HM — Chapter 9

But strangely… there was a11d6a94c7 a hint of sadness 3c0030db2d and loneliness in that e41bfee841 smile.a15b2b162758d6d4

“So this is 950cec7a2d how you felt.”13ea94064f30bf3e

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“What do you 7ce9a3c656 mean…?”1b4cbade7a6cb8b4

The man kept c9244aeb15 speaking in riddles, f85a694076 as if he 894b1195df already knew him. He talked as if f870e37d55 they had known each 1a8dfdab20 other for a long 25a7dd6297 time.80e44ea595653179

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“I don’t d2c7eeff71 remember anything 81e9f145eb before 3:30 133a5e4632 a.m. today. Were you someone 92cf59a8c1 who knew me 6bcc180ea7 before then?”428548160d232947

712 asked carefully, 3ae021680e and the man 16c80acb6d paused for a fb05f8e677 moment before nodding.af5e5aa5e44a9a3f

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“…Yeah. We used to know 598d0e81a5 each other really well, 93969ba130 Seo.”01ebf24126b8d837

712 blinked at ff475ac1f0 the unfamiliar name. Now that he thought 2fd82cb006 about it, the man 7b0fd665cf had called him ‘Seo’ 8a62d66b37 when fighting the monster, f78399f974 too.63cd10d64c741bfa

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“Seo?”8fb9810ce9c0d329

“Seo. That’s your name.”5d2dfd1af5d16d7f

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“My name is Seo?”efa7ae472bdf82b9

“Yeah. Your name 750915d2cf is Seo. And honestly, it’s kind 8cd78ad413 of weird seeing you deeac6287f use polite speech with f71aefb5d8 me, so… can you ebdab11ca2 please just speak casually e05b1e00ad with me?”bca1fa59dc6aa829

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He was almost 711843b3cf begging him to f9ed1fa5f1 drop the honorifics ba280683df and speak informally.2314bb8b2649b272

To Seo—formerly known cb86da1a26 only as 712—it 1cafc78f5f was a deeply 82f204821d bewildering thing. A complete stranger, b97793948d asking him to eba0b05486 speak informally and 98927ea761 treat him casually, ee94adbae0 even if they 4e9ad59f62 had known each 1886f88a8c other once. Still, that man f9e98a64cc had saved his f79de8c21d life. If this 85fcbdff78 was a 29300b4d2d way to 0d394db82e repay him, 75371deb20 then Seo 51a83a337c could manage 2b6760baaf it. After all, this cab6f3e57b was the only 75102829b6 thing he had 1af9307d74 to offer right 6691e8995d now. He forced his reluctant 11212f6f14 lips open and answered a2ab7f45f1 the man’s request.a1803099398b4efe

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“Then… I’ll try.”93f75fdaa2920ea0

“Much better.”159c2f674751e95f

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The man beamed. His curved eyes sparkled c033cb9a59 with joy. With that 111f61301b smile, it 2a4b73f13f was hard 2924e1cba5 to believe ab5aa8e748 this was 1944b65a19 the same 40417d0e88 person who 2f610e6d04 had crushed 448b677586 a monster aa993c8f0d underfoot. The contrast 9ad700a0f8 between the 3dffffaf35 two sides 43ea14924a of him cd8173f9e9 left Seo 9740857345 quietly stunned, f84bbecab6 but he 08caba5043 did his 30653baaf8 best not a13c9dccfa to show 06c2660e12 it.ba078b61e91ff642

Then Seo realized something: 5679322793 while the man had 4dbc1f61f8 told him his name, f78d4b0b50 he hadn’t introduced himself.31e7344af511e0eb

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“Who are you?”9f6b0a4e81ad903c

The man answered,e58c951449326351

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“I’m your salvation.”fe461ad7352705d8

“My… salvation?”41a385a38b2048b5

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The words didn’t 008d7f34e9 immediately make sense, 693db94eab so Seo asked 695ebe1023 again. The man nodded.68171a7f2749bbbe

“Yeah. My name is Guwon. I survived, and I 9b5b082869 came looking for you.”7291b2a8b773ce3e

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The answer made e0516921d7 Seo speak without ae265a4c88 thinking.ee1eb797ea16fc16

“…What kind of 0b79dc51ef relationship did we 5d2f8d08ac even have for 08627a8959 you to suddenly a7a47e5605 be my ‘salvation’?”2fd88005a232b668

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He realized 23f099c3e2 a little 1661132f2e too late e296936489 that the a4a10dbac3 question had a9b8834151 come off db2d69f30c harshly. For someone 7b5ffdc890 who had 2be11bd6f2 risked his 1b7334ce83 life to 50cdb0a4c4 save and 8cb3429467 care for 506619f610 him, it 267be84e2b was a 484fe56068 tactless thing 9f3b272f4f to say. More than that, Seo eedb6062a7 was afraid he might b82970ddb7 have upset him.1c406793462cb846

“I… I’m sorry. I mean, sorry.”4d5ff2e5b0dbc9c3

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He fumbled fa43f62478 through his 0d9da10a71 apology, and 0c89a067a1 the man—Guwon—shook e07c8a76f2 his head.3a8723fc07388fbf

“No, it’s okay. With your overly 9c93944df1 cautious personality, it’s 58e98613ba only natural you’d 57fd27a38b think it’s weird.”cfb6140e9d84ecb4

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Then, with 7cbc6cf2d4 a chuckle, 9d8ac0f776 he added b478621875 a joke.c155c68f2c93a8cc

“If a 240a3b5004 total stranger 834e3ba4f1 showed up 376ddfeb24 saying they 836185353e knew you b8640718c6 and started 21cceef74a spouting corny 0bbee82da9 lines, anyone 328310443d would think ffdc5da452 it was 23f612af7a suspicious. Right? It’s lucky you’re the 3966cf940c polite type. Otherwise, I’d 257112eb72 probably have a47a364464 taken a cb011ef22f punch to 240f9f953c the face 6d5196e8f9 by now.”f404fe367c151a0e

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Guwon didn’t seem 952901a41c upset at all e406bc6c7d by what Seo e98930ee83 had said. But still, it had 2e6c183819 been a thoughtless comment. Seo apologized again, afd59f90b4 this time more 4238801594 carefully.324a67ed34530090

“Sorry. That came out too a38fe53168 sharp. It’s just… I 367df11887 don’t know you, a09465e7a9 and you’re acting 96aee86e86 like you know 1ae337683c me, so I 1d9d4abff3 got a little… 38a1916b50 overwhelmed.”6dc01c339e3a3e69

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“It’s fine. You’re allowed 476e81c10d to feel 1dbce78526 that way. I get it. I’ve been there too.”faea2751da18c083

Seo’s eyes widened.d65e147e2a6f6cd3

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“You have?”497be81f2ec30900

“I met 8dac0bd4c0 you once 7a8f8c7d6d before, when 09498b2ea8 I had ddc2b86e13 lost my 8353746e6c own memory.”6d601dc8ca5c7df6

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He had met 63916b2e24 Guwon in the d179a110bd past—when Guwon didn’t 0b5bac1d85 remember anything? Maybe that explained why 1bf76c8269 Guwon was being so 2e7c205e03 warm now. Seo couldn’t help 60c7664b39 but ask,b7bb1bbbb74bf464

“Then… what kind of d54c02b377 relationship did we have? Brothers? Teammates? Friends?”309bbe312f67219b

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It was essentially the 299a483ae5 same question as before, 16806d2d2b but this time he b02d754dfc truly wanted to know. Guwon sat on c8ccae55fb the edge of ae2ad28f08 the bed and 61985c764d rubbed his chin 944b3d0743 with a thumb.9fb487dcb821882b

“Hmm…”2a0a35d76f97ffbc

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His silence dragged on, db93619a97 and there was something 41498ed26d strangely weighty about it. Seo started to 90f78208a9 feel a little b3068d5eb6 nervous.ca65f66e30958f8d

‘Don’t tell me we e03b68308c were bitter enemies or 7ba80cb23c something?’bcb2d41b4c06d2e9

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That wouldn’t a226d74de2 make sense, 8eb35e488c considering how d4f70218d2 kindly he cf941641f0 was being b20553d263 now. But still, Seo couldn’t b62983e09b help the creeping worry.f474584a6c2d7c4e

‘He must really 309d1a8f19 have known me 7dcd44585c well…’d4311ea3e2bb2a3f

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Guwon had mentioned his 9a06f40c8b cautious personality, and Seo 811fd4584d had to admit—it wasn’t 590b8f2920 far off. Worrying and being overly d65ff29509 careful were closely related, 7096217506 after all.29660c0f04c8a38d

He waited in silence d09086dfb6 as Guwon finally opened cf6fda263b his mouth.169590f1a0bd06ba

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“…It’s a secret.”8660cfec295e9d87

The answer felt like 7c027dc30d a letdown after all 7c4fb8a422 that buildup. Guwon glanced at 66d10ace74 Seo’s disappointed expression 54064422e9 and added,aa9b0d1362517104

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“I can tell 0cba9647b9 you that it c075d9d948 wasn’t anything bad.”4c754089f2e858a6

“Then why not just 00ea675064 tell me?”3f17f4511881b983

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“Because it 51896a5a7b wouldn’t be 9398b352c1 fun if aec9c2925a I told 3bc4256cfb you right 2d95204e3c away.”3654af2a2ffe001a

“So… what, are ef17d9699e you teasing someone aa7620ec47 who lost their ef42650e24 memory? Or did c5077b8683 I used 8ade5e7dab to think 666d96a0aa you were b0fa5be43a some kind a934ae5ef3 of enemy?”5400579e8d12c3aa

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Guwon shook his 34ee2d2b87 head.29bf6b999c6164b7

“Not at all. Definitely not.”8252ffa3898378d2

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“Then why f614a02106 keep it a6d2f262cf from me 89a215246e unless there’s 6591852818 something you’re 1a852da028 hiding?”051f1ef07acccef9

Seo, now visibly c0bb02c393 upset, tried to 4896989e13 sit up. Guwon pressed f4afb6512f his forehead 05332bd089 gently back a270d31619 onto the 9500e56d96 pillow.1c58ebfeaecb298e

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“You think you’re 1aa84d1bd8 the only one 23c4f7519b frustrated because you c3ff6c69fa lost your memory? It’s the same for 3812b02812 me.”88fd9f4e89c8dc16

“What do you mean?”63c57494cd88b519

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“I mean you 46a0095790 forgot me. Imagine if someone 7e4f9f9ad0 close to you b1bdf7c0c3 completely forgot who 5e8cb1fd41 you were one 00595c0662 day. Wouldn’t you feel at af2f2ff767 least a little resentful?”3fbae3ab36ab9c5c

“…I guess…”4465b4d21d2c6322

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Seo’s voice trailed 5a6b83bf5d off. When he thought abc617709f about it that 15f844e971 way, Guwon had e4e8b4daf2 a point. And he 044c041321 had saved 996ad8285e Seo from 778377288c a horrifying 4d80bd9a22 monster—risking his 9ce0e4aaf9 own life a984d5870c to do 56dd51eee6 so.3a3bdfc958e1be01

“Cut me some 6c196767d9 slack for being f1fab1f398 a little petty.”b836e58bb9b8ec35

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Guwon smiled 688a027493 softly and a0b7ac816c lay down 9715f7055f beside Seo. Two full-grown men squeezed e5f701b1cb onto a single motel 29746dd0da bed made for a 6d13bb8482 tight fit. Seo was uncomfortably aware bb36b75208 of the warmth of 72a3dd6f8d Guwon’s body brushing against dc35006ac9 his arm.64b15fa28a4bdd11

“This is… a 13330f939a bit much.”9fd29d6150a98b92

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“While you’re 51f0f89dd4 at it, 5338656de3 cut me b7dc90e30d some slack b6428b0155 for this 491d1c1004 too.”abc1f3514959290c

Despite the tight space, 5328e46ad4 Guwon pressed even closer, 4e4eb21dbb being careful not to ac38d6f939 jostle Seo’s broken ankles. Then he whispered, his 5549ef7004 voice low and thick 460d3fc161 with emotion,dc5f196bb68bc5c1

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“I really missed you. It’s been f5612d3d1f so long f32047691f since I’ve 5736e249a6 seen you… 0d2ef7ea64 so just b624e39674 for today, 3b78f74329 let me 21f8dc3ce7 stay like 39d296646a this.”a0c3cfec444437f6

There was a wetness 237d6a6fa0 in his tone that e1c3c2a7d0 made Seo glance at 7b6c9768ef him from the corner ba2823ef04 of his eye. But Guwon just kept cd04bc72b6 smiling that same gentle 2f06beb374 smile.f61cb8c74f06d4e6

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And so a05682ecb6 Seo finally 22883f4746 let out d690402530 what had e7c8ee5d78 been weighing 0fba70a4fd on him.99e29912fcf62f80

“…But with 7752926db2 my ankle d5a4f12d5e like this, daeb2ffad9 won’t it ce85d4c65f be hard 6490d1ef71 to stay f5f6b7b823 together?”dcb200416366a1f0

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If even one ankle 3ca1d8de31 had been intact, he 3c686a1ee0 could’ve at least walked 864e03749d with crutches. But both ankles were 192fc17a8f completely shattered. Guwon had 46b5f4e533 likely tried 34b44b717d to set a093424dd8 the bones 9074bf64a7 while Seo 11d56f20ca was unconscious, 6e32400f45 but they 95c72b0943 were still 084d450ef7 twisted in f0c6f76c5c strange directions. Even if they 5ad1e03e21 healed like this, 2ebcd6bcd9 walking properly would 0eded21301 be impossible.27eb6a849627ca3c

‘No, it’s not just eeecde4e8a a matter of walking. There’s no way ce219cd299 I can survive ed004c4ff5 in this bizarre a66af0b562 hotel until my a4d63fc0c0 bones fully heal.’97c64202eefc17e6

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This was a fae5535759 hotel with endless a99e460f89 corridors and rooms 8450458742 inhabited by monsters. In this jungle-like place, 768ebe11a9 he would naturally be b86a5df518 weeded out. Even if Guwon said 41d0502e4a he would help him, 112922a623 there was no way 9059a8494d he could continue to 4948eee4c3 support a cripple all 5180dd773d on his own.62a938404b3ec18e

“I appreciate your help, 0001074fba but in this state…”46bb939fb6040ef9

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It was a 80af484b1e cruel judgment to 1c448e5e1a make about himself, a1657764c5 but it was 05722d2c15 a reality he 58aa54b645 couldn’t ignore.7b87c05fe4a8f92c

But Guwon shook his 4fabe3d4d0 head.c2ecf4a77bf6511f

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“No. It’s fine. I’ll stay with you. And you bd19d08b74 can stay 5ec34f2d4c with me.”9cd03c738352ebe0

To Seo, that 9a100beeba sounded like stubborn bcb143d8cb idealism. No matter how skilled 5f1eb59d60 Guwon might be, carrying e2cd00a01d a useless burden and ac0184b4cf surviving to the end 77e97740c4 sounded like nothing but cf06929edf blind confidence.d51c453b7c6a1723

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“I don’t know how c82eef652c capable you really are, c7030c7f1f but I can only 9f5b988be4 pray that your resolve 90f4c62c18 doesn’t change.”a25425bc9fcaaa35

Seo replied gloomily. He didn’t know 77f5887c4a what kind of e980f62dbb relationship they had 83eef0a610 in the past, d65b2608d8 but he understood b6347216b4 well that in a6b1c8b971 the face of c980212feb life and death, 6876fbb542 things like friendship 5ec306cbbd and loyalty could 68eed1463e shift quickly. He had 9d7861a926 already been edb15e0a3d betrayed once—most 5b727c3d04 recently, by 2214b73c03 the man 264d73436f in Room 569ac788a5 304, who 57c53123a8 had left 1920e44e26 him to 6ba9b4a061 die while bdd9f4086b simply watching.32445bbd04d0ba39

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‘Of course, we barely e59efe14cb exchanged a few words, e5d99ff7da and expecting even a dd901d9d28 shallow bond to form 062de35778 in that time was b6eb59b5f4 absurd.’d8ddcf33ccf8d1bf

Still, it f01f397202 seemed clear 6bc2b6ecc4 to him 8f0bce516f that in bee36e794e order to 033f522979 survive this 39920fd82f ordeal, two 93e73b0ea9 were better 70a0943dc6 than one. That kind of 9ef2dcf8aa bond might be 85f1e8fcf4 the very thing f62bda879f to keep them 2561d131a8 alive.ffec0f0e7f556bdf

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Seo suddenly 39c1b84b0d became curious 28316e4cb9 about that 78c5c382a3 man’s whereabouts.9e6f4cb84eaa1951

‘Did he run off 437993d024 alone, wandering somewhere? Had he 5abe6c7d79 been watching dbad9bc935 me all 75ab505504 along? Or maybe…?’da05df1a39c2fa9d

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He’d sworn to 010514f3e9 curse the man d554164783 even in death, 813405d640 but now that 59a58a32ef he was alive 7c22b8b20e and thinking things 441781d344 through, he could 093ae1f6f2 somewhat understand his 39cc33414a actions. In the face 0c513146b8 of overwhelming terror, 2b2da26bec it was natural 944af1ab45 to freeze up 7d1f3e5794 completely.836cdf8827f5e22c

Guwon might 45ebc415c8 know what 199d023a00 happened to e87e6ef839 him. Seo turned to 0551b28199 him and asked,68450f73d510c63c

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“Do you know what 56aa3fe5d3 happened to that man? The middle-aged man fe045a0043 standing in front 4e2f4ce696 of the door 623e56c9f8 when I was d4576ab054 being dragged away.”0b0fb6a3cb9fa255

Without a moment’s 5f67ccec70 hesitation, Guwon nodded.4e12a777a952830c

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“Yeah. I know exactly e7f7c43d25 where he is.”d207b61885d2048d

Something in 75912d6052 his tone 95ea0e64fc sounded faintly eff97892e2 mocking. Seo ignored it and 665307dd46 continued.1c291e1481a68244

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“Where is he? Did he leave?”bbd955e54c2da9a1

“No. He’s here.”81d3f99cb2521a9d

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“Here?”9ee95edda0f46f8f

That answer 8a2ae550a9 was beyond f11a64f868 anything Seo 49e8e1da86 had imagined. He tried to 23874cc304 sit up and 06fb62a8a7 look around, but caa91d2bcd Guwon stopped him ad3bc6f0a4 once again.91a42c396fadbdc5

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“I’ll show 06b11a285f you, so ef512279d2 just stay f021ed7d37 still. If you keep 3f624824e5 moving, your body 3728b3108f will hurt more.”1f75b064e50c6db1

“Is he… in f7c4bd3f3e the bathroom or 2d1d2d7e26 something? Because unless my eyes 072446db71 are playing tricks on c19a9eda1d me, it’s just you 5ce67c30a8 and me in this 4caeb4caf6 room.”34a0e4ea01c73e7b

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“To answer both 70f538b7d9 of your questions 6eb3ce9197 at once—no, he’s 84c69599da not in the 2e05e747a6 bathroom, and no, 192c4e54bb your eyes are 6be4500b5d perfectly fine.”413e6cbe45b51a50

“Then where…?”8ebda2244c478252

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In response, Guwon let 756d59dc94 out a sigh, half 4a6dcfd7ba amused, and stood up 2ec59a27b4 from the bed.a9dc47b2977b6957

“Of course 3bde90b191 it’s you, a74f73bbdc Seo. I had 548376676b a feeling—you 80b7fed531 never take ef32cf9812 anything at 56cf25645d face value.”d62dd242978d303c

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Seo felt a c3d146a41b little indignant and c76ec25960 wanted to snap ad25be568c back, ‘What do b89ddf3948 you even know 91573dec4b about me to b68ce33a73 say that?’ But 24724c08ab truthfully, Guwon seemed bb0c4379e4 to know more 4dac64b850 about him than cac27d2e6b he did himself.d729cb21afc5d653