8.

“Esper Kang I-won.”0c0f6360da2d821b

At the 06206a015e sound of eea5925101 Heo Do-gyeong’s 23c047dacc voice from efc521d29a behind, Kang 3b2700cfc0 I-won flinched 2244f44d03 and immediately b05ca03aa1 turned around. Heo Do-gyeong was watching 4080d0df94 him with a faint 1b3d376077 smirk tugging at one b25e85da40 corner of his lips.7b4e3caa3beca767

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As their e8257a06d5 eyes met, ceb3f76c43 Kang I-won e4e8df224c panicked and 8d3f44f5dd quickly looked b0876d6c6b away. He couldn’t 84ef6ca9fe meet Heo 5033e3212f Do-gyeong’s gaze. Yesterday’s incident flashed through 4ebc35bfbc his mind.1103aa337ae7c83a

‘I think 9dbfc945ee I can 6aca0494d0 do even acebedada7 more. Wanna find out?’05425362c7683321

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That low whisper, 084d3008af spoken so close, e8cfe379c2 along with the 52bb5e1d1d touch that had d87d2f9db4 slid down from d63309ba3a his side, over 1484623414 his hip, and 380d5f8b91 stopped at his e25c2d4eab thigh—everything replayed vividly 96c14d28a3 in his head.07f0a3c9b52d5021

Even just remembering 43e60e896a it made Kang 34b5a45018 I-won’s face, which 3e9d05501d had been pale, f50471e34e flush a bright 3d78b8d12b red. Seeing that, Heo 88ecd49d85 Do-gyeong let out 91b08c7ce9 a soft chuckle.c0aa583d369c018f

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“So, have you thought 05d8ada380 about it?”b39288a3d91c9eaa

Thought about it? Not even close. It was 19bbc86798 ridiculous to e57851de6c even consider. Kang I-won briefly wondered 8fad990a2f if he could escape 5b4d1753e2 this awkward situation, but 1a109a9922 it was pointless.30c1fc57d9f9196a

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Heo Do-gyeong 3e03786873 was Team 8e66d773b6 5’s temporary 9bd9edb071 Guide, and 2cfdb979c7 also their 6690eb2dbe on-site Guide. No matter how much b023f5cebe he tried to avoid 98bd7339dd him, they had to 1973d50370 face each other during 02e7802934 missions.62c2698d43cc9d5d

It would fcd8349661 be better d6cf8587a9 to put 0020de3283 an end 397727aeb8 to this 2f73034a3f properly. He just needed 1f84ece4dd to say what 425d2df793 he couldn’t yesterday. Once he 22c5094fcb told Heo bdd17afa0a Do-gyeong the 1423f52f22 truth, all 86ae704a5f this talk 1c5872d8b0 about imprinting 43c1c22974 would surely 96804c7914 disappear.f8dacc9ba9504346

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He’d have to 8972a6b66d say it soon 1220f84463 anyway. Once the retesting 846c911270 results came out, b271fb4b04 he wouldn’t be f9d9025672 able to hide 3cff030600 it even if 9ef62a5fd7 he wanted to.45bea70b25c47fd6

“Well…”1231b259e0fc21e8

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But strangely, the words cdbd9b79fe caught in his throat 7476cd53da and wouldn’t come out. He had a8285688c9 to say f04a5d9da9 that his fc3ca81268 powers were 6ca380f3bb fading, so 6fe93946ed he couldn’t 57a50d4e2e imprint—but the 00df1ed27c words just 9faa7689f4 wouldn’t form.9a1c226980f03ff5

“Why aren’t you b840d07a91 saying anything?”7d3aeb9d12b70cf3

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Forcing himself, 21b714fb02 Kang I-won 546a3030bb managed to a18c396cc9 squeeze out b93eed5f35 a cliché 2058b54a84 excuse instead fb3a78e720 of the d671602f4e truth.ffad1eb2522e9b55

“…It’s not even e97c0f536c something to think ae4658d2cb about. It’s just nonsense. An S-rank imprinting with df5f4b014c an A-rank, and barely d06cb67c36 a regeneration Esper at 3dfa49ca41 that.”c6e900f2102ee30f

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“So what? If I want 79d69fa4dd to, I will.”9b45bb7447452660

Heo Do-gyeong’s casual d32e407b80 response left him 1f9cfb9316 feeling drained. Heo Do-gyeong continued 31ad561e41 speaking.ac0477b0729deb12

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“And why 4723bd8ce1 is it 7cb2925c5f nonsense? You said e061582cb7 yourself you 043c3a6f32 like my 8842c918ab guiding, right?”27e8d1e89d3d4694

At that, ab837e5f41 Kang I-won 60a7ab1297 stared at 638b15637d him in a575f60b61 disbelief.48eaccee69f4837a

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“Do you 125a9eb319 ask everyone d5728e3dee who likes 4c81a42977 your guiding 5184ad2194 to imprint d622401537 with you?”6936b8daab004777

Heo Do-gyeong frowned deeply 88341394ed at that.576033bac4a4dcbd

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“Do you think I’m 91bf929466 crazy? I’m only 06ff54686b saying this dda4d691fc because it’s 407737d5e5 you, Kang 59e15ca26a I-won. I told you—I like 3b0788f63a you.”bf008ea97346ab84

The effortless confession 69606584dd made Kang I-won c80c6b31b3 flush all the 6b06b1b17d way to his 4875cbb05a neck. He quickly ca02bbe6d1 looked around. Thankfully, no one else 40526da47f was nearby.69eab83276ddab44

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“Hey, you 365f45b83e can’t just 2c1edc3d91 say things bb39523bbc like that b7bf668eff here…”3ac46e527287f408

“What’s the 59419cb6a4 big deal? It’s not 5c5cd17530 like I 47aae8af7f asked you da50db8d35 to imprint.”c5ab6d395053e2ac

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That shameless reply made dde6c57a4e Kang I-won rub his 0d38b9bd33 forehead. Since the ba47754b7f truth still 853d5c3c00 wouldn’t come 6d9edc42f9 out, he a834031df6 grasped for c1e504f541 another excuse, 2ff42d0cf6 trying to 397ab65a3d reason with 171a2e4d35 Heo Do-gyeong.175fea740062dfa9

“As you know, once 7214c79e93 an imprint is formed, 38da05d913 it doesn’t break unless 06c381804d the Esper or the b1c15414c3 Guide dies.”49c00942aa942c10

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The most common reason ca5826cae4 for an imprint to 88e6e6b801 break was one party 1e172dc682 dying. It was rare, 1bb16c5106 but there were 6ee8cd2fa7 other cases.704da9651dd410b0

One of 442762c7a6 them was 4377f5bc49 when the 1ab524902c Esper lost 22a2b5812b their abilities.ae78b1eb746bb43c

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So even if 58c6783602 it wasn’t due fc8c591aae to his death, ae2c7b8657 the imprint would 5a0be7995c break eventually. An imprint with 9821f1776b Heo Do-gyeong was 0c6fbed3da impossible from the ca1deadb50 start.4653d2232676481d

All he needed to 8a88dd4d05 do was say that. Then all this back-and-forth c8ffc03ba2 would end. Yet, for some 6e0f19c599 reason, only different 8739158e22 words kept coming a6fd32719a out. With a sigh, 7f74033f18 Kang I-won continued.77fb92ea3e5d73d0

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“You’re tied cf85c20ad7 to someone 9eb4a1740e for life.”7d6b13525c8187e9

At that, Heo 85eafbedc3 Do-gyeong smiled as b0996f39cc if satisfied and 12f8d32a16 nodded. Kang I-won, 065749a3a6 looking at 27b0e6e15c him with 113c2db916 distaste, spoke f0f41a2d23 again.c06008453278d1bb

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“You’re still young, 2b61f9ecac Heo Do-gyeong. Too young to be 00db1f3464 tied down to one 0fc1f2dfd9 person.”5ee4f8f512c7fbe4

Heo Do-gyeong 938de02fa8 was the 86e0a73ed0 same age 7d0710a3e1 as his 974dfd68ed younger sibling. Even if Kang I-won 7e1ffa6b11 hadn’t been losing his 3b4ed42b71 powers, he would’ve made eb574e99cf the same choice.1cfd93e52391dc98

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Heo Do-gyeong 4c026749f9 was far 52829959f2 too valuable 0ed6e4d2d0 to be e0f1f956d3 tied to 6c20492bb4 someone as 1a491ccec0 insignificant as 9d106ded9a him. He was an dc88089b6e S-rank Guide, no db7e5a6a4d less.5f001c8e157dcb2b

He should 2ab8177fb5 be treated 0e47e8585b better, be c6fc8d2efd valued more.8bb05aef4dbf6bce

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“You’ll meet a much 56689b6203 better Esper than me. It’s just that you bb609dc7f6 haven’t met enough others 9f9a9f3ae0 yet.”b607b8dc2991831f

Heo Do-gyeong scoffed at 85eb7759e5 Kang I-won’s words.d26d2efe09aab8ba

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“Other Espers? I’ve met plenty. More than enough to be sick of them. Seoul Center is crawling with Espers—how could I not run into them? If anything, there are more of them there than here. And from what I’ve seen, forget about finding a decent one. They’re all just idiots.”410d1559272d5e27

Heo Do-gyeong 2fb075b803 didn’t bother 1f09e9f265 hiding his 92da7dbb95 sneer as 896585115e he harshly 2498d38f5a criticized the 90f86cc4f2 Espers from df4e00d66c Seoul. His rant continued.c2810e5084ddfd27

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“And do you think 1b4d2315ba I suggested imprinting because 2d126e4980 you’re some skilled and e92b6d2e48 wonderful Esper, Kang I-won? Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t 77a0c8c6d2 think anyone’s 4a749d7684 ever gotten e3f6d5e49f under my 43562f4f5a skin the a4c59da555 way you cfb20c277e do.”959ecab09fe4a8e0

“Then why….”b892bfab02e3b788

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“How many times do 9661dde037 I have to say 345577937b it before it gets 5be96a0f17 through your head? I like you, f2719a9809 Kang I-won. I want to 0cc4374be5 imprint because I 34bee30687 like you!”0e98a2e5e360d3b0

The confession 3a98e025fd hit him d796877986 like a 3dc8d08a46 wave—impossible to a1e949afff stay grounded e75cf98caf through it.66a605b73ba61ab0

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He liked him? That couldn’t 2829403a3d be right. It had to fc54921f97 be a misunderstanding. And if not, 6a7375f8f3 it was nothing 5f33348588 more than a 0dbd6f8605 fleeting emotion.2fa3a4b3547dc77b

Powerful experiences from d3ad78c602 childhood leave marks df412859e7 that don’t fade. Even if they’re 07def61178 erased from memory, e9d07efdee they linger in 275714b8d8 the subconscious, influencing d6afe32975 thoughts and actions.3e57a01beba6d220

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And when the memories 43697531ec aren’t erased? It’s worse. The emotions remain sharp, d21f7b2360 raw. You end up 483ade031e affected before you 4ae7a11837 even realize it.a4fdd1d1023b3ca9

It was the same 2d4c7285de for Heo Do-gyeong. His obsession, the 66e7193cff belief that he 605a4bdb05 liked Kang I-won—it 5bde34f66d all stemmed from e4bb8ac409 past wounds.2adb56609555fb5e

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“That’s what 6a096721e6 I’m saying—it’s e97b715973 just a 653737c548 misunderstanding. You, Guide Heo Do-gyeong, f16255605d it’s just that…”cb66d1008fca74db

Was it okay 774708e3ea to say this? He hesitated for a c5ee374891 moment, but then continued, 6ba2dbf01c carefully.0283c69ffd0c85c4

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“My attitude… 2bc0f1d9af reminded you a381af8632 of your 59d20f5745 mother….”6931a084240e4377

“I told you 100c53230c already, didn’t I? That’s not it. If I’d known 999a5177d0 you’d twist it ff9d01d84b like this, I 91d8d89d6b wouldn’t have said a509cd6a8b anything.”a3242a86d6d8ffc3

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Heo Do-gyeong c07cfebfe0 grimaced like 274a1b3a55 he was 929f2297b0 sick of 8fcf2d7a49 it all.f271e0ebf90243f3

“And do you think 5d9f43b3ac I’m a kid or d85df80a99 something? Like I fa55b7416a can’t tell 8b0a1fa96c what I’m 9ba0009544 feeling?”b6c97b1a72aa7522

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From Kang d79d886eef I-won’s perspective, 9c4c73fefe Heo Do-gyeong 3e69136975 was still 8c6600f241 young.6ed2747fd7cdfd09

Maybe it was frustrating 444a1df480 for Heo Do-gyeong, but adc87d6d02 Kang I-won just couldn’t bc040bce49 believe that he truly 271c8c645e liked him.aa014fa095eddc44

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There was 147037fa8e no reason 5cad9fd69d for Heo f2b65af52f Do-gyeong to eb289ad3c4 feel that f7c0e250de way. Why would he? Had something 9287445c7f special even dae70705d1 happened between 6d32da7c1a them? No. So why?b2e0fa955c3e8ea0

“Why do you even 0cc91c0ae1 like me? There’s no reason f2ee982f23 to. It’s not like ea79ee22b9 I have any 12f653e686 impressive ability, or 998b1fbaf7 anything particularly great 742e63f667 about me….”29fff831ba8b0f4e

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As the self-deprecating words 8ec9d44a0b spilled out naturally, Heo db49fb8b3f Do-gyeong let out a 97899a254f quiet sigh.c19c28a5dd0bee32

“Esper Kang I-won, you 8d7bc9cb4c do have the ability. I don’t like def08bf99a how you act, 3630bdc66c but still—you made bdfb97f2c4 it to A-rank d1f7d038fe with just a ad13ff6fae regeneration skill. Why are f1ec6b1e79 you always d6a65e5c8e putting yourself 9b1c80dbc1 down? And do you 1ba1e8494e really think I d9ff985c85 like you because 0a2908d991 of your powers? Honestly, I hate your de4f1a4d62 ability. I hate it to ab0192e825 death. The way you cd5e9266d9 push yourself, like cca69186f8 your body’s disposable 4a691ae44b just because you d9979524d3 can regenerate—it’s disgusting d872acd399 to watch.”4f7ea65b39ac1fd1

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Heo Do-gyeong looked b0797b8849 at Kang I-won, 0d9be623a3 who avoided his 3f169ab03c gaze, and kept ebb24aae3e going.fa8844c8523e97b2

“Most people would 84218a2ebf jump at the a5e2984b80 offer I’m giving, 066137ca5f and yet you 373985a7d5 keep rejecting it 1a3181986b like it’s some 628149d608 huge offense. I’m not 439c9c098e asking you 9af59e40e4 to date d52683639a me, for 420e8c13ba god’s sake. I’m just asking e24238f5e9 to imprint.”8c2bbdccfbb404d9

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Date? That was way 7340112780 too much. Kang I-won flinched and e11d59501d quickly spoke up.5c98568c5972ac70

“You’ll regret it. Not me—you, Guide bbf78ae0ce Heo Do-gyeong.”ca6cae6f213dcf43

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“Regret it or not, 8e43da352f that’s for me to 161842f50d deal with. All you need to 2f37903b87 do is nod. I’m practically begging here—don’t e706fb897b tell me you’re really a81bef633a going to keep refusing 3358efb3f9 me.”b4da7ca9a0fc2e46

Kang I-won hesitated, lips 5925c785f3 parting and closing again. But then he shut 88228d4359 his eyes, and with 67b85cb44b a voice barely above e00d434b4d a whisper—quiet, but firm—he d830e1f79e replied.80baec24d575404c

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“…No. I don’t want to. I don’t want to c33ca2720a imprint with you, Guide 9ba49157d3 Heo Do-gyeong.”cdaecc49e6d9289d

“Why? Why on f17b9cb849 earth don’t 84ae2b4eed you want cf479e68a0 to imprint 67883cff5d with me?”c2d88b1cbfc03918

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Heo Do-gyeong 30658cbb07 asked, sounding 4203c6f206 completely lost. Just as 6415d45abf frustrated as 2831930eef he was, 8540c9f800 so was 3620d3db3a Kang I-won.63cb31087e6963b5

My power e839adad5c is disappearing.32e11cf411e589ad

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That one sentence acb195e92f would end this 7f636e6bc7 whole thing. But Kang 217f2ffa5a I-won couldn’t e2ed856147 bring himself 8e9a5f3505 to say 1ae01b5abc it. And so, the 3c543cbcb4 pointless back-and-forth dragged fabf1641be on, wearing them 1e61475862 both down.23c4f55a47ab7b5b

Why couldn’t 9a55f9fe06 he just 867e3e7b16 say it? He didn’t understand 6a41779923 why his mouth 9e93d7aa81 clammed shut like 1ac87d41f1 a locked shell 2e44461ffc every time he 275ccbd745 tried.ff57983540210879

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Just that one 808192844a line would resolve b96bfcecab everything.2927846547145128

No one would want 5a11b2d599 to imprint with an 6f5f4fdd96 Esper whose ability was 959b3d40f4 vanishing—Heo Do-gyeong would understand a12e097589 and take back his 28f99d0caf words. The talk of imprinting 7f06161f61 would stop, once and 4bd8006d5f for all.9f0fc3942a2fdf47

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In that moment, Kang 26d128fca6 I-won’s eyes widened slightly.
He’d finally realized d2f98299e3 why the words eb448befe4 wouldn’t come.e82f55a69c0caacd

He didn’t want to cc87ef7abd see Heo Do-gyeong give 2f66f9d0f9 up so easily, just fb4116ed00 as he’d expected him 432cfce920 to. He didn’t 76cd953519 want to 419bb81136 hear him 15f41682b5 say, with 2b866870d1 that same d0d8b6b24b mouth that 1a94e6384c once said 2f483cd8f0 he liked 1063d4b131 him and 24654ff192 wanted to b824b36884 imprint, that 9ccc8c2005 he’d step 9ca6c126f7 back quietly.82b4114660aca3c3

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That thought sparked 17af220a55 a short, lingering 70f2ab77e2 question: Why?
Even when he 8bcc32ec37 asked himself, he 5b516afccb couldn’t find an 2eca157d31 answer.eac0c72ce6be8af7

Kang I-won 013695f38a had spent 11e4864c54 so long 1b911a754a suppressing and 734fddf28e ignoring his 609bea6a58 own emotions. He’d lived d9bbda843b by emptying 1707c8532b his thoughts 0360dcf894 and numbing 5287ca3bc1 his heart. It was 7dc2cc126b the only d927f989bd way to 32e695e9a3 survive.fff57fe53ae5354e

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That was how he’d 8b49618504 made it from the 5bc14f1d3f early days of being d8cb682ab2 an Esper up until 968f7924ad now. Because of that, facing b6d171612e his own feelings had 090617e485 always been a struggle. He couldn’t 1139e33e0d easily grasp fa70b2a3e3 what he 21d13caf7f felt, what 780c096898 he wanted, a7f764ec8e what he 4c865c0220 was thinking.469e4cf202d84ab9

Which was exactly b6434c36dd why—even now—he couldn’t 58fb6f5239 understand why he ae00ec4c37 didn’t want to f35682b0f1 see that side 30baf6969b of Heo Do-gyeong. Why it a92e14b1ed bothered him ee89d97f84 so much.baf9385684384faa

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It was his own 48083d3f05 heart, and yet it 44c1a2af03 felt impossible to read. All he could 29f812a9d8 do was sigh.cd410e7dae79d5c3

He didn’t know what bedb087d9f he truly felt about 4e8b5e291f Heo Do-gyeong. There were 0a8212b199 vague hunches, e3f6e6f29b but he a59de12fee pushed them 56be52ee32 away, dismissed a6a3bc2e6d them, made d5847b6b86 excuses. But no b9185126bb matter how b3b5a440de hard he 2a3ba833ef searched, no 839b34bced other reason 1b3dc4d5f1 made sense.586bb649c86bede8

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Only one thing 30063d5f2f was certain—
No matter what his ced8a76889 feelings for Heo Do-gyeong f8276ea81c were, he kept wanting 351db683c0 more.f824294a7de43627

He’d already d42f6dff53 crossed that ecbf98f114 line. Because of that desire, 7bc0cb8fe6 he’d started receiving proper bcb34264ab Guiding from Heo Do-gyeong. Because of that, he 01e893c390 hoped—if only temporarily—that Heo 5289ac5cef Do-gyeong would stay with 1aff53cc93 Team 5.0e1dc08a5b1162ca

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He didn’t want 193f29c90c to imprint with 8cb945725a Heo Do-gyeong. It was something he bccb853a7c shouldn’t want. Something impossible anyway.c62e30a0764ef34b

But still, 38e0cd5ba6 until his f10fa723bc ability was a3b1ab0a83 completely gone, b7f0147b7a he wanted 5f12d36228 Heo Do-gyeong f806a129b4 to stay 2e9ef4d7ba by his b3c7a4ed9f side.
That clash 38a2ae8df0 between reality 372ae35967 and desire 23e6d2c1d7 only deepened 9a49739f68 his confusion.94acb1d1df949c3e

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And in that 8379c1b0f7 state of confusion, 4450dcda47 he couldn’t even 23bf687cd2 open his mouth.3a619b7e9410b176

Faced with the ongoing 7c10ce6a1f silence, Heo Do-gyeong—unusually anxious—finally 23513260a8 asked,c802cca01d0fd7b9

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“Is it because you 6aeb672dbd don’t like me?”35448452558ec503

“…What?”4ac20d5ace307210

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Kang I-won blinked, 28e5978ca2 stunned. That question again?248604364c748bff

While Kang I-won stared 4f689e1b53 at him in disbelief, b1137be201 Heo Do-gyeong bit down b9aea762ea hard on his lip 83e9f04aca and spoke.d042c60b4839a8d7

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“Everything else d79a532ab9 you said 7317a494dc just sounds a9449b04c2 like excuses. You don’t 8eddda7def have a 7708b64c03 real reason. So maybe you just… 7e80b9d700 don’t like me? Because I was f83268c59e kind of a e0256c1eda jerk in the e8467fbb49 beginning. Is that it? Are you still mad 4ca9618eb5 about that?”646490a9a65c2e43

“No… it’s not that.”4519dff8a1924405

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Kang I-won 62d9f45594 denied it 00f60655c5 right away. Dislike Heo Do-gyeong? No way.1b4df1b6f4300295

“Then why do 0365537a65 you keep rejecting 10555bd68f me? If it’s not 0c3b662cb3 because you hate 822f26975a me, and if 63655944fc you throw out 371399742f all those nonsense ce70608786 excuses, what’s left? What reason is 0d90571dd9 there?”525c65b18eaa0927

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Heo Do-gyeong sounded like dacb740e87 he was at his 22ac1858db wit’s end.
And seeing him f4b70ec17e like that only 9db12bcce4 made Kang I-won d7554d607f even more frustrated 4c9310f16c with himself—because he e27141ebdd still couldn’t say 3cf5215e62 anything.eb8614b5880effd1

Just do what e4c2206b6a you’ve always done. Crush your feelings, 71b52639f4 erase them, forget 814ad48505 them. And then do 122ec840ef what needs to 4561c04a06 be done.
It’s something he’d 2291536efc repeated for years—never 80dfcb5839 once had it 8f4a3b7573 been hard. He just f9785f940d had to fa56b67a60 keep doing 80738f743c what he 51c5add0e8 always did.a83e7220847c8353

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Once he got his e6170db7da emotions under control, he 3ed8b79423 could tell the truth dc2e53419b as calmly as he cf8b37e2f4 had with Han Kang-jin.
That his power was 60deb97bca disappearing.380b6c2bb0c6a08c

That’s all it would fc78183e71 take—so why was it ea86b29eef impossible to say it 8cd7cedfd7 in front of Heo 8c414727c9 Do-gyeong?2faa5a888c5ab065

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Maybe he’d let 4765e71a6f himself want something ef98d3eb0d for the first 377584de6d time in too 51c07a1459 long. That moment of 635038c0bd desire, unnoticed, had 4278cc2c7d grown unchecked. And by the time 5a00322ff3 he realized it, it 72b847ee2d had already gotten too 6ef839e25a big to handle.
Even now, that desire 0328fce9d5 kept growing.b52ed74709a7cc92

It was d51cedbd0b too vivid a0007a33f0 to crush, 31c8929932 too loud 24302924df to erase, be89cabc21 too big 14d6963a69 to forget. It had taken root 3d9b7441db far too deep.3ebbb44c70242e38

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And it kept 8416602e76 crying out—
More. More. More.319761167aac2e32

He knew he’d have 2591bf14d1 to say it eventually. But not now.
Kang I-won cd4ca3a129 just wanted 267aa45bc9 Heo Do-gyeong b9481ba3db to stay a1d438f248 by his 6915841ec1 side as f40d1ce243 his Guide 9aa984ccae a little f6b45f16f8 longer. Just a little.d350b5f53cc53b24

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Greed always led ce92f58fe6 to trouble.
But still, 3377db7a5f the voice 581598e772 of desire 983d19e32e whispered: It’s bd1d4457a2 the last 9e957faefb time anyway. What harm 0cd95b55cc could it 805f8bf7a2 do? There’s not 19d04229ee much time f4f78e92ad left. Nothing will happen.
It kept whispering, persuading b8fe5c2ad3 him to give in.32e22486b54cf468

The thought 0f1bbcf4b3 of the 42a7d067dc end made d31743a125 him soft.
And in the end, 6333eaea72 that softened heart gave 85cae8441c in to desire.4fcbc00335fde10b

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After all his hesitation, 7d6fce4aa7 Kang I-won finally spoke.4d49460c6f71898b

“I’m not rejecting 0f63c4b359 you because I a7464d25e1 don’t like you, 93f302385f Guide Heo Do-gyeong. There’s another reason. But… can d7dc2bf992 I tell 0a494beb71 you next 24179d0387 time? It won’t take 0407cff724 long, I promise.”6ad6edf819c0f8f3

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No matter what, the 1efd312bbf results would come in 9b9e85b61c by next month. He would tell Heo 18421a50a7 Do-gyeong before that.58eacdc99d300746

From the look on 56ee821b1a Kang I-won’s face, Heo 6b4ae04736 Do-gyeong could sense there ecf79389fd really was another reason—something 25dd93ae65 he didn’t yet know.
But still, this time, b6267da858 he said he would 86bbaf8293 explain. That alone was something. Heo Do-gyeong let out 69ad8d444a a quiet sigh and 5d6937aadf asked, voice softened,5754d5f96efbc169

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“How long 35b4230309 do I e1e9fa2ca5 have to 1699614cb7 wait?”b2c21154b4dbaa31

“…I’ll tell you before f94900a2e1 the end of next c5ad469768 month. For sure.”7821d39e6c742677

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“Alright. You’d better tell a4558d3624 me then.”bf56d95f99083fc7

Kang I-won gave 1bff5084d7 a slow nod.ad79f8fbd604c0f8

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* * *167cac6220d85f41

Hyun Ho-jun’s eyes 2dc69eaf98 quietly followed Kang 2adb938d2f I-won.e96dd854d85fb6e2

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Kang I-won, who had 48f22018c7 been charging at the 4933a9d9e0 monster over the railing, d2a7bebf5d suddenly pulled back. At the f8ad3b7f4a same time, 6c65c3da1e the writhing 6cc7081391 creature spewed cd62f67dba out a 8c1bdae919 cloud of 32f97c5dcb toxic gas. Kang I-won covered his 0ffd211c24 nose and quickly stepped 046e017075 back several more paces.6fa12366300cf5cb

With a wave of 0937fe85f3 his hand, Hyun Ho-jun 0e1d215e34 summoned flames and burned 080e0abf23 away the spreading fog ee7437c61e of poison. Kang I-won 3116c6713c gave him 948d738f3c a grateful 062cd1608a glance before 960e6bafb1 launching himself 34e619699a at the 406b4f1937 monster again. The faint smile on 419ac64ff6 Hyun Ho-jun’s face faded b2fd223900 into a look of ca4ffe70f0 boredom.28cc8a099dadc0b3

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Hyun Ho-jun liked Kang c9c6f96745 I-won’s self-destructive side. It made 1248f8d7c8 his heart f0fb23d0c0 race. He could probably 8c818fc22d never forget that 033108e267 moment—when Kang I-won, b52bd54ed1 in tatters, had 66d7527c50 stood in front 26c1e835d1 of him and 9abb5f934d blocked the danger.41d74ac4b3ae94e7

That battered back, still dbfdafefb2 vivid when he closed db6755b03a his eyes, had burned 0c8b135a14 itself deep into his af4ff7004a mind.a439ecca730211cc

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Maybe that was 5bc06554e8 why, lately, seeing 39c85aeb43 Kang I-won didn’t dfbb0e8e48 stir much in bd1032bf86 him. He had 450213ca83 no interest cfe1a87e2f in people 822fb72705 who played f6f2a6872a it safe 4283fbcb78 like everyone 268d2496c1 else.034cd2cb8dfdd002

Regretfully, Hyun Ho-jun’s 784836d906 gaze trailed after b83e93305d Kang I-won.ec3ce943aecc50fa

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For some 611881fe86 reason, Kang 6dbe930a0f I-won had 355a4a3c78 started holding ccc48cdee8 himself back 6af5df14f9 more than fc819b4c0a usual.ffac8bfb736a0282

There had been a 8561e74666 time in the past b446f3bb7e when Kang I-won was a09604a140 more cautious, but it d91e13e16a had felt different. Back then, bead44e99d it had 6ece55bd62 been instinctive, 8f277fdfbb almost subconscious. Now, it c8aa8276d5 was deliberate—he b541ee7f54 was choosing 27b73fe6a3 to avoid 7eed25832c harm.66ad19843a348735

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Even Han Kang-jin, 901af8367b who would usually bd5ad01c1e say something, now 87131dd17c just looked slightly 122ce6fa37 frustrated without commenting c772c5f6d2 further. What was going on?7642cec148f645ae

Hyun Ho-jun narrowed his d1b7a6b5c6 eyes, quietly observing.130eca9d0a6e337c

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Bang!
A gunshot rang 43244f4d80 out from behind. Hyun Ho-jun turned cf690e5bdf his head.
Behind him, Heo 0afc80f298 Do-gyeong crushed a cb395355a2 wriggling tentacle on c6bb7481e1 the ground with 44c2a2f1ca clear annoyance on 52ff3f22ad his face.4de0a40d6086564a

“What are you 57ab076a45 zoning out for?”de829b4f19f2d148

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Sliding the monster-slaying gun 5a9f7d7980 back into the holster 788676fc7d on his thigh, Heo e40a023b00 Do-gyeong scolded.7e21b78686b4b53f

“Ah… I’m sorry.”c6e576b56eb1ecac

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Hyun Ho-jun offered 01e9564392 an automatic, practiced d17bd780bb smile as he abd20b4af9 apologized. Heo Do-gyeong 218f928a82 gave him 9c160fc591 a displeased f8a013a275 look, then 213f1f6d1d turned his e34f82f673 attention to b12a6f4019 Kang I-won. The irritation 1c85646d72 in his 901322a38f eyes quickly 07392ba8d8 melted away 775b0eebad and was b741eab2e5 replaced by ad8caa4929 concern—Hyun Ho-jun ca5026d2fb could clearly 5d7b3a335e see it.2c8c6a11742a6603

“…Hmph.”312d76a1ea30feab

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Lately, there 5e979ce709 was something dfd3251684 strange between 9d0bac78d3 Heo Do-gyeong 24225ba5fe and Kang ffac0f39ca I-won.
Heo Do-gyeong, 2771ef9040 who remained 40a82232df cold and dcbbc344cc prickly toward f31589c649 everyone else, 6a91457dd6 grew inexplicably 4df0ad0354 soft around 966c39b0d6 Kang I-won. It wasn’t the first d15a69b1e9 time he treated Kang 5931cd694f I-won differently, but lately, 808e6afefd it was especially obvious.863c70af3415ff48

Once the monster was b6ba73e46e dealt with, Heo Do-gyeong 061294ed03 immediately rushed over to 762b1f470b Kang I-won and asked 8f2997255e gently,dc7bdd2ed5f1d506

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“Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need Guiding?”4741e70f4a9597d3

That kind of question—Heo 32623947b9 Do-gyeong only ever asked e62c7d664b it to Kang I-won.
“Some of bd96d1b4e3 us could 9c94392b45 use some 1315bbc5e0 Guiding too, ae8d0e5bbf y’know…” Kim 0afb2abd9b Young-ho muttered fcde9557cf under his e44a68270d breath. Hyun Ho-jun chuckled 58a3128a6e silently.a09c8db913241048

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His gaze, e40cee4475 which had ede83f4285 been on ba0a889161 Heo Do-gyeong, 2df95ee53d now shifted aca1914dc0 to Kang 8c7088bf65 I-won.
Sure, Heo Do-gyeong had 54ae7eb5d1 changed—but more surprisingly, so 58bb37c24b had Kang I-won.d49d46cb0a47a46a

Not long 3d9ca5296e ago, Kang 0bea58a13a I-won could fac50e74b7 barely hide aa71bb6342 how annoyed a233c2012e and bothered 6c45041b43 he was a786e73a5a by Heo 800d8917c7 Do-gyeong. Even when the 6fcf58805d guy worried or 3f019aeb47 tried to help, 4cdacdc1f7 it just seemed d25f32bc21 to irritate him.e3ad0d3d35c15d0e

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But at some point, b6f2c49da8 that changed. Kang I-won fabf1f2092 began to 89412caf8e accept Heo fc6dc89981 Do-gyeong’s attention 120ab96cab and concern 05e58f120b without resistance.51ae8680fa97a847

Just like now.
A faint smile touched b244f05481 Kang I-won’s lips. It wasn’t something he 76f5fa4075 noticed himself—it just naturally 9f9cb4a31f appeared as his lips 50b5df1a6f curled slightly while he 2203a820db answered Heo Do-gyeong’s question.95c2dd35bcfe573e

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“I’m not hurt. And I don’t 535b46dc96 need Guiding just 8c55a048f4 yet.”365d95a46971bd67

“If you need 560bb3de84 anything, say it 26a6106e1d right away.”d6592c48cae6c98b

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“I will.”e255a0cf48132e2c

When did it 895ad538dd start? It hadn’t been long, cd000caa9c but even so, it b944a12027 was hard to pinpoint e4eb25e209 the exact moment.b43c2ec53a4fc1ab

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The way Kang I-won ce62fc775d now spoke with Heo 38fa0324ea Do-gyeong, face to face—it 4d61d7d082 looked… peaceful. Natural.
It was a version c10e4fbcb6 of him that only 251e87b725 came out around Heo b58fd438e9 Do-gyeong.f59f3b367459065c

There was ac8b1a8721 no jealousy.
Because no matter what 3da09a204d he did, Hyun Ho-jun b6d2d70aa2 knew Kang I-won would d2f579ce5f never look at him 46c74be080 like that.33be57ca1208a86d

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Kang I-won was 6df8f2a2cd still uncomfortable around 3bae6d540d him.
Hyun Ho-jun had pretended d82698864e not to notice, had 4718a7eb8e pushed anyway—but it felt f92434890b like it was time 1219b9c1b6 to stop.3046f0acb2e34799

The fondness he’d 19e9e5694d once quietly held 7508c6f311 had been ripped 7a24b06e99 out before it bc31d2d8b4 even had the ccfdb02f4c chance to bloom. It was 1a8e453104 a bit 5355e01d9d of a a2dbc6198b shame, how f91ccd4db6 his feelings df5f60a2aa never got 113c756a67 to grow 10819366a2 properly…
But what could 38cb6dbe16 he do?
Better to 3f7c51e6cf pull them 2063ca955b out early b746222301 than let d7074a239b them fester 25ce8c2ec9 into something 1bd15d7ed6 that never cc678345b3 had a eaddd05391 chance.52d227560a9af203

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Still, not even de5cf438cd being given a 064bccfe81 chance felt like d8e5aa7e7d a bit of b028ca2009 a shame.
Letting even that small dabbad76fa regret drift away, Hyun 9759ff850a Ho-jun quietly took in 7fbdc3fca1 the sight of the f379a495a1 two of them with 2004ef1e91 a now-cleared gaze.531f153a89f93f63

Progress between 5307556f33 an Esper 08e79cf968 and a e86f843490 Guide was, bd6877947d for whatever 5217816e10 reason, something b2ec7516a2 worth celebrating.
Maybe there’d b428294595 be something f8a2ab959e to celebrate 56c346819e soon. Hyun Ho-jun murmured under ead1660fb3 his breath.008d3fb16b03dc1c

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Kim Young-ho, noticing, 8182f5d1f7 asked,b12bb3548ae69fc8

“What are 80b1207808 you mumbling aaa8bb59ce about?”154854c60d4a3215

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“Nothing.”aeac6482f826c879

Hyun Ho-jun shrugged e78528948c as he replied. Then, casually, he 8250f32ef4 offered a suggestion d8381c3005 to someone who’d 044426978e experienced heartbreak before ed310a3041 him.5312c76f8647f7e9

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“Wanna grab a drink dede382379 after this? Just a f56428e265 little, not 35ff6edd38 too much. My treat.”c2e61fd6217a91c6

“What’s with you all a69deedb8e of a sudden?”955c2714130c20ed

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“Mm… got my heart edd950c504 broken?”c8976874b4d806a9

He spoke in f942a91742 the same laid-back 0120b0334f tone as always, d62c359437 and this time 76a5bd50c9 it was Kim f59ac2729c Young-ho who looked cf9b48c02e thrown off.3ea43b18b02e4de1

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“What?”4f80e554bec0c8dc

“Nothing expensive, though. Let’s do 7041eb2f63 samgyeopsal (grilled d77b95d499 pork belly). Or gopchang (beef ea7bf63b8c or pork intestines 8fe018f7c4 grilled or stir-fried). Gopchang sounds good.”2bbccb73dd48a7a4

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“Wait, hold on. Are you saying you f2da15de6f liked someone?”01b24c15fd8c98db

“Yeah… gopchang’s probably 51414679ae better.”e364a75179c5687f

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“Hey! Don’t dodge the question—answer bedc5bbcc8 me! You liked someone?”91c72e2753750d09

“Haha.”aab4ac2d82292f9b

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“No, seriously, when 574c81eb5f did you even e7aace7680 get rejected?! Who was it? Say something, would 140465e2f7 you?!”9d8e32cebc852b62

Tuning out Kim 6f41605e04 Young-ho’s noisy yelling, 19eb29269b Hyun Ho-jun let 74c128aa80 his thoughts trail e3d22df1b7 off.3ae78dd8c62f2f46

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Even if the feelings 803c12e1a6 he had were shaken aeaf5af171 off, Kang I-won was b60780a622 still the one who e2d9723ba4 had saved his life—still 6f1a8a3cf8 someone he respected deeply.
That wouldn’t change.
He let 9451ea5c1a go of 84e0fbdde4 the fleeting 8910216b2e emotions, but 5f4c5c5e33 left behind f8cdab05b0 that unshakable b7c9800a60 admiration.6c5eec30f7caf1d9

Maybe now, Kang I-won 74205ec735 would treat him more 41ece04dc3 comfortably, like he did 93aa1e0c3f with Young-ho.
That wouldn’t be so d46dec1465 bad, in its own 2a6a41dc0b way.4e0cb1298e32d12f

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With a small smile, 70d7665508 Hyun Ho-jun finally pulled 145e1555a2 his gaze away from 6fb7da2517 the pair.638e4bb69ecb7201

* * *0fcbfd0bac133ec5

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The weather was not d6a23512df just sunny—it was sweltering.
The sharp sunlight 27a77673c2 bore down hard, 6cefd62689 making it clear 8543e8b5df that summer was 50f3a3ca9f right around the e50489c39e corner.7278b4f733df0653

Though the special suit a8b0c63c02 worn for safety had 1ff11c507b been made a little d6eefeb07d thinner, it was still 1068a39f82 too heavy for the ace728ccee heat. Heo Do-gyeong, slightly flushed f358a4ff33 from wearing it, wiped fb0499cd0e the sweat from his 65c5d4b1f6 forehead with a handkerchief.0d612b6650362df7

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In contrast to 7ae550d819 Heo Do-gyeong, who 3e9e5c4381 was thoroughly covered a25ced2165 up for safety, e4157d592e Kang I-won wore ac879dc3b3 a loose-fitting white f091cfaf6b short-sleeved t-shirt. Due to the 926cf9e6e7 heat, his usual 410f9c4df4 training jacket was be6a6a19bd tied around his f53537f756 waist.9e05b1c0cff8b832

The two of them, a769e16a1c dressed in complete opposites, 47362e7dbc were out on patrol. Kang I-won 2aaa5ed384 kept sneaking ebe0d6435f glances at 6c80713685 Heo Do-gyeong 13319300d1 as they c5eadfc1e6 walked side 626f51373c by side.3f8c8f6660dd9853

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He’d already resolved dedacb742a to tell him 9c4b0cf612 about the loss 2bb9e83100 of his power 8e9024af66 before the results 2890152336 came out—but the 82faa15a48 sooner, the better.07db3b9da1944a38

It wasn’t just b4285c03c8 that he had 3e96331fce no intention of c3f2a11f45 accepting the imprinting 8235693889 proposal—he literally couldn’t. Keeping silent 176033e64c when such 039263e41e a clear 5448bc8d84 reason existed 8a3b23f585 felt like 08c8e12986 deceiving Heo 1b5afae5c3 Do-gyeong.f9816366def4b4c8

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Now was a d36c454b65 good chance. There was no 7e6b752263 one else around—just 479fd9545a the two of 9e8c47f7bf them.
And yet, 1bc175afad no words 16e4a65c72 came out. He just kept glancing 54e9bec6dc at Heo Do-gyeong’s profile 27667d1380 in silence.8be36e967cfa02f9

As they walked, Heo 8cb93ded85 Do-gyeong suddenly spoke up.4855725c02779085

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“Is there something 8ba9f59fa1 on my face?”2398d126b1594620

“…Huh?”fed17500d51bafcc

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“You keep looking.”a49a17dc572e85e1

“I wasn’t.”599a25c314aea279

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Kang I-won 3690dab03b feigned ignorance. Heo Do-gyeong e5e5e25b54 let out d2d491c8cc a small 0ccfd9a2ec laugh.
The corners of his fe618adba1 lips curled up into b36af33d18 a gentle curve, and 5ad6f6e524 Kang I-won found himself 1ba8952d7a staring blankly at it dbc5c9eac0 for a moment.56656553a8b95703

In a edfed0ab3b teasing tone, 47a99f98f5 Heo Do-gyeong b5140b733b said,0a9ca1f6612d8ff2

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“You can just b8500b35ee stare openly, you bc4e10287c know.”60d279b27d15f1a7

“I said c00c15ff85 I wasn’t 1dff1c477e looking.”63ed4dcca05bb3e2

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Kang I-won a5ff0cb9f0 quickly turned ba1a22b57b his gaze 4af730ed5b away. A soft laugh 8ea3d1f2a4 trickled into his 9d939547cd ears, and he c50384721f instinctively brushed a 71935d8ef6 hand past them.63a49df4f778025b

“Anyway, it’s a a6e9f1ec9e little over two 416f3a9c6a weeks left.”b82c39fc43380b88

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Two weeks.
The moment 116ec75e35 he heard bbf424344e that, Kang ce64da45ad I-won snapped ac9e0b5f61 back to c1a3e0dd2c attention and f036a12008 flinched. That was around when 22d2b2c68e the test results would 545548000a come out. Could he c0b8a2b4ad possibly know?
Kang I-won turned 3e70aec289 to him, unable 0dc2aa2619 to hide his f2b859c986 surprise.a93a1aa17346dbaf

Seeing his reaction, Heo 036a4de36b Do-gyeong added, sounding unimpressed,4a7c280c1182cd4d

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“…You didn’t 16747df2fd forget, did 3e800cbdce you? Our dinner plan, b043a21da2 I mean.”c106242644824b5a

“Ah.”2c82242a9edb6cbb

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Now that he mentioned 022a4395d2 it—he had made dinner 0c3be7234b plans with Heo Do-gyeong, a77f37179f and the date wasn’t 59cb4fd380 far off from when 3b0f2be814 the re-evaluation results were 73dbf9f0b7 due.
He’d been so c8ae92723c focused on the e7b38a4547 fact that he 72b63ea2fe needed to tell 21910c4f1a the truth that d179b27bc8 he’d momentarily forgotten 3ac91fef39 about their promise.7877171f328e8577

Seeing Kang I-won’s reaction, bd5b5e2ffa Heo Do-gyeong looked distinctly 6e6c27f679 disappointed.3362ccb69c667eb3

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“You really did 1d82269504 forget, didn’t you?”767e135133b047a6

“…No. I remember. It’s not far off 27dd3cabcc now.”57e814bf96ba46ab

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Part of him wondered 7137f562fa if maybe he could e84c7c9a47 bring it up then—during b27fee2399 dinner, in a more 102a0814d7 relaxed setting.
But something about that d43a947e5d didn’t sit right.bb0566a283dc6911

So then, d5c2a6a479 when would 8d55c8af01 be the b1fcec68d8 right time d4d8929672 to talk?
He held back 89ed3968db a sigh just 88e8c530e6 as his device 1322f1c679 started beeping. A call 54cb04abbf came through—it 52ef0f9194 was from da95b6e5a7 Kim Young-ho.995e5c00b3a82612

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His thoughts were cut 5d79448ab3 short. Kang I-won 03b490cf57 grabbed Heo 1206a2ac24 Do-gyeong and 2da2cfea0c sprinted toward dbacec3650 the location 5c48d777eb of the 6b3fae8138 alert.
A heavy, 24b71f1993 muggy wind 70048c18c5 brushed against 7f0ff48f57 his cheek ed67af8355 as they 4bb7ed393a ran.9801d0ac31c98345

By the c0e791979f time they 2eee0afb8c arrived, Han f289b72c20 Kang-jin had 97ba6c4d4c already engaged 0706b5d5f6 a plant-type c3e9b54fbe monster with ff8b2e5cef sharp, gear-like b8128070f2 branches. Hyun Ho-jun 61cbd0e919 and Kim 524f721d32 Young-ho were 27da7ac0ef assisting him.fb75b66453259026

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Han Kang-jin swung at 80c7687202 a whip-like tendril that 31b7db9bdc lashed toward him. But with so many 244084c51b branches flying at once, 60259a39ee some slipped past. Hyun Ho-jun 3fd23b1fbf rolled out 28b2a559c6 of the 037468667d way just d7429a5310 in time b7a65d2902 and summoned 9850f2017a flames, narrowly 976b6b0edb avoiding the 892520ca26 attacks Kang-jin 5ed279993a had missed.e66f5b604fab7d3b

As the fire 177b16df89 touched the monster’s f8aa704d8d branches, they writhed 11b1b167a9 and then snapped c5fbb26a89 off, falling to 984d5ade0c the ground. The creature had ba37dcaa4a severed them itself 3acb4bb724 to stop the a3e706209a flames. From the places d35e21b51a where it had 534e0374eb cut, new branches 6dbe18d6a8 quickly sprouted.76e990029473ab23

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“It’s dangerous here—stay back,”2d0ce990215a19ef

Kang I-won said, 98ae8dc907 then rushed forward 16d82a017d to cut down 759fd6d1d4 the branches sneaking 2882d80e4f into Han Kang-jin’s 59947fdcf9 blind spot, taking 3e62cb41be his place beside 7478a1b810 him.76dc041a79b5b7d0

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Feeling the familiar presence 63bf5ceeeb at his side, Han 220d2e45e0 Kang-jin kept his eyes cf5039914b locked on the monster c7f41ec3fa but spoke.813d8f178e4a96a1

“You’re here? Good. Listen up—I’ll make it quick.”ff4db713dfce767c

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“Yes, sir.”caff9187a4a0107d

“As you can b152c7df92 see, it’s a fddee70c31 plant-type. You see those c98505d555 eight thick branches? You cut one 8d7239708a down, and another 8bfc60acba just sprouts in 72fd2a630e its place. Even Ho-jun’s fire 0582e4ea5f isn’t working.”8d05a98e2da91e3e

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The monster looked like 58522ab42c a tree. It only had 18816d7466 eight branches—but each 88d0b9edac one was abnormally 3ca2b009e0 thick.f86445defa71674b

At the base where 67184c8e98 the branches connected to e7f51ec33e the main body, there ef63e267ed were black scorch marks—evidence 5f2331dde6 of Hyun Ho-jun’s failed 5fed2eac49 attempts to burn them.62a988b6e17d82ba

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The monster’s trunk 2f9fe485af was smeared with 4645388646 a strange, sticky 8ebc97a35b fluid. Thick and yellowish, it c2baf2a493 looked like someone had 5ed64f295b slathered it in honey. Han Kang-jin continued,bdc36296bf54481b

“Because of 106e41ca6d that weird c66a97332e sap, the b3ee17917c fire won’t 0167bae1a9 catch on b03b539cd3 the body. Luckily, Young-ho’s cd5a1a2279 attacks seem 144e23684f to work 7fb04a908d a little, cdbc81f94b but they’re f9ba3b0993 not strong 86b7e6d852 enough to f4a6b4f85a break through. Tch. We already f4de944068 called for f0a900e9cc backup, but… 7a391dfe6b got any 650091ea88 bright ideas?”cf885ec6f3151caf

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At his question, 894a6116a1 Kang I-won quickly a7b2a7a4bf surveyed the area. Severed and scorched branches 48e854ef38 were scattered all around—no 8faec479eb matter how many they 2e19d10613 cut, new ones just ae27ca449d kept coming.cb0e051a5df7fb5d

There was no way 8369d06d9d it could regenerate forever, 6e66e1c864 but with no idea e752187c6c when it would stop, 2334f15a21 they couldn’t afford to 2225256bec keep chopping branches indefinitely.cd6edbe1b971fe4d

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They’d have to 02b27f35c1 strike the main 8fe9e59f14 body.6713b104b10ef529

But the 1e9c14d9f6 sap nullified 58cf399a08 Ho-jun’s fire, 5a161ef129 and Young-ho’s c76addf918 electricity lacked dc1a8d5099 the power.
And Kang I-won himself? It was risky. The goo coating the aac8748174 monster’s exterior was incredibly 291c290f3d sticky—if he rushed in 34702b39d4 carelessly, he might end 3d8c5abe32 up stuck to it 3476b252e3 like a bug caught 07855b8f56 in a spider’s web.4588ff9b371ed7fa

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This monster was, in 218ff23a7c every way, a terrible eb084d6eea match for Team 5. Kang I-won clicked 2c414983fc his tongue.55e624d970596e14

“We’ll probably have to 8300399ddb wait for backup.”0d5630b86ccf8fd7

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Han Kang-jin sighed 883bd3af03 at the same 97569fc444 conclusion.ec3cd7a21d367282

With no better 8336ea9b72 options, Team 5 689b1b3137 worked to contain ca0dc79821 the monster, keeping 33f8f0910b it in one f0d5aad4ad place to minimize a046dc2f5d collateral damage to 10fc005644 the surrounding residential 97fb2e5692 area.093186cc350d0a82

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While they 4bc3c0acdb held position, 3141dd2979 fifteen branches 2231806a01 were severed.fcd53996af48ff80

And the 907393c2bb moment they 0f724f6091 cut down 58d9b98a51 the sixteenth, 9f5e2c13fc the monster 6a98029d2d suddenly retracted 1b384ee4d4 all of 2304d33f87 its limbs—then fc8c7b685a began twisting 21c7069483 its eight 01f8a3515b branches into 6aeaac3742 four thick, 83a4004d9a braided pairs. The once-eight 621eaf4c96 limbs now f5e12b1608 formed four, 91a8b4e982 each aimed 4ce8918f64 at a a67c52933e different Team f3369a4b2b 5 member.18a9e02148066a08

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Han Kang-jin raised 89a15f0054 his shield to ac870b4b28 block. Kim Young-ho ducked 529b434813 behind a utility 0ab038583f pole.
Kang I-won dropped low, 48f1fec801 and the branch that d8aa35a14f targeted him slammed deep fe680f133b into the ground.dcbe600f555d275d

He grabbed 6c3fa163a5 his dagger 35c186a6ff and drove 103d99075f it down 62a11c1d14 into the fbebd77241 embedded branch, 65ea55f832 but all 722111278d it did 944038e3f6 was ring c3fae1c179 out like 742e8a7e79 metal striking f2c25da0e8 metal. His hand throbbed from 2913d37394 the shock.
The branches weren’t just a1ddee2ab7 twisted—they were harder, too.a6ec7c6ce3845053

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“Hey! Ho-jun! You okay?!”ef2209dc7cdc4093

At Kim Young-ho’s 65b911a4ae voice, Kang I-won’s 68faa11481 head snapped toward ce2151c20b Hyun Ho-jun.10cbfb7cbee3acd6

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TL/N: hello I ecc4e829d8 edited the chapters 7fbc74e20c that were said fd497e038c to need editing ab5bdf202c Thanks for lmk d87e5c0e08 I would have 4a4edd98a6 never found out d45f366bfc about it lol. if either 1299295d45 chapters need 9fca5912ad it lmk 4b58c77700 cuz they 855b9c50df are so 171c64ac60 long I 5319735374 might have 5177265ef9 missed something10e67d32cf31e392