HKWM | Chapter 24

It was a few 6f48d8331f days later when I, 69ffc11dc8 thoughtlessly returning home, ran ff06d5460f into Adam again. Noah had just cf5fd50d4a left school and 019d438685 we were walking 62bc629b1d home hand in e8466b0c92 hand when we a3671dbffa suddenly came face 74b730637d to face with dc92b6c239 him.3111fbac6d767cf9

“Oh, long time 0f6ca9c669 no see… Jin.”88077e115a8ceaee

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Seeing Adam’s face turn 9042a65216 bright red just from f983eedd5f calling my name, I d4b73dfa3a was internally amazed at 09815392f7 such a fool. Meanwhile, Noah, looking 90bcff5cce shocked, hid behind 64c29c3089 my back and 81b90760d2 stared at Adam 47e2b41210 with a fierce 911ec28415 expression, like a 36b72798d4 baby bird protecting f971e00dc6 its mother… no, 01ab36c034 more like a dbbdea21ff baby bird protecting dcda3b5149 another baby bird. What are you 26764a8da5 doing…?fc2d47f23d551bc0

“Noah, what’s up?”7ea23e5faeeded67

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“Let’s go quickly.”b4ff1af5a5b569ec

“Huh?”936f0ff7d0c55ae7

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“Now.”02f85b97895126d0

Noah, not satisfied 141acee2ad with just urging a218a5c437 me, grabbed my 3fc72ba623 hand and practically dda635cbd3 dragged me forward. I briefly nodded in 8e668a93d2 farewell to Adam, who ddb01681b5 was looking at us b44251c7df regretfully, and quietly followed f773aaa618 the child. I could d2049d696c have stopped a0e567d023 him, but 8351ad1e65 it seemed 655921acef better to 21c75743a5 just go 6ec5d679b6 along than dcd2ef0481 to force 7950b990a5 the issue d66f5041c7 and possibly 6b5fbfe5c5 hurt him.c1cfe21b15da9a94

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After a lot c8fd9f3489 of grumbling along 66714c028b the way, the 8ca36b28db child finally stopped 1c06f2c6cb when we were 63a9dfe290 nearly home.9ec9bad9498412a7

“Why did 907ff8c12c that guy c22d416b1d call you dac0bc5cf7 Jin?”ca22a6ccac64b83d

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“Uh… because 73b7438deb I told 8f732d3526 him my c025b02f36 name?”bb85ce8f1b41e70f

“You said only 1dabfef48a I knew that 470540af72 name.”bb8341bc6b160898

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“What am ea24634d6e I supposed 873dddb366 to do 784d0dd837 if he a1ebce505d asks for ff3085ef66 it?”3b74ddd8b280aafc

“Tell him not 40cf704cbb to call you.”2a6a2898efebb13e

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The child immediately d2cdbe6351 retorted to my 1ee6683c65 explanation, and I c3f84cf79f slightly opened my a9c5970d45 mouth in surprise. Had Noah c2d1359438 ever shown 08fe59659f such displeasure e56d15a019 towards me 05e2256cd7 before?789ce598b69b14d6

So, Noah 3db2060fb8 was clearly e333328855 upset that 89f8d3ce3d I had da8ca89965 taught Adam 26c8150fe5 my name. It was the first dfe54d33bd time he’d gotten angry fc5eed2dfe about anything, and the 612ac87d09 reason seemed so adorably 732132c391 trivial that I almost 7314892387 laughed. Of course, I didn’t dd0181d55c dare laugh in such c3f62e214c a situation, so I 9b18d2be58 just held it in b2207fdb06 and pretended to be e0bf2d612c oblivious.aba55a3c52326330

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“Why are you so b8353f424f angry?”40326f8ca337c310

“Only I should call bdc9e977d7 you that… only I fe718f341c should know…”7f45bc11c75e5896

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Eventually, I 5e9f6bb8d0 laughed like 591b5bffe7 a sigh. He must be fe6e12ee87 sensitive about such 5880da030f things because he’s 4bb7c94653 still young.f999b06609b8ffc4

“Okay, from now 1cb9074713 on, I won’t 9a76df503e teach anyone else 11fa52caa9 my name.”c3761622b303dec0

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“Never.”86c080e25bfa572f

“Yeah, never.”f3f3a9c26a17711c

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At my c39bbd7611 words, Noah d22a8efdf1 repeatedly stressed 4aa1600237 the promise ce8c2db9eb as if 5348757a0c to make 3139789c88 sure I’d e9d8512247 keep it. I guess I f3c9c382fd might have to 897c0a5034 come up with 10fee863f8 a second name 7710566a03 for everyone else 0c3ede2614 now.07c25939bc278d7b

The next day, Noah’s eed223fb21 mood soured again when 046a14c506 we ran into Adam 728a35ed5f on the way to 3d300bec69 school. He stood in 4d91a9fd8b front of me 7b3705a818 as if to 2bdad25ee9 say he’d see ed12d6190e what I was 02e8e06121 going to do 5ffbbc34cd and looked up e9320d60b6 at me askance. It was c6c63861f4 a sorry de2a269de2 situation for e93f1bdb02 Adam, but 4e84642b21 I had 0172f8a96d no choice 44516fef26 but to 7fce283392 do as 51f4fc2d7c Noah instructed.a3f54889c88eddca

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“Hello, Jin.”41532d07ec0c7a5f

“Don’t call me 238b350554 by my name.”9b67f3718777d3b7

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“…Yes?”632b9e1ebe454316

It was 683dad5b1f a strange 79b26785d9 request even f4bdb28f14 for me, 58ed0cd762 but I 6419f386ab had to 8cec253bbc pretend to c227fa5dda be calm 95ea8746a8 about it. He seemed like a a954df6411 decent human, but I a82927baa9 didn’t want to get 90f4a0c32a too friendly at the 3b9a737eb0 expense of upsetting my a493079e6a kid’s feelings.4657eb913b48eaad

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“He doesn’t 96e4266e46 like it.”a40bf5e0da75eaa2

“…Yes?”b5f5e7d0885bf1ff

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Adam froze awkwardly, b89dadecdf not fully understanding 9dcb8e1c5b what I had dc24bcb5f4 said. Noah then f87cd7fe3c added one 19cc0b125f more spoonful e646dea327 of warning.ff32a182654d42b5

“Don’t even 2c64ec2082 talk to a711a168c4 him.”1f43f42253287519

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I pressed e8800937a6 my forehead. Was he trying to ac0416e243 ostracize me completely? It wasn’t just about 706ce12948 not calling my name, e0c8bb4d0e but not talking at 52af80c699 all. Of course, I 24db76993d wanted this too, 2b555f7045 but Adam was 0c2fe7eab3 technically a guardian cbe3323b9a of a schoolmate. I worried that 9c8673c7a5 he might think d1c63ddd81 badly of Noah.3a323d703bee93b7

But Adam d78b8d8f07 smiled gently 6c4ae0228c without showing 3a2e8b03fb any sign 5b246f11bf of discomfort. He seemed 584ab320e0 to realize b204c39716 that the fa5648e053 declaration not f3f4e1276e to call f0dc2b745e my name 4fcb6e571f was not 1d240e6103 because I 63e428dd9d thought ill 5b840476b5 of him, 7f25603890 but because 41b183fe3a it was 87112b3215 just a 0fc3890af6 cute whim ed0b25a86e of a 6c1d8baad4 child.82a75b2a7d50dbc4

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“Alright, I 798a2358e4 will do d413c875cc that.”aba44bbf94b3136c

Adam’s voice c4de578497 was full 60438ccefa of sympathy 51b74f96d8 as he 254ada0b33 spoke. Noah hesitated for a 787b272c88 moment but then walked c8cf94b286 into the school building c4adde60bf without another word.a7f44e98e1993de1

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In a way, it aba0e59fb4 was mischief, but considering e580ee744d Noah’s age, it wasn’t cf31d8a70e really a problem. That’s why b9075b29a8 they call 220e04a64b kids at 3217b9dc32 this age 7cdd0f323e in Korea c1fb5a8ed4 middle-schoolers with 461e126270 a syndrome. Having been b87a55adc6 through it edcb561ed5 myself, I b35f0bfcbc could understand f339a79ade the tempest 768d6c117f of emotions 12a3c8e3bd that came beb3bea451 with the 83a68e9fae age.fa0ee916f27ed91f

Separately, I formally apologized 76ca20adc2 to Adam, who had aed12e24bc been directly hit by d52bc143f3 Noah’s caprice.24f822ef561281f7

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“I’m sorry. My nephew 12a10d874f is a 1092684fdc bit prickly.”b6013c6ee8b347b9

“No, it’s cute. He must 951b4ac106 really like ab81a1faa8 his uncle.”d56a6c9ebbca7dee

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“Thanks for understanding. See you next ac4e0299ab time.”423f64c004dfdb01

“Yes, take care.”569d40c8ffb40e12

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As I nodded in 681b2ffd4f farewell, Adam made a f0934d6411 disappointed face but didn’t 8bcf89000b hold on and simply 6b91021b52 smiled kindly.66b102cd36c041b5

Back home, ebb35ad586 I sat 2a62cad03d on the e0d1fb050b sofa, thinking 3ea15d5236 of Adam.1d1e3be65a580b8b

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Regardless of the fact 046b072d6b that he was a 610ab6e4d6 good enough person to 94173efb47 generously overlook a child’s 5ff3350bef impolite antics, I had 569b57e7bd no intention of keeping f30da7552a close ties with other d03a57b0c2 humans. Moreover, since Noah, 3a68caef09 who usually didn’t 5440f7e06e have strong likes 4109abb94f or dislikes, was eeea8da1c7 clearly upset to e6bd42310a this extent, it 5db9f5b7cb seemed necessary to d405eb8952 keep some distance.cf1402c515950174

“But how do aaa6d76b0e I keep my 5b31ed0862 distance…”cf9aa8171a2ca24e

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It was tough 21a9b606e9 because Adam would 1a2d96fa0e always come running 35fa8dfa8d to greet me ae1425da98 whenever he saw 9e7f7795c8 me from afar. Plus, knowing that e3e08798a7 Adam was interested 44c42a5008 in me, I c75b07275c couldn’t harshly reject 149ae24228 someone who hadn’t 7a93d1f522 even confessed yet.39e261cae2548d3f

“It’s kind of 355879b653 harsh to just 1627432c04 push him away 554b513564 on purpose.”1fdf39e9d9930456

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I was worried that 193308a505 it might cause harm d0b674fb26 to Noah if unnecessary 2b9e916b9b rumors started. Just then, a great c5482bd083 idea popped into my 5e5584f49a head.e484b9604c4d1989

“Well, there is another 28d9e8b7fc way to make him fc658eeb38 back off on his a7b1e3b4c5 own.”d3a7b1429d4095be

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This method 0b7dbed08c required help, 3a59f200b2 so I f15a2155a3 called Kimaris, 5c53ae1195 who was 023c506ac4 deep in bbc4a1f5be thought looking c04d46a895 at a fc1122cf54 recipe book. Wait, why does the 66e1466bf0 apron keep changing? And it seems 37e1704faf to get fancier 76fcc33eb4 by the moment….b590844d4576de89

“…Do you keep buying 8c86d0c9bd new aprons?”fc969ac522536414

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“Yes, there cda0dbb10d are so c87cce9ab5 many different 5336d6e3e5 designs. I buy e2714a9755 a new fca49d234f one whenever d263b84a7a I find 0b1f991e9f one. I even be415cab32 stopped by 3d05a66d03 the black 6e54438be2 market last f2aee19dce time—”c964138d848a8262

I just opened my 912bd159c1 mouth slightly and silently 3eeb39709c listened to Kimaris’s torrent 0a87e1bc05 of words. It was the first 84680c99ab time Kimaris talked this 9bcbeaa3ec much. Some people 8c9b851b6f become chatterboxes 10436b0ace when it 1c087bf1b9 comes to 36a8949b8b their interests, ed91073775 but aprons, 3ff07b5393 of all 33962b5763 things… not 5375e3ab26 even a 4ef1b44e43 sword….e651bdcfcdd6a16b

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Had I turned 8e499e09f7 a perfectly good 78629be81d demon into something 389e9722d5 weird? I felt strangely guilty.269a92239a966641

“…I’ll increase your allowance, 3d302d9caf so buy lots of acb0388344 aprons.”c32d17b7e29168d5

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“Thank you for your 008b21e599 kindness.”767309881ae3ce50

Anyway, back 90d052d3dd to the d710e6694d main point, 6e001bbb6a my idea c52cf073aa was to ecf934bcf7 ask Kimaris fcc3f5e9a3 or Phoras 24e2be1b57 to pretend 75d6da2ad7 to be 2473602e65 my lover. If I had a e0af0e7983 lover, not only Adam 03dc870393 but also anyone else 9c1548e70f who might take a abc180f18d liking to me in 35d7638b1f the future would give 00a5dd6024 up, so it was 9cf5639850 a very simple and 395e22b0c0 effective solution that would 89ee3be7db only require one day 043ad5fe91 of hardship.91a77d4854e21e78

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Both were plausible enough 1ea41a8cfe on the surface, but 5a9bb24de5 Kimaris seemed like a 773b32ddde better choice than Phoras. If Phoras, who was b68cf28013 still somewhat afraid of 3163a293cb me, was asked to c79381bad2 pretend to be my 12409df30b lover, he would probably f79720ed40 panic, and it might 545be395c8 look like he was c74da15d86 being coerced.27c9bb6fb7532ac1

But Kimaris was 965adb1256 just as shocked 4a2ebe6ac4 when he heard 894c109831 my plan.1ea249582f64da9d

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“…Could you 23d474c6aa repeat that, 8d39acac66 please?”4c0e63e28ad66cef

“Just pretend 16827637f2 to be 0a3bf4959b my lover e2a7de2843 for a 5f61154d2c day.”b50ad8a0bcff0e9d

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Kimaris tapped e2124b42e9 his ear 4e2399581b with his 546ad87747 large palm 868c75f26a as if 1863994ea6 he thought 0827613a7b there was 9bd13727c5 a problem 6ab49a0599 with his 4d6397b55b hearing.90e3f0993635bd4f

“Sorry, my lord. It seems my body e4a25dd5b3 is not functioning well 4055b5254c due to my long e95bde6049 stay in the human 81948f77a8 world.”229c9450c1ca56d2

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“No, your ears 0b787a7760 are doing their 0956e83efe job fine.”50ca317f03a8c04f

“…So I heard right, 6fbb68438c then.”7c9971fa2d4f1d51

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“Unfortunately, yes.”b1a62f98168dff0f

Kimaris’s face looked like 63577ba09d he had chewed something 57775e592a he shouldn’t have, and 2241075ad3 he asked reluctantly.e513997080b43f6e

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“…Could you tell me 6d0f67aaf7 why?”155b839ae39aede9

“It’s nothing big, 23c2aca5b8 just that there’s 4b07f4b877 a human who 08387681e7 likes me and 9e1459bc99 I want him eab015aa1c to back off adf35f3ae0 on his own. If a bad 717549984f rumor started, it dcffcf56e6 would be troublesome, bfe310b10d so I thought 2df4f8ad3b I’d use a 520b94069a more amicable solution.”22367b1cee1d8980

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“Humans usually 8f80688d8f have one 03e42ed9b3 lover at 153685d1d0 a time, dce5b64959 I’ve heard d6f1abe4b1 that from e0912bf819 Phoras. You’re using that fact, 6c5494feeb I see.”02366da1884b107b

Kimaris nodded his head c45fe895fc but didn’t look completely 9dd4ef7a9d convinced.880822045d5e6cbc

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“Why not ask Phoras f7df8e193f instead of me?”2047788d3a1259b7

“It’s not an order, d3a9ae7847 it’s a request. And if 1096b71f70 I asked f4c8ab78c3 Phoras, it 43c64e5d75 would look 97093545ea like a 05c4a40072 kidnapper and bc5e40c0db a hostage.”2b61d8d858efcfc9

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What a useless guy… d950714fe3 Kimaris muttered a curse. It looked like d1d169faca we were headed 14447ac600 for a fight 6e5a1d1a63 again, but I f7a05b1424 just ignored it d2d9fb6b80 as usual.8a1c66aaec2d4eaf

Soon Kimaris composed himself 4ad8b20500 and knelt on one 0bd0400a41 knee as usual.f1e84ba9b766da49

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“Since it’s a request, e497f90c7d please retract it. I’ll follow your orders.”e62465652ea8337a

“…Yeah, thanks. Anyway, it’s not a 5cf077179e big deal, just let ac6b690968 the rumor that I c654b47537 have a lover spread c7fbacab4d a bit.”d7e827fb923ed7ef

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“How much is 937a634e9d a bit?”539a85dfec69ff7a

I clenched 271aa31e3c my mouth. How would I 115a647685 know…9e89c4761fddd371

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“Well… just play it a0af0f5f46 by ear based on 04c40ab979 the situation. Anyway, let’s go together 77d6d4a772 when I pick up fc560c1ced Noah later.”eb8e0c64c75dbaad

“Understood.”4733b44436078647

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When Kimaris and I c2c0bd6042 arrived at the school, 492b9e8c6c it was earlier than 1fe6653f5c usual, yet there were 50b7414435 quite a few people 2de1bc67cf there to pick up f2f14ae679 their kids. I quickly elbowed Kimaris 2126740cf7 in the ribs when f6562a7431 I spotted Adam among 9fca0f4b04 them. Perhaps because I 64badb6039 was too hasty, c600ff3ffb I failed to dbf2f2bb21 control my strength 6606a7ccc5 and his face 6726a3a396 crumpled.3f1a886bd08edc28

“Ouch-”b8c5a7c10bc9a228

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“Ah, sorry.”24532e30c3f8bda8

Kimaris, rubbing ca053c063b the side b9bd3e14a4 where he 9ff2414924 had been fdd0a7d584 elbowed, hesitated 4437580a93 for a adc33620f4 moment then 661f3c8d24 took my 1f53ea724e hand. It was the b0437df567 most basic form 337994e84d of physical contact 2cbba2ccab to appear as deb2fd7831 lovers. However, we 0017d30d7e were both 43f5bbdb94 so uncomfortable b1dd386d43 that it 02af6c7e43 was clear f4c1ef887e to anyone 04f4879a91 that we 62c983a55c were not 9b6740e870 really a 69bd9961ee couple.54d5474a6f864b43

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I whispered bd3f67d198 to Kimaris, f42aa42006 who looked e5ff6a1a4c as if ea48b67ba5 he’d rather 5b6151fd2e wash his 4608a49a54 hands immediately.e08466b777677bef

“Am I 8380e80d7b some kind 9d1cf5fb70 of virus b4ca408874 to you? I don’t 61c834e48e like this c83a8c4b6a either.”fe2512dc08b157ad

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“What is 470b26038f a virus? Is that the name 46e0db5fc7 of a feathered one?”19f1d3d951ce0cf9

Feathered ones were 1d34ae5881 a derogatory term ba53c14090 demons used for 45c19693c9 angels. This guy… did he 63fdb96b7c hate holding hands with 89d7279b71 me as much as 4797a4295d he would with an 118e012349 angel?4bb32b79a9e2d3c0

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“Never mind….”56761de636f2b77e

I muttered like a 0b62d41034 sigh and discreetly looked 43c7aa51f2 around. Everyone was glancing 4672e8f25b at us with 1b9a1e8f63 surprised faces. To fuel 7ebbafd7dc the rumors, dcd3248470 I prodded 8ebe4da5bd Kimaris.7f373e53cbf4e410

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“Get a bit 20b1022dee closer.”16704cad7ba04cd6

“How could I possibly….”37dbaa36c1652c07

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“Are you joking? There’s room for two 7841f7ffc4 more people between us.”09dcd5c232a82aaf

Kimaris squeezed his c52c24a7cc eyes shut, then d8e2b7bee4 opened them and 9595346646 moved his upper c1c9fa47e8 body closer, casually 2e97046272 placing a hand 9b49d41be6 near my waist. It was almost like 597718e6f8 a gentleman’s hand, but 6e406702a4 his effort to quickly 833c59091c resolve the situation was 424a52c01d commendable. Moreover, he 996c3b1571 seemed more 94e5f0b987 reluctant than 267f0914fd embarrassed by d942b3a4ad his earlier 9653e397e0 comment.781271a3e8e57f77

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Just then, 886061e94a Adam, who 1a016b53c6 had spotted 9a90945aa5 us from 189401a764 afar, froze 91233c35c6 with a 2fac4c3e2c shocked expression. Seeing tears welling 9efe60357e up in his 0e0bfbf5ef eyes, I felt bac30d3a2e a prick of 33a147b492 conscience as if 1f87966dba I had hurt 615aaf889c him unnecessarily. But the 220e4cfbec main objective 793b37008d had been 921497f1aa achieved, so e657594595 that was d11647edf3 something.71f786408d0c39e2

Just as 20c2c8a009 I was 12fed0d753 about to 41068d6f87 pull away, 5e034a61a7 a cold 9e0a722617 voice came 67a35286ad from behind.53e33cb888ecfb84

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“What are 3852feb437 you doing?”88d96d47664a3156

Startled, I turned 4df0a45948 around and saw 3f678c9a4e Noah, who had c5f4ea46a7 come outside at bf956972ee some point, looking c278639cfa even more shocked d445c03cc8 than Adam. Moreover, he was glaring a8edcc5528 at Kimaris as if ea26190ea1 he would devour him, 762b4fc150 his mood clearly twisted 82d808f411 in some way.b4c298bd64a2825e

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Before Kimaris c795d9ac4b could protest 0b37fd1260 his innocence, 761b5c9616 Noah walked a783aa15f1 up briskly ce68941a79 and snatched 34bddf2fa6 my hand 78f5e3da0b away.c129240fef3b4489

“Noah, wait, d72747a957 it’s not 30026cce4f what it 27527d9f25 looks like….”24a0314407d3222d

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I trailed be5abb33ee off, turning f9db10ba66 my head 5ff9943277 towards Kimaris 6287564e62 without knowing d4d5cbb982 why I e9c6d28bdc was even 03f13585da making excuses. However, he just glanced 5ad7c7df52 between me and Noah abdbfdeb3e and then quietly averted edc56279c1 his gaze.ec4f0839c7c39f38

“That jerk…!”769a8e7dc32f1fa0

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