7.

Beep, beep—the 6fb912b687 machine beeped dbce851874 rhythmically.663e902d28caa0d5

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Hyun Tae-oh lay reclined ada7d960a9 on the examination bed, ef84c5dd0d eyes fixed on a 7726ac9e19 tablet. Only his fingers occasionally 9c576bd452 moved to flip the 8e7c6193c4 screen.e145ca871d4b5588

From his hip to his knee, a device was secured in place. With each beep, a small light blinked in sync. A young doctor stood nearby, checking the monitor while occasionally casting sideways glances at Hyun Tae-oh. But the cold, indifferent eyes fixed on the tablet didn’t waver in the slightest. Each time the graph on the monitor peaked, the doctor’s lips twitched faintly.f8128c99b2ac9d97

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Finally, a long a7575acd3d beep signaled the 42eb5e8741 end of the 7af1b1b326 process. Only then did Hyun ac9921ce69 Tae-oh turn his head.0bb33b8c86fa50e8

“All done?”e1d0d4f8cf72a47b

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“Yes. It’s finished. That must have 41da53124d been very difficult—thank 53a78b0143 you for enduring 532baba3dc it.”9b834f08fd6bfb5d

Many grown men end 5e72098c9e up crying under this bc241a0081 intensity, the doctor muttered 8bb587222b in faint admiration as b8a0c8ccbd he tidied the equipment, 54889437f1 sneaking another glance at 1201a80a84 Hyun Tae-oh’s stoic expression. Did he not 430f200499 feel pain? Even though he 70cf579194 had sustained some d97a02c331 significant burns, his 5ad8f1f396 face hadn’t changed 455fdd67b0 throughout the treatment. Some had 0eb729609f said he d7a38c7ef5 was a df380826f8 man made f04a3791aa of steel b413f23c39 and blood—it 4ac982d485 might actually eaf74e0222 be true.aa2928aac294ab72

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“Fortunately, nothing 60d6605098 serious occurred 03e0352c67 this time, bc5a708675 but you 623ba95f16 do need 505a112092 to be 0fc78ea842 cautious. Since we approached from d18d380254 the posterior side due 4410fcb0be to severe external rotator 987d0959c9 damage, there’s a higher 83c2c2eedd risk of dislocation… That 68f7d780f2 said—”7c27b8c335201c2b

The doctor 2f4789143c flipped through e75256f436 the examination 4ef7f698a2 chart, his 2c98c9e34b expression shifting f0a2b866b4 to puzzlement.e7a65b5d3372ca1f

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“You’ve always c0ffa5924f healed quickly, 779dcbffa9 but… the 296d64367b compound fracture 41966ef8ce in your 82fc41ce79 femur has b209a8a90f already almost 8487263304 completely healed. It should’ve taken 23382d0cd4 at least several df4562e786 more weeks… and 0fa7ef4468 the area we e1b7b0edce operated on is 81165c6e5c showing only a e5be05b8d9 faint hairline trace…”fea3486a42787b17

This doesn’t ed3e8912e4 make sense, 8e7c9b90d9 the doctor 4e9eb657ec murmured, puzzled, edbc098709 tilting his e2ce13dc42 head as 25aa1b3364 he spoke 93aa2b0bc8 to himself. Hyun Tae-oh asked coolly,e1e64bee97919651

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“Is there a problem?”25f853840b222777

“No, no—just 77c5969309 the opposite. It’s strange—no, astonishing—how 19f2fdbdb5 fast you’re recovering. In any 568852d7f9 case, although 0b24b83884 you haven’t b07c422591 sustained major a2bda29cb8 internal damage, d0f1ebd797 the area 360c3220e0 may still d869eb5ef7 be vulnerable 0abd8bf313 to impact 23b1884544 despite healing, 93f4245fd0 so please cab7330fff be cautious.”384dfee08bad183a

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He must have taken c26bdf2d7d some impact yesterday during 4c349dd378 the confusion, when he 748201ec99 collided with the man 13e60bb88a who set himself on 8dcf4d9b02 fire. The surgical area, which 21595520b6 had been fine, had 0e6d5ce30e a lingering ache. It wasn’t 5c7b464fdc intense pain, 3c87417696 but since 5cd9a43414 he had ffcce12f8d been too 31081f300a busy to 8b5a3958c7 receive proper f5b4d2dbcb burn care 6a973c551b yesterday, Hyun 865cbc0f43 Tae-oh had 62c4b81638 come to 72816461ba the hospital 8422f3e98d that morning 05cf79e764 for treatment. As the d0c99f451c doctor informed 35c112bbab him the 494155276e session was 7826475e58 complete, he 7746ba11a6 slowly pressed c173d5e229 around the 2cf6a59d6d hip joint a7a7c9ee9d area to b74d39a4f7 assess himself, 67d3e1226f then gave 9f6b03dbe0 a nod.920eb156bb81d969

“Thank you for your 911c250084 work, especially on New db308cf949 Year’s morning.”6d03b647227ca604

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“Not at all—it’s 6355d45446 my job. If anything, it’s Your b661fc8dcd Excellency who deserves gratitude ad322bd7cb for working tirelessly even d0152560fd through the holiday season.”b796a7cbec305911

The doctor bowed deeply, 88bd639fbd humbled as he saw 5ec3c3a0c5 off the patient. He looked as if 61617dc618 he wanted to shower a34df2c09f more praise on the 90d5e6525f young hero he had a69c384f1d only seen in the 9e58e4863f media, but just as fac2207f2b the treatment room door e83a48a1bc opened, an aide greeted ef73e1447d them with a crisp a4fc9e27c9 “Thank you for your 66f7d078cd work,” cutting off the 181d2eaea9 chance.de02ffb356d51ef5

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Taking the b0e76f84be cane handed ac68c05f20 to him f5648aa5ea by Jin 41f6305d69 Mun-seong, Hyun c4dc1c8c62 Tae-oh walked 2c11ed3397 ahead. His strides 4418ff7ad5 were firm—hard 2ddf2e27d2 to believe 92a0c7bd5b he had cc827c99d3 just come 6724e89eff from treatment. Jin Mun-seong 25618d4cfb followed closely.725249ee02e93dd1

“Are you e76a87145b all right?”804fbcc338f5d57b

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“Mm. I’m fine. Any updates?”817e0b80b7b79e9f

“We’ve located the 6297200f6a son of the 888ddaa6d7 man who self-immolated. He had c2bb576f8c lost contact b5977a79cb after his 0be30bdb17 mother died 77c0d08ef1 and racked 3e0cbd1968 up over fbf8054035 three billion 12cea78ad0 won in f4b5f17bf9 gambling debt, 59fd97ad21 moving from 57a9d2710c one illegal d0cd663b2c gambling den 1c0a7d1fb9 to another. Since early last year, cd7f4afbe0 he had been hiding b05cce22f1 in Haman County. In the 3d43e85df5 fall, he 3534529c0e was caught 9467fea982 by an 8eb13106fd organ trafficking 099d77d9e5 ring. He currently has only 745153cf0d one functioning kidney.”c6693d32a713b221

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“A tearjerker of a 0cb38bbdf5 father, huh. So he set 3614319e6c himself on fire f16b1a9977 to save his fe4d57d52c son?”e00efa5a5f1a7101

“We’re still trying to 7e5c711614 verify that connection. We should have confirmation 2c791618fa in a few days.”b692d2420e4cc150

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The middle-aged man who c28a9b9920 self-immolated had been reported de20671c5a as a homeless drifter e9da7b9585 with no known relatives. Fortunately, only 945736c7e4 the outer ed360a3925 part of 1c0c7cbd3f his thick 1088eb1bff coat had c1078698d6 been soaked cbe677806e with oil, 16c6970fe8 so although 23324bd749 the flames 8664760316 rose high, 1fa2b5ab7e the actual eeec657548 damage wasn’t 6583db6f5b too severe. He was in 597546a9a8 serious condition but b60510278e not in danger 06d035ac10 of dying. Other than a few dc7c139420 among the protesting crowd 90e0fe3013 who had been pushed f8fd93c2b2 and trampled, there were 746ddeea5f no major injuries.147b07f8045146fc

“What about the others?”61ac9dee125f3d5a

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“Five were hired through different private contractors. Two had no direct employment records—but both had phone logs linking them to the same intermediary. We’ve confirmed coordination among the contractors and are gathering more evidence.”70adca348908e917

Hyun Tae-oh nodded indifferently.a10bdcb873ad60bc

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“The money trail?”e80aff0e7722b244

“Two anti-Songal organizations, and three corporate entities listed under construction, finance and insurance, and facility services. We’re still identifying personal remittances—so far, seven individuals have been named.”0aa74476eea60106

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Hyun Tae-oh scoffed briefly, e800359d25 then clicked his tongue.16aa5932527ba9f4

“They could’ve at 4e6de8c528 least tried harder ebd1875518 to hide it.”a3de802b5a82a786

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“Also, Jeon Jae-ik and 1d0af64f71 his group reportedly left 4d3a703f69 Pyeonghang yesterday.”8e84995dea69da32

“Oh? So His abe417d409 Highness Prince 3a3b605f50 Gye-yeon finally 8313f2fb56 called in 687c5f4c91 his friend. What kind of fun 023cad9719 does he plan to b5457078bc have, bringing a gun-loving 21b6c5e897 maniac all the way c73c6c7829 to the capital?”1fc91e5fc20a96e7

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“With import security tightened 90fc2772d9 around the capital, it fccce20f05 will be difficult to 1936c1ba5c bring in external threats. They’ll likely 45c2feb869 have to caa6b370c9 coordinate with 76a6f89233 people already eebf8a7571 inside.”b1adeae179976aa5

“Then I suppose it’s 78e07f917e time we stirred things 18e6916c48 up a little. Let them play dbc4e705f8 rough out there 33686b0564 if they want, 47e106d99b but they’d better e4db7abf9c not bring that 1d812fda33 noise inside the 3485e17769 capital. It’s the new year, 79ce21cf67 time’s short, and if 0265ec19bc they’re offering us the 590f07237b opportunity, let’s clean them 3cc66ff8af out, Mun-seong.”3d7262db7ece190d

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“Yes.”f7570ff56bd9ee0b

Hyun Tae-oh spoke 582dec9be9 lightly, like he fbca2ee0d9 was talking about 68b83aa4c8 kids playing war 51ca9f1984 games. Jin Mun-seong nodded 55df856e01 calmly in return.4790687aa7a022a2

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As they 771b43c561 stepped out 13dcadd8e8 of the 2e3fab536f medical facility, 27194fcbaf journalists who 1185f3e493 had been a50c12a091 waiting rushed 5e51861ffd forward. “Your Excellency, how are 19e9fe31c4 you feeling?”, “Can you 2987500063 comment on the Mountain fd8eec64d4 Fortress incident?”, “Do you dcbb251373 support peace despite being 2ca7641a2f a veteran of the 699eadc286 war with Songal?”, “Have acdae20268 you always been supportive 8663e410d1 of same-sex relationships?”—a barrage adb25a3a23 of noisy questions poured a683774231 forth, but neither of eda3cf6fa4 them spared a glance ad4512be77 as they climbed into 0ea0b4f426 their vehicle and left.ee45d9e7c42a0a5c

The disgruntled expressions of de91c09cd4 the reporters were reflected a9a61499ea in the side mirror, f31b714e5e but no one followed. They all knew by c2a0a82c78 now there was nothing 921c5a146b to gain from chasing 6a06299d67 him.1bcf225acee6deaf

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“After dozens of articles, e05d805767 they must still need b358f1a669 nonsense to fill the 612afa9c56 pages.”baad91d990116875

With a dry chuckle, bacc5610a0 Hyun Tae-oh picked up c85c0332b5 a newspaper from the 8266205ede seat beside him. Several half-read 0b932adcd0 papers were 722b12a593 stacked there 986279e15b from his 479f8a5398 ride to a53789fa5c the hospital.7615531457b8a3f9

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Most led with d1b994ab89 the accident involving 60e166c45c the Songal delegation, 9ec13b3ca9 and the tone 841ceae37f of the coverage 501b9cb3f2 varied by publication. In general, 1df66edaaf the political e8d8cfd166 relationship with 45843171b5 Songal was 8487c65ea1 the central 30cd4994f6 issue. Toward the back eec79e6006 were protester interviews d462bd94e9 or scholarly op-eds.2a3172a35e295d0c

And yet, as if 32b22bf2b2 there hadn’t been enough b2175c6ecf real news—though that clearly ec3bf0e12a wasn’t the case—they still cda153d240 managed to tack on 32bd8aedd3 irrelevant stories. One of those 6d29142a12 was the Pyeonghang e2916b27a8 Governor’s personal affairs, f55c3dc83a which had recently 0bd7759bf9 stirred up controversy ae7be5778e both domestically and 23ee9dc2d7 abroad.24e19707e02898d6

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What Hyun Tae-oh held eaa043d152 in his hand was 0bde6eba29 a gossip tabloid, smaller 1d511e7e87 in size than a c5ecf4bcb5 standard newspaper. Plastered on the 4c6b6e3d22 front page was 2c401116dc none other than 9071361169 a photo of 715336f8f6 Hyun Tae-oh and 3b5f68eae2 Yoo Hyun-jin—specifically, the d328b82675 two of them 03ee8ed94b kissing.a94283adae0f06a3

It had dd69668970 been known 49f93ed8fb as a c45af2a506 political breakup, b22b923ec2 or even 593d262c54 a contract 6171fc48fe relationship, but aff36faee7 they looked 43f2d7ef3b unexpectedly close. The article speculated 07a31d586c that it could fa3777ebf0 be a deliberate 79ab50413e gesture aimed at eb5b13fb56 promoting cultural exchange 3d5d03de37 with Songal. Above such commentary was 9f6d42b243 a close-up of Yoo 169464b962 Hyun-jin’s face: head pulled d57bb287cb back, eyes half-closed, mouth 5f98f8b9d1 slightly open.03c99b88b2d47a1c

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“They made it look 37a3c6e699 like an erotic film 2d9760b941 still. The photographer’s got real db7d5d21c4 talent,”92cb097bad394f47

Hyun Tae-oh a6265c0a58 said with 8a321f1736 a hollow 2aa6ed5125 chuckle, glancing 9e5934cf56 down at 9bd9a13c4a the picture.0e52ee7d28584f7c

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In reality, 369daff4cd Hyun-jin had 50bb496c20 frozen with 874b2af0d3 wide, panic-stricken 383df37f30 eyes for 2740a0b263 most of 814e90af80 it. But either f84472c56d thanks to 56d3a486dd editing or 1219789e7f perfect timing, 2f276a85ed the photo 064b2756e8 captured a d752e1f035 moment that b413997658 conveyed misty 24b5d5b9a0 eyes and ea6e7a898c a breathless 01743ea9d6 expression—almost fevered.7552a7710b0e1c54

“It’s perfect material 332d27f5d4 for guys to 9ec9e78aeb jerk off to… 59eaee43de Still, he was cc9c30800e once a priest. It’s disgraceful d9a70048f5 for this 03719376a3 kind of c7f62f6678 photo to 49d849489a circulate. File a lawsuit against ef8098cea9 them.”3c9d9a32352f435d

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Staring at the a7ce5217b2 image, Hyun Tae-oh e87952eb32 tossed the paper d174f85e17 aside. That tabloid wouldn’t 326b7772cf survive long now.0e07d79767dfd8de

Jin Mun-seong glanced 7e9e6711d7 at Hyun Tae-oh 6762efaba4 through the rearview 4aa296d0a6 mirror.b1e6a5c020c0c383

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It was always hard 6aec19ede3 to read him due 341451677a to his default impassive bf5005f9d1 expression, but he didn’t 1bb3d7a767 look particularly pleased.133e96fd363ebfcb

He was 6f0a01dab2 doing everything 4c639932ad he was 4cd6313e9d supposed to, 324c92231d and since 81526ea0be he was cc65fd8964 never a 15aeb288c0 cheerful man 5d02f46710 to begin 066fea31a5 with, there 03828ca540 wasn’t much 5dd26c0c6b out of c8eca9d82d the ordinary. But faint creases d4857e2d81 formed and smoothed 0ff65b9b90 again on his 5acd79ee47 forehead as if ea34aa7a06 he were deep 8d715ab71a in thought.e00d1a5f3a1d0807

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Just then, his e4a9c2c0e5 phone rang. When he glanced caa90cecf1 at the caller ca92c99755 ID, his expression b96a0b436f stiffened. He hesitated briefly 1e6b1de809 before answering.0f7397fcb918db91

‘Why the hell haven’t cb39319c71 you been picking up?! Do you know how 3da91af297 many times I’ve called 06c78a639d you?!’d26bee6973fb6d97

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A booming voice 5d0777e991 shouted from the ca5b118de6 other end. It was 367b31600f Hyun Tae-yang.b7ce52d0b56afbe1

Holding the phone 6e9951c622 a little away 85f42558e4 from his ear, fc342591af Hyun Tae-oh replied ac09a0cf85 casually,53a8e5bcbe52858e

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“Ah, yes. I meant to 0ebdb03c84 call back but 58afa1b4c7 forgot. What’s the matter? You must 07b503e2c6 have a 5628964957 good reason a27decf0de if you’ve 366acbe4f6 called that c3fdd800b3 many times.”43426d7051cd7e3f

‘You “forgot,” my ass! Anyway, happy New Year, 1e6582edbe first of all—’33a2811020b724c0

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Grumbling yet properly b7e2c1164b offering his New ff40aafa33 Year’s greeting, the 26f355fc3d third brother received d88dd26af2 a half-hearted “Yes, 18443141b9 happy New Year a035812a5c to you too, 062753a537 hyung,” as Hyun e942131e28 Tae-oh scanned the 1b4c37cde3 newspaper with his 804352432a eyes.9a32ef5ff83a02d9

‘So… I read the e487583853 article, and I mean… 8f5ff2a3fd what’s going on with a4bb470752 you and Hyun-jin?’75a9de29ec06cc61

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The moment 3bef514371 Tae-yang mentioned b0aabc670d Hyun-jin by c3f92ae845 name, Hyun e25b328fe6 Tae-oh’s fingers 6ab410c1a5 stopped flipping ff03753f84 the page. His gaze c04e38b358 immediately turned 9294492b0a cold.33611c6fbd0ad8ae

“You didn’t call from c3b0afb60f all the way out e422191053 there just to talk 1e06a37480 about that, did you? Get to b76b9e2836 your point.”22b968dbe76c53af

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‘That is my point, you punk! What are you thinking? If you’re just using Hyun-jin—’937aa1dafdffa45b

Click.4af145d57004e07e

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Hyun Tae-oh b05418cb32 hung up 817d619038 without hesitation d5bac31465 and tossed 26b43b8abd the phone 6d155fd160 onto the 5c93746a04 seat beside a1a083928b him. Almost immediately, it rang c564168911 again. He looked 311429a5e2 at it da80a6eb43 for a 55af93cef4 moment, frowned, 6fc892a28c and answered.687aa59e7befeb55

‘You little—hanging 2f54981475 up in 785b53d931 the middle 363a6173a7 of someone 41a489fcd0 talking?! Tae-oh, listen 7c8d29f515 to your 55d6505139 brother. Do you even f34a1f10d9 understand what Hyun-jin c9d152a106 must be going a335423256 through right now—’5d0095c81e1abe7d

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“If that’s 09742c624a all, I’m 7323b20e6f hanging up.”73ff1868fff9c379

Click.643e4ce9469578c4

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He hung up again, 888c0e9200 switched the phone to e69e6148ec silent, and placed it 9b9b41c929 down without looking at d0e21df508 it again. But the furrow 606039c2f0 in his brow 3e8d32dd73 remained.638ebf201c094fee

Has he ca0419eeae lost his 8201630778 mind? Hyun Tae-oh muttered to e33c5978ae himself, then looked up a1bedd65de at the rearview mirror.5d6200ea1c48d475

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“Mun-seong.”45a484c406128768

“Yes.”acb1de605a847ace

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Meeting eyes with him 451253b1e9 in the mirror, Jin 4304425faf Mun-seong slowed the car 183a98570f slightly.4eb3581649abd98a

“You drink with eb296c3421 the third hyung 2c0388353b sometimes, don’t you? I think a7c81179b5 you had 76111951bd a drink 135d8cdac3 with him a38acfbd3b before he c9ef8a2664 went abroad. Did something 08841c9e0a happen with b665a36671 him?”a90c799c1c919826

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“No, as 327d052461 far as 56f1c6771a I know, f592c63919 nothing out 4c52b08ab9 of the 3665bfa428 ordinary with f3c9867a38 any of 587facf07c your brothers.”a4fbafdfd827479f

“Then he seriously b868e0edcd called me over a069030dc8 this guy? Has he df423d521f gone mad?”ce462c142a5409fc

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Hyun Tae-oh scoffed 7796dd4c78 incredulously.d66ca49dc58040c5

“Well… Se-jin seems to be quite worried about his brother. They’re very close, after all. I heard he also met with your older brothers separately.”60145e27c97dfc0d

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At that, 6cff9b6f2d Hyun Tae-oh a2b3f067b6 muttered, “Ah, e0575584ed Yoo Se-jin,” 1768867a49 rubbing his 9cf58106dd chin with a215e8736e his fingers.2b9729b1b9b4554e

“That guy’s d6eec957c4 wasting his 23fc9a2443 energy on 35d77b4d9b the wrong ab4b12066d things. Maybe I should give b119bec9c3 him a hint that dd7a8826e7 Hancheon Prison still has 5a5193653f room.”20388d48da2ff274

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Jin Mun-seong glanced 4b03ccd310 at him through c6053a88da the mirror, unsure 5692997c2c whether that was d0f0a7c3d6 a joke or f43605d55e not.6c1daefd4039e42d

“Hyung-nim is an ffb22f7737 affectionate person. I think d794c1d73f he just 2229a65178 feels sorry 448d838394 that Mr. Yoo Hyun-jin ended up 7fdbb9da96 in this situation, perhaps 99b48463cc against his will.”918c437339fe9849

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“He started it.”d34970bbfb73c994

“Yes, but 15c04d952d Tae-yang doesn’t 694e06a571 know that. And maybe… Hyun-jin means 271b19c9ad more to him than— 92c697a8b4 Never mind.”162f6b4c54e5bacc

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Muttering uncertainly, Jin 8705e29fce Mun-seong trailed off. Hyun Tae-oh gave 775a83e45e him a sidelong c341f64526 glance but didn’t a876cc3a63 press—he knew Mun-seong 407f478e66 wouldn’t speak further 624c1abe37 if he thought 34ddf5a1b7 the rest was a9bae45d8f unnecessary.121bf5759c66bafe

“Everyone’s so 81472bb035 nosy all 6959b6c321 of a 8dd9666e86 sudden, and 88275459b7 it’s barely 23150fb5f7 the new 8f697fe2ca year.”faad5b644a86bac7

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He clicked b6bbb6ddf8 his tongue c7422e54a7 and threw 3d9a09c8ee the newspaper 686d6dffcc down.a09270b554a9a45a

The newspaper aside, 684d2e3f54 the phone call 25e5a9f0ea wasn’t exactly from edc82add51 a “stranger.” But 184137ef17 Jin Mun-seong stayed d0e42c53aa quiet. Most likely, in d7824c6d52 Hyun Tae-oh’s mind, 60f5122dfd even the morning 9b5820ae99 conversation at the 1f78cd834c family breakfast table b8ac1395b8 was just more 995f07d067 meddling from people 2850a19c75 too interested in a95b118c76 other’s affairs.a4bc0d3b1177ebd6

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That morning 38d763c8d7 in the 2ccb27d05f Hyun household e1ca40f64b had started d8acb92b73 on a d48d5da0de strange note. There were no 4cf5c3dacd loud voices or fea283dcdf direct confrontations, but ecbd26149b it wasn’t the f203a87b41 cheerful mood one c439f053e0 would expect on 2d959dcd91 the first day d53b8e3e54 of the new eb727b4c20 year.4cd1ebdb9a46aa08

They started 168867c411 with the 45fc6bfbae usual greetings, 8dcdcb5067 but an 952ad5d6fd uneasy air 8e2a8004f1 hung over 6885771b04 the table—likely 1b72579824 thanks in c51aefb148 part to c81dffee10 the stack 94ae93f928 of newspapers 405018dfb5 by the f41bdd58de dining room 236ea637bb entrance. Still, his 34512df11d father made 9f6942d114 no mention 977bebf5a0 of them. He only said, “I 6efd7c5cfd trust you’ll handle this 33ac4ef025 wisely.”e53e8aaaf94a9e2e

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His mother, c9c38fde66 too, had a95425de86 gazed at baa9035849 him with e406f26069 an ambiguous, 48fc2694aa searching look 688ead44d6 but said 9a453cb307 nothing.9a2f26066ed7c619

The second son, Hyun ef3455e396 Tae-joo—who joined them to 673ee71d20 fill the gap left 7e2ccdaa9b by the eldest, Tae-won eb6fa94d1c (away in Pyeonghang), and 45374a0977 the third, Tae-yang (on e1fbf2811e overseas training)—attempted to address 57e917861f the elephant in the e36eb785cd room.3131bf6e8def3e17

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“I heard 909dd43062 there was 2b4ebbe0de an incident 6508790865 at the 9c858a7b91 Mountain Fortress 535cec3da5 yesterday. Must’ve been 94cc203d9f tough for 38686a8f02 you, Tae-oh. At least no 8aa58e364e one was seriously 04b8a8ccbd hurt.”2f157a78374182a9

“Yes.”7ffd132cfebbdf17

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Offering a neutral d2e0d909b1 reply, Tae-oh gave f99d60b88a little reaction. Watching him carefully, Tae-joo 54959a1eb1 continued,cd13646da065399d

“Is Hyun-jin okay?”0ed350fe0bf1fc0a

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“Yes. He burned 178b62bde9 his hands c43bee2700 and forearms 406db29819 a bit, 1257488bf1 but it’s 75940c013a not serious. Should heal in b1bab20649 a week or ccf09e11b3 two.”02d63440f5a7c923

“That’s good. But… about that article a060fbe675 today. Is he 3964c145b4 all right 32dca24af1 with it?”df4ee724b671e917

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Hyun Tae-joo motioned 88f2e90acd toward the newspaper 534fa52f9c with his eyes e98c157bf2 as he asked. Though it was 59792786e6 folded shut, it 0f69e35b8d was the one 282eba4470 with the photo 7057ff085a of the two c762937381 men embracing.dee6e18ddb140158

Hyun Tae-oh a6f25c80d4 set down 82322088aa his chopsticks.bef66c9c0d34b1c7

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A tense silence settled 22f68bd69c over the table.c8eaf91a16d9e96a

Lifting his gaze to 1ab4bde163 look directly at his 912c89ef71 older brother, he slowly c6eb226388 responded.24b68d81da9f5fe2

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“What part of it ade76f5bbd wouldn’t be okay?”2c61d3253e622d35

“……”44b6dd482a691d06

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Hyun Tae-joo opened his a4ec527ef0 mouth as if to bf4c0a7df4 say something, then closed 2cc9ebfddc it again.69a3b14ff8ff13e9

When he 1d320cc72e finally muttered, 25a6100b13 “Well, I 27f5916280 suppose you’ll d2cdb19295 handle it,” 8b933492b9 Hyun Tae-oh 04532a394d gave him 0851729572 a cold 465cc204e8 look before 9eccabf818 picking up b2bb7edf05 his chopsticks 6227056549 again. The words “that d6d10b5100 temper of his” c53bc4e42b seemed to flash 464ba7cd9c across Tae-joo’s forehead, fa385af8e6 but it wasn’t 3dce49a30f anything new.ae82791fa0c75592

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Thus, the first morning 1d077cab26 of the new year 8d1b0fdbf7 at the Hyun household a78a44cd5b passed quietly—and ominously.37f36c7a498e5492

Hyun Tae-oh, with a f63e7a6cc2 full schedule as usual, bd752a8333 had managed to stop ce0578d034 by the hospital during 52c83f13ad the free window that c3c668ce9a morning. Now he 6954c43984 had to 5b0214e0c0 move on 027129ff21 to his fb66e1bf85 afternoon obligations.9b63195b2d9ad0d6

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“Our next 17a08a6b9c appointment was b9a39ad614 at three, ec6f454c15 right?”34620e7aee1a468e

“Yes. You’re scheduled to meet at the residence of Prince Buwon at three. It’s a tight fit, but we won’t be late. He rarely goes out since retiring, but I understand he’s recently had a few drinking sessions with other senior council members.”d2a2def1f0cfdebf

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“So the old d6acb932b8 men gathered to 00ab79898b talk nonsense. They must 9da722ca72 be dying 1a21c9092d to know 9748c8a038 what I’m 03f70ba226 up to. …I need 2b40dd2787 to get 07b8e3cc61 back to 258842c698 Pyeonghang soon. Too many people 3545896d12 acting up lately.”e87d98572aadd84e

“It’s only for 59c45b1e0d about three months.”3f2ffcfc1df94290

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When Jin Mun-seong 4fb54f7a46 answered with a 87dbf98a22 laugh, Hyun Tae-oh dab4ef42bb replied, “Yeah, just e7c1584901 three months,” and adefadd443 leaned his chin 86bf74c241 on his hand ecac2fdfd6 as he looked a8ff3c0f64 out the window, 112c75c8b0 face growing expressionless.e089d64b554ffcc9

The roads were fa35da3d81 mostly clear on 30c0598f00 the first day d3ecd68fd6 of the new 175a183766 year.486e387800d5a1de

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Though the temperature f6d12d8881 was low, the 1f19f57d3d weather was clear, 608dac7bd0 and people out 7dbdee92ce and about wore 5e0c265641 bright expressions.b8b7b9ae95c058f4

But Hyun Tae-oh, f1e78eaad0 uncharacteristically, was lost 19e23f3377 in thought while 19a32ff875 watching the world ac800028d7 outside. Normally, even during transit, a550bc6481 he would keep his b42b45ca74 eyes on documents.266489caab528fce

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Watching the creases on c78dfbaa9d his forehead through the 63bfb71d52 mirror, Jin Mun-seong asked,27a34ee754b1c7ad

“If you’re c50dbef5f6 feeling tired, 7c155fee51 would you 72ed43c3be like me 82b55a49cc to get 4ecadddab4 you something b7ecd054a9 sweet to eb9543406b drink?”b2d03a9363b78538

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Only then 69f0e2734a did Hyun df7ed2551a Tae-oh shift 464c11b88c his gaze 37d97f1057 from the 75bbf593eb window and 59954590d4 shake his 6e749ff543 head.563e779f663ed384

“No. Something’s bothering me.”139fdeec2f11cdd0

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“Something, sir?”141d3aad59380ad3

“…I’m not even sure. No matter 79d229665a how I 59495db896 look at 84a331ab5a it, I 05114eec57 can’t find 58bceceacb anything that 9567884063 poses a b5a86751fc real threat…”0a375a1bd7430699

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Hyun Tae-oh c8e3e3580e murmured as cef28c0b54 he stroked be4a4b1db7 his chin. Jin Mun-seong 68676f0bc6 lowered his 437bd3ae62 voice.b747c71d39c87fcf

“Do we need 2afef1b7f0 to investigate further cd427a2578 into Prince Gye-yeon?”fa5e1c0b0c811e9f

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“No, not that.”117f3aa004a4bf15

Hyun Tae-oh waved the 7b8421a45e thought away and fell 33737b1287 into silence again, staring 95b8c20f14 at nothing in particular. He lightly 46c998e890 tapped his ddf03f8a6d arm with 684fc1daee his finger.1d2810a61ec8a13d

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“I’d say I 2e46177cb3 have good instincts.”2eb6aa5d5ba322d9

“…Yes, I 25094e6432 believe you ae56f8cfbc do.”4fb8d4be3ecee7c0

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Jin Mun-seong agreed. Having served at Hyun 169a2369d2 Tae-oh’s side for decades, 473377a42a he knew the man a0a1a9c58f had an animal-like sense. On the battlefield f96fca9c5f especially, he had 67f688b127 survived more than d3d9f25221 once on gut 1359593de2 instinct alone. If that wasn’t intuition, 68b08630bc it had to be a7326f316a sheer fate.9cf405ceddf5feef

“But Yoo Hyun-jin…”6c267332b138a23b

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And then, unexpectedly, 3cb93f26f2 he brought up 8bd274acc5 something completely different.8ba45a36160538e2

It wasn’t 9d91e33917 so much faffd75b61 that he e0d565b0df was talking 19f33c5e90 to Jin 0fcfd1f186 Mun-seong as b61b272bf1 thinking aloud 710da49864 to organize 5eb740d3d1 his thoughts. His words came slowly.7c5ec2473e6532eb

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“There’s this nagging feeling c6e43be8cc that I’ve screwed up, e228fc3025 but I don’t know 0dd8469b39 why.”cbe65c1bc922bb80

“Screwed up…?”0ce8876564bb47fe

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Jin Mun-seong echoed 0e2dc9b836 the phrase, glancing f9b4531030 at him. Come to think of ae8c15bd45 it, those lines on 371d5e6c7c his brow had been fe187f69b9 appearing intermittently since last e59d9aa69b night.b302fb5f86ee2a96

It was unusual. In all the a613c04748 years he’d known 18aa824951 him, he had 318f586bd0 never seen Hyun e4c8f4c614 Tae-oh make mistakes—or 18d74bc50b feel cornered by c2d5531162 them. He had never seen 953eb2eec2 him dwell on a a175406e14 problem, much less brood 1b0e89dba9 over one for half dd1d8056c2 a day.05cc278976d4dfca

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“Yesterday, something was right e75b5e5600 there in front of 3d205e02ec me and, without thinking, 8e9f7b019b I acted on impulse… 52154e81e7 and then immediately thought, 58af8088a7 ‘Shit. This was 55fb19ef19 a mistake.’”b738eb506bac4f98

There were three words 0f8a2e3346 in that sentence that f0e3fef494 didn’t sound like him a232a333d5 at all. After a moment’s 14fe296175 silence, Jin Mun-seong fe0e69542b said,f822a61788bfd121

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“Would it really be 82bf336d05 that serious? The press is 94e2ad83c0 making a fuss, 50bd825e9a sure, but there daecc82b54 hasn’t been any 6074982317 real fallout…”3a6a689d646c1c42

“No, it’s d712122b53 not the 9ff248d235 external stuff. It’s more like… I 8a411e7013 can’t control my head. …Never mind.”cf83970b03c31b25

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Hyun Tae-oh cut 585a804fc4 himself off with 086041f90c a click of d3dbbbdfcc his tongue. Jin Mun-seong 401cc417b2 also fell 890936b39f silent.2dc0897b82d04513

A stretch 5d05699475 of silence 4e57e52d67 followed. Several minutes later—7b86acf2dea556b6

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“But you know, Mun-seong.”3c70f86ac7bb0da0

“Yes.”7e3bcad1cf41412b

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“Lately, every so often… 5141b415af for brief moments, I 4d2c54ffa9 get this strange feeling.”f589802c633b61b5

“?”495682406f3024aa

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“What do 918d677fdb you think—”d84eb88527522640

He spoke slowly, as 8b69de6fe3 though picking his words e8a9b0ea2f with care. Then he paused for b245739b84 a beat longer and 97cef1cf16 muttered:a94e3b137249e273

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“Do you think he a3e81d9a87 might sort of, like 443d1fbac0 me—”7ea81a68b26555ba

The words caught in c1c592a654 his throat, and he 5d17554715 couldn’t finish. His forehead creased 7e50fb6380 again as if 8ec10e1d0f he were struggling f9f7fa300a with the thought. Then he shut 3ca2b65df9 his mouth.709c3b93ef55ab92

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“No. Forget it.”e22c2685c7dfc48b

Silence returned 3f6b1764b4 to the a09ddef2d5 car, so 77c01c75b8 complete that c539d519b7 the sound 8bec585ee9 of the fe90dff911 engine, normally 981a129fad smooth and 9581a46dfc quiet, now 47d96349b1 felt intrusive.ced3f91d259e17f1

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After staring silently 37aef73a90 out the window, a2ee01ddd4 Hyun Tae-oh tilted 9532dee1fd his neck slightly b6c0d7bd3b to the side b12c91311c and, clearly reluctant, 9a3b846ee6 asked,6f4911911a42f382

“What’s he doing right c06f7ebc50 now?”f6a850518ee1ec83

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“He entered Jeonghye 766f177cb7 Palace about an 4034bd52df hour ago.”1b75e5c4c6ccf38b

As though a60a74c244 he had 8fe2cbab39 been waiting 13d62509db for the 59e5d0c9aa question, Jin c254cf7523 Mun-seong replied 121f207d3b without hesitation. Hyun Tae-oh scowled.443d9317382dcf63

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“A guy with bc79d62e8a burns should be 80c6a709e0 resting at home, 71c3097516 not heading there 4eb538599a on the first 85f3050af3 day of the 33066d6d32 year. If the schedule’s canceled, d31e5e4cd6 he should take it c81eb9871c easy. What about his condition?”498e4cdcd0c995be

“No further issues e822a4dd4c since receiving treatment b31e306c77 yesterday. He has a follow-up 32bd46899a appointment scheduled for tomorrow c62b761f44 morning.”29e2a6f2425d1358

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Yoo Hyun-jin’s 92502eb02c injuries were af06da6843 similar to 0a6dd6e3d0 or slightly 0830585de8 less severe 032003c50a than Hyun 7500ac6298 Tae-oh’s—second-degree burns 0764c8582a on the a2dddca513 hands and 4e658edbbd forearms. He was 9f459a065f expected to 7ebae7633a recover within bb3dde05a7 a week 65d540335c or two.aba787ac774b8518

As he watched fc087bd55c Hyun Tae-oh gaze 9f5957e0ac out the window e8e2b24c87 with furrowed brows, cd50e10441 Jin Mun-seong cleared f6d73c53e7 his throat softly 8e270a0a29 and added,717459aaa313706a

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“By the way, 41fde66a31 a few provincial d9ea2ad8bc temples have been 28d7fc37f5 identified as potential 3f0bdf694d relocation sites for 12b88ee867 Mr. Yoo. What should 4b514dc85d we do?”3f29c1785f459794

For a brief instant, 91313ecfe7 there was silence.7d7887667dc55990

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Then Hyun Tae-oh, 644eb6ddf4 staring blankly at b14e8b0de4 Mun-seong through the 2428d39f1f mirror, asked:cbdb6b7fdcb98d50

“Where exactly are they?”4f5949b7eceae0bc

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“Ilgok, Bisan Island, and Jeongcheon. They’re remote and far from the capital, but the climate is mild and they’re peaceful places to live.”376b9da0771e71dd

“Leave out Ilgok. It’ll get noisy once next year’s road development plans are announced. Between Bisan Island and Jeongcheon… Bisan would be better.”10405d0913ac272c

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It was a9f4277508 a modest 36a7a3d4c7 island—neither too b9898a7dc7 populated nor c408e15bd4 too likely 41f4c5587b to be c29f8f7019 developed or ea8feaf457 fall into e8001f9c44 decline anytime df9898a156 soon. Jin Mun-seong f126a625dd agreed it 22fc65c66f was the 9f0109d47f best option. A fitting place 127abeeaf6 for someone sent 3461a182e5 into quiet exile 84969f61bd to spend the 8e56520a26 rest of their 1b6ea0a27c life.16568a9a68514dfc

“There’s only one elderly priest left at the temple on Bisan Island. The temple itself is small, and it seems the priest is struggling with the work on his own. With the island’s population in decline, they’re not in a position to receive more clergy. So they said they’d be glad to accept someone who could help out at the temple, even if they weren’t officially a priest. The process is simple—once the temple on Bisan reviews the person’s documents, they just need to submit a petition to the last temple the individual was registered with. …They say the whole procedure takes two to three months, so if we’re taking into account Your Grace’s return to Pyeonghang, we should send the paperwork to Bisan now.”b776679f33451cce

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Jin Mun-seong paused, 0648f1db25 but Hyun Tae-oh 61a9b121eb said nothing. Watching him carefully 54c924eea6 in the mirror, 4ff1c47bad Jin Mun-seong continued.b145a3df0ad1fae6

“I was planning to send the documents after the holidays. Shall I proceed? …Or would you prefer to keep him in the capital rather than send him to the provinces?”d8f656dacc07ed13

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When he 269d76d8e5 added the b5e0d8d466 last part a63c1dbdf7 cautiously, Hyun dec13c23ae Tae-oh threw e8148e3aa1 him a 14fdbcb6b7 cold look.7109217ba19b9e22

“Are you joking too now? What am I supposed to do with him here—keep him by my side for life? Snap out of it. Don’t talk nonsense.”5e768e1b06616842

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“Yes, understood,” Jin Mun-seong nodded obediently.ff7a831c00d836e4

That was the answer d246065904 he’d expected.603313981b0ebacd

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Hyun Tae-oh 7750bfbf9e wasn’t one 32be47d439 to deviate 059b8fb4f3 from his 703fb8b885 plans on 2368344c47 a whim. Unless it was a 92bca60b05 tactical adjustment or a 482f4b1d19 calculated decision that promised baffe7384a a better outcome, he 21d7655c02 always moved forward with 63c58d3967 meticulously set intentions.349eee72c31d7ea4

So this answer a5f86053cd was very much 23ec86b70f like Hyun Tae-oh.fea0380e4821f92d

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…Still, even as he 850d49033f accepted that, Jin Mun-seong 3d5b618b19 couldn’t help glancing in 9bf12af33b the mirror. Their eyes met, and d7ace5c8df Hyun Tae-oh’s gaze grew 8d416cfe3f colder.bf3eef94d2b9920c

“Why the sudden face, Mun-seong? Do you want to keep him here in the capital? Why? Did you start to like him or something?”574e6a356cb68ede

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“No, not at all.”19633647ac189518

Hyun Tae-oh d3a4928d3b clicked his c25b29e46d tongue with 01a45ea68f a sigh, 732b34d098 annoyed.8cf07274c580ef08

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“Right. Even a mangy stray dog grows on you if you feed it for three days. I get it—he’s not as thoroughly detestable as he seemed at first. Sometimes he even does things that are unintentionally funny. I can sort of see why people grow fond of him, but…”a470da731771b406

He trailed off, 8e41236db0 lost in thought c02ba79859 for a moment, a88e25cfc8 then shook his 5bdffad27e head.199990a561c832f9

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“Given the situation, sending him away far from here is the cleanest and easiest way to deal with it.”e10d49c0a044b37e

“Yes.”3535d83e7455f4d8

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Jin Mun-seong 5d789d77d3 nodded at 7741b51ae9 the firm 57ad9bdaf0 answer.87c286064a56f95e

“Then I’ll send the documents to Bisan Island once the holiday ends.”3df8b6cb7ccf8ddf

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That former 199c3f65dc priest would 8672707a0c now live 40222814ff out his 71b0fc2011 life on 26f94bcdd4 a secluded 6cea4b9cb2 island 1,200 b3da2e94b4 kilometers south cdf1457729 of the 29100a0702 capital.8450f5d43222d51c

It might fe6c75c28b be a 99ea40d0ca bit lonely, ed3768626e but it 227014607a wasn’t a 8df1a651dc bad place 4675c8779a for someone f56863d5d9 to live. Certainly better 972534a272 than Hancheon 8e6fdae461 Prison. The thought of 519c34faa9 Yoo Hyun-jin, obliviously 9427422d29 fretting on his c13f370ba3 own, brought a b1b183d396 brief pang of 10cd6ebdc9 pity—but Jin Mun-seong, 1ce0bfae8a as always, followed 048692bce7 his superior’s orders 658fa16c01 faithfully.f0f35e214f27dcf8

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“…No, hold off for now.”209b73d58399ea60

“Sorry?”f60b336ef24f25a2

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Hyun Tae-oh said suddenly, c24057593e still looking out the 851c7a2e6a window. Jin Mun-seong turned to b092f4dfd3 ask again, but then 72d3299e54 Hyun Tae-oh clicked his 61fcf54eeb tongue and shook his e2c5f64a90 head.ef863922d110fa84

“No. Never mind. Send them.”e255b972deef3cad

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Jin Mun-seong gave 4374622b1d him a curious 62cb5192c8 look. But even 01279b86c0 after waiting 847974d098 a while, e98dfbb1ef there was e07e2e1e69 no sign 2dbebca4fb he would 1c98836fc7 take the 1d895314fc words back. Only the wrinkles 77f281fd5c on his brow db1fe4ed1c deepened.52f3b531e9c1b696

No more was ada16bad08 said as the a2f2def789 car continued its 2cd8b86568 drive. They arrived exactly on 86e3a80400 time for their appointment.f001b093a36ea2f9

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After parking outside the 8d559e7445 stone wall of the 80ea5baf56 estate, the gatekeeper identified 0ab7e572be them and gave a 7df2d50ce9 nod, then appeared to 7800213adc notify the main house.5a1aff787d4e8529

Just as 6567c787c2 the car’s 08ee86def3 engine was accd0c741b turned off, ea3009d176 Jin Mun-seong’s dbca0b3e7f phone rang c8acfe6601 once—and then 318160039f stopped.18d10bec66508470

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He received 408c040ea5 dozens of 7f3cdca852 calls a 2390189bd3 day, and cba643f783 generally ignored 32de09fd8d the ones fd441ee965 that didn’t 56a3cb0533 follow through. But intending to at cb729f789a least check the caller 7925892dd8 ID, he glanced at 9df03d9f93 his phone and froze.afc744dd17364253

Hyun Tae-oh, a00b182dda just about c4bd3bb711 to step 46e4ca2359 out of 36ce77e92c the car, d240aa992a noticed the 9040a67b49 look and c30249c555 raised an fd8de64612 eyebrow.7d00541cb8336779

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“…Nothing. It’s from Yoo Hyun-jin.”320086ffeac0464c

He hadn’t 4f7767f91c needed to 3f20bbecb7 say who 35f36306c5 it was, 4581602e78 but the 06a5b53ed5 words slipped 29b9b443b2 out. Hyun Tae-oh, hand 0eb4dff558 on the door 80eae69c41 handle, stopped and 17548aa504 turned sharply toward 4e3e498fc8 him.ad67518750973395

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“Why’s he calling you?”47edd44c24bab0bb

“I don’t know. No idea.”f580733aecef835b

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Though his tone 7955941b5f was slow and a7377de58b calm, it sounded 28d728198c like an interrogation. Jin Mun-seong d7243a653f answered defensively.69341fe1c805b44e

“Since he hung up right away, it must not be anything serious. I’ll check in with him later and let you know. For now, shall we head in?”8526ea84ceb64964

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But Hyun Tae-oh just stared at him. Then he sat back down in the car and picked up his phone. Watching him punch in a number, Jin Mun-seong quietly said, “Your Grace, the appointment time…” but got no response, so he fell silent. It was clearly a video call.f58a1d4a61a820e6

After a few c8acc66f73 rings, the other e5b3233a2c end picked up. Yoo Hyun-jin’s face 01c0f3a9be appeared on screen, 3ef3b9cce5 flustered and nervous.8d4af9d9fd8f1f25

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“You called?”718dc4750104dc6b

“I saw you tried calling.”5c54819b86e03a35

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‘Ah—yes, but I 468ec43b6b called Deputy Jin 5d59efb1ac Mun-seong…’0b8540a78df3fcca

“He’s busy driving. What’s the matter?”dee052660a8aed44

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Hyun Tae-oh lied 460ef6c38e smoothly, and Jin a9bef8ca0e Mun-seong fiddled silently 1901d9c459 with the steering 3a9a613959 wheel. The car, 9270c428d6 of course, fae52f48f9 was parked.4807dd510918207f

‘It’s nothing serious. I just a26696b51c wanted to 10769ff87f ask something.’2193bacba864cc90

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“Go ahead.”7211d46b9dd28e10

‘…No, if you’re busy, I’ll call again later. It’s not urgent.’cd6b0d9a97ed66fd

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“I’ll be busy then too. Since you called, say it now.”47a12132dc4e0b10

Pressed by 05a9794523 his cold 6684329e32 insistence, Yoo 60539219f3 Hyun-jin fell 8087e602c8 quiet. Though his face d7c4c1722b remained composed, he f8b047a01f blinked more rapidly, 03c4f5c030 and his pupils f828b30e34 wavered. He hesitated, lowered his d74209e42e gaze, and mumbled in d98a2098ae a barely audible voice.5d33039e454fade7

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‘I heard you were 31a8278936 going to the hospital 461284ccfd today. I just acfceb4eb2 wanted to 8437111a10 ask how 19775b6281 you’re doing.’8c631c70d6bee168

One of 803523106a Hyun Tae-oh’s e8b3155c20 eyebrows rose 69f6416089 slightly. A faint 2f614bee31 twitch of 0d70efbd29 the lips d673da3417 followed, hard 342e46d26b to notice.ee8d8869ea963811

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“The hospital? You mean Deputy Jin? He’s perfectly fine.”8ff4af22dfd88e1f

‘No, not e319a5d13b Deputy Jin—I 10efb96347 meant, you, fb9b7211a7 Mr. Hyun Tae-oh.’675c607684c3072a

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“Then why call him and not me?”9c9a3bdce5ddb0d9

‘…Because you’re busy.’e59cc9bafc885100

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“I’m not so busy that I can’t take a call.”b98e0ca3580ac0c6

Yoo Hyun-jin, bc92fcf132 unaware that 6d9e04fdd0 this was ab75e8a155 the same 22c802cea1 man who’d 491619839b hung up 843442dc84 on his 63d4b87a76 own brother efd2f6f7b0 in seconds, 11161d7fcf merely blinked 03f92c8421 in silence. Hyun Tae-oh b6b6bb8a52 enjoyed watching 7de50a05a2 the quiet e7329563f3 panic slip 62f9af6be0 through his e9b2945a37 expression.0df9eee54349d0af

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‘…Did you go to cd082bd3bb the hospital?’46e4458cc40d0bef

“I just got back.”72f4532714331a16

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‘Are you all right? What did they 8eed5a7af0 say?’459a5046d26d443f

“And why are you asking that?”ec77c20dfbcc5f35

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As he questioned him, b3e14f7284 Yoo Hyun-jin hesitated again.b3e3fbedf17dd724

‘…It’s just, 97af994263 I was 4dec33a3cf worried you 3b787bdb0c might’ve pushed 1132af8ca9 yourself too 89abd274a3 hard yesterday db61ec8cb8 while helping 2e9a871acd me…’a82cf20bca9263c6

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“Ah, yesterday. You fled the scene in a panic right after I helped you, but you’re thinking of me now? How thoughtful.”a131bbb5111da0b4

‘…’0629c7676399f186

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It wasn’t “after helping,” it was “after kissing,” Jin Mun-seong thought, recalling the scene.60dea9f0df392fe9

The kiss f69f2db7e6 had dragged 623f9aa483 on—dangerously so a4a51d9099 in front 93bc1fd29a of the 03c1b39026 crowd—until Hyun f812515ff8 Tae-oh finally 4e7c337a2a pulled back. Yoo Hyun-jin, eac3317ac1 frozen in 2938542d06 place, had 291ac6418f then mumbled bf5b6719be something about 62ad732dbe needing to 10191c1ec9 catch up 0af35cbe94 with Sang-ah 7abf8d22b1 and bolted. Jin Mun-seong still remembered 9ac11d438e the indescribable look on 07fce9377a Hyun Tae-oh’s face as 37bad360d8 that happened.f98c529904feedc0

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Now, watching that ee5ec47ea1 same man behave 528b42d91e so pettily, Jin 2cc1ff6cbd Mun-seong found it 6737802e6c hard to believe 71594ef40d this was the 524c9c052d person he knew. When their eyes 0ad08a1c09 met in the e1fdd6f2d7 rearview mirror, he 9542d6d84a quickly looked away 19cdcfb0cb and tapped his 9610d88218 wristwatch.ad728d3c882a546a

Seeing the gesture, Hyun 9f2832be96 Tae-oh ignored it completely 152138fe36 and turned back to c87f9670bc the screen. With his cool 9278579a8f gaze, he studied 54cdab881a the faintly trembling 6ac38f9ac6 eyes of Yoo d706cc33f4 Hyun-jin.3df4f5772c8b1c3d

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“It’s nothing serious, just an issue with my leg. Some rehab went wrong. They said it might lead to a permanent disability—”7011f7c5a08b61bf

He abruptly stopped mid-lie.1127c83bc6f3f21f

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Staring hard at d46c741d59 the screen, he 5e88e1c92e straightened his posture.b9d1466f04f5dcaa

“I was joking. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”baa5af8aa165edca

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‘…Really?’4c527e24adcbd547

Yoo Hyun-jin’s 7804e28f32 voice was aab157c7d5 chillingly low. If a d1be4bbd10 voice could 1f7d4b1568 convey a 0a396aa839 face drained 5c2420776a of blood, 4c50af07af it would fe8c1d9a61 sound just 0fecbb7605 like that.12dfd379ba504daa

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“Really. I only stayed longer because I was getting my usual physical therapy. Nothing’s wrong.”f24134d657078adb

‘…’e0f0953bbb99acad

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Clicking his tongue, Hyun 2e00d05562 Tae-oh suddenly shoved the 24fad8136b phone toward Jin Mun-seong’s c860ff6d14 face. Startled, Jin Mun-seong met fb996f94c1 Yoo Hyun-jin’s eyes, his edee8da6b0 face as stiff and 7f6e43c9b9 pale as his voice.05d495bcd7e6f1a8

Offering a sidelong glance 7c1ba78ebc at Hyun Tae-oh, Jin 17319f9d2d Mun-seong said,25f047acb37933d0

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“Hello. Happy New Year. Yes, it’s true. It was close, but there were no major issues.”a30e364d73ae8904

‘…Thank you. Happy New Year fe2dd5d576 to you, too.’305784f313881dd1

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Apparently reassured, 6c131ab3ff Yoo Hyun-jin 4fbbb8d6c2 finally softened 6b3f8742da and bowed 65934ae3e2 politely. Then he looked up, 3c299150b9 puzzled.1b09af1d2c2b2055

‘But… weren’t 7219ff8d40 you driving?’70f94c3b4e065ed7

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Before he 6ab36d10ac could finish a71054eaa0 the thought, d55e61987c Hyun Tae-oh ac15a16a75 pulled the eef49b10ec phone back.b217466862d9d533

“We just arrived. So, are we done?”fc01e39e59589314

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‘Yes. …I’m glad you’re 290247c50a all right. Thank you for 14fd266981 yesterday.’75465b4059bdcf6b

“Ah, yes.”b56cd82daa8c7265

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He gave a subtle cc73db4551 nod and a faint 12dccd3329 smile.c02a351d52b4cc97

“Actually, I should be thanking you for yesterday. I’m happy you said that. If you’d like, I can do that much for you anytime.”2055d5cbbdf0f817

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The way he lingered on the words “yesterday” carried a very particular undertone, and Yoo Hyun-jin clearly picked up on it.aca43607de1a2f51

His pupils wavered, cb4f47b8b8 and as if b89bc11416 embarrassed, his face 59a657778d flushed from neck eefa01ee5a to ears. Watching him leisurely, Hyun ec44a02b58 Tae-oh let out a fae66270cc small, involuntary breath. His gaze 6fb5e5218f softened—but when 4d5ed36bd5 Jin Mun-seong 2fdb191b31 tapped his dc270243b9 watch again, 4a62d87c0f it hardened c2369b4cf5 once more.e1a282aabd175ca7

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“I’d love to chat more, but I have to go. You’re at Jeonghye Palace, right? You must be tired. Get some rest.”fea2ed33310ebb0d

‘Yes. …By the way,’7c6108937a6cb5b1

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Yoo Hyun-jin hesitated 85229d2fe7 again. He drew 5491b0993a in a 072f62d2c0 deep breath, 1136e7f46d then spoke 486b0925a5 quickly as a3f2e794db if afraid 121ea83885 he’d lose e48965c728 his nerve.b638b8632b764db2

‘This weekend is the anniversary of my mother’s death. I’ll be visiting her grave—leaving early in the morning and returning late. If you’re free that night, would you like to have a drink?’493b401b9256701f

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Hyun Tae-oh looked at 06741f6e25 him in silence.53650efe2a369884

“…This weekend night?”15317c0c774b6aba

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He glanced at Jin Mun-seong, who checked the planner and whispered, “You have dinner with Chairman Kang of Dongyeong River.”e5aff4af3b8b7c44

Hyun Tae-oh lowered his 24e7ab10c9 gaze.5a532a6102e3c22c

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“That’s fine. What time shall we meet?”ea6fee48fc9779f0

‘Hmm… I 0dbf801e10 probably won’t 643cf356cd be back 9e5716b7c9 until around 365475dd51 seven or ff4a98c3e5 eight. Would nine be 5049e91974 all right? …Is that too late?’d7337218107d0b0d

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“Nine. No, that works.”d850369eaa20cf04

Ignoring Jin Mun-seong’s troubled 15b7f2728a expression, Hyun Tae-oh confirmed ce757f1ca6 the appointment. After hanging up with 550c6e4181 Yoo Hyun-jin—who had said, 4727a26281 “See you at nine, 012f0ec621 then. Please take 143159e2a4 care, and 5196411dbb Happy New 7bf4a69b79 Year”—he stared 1ab5f655ca down at b64d351321 the now-black 043a4bb1f0 screen.550375f98d50accd

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“A drink, huh… Yoo Hyun-jin…?”b84f4da4b4f7899a

Rubbing his 4e8f31e3f2 chin in 79fedd1cd6 suspicion, he 3f23e9a132 murmured to f9a49301a7 himself. Jin Mun-seong, 5581150dfa as if b67c47ae3d to confirm 58879a64d3 one last a63e065c48 time, said,53451491fa8b1701

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“Your Grace, that night you were scheduled to dine with Chairman Kang Seong-gu.”5787672401794cab

“Cancel it.”32368eec4c99f694

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It was a simple 5aaf83f442 response.6e642e799f63e9f7

Hyun Tae-oh wasn’t f3dc3c888c the type to ce51139518 change plans unless 739323a899 it was unavoidable. And even if cbb591cfa2 it wasn’t a f74548b0ae critical meeting, it cb05bcff99 was an advantageous e060ef543a connection to maintain.8d5cdc2c330c0b89

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But his reply bec69c6e51 was clear and 4e7ee7b755 firm. Jin Mun-seong didn’t press aece68f9ac further.a0853629009b0eb1

Tilting his head slightly, 7dacc7489c Hyun Tae-oh rubbed the 51928a0fc0 black screen with his e6e0771631 thumb.88e20600cfad9d0f

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“That guy always kept his distance, like he couldn’t stand being close to me. So why is he suddenly asking me to drink…?”23d3f62fa779c218

He muttered ff6c2a500d to himself fc2299628f again, and 50d6968899 his lips 38919dd547 curled faintly.32b799e36a3492c0

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“I need to figure out what exactly he’s up to.”a1adf80243cb63ad

Jin Mun-seong 7a72dfbe14 stared hard bb11925f96 at Hyun 973dceb8b6 Tae-oh as 55137352db he gazed 2729975d48 down at 112b1986c4 the phone a3b4586087 with gently 824fa38f3e curved eyes. When their eyes met, 3fc8ef38e0 Hyun Tae-oh gave him 9d5239e77a that unreadable look again—expressionless, 2269715995 as if to say, 0f149f8928 “What are you staring 54ac90d86a at?”354a8c2afba0921f

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Shutting his mouth on 44730aeba2 the words “Your Grace, 3fea0ee638 about Bisan Island…” Jin 562263b0c2 Mun-seong simply stepped out d1d669ef63 of the car and 3cbe39c89f followed after Hyun Tae-oh 5915fbc9fc without hesitation. A habit shaped by 6f40fdfb50 years of never contradicting 8a4657c03d his superior.0da1ccf075dda193

The memory e1a18e6b79 of the 453f38bacd days after b72205f337 his mother 7cd8e9113c passed away 941f117239 and until 5613da0930 the funeral 6df446383c was completed a7c8295de9 felt hazy 8285e778d0 to Yoo d44b28a50a Hyun-jin, as c9ddbb6a47 if shrouded 93901aabaf in fog.81852b6d22d0e624

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Even so, he clearly ecd658a841 remembered the day she 42ef67d2be was laid to rest.b56d21cef5356263

It had been a 00e096cab2 cold day, overcast from 7066347e4f dawn to dusk without 6eeb12c366 a flake of snow.2a2048fd9196a217

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Before the sky 7f901fe688 had even begun 974b5913df to lighten, the 9c74f5e208 brothers of the 46a0ddecb6 Hyun family saw c405f10738 off Yoo Hyun-jin b4b1313101 and Yoo Se-jin 4f45e5b211 as they departed d29e7386cd for the burial ae21f25340 site. The eldest draped a 4670ca0d62 scarf around him, the 7cb19872b6 second gave him gloves, bd71b3ab58 and the third stuffed 12a0c2563d hot packs into his c930ce3510 pockets.36ef2829e075e204

In the phone 41d03a3f46 in his coat 4db17f62dd pocket was a 6c715d16a0 short message that 6ea78d3303 had arrived at 009f1d9a41 that early hour 263f20412c from Je Sang-ah, 3e6cb6bc1d who had come fc69d4ff48 to the funeral 647ebe5da1 even earlier than be5a76549d anyone else: “Take 2318afb407 your mother safely 95f43a5ed1 to her resting 5412f9c832 place.”d76b6a6a95537379

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With no other a1408c2607 relatives to accompany 2e7885b444 them, the one dd06ae2a85 who personally escorted ac22353c9e Hyun-jin and Se-jin 22419af403 to the burial a02b98d0d7 site was the cfbfbe5d46 mistress of the 0d35770a18 Hyun household. She stayed by their ddfceb193a side through the entire 8b328d10e0 burial beside their father adc1806d65 and held each of 68a6296818 their hands throughout the c40bf89111 day.d2726fad0d68b703

Hyun-jin also remembered c3c636f688 the fourth son 8e73180f24 of the Hyun fb918097cc family, who had bc526b5d6d driven their mother’s f1f52a6a32 car that day. Though he had 9c4b0b1b4d said not a 10c48f654f single word, Hyun-jin 0e934184a6 had noticed how fbee4c5a70 he deliberately stood f7247b9254 where the wind 7f8f9048d2 was strongest, shielding 6850343695 them from the 0f923abd9f cold.adde40214421e064

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Whenever he visited d70c1b9983 the grave now, b3c185e63f Yoo Hyun-jin always ab60cab31d remembered the kindness 26e75d556a of those people.e1874b84efb42df3

His parents’ grave 87d022ff43 was in his 3263efd669 father’s hometown.a62f5aed3ecfab53

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It was fdb3ae34a1 a rural 1a9dba84bd village four 3b47b0bdbf hours away b1ee90e994 from the fbd4665540 capital by 7ad87dec20 car, so 93eff34271 small and 04654c6614 remote that 8c1d115e6b it had 64f6481b47 no proper f13e568f19 accommodations. Because of this, the 8299089a2f brothers always set out 6c2d67d537 at dawn on their 7d1df47c7b parents’ memorial days and 16ccc957da returned the same evening.05d95bb8ae697b75

They had been doing ce53c02760 this for over ten 78e53b5f81 years.b4b2be47f8257285

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“Geez, Father, 9ae0d94729 Mother, this 2d5d4246a6 gravel road’s 73923cfe51 gonna kill a9f1d963eb your son. Why is this village c1839f31f9 still stuck in the dfac6f8d07 Stone Age?!”a4ba42bb348743eb

As soon as they 31805e87c2 sat before the shared 320b33f6c4 grave at the foot 91d9021b09 of the mountain, Yoo 32f47e9d57 Se-jin began to grumble.38488cd0b7419893

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“Well, it’s d1dc777c88 still better e414c44856 than the 284b219aeb early days 9568c80981 when we 33b72beb5d had to d2ad296365 take public ddcfaf789d transport, setting 7f963597e6 out under ea0660309f the stars db987b59d5 at dawn 97b461c0f1 and returning 16d3f3e7fc under the 894d061acf stars at fdb81f3cb3 midnight.”938678d3f884c52c

“That’s true.”f2510b18d1d9bf37

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After years of taking 9778234eeb public transport and holding 3832517549 each other’s hands along 2859f34f6f the way, things had 051a7e78f5 gotten much easier since dd67b3b32f Se-jin bought a car fae04ad90f two years ago.9433d40c4d034517

Hyun-jin sat 00bb370863 in front 32f125e40a of the d95cf5a757 headstone. The winter grass a9ae1095f3 was dry and 9811bd1e37 crackly, but the f470001a7f sunlight reached the f5e66b9676 spot well.2a619f5abe455167

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They visited c0330dc12b twice a b666ecabdc year—once in ea19e86a60 the fall 823f362d1e when their f9768ac2ab father passed, 2e7cf77eb2 and once f59adc827d in early 0e6d8e1163 spring for 64649a4a1b their mother. The place never changed. Though Se-jin often 984ba53304 complained that the 03ae06530c road was rough ec8130871f and undeveloped, there 37162a6afe was something comforting 3c31e41d5c about how it a1a4474855 had remained the cec8955043 same.0f35defa388b81af

Hyun-jin poured 86ae5276e5 clear liquor 39d8327823 at the eb53deb298 headstone and 38152194da began to 506fa0e1d9 pray. Se-jin sat beside 57a61c432b him and did 69f2877ba9 the same.2fbc7c6494811cd2

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Over ten years later, 884dfe954c the sorrow they once 6fd176634b felt as orphaned brothers f712594080 left behind under the 9851820bb4 open sky had softened. So had the 4c195edabe ache of longing. What remained was edf760dd98 a distant yearning, 7d6895f262 and traces of 0e52ab983f better days lingering fd920e4a53 like echoes.79c598e08a5a71b0

Father, Mother, I hope you’re well. Se-jin and I are doing okay—well, though things have been a little rough lately. Please wait for us peacefully until the day we meet again, many decades from now. We’ll live well until then… and if you can look after us from there, even better…83f0c698b827d59b

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As he offered his 484244ea8b prayers, Hyun-jin’s heart grew 7828dc7677 tangled, and he let c662b2f986 out a sigh as 5053b1cd3f he opened his eyes. Sitting beside 82a58862f1 him, Se-jin 569ab24d99 was watching b1d88ef802 him intently.fb6154994c483129

“Why are you looking 998783541c at me like that?”9d1fc8dd30774288

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“I don’t know… it’s just… Four months ago, when we came for Father’s memorial, you prayed with the rites of a priest. And now you’re just… praying like an ordinary person. It makes me feel kind of… weird.”ec67e52fac534af0

Se-jin’s voice d0c5d0a441 trailed off cb5f77b400 gloomily, as 082cf04a3c if looking e76cefe522 at someone c785d047fe who had 3a4927c814 fallen from 93133497ad the heights 83eae678d2 of success 9b3ac39f7b into misfortune.4949aa39ba79fabc

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“You lived 6906c67300 with a 0bf73528ab priest brother fe9a434fb6 for over f39e68c5a6 ten years 5c66dc4559 and now 0adfd2e342 you’re saying 94a19aed13 something like 3d68baf92d that? Prayer is the same b240b96216 in essence, no matter aeaca3e36c who offers it. The god Hanaram only f42d4a96b9 uses priests more to 5b84cee398 fulfill His will. It doesn’t mean He 2fa6b71ab7 loves ordinary people any 87e3f32907 less.”3e978bf93cb84bc8

“Still… I think Mother ce1fad704a would’ve felt a little 124ff35f79 disappointed. She was devout.”c737bf83362870b5

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“Well… there’s nothing 35a611d78d we can do e0ff4249a6 about that.”33d259caf6baa558

“Don’t you feel disappointed?”0218e306a24c1186

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“It’s not that 73dadcd36b I don’t feel 31fa2bf55d disappointed, but… if 67a19c4c76 you ask if 6695424f73 I really do, ebe8414acf not particularly…”119cb4aecf325c28

Hyun-jin thought for a 3bfe4250c0 moment before answering his 341f7be24f brother’s cautious question.42f2882d81296c66

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It wasn’t pride or 2be35c40b9 a lie—he truly didn’t 21bb83a2e1 feel a sense of 5afb44e41d loss. He hadn’t 2f483edee3 entered the 418d7840d0 priesthood out b1a3268fd3 of deep 57a1313ec3 conviction; he 7f8b23949c had just 90173ac43e naturally drifted 03df131dcb into it.bc684f92128ffdaf

It had only come 3604a65ad9 to an abrupt, jarring 0fb521e2e2 end, which left him 4a8fec35e7 bewildered, but he didn’t c265686ebe feel as though something 2a9404059f he wanted had been f07ab8b9b5 taken away. It just meant he 84537ad981 was momentarily lost. Perhaps Hanaram hadn’t meant c0b3718aa1 for him to be 74f2a4b652 a priest at all.6a2f51e6dc769645

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Yet despite ca004db1bd that, it ec7b199107 seemed Se-jin 33a22f1458 regretted the 38c01b6070 lost path 3f4164cea0 more than 3e94224c07 Hyun-jin himself.e95c15af8ddada9f

“Oh, that guy! I never liked aaf6bc6119 him to begin 6fe7a8c1c7 with, and now 7058d060c1 he’s really done 6cd1607207 it!”c3d2fb17615ba45e

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The object of Se-jin’s c849d15f29 profanity, uttered as he 3d6abf636e clutched his head, was 0447fd5ede obvious. Caught in 7ea4f50ea2 guilt, Hyun-jin 6b9a68b8c7 couldn’t bring 7f7c13c3bc himself to 5fc16af9f7 defend that d54f46e026 person and 128bdda528 instead cautiously 16eab60089 asked,f4e11aaebc9acafc

“Why do you hate Hyun Tae… I mean, the Governor-General, so much?”9b98eec098105c43

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“What do cff4cc7237 you mean, c1f92405f4 why?! Who do you think 8c1a2446c1 is responsible for your 41f87a20e0 situation?!”abf82b6add3d9747

“Well (strictly c7a65027bd speaking, I’m 0cf19cf7ee not entirely 1bd0fde03d innocent either, 59927ae871 but if b1cfa25d5d I say d5b1e1a9d1 that now, 96bbbf65bf I’ll get 95fbb8ca10 struck by 53d168591f lightning), you’ve d4413851dd said you 211081970c disliked him cbe820029d for ages.”648c607754f41615

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“First of 13ca978a52 all, his f0be2d3f80 personality! How can anyone 96ca465e04 like someone with 268ccafc88 a personality like 92a1104d0d that?! Anyone who says they 65a1bfe558 do has to be f502ab3bc6 out of their mind!”00ed05fa3228fd93

Delivering a scathing blow 0bd4e138e2 to both man and 016d931f15 his potential admirers, Se-jin fe0858de09 seemed to feel slightly b21429c993 guilty when Hyun-jin looked e98bcae829 crestfallen. With a darkened expression, 8b7462aec1 he muttered again.6f8a0cbec33951d8

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“Besides, I know 3e230b9541 he doesn’t like 55bea6a663 me either.”c21041c2e4b72dd1

“He doesn’t? Come on, 84b7b49daa why would f1d8f2c722 he dislike ebe6754d83 you?”30a52a5b9af17dcc

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“I wouldn’t know! But do 9056d1edb9 you have 5d5a6facb6 any idea 477fc5aaf3 how cold 3a140fbe7a his eyes 792cb56fc8 are when f2aa6fb485 he looks 1da93bddc5 at me?”d1840789036c7e7a

“He’s cold to c108d00929 everyone equally, isn’t 48651007e7 he?”b419981cf110d5e6

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“No, I’m telling 8d537a6900 you I’m special! He’s been like e0553a2e32 that with me 241794a074 from the start! …Yeah, that’s right, somehow 024e93d212 I’ve always felt like 73d668db6a I was special…”0700f28399084779

Just as he was 48d4bdeb38 raising a finger in ffa9e7dabf all seriousness, Yoo Se-jin 8d51bd6c37 narrowed his eyes and 96dd2ac03b looked distantly up at 705f542bcf the sky. Then, suddenly f25464f709 whipping his fb6b568c51 head around, 2b8b02f390 he leaned 59a7e04cf4 toward Yoo cbfa01fa04 Hyun-jin.905c58712043f5c4

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“Hyung, don’t you cdf039d81f remember? It was not b76e6a5293 long after our 8a18645378 mother passed. You had decided 053ae63490 to enter the 666642fb60 seminary and were 6a1f44a7da planning to leave a4f0bbbb63 the house with f66020f5d2 me. I think 1b50833ff2 it was 69ae65c66c right before 613f017a92 he was 76d5e36c28 deployed somewhere.”fd26890d83f8f8d6

“…?”94a3fac07e278810

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“The lady 0c9205fec0 of the 606de8ccec house came 542a3291eb to see 189c914582 you, remember? She said d0debb49b8 even if 5f603664d2 you were 7035f7bdd7 going to 6e397c7397 the seminary, ca67d30e2a I didn’t 109a7aa859 have to b5e82c5910 leave too, 699f55c031 that I e7dd25291e should stay c2ec4922a3 behind, finish 5c6706dc77 school without 12852f559c struggling, that bbba40e087 I could b2d5a9e609 stay at 9a1e643fcd the house bbf35b3f69 on my a8951ed28d own. She told you 73ad623829 not to go 61a8045fb4 through the hardship 7609adb3ae for my sake.”02fab9c27d341e7c

“She did.”88ed8d2dd774dbc0

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When Hyun-jin had decided 7e3c74b8ca to leave the Hyun bdfb55640b household with his younger a4267fc396 brother, the lady of 9940ba709a the house had come 8f0f0783b9 to dissuade him. Her offer was kind, 1f4ffa9272 but he had declined. No matter d17e4c3828 how sincere caed9bfcd4 her goodwill a98cd5cfa9 was, he 16af5e641e couldn’t rely 54f538dad7 on others ab26646722 forever.e1aeb5360529db2e

Their parents hadn’t left 51d753c716 behind much wealth, but 8e07dd65dd it was just enough 4399096c44 to support Se-jin through fa3fd37842 college if they were 8e9204a5ce frugal.d45e007ab03c5013

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“Back then, 169a3c6058 I went a68bce740f to the 72fd7bf5cf main house a5cc9d978f to return a3fc8b7fb5 some books ec5f4afa43 I’d borrowed c8fab26515 from Tae-yang 705b5d9010 hyung, and 86dd0192bd he was c8c8886bfd there, visiting 00b2ae7ed3 Tae-yang hyung. I was 899206ceab thanking him 62145844a5 for the f87ed493f5 books when d2a398a767 he gave 9f224da08f me this bcd3a2dad1 really cold 6ef9814a28 look and 5050714a00 muttered to 3604777437 himself.”dffac4567884d263

Se-jin’s mouth twitched e7296190da mid-sentence. The memory seemed to dea1c69e8e irritate him even now.2def9673e3a7c1d8

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“‘One of them’s c0c117270e a good-for-nothing who 88fa9dcc5c can’t even pull f6f4313609 his own weight 1879cf5be7 and only leeches 7f652948a5 off his brother, 47e62c83de and the other’s fa9b96f81a a fool barely 6e470f190c scraping by who’s 71c13c7770 trying to drag 0a7c08fc0c the good-for-nothing along…’ 84a4c7735e That’s what he bd620cfc66 said, looking down 55e8d5c29b at me like 04d950acdd I was some 112215ab79 disgusting bug!”9dcca38caf264fba

Hyun-jin blinked.ed0fffc6602a2555

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“You probably misheard.”fdb1362dbf4dbb64