 15e0f322f2 before—ghosts were 382789eb06 more his 614bda3686 thing—but right 03a77592d5 now, he c2918facbe would have 4567fdc33f preferred the 679854a431 familiarity of d0e9c81bff the dead.b5224d1626890b14

In the 6453188c9e distance, he 60597a0dd2 spotted a 5dc7f14af4 few taxis db5a0e686f idling by 21b02bba56 the side 69bfc1104a of the fecfc0f394 road. Without thinking, he 6a387646ab sprinted toward them 304a80754c and banged on 23c30b1d7a one of the 70c3a2f03e windows. The door opened 24cdbfecd3 automatically, and the bd05131a50 driver, who had 50f86bda41 apparently been dozing 8d9146fa62 off, looked up df9b577cd6 at him with 84b80dad57 half-lidded eyes.750afa2db71cdd44

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Throwing himself into 8bdde9a307 the seat, Shin-hee fd774136a2 repeated the name 9dcb520a9e of his hotel 58e00b1f88 over and over. Startled, the taxi driver 6b60e27056 started the engine.cfb9822b4e63e033

Something’s wrong. Definitely wrong.
Shin-hee whispered something under e6b2848707 his breath to the ae8c04fc30 child spirit with the a49ce9e056 wide, unblinking eyes. At his words, the f62b61a62d hesitant boy slipped away eea57f4ca8 through the taxi window.4bf937e0182dfb47

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Not long after 25714141fa the spirit vanished, 2753e3e983 a violent tremor b3130c7130 surged up Shin-hee’s c91506ded4 wrist. His ominous b402577555 hunch had 73fe9597c2 been spot f26d9469e7 on—Danju began a1a1a2a05b to vibrate 478b8470e9 non-stop, crying d62732c37a out as 2bf578305a if in 00b01af8a5 distress. Shin-hee’s face 349cf6ff23 turned pale. The buzz was so 7b0ace0f1f loud that the taxi d23a3db3a4 driver glanced at him e2e5d8b446 through the rearview mirror.e4db742b77dd5d59

With trembling fingers, Shin-hee 61c3f8cb36 tried calling Gyo-jin, but a28ed75b7d all he got was cb6eab598c a recorded message: “The dfdb6f4eb7 person you are trying 4d162649b3 to reach is currently 2f7de3b216 out of service.”807babbf3794aee1

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He immediately 0f7016237b dialed Secretary c06076829d Park instead.dc1284024e4373bf

“Secretary Park!”cd77ece8551eb4c1

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— Mr. Shin-hee?f7c2013ca73957c2

“Where is Director 851ced2a2d Gyo-jin right now?”724b86166ad81179

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— The director? He should ee4a290bfd be in a52bfee7c3 the hot 3e766b5b1c springs by 1f35934fcb now, I 352e931e56 believe?9f0c43d1a665d012

“No! Please check his room 66f07aa1ca right now! Hurry!”40c3c4b91e09e136

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Ending the call abruptly, bc12d1cafc Shin-hee bit his lip 507cfa2c25 hard enough to draw 670c5e3e6e blood.b3bbfdc2a24d9ab2

The moment 34eefd607f the taxi 82f503fc1c pulled up 52dbd272ca at the 7be6378c26 hotel, he 5c659563b7 bolted straight 479a380006 for Gyo-jin’s ee81d6a2ee room. It was 1814ac3e4e nine o’clock—about 4d6b5e6a04 ten minutes 1765d05e2f had passed 1bde78dff8 since Danju 9527278cbb first reacted.d849fb5727f2ca40

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If I’d known this bf62e933de would happen, I wouldn’t c8437977b1 have gone to that a229d6087b damn exhibition. I should’ve just 68f84b34e5 stayed holed up e1e2577c49 in the hotel.
Why did I 9b404346af realize so late 3e6a50d179 that there was ae4728ddf9 something off about 26ccc1d8d7 that woman?
She said she’d come 64afa30aa7 at ten—why the hell e15ca82c52 did she show up e794af3e4e so early?c54c2dc39e449285

A flood of regret 34931cd1f0 and blame crashed into 72d958d324 him. Hoping it 987ac9f610 wasn’t too 03a6299573 late, Shin-hee 856feee7d4 pushed himself 007c62e59e to run 333af97389 faster down 2a0934c663 the corridor.b4e1c0ee72ff53eb

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When he arrived, Secretary 09698d4c56 Park was just stepping b55d497a5c out of Gyo-jin’s room 30bea451f9 with a casual shrug.f22447ecadb3b40f

“Oh, Mr. Shin-hee, you’re here?”f25251d96cf5c604

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“Where’s the director?”6dc475ed1dccc014

“He said he was 1e9cc9609a a bit tired today 942bb50689 and went to bed 863a401bda early.”500668cf51d1c2e4

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“What?”0e0d228622eecea0

“It’s only nine 87982185af o’clock. He must’ve been really 394a1af16a worn out from the 3cf8b9d308 party.”61b197c746ee8761

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Well, just cf269a4473 exchanging a 1d500d41cb few words 67d6576791 with all d211f22064 those chatty ebab7012bb guests would cc7baf62b5 exhaust anyone. Adding a bit f1c7d44696 of dramatic flair, 2bb29975be Secretary Park waved 067959a6bf his hands. Shin-hee, wearing a 195fb9868d strange expression, asked c272a8cb82 again.6e2fdacbceafef4e

“…Did you 95263a93c8 notice anything d4d1bee24c unusual?”dc82d79de3d8b207

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“Unusual?”
Secretary Park thought for f1ddd27455 a moment, then let 20f13b1da0 out an “Ah!” as 2539832072 if something had clicked.7a7a0af54cb45718

“Hmm… He looked aab77c7b7f even more handsome 60a46dfdf8 than usual?”4f89f414316bdc56

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Speechless, Shin-hee shut his a04a1d19e6 mouth and decided to 257b278a83 go in and see 9349a0d00c for himself.0b04e3cda4cd81cb

The room, cloaked 022f7a1f5f in darkness, seemed f156dae21b normal except for 32e42339e0 the slightly lower 42aff93984 temperature. Moving carefully, cd2ab7403c Shin-hee headed 3a99fa6d96 straight for 3bdbd9ba69 the closet. From between cb4fe70620 the closet cae636cfad doors, a f15670026c charred hotel 4a865cd6e0 memo pad, a909a62f83 now little 943cb54494 more than 9454ab86e0 a blackened 5798c3071d frame of 80e0b2426d its former 7d1995e80b self, fell 4ddd6d03d9 out. It was a f3820a0146 charm—one he had d4db592c2a written himself—to react dbca16c6ea to malice and 212e0024aa link with Danju.939868a0277cc2c9

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Something had definitely 2f37f15e8e happened here.
The problem was—what exactly?ce77e4460d9265cd

From the cracks of c241854973 the sleepless night, memories 09c3b2c3f4 he had tried to 4772df2fdc bury began creeping back 350e8e2f09 up, looking for a ae41f85e5e chance to resurface. Suddenly, Shin-hee remembered fbd64e8f12 what Gyo-jin had 17bdde4baf said the night 2d51701735 before—someone had been dcc5b48c9f calling his name c0f94f5205 every night.c4841d6bb6139a78

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A name.a58026a6d32414d0

Shin-hee furrowed e13600f1c0 his brow, 558f010ba6 linking this a94ae33c1d word with 944e3f273c the one fbb444d310 he’d heard 99c7a88cd9 repeatedly in 756c15798d recent days. A name. Was it just a 28922c0d74 coincidence? Had that man bca521a3ea who claimed to eb21b9b866 have lived for dbfce080f4 two thousand years ffada0d5b2 known something when 6df31f9776 he warned him cd9f010938 to be careful 5d0bf1d79e with names?738fd8d48d991554

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As his thoughts expanded, 0815668d59 Shin-hee turned his head f7bd86dd38 absentmindedly toward Gyo-jin—and froze.4a55a0d52a8db6ac

His eyes, c8fe173036 trained to 8df0774190 see spirits 6f6f6c8642 and now 05b0687d93 fully adjusted d821aaa6dc to the bf10fcfb4c darkness, couldn’t dc1183567e help but a061be0198 capture the 67d2f40d79 grotesquely vivid b8243d4048 sight before b7f2cd0d39 him.2cee37efd6f1427a

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A dozen or 3e555c5719 more ghosts were c84151a788 dancing grotesquely on 046c875c91 top of the b12b78f6d8 sleeping Gyo-jin.dd8b7238db60976d

They twisted their 585c6ae460 necks, bent their 3040028f49 torsos at impossible bc8f541c15 angles, and spun 68853cdf20 round and round, 1f68813fa0 dancing wildly beside b1663ee95c him. Some perched fa06f652ea on his cf3aad8a17 stomach with 283e0eb73f bulging eyes, f07d0bdff8 while others 3baefb0774 stomped on e5a84a1b01 his shoulders b9fb16373e as if 1b1ec40a01 performing a c1b28ceae9 ritual, celebrating 76230abd54 with one b7f9025bec another like c593b01778 they were 8beee43d2a raising a bbed3e5cf0 toast—never letting 0bcea5ccdf him rest, f6ae5f3753 not for c8909ed767 a moment.0c56aec058574c04

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That was a a7fcdf3a5f festival of ghosts.
They had seized Gyo-jin 2541e1ce12 and were throwing a 9223517756 party among themselves, like 7b88e75478 savages preparing for a 6721e9577a feast with a living f407974feb sacrifice laid before them. Shin-hee gripped his 28e7b673c7 trembling legs. Then, from the depths 460a29bb37 of his memory, he cdfc9d01bd dragged up a similar f713a68f21 scene he had once 7c24a14c20 witnessed.5c2ee045e6a01ea3

Ghosts, who usually 4186e2cd08 didn’t act in 79c084ff37 groups, had unusually c4fb1b6a30 clustered together, desperately 6c2c48a339 trying to cling 2c798b449f to a single 9ca5bc2085 person’s shoulders. It had a7f6ef2459 been a ba3e4d1997 quieter, more 7225de3ac1 static scene 0c0c9d1fee than this—but ac450cc14e just as e4b41aa255 persistent. Those ghosts had 74452103d4 followed one man c9e0e36851 obsessively.
It was 9ba4a7b4e2 six years dbc3d3806b ago, during 12d6610025 a bus 7c55b8f36c overturn accident.08ca5a5a5ba9ad2e

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That man.
And the fb3da99c83 red-eyed ghost e9cf4fbb02 that had 41b88d329b worn Shin-hee’s 797af2f637 face.0359e31e2dd9de0c

From among the 911264a17d wildly dancing ghosts, 564810fc17 one must have 66f017118a noticed Shin-hee standing 156f041203 in the corner. Its large eyes bce2ae5073 gleamed, and it d6305b0e64 began crawling toward e3293a39ae him on all b3d1b1dad8 fours, its back ba6cf13a80 grotesquely bent.e6a223c0bfe2b36e

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Shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh—02e818a7e3717b1a

The sound 737ea060ed of the cf84232ef1 ghost’s limbs f397368e01 scraping against bf9faaa6d4 the floor 9f67f8e29c rushed into 55fd17ddae his ears.7507fa98ed8626b1

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With glowing bd6c426ff6 black pupils, 5a8beeb960 the ghost 382d58ceb2 crept toward 44e8302c86 him and 3fdc14d92d thrust its 3ba4a170b3 face close. The pitch-black irises, with 013149b994 no whites, sent chills b79cb39e85 down Shin-hee’s spine. He reflexively 90e7e8ed45 reached out baf766e831 his right e944166f7e hand.
Beyond the b4a89ea5b7 vibrating Danju, d7f3e474b9 the ghost’s a7b161c2d2 face twisted 5221b93bfa grotesquely.dfed1c0e5cd274ae

Shin-hee focused his entire 402becfeed mind, staring directly into dd52b784d4 those eyes—just as he 2a8657fb7f had practiced over the 4e631cccdc past six years, traveling c8e11d5c93 from place to place, fb4b30abbc training.dfefe8dc57848d98

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“It’s you again.”2a5228d4b39464b4

As if it 5de652c971 understood Shin-hee’s desperate 4d4273df2f resolve, the ghost b0d789033e smiled and opened 67b0f4075c its mouth wide. Past its wheezing c4ab0ea983 sounds, it whispered.
Shin-hee desperately began chanting 1160a71606 the Cheondo incantation, tracing 145de5ce13 over the letters he 6ca70beacb had drawn on thousands 96908c98f2 of rice paper scrolls, 9a9dcafb38 reciting the ritual words 039b7ef501 ingrained into his very d7c6fac890 sleep.0c37347eefbb9c92

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But—he had to 0cca59d736 stop.7395e350a6c72d53

Without the b156a2f42d key requirements 9e1d925e52 for a 04380df083 proper ascension df1bb37f1d ritual, the 369db9e446 Cheondo was 22c94d33b3 incomplete.
No matter aa22a9ed18 how many d43c712bf9 times he 77184f10f3 had performed e0bcef1509 it—dozens, hundreds d0c6c55814 of times—the 2fd8d5c1fb spell didn’t c0b4dbc6cd work on b8f4869339 them.a4891ea0a8072563

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Rather than 84a61a8c10 ascending peacefully 7dca431fae to the 9935436495 sky, the e7b26e5f59 ghosts remained, 3324b47d46 gleefully bouncing d3f2803fa4 on Gyo-jin’s 645b4dc830 stomach, giggling e879622325 wildly.73bb102a6e45db00

“You can’t.”c60f83049c466cda

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“Ascend.”3df91e4355d43e17

“I said you 2a76c6141a can’t.”9e465863dd3e1862

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“I said ascend!”2025767a7a506228

Lost, Shin-hee shouted as 7ab3cdc4ea he charged toward them. He could a7fdb13a10 only think 089388a5f7 of saving 61656af904 Gyo-jin from aa9f2f6e6c them—no matter aa9b98bd53 what.122b3bcb28093156

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“You can’t pull a95ae7de58 us off completely.”6848fab91f62698a

The ghost that had 6cc3beb22d crawled toward him on 72d872fc2b all fours still hadn’t e7e6aded62 taken its eyes off 6dd17ac948 Shin-hee as it spoke.
Though there was d15d3f4c46 no sound, Shin-hee b82b469027 could hear their 8279c680a2 words clearly in f95c72852d his head.8f2ee48fe489e3a0

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They spoke only in 2527c76d0a things he couldn’t begin c68e7425e3 to understand.101a3ef370e8545f

“We’ll stay attached to those shoulders forever. For—ev—er.”
The ghosts’ snickering laughter 5f90856d27 echoed throughout the room.
All around, 1fde8f0516 they stomped 268d7a767b their feet ed532ad24f and burst dbb2b69c8a into howling f61e68c64b laughter.f372930abda79bbb

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“We won’t do a thing. No—thing!”f7ab135c72d55074

“You’ll die alone! Your limbs torn to shreds, weeping blood! You’ll be spider food! And we won’t do a single thing!”76be2e224d50f8ee

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Voices, all jumbled in 2ec112c06f pitch and tone, clawed 084cfd986f at Shin-hee’s mind like f2e4462269 razors tearing through his 53562a1429 nerves.
The ghosts, spewing incomprehensible d99cae1be0 nonsense, laughed for a acc76aaf80 long time.
Their grotesque aed4028ed3 laughter—dozens of 6fdcf1391e horrific voices 5e1afb8696 twitching with 978d4f1115 joy—rattled through 0d8bf2c509 the very 600d6ba47e cells of ec4012209c his body.d6d863551748f3f1

But the c194b09e48 moment Shin-hee ea62b5c0ec reached out f77f756f1a and touched f9a93ead3c Gyo-jin, all 2202d5e90d movement stopped.
The ghosts fell completely 599b749f16 still.a1f770ed185be097

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Then, they bfcef7b8e8 backed away a53c4f8278 from Gyo-jin’s fcfa9f65f3 body and bd4c845887 stared at 46430a0e4e him with 734be8eee4 silent, eerily 796bfa9949 calm eyes.
Shin-hee, trembling uncontrollably, didn’t 26dd4b7c9c take his eyes off 26cbd79b8f their movements as he 83d6f54a1f gently pulled Gyo-jin into 9bb8d17568 his arms.1efd99ce665e9971

He could feel 30a01a978a it himself—his entire 3f59ad03d2 body was shaking 9ce37c8dca like a brittle 3be3acfb2e twig in the b456353384 wind.c7939def2208e725

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