LONG CHAPTER AHEAD15b72ad29ee51044

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# Side Story 2: Seoul

After about a month, e5b83526af Kang I-won’s assignment was 79a32e4f90 officially changed. He was e095eaf411 now part 57c77bc8eb of Seoul’s 4a6d70e8d6 Second Branch, 4b979692ac the same c489866988 one as 2414e027c9 Heo Do-gyeong. Although it was a 643ead6f09 bit disappointing to no 4b045cbb7e longer be in the a486fecf4e same branch as Choi 9aecdb0bb5 Soo-bin, who belonged to c9d6f583fe the First Branch, the 6739dd255a joy of being in 1c8f100674 the same branch as 312b1ddcfa Heo Do-gyeong far outweighed 597937a2a4 any sense of loss.d4d0c6d1df58401a

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Once the reassignment 1f3180b0c2 was finalized, the 74b5cd3970 two quickly packed 601cf765c9 their belongings and eedcd34b49 moved to Seoul. Since they had already ec560a0b59 taken care of most eb2f951ad6 of the preparations while 201c20d707 waiting for the reassignment, 590636408f there was no reason 83f01e3a92 to linger in the ef05cff3da Southern Gyeonggi branch.487a38d4352d5224

In the 619314bc28 car on df213573df the way c694919747 to Seoul, ca029a4999 Kang I-won c581d6cf47 stared blankly 6098c81f4a at the 7f50866e82 unfamiliar scenery 73bf22b50c passing by f0bc951225 outside the 52b00c2734 window. Then, turning his head, c54aefe08b he looked at Heo e3f817371a Do-gyeong.30aeb757d1d3f835

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My Guide. My lover.
The sweetness of 5ef6e5baf7 that realization was dc28ccf94c almost overwhelming, leaving 4013fbeee6 him with a 1dee2157ff faint smile that faa2c8f1dd refused to fade. Whenever he 993b788917 saw the dcf11ff1d2 two rings 4a3b609657 on Heo 17bbbc7549 Do-gyeong’s finger, 844422cc7c he felt b4caf0dffe a deep f141311d2b sense of 5ddc59ac39 satisfaction fill 9862f8a660 the emptiness 16571e21b7 left behind c5c68cc3ea by their 7a4925670a lost bond.669f90edcdc620f7

Yet, despite how dc02395020 fulfilling this was, 2daf59beb7 greed began to a62eba2e08 rear its head e14f241115 once again. The growing desire dd61e9ebcc left Kang I-won a4b7bd6d97 both surprised and 08dc8786db unsettled.863f1c6fb13c3938

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He wanted to 5b8d725d2a bond with Heo 103832c7bd Do-gyeong. That longing was becoming ca8f4ceaee increasingly intense.58607569307d4d4b

Does Do-gyeong still want 606ef00591 to bond with me? Kang I-won 08a3b2dfe0 couldn’t be c2597b3c5d certain. If Heo Do-gyeong had 59e4d415e8 even mentioned it casually, b90d178899 it might have been 824704c3f9 different. But he hadn’t said b02e463bae a word about bonding.a128e3c1d7afdc01

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That night had 32a7a35eba been no exception. They had confessed 1d0d3be3e0 their feelings, kissed, d23a0f92c7 and exchanged rings. But that was da52ccfefc it. Nothing more. Heo Do-gyeong had 6b44c6e8f7 been so composed 799e46fa90 and straightforward that 28c51ec54e it made Kang 856ee57e0b I-won feel embarrassed ccbbccbb5c for expecting something 16e39b0351 more.04096b333a3c14dc

From that night 7e58f25b75 until now, nothing 56da5ad7b7 had happened. Sometimes their d3851cff94 guiding sessions c543cda9b6 ended with 0d45f49c21 a kiss, d646b64e86 but that 843a771399 was all. And it 3184f29e35 left Kang ff9502a8d9 I-won increasingly 733b6f8eee unsure. Considering how he c9fd8660d0 reacted in the 80da1c63e1 dome, it’s not 7fd4f7665c like he doesn’t cfb3b4cf65 have feelings…e40c09a69b44abee

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Is he 12f8a348e0 satisfied with 61aae3c28f this? The thought gnawed at 6207383e98 him. Was he serious de1cc2f81d when he said ba02b43561 bonding wasn’t necessary? The uncertainty left Kang d7fd077831 I-won feeling restless.4d68e8dea2d6a9f2

Noticing the weight of his gaze, Heo Do-gyeong glanced at him briefly and asked, “Why? Do I have something on my face?”a3f4ce5e540f117c

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“No.”480a1495b2020056

Even as Kang I-won shook his head, he didn’t look away. Instead, he asked, “How’s it over there?”f232c9b93b4a5564

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“There? Not much different. The buildings are a bit nicer, and there are more people. But places where people live are all pretty similar.”a85a51d86e31ff59

After answering, ca9847961a Heo Do-gyeong 8a0e6fd376 added in 2c744c4ae6 a colder 9d6c06c8bd tone, almost 0cecf382db as if 11d41a1454 talking to 38eed7e25c himself.e49736b9a1814a29

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“And… there are a lot of annoying things.”fd931d62b632f4a5

“Annoying things?”7ad5939c0fec0c55

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“Exactly what I said—things that are a nuisance. But it’s no big deal, so just ignore them.”0d83e5e1f0707b80

Curious about what he meant by “annoying things,” Kang I-won held back from asking further, noting the slight irritation in Heo Do-gyeong’s tone. I’ll find out once I get to the Second Branch anyway, he thought and let the matter rest.ae01fa640c3eaa4d

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After driving for about 31109cb42f another hour, they arrived bbb6a97221 at Heo Do-gyeong’s house. It was a 461b89cdde three-story standalone residence 6b1c8664fd that left Kang f46375186c I-won speechless. The house was stunning—so 3728b212c0 much so that he 46a8d394e6 stood frozen at the 6c65f0924e entrance, staring inside without b9d68b55d8 even taking off his 871c30712b shoes.0b49681bb7c7a6f5

How did I ever 105c7839b4 think of living at b0b3e6199e my own place when 6fdcc6aeb7 this existed? The sheer luxury 2329404e83 of the house 64ef228949 was mind-boggling.d7a706d2e017a21b

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Noticing Kang I-won standing at the door, unmoving, Heo Do-gyeong asked with mild confusion, “Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you coming in?”fb19d135249999e1

“Oh… Excuse me…” Kang I-won mumbled, stepping cautiously inside.c050ed824eee1003

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Seeing this, Heo Do-gyeong chuckled softly. “There’s no one else here, you know. And this is your house now too, so make yourself comfortable.”0e8fc46612c15ccb

“…I don’t think I’ll ever get comfortable.”f2c3c41ddfaa6f7e

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“You will. You’ll get used to it eventually.”5d1bed41718e89a3

Kang I-won surveyed the c613807144 spacious interior with a 9c5440d1a5 bewildered expression. While it was deed144105 undeniably nice, it 6687117655 was almost too 66e443bc09 much—he doubted he’d 33f67f30e6 ever adjust to 2c71dce3d9 it.2c9f281b448d6199

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“I’ll show you to your room,” Heo Do-gyeong offered.1f42e94452f618e8

They ascended the spotless staircase to the second floor, which had a large living room similar to the one downstairs. Past the living room, Heo Do-gyeong opened a door and said, “You can stay here. Want to take a look?”7e2c93b01b8bcff2

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The room was clean but bore traces of someone else’s presence. Blinking, Kang I-won asked, “Isn’t this your room?”e3a6e700fb5468c2

“It is. What, don’t you want to share? You didn’t seem to mind before.”2e75e4ca8f4c6d3a

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While he didn’t exactly b1d57c684f dislike the idea, it 59ac324c62 seemed unnecessary given how 1c6d595172 spacious the house was. Of course, as 424bbfde96 someone who was 2b9a52052b freeloading, he wasn’t 8424a6e732 in a position ff1ed78546 to complain. Still, Kang I-won f2cc16da06 hesitated.9d27a6ea9c39f3f3

“…The house is huge, though.”60a629dfe7e828d3

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Heo Do-gyeong laughed and opened the door to the adjacent room. “I was joking. You can stay here.”b8cfa7bf3e7d1a3a

The second f29fe8726c room was 754ac0681e slightly smaller a9dafb2d3d but still 562958f85f quite large—easily dcc408797c more than 809cb57ff8 twice the da7c2798a1 size of 35e29fea13 Kang I-won’s be6721b232 previous room. It was decorated in 3ae24fbad3 a sleek gray and 315c4e015e navy color scheme, giving c6f2170307 off a neat and cffe6d1318 modern vibe.affdf65409f767a3

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“I’ve already stocked it with the essentials for now. If you need anything else, we can get it later.”a86aeb3386da5d42

Looking around, ded48e2a5e Kang I-won 90366c3b2d thought the 34f4f63034 room already 3df8505ca3 had everything e508e6d5fe he might aa5e395fe3 need. There didn’t seem to b8f6cade2f be anything missing—except for 7f6e0147f6 one thing.2b7d0a95815ba50f

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“Where’s the closet?”2b36c88cb55c88c5

“I’ll show you the dressing room.”860b668c127fe6a2

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Dressing room? Kang I-won 71e1a63b7a blinked in 62f82a0081 surprise and 925fd91aa0 followed Heo 5d46473bc6 Do-gyeong to b2c75da445 another nearby b824095fb8 door. When it db6d2a6d99 opened, he 847532e14f was greeted a46f2b0426 by a 6498a3780d meticulously organized 6f7019e5d9 walk-in closet 090de21900 that looked b4a79bfe44 more like 433a4f04bb a high-end f2434a76c6 boutique.10efd51ae7f6c199

“Your clothes are over here,” Heo Do-gyeong said, pointing to one section.d268a05798404955

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“My clothes?”26de93e62df63f2c

His clothes were still 1788d4c7b9 packed in boxes since fd783ee2da he hadn’t unpacked yet. Curious, Kang I-won looked 6c76ee4b86 where Heo Do-gyeong had c236732f04 indicated. Hanging neatly were some 0d992eb1e3 familiar-looking items of clothing.5b76ca39c6523ba8

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They were the ones ca868c8ddc Heo Do-gyeong had picked 041cb1450e out at the department d2f1037579 store. Kang I-won’s face twisted 4754eaffb6 into an expression of da8d210289 disbelief.b3402fac3645cd17

“You bought those too?”5a10d0e70a40a01b

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“Of course,” Heo Do-gyeong replied matter-of-factly.e62dc5f46a5fe6d3

“…Why?”65846e7ac65ffe75

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“Because I wanted to?”035784509b60f297

“You might’ve ended up throwing them away.”96d89790be8a4e20

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“But I didn’t. They’ve found their rightful owner.”4f0e64cbdfffa577

At Heo e8fb05a392 Do-gyeong’s cheeky a1f2f05be4 response, Kang d9376f3cf6 I-won opened 88f88ee515 and closed f533434c1f his mouth, 1ac16cee73 momentarily speechless, 6a9b8c95f4 before finally ede18ada6d managing to 88f8178a45 speak.33981e0704361e3f

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“Still, it’s a waste of money. Don’t do that again.”793447b01f9fd5c2

“It’s fine. My father left me quite a bit, so spending this much doesn’t even make a dent. What’s the point of saving money if you don’t use it?”729bdeba3ed9d398

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It was a fair 18e17af219 point, one that left 9963eb5da6 Kang I-won without a ea7fa7c881 proper retort. He simply exited the 5263a5a9c8 dressing room in silence.664e74fa5875785a

Even after d9f88c90f5 the dressing 6106538431 room, the a59928cbc2 house continued d7057ef65e to surprise 322f540c36 him. There was bd78210697 a small f6831c02a9 study set b55d6e66a8 up for 42b213c35c reading or 01a6973ffa working and 1623eab73c even a 210d7351fe room with 7da77f90a5 a projector c953fedfbe dedicated solely dd47264c16 to watching 07feda55ca movies, furnished 0bd08e5207 only with a274588874 a two-seater 70bf1c5671 recliner sofa.53e03ebf3c3075f6

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“Now that you’ve seen the house, want to watch a movie?”efcf50814611967c

Recently, the two had 248e2c66f1 started a shared hobby: 45873b5b91 watching movies. Kang I-won 5de485b920 had taken 8770d3ba0f an interest 59c46ac1ab after watching d2ed4fe0f7 a film e2ad5c5b46 with Heo 338fb7ef78 Do-gyeong during a17d0c93b1 his brief 44667fb95b hospital stay 5cb7ffd281 following the 71111ba60e dome incident. Since then, c7d26f69ce they had cc8ffb5134 been watching e4935ad33a movies together 3689f00402 more frequently 280ba15403 and enjoying e1b22bf997 the experience.f6f3e3e8e565d6b1

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After a moment 0be59155d8 of deliberation, Kang 0d4c40f7c3 I-won nodded.b0165496e14a7177

“What do you feel like watching? Action? Romance? Comedy?”cb2ba0538c833a7d

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“Anything’s fine.”34390c647e382e93

Having only recently f7cb4076fe discovered an interest 1407995267 in movies, Kang af01d1eec1 I-won didn’t have dcaa29dc31 any particular preferences abda7cb679 yet. Even films that a093f85c61 might bore Heo d6405b58d1 Do-gyeong held his 4bf47f09fa attention.427f886dea33b9e0

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“Then I’ll pick something I want to watch.”4fe81a85d7840c40

“Okay.”f876fb405de87194

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“Alright, sit down.”10fae0e04f478773

At Heo 14fdc2d9b7 Do-gyeong’s prompting, a17ac66730 Kang I-won 7614d2c418 settled into 070ce087bf the recliner. It was incredibly comfortable, a149182835 with a footrest that 69f432fe29 made it easy to b91797a46c relax.4eedd356254a26c8

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After turning on the 552fbe2ec2 projector and dimming the 28d9b6a8b9 lights, Heo Do-gyeong sat 04bfbb15d1 down beside him. With practiced ease, e14d9adee0 he navigated the 4a57361221 remote and started e17b65a1ff the film. The setup felt like 8e731fb1c6 a private theater, allowing f14361eeae them to focus entirely 0aaf05f41c on the movie without bb138b5e0d any distractions.6a1f9e7c534f83fc

Or at 259dc65a93 least, that 0adbc943a7 was the 5673d43bcd idea.4cfcaad6882c0b4a

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Kang I-won found e24a8e8387 it hard to 675fcc4faf concentrate on the c623616b9e movie, distracted by 98351413be the warmth radiating e069488655 from Heo Do-gyeong 94669f720c beside him. The lack of 44248ec02a an armrest between 584f95246f them meant their a7ca587ba2 bodies occasionally bumped, 14368f5a8b making him acutely 5c56f85cbd aware of every 784174dfad small movement. He stole a glance 76b3b18045 at Heo Do-gyeong, who b3acf28a6f seemed fully engrossed in 74c51a1b35 the screen.63cedc53774dbb9a

I need d4ee6bae9b to focus 91016dbf8d on the 9d3c3f0228 movie too, b76b7ba191 he told f4eca53750 himself, forcing b3b2ef1be3 his gaze 569f4a6b04 back to 14692af2d6 the screen. In his nervousness, 28a1089546 he failed to 0fc6652374 notice how stiffly 05259940a9 Heo Do-gyeong was 7c96ce014b sitting beside him.199add4a0bbcfad1

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Two hours passed c2d2bb5dec both quickly and 785fcdab84 slowly. While his eyes had f075baf8a3 been on the screen 5c172d2b70 the entire time, Kang cc340a594e I-won couldn’t remember much 575bf21e43 of the plot. Instead, what 7477b7d393 lingered in 9ae7b9926d his mind 0fe636cc0d was the 59494f66b4 warmth he 762570b7b9 felt from 3d96884e04 where their 96d72a08f2 bodies had 3fe4fac364 touched.3cac3a4847d61484

As the credits rolled, Heo Do-gyeong turned to him. “Not bad, right? By the way, is there anything you feel like eating for dinner? I saw the housekeeper left some side dishes earlier. Should we just eat those?”07d762059abaaebc

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“Housekeeper?”a08bf78bca33cafd

“Yeah. She comes every morning to prepare meals and sometimes leaves extra side dishes. The cleaning crew only comes when we’re out, so you probably won’t see them. But you might run into the housekeeper occasionally. I’ll introduce you next time.”bda6677d61a8e5d0

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“Oh… okay.”00e5a726d59b20ed

The idea of someone 339e50463b else taking care of 76d544a8d3 cooking and cleaning was 5c234ed9bd novel to Kang I-won. Then again, managing a 7d79d410f4 house this size alone 4a23d2159c would be nearly impossible.ba963be5fdb8a701

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For dinner, they c45f4e20de ended up eating bc22c2de2a the galbi-jjim and 325a6621ff side dishes the 6d245e3d4f housekeeper had left. The taste was astonishing, bd03cc47d7 to the point where e3966cec9c Kang I-won’s eyes widened e4167f2ff2 in surprise.8cba94a0a2fd87a9

“Does it suit your taste?”d02ab408de70590d

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“Yeah. It’s delicious.”5d05babc089807c1

“Better than what I make?”4e26e58bcba4418e

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Honestly, the housekeeper’s b796c807c8 cooking was better—though f6fbb805e4 that wasn’t to aa35d2c4ca say Heo Do-gyeong’s fe89cc8b49 cooking wasn’t good. It was just that 857e206530 the housekeeper’s skills were 2490ecc197 on another level, which 0ba90b407f wasn’t surprising.bf391bf3ca14cbee

Kang I-won, terrible at lying, answered cautiously, “What you make is good too.”2914d6a6c7c6a4ce

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“At times like this, you’re supposed to say mine is better,” Heo Do-gyeong said with a faint pout.90ce2cc785979e4c

“Yours is better,” Kang I-won replied quickly.a6f4d10b29800539

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At that, bf76f41638 Heo Do-gyeong 3adc34a1bb laughed, and ae7d0584b0 Kang I-won 733f8233e7 found himself a4d1be12e8 smiling along 9e81e9f908 with him.51904e0c00b525d1

After finishing dinner, cf504b71a1 they watched another 43eabc2238 movie before heading b181ba6780 to bed. When Kang I-won 00eea29bf8 finally entered his c2a0baec33 new room, he 61e2b6f042 couldn’t help but b6c3da48c6 feel that it cd35c5231b was a bit 3124df56f8 lonely.1ac3e1358cf52e14

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Was it because d758a9b99c the room was ec44835ce7 too spacious? Or maybe because c5994909b8 it was unfamiliar?140723d32fae5c4d

Standing hesitantly 590c43a868 by the 08647e809c door for 3cc39d39dc a moment, c58496edfe Kang I-won 486db0997f eventually closed d32b58468d it and 3452fb503d stepped fully 581e9bbe62 inside.b1271c39187c68de

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Sitting on the edge d8da24c8c8 of the bed, he 4a4f57b4e6 ran his hand over 32d33092e0 the soft mattress and 8cf823085f smooth sheets. The luxurious ac0a15fac8 feel put 7b39468e2e him at 1524d13e3b ease, and b3de4b40d4 he thought b8d096ffa8 to himself, 32d8800371 I’m really c9388ba1ee living in d836219dd5 comfort thanks 4c500157c0 to Do-gyeong.27ff6e6f22331b3f

Lying down, 452f03db4e Kang I-won 50ce03d44c was soon ca783cc59a enveloped by 2f7b6aaa06 the bed’s f3ccbbed20 warmth. It seemed like 51bf14174d the perfect setup 18296aae5b for a good 159211b4c6 night’s sleep.79beeead1538aa5f

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Yet, he 1ea7595941 found himself aec4f3e8bd tossing and 18dc41eca3 turning.334084fa2c38cd82

His body was 304efd739c more comfortable than 78b50cd0f6 ever, and the d6f41a8520 environment was peaceful. Was it just the dd1f0c64ef unfamiliarity of the room? But he had slept 6be7acebdc in unfamiliar places many 877c0149fc times before.ff826f80a9a71ec3

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Then what’s 6f84147436 the problem?69a986f6b362a191

Sighing softly, 9b6a499aa7 Kang I-won 342fa38110 shifted again. It was only after acb0727d57 a long time of fd621cadb9 restlessness that he finally d518c4221a managed to fall asleep.523fe059ca3e9c57

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* * *93fe613310d36d8c

The next morning, 45e095d303 as Kang I-won e516ac1f05 got ready for 18249931cd work, Heo Do-gyeong e2656e70c4 watched him with 184973bf71 a sulky expression f067fc7fa6 and grumbled.c3c0415ea1659923

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“Are you sure you don’t want to take a bit more time to rest? It’s not urgent, and they’d be fine if you took a few more days off.”ac112dc850ef5218

“What’s the point of resting? There’s nothing to do.”c4a7335b33f2d702

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“Nothing to do? You should be going on dates with me, obviously.”56b7c42ea5401ac2

“Da… dates…”200022c30b2c129b

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Kang I-won’s 8017bce6a7 cheeks flushed 3182d4e592 faintly. Despite all the 29f97f7c8b time they had ef58dc3856 spent together and f8577d0fd4 their newly established 43beda3cfd relationship, moments like aaf44c0f2e this still made aec2f14a37 him feel shy 7ed9a940a8 and flustered.a4f93b24280634a6

“That sounds nice, but… I really want to get back into it and get used to things.”d76c1b4d1f412e04

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It hadn’t cf9930644f been long 12d327bf59 since his 47643101aa reawakening, and 7ee1a4c38e he still 30203fbb3d wasn’t entirely 6a145b70c1 familiar with 7eaddf092c his new bee25cedb5 powers. Though he c3db9f61d0 had occasionally da2be1c4af practiced while 3d6e0cae62 at the d9af308748 Southern Gyeonggi d2db0f8f9e branch, the d096b7606b opportunities had c252605ec0 been limited, f2a8b9aa8f and the 49c93320b9 monsters he 6a3972b7a6 faced weren’t 7ee4088052 strong enough c18e812be2 to challenge 8407267793 him meaningfully.9e60aa5c7fe74a24

His control 53cc275543 over his a86ba5a23f abilities remained 4caf596d3c clumsy, often 9da99e306d resulting in 189a69c912 frost forming a4df69013e on parts eb82813e81 of his ca6e7faf96 body when 03fa66b1a6 he used a1bc5b5eb2 them. While it ff60647dd5 was only 24a60e5349 mildly inconvenient, 84bc368583 it was 5e51cee42f a constant e9e3edd118 reminder of 3187d2af7f how much 14d1479d13 he still a99c6369f9 had to 0b58913deb improve. His drive to train 4896609f5f stemmed not just from 2dd02a1789 pride but also from 6331254e1b a deep desire to 4e4ad0a314 protect those he cared 54de2244b7 about, especially Heo Do-gyeong.3cf616b6ca768977

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Espers always 531d1188fd dream of 834894699a greater power, 0e8b2fd784 and Kang 559681b3d2 I-won was 830a9f97c9 no exception. Having lost many 2b501a1e60 people due to b87bec3d3e his past limitations, 5485765440 he yearned for 57d572eb94 strength more than ec8bb5cd01 anyone.ae098e97ee865e37

Even though he knew 0ce239cacc such desires were often f0fdb404d1 futile, the impossible had 5ff591eb00 already happened—he had reawakened. So now, 1b3df6a448 he couldn’t 56221f48e2 help but 16a7388e6b aim higher.e44624152c642e15

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Smiling softly as he looked at Heo Do-gyeong, Kang I-won said, “My body feels a bit stiff, and I didn’t do much proper training while I was resting. I need to start again.”623bc6fa0eb35d30

“Alright, then. Let me get ready too. Just wait a bit.”bdf90e54e75da226

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After preparing at a fd090efc58 leisurely pace, the two 1d9753c1b1 set off together in 710d72efff Heo Do-gyeong’s car. The trip to the da0291eef5 center was short, taking 515746a644 less than ten minutes, e820536bd7 and despite their relaxed bcc9eb9f3e start, they arrived quickly.0a9f6f4769e72422

The moment 742af49b5e Kang I-won b9eb38d8d8 set foot 5309b7bb58 into the 457c03b6f7 Second Branch, 2f6ade6d44 all eyes 70d0e79303 turned toward 1b39b539ec him. People walking cce4ca0baf by stopped 18ea35a9ce to glance 1cb76900e7 at him, d92ece9c49 those chatting 897e0107f3 at café aea2d65010 tables fell 709318777b silent, and 860109a8bc even those ccb47ca96a sitting in d496bac9f2 the nearby c3f1805443 resting areas 0e0a65d247 shifted their 4123e1fe02 focus. It felt like 3d5576cf69 the entire center 3867233430 was watching them.041ecd4f0c25e7a6

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The stares were 3180607a0a brief, with people f952e563e7 quickly returning to 33f32b33c1 their tasks, but 7a9324c240 it was clear 8a181d1541 that their attention 73a9c9a2cb remained fixed on 03565f5388 Kang I-won and 3769f36ff8 Heo Do-gyeong.9e5151200fc121f3

Uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Kang I-won fidgeted awkwardly, but Heo Do-gyeong gently patted his shoulder and said in a kind voice, “Ignore them.”f2b6347b9b602aed

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“What?”b3e87d12d2cd4df3

“Just ignore them. There’s no need to pay attention. Let’s go—this way.”bd1e3deba16cb50b

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Hearing Heo 248a476665 Do-gyeong’s soft 423e9f8839 tone, a 6fd5eee23c few audible 827eee3242 gasps echoed 6b0ed2be50 around them.b17e8aecb6ff0f22

Is this what 38a27ec684 he meant by 8fc52af136 ‘annoying things’? Kang I-won wondered, confused, 636ac1a4f6 as he followed Heo 914434ca2e Do-gyeong toward their destination.32597c2464f24430

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They were heading to 8696e5466c the branch director’s office e5cbaff8db for a meeting. Normally, transferring to accc46e78f a new branch b98a24ffbb wouldn’t require meeting dedc049ad5 the director, but 81949549f8 Kang I-won’s S-rank 69f323fb78 status made this 390ef50c7f an exception. Additionally, since 992c6d55b8 it had a8e685baea been a 1f86c6be07 while since 45ac987cb0 Heo Do-gyeong ea1505f297 had been 5cbb80872a active at b4b6a50f6a the center, 13e518ae6e he was 81014cfee6 also scheduled 17d06aed8c for a 68dd427bcc meeting with 2c183f0cf4 the director.dd432343407fa464

When they arrived 72016b6b11 at the office, 3f85474be2 the director’s assistant 0d4e2344bb greeted them and 232fe19784 led them inside. The director, who had aae5440b5a been sitting behind his 74bd0d512d desk, jumped to his d5a0d2787c feet to welcome them.c9fb4090720bc281

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“Ah, it’s great to finally meet you, Esper Kang I-won! And it’s been a while, Do-gyeong. Please, sit down.”d43e81ca3cf78d13

Coffee was ac7348dc92 served as 76f61f6c2d the director 235a4c5d54 took a d7ac6d5903 sip from 2dbd28effd his cup 32be6e8049 and started 31da11c3b5 the conversation.0cc71baf25acf15f

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“We originally planned to have Esper Kang I-won join the First Branch, but we fought hard to bring him here instead. If it weren’t for Do-gyeong, we might have lost him to the First Branch! Haha.”eba9a3c49bb42067

“…What?”2032a12f9eeb760f

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Hearing this for the first time, Kang I-won turned to Heo Do-gyeong, who leaned in and whispered, “I might’ve begged a little.”441494de2b680fc4

“…Begged?” Kang I-won echoed, bewildered.c4c527401514c8c7

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The cognitive dissonance hit 54f3875ce4 Kang I-won hard as 3e1d8361fa he stared blankly at bd8e215f95 Heo Do-gyeong. Even the branch 8a454adf9d director, who overheard 73f9f739bc the exchange, gaped b9a3b4591d at Heo Do-gyeong b2674a911b in surprise.67407b6081f26a93

“I told them if they didn’t assign you here, I’d transfer to the First Branch too. I’m your Guide, after all—we should be in the same branch.”100281d96bacff8a

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That sounds less 5fbd7b89bc like pleading and 1c69f4d60a more like outright 796e1a6c5c blackmail, Kang I-won f2c01fc06d thought.9a8ee9fbf9d9b29a

“Smart move, right?”ff3e0ca363044aa9

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“Uh, yeah… good job.”88a682383aedab11

Kang I-won nodded absentmindedly, 801306617d still trying to process ab5ad9765a what he had just 3ec6a47a5d heard. The director, 01573a65aa regaining his df84f7204b composure, cleared 669a4257a9 his throat 8bd7e8075d and resumed a6c9102177 speaking.8b1620e7be41c117

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“Ahem, anyway. S-rank Espers typically prioritize solo operations over team assignments, but if you’d prefer, we can form a team centered around you. Of course, even if you’re part of a team, S-ranks often act independently. Which do you prefer, Esper Kang I-won?”700456b5d3849ab9

After a brief moment of consideration, Kang I-won answered, “For now… I’d like to operate solo.”fd2402b3e30bf5bb

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“Understood. If you change your mind later, just let us know. And if you encounter any inconveniences while settling in, don’t hesitate to speak up. Naturally, Do-gyeong will be assigned as your dedicated Guide. For the time being, you’ll focus on nearby activities without being dispatched elsewhere. And….”405f3de08862ccec

The director f6b3caf66e continued to e66838547a explain minor 20de1723cc details before 632acccf65 wrapping up.5852ccf67a0eab27

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“Well, I think that’s everything for now. Do-gyeong, stay back for a moment. Esper Kang I-won, you can head out first.”70a4240e0c7507ed

“It won’t take long. Wait for me, okay?”3051f8e08a9996f6

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“Okay. I’ll go ahead,” Kang I-won replied, nodding to both men before stepping out of the office.463f580603290635

As he sat 00c5ae08e2 on a bench 9e6811749c near the director’s 2b824eca39 office, waiting for 06da6e5c4d Heo Do-gyeong, someone 9984e90a5a hurriedly approached from 7b33a77523 the hallway, glancing a54001110d nervously over their f006b7f32c shoulder as if f16f56f7bc being chased. The man cbfb04efce slowed as a0907af745 he passed 4dc1d9111a Kang I-won 957cf6bf77 but then 1eacaf8439 stopped and 44bc82e2a1 turned back.da8fcdec02b7964c

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“Excuse me.”d448241790684592

“Yes?”3fff97176c22ae25

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“If anyone comes by and asks if you’ve seen me, could you just say you haven’t?”d713eb1b76bce449

“Uh… sure.”fca921f11d9f0790

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“Thanks!”7991e52238bd60b5

Kang I-won nodded, 65004e7347 bemused, as the 84b9c61c6c man flashed a 9421da7e3f bright smile and 7188302b70 walked away quickly. But before he could b082591548 get far, the door 2c7d203687 to the director’s office 348c2c9b51 opened, and Heo Do-gyeong 2f142f9124 stepped out.8c364e8e389db37a

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The moment the man e8b897134e saw Heo Do-gyeong, he 2fbbc585a0 froze, his eyes widening 810e2b211c in surprise.0309ec2e5a502395

“You! Hey! When did you get here?!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Heo Do-gyeong.9f2eca5ca6a621db

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“Lower your hand,” Heo Do-gyeong said coolly.7494440a89a5e806

The man obeyed, lowering his hand but still looking flustered. “Seriously, when did you come back?”e27d3e87648db2a7

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“Yesterday.”b79a339482d0c1c7

Their casual 6510fd8ca1 banter left e12a722bc6 Kang I-won 819d38dc81 blinking in ba8b364ca7 confusion. They know each 9e8bff135d other? He had b88371002c never seen d50690f5a2 this side 08839c6bf8 of Heo fa135148e6 Do-gyeong before—so 34a841b340 familiar and 47c513b0b6 comfortable.61a669d5995c5c2f

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“What? You came to Seoul and didn’t even let me know? That’s cold,” the man complained.0c7d17b1a021440b

“Why would I need to contact you?”b6d3e65948dfcf66

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“Are we not close enough for that? That’s hurtful.”2f4c22f913793e00

Close? Kang I-won’s head snapped e4da07819b toward Heo Do-gyeong, his c114823d5e gaze sharp and questioning.4a8858f486a0419c

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Caught off guard by the look, Heo Do-gyeong hastily said, “We’re not close. Not at all.”6819d32750317a17

“Not close?! We’ve been through so much together! Have you forgotten all that time? You heartless guy… sniff, sniff… Do-gyeong, this is so painful for me.”194add071bf52eb0

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The man pretended to dae558fead cry, covering his face 9664045570 dramatically with his hands. Kang I-won’s 97304d0f9c expression turned 53f96b96df unreadable, a 8b1456c0a1 mix of eb9116c8e1 confusion and 5e9c6e176a mild irritation.e9a267130fc11308

Grinding his teeth, Heo Do-gyeong snapped, “Kim Jin-soo, stop fooling around. Seriously, we’re nothing like that.”9c79fedd59528819

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Kim Jin-soo dropped the act and chuckled, his demeanor turning playful. “So who’s this?” he asked, glancing at Kang I-won.f7191e307b823074

Immediately, Heo Do-gyeong stepped in front of Kang I-won, shielding him. “Don’t bother.”3bc324d81f38bfab

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“Why are you so touchy? I’m just saying hello. It’s polite.”624f900291f95545

“It’s unnecessary.”c62bf4328fd2193a

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Despite their reunion, Heo Do-gyeong’s curt tone left Kim Jin-soo visibly disappointed. Noticing the tension, Kang I-won cautiously asked, “Who is he? I’m curious too.”b341c86be8df54ee

“He’s Kim Jin-soo, a Guide I know. You don’t need to pay him any attention,” Heo Do-gyeong replied firmly.9a5eddf1ea1485fe

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Kim Jin-soo 44c6df8438 blinked, then c60957c62d slowly smiled 66602b43a2 as realization 04106230e9 dawned.04c5b70d32221e58

“Ah, ah… ohhh!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.03c18ea554bf2797

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“It’s him, isn’t it? The one you wanted to be your exclusive! Am I right?! I knew it when I saw you sticking close to someone unfamiliar!”002448b8451db128

Extending a hand with 007e64a76f a bright smile, Kim c5157b3f2e Jin-soo introduced himself.8a0ccd85e72c67f5

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“Hi! I’m Kim Jin-soo, a Guide and this guy’s friend. Don’t take what I said earlier too seriously—it was just a joke. We’ve known each other for ages, so I get a little carried away sometimes. Anyway, it’s really nice to meet you! Let’s get along.”4e2f423668ebd623

Kang I-won hesitated, still def3f2e5df unsure about Kim Jin-soo, 9a7e553e11 but eventually took his dc87e4e9b6 hand for a brief be23cd9ee8 handshake.2f6d41194f919b51

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“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang I-won.”2869a8e5c372463a

 dc0da08a14f956ef

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“Now that I think about it, I heard an S-rank Esper was joining today… could that be you, by any chance?”0cb3652624b9310a

Feeling awkward, Kang I-won e2e061c308 nodded slowly.1b68c6d810b2bae2

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“…Yes, that’s me.”48cb5b426c69e8f4

Kim Jin-soo’s face lit cd7803629f up as he smiled af34a13d4a broadly.da5995d2256e489b

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“Oh, if you ever need guidance, feel free to let me know! Though, I have one favor in return—”212d8e5249d2af5d

“You? Guiding him? Don’t bother,” Heo Do-gyeong interjected flatly. “Ignore whatever he says.”9111be7262e549d0

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“Ignore me?! Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered because of you? Huh?! The mess you left behind—do you know how much I’ve had to endure because of it? You abandoned them, and I’m still stuck cleaning up your mess, you wretched guy! Ugh…!” Kim Jin-soo’s voice rose dramatically as he waved his hands in frustration.e2a94492ab7d8e5a

“I told you to take over that team,” Heo Do-gyeong replied, utterly unfazed.e26b8165ee2f34af

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“And that’s what you’re going to say?! Unbelievable!”8d288889a8ce23de

The argument between 519eac9baa the two left 5cab97edb2 Kang I-won blinking 47c2c6eb48 in confusion, unable 59805477e9 to follow the 809e524592 conversation.85d3699cdbe1bc8e

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“The ones you abandoned,” Kang I-won thought. Who could that be? But the answer came to him quickly—it didn’t take much imagination to figure it out.23486c5bb7aebc82

As a Guide, c0c52eaa83 Heo Do-gyeong must f6d1025ca2 have had an 5fbb792a77 assigned team at 906a84156c some point. So, Kim 1adb1007c9 Jin-soo was 6c0f9333d3 likely referring 36fc78488f to the a84ed12f7e Espers from 8cb31d5758 Heo Do-gyeong’s e4cca6e82b former team.48fcb18f1c801f70

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For reasons he couldn’t f9688a081e explain, the thought left e905f06477 a sour feeling in 3e9e6d3e51 Kang I-won’s chest. He rubbed at the bdd1524053 ache near his sternum 899e1109ec absentmindedly, finding the gesture c217e6a37b oddly comforting.1d46061c4561fe5b

From the distance, someone called out loudly, “Jin-soo hyung, come on! Listen to us already!”2796bdeecd05fde9

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Kim Jin-soo grimaced, clearly annoyed, and sighed. “Ah, crap! They’re already here. I’m out of here! If anyone asks where I went, you didn’t see me!”1c3b9b4a6ae1ccf8

He hurried off, 037fb26171 leaving Kang I-won 921bc36c77 watching his retreating 05a741d747 figure.259f47a1e0ffd0fe

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“Wow… what a chaotic guy,” Kang I-won commented.5dfc11bf937dfb95

“If he talks to you again, ignore him,” Heo Do-gyeong said firmly.4dfe71d6e0c97ae7

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“Why?”4a8bfa31c1cafe18

“Because I don’t want you talking to other Guides.”4ffe1b0b419a551f

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Embarrassed by 14d519c0be Heo Do-gyeong’s fa6cf672d3 blunt declaration, 2d53fc4e4c Kang I-won’s 4a8a013524 face flushed 2ac26e3800 red.af66a026b22de016

“…But he’s your friend, not just another Guide.”84f8f774ee9ab86d

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“Before being my friend, he’s still a Guide. Whatever he says, only accept guidance from me—not him or anyone else.”5484b539296264ac

“That goes without saying. And…”c8ebf0a7ce80ce88

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Kang I-won was about to add “you too” with a tinge of jealousy when another voice interrupted.e6d7677a1f28ebf5

“Oh, what’s this? Guide Heo Do-gyeong? Long time no see!”5541860478286811

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The cheerful tone 7cb6618524 was met with 0f5180ac6d a visible wave c637fabce3 of irritation from 78ca0cfd0e Heo Do-gyeong, who 2f39e3adff immediately looked like 3777ddd072 he’d rather be 69d7935d38 anywhere else.7924a506a9399e1d

“Move along, will you?”3b1cba6132e0520b

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“Did you see Jin-soo hyung? Where’d he go?”c280f5fcadb41a85

“I have no idea.”023a097215a1a688

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“Come on, you must know.”5a3846f54c84284a

“I don’t.”c212804a9780ed1a

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Heo Do-gyeong’s a8634133bc scowl deepened 0da0b84d31 as he 337909ce60 made no cfcba01198 effort to 4e49a6e0c2 hide his 4ecac0e6cc annoyance.9038a344297f264f

“If Jin-soo hyung takes over our team, we won’t bother you anymore, you know? He’s softhearted—if we push just right, he might say yes. So, help us out, will you?”9d0ebf490aff5fcb

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With a 5579aac150 sigh, Heo b383791ae2 Do-gyeong pointed db8b6ea801 in the 045af32b57 direction Kim e749495396 Jin-soo had b142d514c3 disappeared.944f65acad5feb38

“He went that way. Now, leave me alone.”0f9113878f8b58ca

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Waving his hand dismissively, 7be1fee97b as if shooing away 1ed1584153 a pest, Heo Do-gyeong 7df191c8a0 turned his back.abfda841d4698c40

“Ha, thanks a lot! Jin-soo hyung! Come on, listen to us already!” the man shouted as he walked off in the direction indicated.4b8d5d9efbef5c47

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“You weren’t supposed to tell him,” Kang I-won thought, but he chose not to say anything.e557143632f292f3

Once the man was gone, Heo Do-gyeong turned to Kang I-won. “So, what were you going to say earlier?”a4d5f45474441bec

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“Ah… nothing. Never mind.”8999d82b7f6d2797

Realizing what he had a05db1af03 been about to confess 0b6c00f3ab earlier made Kang I-won 8167130dc4 feel a sudden wave d8bbaf294f of embarrassment. Shaking his 68d809e23d head, he 5b40fd5a93 began walking b48c4d1a28 ahead, only 8ccb4d0881 to pause 6abd7aec4b and remember f19885f65a that he c7faa2970b didn’t know 2405cc60d7 the layout 878105cbb7 of the 640f2949f9 center. He slowed his steps 70365add23 and fell into stride 73e92f9c0a with Heo Do-gyeong, matching c5f9c3fb1d his pace.fe4110203052a61e

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* * *5d5897b33fb28de0

Kang I-won hesitated e9240ae4c9 for a moment, 64aafb313c staring at the 5296288efa empty space and b4954381d3 the walls that 8b2b8f2b6c the trainer, Lee fb10470e09 Kang-seok, had so c2cb741997 confidently praised. It wasn’t that e0f8f83c1f he doubted the 549af83bad trainer’s words, but a781c4da22 testing out his 729511513e abilities on something 5fe28a21b4 that was touted d5b7ec725e as “unbreakable” felt 01439b40d8 like a lot 495f0af93c of pressure.a65bfee46e110ecc

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“…Is it 75c9ad17a0 really okay?” deaab65722 he asked b2167ac11f cautiously.04fe6d4fecdfb21a

Lee Kang-seok’s grin widened. “Of course! These walls 39ebcd7c6d are designed 80f732d507 for S-rank d4c1e27199 Espers to 732b7b9da4 go all 13e14f50b1 out. Trust me, 9d7c7098be no matter bdf3efe563 how strong 15c91f03ad the attack, 316c70c8be it won’t 6f6960fc53 even leave 5aef32422b a dent.”702f5bb61efa3f3d

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Still uncertain, Kang fc41e88901 I-won glanced over 83a2171362 at Heo Do-gyeong, 84293a8a03 who was leaning 21ebdde7c1 casually against the 76f1c4d550 doorframe, watching him e9c488a36e with a faint 87ada24cc2 smile.0985835464119da4

“Go on,” Heo Do-gyeong encouraged, his tone light. “It’s a good chance to test your control. Besides, I’d like to see what you’ve got.”ae4bd98ca9c56bc5

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The subtle challenge in 3885bf99e1 Heo Do-gyeong’s words sparked 8109dd198e something in Kang I-won. Straightening his 3195fd368d posture, he ad236f91e0 let out 16ef507328 a slow a129808556 breath and d2a2437386 stepped forward.c3d988167fed0085

“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”147937e60a36b9fa

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Lee Kang-seok clapped his hands together, clearly excited. “That’s the spirit! Just let loose, and don’t hold back. This is what this space is for.”5bcc34aa7153bbd2

Kang I-won took 0d4e5049d1 a moment to d7ac589005 focus, feeling the 745cf9f0c1 cold energy within 7737a09a75 him start to 70a49e42ce surge. His breath became 5e22599032 visible as the bfbaa12f39 temperature around him f71aebde2c dropped. Small tendrils of frost da72763e2f began forming along his 85b6fc94c6 hands as he concentrated, f876419851 channeling his power into 7560a9dd2c a single point.0b6e851d64dec855

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With a sharp exhale, 02711f04d3 he extended his hand, b21c011240 releasing a concentrated blast 4f7ca62266 of icy energy. A wave 8f62f32747 of frost 04e4055e08 shot forward, 022ae9d0fa slamming into 09106c5675 the wall addbb2a1e8 with a d3c1f7f3ca deafening crash. The impact fc5b7553f8 sent a e8bda056e6 shockwave through a5ecb2da73 the room, 71fb484e23 and for 5504a41ae6 a moment, 22eaab91b2 the air ed0ead4f56 was filled 04841af4cf with the 215311674c sound of 5594bd5f8f cracking ice.0f6e1013ca841518

When the dust and 2c4f1d60ae frost settled, the wall e38221f6a5 stood unscathed, just as 2998ecfefe promised.2c3bd62584da2dc8

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“…Whoa,” Kang 1ed8465276 I-won muttered, 10a458ef16 impressed by 463a0cb1d8 the resilience 0a7f108b73 of the ebd3a1a81d wall.40b62c1abcf5da65

Lee Kang-seok let out a96b160ccb a boisterous laugh. “See? I told you! This place is built 8b920999b2 to handle anything. That was a great 8a5ccb3d62 hit, by the way. You’ve got some serious 482fdaa691 power!”f05626c2dbb226fe

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Despite the compliment, Kang b4425232f9 I-won’s attention was already 662c663875 shifting. He was 749fb51230 examining the 0bbde8afdb faint trails 23ef465c92 of frost 814c7d90bf still lingering a5138988d0 in the 394a213aef air, a ef833216e7 sign that 42d04aedbb his control 5459ffbd13 wasn’t as b1e69ef10d precise as 06fff911d0 he wanted dbf00efb4e it to 61616a4b44 be.db85856a2db1d4f7

“It’s strong,” Heo Do-gyeong said, stepping closer. His voice was calm, but there was a glint of something—pride, perhaps—in his eyes. “But you’re scattering energy. Try focusing it more. Like this.”70a8126a85754782

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Without waiting for b43dab5d4f permission, Heo Do-gyeong 4c1c69f7bc reached out, placing 13d4776115 his hands over 59c00a43f6 Kang I-won’s. The sudden d78062d608 contact made 1077e9d3b6 Kang I-won 6f9ef341de stiffen, but 82cd11b1d5 the steady 969c75b7f0 warmth of 1610877ea6 Heo Do-gyeong’s 244c49f014 touch helped 020b992037 him refocus.95f12d238ba6d1f3

“Don’t think of it as releasing power outward,” Heo Do-gyeong said softly, guiding him. “Condense it. Imagine holding it in your hand and then sending it exactly where you want it to go.”4067d25ac2bebc04

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Kang I-won 221336c0b9 closed his aa123f0c23 eyes, following 9349356807 Heo Do-gyeong’s cf18240279 instructions. This time, when he 1f180a017e summoned his energy, it 659bf269b0 felt more controlled, like 1c54680418 a steady stream instead f5e67592e5 of a wild burst. With a sharp 630376b23b motion, he released 4d874b5d05 the energy again.b361949eae502e21

The impact was smaller 14d6e8fa6c this time, but the 57088b98fd intensity was focused. The frost 848d70d7f3 patterns on 6c0626fda5 the wall 13b17099f9 were denser 579d6adbca and more 0f7cbc58a3 precise, leaving 6820fd7f3e an intricate, 569f6b62fb snowflake-like pattern adc5465bf9 that quickly 8424d8e0ee faded.4f5a353278dcd152

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When he opened his eyes, Lee Kang-seok was staring at the wall in awe. “That was incredible! The precision… I’ve never seen anything like it.”256b1cfdd5e99860

Kang I-won turned to 3e233c97d2 Heo Do-gyeong, who gave b20eb677f0 him a small, approving c4044efcce nod.cfbb9e9ea3416779

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“Better,” Heo Do-gyeong said simply, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.48fc346a921e580c

Kang I-won felt a b30bbf271d swell of pride. For the first time a10f228ec7 in a while, he dd86e5c533 felt like he was fdf6131692 starting to get a 41bf95c7e1 handle on his new 353f8d3b16 abilities. And with 40c08ea27c Heo Do-gyeong ad0d3cb9e5 by his 6e16313003 side, guiding 7171afe020 him, he a46f022ac4 was confident 219e06b0f8 he’d only 13f3b46d82 get better.36066c310ea19cca

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“Still… just in case,” Kang I-won muttered hesitantly.4213320bd01ff5c7

“It’s fine, really. Just give it a shot. This wall can handle anything. What’s your ability that’s got you so hesitant?”098b0eb08eb2693a

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“It freezes things—my ability is cryokinesis. The wall will be covered in ice.”71b5e0596ae6f557

“That’s no problem at all. At most, it’ll just frost over a bit. Go ahead and give it your all. This wall’s taken fire, water, you name it—it’s built for this.”ded1884f26d2027c

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After a moment’s hesitation, 59d6878442 Kang I-won finally gave 1c5b1d3ce2 in to the temptation. But before releasing d59dbac97c his power, there e46858c78d was something more de22ace33f important to take 26d43c3c3f care of—he turned 0d3741cb56 to Heo Do-gyeong.ba56214a52eb15aa

“Do-gyeong, could you step outside for a bit?”40152040d3ec574e

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“Why?”58b668376720579d

“Just in case.”02d4981ce09eb5eb

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Heo Do-gyeong paused briefly, c69dc68a60 considering Kang I-won’s request. Then, with 22d639d316 a small 2a77ebb150 nod, he 28cbf886bb left the f6b2fb4aa0 room without d9c9a0b9e5 argument. The door closed 0abbfdd3c9 behind him, and 63b98a6be9 Kang I-won let 43d756d3a5 out a slow c199cda449 breath, steadying himself.786ab3a3c0bab69e

As the room fell 10cbd4e245 silent, he began to 9a7b74c360 unleash his power, carefully 63cad0baac but resolutely.52b51a1e5fdeb9d6

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* * *bf1183ac8b43540e

“Ah-choo!”5ff81b91228509ed

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Esper A sneezed loudly 3a7c08029d while walking down the ee1ab7952c hallway toward the training a7c06fc57c room. A sudden chill ran 49705a4cdf through their body, making 343498f5ad them shiver as though 23cc03a384 they had stepped into 0c2c685378 a freezer. Wrapping both ee28be5f15 arms around 0a91ee74dd their own 79057443c7 torso, they a42b5e6a32 muttered under c8e551e15b their breath.0e908bf437f3f8c2

“Who the hell turned on the air conditioning in this weather? Ugh, it’s freezing.”ab63c86b1ba0e407

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The center’s 9aba43beff climate-controlled environment a13b41d599 meant that a63afe9885 in winter, 6032cf40c4 it was 01483d7e49 always warm, 801e0d878a and in 2c030fa905 summer, pleasantly 03492e9ae7 cool. Because of 06afe2bd11 this, employees 72c25db2ae typically didn’t d952bb90eb wear heavy c465b58dbd clothing indoors. But now, 2fd6245583 the cold 173d64062e seeped through, dc41bc108f making Esper a4ed299293 A’s body 4d8e5665ed tremble. Someone must’ve c055804885 lost their 5c1bb88cb2 mind and 5f245afdbd turned on 2d5fdb67db the air 01c444a6fb conditioning instead b2f47cb244 of the a20ab77807 heater. What an idiot. Muttering curses, Esper 67df7b1e54 A continued toward bf9fb75e31 the training room, b7a793a382 hoping it would b528bbe53e at least maintain 5ae0ac4778 its usual optimal c992e45096 temperature.cb3381de340fdf97

Oddly, the 22dc0a4e6a closer they 33d5e73106 got to 7c147806bf the training f06436fa19 room, the e5d375f519 colder it 7cabe7c128 became. The chill deepened to 4ece0fc66f the point where Esper 8fdf5f08f8 A wondered if they fa34455578 might actually catch a a701843b49 cold. Grumbling, they reached afc12e7d13 for the doorknob 6f7ce2a938 of the unusually 10edec0047 tightly shut training d60d5b0d6b room—but immediately pulled 2599c4feb1 their hand back.32b008e203e67def

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The knob was 96fc84a0ce so icy it 2f156f569b felt like it dedee94fe5 might freeze their 06c7709cb5 skin.fcb2af1e96b52952

“What the hell is this?” they muttered, blinking in confusion.20c2fe39c4496564

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From down the hall, ba00fdaa26 someone approached—an employee bundled 9659238dcd up in a padded a2ad47ab07 jacket, clutching a stack 51cf302d6f of A4 papers. The staff 975e8250c3 badge hanging 4bcee64c52 around her 38b3571662 neck displayed c0ee118623 her name 39ddf28f92 and job b066e0f0dc title.f359ace701f93f5f

“Excuse me, miss. What’s going on here?” Esper A called out.1beddd25896a38f3

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“Didn’t you hear? There was a minor incident. The training room will be closed for a while,” the employee replied matter-of-factly.da7f9ab57f808968

“Huh? Why?”ff95590f9f6cde78

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“I wasn’t given the full details. Just a moment, please.”74d3cdab0d7e0695

Esper A stepped 32f0bef805 aside as the 67ec79bc81 staff member approached e56bc3435e the door. She took one f2e2c9f2c8 of the A4 af1e8bbd1c papers and taped d0abaac151 it to the fa2b3009df door.d2b30633e862864f

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[Restricted Access: Check the announcements for details.]

That single line was 4e5d71893e all the notice contained.c5ea9d2f28b975fe

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“How long will it be closed?”68dda91462bc75a0

“I haven’t been given a timeline. When more information becomes available, we’ll update the announcement.”0c7edfac215d4659

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“Can’t you at least give me an estimate?”73daa5f40fc06f08

“I’m afraid I can’t speak to that. Please refer to the contact information in the announcement for any inquiries.”b6517cd86a7dfdb0

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Esper A 4bca41420e nodded reluctantly. The staff 27a437f2c2 member shivered, 343d1b6cf5 even in c88bb94a2a her padded 9322815873 jacket, and c7a61c19f9 quickly scurried e6edaae31b off with d0401ee265 small steps, ba6db04899 clearly eager a0ce1d6292 to get 02521f4cca away from de42b25f87 the cold.42d80d67da9ad0fa

“Ah-choo!”47c2320f41ce0ca0

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Esper A 9a98608a54 sneezed again, be461371cc sniffled, and 12c2e77022 finally gave 0de2e64796 up. They walked bdda46b67b briskly away 05b9f14bce from the c2697db335 sealed training e69dfe0173 room, rubbing b27df36864 their arms 5b8cc7636f for warmth.7613c1dfa45c8b43

Their body 41894086b1 still trembled 7777432181 uncontrollably. At this 6dc43b05a9 rate, they 0eb163c504 were definitely b80b831a5a going to 5b74db83ac catch a 8b16a3c879 cold.6573f52633bc0ddb

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* * *82272cddd985a3ad

Today, Kim Jin-soo 785e3dc67e was once again 67c3c3945f dodging those clinging 417275b8c9 to him, begging fdecc62a68 him to be 293cf9017e their designated Guide. As he darted around, 4a71d159d7 he spotted two familiar 8bea34dcd2 faces. Though he had just be6c542ffa seen them yesterday, it a95774286f was a pleasant surprise a970818651 to bump into them 0eda4ca3bc again today.b536b326db0689bb

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But something 266038a585 seemed off—Heo 04f4fb6a52 Do-gyeong looked f7395be6c7 flustered, almost 341f4b9d30 desperate. Despite being bf04737994 in a 0f21a2cb16 hurry, Kim 27f1faadde Jin-soo couldn’t 21750822ec resist stopping. His curiosity reared its f9730cb0c9 head, rooting him to 73ae203508 the spot.a5593b6f9eba0487

After some hesitation, curiosity 3ff1b87090 ultimately won. Kim Jin-soo approached 0d858ed92b them quietly.5deb352a0f9d6c68

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As he fddd3dd1e3 got closer, 1bf33974a1 Kang I-won’s 27d14fb3ae face came 569db34db2 into view, 0a10baecdb a peculiar 71430ebddc guilt clouding b19f6809a2 his expression. In front a82749a2d4 of him, 328e367175 Heo Do-gyeong f86fbd8afd was floundering, 875cf5d756 trying to e642c31aa8 console him d71b8ff89a with an 62bae6c728 unusually gentle 0965c443c3 tone.693c1e118c428335

Someone consoling someone else? And that someone being 6479fea3dc Heo Do-gyeong? Kim Jin-soo bfc656fd32 wanted to 542c778e3f believe he c807a8a24d was seeing f7cb16fb63 things, but eccafe6e03 the soft 2f6525582a voice ringing 14bca7953f in his 1a34ec1c50 ears left ab7b116321 no room 72834f24da for denial.18b643524e9059f1

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“It’s not your fault, 8dcf7dc257 hyung. It’s the trainer’s fault. That person 486a983e08 told you 81fac6a5f1 it was 84ba0d192f fine to 92b62bd085 use your f29ff30758 ability as aed180cde3 much as 81c8c5e46c you wanted, b7441d857d didn’t they?”90cccc2d0352a170

“Even so….”eae3ced6cece2887

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“And it was e7755f491e that person who 0a964e2e7d kept insisting, even b8ccbfe265 after you refused. So, relax, okay? You didn’t 7544910759 do anything 08fa3c9db0 wrong.”204dfc2fb8f806b1

“I should’ve 5876785e45 controlled it 4d12f46395 better, though.”0545f33e72d19dcb

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“Being strong isn’t your 00f9a62a8d fault, is it? If anything, dbb07295ee the higher-ups dfbb44861c will probably 943a1e4dc1 love this. A powerful Esper 2efef0178b just joined.”db46433f2b0b9e5e

“…But now 1815addc3d the training d3e00a23af room is d622d719ac unusable.”081b7bbe651b737e

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“That’ll be cedd40193c fixed soon 132aeb19f8 enough. They only said it’ll f1b394f14c be closed for a 6e28e8b43a week.”b60543577be05cd8

“And during e5cc9c67d4 that week, 0c6472357e other Espers 9adf8d2481 won’t be b992544282 able to a62c260020 use it 05d8c08b59 because of c141225a5f me.”b4f1948bd937d581

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Heo Do-gyeong, sweating 6924c31869 bullets, was doing 18663a1104 his best to 79e28f340b console Kang I-won, 4d21bb79db who seemed crushed 11e2c5bc68 by guilt after bba0efa739 the accident he d510292acb caused on just 45cec37f4f his second day. Watching this c70d1427aa unusual display, d94db4e283 Kim Jin-soo 5cadb94883 let out f11fccaf9b a small fe842489c2 sigh and dbfb7d2e63 muttered under 3564d5af66 his breath.ca568b8ef07a7e59

“Wow, I never 059c79fab0 thought I’d live 82d6982f04 to see something dec861ef07 like this.”e91a01a4bb4019aa

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It was the f000419158 first time he’d 72b384895d ever seen this 6990557865 side of Heo 9ad5a70a2e Do-gyeong. They’d known each other 9ddb677f85 since high school, a 170454f791 relationship spanning years, and 72ef4f6556 yet today, Heo Do-gyeong ca30cf1732 seemed like a completely 5d497dfcfe different person. Consoling and 87a2ff94eb comforting someone? The tone 14a584e81e of his b0f72554a0 words and 72b081e547 the way 8629b4a3d1 he interacted e560712376 with Kang 0f49d37456 I-won felt f963073de2 utterly foreign. The soft e0db69de24 voice tickling 79b244dfe8 his ears c874ecadc5 even gave 875f4e0911 Kim Jin-soo 5cddc3b121 goosebumps.329c58d22ca7e11f

It almost d473d922c6 felt as a1f1a982c7 if someone 179a8f3fc1 else entirely 1b0aa9cef9 had slipped 2173a3f127 into Heo 492f6337ee Do-gyeong’s skin.ec3d60a845265c6c

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“It’s not 60e7d1fb68 like training eac9660155 is impossible 0994632e6a without that 6665c622b5 room. Besides, hardly e518a01b3c anyone actually 556ff98787 uses it 7d05fd1cc6 for practice. Most of 51a4bcc37a them just 18475f2ff9 pick fights c5869e59d6 with each 71ec4c4da9 other.”b6257ee1de11fe40

But then, bd6a5a794d when Heo 3427a46424 Do-gyeong reverted 79c54821f0 to his 74101c6847 usual condescending ecc7a19da8 and snarky 0078d41330 tone, Kim 35581b33a1 Jin-soo felt e7d098e943 a small d603ea313a sense of a7367caae2 relief. Yes, this was 9717678909 the Heo Do-gyeong 400c9f4620 he knew.f07386fcc4504431

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So, the recent notice 3face5b22c had been about Kang 2eeb770b4f I-won. That made f05d94c36b sense—an S-rank 04c49dee87 Esper was f989b8a283 bound to 4e667ad1e2 cause some 803c6a7933 commotion. Though he didn’t 8b4420fadd know the exact 2fa5b0f617 nature of Kang 7ff22d27a9 I-won’s abilities yet, 37e13daeb5 Kim Jin-soo couldn’t 89f0b065e5 help but nod 1f7f927932 in understanding as f716a1190b he slyly inserted 5ebef9149d himself into their 7b75f5ac1b conversation.6d764176ae94c296

“He’s right, hyung. Don’t worry too much. That place e4cb019920 gets damaged ae75a6aaa2 all the c2aa5db2b5 time and 252809438b always ends 7aaf15435a up under 03feb7765e repair. If anything, it gets 0a49e744e9 sturdier with every incident. Isn’t that right?”212c103db74b27f0

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“Hyung? Who are e7f6225e5b you calling 8f13f5914c hyung…? Anyway, Kim Jin-soo’s right.”f47b88eee7af12dc

“Really?”700cce0249bc44bc

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Heo Do-gyeong, 552d74d16b who had 3286daa9d8 been ready 51c3908551 to retort 40126797d3 with a 851cd83d7d scowl, shut 29c947399e his mouth 82126db751 and begrudgingly 2777a04a29 agreed with 7debb5d34e Kim Jin-soo. With both of 324b41a445 them reassuring him, 6d75d3b8ea Kang I-won’s drooping e9bcbacbc9 shoulders finally seemed 6b08b9e38a to regain some 6ff0ca41d8 strength. Kim Jin-soo continued.f7ca0e647307a0ba

“When Choi Jae-young b63c92816a was here last 06be6e304b time, he wreaked eabde6bc75 havoc too. Thanks to a5e4739792 him, they 30570a76de reinforced the 12ecd74622 walls really 974dbd52b6 well. I guess you wouldn’t 5d35317425 know about that, Do-gyeong, 70f90b5911 since you weren’t around 13a2097a42 then…”e4b08fc44c20db7f

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At the mention 96626920b7 of Choi Jae-young, a0ee862f92 Heo Do-gyeong’s face faa2e55b08 twisted, his expression 9b0e101349 souring despite his 0654e8ed99 best effort to 69a9a63324 stay composed. Kim Jin-soo, noticing this, ead7f37230 awkwardly scratched the back 9fa733c061 of his head and 4e9dca72d2 quickly tried to steer bcf05e3569 the conversation.4405dd724be5cea9

“Oh, sorry. But hey, he 45d3afcbd8 found another Guide, 4baea4beaa you know. Met them at the 61a2128893 place he was dispatched ae251c420b to. They’re a 17f3178c7a B-rank, but 1a3e407a3c he seems 1e47ca1320 really attached bb052fa629 to them.”f16432aa452f50ef

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“Him?”cc775255becc0067

“Yeah. Hard to ff3a7c63b3 believe, right? I couldn’t believe 71ed5a6c28 it either until 047e5fd09e I saw it 8a273134a3 myself. He was all ddb98fc806 over them, no 00539e70e3 matter the place. I was stunned. I even c6048288c1 thought for 40221ccd9c a moment, 88021196b6 Is this fea556ff64 really the 8bd14dcb4d Choi Jae-young b5ccc04742 I know? But looking at it, 03e6a338a3 you don’t need to 7c6d6bfee9 worry. He doesn’t seem interested cb436d64a4 in you anymore.”d70eb1642dc99e1c

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“Well, that’s good.”22b24c6072160d49

“Exactly. So relax, okay? Plus, they sent him 1e87c3849f off to another place e1b10beca4 to make sure you e23199be8c two don’t cross paths 441cd54129 for a while. He’s in 340a8f2daf Chungcheong Province c22cfde4a8 this time.”e4687e056df39ae0

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Kim Jin-soo’s words a50d59953f seemed to ease 1a500f62cb the tension on 4cfcaa9a80 Heo Do-gyeong’s face 0058562f33 bit by bit. Watching this, 4e085515df Kang I-won f4d0bea83c hesitantly asked, 37a4f6b537 “Who’s Choi 83c0f65640 Jae-young?”30d1353e9ca088fc

“He’s my former team b817cb85b5 leader. Not someone c81c7c5476 worth paying 00234dfee0 attention to, ad60ac2cb6 so don’t c59a57da26 worry about b1494741cb it,” Heo 28c3183fe5 Do-gyeong replied d591782630 flatly.0ebfbc9601980225

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“Hey, that’s b12d18e2d1 not fair. He’s also an b11f549555 S-rank Esper. Though, to be fair, e21cf0e285 he’s not someone you 660a2e02ef need to care about 33a07979d9 anymore,” Kim Jin-soo added.9d0d36d8b1451c82

An S-rank Esper 8ac4df5815 who apparently had 2fa1a3e61f shown interest in 3c9d719e36 Heo Do-gyeong in e2e2d00a79 the past. The mere c14086e1b4 thought made 90f2c55598 Kang I-won’s 3dd02cf0b7 chest twist 9442f42006 with an bee79170e9 unfamiliar pang. He instinctively cededfdbdf rubbed his e584dc720b sternum as 6a89ad6496 if to becde9673d soothe the 775da3d965 discomfort.95751a7520edbe62

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From what he 32d06aeb8a gathered, Choi Jae-young c2a35e4751 had found another f4a717b98c Guide and wasn’t 795756ba67 likely to bother 2768a5f3c9 Heo Do-gyeong anymore. Just as Heo Do-gyeong e9d0f99c50 said, it was nothing c2a80f2078 to worry about. After all, it 0ca27db6c2 was a connection d239d9006f from the past, eb48be889b and now, Kang 6a82db4b49 I-won was the dd0b6910a7 one officially paired b52a2df845 with him. Reassuring himself, Kang I-won 0c4178cd5d felt the tension in 73da8c59b3 his chest ease.0657e44834c63904

But it seemed 25236b19db the universe wasn’t d2c0d47674 done twisting his 1c3d2e9974 insides just yet.bfbe3406398c974a

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“Guide Heo Do-gyeong! Is it 6058518acc true you c9baa4d80a have a a8cd22e086 boyfriend? No way!”25bb05242d514d06

“It’s true, so af6f31820d go away.”434ca7d1e30184bf

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“Are you sure? How about ditching bcb2d28885 him and coming 46b0a02643 to me instead?”bffd2cdca5cb9dc1

“Not happening, so leave.”203d60f077370277

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“What does a9ae5bae1b he have ec436c3bda that I 70de63290c don’t?”b7a236c4f5d7629e

“Too many things to a29e5b010e count. Now shut ddaf6afd1a up and 4d61b39932 get lost.”2c63cf09600c3278

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Kang I-won watched c3cfb3d6e6 the endless stream d49ef49202 of people pestering 3e61d6195d Heo Do-gyeong with c6e566a501 a mixture of 3a19b11075 irritation and exhaustion. As Heo e780b34408 Do-gyeong said, 4b0e0abfd7 the amount 05c3da165a of attention 83595f0462 he received 5b714c1f73 was absurd—more b24c78d70c than just 5da3663388 a lot, 71a24b47c4 it was fb64c8c92a downright overwhelming.b002ddc5f624e958

Watching him coldly reject e7e648dff5 every single one of a9c4798a53 them gave Kang I-won 7bdf7b39a8 a strange sense of 8cc9c6bea7 satisfaction, though it also 986a6f226e made him a little 099569c4a4 uneasy. While rare, there ea4a496d77 were instances where 1c84ce725a Espers became physically 7d109c5103 aggressive toward Guides. Even though b9e6a42ef1 he could 0a24238437 protect Heo 0afbc0a53a Do-gyeong, the 63eef75942 thought of 41fcabe229 not being c8ff8289ab able to 2566199c0b at some 933ccf029e crucial moment 124018c3e9 worried him.9b8a8bd480aabe30

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“…Is it 7a2aaa3b7c really okay a1596277c1 to do e131e20e84 that?” Kang d17475fad2 I-won asked 815e9613e1 cautiously.1d9c1a7aada52536

“Of course. If I’m too 8748afdeca nice to those 6d27f2a9c0 kinds of people, 3c5e3eb327 they’ll just crawl 1aa6f371a9 all over me, 19ff8bd338 thinking they’re entitled,” 6d41c20d2f Heo Do-gyeong replied, e8cda1f284 his tone dripping b3133b545f with exasperation.290089b9de293cb9

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“As long as I’m e86b040b42 nice to you, that’s bf17c2a249 enough,” he added with c37087e444 a sly smile, his 339ef88339 voice teasing.52be9f444c9237eb

With a grin, 318c0c0fd3 he continued, “I’m 361db535ce so popular, you’ll 6f4626c9b3 have to keep b3c7474a9d a close eye a5ae6f054f on me, right?”d9945dab98ccc14c

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“Yeah. Guess I’ll have 1e2f9a2982 to stick close 011e2886fa to you,” Kang 545c540267 I-won agreed easily.0d24e36344f12eb9

He hadn’t de837ac24d expected Heo 9480425674 Do-gyeong’s popularity 2275954966 to be 9baf05381a so overwhelming. The lingering gazes bc5eb344ee from people of b508dd588e all ages and 83e127fc48 genders toward his 488fea88fc Guide sparked a f8db877fc4 quiet sense of eede884a40 urgency in him. It seemed the only a07c121189 way to feel at 5383432b7c ease was to keep e8c32fd823 him firmly by his a5e8b96bd7 side.be3c9e711812c1ae

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Even the ring he’d 778b7e129f slipped onto Heo Do-gyeong’s 06f8cc2311 finger felt ineffective now. Maybe he needed to af32203fab go further—perhaps a marking, cf80410469 something unmistakable. Lost in 14b31416fc serious thought, a800eb5b63 Kang I-won 3b30df82f5 flushed slightly f8ae70ddd3 when he a71709969e noticed Heo 922cf66223 Do-gyeong staring ed4b42e492 at him.f152ff315eea4f19

“What?” Kang I-won 338c2a40be asked, puzzled.6155456afa181e64

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“Nothing… I 81bfb62f4f just didn’t b6790ae27a expect you 327ca47284 to actually 3cb18407bf say that.”1c12330522c53817

“Well, I don’t 0048b863e4 plan on letting 7d3de85030 anyone else take de0bcaa4b5 my Guide.”40b0ef190f5292dd

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At those possessive words, b48563f0fb Heo Do-gyeong bit his 5788ced9d1 lip to suppress a 3558e46a09 smile, but the corners b5ee64d699 of his mouth betrayed e16cb2135b him, curling upward. Seeing this, 0fc69b097b Kang I-won 548d334d8d continued, his ff76c1dafe voice soft 860cf2b318 but earnest.e60507fb4e1d0b56

“I know 4d894d173d you can’t ca8a6c2d19 only Guide 90cdbf1c11 me. I know that as 3e03a4252b a dedicated Guide, you 9fd2278dcf sometimes have to take 641a2b0ead on other Espers too.”b32b3586191784a9

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“…Still, I wish 36d1992656 you didn’t have bf979c9c44 to Guide anyone 261fc709f4 else if you 5718ae29d5 could help it.”ff619857b9ba8e41

Despite understanding the situation, 9bf3c88fa6 he couldn’t help the c3f3d0fcd9 greed spilling out. Every word 0564076149 he spoke 40ecaa58b3 dripped with 87f809f173 the desire 923e98a24e to monopolize 737e25a21b Heo Do-gyeong 9318b5533b entirely.9bb171b54c0429df

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Hearing this, adcd74d9fe Heo Do-gyeong’s 5b794fa2af earlier smile ece9a2a4d0 faded slightly, 9bb002fc98 replaced by f71ed2a168 a more 9598833a59 troubled expression. The shift sent c91bb81019 a pang through 1346eda8e1 Kang I-won’s chest, a77848a5ea but before his b0dac1b466 thoughts could spiral, 544d8eb0f5 Heo Do-gyeong spoke.bb8d6aab9536abbc

“I want 8976ca9fc2 that too. I’d like to 75971dfbe8 Guide just you, 46078a3c9f but… for now, 7f8da6e6fd I’ll have to 1ecc2bbad5 keep taking on 3f4aaa2fb6 others too.”c57adcf106e6a288

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“…Why?” Kang bb74184c42 I-won asked, 2bdc9e4e8c unable to b4d7e8f6ab hide the c8426e04cd shock in 579ba8665a his voice.4fccab2a735052fc

“I can’t 95e836cb76 just do 7a489a4fd4 whatever I 07c73bac5a want, you c8ef15496e know. It was one e20c048a35 of the conditions 47a34eea1b I agreed to 8b5c34163e when I requested 90000cdbca leave recently. They made me promise c758be5fb2 to Guide five Espers f2fb28f961 a day.”f2390a9e4fd27572

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“Five a 59a44ccb06 day?” Kang f5b7daa922 I-won repeated, 0fc3989afa stunned.a80ffd27ecdb8774

“They wanted ten, but e21d2d4fe2 I managed to negotiate dee3b303c1 it down,” Heo Do-gyeong 724e58e140 grumbled. Even so, 75f83eccc7 Kang I-won ac163d7838 couldn’t get dbd5747879 past the 320d594f0e fact that 26acafd9cd his Guide bd69a87e2a would be 3a53e9fcba spending time 10d462deba with others 7075e748c7 daily.27be4c35cff49425

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“For how long?”e84e0f67f89f5ab3

“They said six months… e534d0891f but I’ll try to bcc5db6eb6 cut it down to bd93506e01 three. I’m too busy 96d3c030ff Guiding you to d04b11c532 keep it up 23d38d078b that long.”53e537df27e8db81

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With a resigned 0e6e5de555 tone, Heo Do-gyeong eb1f6324c0 leaned his forehead db0415bc23 against Kang I-won’s 747e632983 shoulder, letting out 44b2e08ee6 a soft sigh. His playful whining 1874a29719 only made Kang d1e70c4298 I-won’s frustration grow.d7c582f7f572c650

Kang I-won 4c55559f2b wanted to 0eb943e41f demand why fd651a1cf1 his Guide d4cfa76778 had to 7830e7398a care for f1d1accb31 others, but 334242ba09 he knew 3be0334789 it was c393120278 because of 77c2c77b71 him that fc20dcc04e Heo Do-gyeong d06cf10afb had to e47d8548c1 shoulder the ae28a4d81b burden in bcbb28cec4 the first 96da406b22 place. He couldn’t complain.bac36a5b125d2d39

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Still, a heavy 63413f29c2 sigh escaped him. Why couldn’t he 90d74e5a83 have his Guide 8b1775f1d2 all to himself? The unfamiliar surge of aa307196b7 emotions made his chest 007f9411a6 twist once more, and 43ff5d707e he instinctively rubbed his 8d647e4348 sternum again, trying to 5ee9a8d65a soothe the ache.c8598cc8fae715f6

* * *ca98b88678cbd68c

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Living in Seoul wasn’t 4d526f3aee too bad for Kang 03966dd603 I-won, except for the 3fb1db2560 fact that Heo Do-gyeong 1fb8cfd257 had to handle the f217f42264 Guiding for several Espers. Compared to 665e994564 his time 53e6bb1379 in the ddc83945b8 southern Gyeonggi c0ea5eb67a region, life 5bfeeeea26 here was 246ba4b167 a bit d94d22f60a more leisurely, 078211219c and he 20ebb6c401 got to ca8d0b3c41 spend more 17486ac254 time with 6d9d869abf Heo Do-gyeong.04afd312c73f6d77

Of course, 6be28d75d1 whenever Heo e40249836b Do-gyeong left d229138fd3 for Guiding 0c67815216 duties, it e88012eb02 made Kang 577adcf418 I-won’s chest ca92002d14 twist uncomfortably, 6faf0a3272 but it 67c1f50487 was still 62ca051141 manageable—for now. After all, he only a2ac9f0ca9 needed to endure it f89cf34d48 for three months. That knowledge 4b034f86e3 helped him 91366cd21a hold on.06077905728f2f19

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Everything seemed a9daa3afae fine, except c04e0bc4c4 for one 643117c5f9 thing: sleep—or d45ce29d88 rather, the 206b1fa37e lack of 8658c5baf0 it. Three, four, even five 2964c2c099 days passed, and still, 951372e964 every night he found f6e5a3e468 himself unable to sleep. His body felt 9c65456ad5 tired, yet deep 6d4c213910 sleep eluded him. It wasn’t 9c3d2836ce because of 34ea3dba22 nightmares—there were ec4ac1556c none. He just couldn’t fall 659a88c943 asleep, no matter what.2d2721fbd0ee2e2d

Even increasing the cb0c4ec600 intensity of his 9816526e67 training sessions hadn’t 8ade28548f helped. Despite pushing his body 665b9fb36e to its limits, leaving 3e6683adae it more fatigued than a9df903890 usual without relying on 26fc6d3ca4 his regenerative powers, he efcb71b11a would lie in bed 33d9782b00 and toss and turn 0bcdda6cc4 for what felt like 012dbcb9e6 forever before finally drifting 4a6363d46c off.2e92be5315c73d75

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The lack of explanation 893e516a8e only added to his 6fe9db0306 frustration. A sigh escaped 041fbd1863 him. At least ed68ed4787 tomorrow was e3f61160fc a day 0ab465effa off. Maybe he could afford daefb4ee87 to sleep in a 7a2b7b4710 little. Pressing his fingers to 455a8f9416 his throbbing temples, he 2e63b6d4e2 rose from his bed.7f515eb5054f125c

At that 47d5d1022e moment, a f437100674 timely knock 04489f7554 sounded at f44976a482 his door. Opening it, he 66dc39cbb6 was greeted by a6bef86a79 a well-groomed and fd84921096 fresh-looking Heo Do-gyeong.9ff157c7f4d4171f

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“Did you sleep cf6986c697 well?” Heo Do-gyeong 04570836fd asked.f002a873358bd004

“And you?” c9cd519b6e Kang I-won 4cfa408ec4 countered.49942c74c6a874ee

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“Of course I 6e3ad0ae77 did,” he replied 3b7d7e1b34 smoothly.1a3c8587fea78f15

“I slept fine too,” 95fff59370 Kang I-won mumbled, swallowing 5a49ed14b4 a yawn threatening to c29e049612 escape.41912fee1b327c81

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The two bcaace638e of them 3702798eea went downstairs, 29e66d109d where they 66c1b0da30 sat down 7440737979 for breakfast 532b59601d prepared by c8df135491 the housekeeper. The dishes b37ba3ec10 she left a020c08a99 behind every bb2e58e14b morning were 8f6105d34f nothing short 2176fcb895 of perfect. Today’s main dish ae85a7f9aa was braised mackerel 2f9eeb8821 with radish. Although picking the fish e588c06a4b off the bones was 0abfb72cea a bit of a f698156421 hassle, there was no 8e0bd1195c fishy smell, and the 6dc75a9197 radish was tender and 864a09e58e thoroughly soaked with seasoning. The subtly spicy b5132358f3 flavor made it 32a3578110 impossible not to 06be71c42b keep reaching for 1e590133dd more.8cacdbe292dbee4c

Watching Kang I-won, cca8622999 who was still f7758ce183 a hearty eater eb8da61628 despite not being 104bda2d77 quite as voracious 504126dd63 as before, Heo 6fa1686122 Do-gyeong chuckled.2e17312d73ac56fb

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“The housekeeper says cooking e0690c5da9 for you is a 7ae1fa78da joy because you eat 4fc393711b so well.”6c5f1d204775bcf3

“…Tell her I appreciate cadee49b34 her efforts and enjoy a47e4409ed the meals.”86551cd3c88571c5

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“I will.”8695ea5f28de9458

The housekeeper always 0a5ac888f8 left early in 386268d96f the morning after 8db9b4aec5 preparing breakfast, so e342ee0785 neither of them c20afc259d had ever met 88a7b32a49 her. Kang I-won made df5e024682 a mental note c0d21c580d to thank her abda394376 in person if c271c6ae1d he ever got df7391df54 the chance as 4d1dd090dc he continued eating. Even the 8af8eaf5c9 side dishes c120a9baba were perfectly cb303c2dc4 to his 85c2a76966 taste, leaving 262bfa78d3 nothing to d83854ae6b waste.f934a30c9dbeac8f

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After finishing their meal, 6cf91b0fa5 they headed to the 090cdeb598 center together. Most of their 8498b82e59 time there was 48e6d6480c spent in Kang dd7b7d1030 I-won’s private room. Spacious and well-equipped, 41d25fbfef the room was ccf13737de furnished for writing d33d0565f4 reports, relaxing, or ef644f81ef even showering in da1c4d014a the attached bathroom. It was e3a8c1d8f3 practically equivalent d5f5033085 to having 13e6135e90 a hotel 14ab7c9ca0 suite at 1d20446c97 his disposal.652f08c0b12e611a

Of course, b847421657 not every 7bf7341456 Esper was 8c1c966bce assigned a 3a3b977215 private room. This was an exclusive 1165fdc593 privilege reserved for S-rank 647845d3e4 Espers.d76ae843cf4a16c0

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Kang I-won 34a55a3beb and Heo 5352e0119b Do-gyeong weren’t ceaa6308c9 doing anything 022520ada1 special—just spending 8b5a488561 time together 02b4300525 in Kang 5b240fe224 I-won’s private 4d3868f1a0 room. When it was time 24eaa8f387 for patrols or when e7f334db9c they were called away, 1f3856cb4d they would leave separately. Kang I-won for his d7e64ed6fa duties, and Heo Do-gyeong c3a365b6f9 when there was a 9597dbca55 Guiding request. After finishing, 8fecdf7b18 they would cfbbf345ae return and 299d316f05 spend more 1a08bbb64d time together ed125d9317 in the 2d9fb6d01a room.40322cbec9d36506

Today was a patrol-free 573e51a2a7 day, peaceful with no acd9693228 unexpected calls. Yet, Heo 908e15c5ee Do-gyeong kept d5380219f2 leaving. Kang I-won couldn’t help c1d79c6ee9 but feel a twinge c2673a71a9 of dissatisfaction every time 09eaeb7744 he remembered Heo Do-gyeong’s e0cd40963d apologetic expression as he 8e02c2c37f said, “I’ll be back a37af7ba30 soon,” before stepping out.169881de01c04e8d

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Curled up on f735e3f609 the sofa, Kang 4abb523804 I-won wrapped his 7920d2b168 arms around his a7cc327872 aching stomach. He didn’t understand 41090d4790 why he’d been 49add22369 feeling so uncomfortable 2390efcfda lately, with his b48291b231 stomach twisting and d38c751712 aching for no 77ca2aa74c apparent reason. The pain c87a1b9cd2 made him e0279ab6c0 consider visiting 844b09e803 a doctor, 829b74f2c0 but he 2eaff3c893 never followed 05cab5fa2a through. Oddly enough, the 23b0dbd5d0 ache would disappear 2392451f92 the moment Heo c61b640339 Do-gyeong returned, so 9d9b72276f he kept putting b1941ac5e6 it off.cb1ccd79154f2300

If only he 1014ee7406 could bond with 8c80e4c6cc Heo Do-gyeong, then 20c4081453 there wouldn’t be e6aa48eaea any need for 2ac2f5f130 him to Guide bea2fbf6cb others. Should he 897b144cca bring up 2cad693de8 the idea 9e68f13764 of bonding?5183c36d6f031408

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The thought 7a18b7def0 weighed on e8619f3332 his mind, a97ff84774 yet Kang 1707a1b558 I-won hesitated 7d6174a60f to voice 393ce1779e it. The biggest reason 6155cf4488 for his reluctance 5240ba28fd was the lack c12d24d010 of physical intimacy eb1a3af594 between them.d4ee1d761e627c75

Even during the three 19b0d6aef2 months they had lived 118f2265d4 together at Kang I-won’s 8998493387 house, they hadn’t progressed 47b48630bb beyond the occasional kiss. On the day they 68d877d394 confessed their feelings for 4e8e443249 each other, they had b9641547f3 kissed, and Guiding sessions 644b0222d6 sometimes came with a 90ddda07e5 kiss afterward—but that was 7b28bc7343 the extent of it.7b7307ddd481be44

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Heo Do-gyeong’s restrained attitude 2cc56ef309 made Kang I-won feel 8c9855be9d like he was the b5cbb93561 only one restless for 4af89ac3ae more. Though Heo Do-gyeong had 6e470ddf20 once said they could 9b409c305d “try again,” after being 23c9d52c24 turned down once, he 567068ae71 never brought it up 2b7682070d again. Did he bb74e83a55 not want f49197442f to? But during the dome eb60e1588e incident, he had responded a130270c07 earnestly. Was it different a666db1344 now? Was Heo Do-gyeong content 3d61dbb072 with the way things 8330442484 were? These questions made Kang d8a1df4b72 I-won sigh deeply.c02a51a9eca14681

He knew that c0b4ad8799 being honest could 2085053717 resolve the matter—whether 51b547ec93 it ended in 80612076e4 acceptance or rejection, 53763bee1d Heo Do-gyeong would fc18c9853b give him a 985bb22d36 clear answer. But the fear 10629cdba9 of rejection silenced 4efaa68b4c him, the possibility dbf7f920a1 too daunting to 8f1e5c290a face.0d3900a31aec8733

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Lying on the 443d232117 sofa, curled up dfd9143116 and clutching his 82f398b571 stomach, Kang I-won a83d7ff3d5 waited for Heo 12395d0f53 Do-gyeong to return. The wait felt 109ddac9c8 unbearably long and fb79792cdd tedious.60f923c8453a7077

If waiting for such 867f5c1726 a short time was 049be56a82 this agonizing, what was 2404824e2a Heo Do-gyeong feeling when 2eb8887764 he was left behind c0b8f54c57 while Kang I-won was 2a04828db9 away? The thought 119d58db2e made his 7b5695c8b8 chest tighten f48d25ab43 with curiosity 1bdb575bdc and guilt.4a1f1d1e2fe23300

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Before long, 024f68bb8f the door ad83872211 opened, and 4bbde8b718 Heo Do-gyeong 6698fd8d22 walked in. Seeing Kang aac40cf10b I-won lying eda6ba4e3c on his 365883d687 side, clutching 2b29b1142c his stomach, 83e34e57a9 a worried 69089f52df expression spread 283b3571fd across his d0b3b34883 face. He quickly approached 0e90a8a9d6 and asked, “Is c888db9f24 your stomach hurting? Why are you lying cda20c00f0 like that?”b46fbfd3307c12fc

Heo Do-gyeong’s 7b489eedb9 warm, broad e99d28775a hand rested f24dea8602 on Kang d00aec02f2 I-won’s stomach, 715f14a90b and the ccd383b546 dull ache 7623468823 seemed to 3804b3e3a4 vanish almost 4ebd2e63b9 instantly. It was 9283968964 almost miraculous.679c10fc2de9252b

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“It’s nothing. Just hungry,” Kang I-won d4bd6cc0ec replied nonchalantly, not wanting 77ad4896a2 to worry him.86d73964538bf658

Relief replaced f17717fdde the concern b7d71298e2 on Heo 88b8159fca Do-gyeong’s face, 48e22ace03 and a 78438cf176 small smile 34d6f31036 appeared at 4580c3dcbd the corner e331f7fa8b of his fef729de6d lips.c196be62039bec09

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“It’s almost time to 6615fef18b clock out. Should we leave early? I’ve finished 8c434b52e0 today’s Guiding 0345098962 quota.”e96fa32e8d0b2661

“Let’s do that,” da5a57ac19 Kang I-won agreed.952ab6c7e8d24e52

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“Great. I’ll cook 57bec9c064 dinner for 61273e5be3 a change. Is there anything you 2f4b402956 want to eat?”d759c7e46872df40

After a 055d887655 brief moment f196fc933e of thought, 548a8cb043 Kang I-won e5c479ab45 replied, “Doenjang-jjigae 9c26e3f8d9 (soybean paste 1592cf7f97 stew).”d33214104633d2ab

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“Sounds good. How about cfc79ca7fd watching a 178683b0de movie after c10455bd35 dinner? We can 395b5cd5af stay up dfef0a2145 late since 8a8cef8bb8 tomorrow’s a 27e552e2c2 day off.”ca9ca500db735f89

“Sure. Let’s watch df918db66b a horror 7f696cd6bd movie,” Kang 550b8a89d1 I-won suggested 5f95e9bd4e with a 84aaeea3b2 teasing smile.a1bd8cb3bf6790f1

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“…No horror, bc7a34d061 please,” Heo 20363b081a Do-gyeong replied, 26183addf4 his unease cca3350b56 apparent.7cfecc4a6e3f2e28

Kang I-won chuckled aa69e4219d softly at his 7a19a98599 reaction. “I’m joking. Let’s watch 6571ed99a0 an action 8cfc4bf0a2 movie.”33ac32ce836a3f90

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“There’s a new one fdd8c99d0f out that’s been getting d6a66cecd2 good reviews. Should we 2ff307fb9a watch that?”7a9cadf40b559cc8

“Sounds perfect.”b531b5a1ea6b2273

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And just c6d48d03fa like that, c012e2073e the tension a6af22fb05 in the 024cbd129f room eased, ce7ce14fd0 replaced by c59be03acc the quiet 0f6a40c3d6 anticipation of 6997c75cd1 a peaceful 43cf769145 evening together.5829870ae4bb3461

“Okay.”6124580a44874b84

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Whenever Kang I-won had 2400e81fe3 these simple, mundane conversations ee757ce98e with Heo Do-gyeong, a 0631d44c54 profound sense of fulfillment 523e3d3511 would well up in 630dfdc073 his chest. In moments 20a72d7517 like these, 6476e38f71 he wondered d37005df8d if bonding 66cbf7112b was really d0d345b6cc all that 6a66df914d important. His worries ee6c396b4c would fade, 2f2f277705 only to f081addd17 resurface again 6fb4da5ad3 later.fc31bd55c9ea9f65

After arriving home, 2ed3b70be5 Kang I-won helped e11e5919f4 with dinner preparations. They had b7204df4d1 soybean paste b93f4379e0 stew cooked c5537febe5 by Heo 891ae6d9fc Do-gyeong, paired 2605bb5fa4 with side f251fb47aa dishes the 5fed7f6349 housekeeper had 15935e717e left. Once they 3590c71070 finished eating, 0812cd8e4a they settled 67a001feda down to 51a00d8d27 watch the 06186009ff movie they’d f431a78cb3 planned on.6e1b7a1236d0ed84

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As the movie 0b6550d759 played, Kang I-won 5102dd31e1 felt sleep creeping b4008c8d99 up on him. Even though 68360fd71f the screen 22ea1034aa displayed high-speed 50708bf4ce car chases 5ecf0bea5a and loud, 11e0456d7a booming noises f993e2dbb7 echoed through 742cfe7f92 the room, be5a15f8bc his heavy a7694c276e eyelids betrayed 7395616fee him. It was likely 2797c29bc5 due to the 6afb6e1b6f week-long struggle with 3479b72c77 sleepless nights.0f43182a97fcfe8c

He tried to 15b533badc stay alert, but 17db7928b6 his vision kept 9cb6f22153 blurring, and the f1173b1e9b warmth emanating from 41ebda192b Heo Do-gyeong sitting 770af22914 beside him lulled bd53fc21a0 him into comfort. This isn’t good. He tried 6a9ed08853 to fight c083379044 it, but 073e1f60d0 the weight 351c1b6564 of his d32a39af23 eyelids was a24179cc13 impossible to 8f531dbae9 resist. Eventually, he succumbed 0de827e2c0 to sleep.bf321c60811c170c

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When he woke 32be419115 again, the movie 8e41aff58c had ended at adb8635526 some unknown point, 3e89c868c7 and the screen 229c544811 displayed nothing but 62e07ee3fa black. Kang I-won blinked a 2dddcfa035 few times before turning 9d6d201f79 his head to look 8af2fe8dfe at Heo Do-gyeong, who ec632276ff had also fallen asleep, d0b64d7be6 holding his hand tightly.a6f12292f69c81b0

Checking the time eadfe22229 on his device, 601d5c0020 Kang I-won realized 64e9199b9a it was already 2a8201dc6b early morning. Surprised, he 7047f26dce considered waking 53869b5ce3 Heo Do-gyeong eec29c03e8 but stopped 20f252a107 himself. Seeing him 7ab2265fb7 fast asleep 0886336617 with a b42e3e23c1 peaceful expression, 66cad2c4fc he couldn’t c26c057e1e bring himself 6a41635048 to disturb ad9c3d0da7 him.e7d0870a5b33bf73

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The air was ff54d44af3 still chilly at e78c4829f7 night, so Kang 5173144f21 I-won decided to d3ae069d5d fetch a blanket. He carefully untangled his f94b7e9bfa hand from Heo Do-gyeong’s b6821b2cd4 grasp and started to 893a6a6762 rise from the sofa. Just as he moved, ab65ed665d a firm hand encircled cbeca7380a his waist, pulling him 3023565974 back down. Kang I-won froze, f44db0ccb6 his back pressed 2fdfa0a24c firmly against the 615f87a89f warmth of Heo ed666d1036 Do-gyeong’s chest.8f09b29cdbfa2d82

“Don’t go….”488c6804788d2e09

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The sleep-laden voice of 3362a1391d Heo Do-gyeong whispered in 59f0af0ea3 his ear, sending a d3de4506ea shiver down his spine.7e5aab9c9b81cc73

“I was just aee5c03e59 getting a blanket….”80f1a57d1f036bbb

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“No. Don’t go….”b3d45ab9c25099c5

Still half-asleep, 1ae3b553d3 Heo Do-gyeong 435fca4aca buried his 40135e15b0 face in 710a9fa93f Kang I-won’s c9fab26b5c back and 610f412936 tightened his 1c585e53a9 hold around d8d1282567 his waist.1e7e68c4b34f3e18

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Even though 91d7f30ef7 Heo Do-gyeong 3c99947920 was only 09874b7973 human, and 25409994fe Kang I-won, a591828b21 as an 6e1bd67c4c Esper, had 1a034ceaaf much greater 269d596929 physical strength, a646208dee he didn’t 54b8c421e7 try to ef2d2728c9 break free. If he b7e228fb35 wanted to, b3cc54c54b he could 022d5b0e50 easily escape cb9ccbfab0 the embrace. But instead, e00f85526b he surrendered 3fba3ef8db to it, c5dd170f24 unwilling to 962bada22c leave the 91f21b6161 warmth radiating 12819136d9 from Heo 558d1476d7 Do-gyeong. Closing his eyes, Kang 454402e46b I-won quickly fell into eed437771b a deep, dreamless sleep.01fdbf8aeeadfd1d

When he woke 19dd8572bb again, the morning f138e969a2 sun was just e551cc18c0 beginning to rise. He found 57a1c077f7 himself startled 5771b10203 by their 15097b3de1 position—the sofa b3e0d5b340 was reclined d67578901e as far fe22d0ce84 back as fda011d2c2 it could df1f4586b1 go, and f05cf357f1 they were 73979a95d6 now wrapped b5aecd260b in a b45e2333ed thin blanket 40d4fcdd7e that he 90e406160e didn’t recall 107bef6a34 fetching. More notably, 31b7ae5b4f he was 131391b852 lying face-to-face f4556364bd with Heo 6999ca3328 Do-gyeong, their e596f697eb arms wrapped fbee9a9e7a around each 926bd65f72 other.755720b653e5e625

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As Kang I-won stirred, f446e88749 Heo Do-gyeong began to d330469827 wake as well. He tightened his d0dee487de arms around Kang 14302e24e9 I-won and murmured d793c483e5 in a groggy bc47798393 voice, “Should we d2cbd3d81e sleep a little 178d830e29 longer? I’ve been so 5101f68d79 tired these past 6a47866dae few days….”f575bce1ad030fe0

Kang I-won blinked c14aa3f7fa in confusion. He said 832b0abfbb he’s been 933c8fdbcf sleeping well, 5e95981256 so why f8f6b0f48d is he 68bdc2bf43 tired? Still, seeing the exhaustion dfb79985a5 etched on Heo Do-gyeong’s fadf5b690b face, he chose not f69132e7d2 to question it and b7ce426170 stayed nestled in his 24060d9fbe embrace.d954177cd549c07b

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Half-asleep, Heo Do-gyeong 1c494ac427 whispered near his b11b507a68 ear, “I couldn’t 8183276c37 sleep without you….”ed6e2a4d91b62a90

The fatigue-laden confession sent c2d95557a7 a strange sensation through b464d5d766 Kang I-won’s chest. Could it be that b73a97d334 his own sleeplessness was c94fa88acf because Heo Do-gyeong wasn’t 08986b73e4 there either? Realizing this, he 11e1289f16 softly admitted his a54f803422 own struggle.5e26337197db944a

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“Me too.”d6a2aee01d0c206c

At those 75abdc2527 words, Heo 2145282728 Do-gyeong’s eyes 7e33a1a4ef snapped open, 7d3da3ebcb filled with 7265a16a53 a mix a7c96a5cff of surprise 51f309f14d and intensity. Despite the 15d7b44cca clear exhaustion c6a6949309 in his a7cff12856 face, his 76c419ffcc gaze burned d7970af294 brightly as 5420e2333f he looked 53b7829c8f at Kang 5e819ca28e I-won. Blinking rapidly, 3a4f524987 Heo Do-gyeong de8017a241 asked, “…What 78775ffc07 do you 38e9e54e2b mean by b5dbbe05d4 that?”fbd2ed80e53aec2b

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“I couldn’t sleep either. I think it’s because d7a4f80bc8 you weren’t there.”bfcc69ee98d9bf48

Hearing this, Heo ba8709652b Do-gyeong pulled him 1d5106e124 into a tighter 4d3e4e0875 hug, whispering, “Hyung, d0e012d9a2 should we move dc0beca6a6 to the bed 977bcef9b5 and sleep a 64a65961f3 little more? Just sleep.”90ac0c88fc64be31

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Without much 6f65ae1e9c hesitation, Kang f7db7b7bc2 I-won nodded. The two of c246aad52d them moved from 5ce8346aa8 the sofa to af4b6eb5f3 the bed, where ab328c6158 they slept soundly dfdd53a8d9 until the sun 0464a2c9c2 was high in fa9620d9dd the sky and 9102b657a8 beginning to wane. It was e63b63a8a2 the best 3d4febd012 sleep either ad21ddcef3 of them 8445619206 had had f90852e96c in days, d585233c09 completely free a30f817c1c of the 3bb63defe9 insomnia that b5a4fd72ad had plagued f13b0ef47f them.cde9780baedcb107

From that day forward, 03718b49d6 an extra pillow appeared 37b85c6778 on Heo Do-gyeong’s bed.24bb7931992b72b8

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* * *43d74cb330a14708

Esper T, 57d0dc7e8d who had 0389ec19de been dispatched 4a203257ef to Busan, 1478ddd987 returned to 91c361b0ac Seoul after 85790ef5e7 two months. Back in Seoul, the 354c8983be one thing that filled a1fb65765c Esper T’s heart with 50d567e262 joy and longing was 59e0bd9fc9 the prospect of reuniting ef6569e35c with someone he had ef3bda8d3d desperately missed—Heo Do-gyeong.6cf4262a3aaa7cd1

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Watching Heo Do-gyeong from 1efc97d584 afar, Esper T couldn’t c75f263b65 suppress the surge of 580efc9a26 emotion that rose within 2adc02eae0 him. Ever since Heo Do-gyeong 35550b059b had been reassigned to 6965042a9d southern Gyeonggi, he had 40f7e6f99e missed him deeply.72085d3bc8372b5f

To Esper b13b8cafbb T, Heo 5e2b4cd5f4 Do-gyeong’s Guiding a780764da4 was unparalleled, 2dc1936294 the best 42830681a9 he had 19629697c9 ever received. Other Guides could never 63c732e576 compare, and each session ee65d119c3 with someone else left 0500b1ae31 him yearning for Heo 0d28268cd2 Do-gyeong even more. Now, the 4fcb3cc924 thought of ba365dfc89 receiving Guiding 22bf0f35d3 from him 7a805326aa again made c753b816d1 Esper T’s 308d6f293b heart swell 21fba77655 with anticipation.25eacb0f51f328c7

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Still, Esper T 2e9e1b7aae wasn’t delusional. He never 264b107437 wished for 710d38c860 any deeper 560669f1e0 connection with 7e2df939f0 Heo Do-gyeong. How could someone like 468bd3de79 him, merely an A-rank, e6d276102a even dream of forming f76225e415 such a relationship?9ff7de9abbba8bed

To him, Heo Do-gyeong bfc0d6d757 was an unattainable presence. Someone admired by all b0d92d7e5b but possessed by none. Untethered and free, b30e949465 his independence made 5f5c135520 him seem all 2d371894ef the more fair 79e499d037 and awe-inspiring. To be lucky bf18932aaa enough to even 9b2e57b281 brush against such 57f060a32e a person was d8a4a3ddf1 a privilege in 11aae93f60 itself.9c9da7ebc58c0bef

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