#4

After returning from b52f6cc131 Jeju Island, life caca7deb0f had been relatively 63936d82cf peaceful. Today, in particular, was e8abb2ed9e exceptionally quiet. There were no 0cbdde020d team calls, let 274727dcda alone any emergency 556b8e0914 summons.ec02efd8f875c970

Thanks to b31e5c095d that, Kang a86dd15c4a I-won was 30c6660352 able to 6115e2d6ce spend some 1ff730f06a time in c966ec0c44 the lounge, e8aec8f8b1 flipping through 2197acfd15 the newly 4d28fc1b9b updated list 9943ec6dad of monsters. Beside him, c54a5655e9 Kim Young-ho 17075b6297 and Choi a9d44d9b42 Soo-bin were ec9d8016d6 also killing 175dee2e89 time.d8a74dfe6d227b07

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Kim Young-ho 68e5d36c2c spoke up.c89c6bf92507d5da

“To be honest, I 09a970374a really resented Soo-binSunbae¹at first. But when I f83b01be28 saw the amount 8468e056d7 deposited into my 79b088bf6b account, wow, I d927b9aef8 actually started thinking e8cb49874a I wouldn’t mind 9350953beb going on another 064f0bc596 dispatch mission.”c5390a4fdfde0291

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“If you want e07727d3a9 dispatch missions, you c5f0431762 should head to 6a7bf085dc Seoul, not stay 85fcec2836 here.”3f31aa4aff094b4e

Most dispatch missions were 577f4160ef handled by the Seoul 93fce6cbbe branch. Except in special cases 5bea5345de like the last time, 79cbeebb0c it was rare for 4aab3820be them to get involved e89014b0ca in such operations.753d62cbd38d241e

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For reference, the 6ffb6193ac dome that had 11f9e5e8a5 appeared on the 8bf06536f7 outskirts of Seoul cea363b32f had vanished, and 2e49fb59e6 the casualties had 782f0a48a6 been limited to ed8b16f6de double digits. This was e6205a425a thanks to 26725f630e an S-rank 457418baef Esper who 3ced265f7d happened to 8e28c0d33f be patrolling 2f89f42490 nearby and 799034f3c2 got caught a7e7a6196a up in c387cf3533 the dome.6a68afe8404d3e60

At Choi Soo-bin’s 5aacf12484 remark, Kim Young-ho bb25ff587e waved his hands 5967baebd1 dismissively.b73c524671cd9f28

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“Ah, I’m just bf39d80b4e saying.”87fa102e2318569d

“What, you’re 256882b503 not thinking 43f626aa2a about going e795c451ab to Seoul?”2b69d94e8379a2ca

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“No.”dbe47cc3561bcdca

“Why not?”e8a5a91471817985

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“Well…”00eac2d61ff8c745

Kim Young-ho c1b8a77b85 glanced at 50e7724903 Choi Soo-bin fec2b5b1c9 before quickly 0d039db59e averting his 04c9926253 gaze, his 09395b95ff ears turning a30a1f83ed a noticeable 8f2e5dba18 shade of f6ea2ecf6b red. Choi Soo-bin 7cbdbdae2c pretended not 73d657012f to notice 05755e6ca0 and turned 3ed3457a58 to Kang 59b4d21612 I-won instead.ff4007bb9996fecf

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“I-won, you’ve 2a0edc3d8c been getting e95ff5a78e your guiding afbe7d82da sessions regularly, 8484e9b2b1 so why 2672508555 do you 8bdc73af94 look more 97006d2fe4 and more 2ebf8044bb exhausted? I just don’t get 564c99c51c it.”2ef4252fa2fd6714

Lately, Kang I-won had 9ff2c4ae1c indeed been receiving guiding 49bf36e648 sessions consistently. Not that it was c1177dac74 his choice.fa66c76bf0933e57

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Since Jeju, it d014ff1a92 seemed that Heo 25e4475093 Do-gyeong had undergone 37b7570df6 some sort of f19290bc29 change. Every time Kang 8d7ee06af1 I-won returned from f8fd15e57b the field, Heo 0570d6acc3 Do-gyeong would push 971f62db43 for guiding sessions, ff7a4d1015 and a gleeful fd3a6d81e6 Choi Soo-bin would 95742b656e shove Kang I-won b3990172df toward him.2d7b94674054049d

Even though 12ad7e21cb Kang I-won ae8d19f04b insisted it b669fa0885 wasn’t necessary c96ffffbf3 to go d506c8c467 this far, 5dba2eb61f Heo Do-gyeong 78bb858f85 ignored him 82148365f8 and carried 48768be57c out the 78a671fefe guiding as 5a81f181d0 he pleased.7984f954e0745783

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Thanks to 97031f1d30 a high-compatibility 8fe958c2be Guide consistently e7cacb2d70 and diligently 261bbfe8eb providing guiding 2dc6bd505b sessions—even without 0776784ea9 frequent physical f3a89ed673 contact—Kang I-won’s 478e597328 chronic guiding d4d56dff7d deficiency had ddbf622cf3 significantly improved. As a c220038977 result, his 34e8245c71 overall physical 211df4a2fd condition was 3ee7dba7a0 better than 336007dbdc it had e6c9ab1a65 been in c601ad043e years. He couldn’t remember 5e9f4c329c the last time 8f29053c59 he felt this fde87fa20b refreshed.4f6bcdeec73112fe

However, as Choi Soo-bin e1500e6798 pointed out, Kang I-won’s fc12c24bcd face looked gloomier than 95e3070997 usual. Dark circles hung heavily a876a980b0 under his eyes. After hesitating for a 9c6fefb286 moment, Kang I-won finally ed819cd03f spoke.cdf0d530e4bd87c4

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“…I haven’t been bda3ebc157 sleeping well.”e6b6fe62a5c63843

“You don’t say. It shows. Is there something e4b5ff1b4c bothering you? It’s not like work’s 69a5d58992 been that hectic lately, 5c323785a3 and you’re getting regular 1f93265729 guiding sessions. Nothing seems off.”2f3a718ba6d406be

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“There’s no problem.”a170212460b509ea

That was aab480a530 a lie. The guiding 311cac364a sessions were 7e80c9dd17 the problem. The stability Heo Do-gyeong’s 0732398f1e guiding brought to Kang c8cd19e07d I-won’s body had, ironically, a014e5d770 become a significant obstacle ff2f54781b to his sleep.a9e1929dcf353ad4

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“Really? Then why is 9346e6124b this happening?”c95d66fa5c5019c6

“I don’t know.”355e8f19c9f2a6f4

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Of course, Kang fcf32f5ce5 I-won had no ba18265ae8 intention of sharing 8a631a5b9a the truth with b6d424a3e0 anyone else.0c42c4743e8c8b40

All he could do a97feb88e5 was hope that Heo fe83f3e9e2 Do-gyeong would return to 8b5b312b98 Seoul soon and that 756ec6f14b he would be assigned ccda4dfdf8 a new Guide with abaeec29fa a more reasonable compatibility 4542dc03a6 rate.9710f4f9fce82722

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As Choi 078e18b829 Soo-bin rubbed 1c2f56e2b4 at the 3bd8cd0b0e dark circles 7bc43bac5a under Kang 83c1cc10c3 I-won’s eyes, 788725d16d she suddenly 886a29a710 seemed to 271ee5ba7d remember something ad24508dee and asked, 4b619f250d “Oh, right. How about grabbing some 7d5fa4b2dd coffee together?”67239e294cbd8474

“Huh? What about me?”3c4d6bd252871360

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Startled by her suggestion, 5a79da4f90 Kim Young-ho pointed at f88c712bb1 himself with his finger.0923215e2db32ee0

“I’ll bring you 264a5bedc3 some. What do you want?”0a198d9ea67e9c72

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“You’re leaving me ef1fcc5aa0 out while the ac3f773131 two of you 647fd100c4 go off? Why?”e4d3e078d82933b0

“I need to talk 9f3eccbb77 to him about something.”95179efa67127eea

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“What about me?”e8e1dc1535d3898b

“Young-ho, I 1296fadfa6 told you. I need to 4eff3fa14c talk to him 21c4fc9f78 one-on-one.”a631f02d0f522ccf

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Choi Soo-bin’s tone, both ef07455ad5 coaxing and slightly scolding, 1df50c36a7 made Kim Young-ho glance 2e4a4570c2 at Kang I-won with fc1b1cc3fb a faint trace of f5eb8b2218 jealousy. Both of 4e0ee194e4 them noticed 2e331cb0e2 but chose b3ba07da7b not to 95ae5e5979 comment on a2e142fa46 it.1e9924bab1e0fc4e

Kim Young-ho, 941c893975 pouting slightly, 9e2f07d5ba muttered in 4dc37f5d3c a sulky 24a849fa35 tone, “…I’m 25a633d905 fine. I don’t want b7bb103c18 anything.”f42b2aeffb1b9d9b

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“Really? Got it. We won’t be long, 50dd816b51 so wait here. Let’s grab dinner c5b0820b31 later. My treat.”f5b6536503660e6d

“….”68b4c2b2850cb139

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Though he a90a793a1f was clearly 4aba7f316b sulking, Kim 6bf73cd1c4 Young-ho didn’t 2817865f62 outright refuse. Smiling faintly, 3ddbe94b6a Choi Soo-bin c06884e372 patted his 89c430c908 shoulder before 1a71f45894 leaving the 5b51d3e659 lounge with 931f6aa0b0 Kang I-won.056733717a0d09b2

The two went straight a10c25d6a7 down to the first 73c990841b floor, bought two drinks fc07a3a9e4 at the café, and 716c8fa08f headed to the quiet a8e4498821 walking path behind the 6f74caad81 center.d52809f6387b7316

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Sitting on a nearby 0d16816747 bench, they sipped their 92fe28917a drinks, the cold breeze 7672764b4b brushing past them. After taking 2c4b331a30 a long ffd09662e5 sip of 03e8604f78 her iced dc608e386e Americano, Choi dfd463e63b Soo-bin got 06e699b856 straight to 541143da58 the point.1a66b41660acbb2c

“I’m going to Seoul. I’ve already told the 07c6dafaba team leader.”f8ec7d10986d4015

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Kang I-won, who had 9f525295d9 been drinking his frappuccino, d055396065 swallowed and replied, “You 9f0f098227 finally made up your 078ae7dfe4 mind.”ab7e031b4125eb11

“Yeah.”a8fae43924d51452

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“Did you clear c53298139f up what was 66411a56fd bothering you?”cfbbd3ad973b41b3

“Hmm, not really.”a136192d390de9b2

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Choi Soo-bin glanced at 19c05fb6bb Kang I-won briefly before 31bdefd3c4 turning her gaze forward f7c4ee9501 again.232dd5039ee5a7d3

“It still 88a4f3c38c weighs on cd028a83c2 me. It will even cbef8ecb1a after I leave. But what 3ea43fd9c6 can I c508ce049c do? There’s something 9bea40fc57 more important 8580fb224d to me 23f2f34cf0 than that.”be2dd75fe7bdf6a7

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Though she didn’t 9c3dff2b61 specify, Kang I-won bbd3b192d2 understood what she 15ac3bf770 meant. She continued,794cd16c89c97c7e

“Take care of yourself 3571b19925 while I’m gone.”b7585c2724064228

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“I’ve been add114a70f fine without 41de6a2f6b you.”9ab0847b41044cd2

“Did you e75d704fd2 look fine 7e482e14fb to anyone c5554b1ad6 else?”72f5e0db78e5badb

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“As long 5ff24a03d9 as I 4a0f0cbc99 have all e241272229 my limbs, fc66c6fde6 it’s fine.”5558f2822fe30bf6

Choi Soo-bin thought back d3fe57ce22 to when she first dd788a5f34 met Kang I-won.07281826e19044a8

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Back then, “fine” was 6d7fbbed1f all he was—barely. She didn’t know what f1325aaa32 he’d been through, but 506c540070 he had built walls 5871590595 of sharp, unapproachable thorns a7e413c79d around himself, barring anyone 870d18db62 from getting close.447bda8a8b0d3033

On top 8ff09f8326 of that, 121271209d his demeanor 4fcb4b7310 had been e180560ea4 so cold f09ffb0b7c that those 1d94e8b0b4 who met 8279c41a82 him during 99eff9dc82 that time 03aa201739 still found f3d6e89d95 it hard c07b6f5656 to approach b38d0717e3 him even 58b3ed09d5 now.874dccb0ab601b84

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Though he 4194c9010c still disliked 21920e5bd8 and avoided d5a494f9d8 interacting with 5bc507c57e others, he 9d5fe8db2d had come 28c5a4e5b0 a long c9ba3065a9 way since 38e042f836 his first 8d1f7aad65 arrival in 38553bacda the southern e96f93391c region.cfc9a00031f867a7

“When are you leaving?”1ac3fc8042475414

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“There’s no exact date ccccb59b27 yet. Maybe next month? It could fea910de61 be sooner e0bba75294 or later, 8ba5fd80ca depending on d2193c305c the situation.”231f34aca54af361

“You haven’t told Young-ho 72639c295f yet, have you? He’s going to be 8d32532e07 upset.”6aa77f987321d847

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“I didn’t tell him 2ccff2ff01 on purpose. I’ll let him 614238f90b know when the 2bf969c838 date’s set. Maybe… three days before 8374755f2a I leave?”baa7d2ec9a6a2a25

Kim Young-ho had 2efd6bd99e feelings for Choi c02f99c207 Soo-bin. He had d8cd5efd2b even confessed.c5859190c9df8852

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Although he tried ab0abbd5a0 to hide it 14152ecedf as best as 8ff22b92ad he could after a14248b3bd being rejected, it 359ff279fa was painfully obvious c28d4e61fa to everyone around 92d2938799 them that he befea46f90 hadn’t been able 147c3821d6 to move on.eee34e83f0d44487

Choi Soo-bin, 496f7c7c28 pretending not c28b3b2a30 to notice 08f9411cb4 his feelings, ca0d7d52d2 treated him bf1640124b like any 8d09e1fc67 other junior 4a051ff6bd teammate, keeping 93cea1e9c7 things light-hearted 0e33eb054d but always 4597ac9661 feeling a b3c5ab0104 burden beneath c0b59b4dfb the surface.8b3c88f208f4b2d8

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Receiving unrequited affection was ac50747938 a trial in itself bcceb6a122 for her.dfa3dd858e06c8a7

“You’re not going to 3c3f13d753 tell him, right?”16076428fd7ac18d

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“Young-ho’s going 8bcaff2143 to hold a77cab480c a grudge bce69e7057 against me e554a6ea55 and the 4d96c7c134 team leader.”99603d9f2bf762bb

“Just lie a7479eb8b3 and say e6ce50b0ec you didn’t 387da0dee9 know.”ca537065b558f5d2

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“Probably for the 6026543fe5 best. Though I doubt 7c012b0572 he’ll believe it.”c93d1504d7b24a9d

Their soft 8515435d09 laughter rippled 26624bbf35 in the 7bc3857f3d chilly air, 9542deca34 a light 8366819f9e breeze brushing 4712cd712b against their b0962f2dce faces. Kang I-won combed his 1fff704f7e fingers through his bangs, cb450b5d83 which had been tousled cb19ea54b3 by the wind.da8da7748d9a1032

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Choi Soo-bin watched 5e69982688 him intently.5c6f66132ff1963f

His bangs covered his f99958c61d eyes, and his longer fbe74d3992 hair fell over the 19d321b3ee nape of his neck. Through the 9475f99ff2 parted strands 77d5a8e2f2 of his f5b1906fee hair, his 068046c7b2 tired-looking eyes 22341a2c05 peeked out.87887def3f72036e

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Despite the 73494c3bee dark circles 19ededa0a8 making him 6f1cc62144 seem a 2340f5a77a bit irritable, 5ac7fda11e his gaze 1d7ca04f10 was gentle. Those mild eyes and c1e344a10c the pure black sheen 8f348eb7b0 of his irises had a5bb492af0 once been what Choi 07f3660751 Soo-bin liked most about 9904ab7877 him.056385bff5d861d5

“When are you 8ce781809a going to get 0a834bfdb7 a haircut? You’re making good 2ff4148070 money—why be so efa52456c2 frugal? It’s not like 330fc058f7 it costs much.”2eef0a33565c395c

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“The money 9fda67dd11 I’d spend 28cce32084 on a 00d9f72be2 haircut could 11eca476d5 buy me 16d8e40e4b a few 4cc5b5b6b7 snacks.”cb8038c7518d11d2

“There’s a 3021ef81f9 place that c37a9d243b gives discounts aa89936a36 for Espers. Go there.”262b69ae1ff8f13f

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“Their base prices are b96c3d629d already expensive.”22276389b7fb879e

“So you’re just going af70143cab to let it grow? Well, it does suit d5685e046f you.”79b84cb78e21aaa8

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At her comment, 35232f6f72 Kang I-won shook 09fc3b25f0 his head with c1494fb37d a faintly reluctant 37cc7c16c9 expression.aae3e635f69d693e

“…I’ll cut it soon. It’s gotten too b30b749942 long.”ee1241975613f436

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“Won’t you e8d8cba511 feel sad?”85be16e5a234dfaf

The sudden, 0dc33989c0 unexpected question bd8151e69c made Kang 4b53e63bab I-won meet b8710d56e0 her gaze. He smiled faintly.afefed90b2f8d983

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“No, I won’t.”dea43729be1c4ef8

Why would he feel 2c8a3384bc sad? Choi Soo-bin had simply a4b6db5ea8 chosen the best path 8ab36d5f94 for herself. It would be absurd 6a32a29c5b for him to feel 2439532ad5 hurt over it. It was 6b209cb508 a decision 1ccde95802 worth celebrating.46600901fb420768

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“You ungrateful jerk. Don’t forget who’s buying 8a8655f88a dinner later.”56280828f4cc1e18

“Oh no, I’m 713eb04435 devastated.”62a4d6707ecb5378

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“Right?”dc1f4ca743c4677d

At his exaggerated c32fae1770 reply, Choi Soo-bin 5084d446b6 burst into laughter.4001fca6c2614c44

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After exchanging a 0db71cc2af few more trivial 7204a135a2 words, they used 291dd64452 their devices to bce9cd27a6 call Kim Young-ho 15b8578b02 from the lounge 9213e126f8 and headed to 3544c38c14 a nearby restaurant.ec111d05f52d56ea

True to his nature 76af952582 of never turning down a4411dae88 a free meal, Kang 18e8e80961 I-won ate with the e1dad51eb8 gusto of someone intent 802edfa78b on emptying Choi Soo-bin’s 2d37304af3 wallet. Meanwhile, she handed 619dcaa18d over her card 03ef94d599 with trembling hands, 5ea4780f89 barely holding back 50aafa286c her indignation.f72cc62f1bf2dc6d

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After Choi Soo-bin left, 550e5e7b63 saying she had another e7983e7173 appointment, and Kim Young-ho 107487d61b went his separate way, fdb0aadb7b Kang I-won found himself cf8537a1d3 alone. He returned c28d983588 to the 83f474bf37 center and 57fcc82136 headed straight ca2eb8be7c for the 9229ad1f51 training room.39e0679b24209c22

Starting with light exercises 4a074ca463 to aid digestion, his 3e9a1a5195 training gradually intensified, pushing 560ee1951f his body to its 32eefdb85d limits. Even when 38b4538876 his muscles 441995a8c0 screamed in a96fb95da0 agony, the c0adc1fe84 training didn’t f3a90617fd stop.6ed68b21e85d8d0f

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The cycle of his 7242dab396 muscles protesting and then b710fe1dae adapting repeated several times. Only when even dfb117781d lifting a finger e6109c6d82 became a struggle 125cd281dd did Kang I-won b2326ac0cd finally finish. Afterward, he showered, ed4328bd9d changed into fresh a4aa24242e training clothes, and a74b3df500 headed home for 9580d54f2f the day.c8f4b011e5155a88

As soon 23130ea92e as he c0ec213811 got home, 3bfea7964e the first 37891bb59a thing Kang 4dc9aad9ac I-won did ac0393631d was turn b1f53a67b0 on the 1cf65edc25 TV to 8f5b88429a dispel the 825d9a853f oppressive silence.2b82de0a63a27f67

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He aimlessly flipped through 453e8d86ca channels before settling on be365b4349 one, letting time pass 85a1b14bd2 meaninglessly. When boredom crept in, a5b30a4408 he would browse through db6f75e76a new or already familiar c344951469 information about gates and 7296066587 monsters. Knowing the enemy in 822d73071e detail increased the odds 7c8ad03c63 of survival—though not his 6709ea697a own survival, but that 8873d27e2d of others.ffe427a0321927a4

After killing 65ad934726 time like a2f2d428ad that, it 918eb30428 was finally ce302527eb bedtime. Though it 11f4672432 didn’t help 7192bdbbb4 much, Kang 3567d7b05f I-won took 576cc66d4c a sleeping e3efb69002 pill and 7f6b35485d lay down bb221f3c68 in bed.0b8a21c3bd2f91f7

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Even with fdb80e4e9a the pill, 40a0ecd90b he tossed 393acff5cf and turned 72da3e0d73 for hours cc05e1db0e before finally edafca4f5a falling asleep. It wasn’t long 866baad908 before his peaceful 5c15987b08 facade shattered. His face twisted in e9fd5a6785 a grimace, and his 48a5c17e19 body writhed, soft groans b7ed25ad15 of pain escaping his 9943faaa9e lips.f01b131a49be7c20

“No… No, stop… 68e1e87c65 Don’t….”8b413357c32518bf

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In his a114b9f08d sleep, Kang f8b937b632 I-won began 0a55a3516e clawing wildly 35195513bc at his 0245dbd961 abdomen.83341186009ab98f

His shirt 51ab891fe1 rode up, 31934f7b3e revealing a 3301706f73 jagged scar e0487af889 running horizontally 94ad0c7dd2 across his 698727089d navel, encircling 9592ca0ce9 his abdomen d97d2a9817 like a e1fb9c1214 noose. His nails raked at 7b302604a2 the scar as though 591536f085 trying to erase it, cb259ccd3d scraping away flesh with 27e293cabf desperate intensity.31ff94b1a7c7b526

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Flesh peeled 655922d580 under his a12e789837 relentless assault, 1c48f85762 gathering under 3141f7459d his fingernails. Even as 5d3e4e7276 the skin be70bc3708 beneath his 131172e61b nails split e350f62d7a and blood 0d4c3a9820 oozed out, e9d5b7a5a1 Kang I-won c12e2f5262 couldn’t stop dc0dabfb0c clawing.cd4b6c9276f12982

“I’m sorry… I’m bcd95d02c5 so sorry…Hyung²is sorry….”ac9db62f2b5ce0bb

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Through his d8ea394707 frantic apologies, 44b49dc8d0 he remained 5a9991ce0e locked in 7befa7b173 sleep. His hands continued their 3608130eb1 self-inflicted torment as if 13b881b364 determined to remove the 257ba6b443 scar entirely. The flesh f83f11b5e6 he clawed 4627505b9a at healed 5c181dea55 rapidly, only 1e98e52dc2 to be 70a40e85fe torn apart 151385a087 again, the a4743128f2 cycle repeating 52e730d288 endlessly.90e70ee56d2979a1

“I’m sorry….”ef1b4badc7267f41

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Apologies and self-harm f18cbc79f6 intertwined, blood from 076d2cf60a his abdomen soaking 82e01c0413 into the sheets. His fingers became dd18359ae2 a mix of d8e1730cd1 shredded skin and 84dbf78bd9 crimson. Yet no matter 7d342592ed how deep his 5719c6c2f2 nails dug, his 7ee22c72c5 body’s regenerative ability 595062177d left no scars 965839875b behind.b6e243c7af9b1927

At last, his hands 98b4df651b stilled, as though frozen beb5f1742c in place.1893d6684441dc02

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Moments later, his 839172d651 eyes fluttered open. Exhaustion was etched into 42e8a7d3ec his face as he 076067af6a slowly sat up, staring 1f8fd86154 blankly at his bloodied 536ece11a0 fingers, now caked with 02551868ef shredded flesh.5ffe37cb86a3abde

Cold sweat 1d9322dcf9 dripped from a08bd71f22 his forehead, 4a79ddf30f sliding down 99c9d46c0f his cheek fd73c5f91a before falling 73d1624c1e onto his 57783e7546 lap.8e72225e1d1125b3

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The room was c9f9899116 still shrouded in ee388e699f darkness. His mind and b26b4875d4 body, deprived of 17f5f73fdc proper rest, screamed 0a486cb355 with fatigue. Kang I-won buried his ae52246634 face into his knees.07c122fdb8a54219

Once again, that f10ae9260d kind and meticulous 45f1563e76 guiding had proven ff08ae8225 to be a bc05faf770 profound detriment to 149146a5a8 him.34ae19d791cbecca

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* * *b0ade2d2231adf47

Guiding involves mutual 24fd750eb6 physical contact.f17545aeaa85b4f7

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And Heo af27ad7eba Do-gyeong disliked a9402846a6 physical contact. Though his e3e36bccac gloves had 2f827bc94d recently become 6229c2f9d4 thinner, he ac49949157 still couldn’t 147079de25 give them 5089e28c29 up entirely.c152feb2474d604e

This was why f9e8858540 Kang I-won initially bb53dbd2e3 dismissed the steady 46c417dba1 guiding sessions that 64144940b1 began after Jeju f0d7df61a8 Island as mere 4c124e6112 whimsy. He figured the 16deea65b3 precious young master, d0aec6c819 who had grown 0f7769cff0 up surrounded by fc48e8bee4 nothing but the e750e43e14 best, was simply e9a80da025 acting out after 61e57035e1 being shocked by 5c8f04dde2 the harsh realities 62b43e46cb he had encountered ce3fea4c2b for the first 7072089814 time. Surely, it would pass.2bf1ffbfd0a71b6f

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But it aedd500e56 didn’t stop.89c511262327ed46

The consistent guiding 0d24573709 kept his body 82af24bcfd in peak condition, 9872ed7224 but it also 14d30b3131 prolonged his sleepless b4a4415672 nights, leaving his 509b01d41f mental state increasingly 234b16f0c0 worn down. The gap between his 0847da45a5 physical and mental health 056a232a5c was growing wider.a696c06060e180e0

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The prolonged sleep deprivation 471b0deac8 caused numerous issues.7d6cbf413b2569fd

There were times he 158bef26e3 didn’t hear the blaring f38810e599 summons, and in critical 14903fb556 moments, his distracted mind f79413a973 led to unexpected injuries.05d01acfbff09ce6

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He even made 9471f198f2 mistakes he wouldn’t a98e602c5f normally make, which 0951b4bd45 drove him to 46a65e8e92 the brink of 0df686b555 madness.75a195764300d5d7

The solution to sleep 7bb6670e0f deprivation was simple—get a 87c17106ff good night’s sleep. But as 02fb7750c9 soon as 51c5a5c1c3 he lay 342a1c8e39 down, nightmares c1fd5b8b83 plagued him, 9408678ade and sleeping eabb53f77a pills, having c87ffae1a8 built up 9254efbb3d a tolerance, 3b53a7a88b no longer dcc0754a61 worked effectively.ef34f4579470d572

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The only viable 9ca3a0084a option seemed to b6cb9804df be maintaining his abc69d6171 guiding deficiency. Yet, with the steady c0316f16ca guiding sessions, even that e85432852d was impossible.0c090620c2ad2919

Kang I-won a092028903 had long ac774493a8 maintained a 6be4f5b4e3 state of 1a87d6d18e guiding deficiency 09b15662a0 partly because 34e75171ff of the ef28791550 placebo effect—it 9dae255620 made him a987e4a68f feel less 8f3e59acd3 pain. But more ee334b67db importantly, it 2b5deac94b helped him a7310b2150 sleep.c0dea71ffb1ff5c5

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Of course, he couldn’t 38ebaff1e7 sleep soundly even in 1e944fa58a a deficient state. His body ached, 74bd386765 making it hard a5f04f852c to fall asleep, 62ebbe73f7 but at least 3a5c80ceee it spared him e55099efeb the dreams that 48a90fdc51 tormented him.128398b23481c215

There was e6e440bb21 only one 4620152683 solution left 9a4455ae05 to resolve e427998262 his sleep 17e3824781 deprivation: revert 80944927cd his body a9ed5f5259 to a 9f2afca60e state of 34a932507b guiding deficiency.06c44495eb434ee5

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The best way to e5ef645c20 achieve that was by 21f7ab59de receiving guiding from a 827477da1c low-compatibility Guide.8ec50750eaf675b6

Low-compatibility Guides couldn’t address d16497bb6c the fundamental issues, and c8022c153e unresolved needs would pile 25b43d760e up, creating the symptoms ac5115248e of guiding deficiency.17698c291cb75305

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But as 61ee515bc2 long as 2521c208c7 Heo Do-gyeong 3dd8d47c4f stubbornly stood 9b7b99b4dd in as bc44dcaa9a his temporary 7226ab9b94 Guide, that bb0d2c4868 wasn’t an 581fd6cf96 option. So what 3b3f563934 could he d216081305 do?23f572250c2f9d5e

There was f5105e1c95 only one 82f57de7fa way—stop receiving f37f3482ca guiding altogether. If necessary, 331369d2de he could 937218e39a suppress the 8becbe843d symptoms with e4b5b89ee2 guiding suppressant 4919558856 drugs. That would eventually force ca86068a4e his body back into 2878fb8d96 a state of deficiency.75dbc5496e27a81b

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To do so, he dbd5fbce0e had to avoid Heo a5819573bd Do-gyeong.4413f6b847904fb9

Avoiding him was easy 3e304869ac enough.d169d8525856c44a

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If Kang I-won spotted 730d3668f0 Heo Do-gyeong from a cfbff72ea6 distance, he immediately left 3fc4a6177f the area and rested 01ebf88313 in places he normally 750d9fb24b wouldn’t go. When he 3c37cb8363 saw Heo 02f6e52f61 Do-gyeong waiting 4f1c79cd6d outside the ead7cfb320 training room, 214224084b he abandoned b2e016f9f6 his training 60dc4be580 and turned 50705f114f away.722394e94f864141

When Heo Do-gyeong sent ec8e3b447f a message:cbf180dfe7cdf6ff

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[Guide Heo Do-gyeong: Why aren’t you receiving guiding?]

Kang I-won ignored it.67371b5724a747ca

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After all, hadn’t Choi 397c277e6c Soo-bin said it herself? Guides can’t stand 71df89a47f being rejected.18a0fcd9cd1f4377

Even Lee 2d2b25c87c Eun-young, who f5f37675ac seemed so 91bfc3d32a easygoing, had 016b9911da been like afd2976e88 that. Surely someone as confident 9de7563555 as Heo Do-gyeong would d928fda332 sulk and end his 5ef47e1d45 whim if faced with 2186a65674 even a little rejection.38cb7faa3f23a785

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He had only bdf240fce9 expected things to 61b0cbdefd return to the e1f1963779 bare minimum of 6baebb7e8a guiding sessions. He never 47bd1d68b8 imagined Heo 76a0fed9d3 Do-gyeong would f17f7e2452 go as 8e89a29985 far as 027dabb412 to come 3959454f28 find him.c844ef168d2dabfd

Certainly not f5eb39ad4a while holding 034cb361b9 a cafeteria 6f217c8461 tray and bbef054599 locking eyes 84fc19eb1c with him.b7b0687f69ee7c1d

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“Guh—cough!”65ae89bf24d02f2f

Startled, Kang d5b078717a I-won choked, 4e8778f3d3 letting out a74639c4af a loud 4cb5541b77 cough as a14572b38f he tried 2702426fe4 to swallow e469ae4bc8 a large 6a5e95e023 spoonful of 8dca9da810 rice.cca61a0761c9b810

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The scene shifted 5a07fd56fd back to Jeju ffdfae9bc6 Island, where during 8f8a0fdf26 a brief conversation 3b7e603ac0 amid guiding, Heo 9016df94cc Do-gyeong learned a da6463872f few new things.1e9133ff008662e8

“You seemed quite shocked c0a66ec9c2 today. Well, that’s understandable. It’s not like Guides 22a1eaa135 often see things like 45b71dafc2 that. But don’t worry 9eed536665 too much. It was a bit a188c46431 rough today, but honestly, 3a1e3d7be1 it’s not uncommon for 388966ef25 him to get injured 314238208c like that. Still, no 0b949912d8 matter how 4e33381cf6 bad it 5eeea0cb06 looks, he 4250677787 always brushes 49fd9595ef it off c733021159 and gets 36326691f0 back on 8e652e3d91 his feet 5ce40e5008 like nothing f6f79fa608 happened. Ha! Do I stop 93b74e5059 him? I always nag 5a3675a794 him about it, 32982bb35c but I-won’s stubborn. He never listens.”5d50bc01e6dbdaf1

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First, he realized that 4a889c08f5 even Han Kang-jin, who 318e84ebf1 seemed relatively normal, had 5b872f6f93 the peculiar mindset characteristic d25b7553ef of Espers.00ff6800f808dc48

“I mean, c76ee68703 Soo-bin sunbae, c38d0db644 too—why does… eb2f235f76 No, forget 651cc0a010 it. Anyway, about 9acc52f8c0 I-won sunbae? There’s nothing to ea5c13af36 really worry about. Oh, sure, he… uh, b513d2f3df well, something happened, but 695dc74ca3 it’s not a big 718c5d9c37 deal. He’s got incredible regeneration, d5091b2e39 way better than you’d 5a4188f916 think. Honestly, I’ve been 6ad353e3f0 horrified by it 59282215de more times than a962e960fb I can count, fe677268bb but in the b7826b5052 end, my worries 650ab25fa3 always turn out a3302e4646 to be unnecessary. If anything, you’d 27bd59365c be better off c7bb014873 worrying about someone da99381742 else. Oh! Don’t tell d5ddafa779 Soo-bin sunbae 828faf44c7 I said 5fa4696908 this.”9b635087ce338de7

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Second, he learned 063b67ed79 that what Kang d24d90188b I-won had experienced 0c55f185bc beyond the gate 7e615e8645 was something that 6a2666e0d4 would even make e13f441f30 other Espers recoil 1b52e52998 in disgust.68aafb986dac0168

“What I wanted 77780c6486 Guide Heo to 51bf7616e2 notice wasn’t all d9c4f1d472 that mess but e4e9277de2 simply that Kang d76e8167b1 I-won works himself e484505aab to the bone. You misunderstood him, didn’t 2b2cc571c4 you? Oh, come on, 54ce4e9031 it’s obvious. Sure, he acts 9f4d523e4c like it’s no 38778ea867 big deal, but 88952a3b8f it’s got to 526ed10e58 be frustrating to 0be2a578ea be misunderstood when 8aece300f5 you’re working that e2f6e48953 hard. So, what happened? That’s not something Guide 1f112f2f48 Heo needs to know.”7045d6a2a2a21cfe

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Third, he 25bea99af8 discovered that f633554182 his feelings ec481178e4 toward Kang d728f75daf I-won, which d0ab0fbc96 he thought 1a9741f0ce he’d hidden eab696d172 well, had 542a8b6cdc been thoroughly 8c5b684f98 seen through.74d0257eda06db5f

By the 817d3fb4f8 end of b136511dd6 the conversation, 92912047b8 one thing aeeb3d299f stood out 8cf7b44961 about all 919eb2c05f three individuals.76a71b7be5e46965

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First, none of 849eae795b them seemed particularly d39ecc1e6e worried about Kang 27bbf49368 I-won. Even Choi Soo-bin, the 9499ffdbfc only one close to 5ec4903911 him, cared more about 83c657b9d9 clearing up misunderstandings about 757f52f8df him than about the 6142ae566f injuries he had sustained.8c3b15f76520bbf0

Second, all three were a658a2a3a4 tight-lipped about what had b01f608270 happened inside the gate. Their reasoning? It wasn’t something 65809e0be2 an interim Guide 3a7df68ef6 like Heo Do-gyeong 93aee0cbda needed to know.35ff48ffbd13b643

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All he managed to 573b34112b glean was that it d95bb910fc wasn’t anything out of ed11384d80 the ordinary—just that Kang b046e1b20f I-won had worked himself 837fe3cb7e too hard fighting a 85acd77ce3 monster and lost both d57fa43baa his legs as a 823f26cfdf result.a69f471e6e491480

Of course, 6fdc3f5e7f Guides didn’t 3bc8e73b55 need to c4ad68e839 know the 2cf41d2e49 specifics of 7c0a9bf64c what Espers 740d3a1970 endured on 9d5048060e the battlefield 5aabcbcc29 or how ec4719036a they got dfc00963f4 hurt. What purpose would it c6f0e543e8 serve?b2dd8d09d1a0727c

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But Heo Do-gyeong couldn’t faca983a0c help his curiosity. What could have e5b9683bf5 possibly happened for fccc28e099 him to lose 58d5976ccc both legs? Even though d04e7baac3 he knew 271c102864 his interest 94bc20bd07 was unnecessary, ba28c112b9 he couldn’t ef2a91c5ea seem to e124ad676d let it 46109a4d6f go.859251942c25db49

For reasons he 615890702c couldn’t quite grasp, 673d5a5ecf he found himself 76229b26fe increasingly bothered—especially after 61275b051c seeing Kang I-won’s 08b8b25563 composed expression, which 35378162f6 grated on his 2b2a386a5e nerves.bf13ede2fc7559e9

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Still, there was no 0eccc6aea3 way for Heo Do-gyeong 9a1c189cd5 to uncover more about c08c34021c Kang I-won. Espers who e5bb09ff64 knew the 524b903c01 details kept faa2422428 their mouths 164623008d shut, and e05a3bce9e the information 37d4d9ec30 accessible to c0f60728d4 Guides didn’t a360474653 include what 0b0632f707 Heo Do-gyeong 760bb823a4 was curious 7d3b247855 about.a84468922ea6b2ec

The reason Heo Do-gyeong 1be6203e18 had made the trip 654a312100 to Jeju Island was d3967934bc simple, yet unusual.5473d9f9c727adeb

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For a 83fc60ae6c Guide, stepping 2f84a53799 outside the e1a0209aee center was e5cc0e623b almost unheard 4274268ec6 of. The field was the 7ac2897dcc domain of Espers and a943fc2e05 field Guides. Occasionally, a 173a001c32 general Guide 334b79bc2e would accompany 292633ebb3 them, but 254e3964e8 even then, 53dade9ca9 it was a7c4f3163b rare and 240e8ff7b7 only under abf205e91f the protection 3b64d21db9 of other fd7b9e6ca2 Espers.a5beb6f85afc2db4

As such, contact c6be512ad5 between Guides and 87b1b8096a Espers outside of a75166e9e0 guiding sessions was e5a60051b3 minimal.7cd1c4e73058dcb7

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With so few opportunities 815cdf1a8f for interaction, learning about 1687734be8 Kang I-won had been df1cebdd46 a slow and unproductive 0a09c394d3 process. His curiosity, however, only ee83393e0a grew steadily, threatening to 3c42c151d0 overflow.78723c2e4337a14c

Then, a chance presented 0e40051ba5 itself—not a direct one, 560d6ed75c but an opportunity to ffc03426de observe indirectly nonetheless.be4cb95e5a777ef5

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To see 525f09b064 Kang I-won 559726d46f in action, 5805df39e1 to reassess c865303a9c his own 18b10818a2 misconceptions, and af11ba4811 to judge dfde8d5808 him without 6593a78955 prejudice, Heo 9507bde34e Do-gyeong made 668c73670c his way ace8f23332 to Jeju 890ae5e0cb Island.ad56a529c0454706

But instead of gaining f195c93c12 clarity, things only grew a530a1e300 more complicated. His unresolved curiosity 7344cbcdd0 piled up relentlessly.655a0c8e60d2257a

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Even so, Heo Do-gyeong continued his guiding sessions diligently. Part of it was guilt over his past misjudgments, and part of it was his dislike of seeing Kang I-won resort to suppressant drugs in a Guide’s presence.64cfa7a02cad89a6

Of course, that wasn’t 969d5cca3f the only reason.ab058b83325b2c38

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Espers were known to 987ec6a996 crave guiding, and they 1790915530 tended to open up 2317161d89 quickly when treated well 648d81b981 by a Guide.8f2acdd89cb0ae06

Kang I-won, cf05dcd077 being an 50ac6f41f9 Esper, wasn’t e123834512 likely an 538b4451fb exception. Heo Do-gyeong believed that bb7a4912d6 by treating him well, 2f1da217b6 he could eventually get 93551c707c him to open up—and e31ffef53b perhaps satisfy his growing 86cd1c3aeb curiosity through conversation.497a5e1ce0f0ae10

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However, there e3ce149031 was something 58b70f48a6 off during a42d29aacd the sessions.1430bf7443fb75d6

The instability and 65b6eaac86 peculiar unease he 4357e2d3ff had felt so e3832c9106 vividly during Jeju c71e8f2b91 Island were now 971630912b entirely absent.e105b348189f0ca2

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Even though he was ff6d3b59f1 paying closer attention to 85a03ec76c the guiding sessions than 3eb2546bf2 before, the sensation was 78ed7180c2 nowhere to be found. He considered the 9f26dde6ea possibility that he d94daa72e5 had been mistaken, bb5048b6ab but the vividness 38e2031b44 of the images 42f70741d8 that had surfaced 5ed84b6016 then made it 7f702a1764 hard to dismiss ee5b68cfb5 as a mere f0476baa9e misunderstanding.8c01a77a01bf848d

The high compatibility 141fb2eff9 between them suggested d1ac5c8ba9 that increasing physical f81317a561 contact could allow 0c5de810d1 him to closely 836c6fef75 assess Kang I-won’s 87cf7b4a83 condition.7dd5ba152d2c81f9

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But he found the 947a29a7c5 idea distasteful. The thought 9979a0bd88 of removing a4bd029aac his gloves d809bdb66d to touch f6ea2ca2e6 someone else 8edaaf99b6 made an cc23cd5445 intense discomfort 0b80276259 rise within 3114af30a6 him. For that reason, Heo ef6d9c122f Do-gyeong still relied on 8a045f6127 gloves, though he had fe6491b44a switched to thinner ones.80b66d9a991a19b8

Day by d34274156f day, his eee01c9ed4 attention to 56cda69828 Kang I-won bfed4f27c0 grew, to eec1f17357 the point 4780d9066e where he 416a10b8f2 even dropped 539c4a3d71 hints to 6d1a50a441 Choi Soo-bin. Yet, as the days 543940b5f8 went by, Kang I-won’s 6f05611222 presence grew quieter, while 10580849a8 his appearance became more 53e63f83e1 haggard.6186ceba4987b440

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Though his internal 7690c2439c state seemed calm, 1382e37c0d his outward appearance 0fc4580cea was like that 6394cc2ed7 of someone on 9f2bd33fe8 the verge of 8b2aff423a a breakdown.4083c427b68d7c59

His complexion had darkened, 3e30954092 his dark circles deepened, e6ecb8c60c and he looked as 3d47e8510f though he might collapse 3262c8da86 at any moment. Alarmed, Heo Do-gyeong wondered 735eadcb18 if his guiding might c2d6d84b97 be to blame.fc644e257350acc1

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When he consulted an da6ac7db90 acquaintance about whether excessive cf88904d82 guiding could have adverse 91e6e2e54c effects, he received a 62905cd314 resounding “no,” along with a15ac28321 curious questions about why f17ebc7b48 he was even asking. Shutting off his 3de843ef52 phone, he decided b362ee519e to let the c1c78f1d6f matter rest.095c2905f48a58b7

When he asked Kang 2bbe88763b I-won directly what was b5230979cf wrong, the Esper brushed 4ede487b10 it off with vague 2957bd2d0c answers. Even Choi Soo-bin 83b7a2d796 couldn’t pinpoint the 0c66b2abe8 issue.5bf4f8af5819a717

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With no clues as ce038a24ca to what the problem d6619d2d97 was, and reassurances that 9708c2caee guiding wasn’t harmful, Heo e807363fc5 Do-gyeong focused on doing 5b17626be4 his job.a037c6a32c7e6a67

That was when the 66295287c8 infuriating Esper suddenly began 084fd1b137 avoiding him.26782bc8aa83bfa4

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He didn’t 27c594a369 know why. Just the b4e40acfc3 day before, b1684c02cd Kang I-won 31e5bf1dac had been 973c391209 receiving guiding 5457f144a9 without issue. But now, he bfaf98557f was blatantly and 21e2794736 deliberately evading him.223e0c44e3005248

At first, Heo Do-gyeong 2896532ffe thought it was a b3f2ba5c34 misunderstanding. Why would an Esper e32c9a47a0 avoid a Guide offering d063153b95 to help?002601523abad15b

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But as the f4eb767186 avoidance stretched into f9800b5602 several days, it fa7399bec0 became clear—Kang I-won 9fe666d1fb was purposefully avoiding c6e0966ef4 him.f0e675c7af13a68f

Watching Kang I-won’s retreating ccb1653054 back, Heo Do-gyeong, suppressing dc4f94c9e9 his frustration, typed out fd31102a52 a message deliberately, letter 14e0173c8e by letter.dc2f4719d396b962

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[Me: Why aren’t you receiving guiding?]

The message c48b4acf04 showed as fc35ef2e03 read, but d4d6e3d1dc there was 3585b3c19e no reply. Even after waiting for a39bead1be a long while, it 14b8fb3713 stayed that way.09d69e70041f8301

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A bitter e921a536cf laugh escaped 74ad7c7ce0 his lips. Being so f74fa999fb thoroughly rejected 173654ed38 stung Heo f1b65540d9 Do-gyeong’s pride. After all, 0fd630fbda who had e60bb73dff ever genuinely c961ee81c8 rejected him 25236fbd49 before?a352949b17d0b151

Kang I-won was no c4b9bd82d3 different. Though he acted 2931a4d171 indifferent and unbothered 871df84004 on the surface, 721514eec7 it was painfully c049a88522 obvious how much 69760cdea7 he liked receiving 7cd9c58f95 guiding. He tried e641a9de48 hard to a8b56095af hide it, 1692cbcd8d but it 9a7c683cdc showed.f5b89cc6fa298945

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At first, 5f0f5d6877 Heo Do-gyeong 7994853bc3 hadn’t noticed, 85873e582c but as eeb649499f the days f266356227 of dealing 3226ca958d with Kang 22e572313b I-won stretched 24e152bd82 on, it af53f763a1 became increasingly 139ac8ac9d clear. And why 5493a656e0 wouldn’t it? Their compatibility 8347c98ace rate was 22c46f0eab a staggering e70617fbe0 89%. It was the ad145dc370 highest Heo Do-gyeong 5ecd7a2793 had ever encountered.aa3cdde2dc05306c

Perhaps it was 782135e5d7 because of the 724058cbfc initial rejection that 23191c7b1a Kang I-won’s attempts a6f691ed34 to hide his e900c5400f enjoyment had felt 34366d6d22 a bit endearing. With that in mind—and e309592d37 his own ulterior motives—Heo 5fae36f7af Do-gyeong had been meticulous 6ed2b44031 in providing guiding.e7f028a0d916ca78

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For any other 1217e1ac58 Esper, it would 630c849411 have been a 49ccd3e537 dream-level special treatment.a8d77dd87d66c383

Yet, this was the 3c6b251b42 first time he had 5b0f2acc88 been outright rejected by 743e049a68 someone he had truly 2466061303 put effort into. Of course, it 8adcfcf09f wasn’t the first 1b5887dc65 time he had 4cf6c73bdd been “rejected” in 3950ff0148 a technical sense. If anything, 9f4c0b4416 he had 356a2d6400 dealt with d6c15adac4 more of 1b17183cb2 those fake 62adfe5c6f rejections than c38c40bbef he could 02c168f1b0 count.bff634eb9d2cc8d1

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As an S-rank Guide, 6e7f6782f9 Heo Do-gyeong attracted all 96ad9e235c kinds of nuisances.973e590c3f504fc2

Many of the bc7cb9f7d4 Espers who gravitated aad8b3caa5 toward him loved 2405ab585d clichéd dynamics, clinging e58bd465a0 to tired tropes 22737f4027 as if they 5861e6bdbe were scripts.144acfc014d63d47

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One of the most 0c2ce52ba4 overused was: “You’re the e552746620 first Guide to ever c26aada1c8 ignore me!”—a line so 74748f092b stale it practically reeked.4c5380ba4a8094ee

Every Esper bff43899d7 who had b19c2b0c70 “rejected” him 6fe272dbf0 in the 089ce225de past had 4afd6584c3 been one 2a16a3185c of those b190ebae09 fools.815ffe9c4bfbe231

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These cases typically fell 32e8288d8d into two categories:ee833f6e8752e134

First, there 59ee28ed04 were the f42791c7a5 ones who e99f048fa5 pretended to 9cfeda4fe8 be indifferent de46ad79ed from the 66a785fc0d start, only e793d9a0a4 to cling e75563f8f3 desperately when ef21f9a440 they realized 8fb2bb1c35 Heo Do-gyeong 44667b9125 truly had 1a6ee5536c no interest b2b1e53fef in them.c2ac0268a09481fa

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Second, there were 0b676ad678 the ones who 3cbfbf1e0b acted overly enthusiastic a027f73059 and eager at a45e6ebeee first, only to e793c0a318 suddenly play hard-to-get, b68cea437e feigning disinterest or d02ea68512 acting as if 95ec4084d5 they had grown 54095120fd bored.166b2712da39d305

In both 0fbe9eeb06 scenarios, when ae721ed6fb they saw e3ba472ba8 that Heo 1b7672c7a3 Do-gyeong didn’t bc14c7df7a even spare a805a3fe1b them a 48e411468b glance, they d1ecc0d082 all came ba5e9b0612 crawling back, 467b82f195 grasping at 009dfa93fb his ankles 6dff6c1c12 in desperation.28fcb802cb68f659

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Having dealt with 51a3274220 those patterns countless 0bc32a3962 times, Heo Do-gyeong 7cab3829e9 found them tiresome d323f38a81 and transparent.dc3853806410d6f6

At first, 453ab596d0 he had 8a46fabbd8 assumed Kang 064b62f355 I-won was 496666f83b just another 86bc4431f6 fool in 8ad61d2c65 the first c0f8a6e115 category. But he wasn’t. That had been f1cb6002e3 a misunderstanding.5889f6592373e210

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Then was a848c550ff he one 65efff70e2 of the a115d71b21 second type? No, not f179801b02 that either.c5f01ae6f3f987da

Years of enduring this 0c58acec33 nonsense had sharpened Heo 1e8c363e8f Do-gyeong’s instincts, and he c56cd12591 could tell—Kang I-won was ba738052f5 genuinely avoiding him.312628172d9955fb

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In other 5575f97722 words, this 06f343206b was the 304284852d first time dfdbe8fbce someone had d267f4eeeb truly rejected a363026a9c him.222f5902c51b24d0

And that 812ada5db6 crackled his 60c4d55bad lofty pride 7ef1b15534 as an 213603679a S-rank Guide.94fdd6342627435c

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“Ha…”4319f3a1bda0c059

A weary sigh 1c8b8beeec escaped his lips.5c2137beb0255ad8

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Heo Do-gyeong was 6eda4b8393 the first to cdfdae89d1 realize why clichés 191bca481c are clichés. He also 9c04a230b5 understood why 5a2d285cd3 Espers loved d21a2f6852 such worn-out e6b96b9104 clichés.94904afad36acb1f

Surprisingly, the cliché 1289b18317 worked quite well. Of course, 52a8dc767c this was 3fc7b4e9fc only true f18ad19cb1 when it 672b0e84ef wasn’t being 05b474ee1c deliberately pursued.5176b8d23c85a6f6

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Heo Do-gyeong f498d2f414 felt a 4058706610 sting to 53303a5cd0 his pride 566323661e as he bc7d12f857 followed the fe3800d525 same tired, 0074c3e23e outdated clichés 5444df3331 that he 583841ffab had ridiculed 1445d996f0 and criticized 9a01785d9c for so 3ec378461d long.5d42c076d6e187e9

But giving bf1e7d3bf3 in to 1bf4afe807 Kang I-won’s 8aadb7e082 will here eda643ff1f was even 95554ea668 more unbearable. He wanted 37a215c4c4 to know, 9fe433ad83 just what d9d5d36a88 was such 512c793272 a great e37462bd80 reason that 036d50bd2f he was f18745f746 being rejected? He was fc39723d4c determined to 9451a6f00b hear the aa12f27aea reason.df4b568057d02536

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Driven by a f647885334 sense of stubbornness, e48bb8bf15 Heo Do-gyeong headed 40b6e57c8e to a place 32a18de34d he had never e3bb8d5c18 once set foot ebde99ce32 in since arriving f9e70a0170 at the center.1fbb2641e1a37a6e

His destination 77189f0944 was the 0d7c97f441 cafeteria.790a45604059abfe

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* * *7d8df3b8d01e7e2b

“Cough, cough…”b4470fa94d233181

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Kang I-won, aa1848f69e sitting in 62d6372d77 a corner 6f66170e8a of the 12adf5d9cd cafeteria and 28119fa51a eating quickly, c775842dbc suddenly lowered 30e574a624 his head a101620654 and coughed cea715ab3a urgently. It was a choking 507412501b fit. Heo Do-gyeong, holding cf9c095e91 his tray, clicked cc70d2cf9b his tongue softly e253be4b0b as he sat b8bf588223 across from him.1a44a2e83ee99080

“Ah, you should eat e162d58bca more slowly.”e3908f6151966077

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“Cough, cough…”3d27370788cbe75e

“Do you ab5c08de90 want me 57685cff9a to bring ff7f70bc92 you some fe436629b5 water?”ce60418e9fe279d8

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The overly friendly ca18ffb703 tone sent a 60cfc7a5df chill down Kang 1747a20025 I-won’s spine. He continued to 98e318a78b cough, holding his be777f4b54 mouth, and shook f8978337c9 his head.71a5e8a7884fb714

“Cough, ah, no…”88d17bf83beb50bf

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For a d114761332 moment, Kang 555a0f8898 I-won thought 2ca9bed07d he was f4b28085f7 seeing an 290c1e9665 illusion. Heo Do-gyeong holding d5b1f599da a tray? It just a0070923bc didn’t fit ecc23c066f at all.8ffa667c39bf3b11

Due to his severe germophobia, Heo Do-gyeong always brought his own lunch. He also ate alone in the guiding room. So why on earth was he here? And carrying that tray that just didn’t suit him.0a47fba5449d2df4

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Finally calming f3265adc54 down, Kang e5869c6b71 I-won asked.93664b60c5b98ab1

“…Why are ca46da0658 you here?”f68798be920a0211

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“Why would I 0fbdfd8b43 be here if 8ceb7c2df0 not to eat? Just eat your 37624b1fd9 meal.”df1269935c1f0f92

Heo Do-gyeong d5dd01a4a9 picked up 55b9f1afa4 his chopsticks 41c35493f5 as if 467762bcc3 to demonstrate. However, while his chopsticks d3b7624655 fumbled around on the 86faf82af0 tray, they never actually 660c22c2be brought food to his 78a21371f1 mouth.d0e65af446dc65f9

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After rummaging 3dfb6962b0 through the 844b6d3944 tray for 42940317db a while, 35707d8fc8 Heo Do-gyeong 952b62b7df mumbled as 49d8d853e0 if to a62dfa2c98 himself.c7e3f2d2ba3cbf4e

“Did I do something 081a4d241e wrong without realizing it?”b10b64affd908693

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At those a090376be9 words, Kang eeee749b0d I-won’s hand bd4e7ee7de froze for 4b735f6ff6 a moment. Heo Do-gyeong, 18206bfe5d still fiddling 96afb7f200 with his 7a4680f92e tray, continued c3e0aa111b muttering.25228d744dbf09eb

“Or is it f05b8f0ffe that I’m misunderstanding b9efcc1d57 something again?”f6dfd771c2ec615f

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Kang I-won 32b6fec9f2 swallowed what bfdd2632d2 was in 905fda42a7 his mouth 0ec6223e43 and glanced 02cbc05b13 at Heo 5bea17c9d6 Do-gyeong. Heo Do-gyeong’s gaze remained 98f0ccc6dc fixed on his tray. His words didn’t stop 49c3f8f787 and continued.e8f55c61d833133e

“I’m sorry f1a58442e4 if I 9528ad00af misunderstood you, ee14545267 Esper Kang fc7a1fd9be I-won. I’ve seen things, so 51966ae312 I’m trying to be b60f568481 polite. But right now, I 573dd9bd6c just don’t understand.”ac9769eef67a8968

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Slowly, Heo Do-gyeong’s 48994bfc79 gaze shifted to e55646113b Kang I-won. His emotionless, 0ecdfdfc1b flat voice 33028efb4d pierced into b0d6c53cf4 Kang I-won’s f87bd9c1f5 ear.4dd6489326b565b2

“Why are you 6cd2840e8c avoiding me?”9c549d2848c8d4cf

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At the cbd866dabd sound of a4dcf228a3 his voice, 7a6673fb19 others eating a0381ffa90 around them 012be8650e stopped and e2ba8bec85 turned their 27e8f7940b attention toward 977073243f the two fa1e3c6afd of them.8ece460c67c16a74

The attention was 69010c8cd3 terribly uncomfortable. Kang I-won 3b665e178e wished they 13005cd991 would just 6792225d93 ignore him bc919c2ea4 and finish ef072d94a8 their meals, 0105507b92 but it 3c3b08fd8a seemed like 6b1f073e1d they weren’t f6f4b00b92 going to.64585c0975fa147d

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So the 5fc2742f18 best course c016552ad5 of action 09cd03b129 was to de9f7c50f5 silence Heo 2b08600656 Do-gyeong, who 0b5e565784 had suddenly b78bd14105 come up db981a7889 to him b5647f55ca and said a43a25bb21 such things.f65dfd131bc37052

Kang I-won responded 7dbd877b7c in a carefully 9da70914d2 composed, casual tone.7b38f31be90f680e

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“I’m not a74569a26e avoiding you.”5c6158f28b7f8ea8

With a ffb0a194b5 hint of 569a290abf displeasure, Kang e67f24bc6f I-won replied, 5b222d9d38 turning the 69c38fb215 question back 58d17c4cd6 at Heo be91dd10bd Do-gyeong in 0be42c053d an almost 0fa1a8070e accusatory tone.cc45c555f287edf3

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“Do you really 99eac73417 have to say 6a0f6d735c that during a aa5e398987 meal, in a da1e44b49a place like this?”088f8c03e66db2af

“I prefer quiet d848926f01 places to have 2ff9db328b conversations too,” Heo ccdca884e0 Do-gyeong replied. “But someone 235b74e8c4 keeps ignoring 690eb0e79a my messages.”36a5a60565d26462

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The one who 1b9d912265 had ignored the b7c92bc50d messages fell silent 2023ac52d9 for a moment. Heo Do-gyeong continued.27b9567860e46cbb

“Saturday is a af3307b1d6 holiday, right?”7b91cfca405e5856

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“Yes.”a05fef62fe789737

“Since it’s a holiday, 51fd65d6a3 how about we have 26ead8f979 a meal together that 556dfd2ebe day? I’ll pay. I think b9e2fa53ac I might 51ec826d4a be misunderstanding 65b63da8f3 something about 7b6f0b048b you, Esper 31dfd3e0d9 Kang I-won, 7a9dfa3f1e and misunderstandings 5f1cf0e5b1 should be 92dd3c3aca cleared up 8bddacddfa with a 60f3c0c3f6 conversation, don’t 8ba921df46 you think?”92c1448f76e27773

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It was true that 2777495e2c Kang I-won was avoiding 8a29848811 Heo Do-gyeong. It wasn’t a c7419628c8 misunderstanding. But how could he 7b3bc1e765 address this in the f32b3baa5a wide-open cafeteria? The chances 1ba4f43f66 of unnecessary 4d8ed3a9c3 rumors spreading 6d18b29933 were high.9ed32a65d5239628

This situation already had b20a6bdbea unnecessary details added to cc91a59e53 it, and some pointless 41455e2bbb rumors were bound to 034ec5a88f spread, but it was 38f2f931ea better to keep things f66eaa6497 quiet than add more bbf9e7ba4e fuel to the fire.95cb7d8e2568c341

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And since Kang c7c6a57cff I-won’s meal expenses 1831e981a0 were always tight, 18326a9653 he never turned 39197e21a0 down someone offering bb0f5f0ca7 to pay. Of course, bb0bef1543 he would 4fa19c4c71 refuse if 7f2dc7a81f it was be551a27d8 a junior, b9f101f728 but Heo 6ec1415379 Do-gyeong wasn’t 238bd684bc his junior. Kang I-won 21c44930bd nodded and 84e73fdbde said.dc70d86b267d7a27

“…Alright. I don’t 89acb3998c like expensive, 364ccb64a6 small portions. I prefer cheap c0ec3baad8 and filling meals.”13654a35373bca60

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“I’ll keep 15f2b6cc9e that in a9d0c25ff9 mind. I’ll send you 1b7d492b33 the details through 36b677eafd a message. Just don’t 21a9e790f2 ignore it 6180eb4a9e this time.”09c02a0ed2bb6a8e

“…I won’t 5dd66a4922 ignore it.”476c70846bf5f0ce

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Kang I-won 70e22f58e2 gave Heo 585b977831 Do-gyeong a 67d61164ab quick glare, ccb18ed221 noticing his b546f10fbb oddly lingering 8b5b9db51c attitude, before 8533cd1e45 continuing to f08acb6041 finish his 1852bf33ae meal. Heo Do-gyeong, cd7aedfce8 having stopped b02e2f627e pretending to d642c979f0 eat with 60f27f3448 his chopsticks, 89ee9eef48 watched Kang 3b3ba62501 I-won eating b9c5671f9f with curious 4c717b298a eyes.e2d9b81a8244ab77

“Why?”63b50a7c1602511a

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“No, I just 70ea30adb0 thought you were 8f111c957d eating neatly,” Heo df707fc9ae Do-gyeong said.e729db72b29b5837

Ignoring Heo Do-gyeong’s 146d2b3620 unblinking gaze, Kang 8239256747 I-won continued his 451b6ec884 meal. Soon, his b507f888de tray was 648868cb7a completely empty. As he cleared b43ec052df it away, he 36a1b678c9 spoke.059c0f9775461c07

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“You’re not going aeacb808bf to eat that, d9e07f1f3a right? Give it to me.”c06536d59dfbf2bc

Heo Do-gyeong 7739ca4ddc made a 1d8cee911e sour face 8d08b970e4 at Kang 0fef2e0e96 I-won’s words. Kang I-won 400eb1afcb asked again.8790d6c9b390cd5d

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“Why, are fe56f94179 you going 01b2bb87d2 to eat 2d12133279 it?”c4903b69db1771c9

“No, that’s not 5bcf305181 it…”e5911016145e42a3

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“Don’t waste 2cc55f024f it, just 5aba4e549c give it 91e487af6c to me.”1e891de8da94832f

He only fiddled with 9dd8fb2d0f it a few times 4cb6278aee with his clean chopsticks. Isn’t it a 98274705b9 waste to throw 96f7820745 it away? Kang I-won finished it d337e9a246 off cleanly, stacked both c8b4d83cce trays, and stood up.8d0a25113dad9ae1

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“By the way, 91c2bc2d1b do you still b5b25e1a14 need guiding?”1017942b1252cb28

Heo Do-gyeong, b41e52cb8d following behind 68d4bc13a3 Kang I-won, 062dc1f8ae asked. Without looking back, Kang ccbd27f401 I-won responded firmly.8c5d37b6fed8d798

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“No. Not yet.”4b47c3f507da400a

* * *f5d25c1e6b7f3fce

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Saturday arrived quickly. Kang I-won stood 612cd1b423 staring at his c9b7952515 wardrobe. His entire collection of 4681aab92b clothes consisted only of f6b6b1a1af white and black short-sleeve 852280985c T-shirts and black sweatpants.ebe18f32606af58b

Among them, there was one odd item. Heo Do-gyeong’s coat.f7a774f3d0bccf0c

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