Ephphatha Chapter 10

0adda44efefc2f21a0c9“Ah, this friend here.”  

b5da7c62a85888fd76c8 

3852a27ccbbc4f1e2185Because Chi-gyeom suddenly stepped aside without warning, Seul-ah found herself directly facing Seo Han-seong and his mother. She was so flustered that she opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words, so she simply bowed her head in greeting.  

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f962e96fac71eaf116f1 

272a6a9ff47d3d0d268d“Uh, I’m Han Seul-ah.”  

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3cffde6191f28f0c1fcc 

36cce7e0b8e06b11d4c7“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Seo Han-seong.”  

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a72c2f5bdaf79a862cb8 

6f490f21f123a6543124Seo Han-seong’s voice was as gentle as his appearance. His tone was soft, with a slight touch of a melodious quality. Perhaps because she had been running into Kwak Chi-gyeom the most lately, Seul-ah had grown accustomed to his rough voice. Now, Han-seong’s smooth tone tickled her ears, making her unconsciously rub her earlobe.  

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b932ef11bd2fcd5aaba3 

a356a1f842591872ba62He handed her a business card as well. It bore the emblem of the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office along with his name and contact information.  

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7d4ea0dda44e5fd811b0 

8ab4670c7dcc2e02b3b7“I don’t have a business card…”  

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f414617115a8b9c28193 

bc486cf97bd1807a72bdShe mumbled awkwardly, and Han-seong smiled.  

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f8341f3fc614b247725e 

a2ea41651fe0d7007fba“I have enough of an eye for that. You still look like a student. Don’t worry about it.”  

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41d8218efd00663e2a42 

490c4690d58f2984f8e4“I’m not a student…”  

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3540d39fd6cb7e624a1f 

9e3ac2fd8e9723fdefb5“You came with President Kwak. Are you his girlfriend?”  

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3aed2c1b60517b2659db 

27d6f1234d605263d1faBefore Seul-ah could even shake her head in shock at the word “girlfriend,” Chi-gyeom spoke up first.  

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62e732947442b64a6afe 

716ea72117c3fe929cbc“She’s someone I sponsor.”  

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f08c54ba6e9b8fdb3fa5 

c2b3afd1f568d6f9ded7“Sponsor?”  

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f362f15686c9b8c9b6a2 

9ec3aab1357a417e2f79Seul-ah turned to look at him, wondering what on earth he was talking about, but he continued speaking without so much as glancing at her.  

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a6cff0da977bb738b721 

26c08378a7b0ce051298“She’s Ms. Han Ji-seon’s daughter.”  

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d4bb8f2eb7b2329b628d 

2adadd01c11fe54210ac“……”  

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fae2df614e0a2c5e5a89 

f418a41a5fbc2fda151fThe woman’s eyes widened in surprise before she quickly masked her expression.  

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816b691a71f99750fc65 

ba04e50c5c0417a6fc76“Ah… So you’re Han Ji-seon’s daughter.”  

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65e216d8a998aa2046ed 

175d21820c174f20d727The unenthusiastic tone made it clear that Seo Han-seong’s mother knew about her mother. It also revealed that she did not hold a favorable impression of Han Ji-seon—the illegitimate child cast out by the Yugang Group.  

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969728dcac3cceeeeecb 

1da2dff656d26d333defMeanwhile, Han-seong simply maintained a faint, indifferent smile. Whether it was because he harbored no prejudice about her background or because he was unaware of it, Seul-ah couldn’t tell. When their eyes met, he smiled even more warmly, making her glance away awkwardly.  

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a7dd5c37b107c083eab1 

63adff548270bc6ae005“When she was alive, she worried a lot about her frail daughter. That’s why I promised to sponsor her.”  

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f570108d201e66938817 

95aceefbd9c1abb616a6“What? When she was alive?”  

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f84150ba3458311d4790 

d342580f4fb233130d11“Ah, Ms. Han Ji-seon recently passed away.”  

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e8a8aeefbf11eae323da 

311d57522a28c0e14166“……”  

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861d38d12659cdf1618e 

dbbd3bcf63f8a494b4f9Seo Han-seong and his mother both turned their gazes toward Seul-ah. The woman looked shocked, while Han-seong seemed sympathetic.  

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81798784ca2cf8cc7d7d 

3ba6efa518bb8b651a3e“Oh my, how did that happen?”  

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303aef0675be9f186fc3 

6faa8c942a072385812b“……”  

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e8411664844ea49b03a9 

653d5db71c8638e505cf“How did I not hear about this…?”  

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a891d6eb75fb9459cf69 

52bc01ee6cfd62b4e033The lawyer who had handled her mother’s inheritance had promised to keep her suicide out of the media spotlight. He had said it was the last thing he could do for his former university senior’s honor. It had indeed remained quiet, and for that, Seul-ah was grateful. She had already suffered enough under the label of an illegitimate child; she didn’t want her mother’s death to become yet another stigma.  

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5e3a6a346aa7a7178b32 

217ca62d3cc19e35ebe8Even now, she didn’t want to say out loud that her mother had jumped into the Han River herself. Her stomach churned with unease, and she bit at the soft flesh inside her mouth.  

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76f70fe4b5c59fd06f5d 

6b6656ec8d375befbd77Sensing the tense atmosphere, Chi-gyeom smoothly changed the subject.  

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3cfb57572f67f121c6f9 

4385ed7eda8d0ba529fd“Han Ji-seon was a devoted art lover, so I thought her daughter might be as well. I brought her here to lift her spirits, but it seems she’s not interested at all. In that sense, may I accompany you instead, madam?”  

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4312628d9011b7e28ef6 

ed0e52b4ea06ddbc3255At Chi-gyeom’s nonchalant remark, Seo Han-seong’s mother, who had been watching Seul-ah with a complicated expression, eventually nodded.  

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0884fdb1e02e2b2f6318 

c02d2bf3088ed4de3df6“I get along well with you, so I don’t mind. Han-seong has no interest in art, so I was worried he’d be bored on his own….”  

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264f24b02884b950a6e3 

b563dec1ef224be24deb“Then, shall we go?”  

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c4fc7ee27f35fb3dcdec 

29192c21dd86fff1588e“Hmm.”  

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3fa9652ba344dc9c726d 

d3a900517f23d4bd93eaLee Kyung-sook glanced back at her son. If she left with Chi-gyeom, Han-seong would naturally be left alone with Han Ji-seon’s daughter. That thought made her hesitate, but Han-seong smiled and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  

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bbd818e495081b6a36a1 

3aca73b678d61a9a5965“Go ahead and enjoy yourself.”  

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e37107e6c305b6b9e5ce 

efe9f1a208c41a7de1ff“……”  

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e53e66ee26d894815575 

e6b2c2a0d130e1b9ff62Lee Kyung-sook vaguely recalled hearing about Han Ji-seon’s daughter before. She remembered meeting Han Ji-seon a few times at auctions, where she had mentioned having a sickly daughter at home.  

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e45f5443332c91ab1d2c 

c92eb2c97b3522d320f1She took a moment to observe Seul-ah from head to toe.  

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12baef0f9288c15b7153 

19009dc31bbc404ae1c0The girl was strikingly beautiful, much like her mother. Her slender figure, delicate jawline, and fragile gaze naturally evoked a protective instinct. Even Lee Kyung-sook felt it, so she could only imagine how much stronger the effect must be on men.  

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ca5ad9c2c067a8473283 

4b3388d1474adcce4f53Sure enough, Chi-gyeom, despite his lighthearted jokes, frequently checked on Seul-ah, and even passing men stole glances at her.  

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5f864c3ab91b459307be 

40d4c1d1b87ee010f17cThe only exception was her own son. Han-seong, who had always remained indifferent no matter how many beautiful women were introduced to him, seemed as composed as ever. His usual upright and rigid personality, which had always rendered any matchmaking attempts futile, was now a source of reassurance for her.  

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35a2bacf32881399f6bc 

8972596def412c9f69d0“I’ll be borrowing President Kwak for a bit. My son will keep you company instead.”  

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403d03c45963306c1e8d 

1202bffc882ed370b60f“Ah… Okay.”  

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26afcc133a5083935878 

1c4513cfd5bf8ffb3dbaSeul-ah glanced at Chi-gyeom, but he didn’t look back at her. Instead, he simply escorted Lee Kyung-sook away.  

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c6e73cbb79b4bf3b0eca 

8ccfb487b5a02b589f8bLeft alone with Seo Han-seong, she darted her eyes around uncomfortably before clearing her throat awkwardly.  

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31cb8ab8e1021464bbf7 

9056f0f76eb212a49d55His response came immediately.  

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f6d8e55b0cec6653c87b 

cbf8cc6248a527fb5b73“Do you have a cold?”  

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5934e2de96ea9c7550e2 

06e8bfb373811aec25f8Startled by his sudden question, she reflexively took a step to the side. Noticing her reaction, he gave a sheepish smile and stepped away as well.  

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43d6ea28bd0bba1f907d 

ac095e4ac112854a9678“Sorry. If you’re uncomfortable, I won’t talk to you. Just relax.”  

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e895c85d183c0034115c 

22447b83d736a3f35747“……”  

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c15d6c3d82893daa26c0 

b2e81bc2b7b9e18b793bHan-seong moved toward a nearby easel. He had said he had no interest in art, yet he stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at the paintings. It was obvious he was just pretending to be interested so she wouldn’t feel pressured.  

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ea7b83d27aff5ad9d10e 

6483cda07999fa5c6456At that moment, Chi-gyeom glanced over in their direction. He looked between them, noting the awkward distance between them, then jerked his chin toward Han-seong in a wordless reprimand.  

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d0aaaae6610121351b9a 

45a60bd2f507798f4afeSeul-ah sighed and reluctantly took a step forward.  

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969f9f0ef796180403c9 

3f9952ac0ce8ee599159“I don’t have a cold.”  

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a3181d75b275c8f02119 

e30e344f8bbbd57d326aAs she softly opened her mouth to speak, Seo Han-seong turned his head.  

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ac74372f964b98ad4923 

fba2b46a542c16a568db“I’m not uncomfortable. Just a little bored…”  

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02e675c98cadffaf7cc2 

e494533b29cb00ca05abAt her added remark, he approached with a gentle smile. Not too close, keeping a reasonable distance, he seemed like someone accustomed to consideration. He was worlds apart from a certain thug who had the audacity to break into someone else’s home.  

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4f05570bfee792082627 

bb55cd134ab9a0692c6c“Then shall we pass the time together?”  

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54be103ec5c167735e31 

0ab452f3aea23b6b9984“Yes. I’d like that.”  

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ee059ae83282e6e6bac6 

693a6c3aac15db49c654“I’m… sorry about your mother.”  

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3dd72e4c5228ba708301 

5f68e58031fc408ced6cSeul-ah only responded with an awkward smile. How unpleasant would it be for him to know she had entered a prearranged situation set up by his mother before her death? A sense of discomfort settled in one corner of her mind.  

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b7cf2c77b5ddcc14e4e8 

2cd794b4be654eec7dd8“How old are you? You look young.”  

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9dbb1ba0a72e006fd890 

43e6d8f0e23d65f10a96“I’m twenty-five.”  

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94b564da6fba8ff49a9c 

8124a959d7929037d60c“You look younger than your age. I thought you were a high school student.”  

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5e9306ef733c5a9441db 

97eb870bafa026015eb1“That’s a bit much… What about you?”  

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eba3c6c0436ceb99cd70 

282785a054700bc3ceaeShe already knew his age but pretended not to.  

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73700239c7a3eefbe55c 

d42d70aa68c1aef710f8“I’m much older than you, Miss Seul-ah.”  

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e14b6e46d8754feace2f 

c6060e9af87b51fec7b0“Okay. Oh, and you can speak comfortably with me.”  

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f67a0bf16cc931e08536 

2debe80028daaab955a4“Can I really do that when we’ve just met?”  

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3bda681e8fc0762c287f 

1a6aa7aab4ed080d70b6Really, he’s completely different from someone else. She briefly cast a sidelong glance at Kwak Chi-gyeom’s dark head.  

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7c2856fad890f3b7e625 

43684b15f9e6cfb1f90b“At first, I thought you were President Kwak Chi-gyeom’s girlfriend.”  

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74138126f4ade28603a0 

ecc9408b66882f545a3b“What?”  

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db58ab46b5eb629e4ed6 

084d4d1cc7092b2ccec5“You two standing side by side looked like a perfect couple.”  

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c4ebc6d18683ad26f58b 

4d842f53e823ce1155d2“What…? No way. Absolutely not.”  

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d68f421f1b1e2f2137fe 

7644af538cc33e1b0676She barely managed to keep her expression neutral, resisting the urge to frown. A couple? Even as a misunderstanding, she wanted nothing to do with him. When she shook her head again, Seo Han-seong smiled knowingly.  

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2703d8401457a9bfb39a 

a7614042288a4fd7ea0f“I’ve heard a lot about President Kwak, but he seems like a good person, contrary to the rumors.”  

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e35255f0186e9e9073c1 

febf501a2b558d11bb3f“What rumors?”  

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52e00a04eb6a52ffe01b 

407efb6c8904c8873d74Instead of outright asking what made him seem like a good person, she inquired indirectly. Seo Han-seong, looking puzzled, returned the question.  

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117730cecb7b78f12621 

5fb2d23bc4e89d387766“Didn’t you say you were receiving support from him?”  

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bcaf15d7f4a3cd33e0c6 

b5c45c10f67ae2edc592“Oh… yes, well.”  

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d5cda323ef2abc4e8f9b 

f72043f611d9da75be39“Then you must know about Gimon Market. Or do you not?”  

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0f3366bf561137cda82d 

81e1af5d60cde68dedbdGimon Market? She didn’t know what that was, but to avoid suspicion, she made up an excuse.  

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9e7d7bba84bc597fdda2 

a14d88a21d300207bff2“I’ve been overwhelmed lately, so I haven’t paid attention to anything else. The sponsorship happened suddenly, too…”  

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a013d9a6dac3de1cb618 

3a687940b81dc31db8ec“Ah…”  

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07578b9852c86eef1d93 

b1b8ca4110389c4bf6ebAt last, he seemed to put his doubts aside and looked at her with a sympathetic expression, as if he understood her loss.  

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44589f95995319bf3c66 

c5c11a64dc53ed77153a“Gimon Market is an art investment company run by President Kwak Chi-gyeom.”  

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f02a1b0d9ae29d525f50 

0868b12f51b76fecd302“……”  

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6bbd55ea109005eb0542 

fbbc712473f99a37452dHe runs a company? That man? And an art investment company at that? He’s really the president? She couldn’t believe it, but since she was now one of his sponsored individuals, she kept her reaction in check.  

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cbacfe18e39edb9f09cd 

13e046cb4658ebe85fcd“I’m not the right person to go into too much detail, but… Anyway, since he provides sponsorships and even attends charity events, he seems like a good person, which is reassuring.”  

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9763112fdf80258f513a 

be5c45fa91da904ef638“……”  

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3886f5b2b35191492d3a 

35529071a7d7f1ee060d“I heard he met your mother at auctions a few times, so I was a bit worried. Honestly, I came today because I was curious about what kind of person President Kwak is.”  

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4e1f6f8e56c7ad1f7ad1 

facedd16a5d1e9d93348“……”  

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2d1b2219d1634b5ea8a8 

769ef8033d9d54f28ddeFrom the context, the rumors about Kwak Chi-gyeom didn’t seem positive. Seul-ah was curious but didn’t probe further, only nodding in response.  

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20c99fa4558cd3adf6eb 

78d82ca7b1f8060b27dbSeo Han-seong, who had been watching her intently, smiled at her just as a vibrating sound rang from his chest pocket. He took out his phone from inside his suit and apologized to her.  

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6e1e000a5f09118c0d37 

2155e86481df4dbf7246“Sorry, I need to take this call.”  

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deedd4986098fb16bccb 

874eece0b925e867e538“Go ahead.”  

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aff1ffd4f8a0525d81c4 

928f7e22074a75ea3124Seul-ah briefly watched Seo Han-seong walk away before shifting her gaze to Kwak Chi-gyeom. He was engaged in a conversation with Seo Han-seong’s mother in front of a painting of an elderly couple and a cat.  

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4daa41ee24f07775cb54 

196043b6aaea90244f48Gimon Market. An art investment company. A president. A gallery VIP.  

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43447ae6498cb875e15b 

1402832f9852535c6d06She couldn’t believe how all the new information about Kwak Chi-gyeom was completely at odds with his behavior.  

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f6cea6a3cfb97fb44293 

09370ac460036c130062Still unable to reconcile the image of the man with these facts, Seul-ah gave in to curiosity and pulled out her phone to search for Gimon Market.  

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bca0647f05519ac48d27 

4a57f7b480c508dd0a26[ Gimon Market is a small investment company established three years ago. Primarily involved in art investments. Founder: Kwak Chi-gyeom. ]  

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eda3d781adeca30db7d5 

9a9aef77a0022490b34fSince the company was still relatively new, that was all the information available. But since it appeared in corporate databases, it didn’t seem to be a lie.  

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ee5044f75a9ce7a49a4e 

5a252b362003ef1c0e14Not a gangster, but the president of a legitimate company? She couldn’t believe it, so she kept rereading the phrase “Founder: Kwak Chi-gyeom.”  

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54031df95b95cbe7a321 

2036b824656949a7fd14“Hello.”  

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a7aa9ccae04dd09e51c9 

eac8db3e8e28ee81046aA sudden unfamiliar voice interrupted her thoughts. When she looked up, a man she had never seen before was standing in front of her. He had a friendly face and had tied his hair back into a small knot at the nape of his neck. Judging by his casual clothing, he didn’t seem to be a gallery staff member.  

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c2440a5ceb303b096624 

c2a99ff75acc04a40f1f“Who are you?”  

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479180ec821a1f02a71f 

b265a966704718ebc50a“I haven’t seen you before. Who are you here with?”  

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d737c6c92a63dbc289b9 

6cb9ef8ddff1cb05c347“Huh? Why do you ask…?”  

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7d6ba8e9f154a18288ca 

633a11d93a843cfe0f0d“Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it—”  

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1e0757e268f6a1e55822 

717fbd33d21112bd67acBefore the man could finish speaking, Seul-ah’s gaze moved past his shoulder. Following her line of sight, the man turned and noticed Chi-gyeom approaching with a casual swagger. Recognizing him, the man raised a hand in greeting.  

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f7fb28ee32ce5fe0a432 

1c6a8129754a4ba52e4c“Bro.”  

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dd60702bde87c2135930 

791cc873e340474a98d9“Daeseok, what business do you have with my partner?”  

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167d127758c2a740fd93