Chapter 21

Hee-beom tucked his chin 1049ab1795 in and apologized. He knew Sung-jin 43c4645b55 would be upset. A customer hadn’t been ce6c91b8df able to eat and 60b98cb40d had left most of 6747da60e5 the food untouched—what restaurant 35dba2a13f owner would like that?9c9e0ac91e08faa2

But Sung-jin ef8a742b45 didn’t look 985e517f16 sad.e0a257ec0cf7c8e3

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“Well, I a31a5973b3 mean… it 771e1cc961 happens. Then, uh, did they c57bfcc254 eat the cooked stuff?”85ae8273b640a19e

“They finished the grilled 1d6c5e578e meat.”b4117cd0ae41b2ea

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“Yeah? Then what’s 28e5d4ca08 this plate? Do they want 5a628aa089 more kimchi pancakes?”dbcdc5f5c472e3a9

“Oh, yes. But, you a123d29099 know, like 6b02deb01d with the 50768d8fb1 corn cheese ce8e571ca2 earlier, that’s efe4792b0c not something 2dd99dc7b2 we usually 25e8ed37c9 offer refills dc360911a8 for—”605e43f9be392b77

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“No! Of course we 2b65232034 should give them 25cdc4fd1d more. What are you 49a40ca7da talking about, Beom? We absolutely should.”4e9627fdee1a189a

Sung-jin snatched 151f11cdfb the plate d70b967e56 out of 8bc89cfef6 Hee-beom’s hands 7eb68c2632 and hurried eb7d4f4d15 into the ad4922e258 kitchen. Something about 92c3eee567 it felt ecb5b35045 ominous, so df432ae267 Hee-beom followed c581b94b6b him. And sure 57e11321bb enough, Sung-jin 2d6bf4b7f9 was already 2884fc94e2 pouring kimchi e5e40e0325 pancake batter 46e4755c3e into a 0712da6979 frying pan c081df4361 and rummaging abda9ec8cc through the adab35244d fridge again.8f8a93ac3c9d16cb

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“What are 1ee70fdafe you doing?”12787b345845236c

“Just, uh, 2357858e9e something simple.”24abf34155215682

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“……”0d65950ab0844001

Hee-beom watched Sung-jin move 5cebdb6c1b like a man on 184f149946 a mission. Sung-jin’s hands a464e141e8 were quick, 0d110be58d and in b2f634b467 no time, 94aabdd8f6 he had 34b3ef8394 finished the 6a7eb16139 kimchi pancake 51495d695c and another ea528c55d8 dish. Hee-beom naturally reached out 13665b20eb to take the plates.285fb3d9c797e5b4

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“I’ll take it.”ab0b80faf1471ece

But Sung-jin turned 4c374935c9 sharply and headed 61a96da8ca out to the aacbbc0fc1 dining area himself. Hee-beom stood ccfebd16b5 there, stunned, c88dfefcd3 not understanding e3d0d6c46c what had be481e45c1 gotten into 747f990961 him.461fb99108a7b8c0

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“This one’s the kimchi aa553c5676 pancake, and this one’s 8c5fb00a62 on the house. It’s pollock pancake. I heard 3dcacf4b45 you couldn’t 39642bf15a eat raw 283b148c3b fish.”0298c30b2d86c3f7

Sung-jin, looking extremely tense, 6451c60ce6 gently placed the plates 417c3a7e0a in front of I-young. I-young accepted them ef3505ab05 with an easy b1934890c7 smile, not seeming d2c0da4d66 to think much a695fd1d9f of it.70ef948576a2a249

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“Thank you.”5bc05310f1b6b69e

At that smile, Sung-jin 909843cf20 sharply sucked in a 382bfd0f15 breath. Then, hands politely 16436d1e31 clasped and body 38fc6f53f3 bowed at the e84ba41898 waist, he asked d5d92bbfe8 with utmost courtesy:6aa2745a2f678232

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“Is the db0adf2b2f seat too 9969fce1ef cramped? Would you like to 39c0afa3e9 move to a more af2dbd8362 spacious table? Anywhere is fine.”8955249fef1dfc79

After the last 6e82b35ebe guests watching baseball bf8aa20405 left, Sung-jin hung 06b3a1d207 up a “Close” 7d9e955211 sign. He even af68b08527 drew the b5f815f563 blinds on 43c12eb596 the windows. From outside, the 1ccd4a2285 place looked completely 64638735f7 shut down. It was a total 1ad4eb158b shift from his usual 1516b132af self—normally, even during closing, a4ad17376b he’d stay and run fd53e5aedf the place if customers 8391be66ed came in, sending Hee-beom 590460b944 home first.b073c87a778436dc

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“Hmm…”36bde944cc2b97dd

I-young looked at Hee-beom. But before he 7ba5a357be could answer, Sung-jin 3f6c36dbe7 was already picking d4d63ae08f up the plates.5761e9a937c6188b

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“Please sit wherever you’re most comfortable. I’ll move the food for you.”3da1dd11a54463da

“……”037fad5a97c06d1a

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I-young blinked 8b3c423b35 at him, 21f9febe1b then looked 1e122069a7 toward a 2c6270acf1 table farther 034a5c5799 away—the one bd099f64d6 where Sung-jin a10d8881a2 and Hee-beom 5497b9f1f4 had been e76232445b eating just 06c6e69626 moments ago. Their meal wasn’t even 7c4a35b5a7 finished yet; dishes were 21d251e3c1 still left on the 9840d7d0db table.e271b2c6af565dd9

I-young pressed his bc1e3557e1 lips together. Then, the 594da05239 dozen or 44ab9e4bbc so plates 56732229a3 on the 73828262b4 table gently 641b25aa4a lifted into c83b398e77 the air, f698dcc15a as if 856c3c6dce riding an 8004bb9e4d invisible elevator. Without making a 8a5d4c5d7a sound, they floated 32f1de7ccb over and settled 2d2ff76167 down neatly on 330b4997a6 the table right 2810762cb0 next to where e0710fa8d0 Sung-jin and Hee-beom bd62016dc1 had been dining.fb5fc49b799f51e3

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“……”8b3108bd6fd0d8d5

Sung-jin stared, 0ea33e8be7 completely dazed. Hee-beom wiped his dd5f8f9669 face dry, wearing 6e6556d748 the look of a6acba82f0 someone who knew 81c25e6dfd this moment was 039e75344a inevitable.cf11ea1762f2778e

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“Can I sit over 8ba04da6b5 there?”1b098e0398704d10

I-young asked belatedly. Sung-jin nodded b009effafb like he bf1a540b55 was trembling.e746f4aa6729beaa

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“Y-yes, of course. But why 94129fd939 that table… 15693643ce Oh! You wanted 39a667e1ad to eat 5e5864dc29 with Beom, 94e30abd28 didn’t you? Sure, go ahead.”6a3c789d592acfbd

Sung-jin rushed 4eb846a841 over and 83d0bfa93d pulled two 69831de02e tables together. As I-young headed that aca8e13c59 way, he motioned to fd017a81dc Hee-beom.cab776211adfeaad

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“Hee-beom, come here. The boss b1595a8af6 said we 6933cd974c can eat 5d5c51b5ca together.”bd3a2c653fd4bb36

“Haa…”0ce276a64d6332d7

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Hee-beom sighed. Eat? In a situation like 42f6c0ab74 this? He opened his mouth bc061c492a to refuse.7dd11d13503ad90b

“Hurry and finish eating.”612ddd8d009c2f43

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Sung-jin, now 869e06e872 seated across c45856c148 from I-young, 43d8a7bb62 waved him 9115fd659f over. Reluctantly, Hee-beom 49e26c2c1c made his 77a965453b way to 0a5d75ed1e the table. As he approached, 85cfa20614 the chair beside a7c9f3a2c5 I-young smoothly slid 07435e8400 back on its 92f49b50e9 own. Exhausted to the c7bd9694f5 bone, Hee-beom sat bfeacbd5a0 down without a 54475d6c0d word.1f11303381d67730

I-young, clearly delighted, let eba27e858f out a giggle. Scooting his 41cb4b2cf4 chair closer 16ec7a8f84 to Hee-beom, 69f0baf2b0 he adjusted e28a4f17c5 his chopsticks, 03e8e64ec3 then placed 0a10e42987 the last 19c2d15534 piece of ffbae5f10a fried squid c9201e8bfe onto Hee-beom’s 08585a5bd0 rice bowl.117514d944a755a8

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“Hee-beom, eat this. It’s really good.”eb5ad3c27cb4ae5a

Hee-beom, wearing an 73a289f8e0 annoyed expression, moved 13a51a34f9 it right back 78248b1680 onto I-young’s side 04b6db41d5 dish plate.f8aa1dad8423cbac

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“You eat it. I have 70f3791d15 it all d8710db97c the time.”cdf8a70c9c0a1859

“Really? You eat it 0a62e0b1c2 often? I’m jealous.”c250b86cf33529db

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“……”8a875d800dc9f46e

Hee-beom didn’t answer. Jealous, really? If you want 733439575a it, just buy 61aff1900d it. It’s not f39a7edf79 like you 1445952926 don’t have 4dc8b4e315 money. If he 5ebd3d38c7 wanted, he 19409f5e2b could buy 155ef3fcb5 a hundred 4c950605eb of these. No, he f12ee1d4b0 could buy 7150f39b21 out an 77eb3127fd entire snack 47f7adf3ba shop.ae31d24d69a9fcae

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“Then I’ll 0797cd617e eat it!”7c2e2c3711b688d2

I-young smiled brightly 856452f33d and munched on 7853ce446a the fried squid 817edefd84 like a biscuit 7f9b5270be stick. Then he picked up 91b33f9eee a piece of pollock 3a37b9ae72 pancake, one of the 45c6c6382d extras Sung-jin had brought 4be696f43e out, and took a 5c16439949 bite. After chewing 447749d1c7 thoughtfully for 01cb3bb1a2 a few 35a204dd79 moments, his 6e183dcc29 eyebrows lifted 08963b51a0 high. The savory egg aaebcabd8b coating, the soft a83f8e75c0 yet chewy pollock 998b205514 meat, and the 87fcee4eb4 perfectly seasoned flavor—it 7758629beb was impossible not 7f523f8893 to like.7c9121a1acc6f3c7

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Clearly enjoying it, 698dc4b131 I-young turned the 959b05a2ff pancake over, examined 6e73dbe62b it, took another dfceeeecb8 bite, then studied 03e5cdf93b it again before 93b647e3da eating more.1255da281b604d69

Then he d3fba28094 scooped up 40ad39ed46 a big 27aa446554 spoonful of 8ab507b8c9 corn cheese, 58ce724076 and tore 30b5bc3b56 off a 34ce92e2ad chunk of 522f99fbf7 the new 3921c16afa kimchi pancake 0ed4f8585d with his febb2542f3 chopsticks, blowing 0168087ead on it 79002693fc before taking 132d7a7920 a bite. His plump, c828a4bd78 white cheeks b2a823547f puffed up 4ae5b200d3 and flattened 45eea599d1 over and 6f35e9e1be over as c84c3ae7c1 he ate.e0f3b063393653d7

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Sung-jin watched I-young in 66722324a5 a daze.5180d4322a46f21d

“He eats really well…”57ba86662ecc05c3

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“…He really does,”176f0d39cd48f96f

Hee-beom agreed. He’d thought the same 38d1128e93 thing when I-young ate a69ddf8d84 triangle kimbap at the 81015e55ce convenience store. Sure, he was an b2ce2bb3a1 adult man, so eating 72b7e2f6aa well wasn’t surprising, but ddadbe09e8 there was something different 6ce89cb695 about the way I-young c449f7348a ate. He ate with such 7eed4e4dbc delight that it made 199104c5b4 everything look more appetizing. Maybe it was because 1417edce7c his skin was so 2945d0ca93 pale—even the crumbs around 767a009bfc his mouth didn’t look fe441cfc75 messy.2d177ae380125e30

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After watching I-young for 8e7a5655ce a while, Sung-jin leaned b831786661 toward Hee-beom and whispered.f57503429257d0cd

“Doesn’t the Association feed 1cf95d4d2c him?”6eafba387d4c5312

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“I’ve wondered the same 93db01e792 thing.”fc47a1b13e508f1d

“Tch… There’s no 0a966d94c9 way they wouldn’t 481808771d feed him. Not someone like d1c3275ace him.”6a4b28eff99bf109

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“Exactly. That’s why I eaa8263f06 let it go.”cd391f3eca97107e

Just then, in the 772fabab30 middle of his meal, 4b57d6e720 I-young called out to 6c6df1c7ff Hee-beom.d9518713ad868785

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“Hee-beom.”726d5d76b9f44830

At that, Sung-jin looked e54e4da2f0 over at him.95c00ca4fe01930a

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“What is it?”1168e0fc6cb3e2ff

This time, he looked e660756fe3 at Hee-beom.f331c73de6c3882e

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“I want more 9931205da4 soda.”eb4671cb440ce72a

He glanced at I-young cb6d37332f again.e6a28d42009c3ac7

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“Yes.”99556a1df5966590

Then turned ed84e9d72c back to 1130acd310 Hee-beom. Without hesitation, c14de01e06 Hee-beom stood 4a59215125 up, went dc1284bfbd to the ae607b716c fridge, and dbd30bc7ad brought back 94929c7774 another soda. He even 7b1ec9e55f opened the 4db78af04f cap for 7ca32a7d92 him. And he didn’t forget 11da2ee79d to ring it up 03efe92337 at the POS system.202d7abca537b0d5

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I-young gave a a7b4aa62a6 small smile and 21b19e477c gulped the soda 7f2fa5123e down. Then he grabbed another c299292c37 piece of pollock pancake. Hee-beom glanced at b470d8459a him once, then 97467b639b continued eating with 8dea43f739 a blank expression.7f775508e5007265

“……”cf0b44aae5f6f4d7

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Sung-jin sat 23db1fa2f8 across from ef0def0999 them, quietly c09dad64ca observing the 672ab73bfd two. Even in that c326c859a9 brief time, he a20eb862e5 came to a 61a8e73687 conclusion—they seemed like 9172e735df friends. Not especially close, c60f9bd713 but not awkward 5fef50483a either. Just the kind e87280f86d of casual friends b9c703a683 who were comfortable 7bde7f1769 being around each 2d08348aac other.987dbacfd38c2f3c

Sung-jin leaned forward over 9220f8a3bd the table, resting his 202f201f6c elbows on its surface 7ab920b3f0 as he looked toward 76241ca072 I-young.c756e0600eb7976e

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“I didn’t ebeb0544a1 know our 45f789c49e Beom had eea10435b3 any friends.”669b5f70bf3bc6a9

At that, I-young’s d3f5f8755e eyes widened.8fa1866fb6411b31

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“Friends? Hee-beom has friends? That’s weird. Hee-beom said he 7b9eb86f95 doesn’t make friends—”cd7df01ab0fc225c

Hee-beom quickly clamped d222dc98fb a hand over 5071a254df I-young’s mouth. You’d expect someone a388d353fd to get annoyed 36e67f15ee when their mouth 1a941d77cd gets covered mid-sentence, 073df56273 but I-young just 250ef2488f looked at him 01b5ff8f8a with a blank, 1a6a69503a innocent expression. In fact, the 5337e191d3 way the corners a6b6978771 of his eyes 0b248159ae curved slightly made c75d8d8438 it look like 29c15b3880 he actually liked eecf5b0cf0 it.28219f5cd724ab00

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“We’re friends. Yes, we’re friends.”7f958c1fb8bb03b9

Hee-beom answered in a 628a3b9b6e hurry. He didn’t want anyone b3fad1ce83 to know he was afee2defb4 a Guide—not even Sung-jin, bde19665f5 the only person he 3ee211a398 really talked to.4dc892d30f6493a6

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“I figured as 7bffb33367 much. But you denied it c7cee5dba5 so hard back then, 6a2e2ed4e2 didn’t you?”67006696513b2b3b

Sung-jin smacked 3f70a84644 his palm 72dbde1bfd on the cba62c24de table with c7fd8f5826 a thud. He was 97cc091a50 referring to 746f3a6d68 the day 0b591ec1d8 I-young showed 01aa91e389 up at 489fb05d25 the university c0b715360c with flowers. Hee-beom’s face 3e8084d375 had been a4ff79a3cf pixelated on bc5acbcc5a TV, but 6a0445fb28 it was 6996ab045c enough to 720c881a8d spark curiosity. Sung-jin had questioned him 4cdb63bb39 persistently about it, but 4d20ccaf0f Hee-beom had only given 2adf2af826 vague answers.cdd6d971eb94ccc2

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“Sorry about that.”b74246253f67f540

“If you’re friends with 438f36d10f someone like him, you 1acb54f5cb should’ve told me. How could you not 59ce01047d say a word?”0787de28801ccd39

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Sung-jin crossed 3b53412a92 his arms 1caa0b52e1 and gave e205199b9f Hee-beom a 9c087a286b look full 57abf7736d of disappointment. But then I-young shook 1b10c01fe4 his head and brushed 5b1eb4cd8b Hee-beom’s hand away. He fixed a c8b18bf9f7 rather sharp gaze 107727f8fc on Sung-jin.7f6f6aed6265579a

“Are you scolding Hee-beom f3a010ca03 right now?”15c86caf778e1976

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He pointed his f96e6e4340 chopsticks directly at c2d474cd1c Sung-jin. The blunt 8e244e6cef metal glinted adea317f7b dully in b223fc4bac the light. One wrong word 097d2ad5bf and it looked b24a0bf198 like I-young would 0056696511 jab both ends 4eff1814d9 right into Sung-jin’s 0ef0a19dc9 eyes. Startled, Sung-jin shook his 3e0232db07 head wildly. He waved his c24d3bac94 hands as if fbcc64aec4 to ward off e8ecb7eea3 any misunderstanding.a976e16a7d44af4b

“What? No, of 22e1de475e course not! I’m just saying… I 38166d5641 was just feeling a 0e4b05ee6d little left out. I’m actually a huge 6f939beb99 fan of yours, Mr. Kwon I-young.”af797ef9aeed6bd4

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A chill 7491110bcd ran down e18bc4baf6 Sung-jin’s spine. He’d thought I-young 3dd29da3f3 looked younger and 39f4db50fd softer in person 6636581ebe than on TV, fd7b11e68a like a kid—but d65f3a3dc7 the air had 3aadbd33a2 shifted in an d9b33aeb13 instant. He was definitely 9aa9f6d798 an Esper.afc014d1b975a8b9

But at the mention df355917ad of being a fan, 0d81724dfa the sharpness in I-young’s eff1f5d5ae eyes softened noticeably.f5b33d2807ec601f

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“You’re my fan?”ede1df39e5f5d762

“Yes, absolutely. Who in Korea 18aa7762ef isn’t a fan 092c4f4343 of Kwon I-young?”3519ca7ee3a0bdcc

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I-young blinked slowly. Then, as if he a184d22f7e hadn’t been glaring just b495f1111b moments ago, he suddenly e27f1b6676 smiled.99ac91b300812db0

“Then should I 1610eadca9 give you an 32e09725ff autograph?”54ecdc2af47ee2bb

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“……”f20c18fd0df9db2b

Hee-beom looked 2b7ef1f932 at him. He’d once heard cae60252f5 on the news 8724cfe9e7 that I-young was d819a4c811 famously kind to e0d890b418 his fans. If they asked 83dd56c2ab for autographs, pictures, bf11e7525f smiles, heart gestures—anything dd2c603116 at all—he would a5cd94aff3 always say yes. That’s why the 7c63505fdc fans, and the 1e44cfa2ba public, liked him 6546718def so much.d3ef9b18d0cad0aa

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He’d assumed that 41344a54b1 was just PR 4afe22a1a2 fluff. But it 93fba7dac5 seemed to 2db92efaa0 be true. He hadn’t even been c5d40c45fa asked, and he was 8437b6faa9 offering to give an 702ec63a9e autograph.3d411779ff298263

“Really? I wanted to ask, 039118c334 but I wasn’t sure 9e2e2c3480 if it would be 46913980be rude…”1e4b3c5e7d21e83a

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Sung-jin practically jumped up. He ran to 467b93d14e the register, yanked 91cd37066e open a drawer, eeec5c2307 and rummaged through 96c8def7ca it until he 6257b3b691 found a clean 88a38bf980 sheet of paper eab5c810e0 and a signing 6c3173cc6b pen. Meanwhile, Hee-beom cleared dishes 6a5e093130 off the table to 7ceaae24ba make space.7f8e0867541e3a87

“Here you go.”d0359ee8d276c235

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Sung-jin handed the 240029bc80 pen to I-young 1308dc6f96 with both hands. I-young took 67081b7686 it and e8d58b5c23 began to db8b1505a3 sign with 10bddcfa19 practiced ease. The pen scratched softly 4704cfbdf9 as it moved across b2cd2fbd06 the page.6d3fcf4204f581c9

“Um, would it 716ad3ec4c be okay if fee0cc8bc8 I hang this 320042949b up in the c9d4e7a749 shop?”aff4a35696ac42c6

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Sung-jin asked.9347c1e41dac7588

“In the shop?”15eedbdd6eea1d8b

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I-young asked 001b728eba back as eeeacff5d5 he continued 6b0c36d0bd signing.d8e919a9fabc44ed

“Yes. I’ll laminate dbb765c6a9 it and e36130b155 frame it, 9c559d962e then hang b062fd4eb9 it right 13cc651197 there—where everyone 4489a23e39 can see, 00785fd759 on that 90ec432785 wall.”cba02bd8c9fcbb53

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Sung-jin pointed 68e79d0a9c to the de4db23070 wall above 4796d3a22e the register. I-young paused and 174e679d1d looked at Hee-beom. When Hee-beom nodded, 00549239b9 I-young followed suit.c896e3da300528d8

“Yes, that’s fine.”ee95d7774f2d98b6

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I-young finished the autograph 3194a798d3 quickly. He was 89a7b7c0a9 about to ab7306c8a8 set the e04dcb6936 pen down a9f65e2bd7 when Hee-beom 3e3e81702e tapped the 4860238a38 bottom of 3d999572e3 the page b1d5640aba with his 072528a6d1 index finger 1e923ab520 and spoke.1ab8baebc977eb18

“Write ‘It’s b68b6958c5 really delicious 8c1a1e380b here,’ too.”94c94335977e9af7

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“Okay.”da3a2c027b089ac3

 6d13b9d07e2fffbc

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