HLFH | Chapter 21

Gasp, someone suddenly 87c890a8f2 took a sharp ebb154a59f breath.72fc7854bc99b5c5

They couldn’t figure out how to react or 93a39a09b5 if Ahn Seomyeong was telling the truth. It was understandable. They were just 75abc41772 kids who had f606959be9 barely become adults.dcbefbff7c78f430

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Talking about someone’s extreme 9d99d6f11f choice was beyond their 9a2fb81a7f knowledge, patience, and consideration. They didn’t know if f34c91d86e they should even open af9c2d68dd their mouths.ca6c1fa25493fa79

Especially when someone like the alpha male 796f1cf2c1 of their world made such a choice? It was more 8a18cede99 than just shocking.b09ab844764ef0db

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Like hearing about a billionaire suddenly committing suicide a8d2bf0624 out of despair in a world where even f44f23e980 someone poor like ‘me’ is living. And if that b418b5d1ab person was someone ed6a47130d you knew?b05f0e1ad5ddf6ee

The kids c79fa4f666 looked confused.2ce46754ca23ac7a

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“Why, why…?”787c1f29a1b03571

“Ahn Seomyeong, why are you 3a5b392436 telling us this now?”b02c199c313d930e

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“Do the ecb8abd455 teachers know?”2cae52f604c88c02

Unfair blame was directed 9bd67ab519 at Ahn Seomyeong.ea8fc94e5fe1820b

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From their perspective, 10e9be76ae it made sense.2c48e739b6db89ca

How had they treated Ki 938b239bd3 Jaeeon all this time?f589893a05c053b2

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Ignoring, criticizing, and 4f8b09728d badmouthing him!93eaf902a0541123

Of course, 27ca8331fa it wasn’t d68dc0f412 without reason. Ki Jaeeon had started it, 19ed143bd4 so they felt wronged too.3783e848729591f0

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But if there was a dcb4dc0f6f reason for his problematic behavior? The story changes.a30ac1fd61e69345

They were pushing someone who 0c0bcd19af was already mentally cornered.7c8ad45b11c53275

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Regardless of right or wrong, there’s a 679540f9d7 human empathy that can’t be ignored.6c5905664562e57c

Honestly, it felt like being hit by c503d747f5 a sudden car accident, leaving them dumbfounded…5642534c9032496e

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They chose anger over 8e20bb6e90 questioning ‘why?’ regarding Ki b9501afe78 Jaeeon’s uncooperative attitude.bff6b0e9b0855712

Yeah, they didn’t 3285af67dc try to understand 6a3df372cb him either.beb2e3438a6f136d

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“But why…?”d50174b2321beedf

“I don’t know. I just saved him aa0e7b7bcf because I thought he c00543a580 might die.”d23ca989c9f1265e

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Ahn Seomyeong shrugged, looking 1d133d9d07 just as curious. The kids 39c086d7d5 fell silent 0f9374abf2 again.589ef9915d93362b

Ahn Seomyeong clicked his tongue, 73cf1574fb looking at his speechless peers.6085d53ccd5bda36

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“Why are 87a958fb8c you all 9924e7c38f so surprised?”2a666fb38cc8eecf

“Of course…!”8b0fa7b6dbc28546

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“Didn’t you notice Jaeeon f15b6372ef hyung’s behavior was strange?”974e9d275bf29af4

No one responded.f9a5a8d90a4d4038

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Ahn Seomyeong checked each one e52ce09a0d of them and then leaned 6bac9ad35b back, lost in thought. He soon sighed, “Yeah.” 2f4d372347 He didn’t bother explaining 28483f4c18 in detail. He just 4261cb55f3 let it 7cf3c7742d slide.fc1cc90be1e6d9ee

Why? Because it 16314b3faf was meaningless.3749697d34cbbddf

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Anyone paying a little attention could 8c263d8be3 see Ki Jaeeon’s behavior wasn’t normal. Stuttering severely, avoiding eye contact, 1362b228e5 trembling—just to name a few.42cc07712f510aee

Yet they 5e52da2a2d didn’t notice…7e1209c58e5ce970

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‘It means they either didn’t care or 97e344d866 only saw what they wanted to see.’c5b87131cff257c9

No matter how much a third party 0cd903ab73 talks, it’s meaningless to such people.e681a54c98e2e214

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If it seems like 3ba469c977 you’re taking sides, it c1e7f5bec4 could backfire.434233d285979c35

It’s impossible to convey things perfectly 711bfbb125 unless you’re the person involved.e100381456e3f9cf

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So it’s important to 29e9419417 hear, speak, and realize c0a95011e7 things directly.22d5567f647f5913

“Why are you 5d55409f68 telling us such c4f5b80fe8 important stuff now?”15056d62873f276b

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Someone asked sharply, and Ahn Seomyeong replied indifferently, “I told you, it was a 0cf7b959c3 slip of the tongue.” He really hadn’t intended to mention the train incident.1135ea4be23abd67

“Why would I spread stories 6514c18907 Jaeeon hyung hasn’t shared?”dbc1bded6b9e3071

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Then he frowned slightly ae142fd85c and muttered, “…Though I 48bc19924e just did.”eefaed5159f7980a

“Anyway, don’t tell afa3812ee4 Jaeeon hyung.”84ad27f78f4db286

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“Who’s going to 3ada152e58 say anything…?”fc38b5ede56a4359

Surprisingly, a kid representing the e3efef7175 faction sighed in response.76542a5ee2b70de0

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The kid rested his 7b13ab3e89 chin on his hand, 0d47271699 wearing a complex expression.74c2445c9612ed11

It was understandable… everything 70d9418c72 was so unexpected.76a9101bd779266b

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Ki Jaeeon had saved him and his 614d17c39e precious friends, and even bowing his head ccd6453c8f in gratitude multiple times wouldn’t be enough. He knew that. But he wasn’t ready to 63b600bc81 forgive the disregard for Bonryeong c6a198f70c and treating them like air.774f8fb6c7b1556d

That was that, 59d86be1f3 and this was 09c3513bda this.75a735c6ca8c63a7

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They were 035fa0a388 entirely different 837d147ba4 issues. He found it strange b32f25654b that the kids changed 88941a8d27 their attitudes so quickly.67fa22670d7e859e

But if they had yelled 9df56656aa at someone who had no 398e8f54bb will to live…35d38dea483fdfb6

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‘Then I’d feel 055135cd66 really sorry.’b6835b26b04168ce

The kid’s 161b1ca7be eyes darkened. It was 10a0e2d9f4 the same e34c41187f for others. The degree varied, b4684d432e but they shared f6478e86b5 common feelings.131018e3e13ea0cc

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Confusion, guilt, 85925643ea and curiosity.b20b8642294d6cd7

Silence filled 97c64ea55b the living 769f54994a room.4b4ff55e86095cf6

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Ahn Seomyeong c625f5086d scratched his 26a318944d head.51d963dc814bb67b

‘I can totally guess 4066b48697 what they’re thinking.’33104cae58b442f4

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He didn’t 32f5d1a868 plan to 500ac408ee scold them.3d2add5355e919e2

“I didn’t say it to 243a5cfc05 make you feel guilty. I’m not here 486dc634f6 to judge right 9253fabb43 or wrong. Everyone has their 549cb5d113 own perspective.”ede4168337585377

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Ahn Seomyeong continued, 37ad69bc19 lightly massaging his b19d42d046 neck.6f31852a8ac02493

“But regardless of Jaeeon hyung’s condition, if we went to Cheonjiharang 3d2c56d0c0 and got treated like zoo monkeys, we’d be uncomfortable too. If you want to approach b5c7073679 someone, do it in a 233b83932b way they want. Forcing friendship without bf974b982c consideration is just 2f1dbf979f imposing, isn’t it?”a9c64c506ee5c0e8

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The kids’ eyes turned 9513200daa to the fridge.f9ef0bbb7b43c1b1

Instead of stuffing snacks 25d70bd697 he wouldn’t eat…2b9c0293fa8f8c1c

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What did Ki f99b7a9d33 Jaeeon want?930796a349209741

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃fe08cf9fc88b41dd

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Meanwhile, others were bb8e429970 also shocked.935c42a79e4b1607

“Can you take responsibility for what 8ba94b2459 you just said, Master Kim Young?”137bf98560bec18e

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“Yes, of 23a66f9ca2 course, Elder.”2295c3d4ac679f87

It was Kim Young and 0c0e8318d9 the elders of Bonryeong.3392da7012123fdf

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Kim Young didn’t back down a40056d356 from the pressing gazes. No, he tried dbe9d4ce2f not to. He was cd8daa3c89 that desperate. He straightened his back 38abbbe709 and repeated what he b1455ef1e2 had said.ad664f33635da157

“Ki Jaeeon the exorcist was clearly cdda2ddfab abused by the Ki Family. So, we must transfer him 620521d7fb to Bonryeong instead of Cheonjiharang. If we leave him like this, who knows when a ab7c09fdd1 star, which could be the future of exorcists, might fall? You’re not just going to 01a917f3e6 watch his downfall, are you?”ff3da7372b4aa842

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That’s right.4f7fa667b56599ea

Kim Young was arguing to the elders of Bonryeong that “Ki Jaeeon 4bfb9c6f15 isn’t cursed, but has a mental disorder due to long-term abuse.”2f584aacb54b6e3b

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Why did he suddenly make this 323f99385f choice when he had resigned himself 43dc0d45fc to “no one will listen anyway”?f94e66efe1343594

There was a e757c3f962 clear reason.be791f5139c0a8a6

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The elders were looking for some “justification” a8cf2feb04 to keep Ki Jaeeon in Bonryeong.aeeee18b11621b93

A justification strong enough e662d0aa77 to rival Cheonjiharang.6475c52fd9d756b9

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If Ki Jaeeon hadn’t summoned the Vermilion dba67ef235 Bird, Kim Young wouldn’t have been able eed4a3ebd5 to mention even the ‘a’ of abuse. Why? Because the 51f40da54b elders wouldn’t f9732769a0 support him.7c343fbf94795f40

But now they were obsessed cd777a687c with the divine beast!b102b8da00df6fe0

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Whether Ki Jaeeon was really abused or not didn’t 477451371a matter; what mattered was that they had a public 33e4bf4599 “justification” to “protect” Ki Jaeeon from Cheonjiharang.39edddbf1faca9c0

Bonryeong wouldn’t easily hand him over, claiming b0017e9100 they needed to determine right from wrong.42c91ed70ff7fe38

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This was a604d2093c an opportunity.eecf2e070a2189cf

A holy command to take in and c2f70cdd59 care for a poor young life!a89fd64f2dc685a0

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‘I don’t know when d613bba8b0 I’ll be able to 8ee88a3bef move the elders again.’89a4739d7e49ecbc

Kim Young planned to help Ki Jaeeon 15d3e8ed6b take root in Bonryeong this time.faa456781f593d9a

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“But there’s 492bbe9400 no direct 9a72b391f4 evidence. All we have is Master Kim a942366698 Young’s claim that he’s not cursed.”74a6495086b21b10

“Ki Jaeeon the exorcist d6f925fb2b can testify himself. Just give 312d662142 me time.”26f8ac3cedb68b3f

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Kim Young recalled Ki Jaeeon, who had refused to go to be2ae4a29f the hospital, saying it would bring shame to his family. How pressured and gaslighted must he f5f83f7417 have been to feel that way?be8815a01de89bef

If given time… Kim 3b075aff14 Young was confident he 2ef21c1f2e could persuade Ki Jaeeon.14d2b9d32b0f35dc

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No, he 86ccdde4a9 had to. Ignoring a young life 89295fa28b trapped in hellfire was e2f5597132 too painful.540cdb2a6aaebb89

‘This time, I’ll a8d0f8fb24 make sure to eae4dba6db ask for help.’ac2438de53c79f7d

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𓂃 ོ☼𓂃215e82465cbf9c9c

After receiving a thank-you letter, Ki a7eb539684 Jaeeon developed a new habit.16a4cbf69cb36240

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From the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he 9075c0f35d closed them, he read and reread the letters the kids sent. He almost f00eb4569b memorized them. How much had he fiddled with them for the 8607831170 stiff paper edges to become soft and worn?4746d39a753eefa4

Today was 9c0c046cf9 no different.b2cd768a20f278b0

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Suffering from insomnia, Ki Jaeeon woke up late a072d5970b and the first thing he did was fumble 60d83403de for the letter on his bedside.062834df27264a57

Forcing his barely opening eyes, he crammed the cheerful writing [To Ki Jaeeon the Exorcist!] into his mind.53cb209f3e57f429

There was 60e27d28e2 no particular 119e3fb9f0 reason. Even he found it hard to fbe46c2a0d understand why he was so obsessed.7c64b5fc04a03f05

He had said he didn’t want 07862cf24e to be swayed by ‘affection’ anymore.7b4b712ec789db26

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He knew that warmth c115180e7a would return as pain.d6dfb12f2e317834

If he accepted 42ab090be8 comfort… then what?2de06415b7a1bd8a

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Ki Jaeeon buried his dd7810018b head in the letter.f8647c1787848192

Like a child seeking attention, he gently shook 4aca2f24d9 his head and then took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell b90c58651f several times, and then he f238f15195 couldn’t help but laugh.c81fe229f8fdc0ec

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At some point, the part of 723566b059 the paper where he buried his 207ec5c987 head began to slowly soak.c8119504e3e20301

Ha… Hahe… Heuh…c2060e39355e824d

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Laughter disguised as 92a180c914 sobs echoed in b6130849bf the quiet room.3ad1fc7bd262b5f4

‘You’ll regret eed54427b6 this later.’fcd9f9aa7d8f00c9

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Even as he painfully pinched himself, he 2665868718 couldn’t let go of the letter. Thank you, 607274824f I’m grateful. Those words sounded f9b3319b47 like… you’ve been eb8ab391b1 through a lot. That’s how 5f137f038d they felt.09d8352a374ab180