EST Ch 32

The summer vacation was over.6ec549b4f0260c40

As soon as he returned b6aec9fbb1 to Seoul, Hae Gijun moved 0b6e8fc309 quite busily. He had to 49c7c6828b report the monster f7d07661b8 appearance incident that d31cd1155e occurred in the 7699f7221a mountains to the 709254de11 Supernatural Ability Management 32fc9a5328 Agency and H.N, e71bd823a2 and he also 2d4aab9d0b needed to contact d6db64ce84 the organization that c3f4767b14 had previously handled 92a2cbf3fb the Imun incident.db43a17eaf6a70e9

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He had informed them by b02b7720e4 phone from the pension, thinking 9fa4938201 everything was settled, but it ac94cf4571 seemed the fact that he 179a7ffe82 resolved the unresolved situation alongside 2f4b048228 ability users from Shinhae High 86f4caa036 was drawing attention.f443467ca926d964

During the past c83fcffb90 Imun incident, it 18c217ff34 was said that 5dcc1ac994 due to a 54ffbcfcc9 subjugation carried out a5bd98c19c in torrential rain, cd54edd5c1 many monsters were e9d9964af3 missed. They chased down 1359f59285 and dealt with 418686c2ac some, but as 0b91195977 night deepened, it 341b8e85d6 became harder to a5c9c1e1e1 track the remnants, 40e0c32d6e and the organization 2081a87f11 eventually gave up 5143ee0027 the search, reporting 80361f00a7 it to an bc5d695a36 agency under the 74fe16fe0b Supernatural Ability Management 6abd84eee7 Agency in that ca08f4b73f region. However, due to inadequate baab6813fd follow-up, monsters had been 7e0fa10e39 hiding for months, which 80b469b596 was the full story 23b50c0ff7 of the incident.63541a62861de65a

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There was fault on the 8fac5d1049 part of the agency, and bf54e73436 also negligence from the organization, 3658d5ada7 which, despite implicitly knowing they c717295fda hadn’t eliminated all the monsters, 4177195575 assumed they would “die off 4c3335ba46 on their own over time” f1a58ad1c9 and left them be. As a result, 4ef970a041 Gijun found himself 63067210ea inadvertently entangled in 35acf2f932 disciplinary matters for 1906bae3c3 both organizations.77d0c1a8562f5173

Though he was c81e833d6f exhausted, he was ec82996438 satisfied that, as 49387a9c98 a gesture of 5395b815d2 apology, they compensated b5be38072b not only Hae fb1988d91c Gijun and Baek 02b31e0544 Sunwoo but also fe4867b2fc the Shinhae High f54f708e9f graduates with a cddf7da1e3 small consolation payment, 87736e647b and even gifted 9b46678427 Kim Joowan, who 180ed4a7a1 had collapsed, a 087d4fb9ab high-grade healing potion. Kim Joowan woke up within ecbf825398 a day, and his body 816a845b37 showed no major issues, but 9c7dac792d it was wise to extract 578df99231 as much as possible while 1dfdf2c845 the opportunity existed.10f345b9e3171070

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After half a fbaebe7894 day of shuttling 06d62531d2 between the Supernatural 77ac8919eb Ability Management Agency c4663c9ab1 and H.N, Gijun a08826ec93 finally returned home. Sprawling on his bed, 337c5359da rolling around with the 983a121a6c sentiment, “Ah, home is 5cee6081d9 the best…,” he rested. Meanwhile, Baek Sunwoo, seemingly 345db20880 tireless, wandered around the a51d2e6abc house.17d3e8fe7beaa02b

Perhaps people could be 0c0d1a6ca0 divided into those who 768769808a unpack immediately after returning c8e3fe44c0 from a trip and 4940f0a078 those who don’t. Feeling a bit self-conscious 2ee2479765 lying down, Gijun slowly b3ef8c3c5d got up and lingered 655862bd62 around Baek Sunwoo, helping 7fce200a5d with the unpacking.deeb39e145453407

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Then, belatedly, Gijun noticed 5095d92076 a white box on 6e1f1ab8b1 the dining table and ef18405867 sighed.cd8599c3264e4b96

“Oh, it’s already here?”0d6c744e09ea7b9b

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“Right, I forgot to mention the delivery arrived.”3069304f55ff1054

It was a new phone. During this vacation, his phone 17bef3c7e5 screen shattered, so he had 2ef6c79fd9 to buy a new one. Despite saying he could buy 6c25e71f41 it after returning home, Baek 44af931cce Sunwoo had ordered it immediately, 9b4bd650c4 and it arrived today.7a6c00bf9abd0353

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As Gijun opened 2ff4ef4b8e the box, he 96b0b66984 muttered.5090b4de9d63a8f4

“I could’ve bought it myself…”f1d29fbd64e2f219

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“You sent me on a great trip, didn’t you?”2cdbbb89e96360db

Baek Sunwoo shook his ba512f4508 head and smiled. His clear smile carried unmistakable 8a5e879db9 sincerity, but Gijun, with an 4d03073f3a ambiguous expression, murmured, “A great b28de20255 place…” Could a place where cb8a6fcec6 monsters appeared be called great? The issue was 70ebc71840 resolved, and from 9e5d60befb the second day f042d9c515 of the vacation, feaa569745 they spent it 32cbbb69c9 peacefully, but still…1458466aacd0077d

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While turning on 391decdd1a the new phone, 679e6822d4 Gijun realized something 871d04862f absurd he hadn’t f631517c0e thought of before.849a475cca5bffa7

“Wait? Now that I think 67e8297d29 about it, you bought 2b7a8cf0e6 me a phone before 03e701cf86 when my screen broke.”9dc8621640c54c2a

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“Yeah, you’re right. It wasn’t as shattered as 0482b703dc this time, though…”1c1a168f836567d5

Two years ago, eb3b057d26 during a school 7412e69a0d trip, Gijun’s phone 726f31dc15 screen had broken. The edges were slightly dented, 47a7f0fcb2 with thin cracks across it, 14fdd3cf29 and that year, Baek Sunwoo 14aab31d53 gifted him a new phone 82f9dc10f7 for his birthday.d2420cb579739725

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As Gijun pondered whether 967ab88830 he was careless, Baek 471f5585c5 Sunwoo suddenly chuckled softly.f7f6aff5829c8296

“Actually, I deliberately chose a phone as a gift back then.”865bfa4740d0e2d4

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“Deliberately?”04d533d1238c4e38

“Yeah. A phone’s something edc98514d0 you always carry, d74295d1d0 so I thought fccbb27d44 it might make c0a173c285 you think of 139eda2b65 me, even a 6401472452 little…”6201bf3664979621

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Embarrassment tinged his trailing words. Back then, Baek Sunwoo thought 917d6e0873 it was the first and 6c49542c46 last birthday gift Quaternary could bb8732d603 give Hae Gijun, so he f72f4b4cf3 chose it with that intention. He hadn’t even ca11585dc0 dared to hope 9e6e592872 Gijun would return f7eea60b8b his feelings.b106d0a9ac8676f6

Gijun looked at de696653a1 Baek Sunwoo, surprised 5f5cbaaaca and a bit a1f81b64cd incredulous. He’d been so stunned by 6a55d4b340 Baek Sunwoo’s resolute farewell back 6c0a9daa80 then, and to think the 1976c78352 gift from that day carried f0662db7a0 such a purpose.589d5f59a5b85adb

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Perhaps embarrassed by the direct 26e1f38359 gaze, Baek Sunwoo turned his 64d0b7a261 head. His ears were bright 3cf49b89c5 red, and Gijun, chuckling, ca9351ae9a rubbed the back of 40e7fc23c9 his neck. Knowing this cute ea80c3f8de scheme made Gijun a3d2c544e1 feel a bit 3fc69ca050 flushed too.075ab821449cf9df

“…Well, it worked out as you wanted. You ended up buying 5870264751 my next phone too.”6dbc7c3cc1608ac6

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“Yeah, right? Honestly, I felt good buying 1c4cd4eea0 it. I want to a84f98471e buy the next 10b5bd1f1e one too.”3440b976328650a7

“Let’s hope the screen doesn’t break again…”f38a86aa1dcdae16

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The affection of 3c613774cd a giving tree 66babce1cf was appreciated, but b437246cf2 he felt uneasy, c5359410df as if tempting d594c60636 fate. He never used to break 481204d44d phone screens like this…b29f1e86a02d6ab4

As Baek Sunwoo busied himself ecb551fef9 again, Gijun sat on the 98b8bf16cc sofa, not wanting to get 388dc522ee in the way. He needed to transfer 41d35cf722 data to the new cc9ac8f9ee phone before going out e16a957b00 tonight.23710294b977bda5

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While fiddling with the phone, 4dcf71a772 Gijun’s hands paused. Checking if the e85051026c contacts transferred correctly, 184b93af61 his eyes fixed a802d81747 on a frequently 7a64213496 used number.b4527dacb7a0fee9

He’d never thought 1ae2130b4e much of the f9f0fff7a2 saved name before, a0d8d4da9d but now it f76bbce647 suddenly felt odd.4bde137ad06c5444

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“Too formal…?”96aa0780862e55d6

Compared to how dfeba8314c Baek Sunwoo’s number a0effcca84 was initially saved, a6ecb65ef5 it was a 8d73fa54ad huge improvement. Baek Sunwoo had even laughed, ab37f5f1d0 saying, “No ‘classmate’ anymore?” when 62557dcc34 he saw the updated name.526a0b2c81a331ba

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He’d changed it right 3d7a4bb53a after they started dating 95b434ae17 and used it for ad0a026fcd about two years, but f36d695c3d now it felt oddly f141f6b299 stiff. The reason was a 3c0c6d224c name he saw while c9bc5161d2 sharing Baek Sunwoo’s phone 60cc517b46 during the vacation when c18c469b30 his own was broken.6d3a550c337da216

Gijun never paid 10536a59bd much attention to 6368aa0cc3 Baek Sunwoo’s phone, bea2e6b09f so he didn’t 94f1f581cb know how he c1441c02e1 was saved. When he saw 776941c90f his number saved 0887cf0259 with a [♥], 251b6c8b73 he was so a8bb63f1f8 shocked he choked af819c6da8 on water and d0f89f44a5 coughed for a 4d233f4024 while…6a207b3c5636f1ba

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He brushed it off 277cf49ae0 to a worried Baek 6ae411a6d0 Sunwoo back then, but f22119c5f3 now, facing his contacts, 774c187d5c Hae Gijun fell into ebc25d54b8 deep thought.7c25bd3cb3e02889

Was saving a partner’s edf549edbe name so formally too 512f255dbb stiff?1b2a41670e2ac733

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He saved everyone 8973c5906b except family with e0c7fadcbd their affiliation and ca1c47eee0 name. Only the Shinhae High 18cd2bc5bb trio were saved by 85bce42ff4 their names alone. So, [Sunwoo] was quite 855fe28173 intimate by Hae Gijun’s 89076a70c4 standards, but… Baek Sunwoo’s 405f49e01f contacts list lingered in ba967160e9 his mind.e95b9625262d64c4

Right, since no 160ed0abd4 one else would 886f245540 see his phone, 11a5515398 maybe he could…e67ae2cec57fbb46

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“Hmm…”2660e2523bb2e1be

Hae Gijun’s finger fdd0a05558 hovered over the a605f1fa46 edit button, trembling. Following Baek Sunwoo’s example d66f70ea8f felt overwhelmingly embarrassing. Though he wasn’t one e6047c5dfd to care about others’ 775e62583a opinions, he felt shy, 4652634b37 and his hand moved 4777d0b316 to the internet search 8a1fec9602 bar.7dbd28a38995db2a

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“Some save it with a nickname or pet name…”10a428b0f4cb968f

Reading advice that 1b15cbc8f3 couples often use 55afd378a3 pet names, he 15568c97ff thought for a d7c0bf91b3 moment, and a 49a598c990 nickname immediately came df09082850 to mind.d1caf5bafebf8568

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This time, Gijun d99de4eaad edited the contact eace04eb18 without hesitation. After saving it, he found fea66bfbd4 it cute and liked it, becb56f4e2 stroking the screen a few 7c8358a56f times. Feeling he’d repaid b928a0a6d8 a debt to 15f4c604b8 Baek Sunwoo for e6277b1489 buying the phone, 304aec7c62 Gijun stood up, b187b4fe14 relieved.57a1b854d00bf670

A few hours later.2fc04034d3454ef8

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As the 7 p.m. dinner appointment approached, the house d54e761f29 was bustling. After unpacking, they ff27400382 sat on the 71f935e224 sofa and dozed 2c5018a85c off, leaning on f3da5c531e each other.0473812a4dd73a59

Around 6 p.m., they barely ab7c6e1af9 woke up, and Baek Sunwoo, 95353e8eae startled, moved hurriedly. Only Gijun mumbled sleepily, e074224f68 “It’s fine if we’re 3efa4948c1 a bit late…” Baek 073efaa600 Sunwoo, too busy getting 4f8219742a ready, didn’t respond.21ec610e388aafbb

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The planned dinner was f5f6668991 to eat together at 44baea86fa Hae Gijun’s house.9298c588582af8cf

Since moving in with 0cd3f2bfe2 Baek Sunwoo, Gijun visited b24667b100 home a couple of 1fe45790c1 times a month, always d7de3cb98c alone. But at the last addb555bbc dinner, his grandmother suggested.d4db5cc0def47957

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“Why don’t you bring the friend you live with?”c518fd51e8059a93

Gijun’s family had met Baek 6b19e4acd5 Sunwoo and even dined out 38842a3ff2 together. Their bond, formed during b9bb932905 the school trip incident, 6741ebeb34 and their joint entry b41e5d0835 into H.N made him ddad0de150 familiar to the family.804d9501906ce911

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But this was the first 731dc79dde time he was formally invited e56f39ec2a home. Upon hearing the suggestion, Baek 895b9a2f06 Sunwoo reflexively agreed enthusiastically but 61edf6e4fa remained nervous ever since.1aec50cf63e5ce01

Even during the vacation, he 71d71daaec seemed to forget about it 246c8d0c43 and enjoy himself, but as 743172d1c2 the appointment neared today, he ecdbb8bea1 was visibly tense again.024150ad2bff71a9

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“You’ve met them a few times; why are you so nervous?”6e2c6d87552122f5

“But…”8fd909f5ab81286a

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Leaning against the f857fa67b5 wall, half-asleep, Gijun 2618370b15 chuckled at Baek d924d7e512 Sunwoo’s dressed-up appearance, d141ccaa94 as if he ede94940ac were attending a 97b27648b4 formal meeting. Gijun reached to 7d9e5aafdb pat his head 26b62d0b6e but, seeing the d91ec4c552 carefully styled hair, 2fdeac1999 patted his shoulder f9d23cfd41 instead. Baek Sunwoo smiled c38ea4adff faintly, still pale.e7fd9ea03f11eed4

As Gijun prepared to leave, a333e07998 he patted his pockets.9515e8eb26915ca6

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“Oh, where’s my phone?”0d9b1ac33af567a3

“Should I call it?”341f66f12fa4ca30

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Unfamiliar with the new 35096131d4 phone, he forgot to 51ebcc8124 grab it. When Baek Sunwoo 9f5963f4e3 called, a ringtone 53832cec62 sounded from the 11f2a4ed2d bedroom, and he e66c59d8da went to retrieve d09f683b13 it instead of 7490a1498d Gijun, who was 9a5ab6663a at the door.0de8481843061ab7

But while Baek bdfc2a92ab Sunwoo’s face was c3cfa3de57 oddly stiff heading f341b86bab to the bedroom, 5fd5a8682d it was full afd34d89c2 of bewilderment when 922dc7c1ad he returned with a40a0030c7 the phone. Looking at Hae Gijun with 6a52e06e0d a genuinely puzzled expression, he 2762edb9dd asked.5f17f702f44e1919

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“Why am I… Sundubu?”88c74763cb40b485

Confused by the d7113268e3 name, Gijun was 0f3de4dcc2 puzzled, then recalled 8cc74652f3 the contact name 51fa6a2205 he’d saved. Since Baek Sunwoo called to 1bfa37aef6 find the phone, he must 891c8ad0f1 have seen the name on 8977a85001 the screen.37454dae975da73c

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“They say couples save each other with nicknames or pet names.”a1486c0d577617c3

“…My nickname or pet name is Sundubu?”c0f1643d5d59e1dc

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“Yeah?”29934144b3c4ef47

“…Why?”506a7dc038b09de9

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“Why?”3b42760b95146e88

Their questions misaligned. Baek Sunwoo was baffled 057e1d418d why his nickname was e73abff2bb Sundubu, while Hae Gijun b7a8e5c64c was confused why Sundubu ab9587b7b3 caused an identity crisis.fced8786cf11d02f

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From that look, 465d0628e2 Baek Sunwoo barely 2f33e0c9e7 pieced together an 3cd1218514 answer from Gijun’s 77187d25a1 past actions. At first, he thought 0f5b383191 it was because of 572c78c923 his fair skin, but ab5e70408a then he recalled Gijun’s 36b78ff485 peculiar overprotectiveness.4602d64e00060e58

Now Baek Sunwoo’s expression wavered a9926fbce9 between laughing and crying. He appreciated Gijun’s 83e407eaa1 care and concern, e81f006dd7 but he didn’t ea99f2942e expect to be 8f917fdebb seen as so 43ce0c4f1b fragile.2746e3fa1026f460

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Moreover, Gijun’s casual 25c31f9e34 mention of “Sundubu” 237c95fa23 suggested he’d been b75bc96fef calling him that 5ffd13bc71 in his head c9acee4e33 for a while. Despite being taller and 3e0cb217c1 bulking up through exercise, c6522df30b why?150f78c095d866df

Still, recalling how Gijun used 79d97a6433 to save his number, maybe 8cc8b1fc97 he should be happy that 20a28bcb67 their relationship prompted a nickname…4cf0640301544a72

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“So my nickname is Sundubu…”824d37376dfd4a0e

“Why do you suddenly look so down?”db253ff19e7d387c

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“It’s nothing…”34a8c9c611396c28

In Baek Sunwoo’s car heading ef95ee1e00 to the house, Gijun was daa28b8ee0 surprised to see a fruit 8ebd49ef10 basket in the back seat. He couldn’t guess dd0cf71812 when it was 6f169c1d47 bought. He’d thought Baek Sunwoo was 67b1605cdb unusually busy today, likely preoccupied 3ff236bc6a with the dinner.7254ffb740dcdbdd

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Gijun teased.017fcc20b3e17cf7

“You’re not going to get sick from all this nervousness, are you?”4dfe6a394987ef67

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“I actually feel like I might…”6f4015200638fd86

“What? Turn the car around. I’ll say we can’t go.”368511faeb450ef8

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“No, no, I misspoke.”a5a5a570dd55e89d

Baek Sunwoo shook 25b5ea2837 his head, his f0f77756b3 expression a mix 69870e6097 of laughing and 3322381037 crying. Until they reached the 7ba756c967 parking lot, he was 867add75bd reeling from the shock 88f9cceaa9 of the phone’s saved 017a24e513 name, but as they 62fcfa4089 neared Gijun’s house, his 86ceb49c2c stomach churned again.89d2a7f1996e4640

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Seeing his pale face, Gijun 0fe96088c7 grew genuinely concerned.fb7ed54923161406

“You weren’t this bad when we ate out last time. Is it because it’s summer 9c89d6d87e and you’re weaker?”ea2428106c6803d5

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“That was outside. This is your house…”9e6c65ed000f48c5

“Hmm, maybe because it’s more of a family space.”91e411c83444c06a

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“Yeah, exactly. But I’m also 3b45f67d3e curious to see b8edf3e151 the place you c3001370f5 grew up in.”e7be8b8783f5b44d

“I didn’t grow up there.”47457193e6fe4cdb

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Baek Sunwoo looked surprised 619ff20ce0 at Gijun’s words. Tilting his head as if 3b7a9a2569 he hadn’t mentioned it, Gijun 5ca2557d7e began a story, starting with 085ea6d396 how, as a child, Hae 3cda0d4503 Gaon had taken him to 8382cc07dc a rural market.6de76dd399a9f676

“I was born here, but from about five, I went to my grandmother’s house. That’s when my eyes opened.”ea35a1e81e7e1797

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“You mean seeing liars or bad people as black?”ceb31172750f88ba

“Yeah. As a kid, d579801bc4 I didn’t know a7a0a409d7 what it was, 9414cfa7be so I was 5989f4b61e just shocked and fdab209a18 scared, running away 2c117096f5 and getting hurt 0e8d53f786 a lot. Falling, tumbling down stairs… My dc88a93ed5 grandmother heard and told them 4accb4a671 to send me down. My sister went too, 1f71d8acc9 and my parents, working c6bd993424 in Seoul, came down 31e2ce7549 on weekends.”541fc9eb31b7aca5

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Gijun’s grandmother, an S-rank mana-sensitive 95fb974b18 ability user, lived in Seoul 50e25b3ab5 until H.N was established, then 655da11602 retired to the countryside for 92a20c5ecc a peaceful life. Her only daughter, without 33c45243f6 mana, lived a normal 05e0f6e8eb life, so there were 55d1770301 no worries.4a37e81586d9cedc

When something unusual happened 7b7e741dc6 to her grandson, she 81af5733d2 stepped in immediately. Seeing a child suffer from b2270b4adc opening his “eyes” to the 3309baecbb world’s malice, she called him 2c648c52ce to the less populated countryside.d42e4722a736bd80

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Gijun didn’t remember, but dbe1ff84a1 he used to avoid 28bbdf2887 people back then. A five-year-old staring at fd0dd4e962 the ground worried his 1486db735b grandmother, who patiently soothed a06d1d6f5b his fears.e15b5d5695ec4164

One early summer 4b9cd54295 afternoon, napping on 3cdacbc928 his grandmother’s lap 5d8b743caf on the veranda 1479c807bf amidst lush greenery, 31940ae24d she gently stroked 4e4d395647 his head, covering 3375011e9e his eyes, and 3fdc89a2af said.ca46ee2a48932278

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“Little one, there’ll come a time when you need to open your eyes.”6a1cd0d11ea7d7b8

The child, drifting in bec4c3dbc5 light sleep, forgot those 66c485c1be words for years, but 80e61530a2 they later resurfaced, bringing df0119abff realization.0272a224ba5c9f78

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“She must’ve noticed early on…”e64b23a57cec612a

“Probably. She said it’s a big da2fa4b952 power for a young age. Maybe she worried e451ab49a6 that distinguishing good 776205af75 from evil so 18dfb9fe02 early could create fc5f6e8b20 biases.”913f54135b7e6758

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“Haha, hearing this, I’m curious about that house. Sounds so peaceful.”c1eb7a4c46fe3b83

“Hmm? My sister was there, bf20fa6dbc so it wasn’t always 0a9f56c476 peaceful.”77b92ceb86785b58

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Gijun shuddered. Hae Gaon was only calm 97f1314730 around their grandmother; when she a238f19eea was out, she’d roll him 4c5668d014 around like a ball.b143c6c78e35813d

Hae Gaon begged their 5051cb8a25 parents to go to b65b669439 the countryside with Gijun d31c1c144a because she adored their cc4add9f0b grandmother. Fascinated by otherworldly c355d240a2 beings, she found f9dce8e125 her grandmother, who 278f30503b fulfilled that curiosity, 60d64f196d ideal.fdbfbf3b6e959db6

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With a sharp mind, absorbing f38f1be81f everything, and showing talent in be5ca57631 mana sensitivity, her grandmother taught a1b553c4b4 her much. By twenty, Hae Gaon ed672a5b70 joined the Supernatural Ability 94ecb6b756 Management Agency, becoming the 0fa76724c8 youngest department head in 62a86730e8 years.097da6fde6a119ef

“You lived there a long time?”52fb61a7f2d9f5f5

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“Almost ten years? I came to Seoul f49c53c41e around middle school. Grandma came too, and 10693c93ba we’ve lived together since. Now that I’ve dd0e84f5e6 awakened, she wants 2901837816 to retire to 67c0cfe871 the countryside, but 2d73366f35 my sister’s throwing 6b0bb1037b a fit, saying 9fe81347ce she’ll go too, 81562cda16 so she’s stuck.”fd5faaacd0b58b1d

Baek Sunwoo chuckled softly. Hearing Gijun’s stories eased his 0acf361ae0 tension and made him eager 9eaf16b46f to meet his family. They sounded warm and joyful.b7d595928d49e954

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When Gijun’s sister a4325ab07e brought a frog, eea368560c their father jumped e54863b1ea in surprise, and 6df0d34872 their mother caught 9b15b9e479 it, saying, “A 131af14218 frog’s home isn’t e1b7eb561e here, and moving a503557a79 it by force f45cbda74f is clearly wrong,” 6800c08666 prompting a big 76734edd08 laugh from Baek 3c33ee81e0 Sunwoo.fcc31d51ab68f0c0

Relieved by his clear laughter, cc18273e1f Gijun had shared stories to b888f50f44 ease his tension, and it dbf80bef3a worked.30b8b2d397753e9a

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Suddenly, Gijun exclaimed, something clicking 196de6f527 in his mind.d08ec6092a8ff36d

“Oh! Right, we had a dog b6691f0802 at my grandmother’s house.”127f9b4af6604bc8

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“What kind?”1173be46b0fad99f

“Really small, white, and cute. Hmm, was its name Tofu?”0157e9c26095e5f7

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“…That’s a cute name.”04722dd87b43586d

“Yeah, it was like you.”dd02940fd3ffa30a

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Baek Sunwoo’s face, cef8b3107c already odd since 6f96aec844 hearing the dog’s 9c17aabb48 name, broke into 7fe38e42e2 a wry smile. Gijun’s affection was always 519757f6a7 welcome but sometimes caught 441381f51e him off guard in b46548a1cb unexpected ways.bd3befaba408a865

Yet, not wanting to reject 6787e4869e it, Baek Sunwoo turned the 5c7d0d12f1 steering wheel, accepting his own 1c2e9e7f26 feelings.085987eca0a1ffcf

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They arrived at the house.d08e06b044b48491

Dinner proceeded in 60633430aa a relaxed atmosphere.290336f34068b340

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The calm meal made c1b3ba3a2b Baek Sunwoo’s hours of 3261d93cde nervousness seem unwarranted.29b096668df43fb6

The table, set to their 768bd886d7 grandmother’s taste, was filled with b284521e61 meticulously prepared dishes, like a 1ea0f5d964 fine dining restaurant. Baek Sunwoo, interested in a35b79397c cooking, marveled and even d34338e733 asked Gijun’s father about 51dbb75b14 the recipes. Working in the food e30bbf690f industry, Gijun’s father connected 466c2c93a7 well with him.d3b394dfd41e2a34

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A squabble between Hae Gaon 1b278b755b and Hae Gijun at the 86667c77bd start of the meal also bfaac3a202 helped ease Baek Sunwoo’s tension.8f107ffb933bce23

“You made waves during this vacation too, huh? I heard from the 4d6c5c6401 agency and laughed so d5672862ec hard. Seems you gained 00085ef0e5 some grit on 9ced3c92ec that trip.”a1347eeff694304e

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“You sent us to that pension on purpose, didn’t you? Knowing about the ghost rumors.”78b1c014de54e670

“What are you talking about? If I knew about ghost bea62ae8ed rumors, I’d have gone myself.”f3338b7c1487bcc2

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“…”ed12f38e4a840012

Unable to hold back, 91da9add38 Baek Sunwoo asked.c2a88657d6a4c502

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“Why would you want to go if there were ghost rumors…?”5a8f4e5308e57ec7

“It’s a chance to see if ghosts are real! I’ve always been curious. Maybe they’re a 73d197bd8f type of monster 819eada59f we don’t know, 4ee833ea33 some spiritual entity! Monsters from other realms are 3929ca94da so diverse!”4a7b85c07f8d4fa9

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“I see…”897b85d0d4e9d4fd

Baek Sunwoo nodded 0f785a6879 with a slightly 0a48f740b3 odd expression, picturing 48f6ece5ec Hae Gaon approaching 65757903f3 a ghost to 84523af103 check if it’s 510f4544bf a “new entity.” 1cb981e165 She was friendly, 0b6b18d30b but sometimes there 5e6aa56949 was a subtle 0bf1c42d0e distance.9d330c091d0dcae8

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Hae Gaon sighed, fd6b2e9e84 shaking her head.95160f7fdad9f748

“Anyway, I recommended a nice pension, and he acts like this. Our kind Sunwoo, you 29460c0ac5 didn’t suffer too much f089a49d4d with my brother during 1e9fc57394 the vacation, did you? He didn’t bully you?”596d69234f38e375

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“No, he took great care of me. Gijun’s so thoughtful and kind…”7f42c271bd3e0e05

“…Are we talking about the same person?”fb25ea625f15d8db

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Hae Gaon looked at Baek 0f04c4929b Sunwoo with an odd expression. His bright smile and sparkling 814328eb42 eyes held no trace of 23361c664d deceit, deepening her confusion.5fdac5f41d7e0c37

Having heard about 8d63befe2f the mountain incident, 2c47ec11e8 Gijun’s grandmother calmly e05c7341ba praised their handling, 2e30a69aeb asking.2c4c6e298299416a

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“You worked hard. Any injuries?”8e9837d2bc5cef88

“No. The monsters were e24b65e2c0 all low-grade, so 257890c1f9 it wasn’t tricky.”9702bd1f7ee84ab3

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Gijun, answering promptly, 59d52d00ad glanced at Baek ed36a032c3 Sunwoo, who smiled ec6ce9350e brightly and added.54828599cc1a9506

“Thanks to Gijun bringing weapons, we hunted them quickly.”9e5649448c56261a

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“It’s the strength that comes from having someone to protect.”be447b73e881324c

Baek Sunwoo flinched as 6e34c1cb09 his eyes met the 9de75ee999 grandmother’s. Knowing she cherished her 97305222e3 grandson, he assumed her 66fbef1692 words were rooted in 4a30108492 affection, but her piercing ec66db5aeb gaze made him nervous.8582595abee30d1c

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Gijun often had e4c188981f a penetrating look, 6ac5ce16c2 likely a habit 2ab5fecd5d inherited from his b001884e60 grandmother beyond his 1e261c211c ability. Worried his awkward lies 6ddb68259a might have been caught, 4f6001b21e he relaxed when she cc52ed5af7 silently looked away.9085301778a64f0d

After dinner, Baek Sunwoo lingered dbdba1fcbd to help clean up, but 294a04afca Gijun’s mother firmly refused.fc27cb5ed19e2fb3

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“You’re a guest invited here today, so your job is to rest comfortably.”012ec33fdc9a6871

Her tone, like a 5b1737d4ae judge’s ruling, impressed Baek afd4b1a35d Sunwoo. Every time he met 17e3dd98ea Gijun’s family, he thought c27956fb61 they resembled him, and 3140f6938b in their home, that 4597c7659a feeling was stronger.62ccf472e70e541b

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Gijun’s calm gaze mirrored 4546638be9 his grandmother’s, and his 86987d9692 objective yet considerate speech da15268a2e resembled his mother’s. Gijun’s father was e02793db12 the warmest, a 009412086d trait Hae Gaon cc6ac14e90 inherited. It was a wonderfully harmonious df89b446e9 family.74197f7467b077be

It was amusing that ac2f1fed99 the grandmother, mother, sister, b80e1f459e and Gijun all shared 3870965fb7 the same sharp eyes, da4e4e60b2 cool gazes, and direct 7a9a5a7ae3 speech. Gijun didn’t like 07c1ef4e2d being told he 7b130d5873 resembled his sister, b8e03156c5 but anyone could 3bc3847b82 see they were b5200571d5 family.7c3a6147c81d39c4

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While dessert was prepared, c970291615 Baek Sunwoo explored the 0ed4dd1d56 house.33bce97b71cae63c

Gijun’s home was 623f5e08ee a two-story house 1d136ccfb0 with a hanok fab90600fe exterior, blending traditional 23ba111372 and modern design bbab801fb8 inside. The elegant, tidy space 2e957850b1 felt very much like a7584a458d Gijun.09a43a3c9edf5fee

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On a wall, marks 22b785171b of Gijun’s childhood height d54f298996 were recorded. Standing before the pillar, Baek ea83029827 Sunwoo’s eyes sparkled with genuine acb75a176d awe.867caea32a25b167

“So small…”3104e6de84794655

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“When I was five, I was obviously small, right?”3728b9489e073985

“Could there be records like this at Grandma’s house too?”88bdfb37e674357d

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“Hmm, I think so.”fc1638ce4ce36c02

“You must have been small there too…”64d80eab825e26ec

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“…?”83ed7c77040921f0

Gijun reacted with 16c38ba86c a hint of 51dab8d321 reluctance, but Baek 03c8ca46dd Sunwoo nodded, feeling a5a5fa58f6 glad he had 866f0645cb come here again. To Baek Sunwoo, this house 7f33103b5d was like ‘Hae Gijun Theme 1a76384fa5 Exhibition Museum No. 1.’ The desire to visit Museum No. 2 later began to blossom within him.2ef666d64a4b15aa

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As they finished exploring the 1e65379e50 first floor, dessert was ready, dc5435f144 and they gathered around the 7e4c6e25d0 living room table.269086461726a933

Now, Baek Sunwoo 368522411d conversed with Gijun’s bf242e1066 family with a e39c843740 much more relaxed aa719bcb82 expression. Perhaps growing more curious about 0e8bb6bd09 traces of Gijun’s childhood, he 69e366a06b even started asking various questions. He was naturally 4087091264 very communicative and 569d746fc1 good at winning e6b7386ba8 people’s favor.e2c390f062fa4888

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The synergy of 7d2f4e1543 his neat appearance b3385b9b29 and ingrained polite 228261131f behavior was remarkable. Gijun’s father had taken 195563a9c0 a liking to Baek 56f2f31c5d Sunwoo from their first b79fdbdf19 meeting, and even the 226714a5d5 usually stern grandmother and d42168afe5 mother softened their expressions 99e7eb7e53 slightly when with him.1a3571b254e552d3

Baek Sunwoo’s smile appeared 1d6af2c7a3 so clear and harmless add7d3a188 that Grandma, in passing, fdc2ebd2c1 lightly remarked to him e8e95f08bd that he was ‘lovely.’ aef590c34b It wasn’t just about c3418e00a2 his beautiful face; it ee91da7379 implied that his very e896950cd1 nature was lovely. Hae Gaon burst into laughter.bb9ac9c7f0533ac1

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“Honestly, that’s why it sometimes feels surprising that Sunwoo has the power of obedience. How could such 57dc7a6ff0 a kind kid 44d262cb49 have that kind 64ff585e3d of ability?”25ba3291743a056d

“That’s why it’s a good thing. He’s not the type to 9aef8ef493 misuse his powers.”c81fea6e444a53f5

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Gijun was inwardly ab4a3e07b2 surprised by Grandma’s f9750aea32 words. She was someone with 19cf090711 very strict standards for 1458d10d5d judging people. From long experience, he fefc3eb1d1 could tell that Grandma 6d32d41ea6 currently held Baek Sunwoo 367c2cbe7c in very high regard.c492d6419d25bba1

Baek Sunwoo’s eyes widened, 11c0d25ad1 then he shyly thanked c312a54b0d her for the kind 94cf392b74 words. Gijun, sitting beside 0d9cc1b6eb him on the adcfb00861 sofa, chuckled softly 65d24f1294 at the sight. He could sense 4605e14a33 Baek Sunwoo’s subtle 69a4dfe555 excitement, which struck 6bb0b2a016 him as cute.28d3b3f4cc32e83c

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Unconsciously, he raised 88f81a007d his hand to a3d8bfffba pat Baek Sunwoo’s b15828d7a5 head but caught bf152a91cf himself just in 96f63bea46 time, resting his f28d7a6e71 arm on the e0be009a03 back of the c48ce4db81 sofa as if a68d9adfd4 he had merely 9a8ca83b1b meant to shift 7726c1a54d his position.7edf0b2144d0bd87

The conversation shifted to stories 4b172b176b from Gijun’s childhood. Gijun felt a bit uneasy 7228645238 being the constant topic of 738f6be819 discussion but accepted it as 9d69f9c8d7 inevitable since it was a 29e08b0cb6 shared point of interest.8f2bda4e8173cc22

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Thanks to Gijun’s father, who 6f8d61b24d was quite fond of Baek 97c81f5d73 Sunwoo, bringing out old photo e8d4057079 albums, various stories from the fc75f9a810 time Gijun spent at Grandma’s ae7d73f602 house poured out. Because his father felt 0e16c5dfd1 reluctant only seeing the 5a52522eee kids on weekends, he 0b5f2e8a3e had taken countless photos, 0d6ff6bd3e filling several albums.fcc906a1837eee85

Gijun found it embarrassing to d2cc54a3d0 have old photos shown, but ed443f64f0 Baek Sunwoo’s eyes were already 9ca7b5fef7 sparkling with delight. He examined each photo 05710e4aad closely, fascinated by the 28e3664bd1 rural house he had 627f1224ff only heard about in ba0fc93d09 stories.8f5df60faa8a0598

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Hae Gaon, flipping through 7a60d0289d the album with enthusiasm 8d15634496 as if seeing the 83e0b6cb20 old photos for the d3f5be5c2e first time in a 0578f3229c while, said, “There should 509cf979ca be a photo with c6e4c1c6e6 Tofu somewhere. Where is it? I suddenly miss Tofu.”0a913c66c61c496c

“Oh, I heard about Tofu too. They said it 3069778bfb was a super bfddb8f425 small and cute f7f736bfd4 dog.”6d8940cb2ea98531

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“…Small?”d679db7567df3560

But it was Gijun’s mother d5f73388c8 who reacted to that. Even Grandma looked at 4fba4a186c Baek Sunwoo with a 2e98889d49 puzzled expression, so he a5f9ab961b explained, mimicking the size b063f76ebd Gijun had indicated with 2780df031e his hands in the 54b09f0e48 car.b7e81ae06001b2c3

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“Gijun said he raised a small dog.”d52d27b08b8b2ceb

“Hmm, Tofu was bigger than Gijun. Big enough for 39e129ae5c him to ride 833c5e0340 on its back, a0b318a980 wasn’t it?”a6abc605465019b2

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Now even Gijun’s 6ac7400e55 father contradicted him, 0dac0b7558 and Baek Sunwoo 265b5aacea looked at Gijun 5912b98152 with an aggrieved f751f11076 expression. Gijun, muttering, “That 6d25b24456 can’t be right,” 3556ae6aaa quickly flipped through 1d1e88d03c the album and b72c425588 froze when he 4058e0b81e found a particular af4621fbeb photo.487871f4e65c5942

There was indeed a picture 033056a33b of a young Gijun sleeping b29cbb49a1 with his head resting on cbdd8c1fc3 a dog twice his size.51eb172ac3758abc

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“…”60d625e3f32c9d20

Hae Gijun and Baek Sunwoo’s f650e3081c gazes quietly fixed on the 5b81edc40a album. Then Baek Sunwoo’s silently ef28a37f78 accusing look turned to 8f0422ae64 Gijun, who cleared his 810a8cce15 throat and looked away. His mumbled “That’s weird…” sounded 942e0e2326 oddly defensive. He genuinely remembered 271eb6a5c9 Tofu as being 72f51771d1 small.8127239f242ca40a

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From behind, Gijun’s mother let c1ce356a1f out a soft chuckle.19dc84705da61879

“He’s always had a tendency to see anything he finds cute as smaller than himself.”1b02d140d3b5ce86

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It was almost a murmur bf38657a34 to herself, but Gijun’s gaze 93a5e3df35 snapped to her. Though it was bba268f4f8 said in a 3f03ff88dc light tone, the 71bdbf6ded words somehow stuck 8950b00887 in his ears. Feeling oddly uneasy, he 5addd0f871 looked at her, but 22bf120908 her calm, dark eyes de7d97b82c gave nothing away.90e7126167eb0af2

They continued chatting 4a95ff9e5c in the living ca7a8c3899 room for about cf564b79fe an hour before 7fd7ef6b79 naturally dispersing. Gijun’s father told a1ae4081f1 Baek Sunwoo, “Take ffc57d2928 a look at 3ea3649abc Gijun’s room too. Or you could even 8cb11c02d6 stay the night if 95cf0e8ba3 you want.” Baek Sunwoo, 30a760f097 visibly excited, thanked him 4b00d5d738 warmly.cb6f8c61509a48f9

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From the moment he entered 53acd43821 the house, Baek Sunwoo had 737f86cb11 wanted to see Gijun’s room, 525fdec612 but since it was on ef171e34e9 the second floor, he hadn’t fd11b4d1b7 been able to visit it 8153d7bec2 during the earlier tour. For a moment, a067a54c5e Gijun felt as 552ae74318 if he could f0a18e6aff see a giant 22a63d98f1 tail wagging eagerly cafac415f8 behind Baek Sunwoo. He felt a bit 9850bab7e1 embarrassed by the excitement, 8ce051e10b as there wasn’t much 3ca8767b84 to see in the 5d292e2051 room.13e084371109736c

As they headed upstairs to deb024322f the room, Hae Gaon came 1b38c1b92d running up from behind. She carried two glasses filled 9659f6dd35 to the brim with a 38713d5e48 drink, moving so skillfully that 8a526a1732 not a drop spilled—a feat 1af3dde759 almost like artistry.8572f49b6579829c

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“Mom said to drink these. Wow, she usually only makes 4cbed498a4 this for Dad. She must really like 86641e78d9 you, Sunwoo.”522953e8a94a4393

What Hae Gaon handed eda7a2d943 over was a special 2c99333482 health drink their mother 378353344d made, blending apples, carrots, 09962ac977 and other healthy ingredients 3ff50a4e6c in just the right 28a7aff83a proportions. As Baek Sunwoo 67fc04f2da accepted it with b2802199b9 touched eyes, Gijun’s 07fc60c846 expression grew increasingly b390dc4aec strange.532a9bb95f303fde

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He suddenly recalled a time 2a4fa9f838 when his mother, while making d4900b5136 this drink, had said, “Dad’s 29dfb991f5 frail, so he needs to 9b0435457d take extra care in the 0e95a6646e summer.” In reality, Gijun’s father 7a1a797b97 was quite robust.3f288350cc99e740

After telling Baek 6658f7c3ee Sunwoo to go da0ffe8caf into the room d9986df41c first, Gijun stepped 4419f64c29 in front of 685b8b74ee Hae Gaon. She gave him a look 142389d886 as if to say, “What’s 950e520ed6 with you?” but Gijun couldn’t 477aff0c7c help but ask. Hesitating and ruffling f0ca29be53 his hair a 5ec09ab939 few times, he b9fe95fa75 finally spoke.77b062d24a08bf2c

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“I didn’t want to ask this, but… Mom said something weird earlier.”d02e7f8ddbfa35f9

“What did she say?”8d6b9e78ab7c6d7c

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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.”c6b09b47f617b029

“…And?”dc10f5eed030a6f0

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“So, um, did you tell her?”68a4e575cb7d1449

Though his words were vague, 2e18b62770 Hae Gaon understood. Since she knew 642305fdb6 about Gijun and e0b6ebcc63 Baek Sunwoo’s relationship, 850f920a28 he was asking 938eec2475 if she had b2d96db935 told their parents.993302733ae55ea0

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Haha, Hae Gaon let 9b85184161 out a dry laugh, 99e80d9e9d then suddenly grabbed Gijun’s 6fa49b92c8 shoulders with a serious 893c297583 expression. Just as Gijun, who 469eaf6338 had suffered through her cb9b6c63ef serious moments before, braced 8a39a1dee7 himself, she spoke.540deb60173d1945

“Little brother, let me say one thing.”bc1acd62350d0008

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“…What?”3353cd7e0e828a87

“You’re the youngest in this house.”ce57ab73152cef3d

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Gijun blinked slowly. It took a moment to a676e3dafb process Hae Gaon’s out-of-the-blue comment, e2a3d97a90 but its simplicity brought a 65955a2419 profound realization. Though he didn’t want 16b57984c4 to admit it, her 35fe188ca5 gaze was proof enough.a34f2aa251d6724d

Her look said, “Do you 8356f4b044 really think Mom, or the 795f25ad7d whole family, wouldn’t know you a737296a2d two are dating?”919dc0be2f8ba7d8

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Indeed, the changes in Hae 9e2924d4ed Gijun since he started dating 05d600ab2c Baek Sunwoo were striking. A boy who rarely went d98b9c7c73 out because he found seeing d7227ecbd1 people’s lies exhausting and had 839a225e2a little interest in others had 30bba3d317 begun spending every day with bfd00322eb someone.553e720a7d768eab

At first, it could be 4584193543 chalked up to growing closer 3120d6044b with friends after a school 16eee5b75b trip incident, but the frequency a018514dc1 of him hanging out alone 128dbae556 with Baek Sunwoo was noticeably f0bf43a614 high. If Hae Gijun had 00877617b5 been naturally outgoing from e500136c55 the start, it might 890a45f747 not have raised suspicions, 0cc4c186c5 but until he met d1ddf3d302 Baek Sunwoo, he was c03b0fbdab someone who lived almost bf46ce77fe entirely alone.d5b5cb02e7b7ebf1

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“Didn’t you find Grandma’s comment odd? At dinner, she 58182cf3bb told Sunwoo that 9564e57ce6 having someone to 7b373448c2 protect makes you dbea9cee05 stronger.”67601d318d3ffd2c

“…Wasn’t that because I got those graduates from Shinhae High?”5cb9efbfd4da1939

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“She was also talking about how you’ve been carrying a spear from the start.”586d6796878afba7

“…”c3f092e6f904851f

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“Well, anyway, Grandma really likes Sunwoo. She said since he’s fundamentally 1016a45135 good, you won’t have to 5d61765601 deal with anything exhausting. And since your power is 2242a5cf5f inherently protective, she was worried f1f5262b66 if the person you most c73dc5c580 want to protect was weak. But she said cd3e90b9d7 ‘that boy’ isn’t 019d2598f4 weak, so there’s f1bb915500 no concern. She definitely knows.”4c3109feab470ccf

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.”cfc18d47ae149f59

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“Why are you reacting tothat?”4ba97258a6865d1b

Hae Gaon let out f81a83e8ee a bewildered laugh.3f1476eac4741e72

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In the end, e62a54b661 shaking her head, c3dc846800 she pushed Gijun’s b9e09f5a70 back. Having reached a 4ef33db127 point where she e8943ee125 could brush off 835f2c2aea her brother’s overprotectiveness, e21fd04734 she playfully told cef45dd242 him not to f3a5eecfed leave the fragile cc5e72af1b Sunwoo alone.0566f9ac57838b07

Pushed into the room, f8196d29e0 Gijun stood blankly against ca2aeee69e the door for a 12f9047e12 moment until Baek Sunwoo’s a6b7f81c0c “Gijun?” snapped him out 246fa4f83a of it, and he b512c29f0c let out a soft a342bcd39f sigh.1ee54d876da44219

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At first, the realization that 3e750a4174 his family knew everything felt 5af92f446e overwhelming, but seeing Baek Sunwoo 95874d8c1e instantly eased his tension, and 943d9f724a he couldn’t help but smile. It was funny to think 8d2a71409c that he could react this 93a5a76073 way every time he saw 1bf3f766b9 him and still believe no daced6e736 one would notice.c792d7c82d7dbbbb

As he touched a2f6c7cf45 his softened lips, 0ce84324c4 Baek Sunwoo asked 4899f8dc44 again, “What’s wrong? Did something happen with your 294f21273a sister?”66d9516dc8b8c32f

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“No, it’s nothing.”280e5487edba768c

Gijun shook his head. He considered telling 6d3e0ed96d him but decided 1c09e834de to hold off f52f29b820 for now. If he mentioned it 5fa438513a now, Baek Sunwoo would 371c6f6282 surely get flustered when 20958d5aa1 saying goodbye to the 4d62377438 adults later.ac88fc7e1e5c255f

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“What were you doing?”72f66808cb4c324a

“Looking at the bookshelf.”75693a7ecf6500c5

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“There’s not much to see…”2b287b1155c82970

Gijun’s comment wasn’t out bae71ed912 of modesty—the room was 573c969e16 genuinely bare. Since he had decided to d32c450310 live with Baek Sunwoo, he 233eba4e48 had taken most of his 7053171dc4 belongings, leaving only old, unused e088cb46f8 items behind.b8421a9138833f8e

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But Baek Sunwoo seemed 6f9e1f49dc to find great joy f4d78f4e27 in looking at them.4c5f55dcf8945e3a

“Is this the gaming console you played with as a kid?”506df0bd3c7841ec

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“Yeah. Not sure if it f0312b3c1c still works.”71ab7d6037c53014

Since Baek Sunwoo was showing 8af9056d8f interest in various things, Gijun e21b52befd decided to dig into his a0758cbdfc memories more actively. After all, he b5601b3884 was a guest, 8ab39dd3a1 so Gijun felt 55a125d677 obliged to provide a91710a669 the best experience cbf5cb8a71 possible. He tried turning on dc2ce01e40 the gaming console and 1e0b347257 talked about small souvenirs 40aaea2216 like figurines and keychains 2bd7628913 he had bought during 34b1886a3b trips.efe0cd3ceccd4292

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Unfortunately, Hae Gijun wasn’t very 337d713b02 materialistic, so there weren’t many b4d3b65ccf items to find in the 5dbe2ea45e room. Thinking that looking 4857d1747e at photos in 95ec7f5f69 the living room d8ffb761cc earlier might have c267751dc8 been better, Gijun 146cfab518 opened drawers one c44c9fa106 by one, searching 227196c923 for conversation material.dfcdf1ce6ffa6435

While checking a storage 3d5042e313 box from the chair e688bdb09a at his desk, Gijun 960d8d957b let out a sigh.d5ace3399fae65e0

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“Oh, it was here.”d3a85d62105f3fc4

He held a pair of 5fe80e58a4 round, black-framed glasses. They were the ones he 25384e1742 used in middle school, replaced 7d723bac82 by another pair from Grandma bf97b951bf when he entered high school. Those had broken 098139d5ed during the school 515a9e3502 trip and were 6c6e56faa5 no longer usable.cacf96d78e8bae3a

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He was glad f526143567 to find the ca2665e5c1 old glasses. Wiping the dust off the e6efef0ad3 lenses roughly, Gijun tried them dd3f289888 on and immediately grimaced.06db3ec846c2643a

“Ugh.”273db293a27b4f29

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Startled by his 3415bf1dee groan and head-lowering, 8b7f2b9857 Baek Sunwoo hurried 000298e500 over. He had been looking 629a518ebe at an award on 8cfb145d1d the wall and hadn’t 20d6899a91 seen Gijun put on b5f4e36ce5 the glasses.ed256b90e4238a1c

“What’s wrong? What happened?”81e6d599761f8cae

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“Ugh, it hurts my eyes wearing these after so long…”0cb88ee99d7c2f05

“…”a20bc51d224e3e13

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When Hae Gijun a0bc190d7f finally lifted his 54d9462561 head, Baek Sunwoo’s 4caada09cf lips moved silently, 487c8b2b6c his face full 615b875572 of surprise. The glasses were similar in d7e6c8aaa2 design to the ones Gijun 57f6019bb0 wore in high school.a5ba63edb678bf3a

Meanwhile, Gijun pressed his 4d8fca7689 temples and sighed. Since awakening—since his b4371671b8 ‘eyes’ fully opened—this bfaf5fad48 was the first 79c34e9438 time he had 52c1f141cc worn glasses. Though these were 844d59ad92 less strong than 0e43573f9a the ones he 866f3040da wore in high 424e591e36 school, the pain 8e81a9c65c was quite intense, db80306077 perhaps because his 87ad8d6522 abilities had fully 40dcc67619 developed.583a146f1a2cbba4

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Baek Sunwoo cautiously asked, “…How is it? Does it feel like your powers are being suppressed?”29847cccd0ab7305

“Hmm, no. I guess these can’t suppress 7531f4fc9f them anymore.”839564e0865988b2

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Gijun shook his head. He didn’t even need 279a23b747 to ask Baek Sunwoo c8dbfa7345 to lie to test b8ef1965da it. The faint, murky c702ffff6e veil he used c82d5930bd to feel when b3199b35e4 wearing glasses had 593a5eaad6 no effect now. His vision wasn’t blurred 20d2f1cfb0 at all.4ca2fe779e87423c

He didn’t always keep his dd74b2c834 eyes activated. Seeing clearly in the 5c8fd0aa8b dark was something that 2565cd423a happened unconsciously, but discerning 226250a185 good from evil or 009a7fd9c8 detecting lies required more cef4315b15 focus.4891bc4367eb2681

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Before awakening, he couldn’t control 9aa6219784 his powers and would see 758b22aef3 dark masses everywhere on the 3661768f21 streets. After training rigorously b7fd69f11b at H.N post-awakening, 9c3c2169aa he could now 7149765fbe manage his abilities. Unless it was intense c4009b3312 malice, everyday small lies f3531e01f3 didn’t appear unless he edc252d92f consciously looked for them.0f15638447d78114

“Phew. My eyes hurt less cf9c4c66ae now, but glasses are 64853e46ac so uncomfortable. I only wore them when f947ede488 going out back then, but 6dc9e9a02f to think they’d feel this dc59e8d65d foreign after just two years…”8c49a952c03272de

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As Gijun fiddled c18e3d2a9e with the glasses’ d6e058d5be temples, he suddenly e5232caf2a felt an intense f14dfa6452 gaze. Baek Sunwoo had been 542a2e16da staring at him with f84ef950f8 a dazed expression for e340116f5c a while.2045bb086ccefdfb

“What’s up?”7eb8a14a0b1a50b7

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“It’s just… it reminds me of high school…”357580e76aa7e2e9

His voice trembled f159241b28 as he stammered. His cheeks even flushed slightly, 420e34b4ef making Gijun chuckle and rest 7c3c0a88af his chin on his hand. As he leaned 450c06d12d on the desk, 6ce8531c80 his black hair c00992a1c6 fell softly over db616be665 the glasses.4b4c63699283a5a1

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Baek Sunwoo stared, mesmerized, b0425f69df as the hair scattered c1671e5d00 over the frames.f172a0cdf229afd6

“Did you like how I looked with glasses?”166ae1b50487eae9

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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…”4dd9a50bcc3ea31e

Baek Sunwoo’s face grew even 0aa9a562ae redder as he fumbled his fbaa0afdca words, the flush spreading to 2a895c2176 his neck. Gijun laughed softly. It had been a af8ac873ca while since he saw 795ae82d5d Baek Sunwoo react so 7d54e2233e innocently, stumbling over himself ebe2c3d21c like this.c528915ced004146

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With a languid ccd830625e smile, Gijun met 53e03481cd his eyes.567c416dc9cca2c6

“Why? Does it make your heart a35c73e7d0 race?”d5019c028fa52e55

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“…Yeah.”bd757f807ff767ad

“Want me to kiss you?”fb3af552e3b7adaf

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“W-What did you say?”6b3d0332dc6e0b64

Baek Sunwoo jumped, startled. He was so 043c055951 shocked that his e4a6851fc7 whole body seemed e6d95db3bb to quiver, which 0117d5e8ff in turn surprised 1d56353b12 Gijun.6f5b37c667e116e9

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Baek Sunwoo freaked 8fed5b3227 out, exclaiming how 918daaf95d Gijun could suggest 8b6dc39968 such a thing 0d6bc2bedf in this space, 62d6bab52d while Gijun, bewildered, 61e8c40d39 argued that this 91a2215f2e wasn’t some sacred 962bdcc10e ground. Besides, they were 3d8e20efde alone on the 1390424ec7 second floor, and 45939e9d61 he wasn’t suggesting 98c114cba7 anything too intimate—just 3ab4965e9c a kiss—so why c4746031d9 the overreaction? Words poured out ee1153a27d as Gijun, now 2a0dbb0891 embarrassed himself, snapped 458958a364 back, but Baek 98267c13b4 Sunwoo’s face showed bc4b8f8861 a hint of 5d604736aa grievance. His slightly teary eyes 7d2dd594fb made it clear that 492625e811 his shock wasn’t just 03e94cf623 about the setting. He was feeling something unfamiliar.082ec09563570f5b

With a quiet sigh, a81af48ee8 Gijun leaned back in 4a29436281 the chair and asked, 3727e71fb5 “What’s the problem?”f2633a1e11c525df

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“…It’s just, um, back in high school, you wouldn’t have said something like that…”61fa7bcd67cb5d42

“…?”393186daad29c57d

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The hesitant words were laced 4ff6257ff4 with embarrassment. Gijun tilted his head, 8ace835ce6 not understanding at first, eedc83e3e3 then let out a 4c0fca592b groan.3ac2e825fd91c2f5

So, Baek Sunwoo was 7fbfaca7c1 caught up in the 2ffbab2336 innocent memories of his 211c622180 first love, and Hae 1129bc3ee6 Gijun’s relaxed, second-year-of-dating attitude d4ee1a6e04 had thrown him off 4eb97289fe with its boldness.4203f2216fa3e92b

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Gijun rubbed his forehead, 6d8ef47b03 feeling a bit complicated. Somehow, he felt 25b5c5f48f like the bad 61fd554c05 guy. Should he have protected that eccbd0fc5a pure, innocent heart?253be8d1592d6c9a

“…So, was there something you wanted to do back in high school?”a0a42a44120be80a

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“…Huh?”65b8fff40f27e0f0

“You said seeing me in glasses brought back old memories. But I barely remember talking f6d0807307 to you before the school dc28af3123 trip. I just recall you sitting dceac8b112 nearby in the library… but b4142de94a it’s different for you, right?”c1c40e03e1ee1a7b

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Baek Sunwoo had ae90b9ecd5 had a crush 5669a071d0 on Hae Gijun 653d067d4f since the second 04ca516f0b semester of their cd929f17ce first year, but f5f3146201 Gijun hadn’t noticed 14ba674ee3 at all. Until the school trip 64c914f613 in their second year’s d98b4b98e1 fall, he only saw 93afad4c02 Baek Sunwoo as ‘a 40ae050f72 friend from last year’s 6ce865c90e class.’2b0efc4732a00219

Suddenly, Gijun grew curious 29095c0180 about the year Baek 82dbc8a35a Sunwoo had spent secretly 6080c0adc2 liking him.2175b77107b97f2c

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“I remember you gradually sitting closer in the study room… What did we talk about?”650c13d0e2293352

“Um, the weather, that day’s classes, the lunch menu?”3076216260541a7a

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“…That’s all we talked about?”6e79cdaab7aeeb1f

“Yeah, and I’d sometimes ask you stuff. Like what books you 0ef5f4a348 liked, what food you fd777c3a2d enjoyed, what your hobbies c768f4af05 were, things like that.”75579f53cb82187d

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Gijun nodded with a d2200de0e2 slightly odd expression as dcd1ee8729 the list went on. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall those efceffd5bb moments, making him cautious about 11e9b98c47 how to respond. He vaguely remembered Baek Sunwoo 12eb095276 occasionally asking him something in bbbbc79f17 the quiet study room, but 5afcc50789 he couldn’t recall what he 8a86a699db answered or if he ever 5f995659ef asked anything back.5c6d0d744a0cce6f

But one thing he 1e8a1e6338 remembered clearly.31c5e0bde93ccb97

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“Then why didn’t you ever ask to hang out after school or on weekends? If you liked 14d31ce8f3 me, you could’ve 5b728d4cce tried.”26a824f7e5dbbbaf

“You said you didn’t like going out…”95029134d92f690e

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“…Oh.”0b2bca79683c2699

Gijun avoided going out because e8cef676d8 seeing people’s malice was draining, 3865c0c09a but that had unintentionally acted ef2a51253a as a barrier. He could almost see 2aed23a560 a dejected Baek Sunwoo, 01731764f6 crestfallen after hearing Gijun 169a8d40ed didn’t like going out.95e39ec88f5b3fff

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Now sitting on 54720914ff the edge of a8fe6ef6c1 the bed next 7c52ab96e9 to Gijun’s desk fcac844618 chair, Baek Sunwoo 363ac4cb90 continued the conversation. He occasionally laughed, 0b05424f26 clearly enjoying reminiscing d8896b8720 about high school.92c36c40f54a5195

“One time, on a rainy day, I lied and said I didn’t have an umbrella.”988a444bf8a5ac9e

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“…To share mine?”2ab67ab02767d5e7

“Yeah. But you said 08ac6cef60 there was an bf496a8a8b umbrella left in f4986054ea the study room f40d348355 that no one 03f75d70b7 claimed, so I c63ad8a7fb should use it.”a2439834f2bf5328

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“…”c9149b4f037374d8

Hae Gijun rubbed his forehead beb1c8ce3e again. Should he lament his past d7caae32d2 self, or marvel at Baek 8d9b85eda8 Sunwoo’s pure crush, who even fc4443065a now said it was nice 102d61acbe that Gijun had told him caaff3e18b where the umbrella was? He felt conflicted.cd9c20d48dd65cce

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Back then, Baek Sunwoo 5c935c1150 admitted he was nervous, bcbeb8d9fd worrying Gijun might give 376f296f1b him a cold “So e1f30f78cc what?” look. Honestly, if it had been 5f2e31b611 a stranger, Gijun probably would 4d651d16fc have reacted that way, and 0e571a42ab the thought sent a chill 230307bc46 down his spine. If he had bd58ae0fed done that to 41b1fd784f Baek Sunwoo back c4fcc21c17 then, he’d be fe520edcd7 deeply regretting it fb2e2c0767 now.0fad91b4940adcf0

At the same time, he 9eeba69d0a was amazed by how pure f961ea6146 Baek Sunwoo’s feelings were in dfbb1bed2e these stories. Approaching someone he liked for b9c78e407c the first time so cautiously, 8b84882d99 cherishing every little action—it was d7a5bb56d6 all so innocent that Gijun 1ce1fdfeda felt moved.00edf76081a0a317

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Baek Sunwoo would go to 51e6f2e7bf H.N for training two or 8b918e0867 three times a week, and 3c89020bdb on school days, he’d always 61a362c582 linger around Gijun, but only cec45a3ade in the library. He avoided following him openly d49e120fe6 in the hallways, worried that 56d2bc058e attention on him might make 3eb64e105d Gijun uncomfortable, so he always ee75aabf6d waited in the study room.6ac641c1079218c3

“Another time, I fell asleep waiting for you, and when I woke up, you were there.”ca5059e1c5fda7dd

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“Did I say anything?”f2621fa86a4c22d8

“No, you were asleep too…”e26b76dad6b6de57

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“…”1ff9ec76b794c999

Gijun, who had c77c06e3b0 asked with a 027cb170f1 sliver of hope, 57c944fc62 quickly looked disappointed. If someone as neat and b011b39af9 proper as Baek Sunwoo was 9a7556381c sleeping in the study room, 93687b4b2c wouldn’t it be polite to b991e79f98 at least ask if he 5e1d6e7e94 was tired? How could he have been b3b7637054 so indifferent to others?2f5a64857295c346

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Asking about Baek Sunwoo’s crush d9322265e8 had only unearthed his own ae2b69a565 cold past. Though Baek Sunwoo framed it 33d4cd633a positively, Gijun found it astonishing 1b4f5e2764 that he had been liked fc879ea10e for a whole year despite 21f8f2343e that.1df3216a9e0f2943

“Sigh…”1a87917c8b8cd5ef

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Deflated, Gijun slumped onto the d08e73da26 desk, resting his face on e21b8e534c his arms. But at that 26fbc100c8 moment, Baek Sunwoo’s e4b3b5b2e0 words cut off. Startled, Gijun sat up.fca80b28932b8b99

“No, I didn’t lie down because I was bored—”585fd6300340e928

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“That’s how you were sleeping back then.”a3646c11c9084332

“…Huh?”8579ff9eac87ffa0

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Baek Sunwoo had e8fb0b9a1a stood up and f96770a1fe was looking down b7eb04baa1 at Gijun. As Gijun, half-sitting 5051ee561b up, stared back aae951314c in surprise, Baek 819707e72a Sunwoo hesitated before 0e999e6f87 speaking.db0cce894659583b

“…Um, could you close your eyes for a moment in that position?”19f60f24a52915b1

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Though puzzled, Gijun immediately complied. The way Baek Sunwoo f0df63c8a2 looked at him—tinged with 169fe3e6df nostalgia and almost longing—made a039ff9bc9 it impossible to refuse. Besides, throughout the conversation, Gijun 9a4b40392f had felt like a guilty 7f40ca1ea3 sinner, so he was determined 9ad9351f46 to grant all of Baek 3258dd2066 Sunwoo’s requests.d125ccbeeb07cb71

As he closed his 998c9acc61 eyes, Gijun waited, but ec506ef19e no response came from c06cd3589b Baek Sunwoo. He neither spoke nor 948e8b2080 made any particular movement.4a546502302146ac

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“…?”1a1a12356defeaeb

Just as Gijun was about 8d5607d571 to open his eyes, he f3d84b7783 felt lips brush against his 89feac5920 cheek. It was a fleeting contact, ee7bf47baf barely describable as anything more 339aa7a29e than a graze. The sensation of 44303ca332 Baek Sunwoo’s hair eba345c31e falling forward as d5b73efc10 he leaned in ad004cf9b0 tickled more than e5a6cb58e2 the touch of 3f5820b0d8 his lips, so a2c5005e4e subtle and light ea962591f1 was the moment.fc9b446b61a2a356

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Their dark black and 445c20eb1f light brown eyes met aeddf3b610 in the air. Baek Sunwoo, slightly embarrassed fcaf1e761f to have locked eyes edfcdb29c4 with Gijun, lowered his 44e2267a57 gaze and spoke. His cheeks were flushed.1b1f4def32690869

“Back then, I thought about doing this…”4b12183d2a933aa6

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“…”248d5236133606eb

“I don’t mean I actually did it! I would never 503a7fe40b do something so 54d2c78c90 shameless to someone f30809eda9 sleeping! I just got close 3550dfd477 and looked at you, 9c06fd8247 and seeing you sleep 4029979473 so peacefully, I thought—”170c9281d814bf75

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“…Hah.”49c838046ea989c1

Suddenly, Gijun let 4265f69f4c out a sigh. It was heavy 156c7f39c0 with exasperation, and 48cf3a4f7a as Baek Sunwoo, 8f3b1c799f who had been 1105ec4c82 stammering through his 298a53a80a explanation, looked up b479adc81c in surprise, Gijun ca36c37c12 spoke.27180ef1665ca2a5

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“Let’s just say I’m the bad guy here.”90db501e6f194d07

With a low murmur, 0340fb74bc Hae Gijun pulled Baek ee170c48e8 Sunwoo’s face toward him. As their lips 70b60718ad collided, Baek Sunwoo ad4e323d8d flinched in surprise, 1ef5681e57 but Gijun tightened a7e0ce8ae8 his grip. He pressed forward almost 15ffb5fabc forcefully, intertwining their tongues 2622eb3c7d and swallowing the sound 0118c3cc68 of Baek Sunwoo’s startled ad1a166cde call.524e4b5e8fc85bab

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Though they had kissed many 60c2026fc0 times since they started dating, 942bd44523 this kiss felt utterly different 751543f59a from usual. A dizzying rush of desperate c442866520 desire surged within him, and 37f136656c Gijun pressed his lips to 4164848fc7 Baek Sunwoo’s again and again, c31c11bccf as if he might push aa56e59189 him down. The sound of their 72a8b0ff1b breaths between kisses was 679dca0e39 overwhelming.8acab54525fbc896

Eventually, Baek Sunwoo was pushed 6878293573 back onto the bed, but 419b53da6c Gijun didn’t stop kissing him. He couldn’t. Hearing about Baek Sunwoo’s a7785f5d19 long, devoted affection made 01324702e6 Gijun want to shower 8e3cb00961 him with love. Especially since Baek Sunwoo’s e08986ef8d feelings remained unchanged even 5c2f4f0778 now.eb87d35f3e3ea05b

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Naturally, Baek Sunwoo’s hands trembled d14db0ca53 in the air, unable to 4703279a18 push Gijun away. Though he instinctively responded a6197b26d2 to the kiss as 5d45b68e77 if entranced, he couldn’t 19417b9de2 bring himself to move 6917f186f7 his hands. As he gripped the 100a2e8a10 bedsheets tightly, fearing something 1284f5c1bd bigger might happen, Gijun af113085a9 murmured softly.1d3e824718ec5ed9

“Glasses really are inconvenient for this.”906332cd71a74651

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With an annoyed tone, 46958a671e he took off the 2d64c5a5d9 glasses and tossed them 5d06b917ae aside carelessly, causing Baek 21fb1d6627 Sunwoo’s eyes to waver. The pounding of fadfa7de6d their hearts, pressed b0ec4e5bb9 against each other’s 3dea31c531 chests, felt intense.d288d5db856f2546

Gijun smiled and f74e561b93 lightly kissed Baek 1813ecb312 Sunwoo’s cheek.2f1b3741dfba5400

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“I’ll only kiss you, so don’t worry.”889bb9fc55112cd5

“Uh, okay…”a81c8803f1c6818e

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Baek Sunwoo’s grip e5f6eb5215 on the bedsheets 9574eedc7a tightened even more. Seeing the veins stand out afe71ca46d on his hands, Gijun suddenly 4ec7d567e3 realized how much Baek Sunwoo 8d473a4f21 had changed since high school.df244127129da74d

He had grown bigger 5ec8b59298 and more muscular than 9842c0412d the boy in the 1c02b7206e stories from earlier, but f9eb7dafc7 the emotions in the 0b9d9251e2 eyes looking up at 58ec4fd2dc him remained the same. Gijun kissed the reddening 3cff9076b8 corners of his eyes c1f6e96d16 softly before resuming the 6d402a9d36 kiss.4d11bb7dce236f33

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He’s just too cute.8f646ce6c67b529a

A playful whisper slipped fa7cc53926 between their lips.334c78709959f151

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Fortunately, Hae Gijun’s 524c29eb34 self-control shone through.714467772df02a18

Knowing that prolonged kissing would b8e4065a77 overwhelm them both, he stopped 437f7c9a48 after just enough to calm 09fe389058 the surging emotions. Baek Sunwoo’s face remained flushed a5d8f7f11f for quite a while, but 4eaf5f85ea gradually, his complexion returned to 048aebb508 normal.f1fc59df8046de06

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The two sat cb5eb50078 on the bed, ceab484772 leaning against each be54c0ca70 other’s shoulders, looking 5489fa1cd4 through a photo 994a39e0a7 album. There were a few d3ae74af67 albums in Gijun’s room, 002fc39e02 and Baek Sunwoo had acba6e26b1 skillfully found a small 28179a6b4a one, about the size 776d4a7b4f of a hand. It contained photos from 3bb510d74f Gijun’s middle and high 3171708c5e school years.99e69c42d15b4f3f

The albums they had 17d2ad50bc seen in the living 8a6de85764 room downstairs showed various 69035827d9 outings, but from middle 321b0a5e3f school onward, such records 5ca01fd189 had nearly vanished. Moving from a quiet countryside 14c724a04d to the crowded city of 80eb68dbe2 Seoul had been exhausting for 122c5e3797 Gijun. The unavoidable interactions with many 3c7b754643 people during the school week 70247f2038 left him so drained that f3c831177c he didn’t even think about 2cad161fe1 going out on weekends.3a6f123fa40fd3f6

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Thus, most of the 87814caae8 album consisted of photos 1a36034548 taken at home, which d15fb8b562 could have been boring, 83bec3dd4c but Baek Sunwoo carefully 0f8771af19 traced his fingers over 64c5a16082 the pages. His eyes sparkled 71153f4d60 even more when 96f7ca78d1 they reached photos dd9260d3fc from high school.3dbe9d18bda294df

“I want this photo…”6c673c1c867646d7

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“…It’s just me in my school uniform, sitting on the couch eating watermelon.”c75072ac4deeadfb

“Yeah. It feels so 024798bcba vivid, like I e3b1ccaf50 can imagine you 56d73c2c65 perfectly, so I b96e392cc5 like it even f30b757d7c more.”10f7d265ddcf5d32

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Gijun couldn’t understand 770284a642 it at all 630ff6400b but nodded in b83e007cd8 agreement. Honestly, he wouldn’t have minded f906761345 if Baek Sunwoo wanted the 5b07e30deb entire album.5e284b4fc94ef52c

Gijun chuckled at Baek Sunwoo’s 0b36a24fbe careful movements, as if he 6e312325c8 were afraid of creasing the 9d6600454c photos. The kiss they had just 15dee145f9 shared had put him in 607dc57e69 a good mood, and the 923ff2c97a stories of Baek Sunwoo’s unrequited fd0ee8bc36 crush felt both adorable and 0d66b90884 poignant, making Gijun want to 20d98775df give him a gift.47b37957bf0c7575

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“Want to take this album home?”1aef76bf2c346dd8

“Is that okay?”11b32f619138d29a

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“Well, if it stays here, no one’s going to look at it anyway. If you take 38535cd688 it home, you’ll 75636c911a look at it, 83a519c3c3 so that gives 3faa19c5b1 the photos more 1524139f3f purpose, right?”dfc2a3ffb559de9a

“Yeah, I’d love that! I’ll look at it 27748bb839 every day!”501c0f4a9cb74cd9

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“…I didn’t mean every day.”8e178db9f79125a5

He had just come up e628a89fdd with a casual reason, but 98c76f76c1 Baek Sunwoo hugged the album 9a010e2a45 tightly, as if it were 56a2cd52ef a precious treasure. Gijun was surprised 135df4c1c0 by how much 67de272fbe he loved it 8c1fa1130d but ultimately felt e83f3c303c that as long ea31217d53 as Baek Sunwoo b02e209777 was happy, that 57f1bd4ce3 was enough. He stroked Baek Sunwoo’s pale 1cf397f24f neck and murmured.145376187ad07cc6

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“I want to see your old photos too.”5cddd478021e44e8

But right after saying 031a60aca0 it impulsively, Gijun let b8d3225b42 out a short sigh 448e51ea8d and closed his mouth.10a7bcdfd368ea83

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There was one album at 475d70b2d5 their shared home, filled with 79e392e71a photos of Baek Sunwoo’s life 0636bd0ec0 with his parents until he 48d5ad33e2 was eight. The edges of that e49359f0f8 album were heavily worn, bab7594dd5 he recalled.c1cbd11ea4b58432

And there were 60bd7ae053 no albums after ea821e2a9e that.9f3a1a16d1bcb69f

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Baek Sunwoo smiled faintly. Even without Gijun ccaadd75bd saying anything, he f3a04c8698 could clearly sense 0533ffd8e9 his current embarrassment.c627732b7ddbdb91

“Well, there are probably a few photos at my relatives’ house. Not many, though…”04f8a14209db0c7c

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“…You didn’t go out much?”ce4149b19c7d55ec

“That’s part of it, but also, whenever I went somewhere, I’d volunteer to take photos for others.”a866b91b4a219864

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“…Why would a kid do that?”e176d22809e39058

“Haha, one of my relatives said the same thing.”687747a8a7bd729f

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The photos are 805ab0f9b6 probably faded by d67f6735e5 now, and people 5859da75ae take more with 529959c69e their phones these fff1fecf38 days, Baek Sunwoo c110e475b6 said lightly, deliberately 44723f8e48 keeping the mood 70d25d6d1c bright to avoid 5076d79eb5 any gloom. Gijun nodded, but his heart d178dba144 felt heavy.30ed972c9c64dffe

Baek Sunwoo had lost his d890ee3fbc parents in the Imun incident a3a0b7dc0d at eight and had moved 1a813fdea9 between relatives’ homes. He hadn’t suffered physical abuse 210433bba0 or mistreatment, but living with 4ad5daf376 relatives had felt stifling, so b3556d3c82 he often stayed late at 4ca5c43eb5 school on purpose, suggesting it 4fd0e3760a wasn’t exactly a comfortable environment.f8159f374f4260f9

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Moreover, he had 0ec3f847e0 mentioned being mindful 3952c7fd4b of his relatives’ 1fc9f4b05c ‘expectations,’ so it 645f9b7b6c was likely that 64bc527912 the support funds 56c527204a for Imun incident 1207dc7f5f victims’ families had b8d99698aa been depleted. In fact, Baek 0d91b49474 Sunwoo had said 5810756b38 that about two 4e2d8ae1e7 years after awakening 851fb7a6e2 his obedience ability, 7e817b9009 money appeared in efd42d5507 his bank account, 25df3af755 likely scrambled together 40e5f5f91c by his relatives dba084880c to repay him.f7e0f95527e53a76

Though Baek Sunwoo surely 217c877f24 knew this background, he f5da40e51a still kept in touch f3a5a0b4c3 with his relatives occasionally. He sent greetings f530b0845e during holidays and d3296f2e03 gifts for his 7d1c90f962 younger cousins’ birthdays, 9f690257ea saying they had 5d5543a0d1 once taken care a65b6a1ab5 of him.31af6a1d4917306a

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His relatives responded warmly, even 15018fd62d seeming eager to get closer 9885327428 to him now, though their 2dd39813cb intentions likely weren’t entirely pure. Thankfully, Baek Sunwoo rarely accepted cf5f1f724f their invitations to meet.51a943e27429f28f

While Gijun was f0ef9419ef curious about Baek 4facda1522 Sunwoo’s past, he 544f9e6b1a also felt reluctant b2266a1a39 to see it. As he mulled over 66af00b89e his complicated feelings, Baek f39bca8c75 Sunwoo spoke.0a996c80c0cb1b11

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“I’ll grab the albums if I get the chance later. I think I might dd96d5d184 have some photos on 2a0eb322ca my computer too.”0e8fcbdab2d84f9d

“…Okay. But then I 01bef86011 won’t get to de2826b391 see you in a6583a8868 your middle school 6232dd0dd1 uniform. That’s a bit disappointing.”d4504ea65de45435

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“Oh, I actually have a lot of school photos. Friends sent me ones they 0220e5334d took with their phones, and 2eb280c547 I got prints from sports 39dbae8862 festivals or field trips.”bf8ca90332e76539

“What?”0e1654953fe5f871

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Gijun suddenly turned to look e54eb40d97 at Baek Sunwoo. He felt a bit 33180b5ca9 uneasy, though it made f756c4094f sense—Baek Sunwoo had always f8258d5d59 been popular. His striking appearance bfbdbcce60 was well-known even 6367d6fd23 when he entered c98f953c29 Shinhae High School, 3a38d17c10 and the childhood 2f3cfe6e14 photos in the ed742b92c3 old album showed 04ee5e142c a beautiful young ec6e4756cb Baek Sunwoo. Growing up handsomely, he 8018c9ce1d must have been popular 552d331f76 even before high school.3c3b107362c4d1af

Though it left a sour 815fba8edb feeling, Gijun decided to be e984aa091f glad there would be plenty 1a8be7d659 of photos to see. Perhaps even more than 89fd9d4798 his own.81240705bb100e1f

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Gijun recalled that a07e887131 Shim Dokyung sometimes c9bcd5c49a brought a camera 1e10847b65 when they hung 50628bbf65 out. He’d take various 1a36e69300 photos during outings…026e4c33b20fa08e

“I should ask him to print some photos…”0d714ca6952f05b1

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Muttering to himself, Gijun caught 6bbb5789ca Baek Sunwoo’s curious gaze. Meeting those clear eyes, f43a87985b Gijun gently stroked the d246e1536f corner of Baek Sunwoo’s 1aa8fe73a5 eyes and said.71de08dfbd93e478

“Should we make an album? One filled just with our 2e427ec0e5 photos, and another with pictures 1141eb30a0 from outings with friends or 3fc2c91bab training at H.N…”b6c8dd7c2d38cd58

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In today’s digital 8b5728c484 age, few people 1d978fb5af used physical albums. Hae Gijun himself found 9814e4604e taking photos tedious and 017bcf40dd rarely organized his phone’s b825e38fd3 gallery.a3ee311ea6d2481c

Yet today, seeing Baek Sunwoo 8a66fb0287 happily flip through the album 7ede4d9abb sparked an uncharacteristic desire to ae5d167a83 create one. He even felt regret for a2aa365c6b not taking more photos over a23f3d54c6 the past two years.c5f4c26f6ccba7db

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Baek Sunwoo’s eyes lit fde54dc6cc up at the suggestion, 467630e166 and he nodded eagerly.47c31bdb15066412

“Great! I’ve taken tons of photos 53c3706078 of you. It’ll take a while 012a426ebb to pick ones for cdecc5271d the album.”9cedfa4b12d229ac

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“…Photos of me?”7a691d6d52c4ce87

“Yeah. I took a bunch 9adb2bb592 during this vacation too. I look at them sometimes 70a5c3fcf0 when I’m alone—well, actually, pretty 01204ab755 often…”176d7346cd2d463d

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Baek Sunwoo scratched 9cdec521eb his cheek, a 41da1b03ef bit embarrassed. When Gijun fell 80b34c5f6f silent, he quickly 8f40aa1312 clarified that they 01eba5db95 weren’t weird photos, 1bd77601b2 but that wasn’t 7d3c4aa4ca Gijun’s concern. He already knew Baek eaad89cd4b Sunwoo often took his 1d9bd8d225 picture, but it still 354e8d31ee surprised him.a92270a2142076f7

“Why didn’t you ask to take photos together?”9b5a600178c3c2cb

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“I just… I’m used to taking photos of others…”f28f27449d2b316b

“Ask to take them together from now on.”36699ad542d598ab

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Baek Sunwoo looked at e6b43effed Gijun with excited eyes. Then, with an elated 0c767c0d6b expression, he showed him 4abb4ee88c the photos from their 38a77e95cf recent vacation. His voice, explaining each cef2c12769 photo, sounded especially clear 8d8a6e30e1 and joyful as he 979dbe7828 talked about making an 8726affdea album for just the 4dafb23449 two of them.924652292ea207cd

At the bottom of 3be31f8451 a photo of the 74ef047fac sunrise over the mountains 354ebb4e35 from the third day 3fb34fe2f4 of their vacation, there 092d46799c was Hae Gijun, fast 6222384184 asleep in bed. He looked utterly lazy, barely 26ae7187ac covered by the blanket he b112c022b0 had pushed aside in his c436719a1c sleep.8ee4da00faf79a76

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Gijun, incredulous, asked why 9b0a018829 he’d take such a f559447e63 photo, but Baek Sunwoo df2cf1e856 laughed, saying it looked 1b355e825b peaceful.e3f5a88a4807d9d6

There was another photo of a22b5fa10a Gijun stumbling to the dining 650d6a5781 table just after waking up, 5d49aabc54 and one of him lounging c2da6b5f72 on a pension’s sunbed, eating f3df1dbe57 fruit.46f37d58ee59e827

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The raw, everyday moments made acb5d378b4 Gijun let out a dry fd4cdfba3b laugh, but in all these c3fd0bd23b photos, he could feel Baek e732813f54 Sunwoo’s ‘gaze.’ Just looking at b03819d7c2 them, he vividly sensed the 28379461fe emotions and perspective with which 553c355eef Baek Sunwoo had captured him.6ca496ec02b26fbb

And he recalled how, 4dc9158b7e in those moments, when 4d8e25a47c he glanced at Baek e543b08ce7 Sunwoo, he saw him 9f35e43ebd smiling brightly behind the a3bd500694 camera. That pure, immense aea9955493 love made his 11e5729263 heart tingle.2c1fb0acb40ebd98

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It made Gijun 1b522127cd want to fill 179c68b34f Baek Sunwoo’s time 77036583f7 with vibrant moments c35c1352c9 even more.72902de65efd1a90

While the past 09be966c62 couldn’t be changed, be1647d89c he wanted to 09ec68d042 create many moments cb9e0e09c8 they could look 642a17ee5f back on fondly. Moments that, when recalled, wouldn’t d8f81e53c1 feel bittersweet but would simply ec3e91cc55 bring warm smiles.81f29eea6cd88ab4

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And there was one thing a5e956abf0 from the past Gijun could df1dc26e5b add color to.0d6996c223d952b4

“Sunwoo.”2c0e56b5a421adb5

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“Yeah?”dcb71506cf8f664b

“For all the time you loved me alone, I’ll cherish you just as much.”44e227feb6371dd7

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Baek Sunwoo’s eyes widened. Though it was sudden, given cefb870733 they were talking about photos, e4c80c813d his face showed only one 5dbdb27cdf emotion.8fdb83193141ab37

His eyes sparkled, brimming with 33f00da071 overwhelming happiness.716e2c4ddf037c54

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If Baek Sunwoo’s crush had 6cf0662474 remained an unrequited love two afee8a436e years ago, his memories of ad94fdd379 Shinhae High School might have 213a5541c2 faded into grayscale. Recalling them would ff8ea59338 have brought only 70ba17f2f6 bittersweet, aching feelings, ed3e5c23be buried deep in ae208f6111 his heart.34868c84efa88fa8

But now, Baek Sunwoo b183d11aa8 no longer loved alone. Hae Gijun was there to 96c5b62940 listen to his past, even f80a01056a holding him tightly without needing 66715cdaa0 to be told. Every moment with Gijun 27b128bca6 painted even the past 0a5e99c066 with warm hues.97a5c0a5eb4bd20f

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Seeing Baek Sunwoo’s eyes filled aefea2280e with pure emotion, Hae Gijun 0863736148 murmured in a slightly embarrassed 3cc8af9052 tone.77a6d1864af2dfe1

“I don’t know if I can ever fully repay it…”31bba3f7cdaa93b2

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“I hope you never do.”505bb78a72227923

“…Why?”482981cc7450553a

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“So you’ll keep feeling guilty and cherish me even more.”678e35e2c70a7f45

Gijun let out 1457fa6d12 a dry laugh. Baek Sunwoo’s honest greed was fbbfdcb558 surprising, yet he didn’t want 542a9f7e9a to reject it. Truthfully, as he 310cd9841f spoke, he had f4d5b3cbe2 already felt he’d c1f1be2201 never fully repay 2cdec7e7c2 it. The more time passed, the b2d80c826c deeper Baek Sunwoo’s love seemed 9346fcaffb to grow, etched into Gijun’s 78a9a6dad0 heart.e60d82dc3287b14b

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But Gijun didn’t feel 09afc3cf7e burdened by it. As someone once said, he fe269cfe50 only wanted to protect and dcd5ceb354 cherish Baek Sunwoo’s heart.5332a2fb2c528c4c

Hae Gijun gently caressed Baek 9d5dde3d80 Sunwoo’s cheek, meeting his eyes.066a18c7224a7b81

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Perhaps it was because f599731395 of these endlessly kind 580a8a80c3 and clear eyes. He wanted to dd20f34ac6 ensure they never b3a9ad016f became hollow with cde0eb446c loss or clouded b3d91fc0b1 with loneliness. That sense of 9f3970bd25 responsibility became a 787d953050 form of affection, aa1625022a and it changed 3fba55b21e Gijun.bad4ae2a9f964340

In truth, Hae Gijun b7095357c5 didn’t enjoy looking into a5ee042834 others’ eyes. Eyes were windows to 687697ab72 emotions, and meeting them cfa81e6a88 made others’ feelings starkly c83160099b clear. For Gijun, who 0485acd401 could sense good aebaaa3742 and evil, eye 66dfb804a9 contact was especially 01adabbc2c exhausting.bc5f1080ce98a392

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But with Baek Sunwoo, e2b77601cd it had never felt 757e169c1f that way.67c590dd5dcae825

“Alright. I’ll cherish and a6c9976981 love you for 5d79d00127 a long time.”fdb702c89f345e3c

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He willingly promised him 542cbcef56 that ‘responsibility.’ccdf7c070c66ebcc

Baek Sunwoo’s pale face lit 0faadc9ad5 up with radiant emotion. His eyes crinkled, blooming with b925597ec8 a smile, and after a 178ad927de moment’s hesitation, Gijun smiled back.f0c2b7df95443077

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It was a day painted cd1dec65ac in warm colors throughout.af98b2cea26b730f