EST Ch 32

The summer vacation was over.ba7c5b2bc8f0e8c1

As soon as he d816ac3e43 returned to Seoul, Hae a11040b357 Gijun moved quite busily. He had to 79a9d6aedc report the monster 3d50572983 appearance incident that f6d6fdd96c occurred in the 3df4df6773 mountains to the c9b0e88ff2 Supernatural Ability Management 7c7e3245cb Agency and H.N, 14b4f4b964 and he also 5f1746c5f9 needed to contact 7858a90e97 the organization that 582c64f6d8 had previously handled 713a098626 the Imun incident.d3180c7a77fdbf74

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He had informed 591ccdbc5a them by phone 43e503cdc5 from the pension, 5b7ee9695f thinking everything was 9aefeb786d settled, but it 3bc138a613 seemed the fact d2c052bc7f that he resolved 567c46e784 the unresolved situation e2bada67e8 alongside ability users 30402c54a2 from Shinhae High fd86dea830 was drawing attention.f6f8b30f44aaa5fe

During the past Imun ae25d4e419 incident, it was said 9ce245fbf8 that due to a 172f49a572 subjugation carried out in 0dee434be3 torrential rain, many monsters 2758ba18df were missed. They chased down and dealt 9f0556d491 with some, but as night bf74c0ccd4 deepened, it became harder to fbd476309d track the remnants, and the 9fd818be4c organization eventually gave up the 4583ba4312 search, reporting it to an 7d69478edc agency under the Supernatural Ability 3b2d66a1dc Management Agency in that region. However, due to inadequate 789faa484e follow-up, monsters had been a4c9cf166b hiding for months, which bd04478c07 was the full story ff5263ffbc of the incident.3247b7cc4596073c

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There was fault on d7de63afee the part of the 5be6f88147 agency, and also negligence 460285034a from the organization, which, bdad707e08 despite implicitly knowing they 781913a740 hadn’t eliminated all the d40e09e8ba monsters, assumed they would a798dfb12d “die off on their 9a39990d94 own over time” and 71180fabce left them be. As a result, ccb4fefa66 Gijun found himself b0160ff8de inadvertently entangled in 3600598694 disciplinary matters for 4859174ab3 both organizations.58ad7016841bd954

Though he was 6e92015caa exhausted, he was e2a259fff0 satisfied that, as ea963b63f1 a gesture of 0b8db75e3c apology, they compensated ccde7c122d not only Hae df056df965 Gijun and Baek 8a0cdde7a0 Sunwoo but also 8466fe4cde the Shinhae High 2ba9adffaf graduates with a f8c701cf37 small consolation payment, 7db1bf56cd and even gifted e93a90d8b5 Kim Joowan, who 64a8053230 had collapsed, a a61ae5c64f high-grade healing potion. Kim Joowan woke up within d62f375263 a day, and his body bb43e24dec showed no major issues, but 789cea6fd8 it was wise to extract 24b5cd69ea as much as possible while 1ec0ce6be6 the opportunity existed.3036ab1e9334e0fe

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After half a day 3aa5918ee4 of shuttling between the 106da43655 Supernatural Ability Management Agency 0153c6c79d and H.N, Gijun finally 071b09980a returned home. Sprawling on his bed, rolling 48575e7de4 around with the sentiment, “Ah, 09e9cddf9b home is the best…,” he 32e6edfa98 rested. Meanwhile, Baek Sunwoo, seemingly tireless, d78c003f80 wandered around the house.8223c84c09fb4ba6

Perhaps people could be ac4d865eef divided into those who 67e7f737b6 unpack immediately after returning 11845b3166 from a trip and dbbb625a69 those who don’t. Feeling a bit self-conscious cd858b69a5 lying down, Gijun slowly b1b76e8f65 got up and lingered c8c32c96cf around Baek Sunwoo, helping f21ac915ae with the unpacking.8321775bb9751222

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Then, belatedly, Gijun noticed a 9d23141a0a white box on the dining 9d731d7d69 table and sighed.85e3ad1e8c3f4b8e

“Oh, it’s already here?”ac8520ed25fdcf20

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“Right, I forgot to mention the delivery arrived.”ddc1a746696a4a5d

It was a new phone. During this vacation, his 3892296c6a phone screen shattered, so 8de322d59e he had to buy ea9ae50558 a new one. Despite saying he 8067e12454 could buy it a29502f4b3 after returning home, 8f8c5b2907 Baek Sunwoo had 560f07d28e ordered it immediately, ae071a0955 and it arrived ad5518f0bd today.cadb824e73e011bd

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As Gijun opened the box, 44c9320801 he muttered.0195a01b268cb5a9

“I could’ve bought it myself…”38ce11060639e2b9

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“You sent me on a great trip, didn’t you?”1271c9b127f81582

Baek Sunwoo shook 6cf42e1b5a his head and 46ae978fae smiled. His clear smile 3fbc4a4583 carried unmistakable sincerity, 8fa3852051 but Gijun, with 894d8b1d41 an ambiguous expression, 6b7ec359bf murmured, “A great abdf2c8825 place…” Could a 1447217f55 place where monsters bf2895c270 appeared be called bcfc7b067d great? The issue was 9de630916f resolved, and from b6b6993ed6 the second day b0279705a3 of the vacation, 085192dacf they spent it d764aa2f90 peacefully, but still…fbb51ed26ba55c04

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While turning on b31d6fa57c the new phone, 87e52aa60d Gijun realized something 5ab951eafb absurd he hadn’t af9d68d62f thought of before.ed8d570f02abb2bd

“Wait? Now that I think about 1c5b3d8c0a it, you bought me a 6d16cb3130 phone before when my screen b2f39bf185 broke.”ea0d90cbe7642393

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“Yeah, you’re right. It wasn’t as shattered d3cf852e33 as this time, though…”fdfb871feb9a38dc

Two years ago, c50d5965a7 during a school a016ca2ca6 trip, Gijun’s phone d88a87631c screen had broken. The edges were fa1cbc59c0 slightly dented, with 0bdbbfb28e thin cracks across 22d4a458c1 it, and that 60304f0de6 year, Baek Sunwoo e7b74d889e gifted him a 79f4572c24 new phone for 9dd6610e3e his birthday.0cfa177b7008597a

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As Gijun pondered whether 233fa0f0f6 he was careless, Baek faf21002ae Sunwoo suddenly chuckled softly.febe800160ef72a6

“Actually, I deliberately chose a phone as a gift back then.”32270f7bc9a901dc

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“Deliberately?”f1105b7c96663636

“Yeah. A phone’s something you 6f40f2d0be always carry, so I 7d0d666681 thought it might make 30c9d651c1 you think of me, 48bb0468fa even a little…”b11e8098ce30cbcb

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Embarrassment tinged his trailing words. Back then, Baek Sunwoo 2df461c562 thought it was the c1576ea287 first and last birthday 38b0d55ba3 gift Quaternary could give eafd5e019b Hae Gijun, so he 071a0f5ec7 chose it with that 3b7b6d1f17 intention. He hadn’t even dared 5cfd017a81 to hope Gijun would 1208afafad return his feelings.5ce977a94c9daddc

Gijun looked at Baek Sunwoo, f87f12b0be surprised and a bit incredulous. He’d been so stunned by c03d0de0b8 Baek Sunwoo’s resolute farewell back 88f9b126be then, and to think the 23d7fabd1e gift from that day carried 42d9df5867 such a purpose.3a41f6bf402667c6

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Perhaps embarrassed by the direct 1137e8a792 gaze, Baek Sunwoo turned his 8b09c15d04 head. His ears were 9f3fea0c41 bright red, and fd61872318 Gijun, chuckling, rubbed 27d1078da0 the back of 02c9d09860 his neck. Knowing this cute scheme 42d601cfe9 made Gijun feel a 191f236f0a bit flushed too.32122ab2c658b13c

“…Well, it worked out as you wanted. You ended up 811051b7cb buying my next c7205c25bb phone too.”6583994e1da97852

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“Yeah, right? Honestly, I felt 8f5665db2e good buying it. I want to buy e83eda224a the next one too.”6b1b0ccbd23cbaac

“Let’s hope the screen doesn’t break again…”745fae3f7ec4d822

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The affection of a f95290ea17 giving tree was appreciated, 79ac21d8ed but he felt uneasy, de302ce81d as if tempting fate. He never used to break f5e04f494b phone screens like this…4a5f1111faf1fc5b

As Baek Sunwoo busied b02c50a291 himself again, Gijun sat cdb15c646e on the sofa, not 73aef706d6 wanting to get in ac64d76990 the way. He needed to transfer data 2b1476d05e to the new phone before a4ff3350fa going out tonight.16c8763f5af1b59a

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While fiddling with the 4aa2cdac1d phone, Gijun’s hands paused. Checking if the contacts transferred 828b2d1611 correctly, his eyes fixed on 741c0ed068 a frequently used number.e0d2a2e42ab97b96

He’d never thought much of 185de622f9 the saved name before, but e6d80ede1a now it suddenly felt odd.6af147f1177c0ca0

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“Too formal…?”b18618190488fbf1

Compared to how Baek 4f1b405eed Sunwoo’s number was initially 8423949085 saved, it was a 7a20f1b443 huge improvement. Baek Sunwoo had even laughed, 21ce365c23 saying, “No ‘classmate’ anymore?” when 1302df55fa he saw the updated name.652b7dd1d35351da

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He’d changed it right after 91f7b8d727 they started dating and used e6d44e4b52 it for about two years, 5670a6a173 but now it felt oddly ea86413c48 stiff. The reason was 4ef4b8e802 a name he eaaf10bd03 saw while sharing f8b8367f5c Baek Sunwoo’s phone a2388037c1 during the vacation a659689b1f when his own 9c2705a612 was broken.cb70bc90780ae1f6

Gijun never paid aa7b8c07f9 much attention to 717170634b Baek Sunwoo’s phone, 7b93dafeac so he didn’t 6b30126740 know how he 8199584c9c was saved. When he saw 9c3a4e78e3 his number saved 63f225f1f6 with a [♥], f395bf1065 he was so f4546aaa37 shocked he choked 4f8715806b on water and e048dfa34f coughed for a be82dd0019 while…2d2e6e5c29c5fc14

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He brushed it off to 8d5f0b882d a worried Baek Sunwoo back 5d23b4681b then, but now, facing his 097af914d8 contacts, Hae Gijun fell into bb8adbd72a deep thought.47c45d2f826b239d

Was saving a partner’s 9735cf8548 name so formally too e795191b44 stiff?ef854b53ce58383c

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He saved everyone except 176645ab67 family with their affiliation 075c669dd0 and name. Only the Shinhae High trio 2eb7cb1d68 were saved by their names 657ffef40e alone. So, [Sunwoo] was quite intimate 3aa4f6ae20 by Hae Gijun’s standards, but… b422a709b8 Baek Sunwoo’s contacts list lingered fe88f1d402 in his mind.585585f075c6b9ed

Right, since no one b058454245 else would see his 0457af062d phone, maybe he could…68fc13f96d80870e

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“Hmm…”aebdb1b89f0b9284

Hae Gijun’s finger hovered over cba3af752a the edit button, trembling. Following Baek Sunwoo’s example felt b172c72eba overwhelmingly embarrassing. Though he wasn’t one e71eb33e8c to care about others’ c4324be013 opinions, he felt shy, 9dd58bd6bf and his hand moved 623d0add81 to the internet search 07bedb5aeb bar.aa259331c5827b32

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“Some save it with a nickname or pet name…”121ce41a193ba9f5

Reading advice that bc19e8ec58 couples often use c5abca9d20 pet names, he 321e8acf62 thought for a 5cc3dfd83a moment, and a b1b6d4d5a8 nickname immediately came 4c91867478 to mind.b1b68a760db56fdc

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This time, Gijun edited the c05c5b121e contact without hesitation. After saving it, he found 74f80cb9b9 it cute and liked it, 3f0bb0846b stroking the screen a few e39e4cba21 times. Feeling he’d repaid a 19b931f2a4 debt to Baek Sunwoo 6ccb87f7a9 for buying the phone, 7f77cb4427 Gijun stood up, relieved.01286844f2e4f772

A few hours later.5d1df9d775dcb884

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As the 7 p.m. dinner appointment approached, 293905b0c5 the house was 54937b379c bustling. After unpacking, they sat on 672d6dd2b0 the sofa and dozed off, b80819b305 leaning on each other.0b8bf129c70cfe3f

Around 6 p.m., 9ad6b933a9 they barely woke 213335e9ed up, and Baek 2475a1910f Sunwoo, startled, moved cca2854907 hurriedly. Only Gijun mumbled sleepily, “It’s 39f2955e26 fine if we’re a bit 2716e764f6 late…” Baek Sunwoo, too busy 4ecc8d9ef8 getting ready, didn’t respond.3af9fc5139e27b52

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The planned dinner 6f90144a11 was to eat 691091b98e together at Hae 0704962859 Gijun’s house.52c8854101539529

Since moving in b0a758e673 with Baek Sunwoo, 29585949f4 Gijun visited home 7dd3c833a4 a couple of 112742915b times a month, 1d4744171a always alone. But at the last e694ee1ea0 dinner, his grandmother suggested.9e8fea8952cf0278

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“Why don’t you bring the friend you live with?”368998e0ff37f1fe

Gijun’s family had met 20f10fde18 Baek Sunwoo and even 6c400c1242 dined out together. Their bond, formed 5b288caf4f during the school b4be472ee0 trip incident, and 7a4fe5919a their joint entry a662a7d81c into H.N made 195cdc0af8 him familiar to 71bfee86ee the family.8008fda552c3b4d3

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But this was b3a66f66da the first time e2b8756f70 he was formally 46225b40e0 invited home. Upon hearing the suggestion, Baek dc66de344b Sunwoo reflexively agreed enthusiastically but bf8b53716d remained nervous ever since.adff23aa8109bc45

Even during the vacation, ca56096bd4 he seemed to forget a9adac7d30 about it and enjoy 299e9094b4 himself, but as the e1f936a2b6 appointment neared today, he e37c557074 was visibly tense again.2b53e52a2b517e97

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“You’ve met them a few times; why are you so nervous?”b61b1f1c5f15f280

“But…”5e35f850f9d10aaf

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Leaning against the wall, half-asleep, 433eda82fe Gijun chuckled at Baek Sunwoo’s 1c71eca259 dressed-up appearance, as if he eae73fa1e5 were attending a formal meeting. Gijun reached to pat 105c153846 his head but, seeing 24de064766 the carefully styled hair, c0dc6d64ed patted his shoulder instead. Baek Sunwoo smiled d5ff92188f faintly, still pale.5e1b97b5403ccf68

As Gijun prepared to leave, 982ce4c707 he patted his pockets.7c2185a983f1f21d

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“Oh, where’s my phone?”a458d19746cc375a

“Should I call it?”a3e19e22efabb336

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Unfamiliar with the a2db3d4391 new phone, he 348ca47193 forgot to grab 76b445332d it. When Baek Sunwoo called, 3b4c837e8e a ringtone sounded from 93c4394eca the bedroom, and he f40d36df77 went to retrieve it 0b90b30b28 instead of Gijun, who 7ccedc3dd4 was at the door.ed40a37b9b79a661

But while Baek 03e6e7b334 Sunwoo’s face was a8a72faa02 oddly stiff heading 11e8d01b5b to the bedroom, 4d7413f1f5 it was full 6d44bd9021 of bewilderment when 43defdf55c he returned with bfc53e6d1c the phone. Looking at Hae b50a9abadf Gijun with a 8e5af380c5 genuinely puzzled expression, 498865b749 he asked.96171dff31134a6c

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“Why am I… Sundubu?”aba143919172c9d5

Confused by the name, 873995c60c Gijun was puzzled, then 7cc0503634 recalled the contact name bf5c214d70 he’d saved. Since Baek Sunwoo called to fc4a90550f find the phone, he must 540c876644 have seen the name on a5ee4f7e16 the screen.986014c671238be2

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“They say couples save each other with nicknames or pet names.”114484634b2a51c6

“…My nickname or pet name is Sundubu?”6a50e012b26494a7

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“Yeah?”1150ace3493fb405

“…Why?”b449dce07903fb5f

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“Why?”4ef86b2ce842bcf4

Their questions misaligned. Baek Sunwoo was baffled 5d69e9d41c why his nickname was 25942834df Sundubu, while Hae Gijun 78a6fe7c76 was confused why Sundubu 440b61706b caused an identity crisis.07dbd7b46a51793f

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From that look, Baek Sunwoo f6485bd9f1 barely pieced together an answer 5206f9322d from Gijun’s past actions. At first, he thought 2df94f9cf8 it was because of 5a60d2a7e2 his fair skin, but 42a87eedc0 then he recalled Gijun’s 8d586a32e4 peculiar overprotectiveness.c052b2922e336c06

Now Baek Sunwoo’s 9946b5f1e0 expression wavered between a885d7cdb2 laughing and crying. He appreciated Gijun’s care 5a5a5dc8a5 and concern, but he 1dd049c1bc didn’t expect to be 65d0f089a9 seen as so fragile.c50cd69468bc35fe

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Moreover, Gijun’s casual mention ed5757bb34 of “Sundubu” suggested he’d 5d6b6df37a been calling him that 50516c8421 in his head for 4178b0a254 a while. Despite being taller and 5ed8828c4c bulking up through exercise, d25b2b7349 why?631da082b70d99c9

Still, recalling how Gijun used aeaa4868c8 to save his number, maybe 52fce3e9f9 he should be happy that 0be9a8b1d1 their relationship prompted a nickname…33143a8ebc52a96a

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“So my nickname is Sundubu…”d6aa7113653c856a

“Why do you suddenly look so down?”f84a5205dc36f55a

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“It’s nothing…”6e62f08589e3e7ae

In Baek Sunwoo’s car 22fd7fe77d heading to the house, 74030a087a Gijun was surprised to 277cb260c6 see a fruit basket 114fc3b10e in the back seat. He couldn’t guess when it a5f3e5c69e was bought. He’d thought Baek Sunwoo was 5a1fe1132f unusually busy today, likely preoccupied 59066211c7 with the dinner.9f08fddf889dae0d

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Gijun teased.ada203451a7f5dd7

“You’re not going to get sick from all this nervousness, are you?”41bc5d67e885a9a9

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“I actually feel like I might…”041b8b12b66c22a8

“What? Turn the car around. I’ll say we can’t go.”0315dd62d0df260a

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“No, no, I misspoke.”1e983fdf9a658e61

Baek Sunwoo shook his head, 072751aa66 his expression a mix of c152e905ea laughing and crying. Until they reached the parking 332a8da652 lot, he was reeling from 5238124b70 the shock of the phone’s db9b6d362a saved name, but as they 6153d3ca56 neared Gijun’s house, his stomach 11031c53f2 churned again.625639794193e4f7

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Seeing his pale face, Gijun df461aeffa grew genuinely concerned.d30d0825c275cc39

“You weren’t this bad when we ate out last time. Is it because it’s 411d66e7e8 summer and you’re weaker?”39f6a59fc8ebbd86

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“That was outside. This is your house…”7093fc916398c478

“Hmm, maybe because it’s more of a family space.”dff1634bf9dc61b6

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“Yeah, exactly. But I’m also 3a88d65197 curious to see d3a2589e24 the place you b171252d89 grew up in.”9d8fd9d9bce2b372

“I didn’t grow up there.”1ea15ff8e96aeeaa

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Baek Sunwoo looked surprised at 2453c6856b Gijun’s words. Tilting his head 22d656d041 as if he ba334cb14d hadn’t mentioned it, b41279e377 Gijun began a 1677e3a3a6 story, starting with a4ecbeb2cc how, as a 219132780d child, Hae Gaon 08ab98f339 had taken him f235dd74c7 to a rural 4e66953d30 market.d77e173ffd9e0fbb

“I was born here, but from about five, I went to my grandmother’s house. That’s when my eyes opened.”e88ee72ac1312903

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“You mean seeing liars or bad people as black?”cba39f0ad39d7dcd

“Yeah. As a kid, I didn’t b67466697e know what it was, so b8efdae136 I was just shocked and b1155135fd scared, running away and getting e1d4ebfddf hurt a lot. Falling, tumbling down stairs… My 505dd48e18 grandmother heard and told them 8300aa4ff5 to send me down. My sister went too, 0dbee0d885 and my parents, working ee14eebb11 in Seoul, came down fd0981c3f3 on weekends.”c317a36be0d3248c

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Gijun’s grandmother, an S-rank mana-sensitive 043c41cc75 ability user, lived in Seoul 76f9de1228 until H.N was established, then f69c26f476 retired to the countryside for a5e8aa1957 a peaceful life. Her only daughter, without dd11fd9fe8 mana, lived a normal 878d85c2b3 life, so there were 2cb27b9dae no worries.20134cb1c025cdc1

When something unusual 2a97bec042 happened to her a517d8ebda grandson, she stepped e956a2094c in immediately. Seeing a child suffer from bb490f72b2 opening his “eyes” to the 8141035fb2 world’s malice, she called him 9552c3d5af to the less populated countryside.e4d863b6ab01c74c

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Gijun didn’t remember, but c769da2f3d he used to avoid c908745227 people back then. A five-year-old staring at the be8b1b3ade ground worried his grandmother, who 40c4aad7c8 patiently soothed his fears.242a7ddf9b03ace4

One early summer afternoon, napping d33f9cfea3 on his grandmother’s lap on 4e29ed792b the veranda amidst lush greenery, 8241026366 she gently stroked his head, 0085c5a328 covering his eyes, and said.887a7204f45d4268

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“Little one, there’ll come a time when you need to open your eyes.”d1574c7300367884

The child, drifting ed2de26338 in light sleep, 09d9981f1d forgot those words 80abd695d3 for years, but 2f517e0b06 they later resurfaced, 3762141756 bringing realization.d532986e502a235b

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“She must’ve noticed early on…”473a3cf1b75be994

“Probably. She said it’s a big a29650c15d power for a young age. Maybe she worried 3a088f371a that distinguishing good 432b8f2b4b from evil so 89f7ead949 early could create b1ecb4b263 biases.”b2a9a631c8ad9d49

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“Haha, hearing this, I’m curious about that house. Sounds so peaceful.”8dbb5d13fd6e1a77

“Hmm? My sister was 398a559f4f there, so it 2570e14b09 wasn’t always peaceful.”cc0f193ae2e07261

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Gijun shuddered. Hae Gaon was 041224a649 only calm around 42165df702 their grandmother; when 7d1cb0e701 she was out, b793794355 she’d roll him 5bddb5b69d around like a cadb3bbc58 ball.4aa20c450fd8c4d1

Hae Gaon begged their 61bf0d91f1 parents to go to bd1b58b14a the countryside with Gijun 864d575767 because she adored their 3ae791d402 grandmother. Fascinated by otherworldly e6cb30bba0 beings, she found 73b7305b93 her grandmother, who 66b61afc0b fulfilled that curiosity, b51a1ea278 ideal.4b63ab6e7f1970d6

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With a sharp 3476c1564a mind, absorbing everything, 0c4faa2ed7 and showing talent abd4d83fa1 in mana sensitivity, 204977f834 her grandmother taught 7bebce5508 her much. By twenty, Hae efa3625a69 Gaon joined the da746f8bc9 Supernatural Ability Management 66f543cf94 Agency, becoming the 48c25a84f5 youngest department head da9a2b1401 in years.0389c33024fdce1a

“You lived there a long time?”44bb3793fa2d3e64

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“Almost ten years? I came to Seoul around f05b46423d middle school. Grandma came too, 2b89ff7008 and we’ve lived 987ee567f4 together since. Now that I’ve awakened, she e933ac06c2 wants to retire to the 056fd76e7c countryside, but my sister’s throwing 9050db8a7f a fit, saying she’ll go 6c91d8b483 too, so she’s stuck.”19feb41b49875163

Baek Sunwoo chuckled softly. Hearing Gijun’s stories eased his efaea2385a tension and made him eager 18176e51a5 to meet his family. They sounded warm and joyful.ece9ec5aeb983d35

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When Gijun’s sister brought f07104c74a a frog, their father 858a8425ef jumped in surprise, and 74b3fd62bd their mother caught it, cc5bb4d087 saying, “A frog’s home efa28936d8 isn’t here, and moving 5da24c0ce5 it by force is dac798616b clearly wrong,” prompting a 61cc8a3ba6 big laugh from Baek 5e71ff9ff2 Sunwoo.80f740b89b81091c

Relieved by his clear 42fba7040b laughter, Gijun had shared 98aeb172c0 stories to ease his 7c4d269af3 tension, and it worked.7317835e260120e9

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Suddenly, Gijun exclaimed, something 35052b3e3b clicking in his mind.dd1379de2524a7b3

“Oh! Right, we had 49e0632f90 a dog at c06d572d68 my grandmother’s house.”f28e4cb200fa8307

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“What kind?”5f25c6470ba5580e

“Really small, white, and cute. Hmm, was its name Tofu?”193d78772be428ba

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“…That’s a cute name.”252c36c7bd48a062

“Yeah, it was like you.”82f32b38907d2b28

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Baek Sunwoo’s face, already f35f551e6b odd since hearing the b7575363f3 dog’s name, broke into cbf705a418 a wry smile. Gijun’s affection was always welcome b9432d3907 but sometimes caught him off b65e34bac1 guard in unexpected ways.1c5ab0e6331d8e0c

Yet, not wanting to 9656c3671e reject it, Baek Sunwoo a21cd7cfd8 turned the steering wheel, 795d79d7f2 accepting his own feelings.0838bf5a1ce054c8

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They arrived at the house.da8391487e9f5fca

Dinner proceeded in a relaxed 48e0a50d18 atmosphere.6f93c285123d11c3

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The calm meal made e03fe91af1 Baek Sunwoo’s hours of 150f9843f9 nervousness seem unwarranted.633c18220f0f1070

The table, set to their 1911393f91 grandmother’s taste, was filled with a936386971 meticulously prepared dishes, like a b4cfa6c0e8 fine dining restaurant. Baek Sunwoo, interested in ab162bff17 cooking, marveled and even 15815503c5 asked Gijun’s father about f02281b371 the recipes. Working in the food 876a4623df industry, Gijun’s father connected de39dea1bb well with him.8f33601108411e11

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A squabble between Hae Gaon 0eba4f3289 and Hae Gijun at the 001d23796b start of the meal also 729b83f528 helped ease Baek Sunwoo’s tension.0e734e2598e11067

“You made waves during this vacation too, huh? I heard from the agency 3924bc437d and laughed so hard. Seems you gained some 200a0166e6 grit on that trip.”2c72f5cbf4fbf2c7

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“You sent us to that pension on purpose, didn’t you? Knowing about the ghost rumors.”834a3521fee07b7c

“What are you talking about? If I knew 9974096ae4 about ghost rumors, 294173ce58 I’d have gone 09f6d16513 myself.”5b3dfc45b1bb4f0f

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“…”8d2f2abf78c225c9

Unable to hold back, 84c189db19 Baek Sunwoo asked.8c7c147ef2566d57

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“Why would you want to go if there were ghost rumors…?”17604144d79ffecc

“It’s a chance to see if ghosts are real! I’ve always been curious. Maybe they’re a f4f8186abf type of monster 62dbd316cf we don’t know, cc064b03dc some spiritual entity! Monsters from other 5759731b87 realms are so 9e02071d29 diverse!”25c6614d2c4cdbcd

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“I see…”4a23673b7b199e5c

Baek Sunwoo nodded with 632709e922 a slightly odd expression, a60029d8d7 picturing Hae Gaon approaching 1df753e294 a ghost to check 1d4a527433 if it’s a “new 743dfa5de2 entity.” She was friendly, 09f01860e2 but sometimes there was 4e29ece40f a subtle distance.9693222b80a90702

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Hae Gaon sighed, shaking 3baab7f8cc her head.b2ec24b7c68aacf6

“Anyway, I recommended a nice pension, and he acts like this. Our kind Sunwoo, you didn’t 4d4c53dc1d suffer too much with my c802913c19 brother during the vacation, did c30ec847ed you? He didn’t bully you?”067363e4e224cfc3

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“No, he took great care of me. Gijun’s so thoughtful and kind…”0aef57bbf2bc87e9

“…Are we talking about the same person?”71bf9481a3d7b8aa

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Hae Gaon looked f04909c100 at Baek Sunwoo dd6f24fc2b with an odd 8d48f6c54d expression. His bright smile and sparkling 5541ecd61f eyes held no trace of e1af36b27e deceit, deepening her confusion.e14df9644e8b9756

Having heard about cd78d0155c the mountain incident, 275497a142 Gijun’s grandmother calmly f7dde43f2b praised their handling, 82067c0a35 asking.60806eb054ed460d

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“You worked hard. Any injuries?”710262be669d78ca

“No. The monsters were all c5a8bfab3c low-grade, so it wasn’t 96e378e157 tricky.”60552b1f1e43ac9e

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Gijun, answering promptly, glanced 5f17e23c0e at Baek Sunwoo, who 86915f1632 smiled brightly and added.6ea55796c0112a45

“Thanks to Gijun bringing weapons, we hunted them quickly.”d978cfa957b868f4

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“It’s the strength that comes from having someone to protect.”b22aa7cb0f23af4f

Baek Sunwoo flinched as 1b51fede5c his eyes met the a2950aab2f grandmother’s. Knowing she cherished 46fd25367a her grandson, he 40a7bdd504 assumed her words c095309e63 were rooted in f71631f271 affection, but her af14b67218 piercing gaze made 2c470735ee him nervous.ea01216997352cbd

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Gijun often had a penetrating f43f910bd1 look, likely a habit inherited ccaa0519fd from his grandmother beyond his d7966486ad ability. Worried his awkward lies cd53539c20 might have been caught, caada7e97b he relaxed when she c1dd6eb6c6 silently looked away.3f0c025d2e097b09

After dinner, Baek b40cfde864 Sunwoo lingered to 1724d17b36 help clean up, 366f0961fb but Gijun’s mother 2cf6f5cf80 firmly refused.eddf6282cd6dd191

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“You’re a guest invited here today, so your job is to rest comfortably.”13bbde3f5495c9fa

Her tone, like c2cab96243 a judge’s ruling, e7ed0f7754 impressed Baek Sunwoo. Every time he 0fc92f8cd1 met Gijun’s family, 74a2fad030 he thought they 4362f8e708 resembled him, and f0b61d1c9c in their home, 50b8951d1b that feeling was d9962f8a5a stronger.44920df8f3803526

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Gijun’s calm gaze b4492a639f mirrored his grandmother’s, f59d3e7066 and his objective e1a7cba204 yet considerate speech 38e1bdb733 resembled his mother’s. Gijun’s father was the 9e6a5b5c9c warmest, a trait Hae 5ec7e0980a Gaon inherited. It was a wonderfully 793d7760a6 harmonious family.a7fc9258230cc2d2

It was amusing 61408ae880 that the grandmother, f633ec5992 mother, sister, and c9e386172a Gijun all shared 6f2bacbd7f the same sharp e1c0ed7b24 eyes, cool gazes, 2ec5632667 and direct speech. Gijun didn’t like 6e8345c035 being told he c5e8cb5b4c resembled his sister, 6b0a94fd76 but anyone could 0bd07ba4ad see they were 93bf24c71a family.a1412a5dd3c1fb29

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While dessert was 6b0e6f19eb prepared, Baek Sunwoo ee735b9946 explored the house.5c3ca9132eefa778

Gijun’s home was a two-story d82acdb31e house with a hanok exterior, 8f531c71d5 blending traditional and modern design 868b1b6b9c inside. The elegant, tidy space 19f0b70146 felt very much like 9578283932 Gijun.9ca8e38249871753

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On a wall, e4e3f8fbd0 marks of Gijun’s 7477d04468 childhood height were 5cd7e547fd recorded. Standing before the 615ad77a07 pillar, Baek Sunwoo’s 1182061db0 eyes sparkled with 96da21cb23 genuine awe.85f6c209f87aadf5

“So small…”09f3be71230d3322

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“When I was five, I was obviously small, right?”aeb6ad8a23481e8f

“Could there be records like this at Grandma’s house too?”432070867f2e9f06

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“Hmm, I think so.”f7926137ff823801

“You must have been small there too…”9d33164688423538

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“…?”f40c62f4aaea39fb

Gijun reacted with a 162e4459de hint of reluctance, but 003e05d5e2 Baek Sunwoo nodded, feeling c0f81ca550 glad he had come 1e20872f83 here again. To Baek Sunwoo, b963750fea this house was 64ef28d6f6 like ‘Hae Gijun aab8fe6470 Theme Exhibition Museum ff2595581f No. 1.’ The desire to visit Museum No. 2 later began to blossom within him.39d925a482b6ed20

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As they finished exploring 5f389eabba the first floor, dessert 3d6e783f0d was ready, and they 95f74a2dfa gathered around the living aeea2754af room table.e8dfe2937b3dd29c

Now, Baek Sunwoo 014693b8d4 conversed with Gijun’s 7ae1e2ffc8 family with a 3217d86b53 much more relaxed 60fba0e10c expression. Perhaps growing more curious about f858189be7 traces of Gijun’s childhood, he 30250196b2 even started asking various questions. He was naturally very communicative ce439f6f8c and good at winning people’s 4f26c5b132 favor.ca3030831fe95de6

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The synergy of his neat e2689267a5 appearance and ingrained polite behavior a2ba5960ef was remarkable. Gijun’s father had taken b27909ead7 a liking to Baek 363acdf2bc Sunwoo from their first 83df14db92 meeting, and even the 87676a30ea usually stern grandmother and c3bfa14cd0 mother softened their expressions 310e1fd941 slightly when with him.0c20fa0d631fcc86

Baek Sunwoo’s smile appeared so 8b2f2daa34 clear and harmless that Grandma, 54053367d3 in passing, lightly remarked to afc32aff05 him that he was ‘lovely.’ 6cdaa5b606 It wasn’t just about his 3176532629 beautiful face; it implied that 8d51e2236b his very nature was lovely. Hae Gaon burst into laughter.69ec44800fe9e759

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“Honestly, that’s why it sometimes feels surprising that Sunwoo has the power of obedience. How could such a kind 553574fd69 kid have that kind of e1e2badde8 ability?”f5c1b0e26a707ee8

“That’s why it’s a good thing. He’s not the 4b5f879aac type to misuse 8ef70e1759 his powers.”933c0fa99b09c2de

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Gijun was inwardly surprised b57e58da3b by Grandma’s words. She was someone with 08d27dd93a very strict standards for 71b54e56e1 judging people. From long experience, he 00bb5bdeca could tell that Grandma b53fca0d40 currently held Baek Sunwoo fdbf03e5c8 in very high regard.552eb5b923c7dcd6

Baek Sunwoo’s eyes a5612dd0fb widened, then he bda2df73fa shyly thanked her 794de11cd5 for the kind f3d66a1220 words. Gijun, sitting beside 7c39b0144d him on the a58c3bc8c3 sofa, chuckled softly 26b4b550b0 at the sight. He could sense Baek Sunwoo’s 5fe11dc10c subtle excitement, which struck him bc68e26d77 as cute.c10e6d5b1a7cf445

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Unconsciously, he raised his hand 9fbffa6ac8 to pat Baek Sunwoo’s head 10a05c712d but caught himself just in 2d03014866 time, resting his arm on 19fb76946c the back of the sofa afd380a7e8 as if he had merely 32a3e9112b meant to shift his position.adf7bc929e6a41b6

The conversation shifted to stories b467192a86 from Gijun’s childhood. Gijun felt a bit 683d4edc38 uneasy being the constant eac6384397 topic of discussion but 63782f4c06 accepted it as inevitable 7805f753ff since it was a eed8880172 shared point of interest.140f1551e55a0118

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Thanks to Gijun’s father, who 5bfa7826cd was quite fond of Baek 81b2e8a62f Sunwoo, bringing out old photo 50fb54e031 albums, various stories from the 30930cdaba time Gijun spent at Grandma’s 7bb3712e5e house poured out. Because his father felt reluctant d7ae1b6101 only seeing the kids on 5fcac1530a weekends, he had taken countless 7080e94782 photos, filling several albums.d5b1d174b867bf6e

Gijun found it embarrassing to 18d7842654 have old photos shown, but 3359255362 Baek Sunwoo’s eyes were already 2522ddecd6 sparkling with delight. He examined each 2df262e7f4 photo closely, fascinated 682d337dae by the rural b822aa3beb house he had e379b680a4 only heard about 8dd43d3217 in stories.1d17c028571ee59e

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Hae Gaon, flipping through the 39f354b1f9 album with enthusiasm as if 1f2416651b seeing the old photos for b7e166d0a9 the first time in a 850a70ce12 while, said, “There should be 233a1c3954 a photo with Tofu somewhere. Where is it? I suddenly miss Tofu.”4ecdf35c388976a2

“Oh, I heard about Tofu too. They said it was effb9d6bdb a super small and 8dbc82d87a cute dog.”c996a3ff655a024e

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“…Small?”074030aa9af4fb46

But it was eb3e996d0f Gijun’s mother who 5a1552ebc0 reacted to that. Even Grandma looked at Baek 5f143f62e7 Sunwoo with a puzzled expression, 4b13abe6ba so he explained, mimicking the 682ba63465 size Gijun had indicated with 81fb7daa1b his hands in the car.e6a33bf61a3611d9

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“Gijun said he raised a small dog.”ff38abeeffbf92f2

“Hmm, Tofu was bigger than Gijun. Big enough for him to 0cc69c803f ride on its back, wasn’t 9f1588d5ee it?”b9aa48f93c940926

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Now even Gijun’s 770a0c5cde father contradicted him, 9bf03e7b7f and Baek Sunwoo e8c415a776 looked at Gijun 8f6ae878d5 with an aggrieved 1648469876 expression. Gijun, muttering, “That 1998a280a7 can’t be right,” 8794e4449b quickly flipped through 9397855fbc the album and 18239ad710 froze when he d3cadfa6e2 found a particular 90ef69cb02 photo.74e202cbff337978

There was indeed a picture 997fc4428f of a young Gijun sleeping 2db5c2f8bc with his head resting on c9b0f41872 a dog twice his size.3adf52d656d001a6

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“…”08758d6cd3b7c7f8

Hae Gijun and Baek f57e4b4473 Sunwoo’s gazes quietly fixed 4a5c166072 on the album. Then Baek Sunwoo’s silently 8185d5bd3b accusing look turned to f890f5f877 Gijun, who cleared his 2805baa6b3 throat and looked away. His mumbled “That’s weird…” f4ffe94c48 sounded oddly defensive. He genuinely remembered 9765b71c91 Tofu as being a2368566cc small.8083d6936b2543d9

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From behind, Gijun’s 62fe36101b mother let out 84b5ba11a2 a soft chuckle.afe2f7f86e415b18

“He’s always had a tendency to see anything he finds cute as smaller than himself.”b10bf4d584251474

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It was almost a murmur b843dc39f2 to herself, but Gijun’s gaze e7491d62b4 snapped to her. Though it was said 74e869a8f3 in a light tone, 65be37e875 the words somehow stuck 577ae0f8d0 in his ears. Feeling oddly uneasy, 14b1a833bd he looked at 462408855d her, but her 8c10eb8844 calm, dark eyes db9b2b4afd gave nothing away.62fee3d96974ae2a

They continued chatting in the 5a0a0b7c05 living room for about an 757b5ef1c0 hour before naturally dispersing. Gijun’s father told Baek 14c60d71e2 Sunwoo, “Take a look 967d269b4f at Gijun’s room too. Or you could 44d6326614 even stay the 20204afd3d night if you b2a6d13032 want.” Baek Sunwoo, 6551fd994d visibly excited, thanked 6c934310a0 him warmly.2e8b6a3a0d98b5f4

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From the moment he d98153c8cf entered the house, Baek 296bb19dd8 Sunwoo had wanted to ffa16f689d see Gijun’s room, but d11fbaf100 since it was on 2eef755178 the second floor, he 8c455f7bc2 hadn’t been able to 59d7e84721 visit it during the 0b5362e64e earlier tour. For a moment, Gijun felt 98c5d54e80 as if he could see 0fc323809f a giant tail wagging eagerly 12688da7bd behind Baek Sunwoo. He felt a bit embarrassed d11d5c46e7 by the excitement, as there 02a0845402 wasn’t much to see in 5b04f2b0d4 the room.ef30167ab38cbb4c

As they headed upstairs 49582f7857 to the room, Hae 046df31f02 Gaon came running up d7efd2484a from behind. She carried two a198302702 glasses filled to 27d6d5391b the brim with 11b5a01fdd a drink, moving b215110916 so skillfully that cb1682328e not a drop 3090c45f01 spilled—a feat almost 5b0b343dcc like artistry.0a08f91d147e65f0

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“Mom said to drink these. Wow, she usually only makes e2aa1fe117 this for Dad. She must really like you, ea6fd09c4b Sunwoo.”e4ced85d56b78c02

What Hae Gaon handed 85b1beb844 over was a special 27a400cac0 health drink their mother e4300da693 made, blending apples, carrots, fb9868ae91 and other healthy ingredients aa78cb1174 in just the right ad0763bfaa proportions. As Baek Sunwoo accepted it 0545dbf8d4 with touched eyes, Gijun’s expression 28d905adce grew increasingly strange.7107fb9ec77387e6

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He suddenly recalled a time ff289d029e when his mother, while making c018078aa7 this drink, had said, “Dad’s e231e662f5 frail, so he needs to d2293d4a32 take extra care in the ccb7820d8f summer.” In reality, Gijun’s father 5d9bb66aa6 was quite robust.b6a8ae8fbee2775c

After telling Baek 4d8b32b824 Sunwoo to go 09845e1a0d into the room 8385e95df8 first, Gijun stepped 7995060a21 in front of b894e77953 Hae Gaon. She gave him a look e76170f984 as if to say, “What’s e33e14b3d4 with you?” but Gijun couldn’t a85234ff06 help but ask. Hesitating and ruffling f7c630e05b his hair a 56053e66f0 few times, he fc00a2ae28 finally spoke.b4590d5b9cf157ca

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“I didn’t want to ask this, but… Mom said something weird earlier.”706d09d23f51c157

“What did she say?”6d8e5c3a339181ce

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“She said I’ve always had a tendency to see things I find cute as smaller than me… It might be my imagination, but it felt like she was looking at me and Baek Sunwoo when she said it.”dd817ce3ea249610

“…And?”2a38e3bfdbf08cba

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“So, um, did you tell her?”69434db90e3038e8

Though his words were vague, bdf50567ff Hae Gaon understood. Since she knew about Gijun 16d2d76512 and Baek Sunwoo’s relationship, he b6e3089af1 was asking if she had be504dfcb9 told their parents.1a733e4fcf2e0f3f

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Haha, Hae Gaon let 58f2abf573 out a dry laugh, 24ae452b87 then suddenly grabbed Gijun’s 66dceb68ca shoulders with a serious ee87a1d0b8 expression. Just as Gijun, dd42777ace who had suffered 8a3826c591 through her serious 44f0918ab4 moments before, braced 47b3a22b5d himself, she spoke.0b468c213116d278

“Little brother, let me say one thing.”9e0f0f61d3238645

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“…What?”00098b253101150c

“You’re the youngest in this house.”ecec0cee4f00a31f

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Gijun blinked slowly. It took a moment to b2566ae0fd process Hae Gaon’s out-of-the-blue comment, 25ef250ffb but its simplicity brought a bc876bd360 profound realization. Though he didn’t 9b8ef9cbc9 want to admit 7a0f5ae0b5 it, her gaze 9a69190d1a was proof enough.b442b95e3cdd42b4

Her look said, “Do 928bc8c899 you really think Mom, 95c115dbfb or the whole family, 523383cbd2 wouldn’t know you two 2cd537938c are dating?”1377a6d5fd953f86

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Indeed, the changes in Hae b7a29cbafb Gijun since he started dating 5944a93ddb Baek Sunwoo were striking. A boy who rarely went 4ada0b80f5 out because he found seeing 0c47bb310f people’s lies exhausting and had 0c2d4a6fbf little interest in others had c2005560c2 begun spending every day with 3a5e0d968e someone.f6cd95226a81b2ea

At first, it could 006daafec8 be chalked up to 552c8a60df growing closer with friends 2128691ad0 after a school trip 21512ae45b incident, but the frequency 5199ac39f7 of him hanging out ecbc098b20 alone with Baek Sunwoo b3471eaec4 was noticeably high. If Hae Gijun had been 83f503b787 naturally outgoing from the start, c72164f1ad it might not have raised 5f54687677 suspicions, but until he met d211248248 Baek Sunwoo, he was someone 9365e81c82 who lived almost entirely alone.99c1f5e0e8c3993d

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“Didn’t you find Grandma’s comment odd? At dinner, she told Sunwoo 8282e35ead that having someone to protect c4d18334b4 makes you stronger.”fb59a7d0da9397c1

“…Wasn’t that because I got those graduates from Shinhae High?”594df8326ede6f7f

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“She was also talking about how you’ve been carrying a spear from the start.”569783a1d63b46a7

“…”7fe4fe61dbf69ab5

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“Well, anyway, Grandma really likes Sunwoo. She said since he’s 5c03c6b5f6 fundamentally good, you won’t ddbdd28d38 have to deal with dd12e710c1 anything exhausting. And since your power is dd418f243a inherently protective, she was worried f1e1b780d1 if the person you most f9bbfef9f2 want to protect was weak. But she said ‘that a6e3f345a6 boy’ isn’t weak, so 2fae80502b there’s no concern. She definitely knows.”b63ebeb02ae4ebc3

Until just a moment ago, Gijun’s expression had been somewhat dazed, but now he looked deadly serious. As Hae Gaon thought he was listening intently because it was Grandma’s words, Gijun said in a grave tone, “…Baek Sunwoo is weak, though.”390c12086302f071

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“Why are you reacting tothat?”6e44c493a476f2e3

Hae Gaon let out a d5d7fd31a0 bewildered laugh.5bf3a403faacba4b

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In the end, 5221db2b7f shaking her head, 764903330a she pushed Gijun’s 25a198f695 back. Having reached a b3ad590e58 point where she ec27c2af58 could brush off 6cb5caddde her brother’s overprotectiveness, 06707993d8 she playfully told fc4e296c1d him not to 57542aa1b8 leave the fragile a9cfa58ddd Sunwoo alone.ad585a9072468188

Pushed into the 16561e6770 room, Gijun stood 04a377b863 blankly against the 264159fbec door for a 392b0f22e9 moment until Baek ad0f886464 Sunwoo’s “Gijun?” snapped cbe7544687 him out of de4fbbfaa6 it, and he c5416bc2d7 let out a 504d2535d4 soft sigh.4fab3f4d26058a83

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At first, the f5f35b4c69 realization that his 69c9746388 family knew everything 32f8d67465 felt overwhelming, but c5fb8c404f seeing Baek Sunwoo 62b7024de9 instantly eased his f5ef597aea tension, and he 5ab1167037 couldn’t help but eec7a4c2ab smile. It was funny to think 62ec4b6892 that he could react this 462223381f way every time he saw fcc2d93f58 him and still believe no ce88d89a08 one would notice.8704f2d0ecdb0370

As he touched 8831f9e62b his softened lips, 9142266d1f Baek Sunwoo asked 45507aa17b again, “What’s wrong? Did something happen with your e9acb77aa6 sister?”2ca6c151bcf1ffdd

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“No, it’s nothing.”61a9f13a792f62c3

Gijun shook his head. He considered telling 41f7c87e0e him but decided 235cb0c89e to hold off 9ecf4f1921 for now. If he mentioned it now, 441f39eb18 Baek Sunwoo would surely get 046df743c1 flustered when saying goodbye to 2b4c214fac the adults later.8bd82092c57f184c

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“What were you doing?”62a5da3766c89f88

“Looking at the bookshelf.”846d510d22dc1e3f

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“There’s not much to see…”67fcac403a696020

Gijun’s comment wasn’t f8a743789b out of modesty—the 6016bee208 room was genuinely cb8a8ac6ca bare. Since he had decided 450b40deaf to live with Baek 65f1ea5e7e Sunwoo, he had taken f79888e019 most of his belongings, 216dd2c301 leaving only old, unused 47ecde1624 items behind.d8cb70e148d1a591

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But Baek Sunwoo seemed to 18a3db86fb find great joy in looking a25df37131 at them.eae57207a318a4d0

“Is this the gaming console you played with as a kid?”d0b109ec17fd4a69

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“Yeah. Not sure if it 950095a58c still works.”178e66bd1221e003

Since Baek Sunwoo was ccac3fcc29 showing interest in various af884e2f7c things, Gijun decided to f6a1d10226 dig into his memories 0dd7983d2c more actively. After all, he was 8e1f249d29 a guest, so Gijun feb4cab898 felt obliged to provide f1cd77261b the best experience possible. He tried turning on the 587fe6f59f gaming console and talked about 320004ae3b small souvenirs like figurines and 5baef2456e keychains he had bought during 7ad6baa58a trips.186985e0bce8999b

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Unfortunately, Hae Gijun wasn’t very 80c18810b6 materialistic, so there weren’t many 2124886be9 items to find in the 88959ccb55 room. Thinking that looking 756ab4be4f at photos in cf095baa25 the living room 61c885a0e4 earlier might have 931ac64d2e been better, Gijun 8a3a3b0c02 opened drawers one 0a3fbb8311 by one, searching 896ad4921b for conversation material.02022c04e1050b20

While checking a b31e2d312c storage box from d05ef08dce the chair at deda6c0f53 his desk, Gijun 9ea560ba1a let out a 46f6cb3081 sigh.1ee361d36971ed81

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“Oh, it was here.”3d908acb98a38943

He held a pair cac9756af6 of round, black-framed glasses. They were the ones he cbb17adc49 used in middle school, replaced abc924cea0 by another pair from Grandma 3d8cf34ca5 when he entered high school. Those had broken b78b6b19dd during the school 1fd678f854 trip and were d9bda7ce86 no longer usable.838b30f1145d096d

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He was glad to c8bf85d084 find the old glasses. Wiping the dust off the 0a68c3c08a lenses roughly, Gijun tried them bb1487b2ba on and immediately grimaced.bbc995c4d5e2eeb5

“Ugh.”5c622e95a75c1173

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Startled by his groan and aa120315d4 head-lowering, Baek Sunwoo hurried over. He had been 5c24522621 looking at an de82148b06 award on the 2b4aad3b09 wall and hadn’t f3156119ec seen Gijun put cd78af94b6 on the glasses.dcae8a86c2347b39

“What’s wrong? What happened?”b8d66b7a88428e0c

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“Ugh, it hurts my eyes wearing these after so long…”3e3ca0056a473c78

“…”7870a11b41ca77c8

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When Hae Gijun finally d5ad326fca lifted his head, Baek 58f11b9325 Sunwoo’s lips moved silently, 55728e4480 his face full of 4190a51688 surprise. The glasses were similar 4e9d7d985b in design to the f3edfeeef9 ones Gijun wore in 51263b7bc5 high school.4e42b5cecdd1a861

Meanwhile, Gijun pressed a18a92ee2c his temples and c5835e818d sighed. Since awakening—since his ‘eyes’ fully 5b61744680 opened—this was the first time 550548eb2e he had worn glasses. Though these were less e2c429f207 strong than the ones 5ba40109e7 he wore in high ca948255b2 school, the pain was 02297711f5 quite intense, perhaps because 060232e4f7 his abilities had fully be1b291219 developed.a510bd998917a3f0

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Baek Sunwoo cautiously asked, “…How is it? Does it feel like your powers are being suppressed?”99df6a75407a4900

“Hmm, no. I guess these can’t 190abdd22f suppress them anymore.”fb820964c965ff00

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Gijun shook his head. He didn’t even need to 1f111fe4fd ask Baek Sunwoo to lie c94ffe4520 to test it. The faint, murky veil 91e025a120 he used to feel 2e5214ab30 when wearing glasses had bcb037da0a no effect now. His vision wasn’t blurred at 4f6ad41881 all.44ec03a97015c75e

He didn’t always keep 7ceef66b1e his eyes activated. Seeing clearly in the f57b20dcd8 dark was something that 70a9c6737f happened unconsciously, but discerning d24a680bd8 good from evil or 6798ddf794 detecting lies required more 6aa24df1c4 focus.ea9fa71611fc3990

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Before awakening, he couldn’t control ee127f0adb his powers and would see 5589a86ad9 dark masses everywhere on the fbfa5ca50f streets. After training rigorously at H.N f29a7fc543 post-awakening, he could now manage 069dd1b6d3 his abilities. Unless it was dc534f40df intense malice, everyday d2372fe45e small lies didn’t eab5b68465 appear unless he c23700c896 consciously looked for 864e4c577c them.969a7579ad8c78f7

“Phew. My eyes hurt less now, fe9d259d1f but glasses are so uncomfortable. I only wore them when 47085dd2e9 going out back then, but ae95c4bdca to think they’d feel this 74a6a30d31 foreign after just two years…”b8c9daa8a7abad48

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As Gijun fiddled c2777ef2dc with the glasses’ 78d725ffc9 temples, he suddenly 7393ebfbab felt an intense 801f32c8c4 gaze. Baek Sunwoo had 81fa8a788a been staring at 7ae45a979f him with a fe586d3b6c dazed expression for 76781fbe52 a while.c4ebac8059957857

“What’s up?”8b3f7601d5ecdfba

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“It’s just… it reminds me of high school…”553e1d21ca505530

His voice trembled as eab911a49d he stammered. His cheeks even dcc9c3c01a flushed slightly, making 5b61db9c93 Gijun chuckle and f3727a12e5 rest his chin 4ddb448df6 on his hand. As he leaned on 7cbcdf92d8 the desk, his black 58a1b0594e hair fell softly over 85b47d00da the glasses.99a2513c5893effe

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Baek Sunwoo stared, mesmerized, 9f53999396 as the hair scattered ba58738dae over the frames.dbf197ae8f76ee72

“Did you like how I looked with glasses?”06653578de597bae

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“N-No, it’s not that I liked it because of the glasses… I mean, it’s not that I disliked it either…”dca19c9ab1045962

Baek Sunwoo’s face grew even 3cc6842d83 redder as he fumbled his 7497abc85c words, the flush spreading to 02a3db12cf his neck. Gijun laughed softly. It had been f022896ed3 a while since 5c8cf1fef0 he saw Baek fc30e0c2b2 Sunwoo react so 6e73710f93 innocently, stumbling over 1ca5ab3ec5 himself like this.f270d6c66b636ac4

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With a languid smile, Gijun 7f74dcf598 met his eyes.e33a066379124dc2

“Why? Does it make your heart 0366d751ef race?”b3866a17863514a4

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“…Yeah.”f89581e359a99e99

“Want me to kiss you?”a10740f398c284a1

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“W-What did you say?”dacab566225f6637

Baek Sunwoo jumped, startled. He was so shocked that 8d7caa3b3b his whole body seemed to 6a9f82cada quiver, which in turn surprised 2c4dfb19fb Gijun.0c900a2a48d330f6

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Baek Sunwoo freaked out, exclaiming a69116fe17 how Gijun could suggest such 5084344059 a thing in this space, ee322b1335 while Gijun, bewildered, argued that 02dd1b6f8b this wasn’t some sacred ground. Besides, they were alone dafcb9eaf1 on the second floor, cfe4222dca and he wasn’t suggesting d97e3e00f2 anything too intimate—just a ca5f3fdc8d kiss—so why the overreaction? Words poured out a6d2a2e86c as Gijun, now 046dbde651 embarrassed himself, snapped 9c722702ae back, but Baek 4d81fc4a1c Sunwoo’s face showed 9133e021c8 a hint of 640fd534a6 grievance. His slightly teary 6dd1484538 eyes made it 3c375b0738 clear that his 7ef23179a1 shock wasn’t just 7914ea01a1 about the setting. He was feeling something unfamiliar.f957b247f6f2bc59

With a quiet sigh, Gijun 7fb9f02d8f leaned back in the chair 7b4e09acff and asked, “What’s the problem?”0ab9d312d1318fc7

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“…It’s just, um, back in high school, you wouldn’t have said something like that…”55513a9c0da74619

“…?”03abf7b1ca9c115a

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The hesitant words were laced 43f2fba0db with embarrassment. Gijun tilted his head, 24d3056f77 not understanding at first, 42d71ddc60 then let out a f7727bdffc groan.6a3958590c3b602d

So, Baek Sunwoo was caught 30091851d1 up in the innocent memories a4d8628556 of his first love, and cc81d8bc23 Hae Gijun’s relaxed, second-year-of-dating attitude e530f6c529 had thrown him off with dfd5caa59e its boldness.adc829def458da3e

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Gijun rubbed his 51bfde96ef forehead, feeling a 3d38d0310f bit complicated. Somehow, he felt like bebd4d8c71 the bad guy. Should he have 21eb9f0bf3 protected that pure, 3b576556f5 innocent heart?06d8b52bc8fc3e53

“…So, was there something you wanted to do back in high school?”a93bc43e9bc9c1f9

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“…Huh?”48e9edd96297e1d2

“You said seeing me in glasses brought back old memories. But I barely d201afea30 remember talking to 0b648d837b you before the c139e828d6 school trip. I just recall you sitting 52bbf2cd37 nearby in the library… but 0c5fa13a06 it’s different for you, right?”baf4bc9f6c2e2bd3

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Baek Sunwoo had f2bc85b50e had a crush 8f5916219f on Hae Gijun 41ad331064 since the second 51000c6202 semester of their f908525570 first year, but 0baeb022d6 Gijun hadn’t noticed bfbb107b9a at all. Until the school trip db754acda1 in their second year’s 016e05ac46 fall, he only saw 089465f9e0 Baek Sunwoo as ‘a 2e2769535f friend from last year’s 404e6d8170 class.’7ceb3b41346cb8c5

Suddenly, Gijun grew curious f274a2b6ec about the year Baek af34944a62 Sunwoo had spent secretly c59bf58d02 liking him.943907a8e69c4aa2

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“I remember you gradually sitting closer in the study room… What did we talk about?”0fac6de0b3ae32d2

“Um, the weather, that day’s classes, the lunch menu?”1c93ffee5081c129

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“…That’s all we talked about?”adba05892e3002df

“Yeah, and I’d sometimes ask you stuff. Like what books you liked, 0c54fad11a what food you enjoyed, what bd0fc18c65 your hobbies were, things like 8ad01de076 that.”d4f401f77ab97d49

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Gijun nodded with a 4e84e20a8a slightly odd expression as 66d4987969 the list went on. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall 5fb7231a7d those moments, making him daa1a12572 cautious about how to d03ab1c0ac respond. He vaguely remembered Baek Sunwoo 0f788510e0 occasionally asking him something in 94dfc9d3a2 the quiet study room, but f763919d3c he couldn’t recall what he 1eda672fda answered or if he ever 6dda077d8d asked anything back.750cee0409b21fd4

But one thing e5082fa53f he remembered clearly.c7154492beffc89d

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“Then why didn’t you ever ask to hang out after school or on weekends? If you liked me, you a92107b5bd could’ve tried.”bc1d6758ad02782d

“You said you didn’t like going out…”7a682873d287cca7

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“…Oh.”b93511621bf82e8b

Gijun avoided going out because 59c01f8f01 seeing people’s malice was draining, 3df6a3289e but that had unintentionally acted 4ad37b6cf9 as a barrier. He could almost see e876927aa3 a dejected Baek Sunwoo, b178074f68 crestfallen after hearing Gijun 6476279e2d didn’t like going out.f8f2552198ae0c23

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Now sitting on the edge 39abe4d82e of the bed next to 10aa6bfb9e Gijun’s desk chair, Baek Sunwoo ee130d7881 continued the conversation. He occasionally laughed, 069f7dab9f clearly enjoying reminiscing 00cbbb84d9 about high school.deeffd5bdbc9f127

“One time, on a rainy day, I lied and said I didn’t have an umbrella.”9e0b916f739f7385

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“…To share mine?”5c320c5f59c21301

“Yeah. But you said there was f1bad88f56 an umbrella left in the d3fd7288dc study room that no one 0dcdb75870 claimed, so I should use 04072fdd35 it.”b81b6263c8f1572e

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“…”3da751237f6cc613

Hae Gijun rubbed his forehead 55233b4563 again. Should he lament his d4d1f1e77e past self, or marvel bafbce45d1 at Baek Sunwoo’s pure a91adf0839 crush, who even now f9a0ea89c5 said it was nice bc7d8feb96 that Gijun had told d587973556 him where the umbrella 27c79ed081 was? He felt conflicted.45b3262660bd5381

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Back then, Baek Sunwoo 0d9cf45e89 admitted he was nervous, 340ab28cbe worrying Gijun might give e76bf3ea3d him a cold “So 29e90308e2 what?” look. Honestly, if it had been 14f96ec39d a stranger, Gijun probably would fdcb7b00f6 have reacted that way, and 9742e9d206 the thought sent a chill 646bc831c3 down his spine. If he had done that ef0eeb2e78 to Baek Sunwoo back then, ccc79ea574 he’d be deeply regretting it 8ffdc11c61 now.445544ac1c39a3ad

At the same 6fa2305d7f time, he was 67a567f2d4 amazed by how be1e1d0be3 pure Baek Sunwoo’s 575688bb13 feelings were in 58238252dd these stories. Approaching someone he liked e56f4b25a4 for the first time d80eb1ecc8 so cautiously, cherishing every 90dd564bfb little action—it was all 54755ebcef so innocent that Gijun 531b10b1bc felt moved.0c14ec6b5a0bfbc3

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Baek Sunwoo would e43868cdae go to H.N 3e365e7415 for training two c7fdca56cf or three times ee278c9c9b a week, and 8ba3c2ceaf on school days, 51902afd32 he’d always linger 1a8b42c0bc around Gijun, but f8a1d95c58 only in the ed469c04c5 library. He avoided following him 3c17325877 openly in the hallways, 32fbee32b3 worried that attention on 4f75c019cf him might make Gijun 3e4bfea3fc uncomfortable, so he always ed71ce4ddd waited in the study dd1b00507a room.0eab1d934317cfa7

“Another time, I fell asleep waiting for you, and when I woke up, you were there.”055bca6b1d6ac0a4

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“Did I say anything?”c2197033c7e1d84d

“No, you were asleep too…”bddabd0756025258

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“…”ced365c77703e13c

Gijun, who had asked with 71b3d77c85 a sliver of hope, quickly 4980457367 looked disappointed. If someone as f3424282ef neat and proper 4f6062bf21 as Baek Sunwoo fa4a674d1d was sleeping in 4577e670dc the study room, 5561dbdb5d wouldn’t it be fa8298907d polite to at bf88168a9b least ask if 427fa2dd07 he was tired? How could he have been 0de8640ad1 so indifferent to others?6cda3a504d30e2ef

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Asking about Baek b2919e694f Sunwoo’s crush had 0f74474497 only unearthed his 17197bc1d7 own cold past. Though Baek Sunwoo framed 91909128ef it positively, Gijun found 4a84715a32 it astonishing that he 28a9977a03 had been liked for f37c00b34a a whole year despite e9476cab05 that.5d78997102ce437d

“Sigh…”9034fb9e211dd0b5

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Deflated, Gijun slumped 4d36333ad3 onto the desk, 00e049ceea resting his face e8fdf12ab4 on his arms. But at that 38d1f0a974 moment, Baek Sunwoo’s cb209d28ed words cut off. Startled, Gijun sat up.8ae713d98060ee39

“No, I didn’t lie down because I was bored—”598fa51fecdd4f5e

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“That’s how you were sleeping back then.”d511e1dea653c1a5

“…Huh?”58264f5937b76268

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Baek Sunwoo had stood up 668d2e5927 and was looking down at 893cf7b4f2 Gijun. As Gijun, half-sitting up, e9ef12acb3 stared back in surprise, 32a2b26c2b Baek Sunwoo hesitated before fdc7c99299 speaking.2ae31f8538b50e7c

“…Um, could you close your eyes for a moment in that position?”178ef64e2f6dab8e

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Though puzzled, Gijun immediately complied. The way Baek 3e592331fb Sunwoo looked at 5a9a4ff606 him—tinged with nostalgia ae2176c0f0 and almost longing—made c19a306983 it impossible to 082b7682eb refuse. Besides, throughout the 97ffafbefe conversation, Gijun had 38dd1b3e5f felt like a 5514c4c93a guilty sinner, so c09fa1453a he was determined 737cc5dcb8 to grant all 72ce27d20b of Baek Sunwoo’s 5cdbe9b9c0 requests.7dc595ea77e6c8fb

As he closed his 75f2029c0f eyes, Gijun waited, but 7ae13b0a76 no response came from 0546fdafc7 Baek Sunwoo. He neither spoke nor made 71c942fa8f any particular movement.ba552909b45801ba

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“…?”af58b1ac3dc88332

Just as Gijun was d5ed832dd6 about to open his 953de59408 eyes, he felt lips 6a9a215e25 brush against his cheek. It was a fleeting contact, b859f1409c barely describable as anything more 3ddbf2d50e than a graze. The sensation of Baek Sunwoo’s 47b0421301 hair falling forward as he af381871ac leaned in tickled more than d8867980fd the touch of his lips, d5080e7ef8 so subtle and light was 0ab4d11946 the moment.20783168cff94e68

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Their dark black and light 4ded081756 brown eyes met in the 7acd5fee8c air. Baek Sunwoo, slightly embarrassed d40c422ca9 to have locked eyes acd07840f1 with Gijun, lowered his bb7ab20090 gaze and spoke. His cheeks were flushed.728032cbe0f85bc5

“Back then, I thought about doing this…”d8cfbc32e91c6d57

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“…”7d471706b70e9cf0

“I don’t mean I actually did it! I would never do 413fef758d something so shameless to a3cf849bd6 someone sleeping! I just got 735d106c64 close and looked 03a6d60e45 at you, and 216af5e48c seeing you sleep 42cdce526d so peacefully, I ff5af254c0 thought—”943ec039f175c207

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“…Hah.”92043c7b1fe2d94b

Suddenly, Gijun let ef8df5bca1 out a sigh. It was heavy 3545324162 with exasperation, and 31fd68e1a6 as Baek Sunwoo, 4eff3a22e6 who had been 9191f60d36 stammering through his 2f995360b7 explanation, looked up 6f2aa26e50 in surprise, Gijun af3593bf1b spoke.d253c51ea222996a

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“Let’s just say I’m the bad guy here.”4d80c38aaf169bcc

With a low murmur, Hae 38bc03a138 Gijun pulled Baek Sunwoo’s face 73fb207735 toward him. As their lips collided, Baek 8425e96a6d Sunwoo flinched in surprise, but 74caf0977c Gijun tightened his grip. He pressed forward almost forcefully, 7d79206e38 intertwining their tongues and swallowing 190f322f04 the sound of Baek Sunwoo’s d83d4180a5 startled call.d60553e833598e07

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Though they had kissed fac819952a many times since they ac305f51fe started dating, this kiss 1d5eadd4a9 felt utterly different from 7f97ac6afd usual. A dizzying rush of 96d9ce4640 desperate desire surged within 2a3c609694 him, and Gijun pressed 5245c904c9 his lips to Baek b543c2fc30 Sunwoo’s again and again, 5cb9fe272d as if he might ef954f0ee6 push him down. The sound of their 1359635357 breaths between kisses was 194da97494 overwhelming.e540b045400327ff

Eventually, Baek Sunwoo was pushed 74680abb16 back onto the bed, but 25b560c18c Gijun didn’t stop kissing him. He couldn’t. Hearing about Baek Sunwoo’s long, 690c678f48 devoted affection made Gijun want bfd3fdd4ca to shower him with love. Especially since Baek 83dcc68245 Sunwoo’s feelings remained b0fdf3b5e6 unchanged even now.8772f61553eed0f5

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Naturally, Baek Sunwoo’s dc0e549b91 hands trembled in 1e6af6128a the air, unable 6cf1fde106 to push Gijun 3840c7b96c away. Though he instinctively responded to c3c8528a29 the kiss as if entranced, f3cabc67b0 he couldn’t bring himself to d9df4488aa move his hands. As he gripped the 6f98b561e7 bedsheets tightly, fearing something 325e65c52e bigger might happen, Gijun b6db9b7da5 murmured softly.c689c69b4ec7917c

“Glasses really are inconvenient for this.”f556afa29282a810

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With an annoyed tone, fc3b951095 he took off the 2f6f558cc2 glasses and tossed them 86ec151e8c aside carelessly, causing Baek ca37db304d Sunwoo’s eyes to waver. The pounding of their hearts, b70512251a pressed against each other’s chests, 523b329565 felt intense.7fb21cde0e49eb0f

Gijun smiled and lightly b8f08f7526 kissed Baek Sunwoo’s cheek.d6712abab8c2b98d

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“I’ll only kiss you, so don’t worry.”be85fd1e95d13100

“Uh, okay…”fd01f5b9833a0f83

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Baek Sunwoo’s grip on the 4d84a7ecf0 bedsheets tightened even more. Seeing the veins stand out 6576b93989 on his hands, Gijun suddenly 554842898c realized how much Baek Sunwoo 4193a59b27 had changed since high school.e2848f5807a48526

He had grown bigger and 48a68a9ac8 more muscular than the boy d842ac542e in the stories from earlier, bc9f2c5e82 but the emotions in the bb4d61eb64 eyes looking up at him 0efc895881 remained the same. Gijun kissed the reddening 1c777f9ee2 corners of his eyes b627437920 softly before resuming the 7631256d21 kiss.0f3cb2e70665d6ca

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He’s just too cute.b1632f419f07a07e

A playful whisper slipped between 94c02abab5 their lips.38ea51b939b659ee

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Fortunately, Hae Gijun’s self-control shone 1f166678d1 through.16c268014ff84a2f

Knowing that prolonged kissing would 9ba358cdc5 overwhelm them both, he stopped fcc5b1ffbc after just enough to calm f41de6b1e1 the surging emotions. Baek Sunwoo’s face remained flushed a0fc91266c for quite a while, but 152881e47a gradually, his complexion returned to b4a99c4e7a normal.490982b6df9b3dfb

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The two sat on the 1b168080cf bed, leaning against each other’s 4e54e57d1d shoulders, looking through a photo a6828bc29b album. There were a few 787d180916 albums in Gijun’s room, 8c13cc5a0b and Baek Sunwoo had 0e9797dd2f skillfully found a small 12348cfd36 one, about the size ea5dc4dc2f of a hand. It contained photos from 5b83e8cf69 Gijun’s middle and high e523c1d734 school years.5cc58971c06f5338

The albums they had 0f6c39a7cd seen in the living 59265b57ef room downstairs showed various be2beeddcb outings, but from middle b68368491a school onward, such records 30e4de78bc had nearly vanished. Moving from a quiet countryside afb80b0f02 to the crowded city of aa2c822ebb Seoul had been exhausting for 972a1b32e8 Gijun. The unavoidable interactions with ab5f84ccde many people during the d316224b0c school week left him c69d5da4bf so drained that he 51f5564b29 didn’t even think about 5501244aef going out on weekends.0fdf5bf8b8e08562

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Thus, most of the fd1aad5ea8 album consisted of photos 80ffc3b049 taken at home, which a46d6d764e could have been boring, 3d999c8d72 but Baek Sunwoo carefully b1cc5a5951 traced his fingers over 3f29bf1b36 the pages. His eyes sparkled 52cce01359 even more when d79f7e6d75 they reached photos c4196287f2 from high school.8f7ea4aafc7257dd

“I want this photo…”0539720e9c01d0ad

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“…It’s just me in my school uniform, sitting on the couch eating watermelon.”1531102e2046f56d

“Yeah. It feels so vivid, like c28c3eda6d I can imagine you perfectly, 645bda25cd so I like it even 3cdf0bba6b more.”d31bd5d265c87506

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Gijun couldn’t understand it 7a0ee3b7f4 at all but nodded 8ece9aa023 in agreement. Honestly, he wouldn’t 87a16bafaf have minded if 56d099b74c Baek Sunwoo wanted 505abb358a the entire album.c73537436e9d9ac3

Gijun chuckled at f05c4740c5 Baek Sunwoo’s careful d5863537ea movements, as if cebafdbd02 he were afraid 07ad27db43 of creasing the a066064b6f photos. The kiss they dd6f479fb7 had just shared 31122ddd16 had put him d0f667ea5c in a good 9410a8fcfa mood, and the 24230c3f4c stories of Baek e024d73099 Sunwoo’s unrequited crush 91a0351f15 felt both adorable 8dcf678be4 and poignant, making eb308f7329 Gijun want to 8119962e7b give him a 2722ea918b gift.cf2f57e6cd1564a3

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“Want to take this album home?”8acd4c1b8dbb426d

“Is that okay?”aa6070ff5d83e9e4

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“Well, if it stays here, no one’s going to look at it anyway. If you take it b02c1d2a83 home, you’ll look at fe75f958b7 it, so that gives 1fdc9320ae the photos more purpose, 4ffeb7748f right?”db77e73acf872f76

“Yeah, I’d love that! I’ll look at 1e7446ee91 it every day!”cd5ba845bf445752

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“…I didn’t mean every day.”1514c677e12e0d37

He had just come 28e4d8ff2f up with a casual 8538049c86 reason, but Baek Sunwoo a46452ed41 hugged the album tightly, bd016b6be8 as if it were e698ae465e a precious treasure. Gijun was surprised by 5f2352adc2 how much he loved 07986acfd8 it but ultimately felt 4de4f8be39 that as long as 5796edc438 Baek Sunwoo was happy, aaff03433b that was enough. He stroked Baek cdde2c6d67 Sunwoo’s pale neck c6116c6b7a and murmured.3510ac5cf8ea7efe

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“I want to see your old photos too.”375783de28355868

But right after saying b55ec4490e it impulsively, Gijun let bc3b07ac2e out a short sigh b1b3786b62 and closed his mouth.79ffa1d87db14846

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There was one be6e1cecb6 album at their 2e06ea8640 shared home, filled f52fdb4054 with photos of a74a415eb6 Baek Sunwoo’s life 72077d4c63 with his parents affcd60993 until he was 5058d17054 eight. The edges of that album a3b7b1de80 were heavily worn, he recalled.d612427346cde18f

And there were no albums 62bb7c137b after that.57b0ae90ee71d9a7

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Baek Sunwoo smiled faintly. Even without Gijun 6c1092d6aa saying anything, he 849dd87938 could clearly sense 5cae95ed24 his current embarrassment.c088776a5a8d1da1

“Well, there are probably a few photos at my relatives’ house. Not many, though…”021ecc10d61a50b4

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“…You didn’t go out much?”4f1281d6d901a2ca

“That’s part of it, but also, whenever I went somewhere, I’d volunteer to take photos for others.”68bc5d687cba6a27

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“…Why would a kid do that?”274a30f1b3c5de02

“Haha, one of my relatives said the same thing.”261126c8eb305d30

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The photos are probably 30ca958786 faded by now, and 696a8de1cb people take more with 0ab4984e0e their phones these days, 4f44702db7 Baek Sunwoo said lightly, 86ff582114 deliberately keeping the mood 055f17dbfb bright to avoid any f2d0351dd4 gloom. Gijun nodded, but his 217a4dcf2e heart felt heavy.fc762de70e709dad

Baek Sunwoo had lost his 1913d04e08 parents in the Imun incident 5178f05a38 at eight and had moved 3cfe8b0c31 between relatives’ homes. He hadn’t suffered 211ac23ddc physical abuse or e999bc6efa mistreatment, but living b41de582c8 with relatives had 4896497898 felt stifling, so e61fb99f95 he often stayed 624c440a35 late at school 2723a26114 on purpose, suggesting 1503999b09 it wasn’t exactly 3f02cde23b a comfortable environment.eb1bc2794893c2b9

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Moreover, he had mentioned 057bed5dea being mindful of his 95f1630d4a relatives’ ‘expectations,’ so it 9d99347d18 was likely that the 4d659b5f12 support funds for Imun 8044b0d472 incident victims’ families had 65522965db been depleted. In fact, Baek Sunwoo ec56f95346 had said that about 792ab9628d two years after awakening f0db22c722 his obedience ability, money 3b5b52c9fc appeared in his bank 71db8b6ac1 account, likely scrambled together 92c168a569 by his relatives to 1c5e2619a5 repay him.bd704a9d442d77ee

Though Baek Sunwoo surely e17e26d285 knew this background, he 3d64a2b44d still kept in touch c2e7f9f8a0 with his relatives occasionally. He sent greetings during holidays af4d188e05 and gifts for his younger b840b0446c cousins’ birthdays, saying they had 6f84ddb894 once taken care of him.47c8475d082b4b40

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His relatives responded warmly, cf675d6a18 even seeming eager to f11535dbe4 get closer to him 551e647051 now, though their intentions e367f60c69 likely weren’t entirely pure. Thankfully, Baek Sunwoo rarely 41ca5cb95b accepted their invitations to cc5bbe7a75 meet.6f2c68a30cdfccce

While Gijun was d7f3a4200d curious about Baek d0655b239f Sunwoo’s past, he c993f2e921 also felt reluctant a238034b67 to see it. As he mulled 5c94f2c8e9 over his complicated a7e01a836b feelings, Baek Sunwoo d935af5f51 spoke.12b107440869e512

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“I’ll grab the albums if I get the chance later. I think I 2ecd5e6d91 might have some 00cfcaa03e photos on my cb60b66fb1 computer too.”9ee7dae49d527b07

“…Okay. But then I 965ae34044 won’t get to 9af179e69c see you in 38b22c6774 your middle school abcba1de07 uniform. That’s a bit disappointing.”9a3ff114f86d6c50

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“Oh, I actually have a lot of school photos. Friends sent me 688c45ae9d ones they took 306e2d0886 with their phones, c687e31102 and I got ec0a4e2081 prints from sports 75d9eabbde festivals or field 08c3c72889 trips.”058df9d94e5a0541

“What?”e0256f331668dfdd

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Gijun suddenly turned d04a99a5fc to look at c30e6cf1fb Baek Sunwoo. He felt a bit uneasy, 3cac3ca6a6 though it made sense—Baek Sunwoo 357e43d1be had always been popular. His striking appearance was well-known 1f006dc360 even when he entered Shinhae 7fb7978844 High School, and the childhood 1964f78647 photos in the old album 3c1c3179cf showed a beautiful young Baek a901f857fa Sunwoo. Growing up handsomely, 7de914ea46 he must have b24bf5092f been popular even 542a0890c4 before high school.9bd8fd77dfa59c5a

Though it left b66d17580c a sour feeling, aac8c8d32a Gijun decided to 6b92dfdcec be glad there a0315b7d49 would be plenty 90dde3a07c of photos to a2db9710b2 see. Perhaps even more than bdab39af9e his own.956e2e1f1c5e796e

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Gijun recalled that Shim Dokyung 6920ca492a sometimes brought a camera when 3a0f457209 they hung out. He’d take various ec5aa1c406 photos during outings…e2f5d17f3f732f07

“I should ask him to print some photos…”90e2c5313b7a98fe

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Muttering to himself, 98a0a37a31 Gijun caught Baek f502e96d5b Sunwoo’s curious gaze. Meeting those clear 7f3a189d4a eyes, Gijun gently 7b44a7f9b8 stroked the corner 3fd5e8f01a of Baek Sunwoo’s d2c7f69481 eyes and said.9a62f70e446b0d83

“Should we make an album? One filled just e39a48ef17 with our photos, f84d699c0e and another with 5dc73fc4d1 pictures from outings 1df17c7e90 with friends or 5a0e046299 training at H.N…”24018437418bcdf4

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In today’s digital age, 17208a6fdd few people used physical 3819e2a638 albums. Hae Gijun himself f6b2574e46 found taking photos 528edcd9c6 tedious and rarely 276a9434fd organized his phone’s 3b63d4862f gallery.cbec8f8f9c081b23

Yet today, seeing Baek Sunwoo cc11433739 happily flip through the album 8acf3ca2c0 sparked an uncharacteristic desire to 4a7bf5d9c7 create one. He even felt regret for 8341627f59 not taking more photos over fe79a97cdf the past two years.ea3eeed6e4266ca3

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Baek Sunwoo’s eyes lit c8879f5196 up at the suggestion, 7a2bcc5772 and he nodded eagerly.c6bf67f9fa3248fd

“Great! I’ve taken tons of photos 1916e8bffd of you. It’ll take a 1045896687 while to pick 266803d0de ones for the 71ab8fa0e2 album.”53c81af1ace3a666

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“…Photos of me?”3f27121302d4fc30

“Yeah. I took a bunch ac9cc56ed5 during this vacation too. I look at them 3d74128e00 sometimes when I’m alone—well, faa82de5ac actually, pretty often…”88ac8be3d8755810

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Baek Sunwoo scratched df492d09a0 his cheek, a 053b3891fb bit embarrassed. When Gijun fell silent, 7f6ed081b1 he quickly clarified that e0bb9b9414 they weren’t weird photos, adb1f19d14 but that wasn’t Gijun’s 005bb28902 concern. He already knew Baek 04479b68d5 Sunwoo often took his d1cbc1678a picture, but it still a63d41f7e9 surprised him.5ecc113a4b3f6ddb

“Why didn’t you ask to take photos together?”fbe798618887895e

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“I just… I’m used to taking photos of others…”f1cbec73675e9c38

“Ask to take them together from now on.”c73a31ad120b0e39

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Baek Sunwoo looked 5bf6cad1e1 at Gijun with 2037f082a5 excited eyes. Then, with an elated expression, 46f22a726b he showed him the photos e4496eaafc from their recent vacation. His voice, explaining each a3ff447df2 photo, sounded especially clear 85536a4d79 and joyful as he 38acc44908 talked about making an f55ff3b4b2 album for just the e6b9275e13 two of them.937437d9628d8e40

At the bottom 12ea469563 of a photo c22f3419de of the sunrise d6c65c82a3 over the mountains f91d151de0 from the third 16d25a484a day of their add1fc06b6 vacation, there was 3791d742a3 Hae Gijun, fast e4bd65a716 asleep in bed. He looked utterly lazy, 989bbfd28f barely covered by the bd4dde3249 blanket he had pushed 99a6c97ded aside in his sleep.9f7f5c890a04beb4

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Gijun, incredulous, asked why he’d 4a84e0abea take such a photo, but 03e1725c4b Baek Sunwoo laughed, saying it c8b17118b4 looked peaceful.ca7c404cee019203

There was another photo of 29a5dc8079 Gijun stumbling to the dining 99074a72de table just after waking up, fd2e6b02d6 and one of him lounging ae8be5d4a3 on a pension’s sunbed, eating 27bfd7dd5e fruit.7450694e4b29e9b7

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The raw, everyday moments 6819b5aeb9 made Gijun let out 9869792e9e a dry laugh, but 9f28e6c711 in all these photos, 4ac1b105f1 he could feel Baek 7f7b502815 Sunwoo’s ‘gaze.’ Just looking 316893eea9 at them, he vividly 85bc196fff sensed the emotions and 8d71072079 perspective with which Baek 6620504dde Sunwoo had captured him.162fd638efba2d50

And he recalled how, 1b1834df41 in those moments, when 7d60e86e93 he glanced at Baek 3978171619 Sunwoo, he saw him 51ab54bb3d smiling brightly behind the e8062515af camera. That pure, immense 8084108585 love made his c20f1803ab heart tingle.2fa77ad93875f4e5

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It made Gijun want e002f8c275 to fill Baek Sunwoo’s 568efd930a time with vibrant moments 7d158fe3e8 even more.9d4b301fd2cb21a3

While the past couldn’t bee4031efe be changed, he wanted bafdc40ebe to create many moments 03aec1f3b1 they could look back 7581d5823c on fondly. Moments that, when recalled, a30af8e234 wouldn’t feel bittersweet but 00efea2ab7 would simply bring warm bcccf363f0 smiles.7ed648489e4a5c2a

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And there was one thing 8060c4d0e8 from the past Gijun could ba2f0d940d add color to.ee111bbebab1d7d4

“Sunwoo.”afd5ff3f4743cb2a

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“Yeah?”676c2467b619280c

“For all the time you loved me alone, I’ll cherish you just as much.”1ed27eccedebc71f

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Baek Sunwoo’s eyes widened. Though it was e872654cd5 sudden, given they 52cc7ab30a were talking about 60bffff8f1 photos, his face 723a43c66d showed only one b1fc53490a emotion.92a873c1d6ab7f55

His eyes sparkled, brimming with 56fdeb4a5e overwhelming happiness.468c702329ba97c6

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If Baek Sunwoo’s 37c77b9df5 crush had remained 2db6279593 an unrequited love dda6dd545c two years ago, 0c612aaf86 his memories of 9c8b3126d9 Shinhae High School 7df235ac49 might have faded 9aa5b2539a into grayscale. Recalling them would have 0523492fe6 brought only bittersweet, aching f0d085627c feelings, buried deep in 48b62570f0 his heart.9626e092a395179e

But now, Baek Sunwoo a2b4ea6e76 no longer loved alone. Hae Gijun was there to 535a6db93c listen to his past, even 8969a5bcab holding him tightly without needing ee8b957044 to be told. Every moment with 3639558b68 Gijun painted even 486283835a the past with 169b0b5c99 warm hues.987e8e4a67a82180

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Seeing Baek Sunwoo’s eyes c6bd24beac filled with pure emotion, 48e4aa6d19 Hae Gijun murmured in 9bfd10e3a0 a slightly embarrassed tone.89c85ff53fbf5d71

“I don’t know if I can ever fully repay it…”7173fd3c6a225299

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“I hope you never do.”cf9d7f79d350aa6b

“…Why?”ec0c636e3fc8e0cb

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“So you’ll keep feeling guilty and cherish me even more.”da133210c0387f53

Gijun let out a dry bdd54da43d laugh. Baek Sunwoo’s honest e12901db8d greed was surprising, d8976c9caf yet he didn’t ea756145ab want to reject 28f7ea0d6c it. Truthfully, as he spoke, he 6554e3b170 had already felt he’d never 9e3d1f2758 fully repay it. The more time 6684920692 passed, the deeper 0d8f84b0df Baek Sunwoo’s love 2e922fde10 seemed to grow, c4c43a934d etched into Gijun’s 9dac69eff5 heart.14e3176cfd2c88a5

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But Gijun didn’t feel 10f2b79662 burdened by it. As someone once said, 47c3143023 he only wanted to 962795714c protect and cherish Baek e33d44e57f Sunwoo’s heart.e6f7bb1fae70bd79

Hae Gijun gently 15cab8177f caressed Baek Sunwoo’s d981978ee1 cheek, meeting his 168599de9b eyes.8ed1f7dec0a6f7ea

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Perhaps it was because 1e416b2a46 of these endlessly kind ca007575e0 and clear eyes. He wanted to ensure they a9c0eaa7c8 never became hollow with loss 8b34d5b860 or clouded with loneliness. That sense of responsibility became 6fd88f0e05 a form of affection, and 29b6378429 it changed Gijun.3ecfc07a952be3f4

In truth, Hae 8b3689b2fb Gijun didn’t enjoy 1d899656f2 looking into others’ 78188cfa36 eyes. Eyes were windows b628fccd9e to emotions, and f28b18a781 meeting them made d1fe4d8f85 others’ feelings starkly 722fc3a9d3 clear. For Gijun, who could 9b6b7b58a9 sense good and evil, f0975e4c93 eye contact was especially 61b560fbba exhausting.9131f28b94d4f0af

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But with Baek Sunwoo, it 157e58d63e had never felt that way.de68d00f1b906902

“Alright. I’ll cherish and 52dc05c08f love you for dd5429bcf5 a long time.”313776fba819fb11

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He willingly promised him 84b56ea232 that ‘responsibility.’0180b99146ce3dad

Baek Sunwoo’s pale face lit d128102fcc up with radiant emotion. His eyes crinkled, blooming with 17dbfa69b3 a smile, and after a 46e79dfb7e moment’s hesitation, Gijun smiled back.1bfd8780c418f170

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It was a af44efa4f6 day painted in bc9fe66882 warm colors throughout.180980cab159c37b