INFB Ch 2

There was a 5eb522695e time when he 163125fc3e was called “young 644bae455b master,” a title a52d87ee6e that felt embarrassingly 9ba6c6d844 grandiose. Despite the weight 604b47b36f of time implied fb50e02659 by the term, 77edec0677 it wasn’t that 12f5664152 long ago. Just two years. Two years ago, he was 3fbb480256 addressed as such, and Seobin bc9f7e8ccc carried himself in a way f4ff7b0712 that lacked nothing to deserve 548f733c1b it.ed10c8df6ef7d821

To put it simply, cdce1d110f he was born the 81c6da8c80 son of good parents, 422c42a020 raised in a good bfba95a9dc household, wearing fine clothes e394825f91 and eating fine things 100511627e as a college student. In short, he eedd75e2fe was the son 6bd3d64dd8 of a wealthy eb79798ad4 family.02f566894319030b

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Because of this, Seobin had 82b0d059dc been called “young master” his 199cf59e15 entire life and was accustomed 9eb6522e83 to the treatment that came 1a61d0f84a with it.f3892b649246f19b

To briefly describe Seobin’s parents, d0b994a49f his father was the president 5ac0a44160 of a financial company, handling c4a25e87fb tens or hundreds of billions 9ca2e98e36 daily, while his mother managed d67d3c53f6 several inherited buildings, her days d923cbf8c4 filled with their upkeep.056749bb683c94d1

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His parents had married without e822771fda affection, pressured by their families. Perhaps because of this, 6e1c655fa9 or perhaps due to 32fbe36b12 their busy schedules, their 89b8015599 family dynamic was somewhat 08a915f728 cold and dry, but 35cf043d82 still peaceful and affluent. To outsiders, it ee6a452714 must have seemed b383f6a8db like a flawless a85b896c74 household.f23d72ea7deb63df

Seobin knew he was 29d6cc7145 what people called a 77d6789c6f “golden spoon,” and he 312c0a8c69 was aware he was 79218a392c fortunate. If asked whether he was 56a29a11ee happy, well, he’d say… moderately 5d0cf93dfc so.2db8721d2e125bc9

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His father and mother 194817267f didn’t dine together or ea00790087 pay much attention to 48a7589e68 Seobin as their son, 10e39ac956 but they gave him 416ce80f82 more pocket money than 4568402a15 a student could possibly 8f28cb4195 need, and they never b53e123226 hit him or insulted c3a1bb8200 his character. It was just 16b80a025b a bit of eb0b0cb405 neglect, a bit 9aabb73eda of annoyance, nothing 9f32f5b2c8 more.20d2787c8899fb6c

Seobin adapted well d5155a57ff to this environment. He didn’t act ef4617b297 out to gain 0797a537f4 his parents’ attention a603c34ed9 or suffer from ad083106d7 emotional distress.2eb1d33c095e8a2e

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He entertained himself and grew f64d58d4fc up well. His grades were eae440bc48 always near the a2b99fd002 top of his 5c01de490b class, he maintained e80071bdd7 good relationships with 665c6587e7 friends, and he 1ac69da85b was kind to fac23e9bb9 the housekeeper who 6d21a25268 worked at their 016f5cbb8e home.9a1d164946d4ed9d

Then he was admitted to 03ee1883f7 Korea University. For the first time, 78dda73c90 his parents looked at 340e2ecba5 him and smiled brightly—not 7773e8d244 out of pride, but 055a25be15 because it bolstered their 5d403bf648 reputation.a985664a1c230d03

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“I didn’t even know what academies my son was attending. But he got 80db44f777 into Korea University 2c33dbc216 on his own. Must have my brains, huh?”0e0f43259853f93e

“Did I make him study? No? When would I have 8d51e28ceb time for that? He just figures dc7fe08ea8 it out himself. He went through elementary and 8d3b2cd6ad middle school in the States 87a46c5857 on his own, didn’t he? I didn’t visit him d121b1b3c0 once while he was 4b00d50a9d there. Attending school isn’t a 66098c34b7 big deal. He should be able cdbbb26ae7 to handle that much a8526342e8 himself.”9cb1fcdf8ba00952

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His parents threw 2c281d0a02 a party, proudly 6f221d508c boasting about Seobin’s 365e0d1317 achievements, emphasizing that b371fcedaf they had done 9c81e2e111 nothing to help. Dragged to the 70ce7dfaae event, Seobin wondered 387feeea46 if that was 8aab361c5f really something to b941f2b11b brag about, but 0b6de4e742 he stayed silent 43edcfbd77 as others expressed f03579db0f envy, complaining that 6f670656cc their own children 19659c1a6a couldn’t do anything ead2e76819 without them.5863f85eb5056b6a

And so, Seobin 9f04dc0b45 was on track 2f5de21e59 to become a 10f4b9e5d6 respectable member of e5de0dffe7 society, befitting his 47a4ed8bd0 parents’ prestige.e958a6a1cd45058a

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According to his vague plan, 2c0d7d3191 he would graduate from university, 1ba958f0f4 join his father’s company or dc8eb5940b a well-known conglomerate, and, with 86bad3a2a6 his parents’ generous support, marry 5969a5d568 and start a family.ce6c1bcb2f660683

But that flimsy plan fell 777be4e4e2 apart in an instant.7ca2463bc485b880

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A year after 94fdbd0064 entering university, Seobin cff6d55904 returned home after 8fe2de9b83 classes. Passing the long df9928c844 stone wall, he 8a10deef81 found the front 4d0962450c gate open.f8f6d2ef396283a2

It was a common occurrence. Their house often had visitors. Assuming someone was there today, a6d116343a he decided to enter through 4433880b9d the parking lot to avoid 696a0e35ac attention.ab6b69bd287e7db3

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As he turned to the 65070410c1 side, a voice rang out.6bd0db187c54691f

“You fucking bastard!”5f72a6ea2590ab41

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The crude curse was alien 209100977d to Seobin, who had lived d3c499f9c8 in a meticulously filtered environment. His steps halted. More curses followed 1f37e2c08b in rapid succession.a63f2c6943439344

“You piece of shit, give me my money!”93c27129976a86b8

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“Give it back, you fucker. Give it back!”c519d03cabb0a318

“You said you’d make it grow big…”b32a4427476f87c8

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“Oh no, oh no, my money…”9f6a0e3f32da8fb9

As if entranced, Seobin headed 00bf05e0f5 toward the entrance. He neatly removed ccde4e8313 his sneakers and d060515e0f put on indoor c3f13b6b29 slippers. The hallway was covered in e601af4a68 shoe prints, but he still 82f180e33e slipped into the slippers and 33b44fe4c0 walked toward the living room.140623b6290ae5dd

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That walk felt endlessly long. Expensive paintings lining 3b783b9269 the hallway were 9698b6451d plastered with red 879d7d3565 stickers, slowing his 8f3fd1a812 steps as he 79d7109911 stared at them.0041ff3871a8d693

The living room, when acb53ff70e he finally reached it, 95a5bd8d10 looked unlike anything he’d 02ec225815 ever seen.474058013484f8a3

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It was filthy. The orchids his 6a50343fb3 father had painstakingly 1375599375 tended were overturned, ee66db3e43 their dark insides 3d0ca54dcd spilled across the e80a097b1b floor. Golf clubs and e917638830 crystal trophies from 8e05928931 various tournaments, displayed 34ff6ba072 on one side 115a50630e of the room, 9dbd7af0fe were shattered, turning 7fe10d23a8 the floor into bf890f15df a minefield.840ad21853a67018

The sofa was 3193a3bbe3 flipped over, and b3ab889b52 the TV was 1d45792a4b broken, its screen 55c3a3fa6b twisted in disarray.dcd086eb39f5285e

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His father sat sprawled on 515b034840 the floor, looking utterly pathetic, 2531585842 like a crumpled tissue someone 0f90a7c3bb had used to blow their b476b672d5 nose. Strangers were hitting and kicking 0f116b1b4c him, and all he could a321931f29 say was,2ebc40dcb627cdd5

“I don’t have money… I don’t have any money. I said I ca12a1cfac don’t have it…”cf10885ccab244b6

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His mother was in the a073fb50cf hallway leading to the master 3d3827bad1 bedroom. What was she doing there? Stroking a piece of porcelain. At the hallway’s entrance 73d8a8e547 stood a valuable piece 055b5c2f97 she’d bought at an a19e6e2ad5 auction for a fortune, 7fd0d9d819 and she was scraping dd882d6b7d off the red stickers 40dbcda21f with her nails.b716c237fc28f600

“Ugh, damn it… This is expensive… How dare these ignorant fools stick this on it… This is why you can’t deal with trashy people…”7314caab2da28684

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Her hair was 14b62c34ff disheveled, her eyes c8da98034b bloodshot, and she 9505d3248e wore only one f9e1d8a3c9 indoor slipper. This was a ba0cbd547b side of his e107bd479c mother—always pristine and 0107e6f77d dignified—that Seobin had 84152af1e9 never seen. The sight of 644ad7d9d9 his father, sitting a529441172 defeated and beaten, 2f465cb737 was equally unfamiliar.6ee376c6585816ad

For a fleeting moment, fbf8e19202 Seobin had the blasphemous cc301efc1e thought that his parents 039c235b6f had been replaced by 757d48f441 monsters who had taken 4297cd2204 over the house.f686666fae89ec70

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His memories from then 220e4bd594 on are fragmented. Everything happened so quickly, passing d61dbf7855 before he could even process 64d21c566b the situation.76a9f61575f62cf6

His father was sued a4e10459f8 for fraud, along with 69e16fe638 charges of financial crimes, 3a5a156815 stock manipulation, embezzlement, and 2ea53dc8a9 bribery. The lawsuits weren’t just one ede857d882 or two. The expected sentence was 94862f0685 severe, and the reparations ec0586de49 were astronomical.d4cadb309b897ecd

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The problem wasn’t afd19d5100 just his father. Though his mother 333490f278 was distant from b1c853ee86 him, they were 5e1fb2b7d2 still married and c1e0070001 had collaborated on be8b25a187 several matters, including 49354d0a8a illicit ones.3184075e07ee2006

The money his father 5213519c09 had used included his fd110ef6b9 mother’s funds, and the d4be68385e sharp prosecutors had no d371a4b7ea trouble uncovering it.fc51ef2cf75d2e9e

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His parents tried 0c80034757 to divorce immediately, 857d7559a3 but Korea’s legal 9559cd9b89 system was neither ad5dda8f52 swift nor lenient. Facing lawsuits worth c4acd4c72b tens of billions, bab037300d it was even 830bbc02fe harsher.03ead167eaa3ca5c

The house disappeared. Naturally, so did the luxury f6dd45f94c furniture and artwork inside.f28908b1ce5efaaf

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His parents met with lawyers 017391aaf1 daily, attended court frequently, and d4e3ea460f had to dodge creditors who daa1c9c68e tracked them down no matter 2d8fb2f317 where they hid, forcing them 22d8ec034e to scurry like water striders 5cd6cf42ec every night.01e9c66edb539217

Seobin was completely 5173226eae excluded from this 2ececb983c ordeal. He rented a small studio 9181da8300 near his school and continued c5a28e1d97 attending classes as if nothing e8d49410ea had happened. His parents had told b3877b5e7f him to do so, 34a5484dbe but whether it was 2e8aae3830 because they found him ca7d1388f3 a hassle or wanted cb0bda892e their son to live 373a105758 a decent life was bce7fb4759 unclear.ae4b2d88eb5a239b

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In any case, deba6933ba Seobin lived in 2356fa2540 a cramped, coffin-like 178c570588 studio, cut off f94f4039d4 from any news.022dba88da86c3f7

Then one day, a 1183823522 call came from an 428d95b032 unknown number. It was the police. In a calm voice, 032fa99da3 they delivered a barrage 7f8264baf9 of devastating news.88db9cec21364e7a

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At dawn, his 72a1cc174f father had died 6d37e1aa9f at the police 636646cb62 station.869a45f24f8fb329

[It was acute alcohol poisoning. He was taken to 4dd7ba80ee the emergency room but b2e5195ce1 passed away.]15953453ef7684f8

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Seobin, swallowing his breath, 7b75735ab7 tried to respond, but 603aafb47d the officer continued without 126594e518 pause.2dcf92824612fde2

[Your mother also…]735fb99cb7dcdda9

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He paused briefly. Over the phone, the 37648d1bf8 sound of a mouse e17d6fe73a wheel scrolling could be c2e062f817 heard. He was likely looking at 67044fd90b Seobin’s personal information. Twenty-one years old. College student. That must have caught 634c19856c his eye.a80b2322af335e79

After a moment of silence, 4e7f8ef03f he took a deep breath 1b3bc88318 and added with a sigh,5a2e82e5c6366c5b

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[Your mother attempted suicide this morning…]573f36a39f59d9a8

He explained that he had 3ec6cdd864 called about his father, but e97544dfe8 when she didn’t answer, they 3cfa013c57 visited and found her with 82d007fa1f a rope around her neck. Whether it was luck 55fcaee81a or misfortune, she was e293fe30b5 found early and taken 4ee2f1852a to the hospital, but… d246f65d10 the officer trailed off, 3f7dfa9280 leaving the sentence unfinished. He simply told f45e0be02b Seobin to go 81bf3d1982 to the hospital 47044067b1 and gave its 6b9834a04b name.b5993783d0ae602a

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Like someone whose brain had cce9b99be9 been scooped out, Seobin headed de1fefd04d to the hospital in a b07d4fde61 daze.837600f1cc5b7c09

Upon entering the 16ebdca7fc hospital lobby, he 0159176959 hesitated.fa9fb0af0d09f36e

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His father first?6bd0a92242c45744

Or his mother?23046147d2a0efba

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His father was in the f245d5568e basement morgue, his mother on 58fd15d4a1 the third floor. After a moment ecb6494e0c of indecision, he a0f4677438 decided to see 8e41444131 his living mother 61692cd38e first.772af7190a6acd91

And so, after a long 37d2e5106a time, he faced his mother.caba5c9ea5e8d253

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Her appearance had changed again.25f5a63991bebe75

Her lips, which she used 45578d66eb to change lipsticks daily, were 64dec2392f chapped and rough, as if b97e48df99 all her fat and blood 0f51811eda had been drained. Her cheeks and e29052fbb5 eyes were sunken, eaaf30e23b as if already 3d83feb1ad dead, and her 00fe1d8ae0 hand with an 5f8cfe03f7 IV drip looked 8487d44827 like a dry 204f34dac9 twig.0f3af6ca49b8d1fa

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The strange thing f29d1bae8c was that her 09a146af6f eyes were open.a3c038d4594a2158

What’s so strange about ad084c68dc that, one might ask, f7b2b20613 but she didn’t close 57026c6b7f them. She stared blankly 9649d66046 into the distant 1094f83dce void with half-open 203696720c eyes. An hour, two hours, 0ecf8c5252 three hours passed, and 64a982cdbf she kept looking at b665baa689 the same spot.ebe00fc9120f159b

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She seemed trapped in time.577c576fce2d2886

The police had 5927a4f7c1 said she wasn’t 8b63da23de dead, but she 7767972237 was barely different fd0487cd66 from a corpse.4df0a964664d9a7c

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The doctor explained 8f0703890d that part of 62b632544a her brain had 7e131ec83b died due to d3d733f933 the suicide attempt, 8b01e1e173 making recovery unlikely. In a flat voice, he 3852c3f394 rambled about how families typically e804176380 react in such cases.dce5faa80070ac9e

The doctor came 5018865903 and went, nurses 570731ed7f came and went, e34766e891 and someone from a0390995d9 the insurance company 30dedb3a21 visited. His mother had f0a3b8588c many insurance policies, f7f2b6853a but injuries from 363ccf4ba9 a suicide attempt 0c5d49b91b weren’t covered, and ef1449ff4f any lawsuit would d16a899b29 likely fail, they 9c5126282d said before leaving.2e5cf7a7b3069119

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“…”079d5594f3e86fa3

Seobin sat by his mother’s 2af968da80 side for hours. Her refusal to look f3a5ac2842 at him felt foreign. Though she rarely 5b0f038207 called his name d5a07311df warmly, she was 3a48fffd67 still his mother—his ea8956a174 family, his parent, e22270e848 the person closest ba493d53c4 to him in ae292ab69d the world.55c2b4a9509feec7

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“Ugh…”45967eb657553ca2

Seobin slowly crumbled. His eyes wrinkled, his 5a45fa4d4b shoulders hunched, and his b4f8597901 back bent. He buried his forehead e3bb2f9d8f in his mother’s hand, bf5f9aeeb8 which no longer felt 5170821ec7 human, and wept for 1e1c030db7 a long time.00507818b579c4cf

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His tears carried 161ef2e4bc a multitude of 6537161ffd emotions.f63e06d35f93c380

Fear and sorrow 58526e444e for his mother’s 968aae2b07 broken state were 443b14deed dominant, but there 13719f1fe8 was also shock, 7ca50c8dee confusion, and a fdf7481db0 sense of betrayal.bb5d6d437e86db39

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Both his mother and father. In ending their lives, e82445edca Seobin was nowhere in ea01858b18 their thoughts.dc0dbb3b4d0d2279

He was their 69a6bdb95b son, yet his 8a7069fa67 father suffered and 2b9fc2675c died alone without f295af08f0 regard for him, 876b4a655f and his mother 84beae17d0 bought a rope 222fdd22b2 and tied it 4eb0542868 around her neck eec8bc695b without a fleeting 8376034578 thought of him.0038f9204f9b009b

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Others might say they at 8c0b2b6569 least spared their child, leaving c2a807e683 him alive, but Seobin knew. His existence had no 90f36caf00 impact on their decisions 68784359fa to live or die. They hadn’t considered how 281f3041c1 he would survive alone ff361193dc after their deaths.3073a30860c2a0a1

Seobin had been an orphan ed3701ba07 even before they died.557fe4869b951258

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His mother, a 9ed067d771 living corpse with ed4ef4ba29 open eyes, continued bc01ca8d9f to consume time, 15e5674baa and meanwhile, his f14b196938 father’s funeral was 00b2c5dfd6 held. Seobin was the chief mourner.3060a762e53f3b8a

Many people attended the funeral, 08b55c9647 more than expected.05816e6e64200b83

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Most were strangers c92020393d to Seobin, as 07af8c98dc he had been 39de99491c thoroughly excluded from ea469b8af8 his parents’ lives.966d8aabd267f81b

They cried before his father’s 28b58a25e0 portrait, held Seobin’s hand to 4b8373f286 ask about his mother, and 698110082a told him to stay strong fa654741ff and call if he needed ec22f44e15 help. Of course, none of them 11d2683643 gave him their phone numbers.7d6fbb2ba720fad7

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Then they left without 0c8ecb5197 eating a bowl of d5b9002520 yukgaejang, their faces light, 47a75edf01 tinged with pride for 02376ca686 dutifully paying their respects 9f8352eb8f to a ruined family.76aafbfbca603d0f

The funeral was chaotic, thanks e959b99ad9 to the creditors who swarmed fdec258d94 in. They wailed louder than anyone 085f6ade8e before his father’s portrait.6da24efa2e725f73

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“What about my money!”8131a2be0827bd43

“You die like this, and that’s it, you fucker!”a8c71f27384cd937

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They shouted furiously, and though e955101d55 Seobin had done nothing wrong, 58419ecfab he was treated like a 6ce05809c5 criminal. The condolence money left by 4e5b95b53f guests was snatched up by a7ed74e2e0 the creditors.e214e2851c3753df

Past midnight, when 0ba38db3fb the wailing creditors 73806f9487 had collapsed in 33b4369c21 a corner of b4aa2cef98 the funeral parlor, 062151e160 asleep, Seobin left 6597264e0a and headed to f1ee665107 a secluded garden. Sitting on a bf84a7f366 bench untouched by 9800800916 streetlight, he called 2cafc3bd38 someone.0cca6a12f449fe85

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[Brother]07071e77fe1a7438

The word was intimately familiar, 802868f3a4 yet it rarely appeared on 353778af35 his phone.4405c4ef55e29345

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Seobin listened to 36c88820fa the cheerful ringtone 56441b6167 of the internet ae2baf6485 call for a 3ebcb99e5a long time. The call didn’t connect easily, af98b6ce49 often cutting off after a a27463ce53 minute. After three such cycles, 77dc01590c it finally connected.099772d2e7ccd5d2

[What.]aecc8350d9142a38

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“Hey… Jungho, are you asleep?”f70f11c0cec79034

[No. What.]395d26b1769db3b3

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The voice was gruff, but 40bdf3add3 Seobin was glad to hear 3676443fe4 it. So glad that tears 369b3183b6 welled up.81ee25bd52092a03

Breathing in the cold c6667c8e80 night air, Seobin suppressed 18475d5c63 his sobs.30b0888f3ab8c9ea

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His younger brother, Cha Jungho, d94c8d70cf was three years younger, a 1ef5ea0547 half-brother sharing the same father. When Seobin was in high 949f0ee74b school, his father brought Jungho 6c6da3bf55 home, saying he was his 03b630893e son from a woman at 57f0f8c0ec a bar.5671ab9cc12e61d3

His mother, humiliated, 0c0c080d00 was furious, but 5e66339c93 the issue was da66de9b8a resolved by sending 3b2060dbcd Jungho to the faf49eac8e States, out of 22493369cc sight. Jungho didn’t seem to 8cff8aaee1 care about living with 65f0438a18 their father either, remaining ff58e90699 silent.62531dafb789058f

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Seobin was the cd519229ef only one who 77de49b07b felt regret.084d6c3ef92c920b

A younger brother, 4046c41ed3 a peer, someone 8d091a9a39 he might connect 98ace631ee with, someone who f34adafeb6 could be family a72d2957bf and friend—but they 045d65960e were separated before 7e6de2207b they could even 832a34d113 try.7ac22fb5c830468d

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To Seobin, Jungho fc55f1e4a2 was always a 9e83af1c3f source of longing. Far away, unable to 09924094da bond, with only Seobin 3dbcded20f wondering about him and 8ecfcb2ef8 missing him.89519d41912baaaa

But when his father’s b27b4ee349 scandal broke, Seobin thought 5a3ecd1f57 it was fortunate Jungho 6e491610fc was far away, spared b8a27bb193 from witnessing or experiencing 501e56815f it.116ec4f8c24892c9

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Now, though, he needed him. This moment was too heavy e8ca0234a5 for Seobin to bear alone. Even if it b770cff12b was just a 5a32397f0e younger brother, he 195577fa4e wanted someone, anyone, 5d06307c55 with warmth by a2c215ed0e his side.81ec8f967dad53d9

“Jungho, the funeral’s got one day left.”0aa2d62599ab9a7e

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[Fuck… Do I have to go?]b8ff8f6121192e4b

“You should. It’s Dad’s funeral.”39ad857f5b32950f

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[Hyung, do you know how much it costs to fly to Korea and back?]0534b6ec13afa3ef

“Yeah. If it’s about three hundred, 5f0cc8f212 I can somehow—”6511ce67138f7df9

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[Three hundred? Hyung, are you crazy? You want me daba309d81 to fly economy? In that chicken coop?]24996b77b679ee9b

“…”64c8b68dcf97e00c

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It was an immature 2786fe104d response, but Seobin couldn’t 7c8793b92e get angry. If he said 5f05c098ad the wrong thing, 66f2780081 Jungho, his only 614d6a8f4f remaining family, might ddc0b04980 leave him too.4948b48036f3ebca

As Seobin mentally d9d0dcfb55 calculated the cost 8985c69e73 of a business-class 86c311c466 round trip, Jungho 455bff23c4 lashed out loudly.b34bbceba0ff7e1e

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[Goddamn it, I’m already losing my mind over the family going bust. Are you trying 37403e0c4f to drive me 450c71089c insane?]3bf36f2a29e95b46

“…Jungho.”bcec30ce33c4ba87

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[Hyung, I’ve got exams soon. Can’t we talk after? Please?]4a284ff5f36ec7d7

“…”acecdd967c3e94b0

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In the end, 0f965fdb5b Seobin couldn’t beg 4593befc26 Jungho to come 2f984ecdf6 or stay by e5a6d6c817 his side. It wasn’t just 611090a893 about reading Jungho’s bab14748b3 mood; he simply 0409b812db didn’t have the 5b7fbe4879 money. Thinking it over, 0c48fd26c4 he realized he 3a4254878f couldn’t even afford 9c6d5d600b economy class.f99c86d74f0c2ab1

It was the first time e3f59cbfa1 Seobin truly realized he was 4d03b126d6 “broke.”80108c0bf06b0a7b

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His emotions had 85995782b0 been impoverished, but 6a7f0cebd8 his pockets had 3a4e22b7c5 always been full. Now, nothing was abundant. The fear and misery b9048fbaf0 of it brought tears edf753a1ed streaming down.5e4b4bd678375461

Seobin curled up, 6c165060f1 pressing his tears 8dec434ec1 into his knees. The moonlight, grayed by thick d803a1c4cf clouds, fell over his pale 87f9f4c86e neck.5635945f9eb40b8e

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After washing his face df2b3c3259 in the bathroom, Seobin 40b55cd26d returned to the funeral 62971ab05d parlor. The hallway was crowded with 96886d4623 about a dozen burly men 8d5b45060f in black suits.085254263a9469bd

Seobin checked the time. One in the morning. Not a time b5d0112ff1 for condolence visits.667812c090b65c91

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Probably not Dad’s guests.723b78d1f7eab78b

Thinking this, he tried to 908007c401 slip past them when a a962594153 familiar face briefly crossed his dcfb27abfc vision. Seobin whipped his head eb6f37fc2a toward it, and their 388d7f6212 eyes met.4458b06ba832b4af

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Dark gray eyes, like storm f5e89c3203 clouds.ad4bce20c6cd88cf

Jaegyu.95eed6b2918abea4

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Gil Jaegyu.171367e48533fc2d

It had been 5155ea01b3 years since he’d 4a921e128b seen that face. Whether because of e8b2265cdd the time apart e0d97edc42 or the years 76299a234d that had passed, 3276bb15e0 Jaegyu exuded a e0a668d0a6 different aura from 5e9be591f7 what Seobin remembered. He might have e426b3d3cb passed him on 5e6b6a45a0 the street without 08f54df9be recognition.fbe7bc016c8745c2

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His height, a full head 614c9fe37e taller than Seobin, was the 0f939c070c same, but everything else was 2f55fdc268 different. A glossy black suit. A solid frame like 4e4d27596f a massive boulder. A chiseled jawline radiating masculinity, a2b287b63c well-tanned skin, fierce, elongated eyes 552e0b9cb5 like a wild beast, a 0b1f170205 cold gaze looking down at ecaa1d2755 him, and mysterious tattoos peeking 4953fc2ef0 out from his neck and 4fcd28f892 hands despite the suit covering facdc6f229 him.89cc556f12a2a33d

“…”2134f446d38bca78

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Overwhelmed by Jaegyu’s 3e43a2951b imposing presence, Seobin 76828302bf couldn’t even offer 668065966b a greeting, frozen 5aace62304 in place.edb054fc90a03b10

“…”adfb482437c8afc2

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Jaegyu didn’t acknowledge him either. He scrutinized Seobin intensely before bf1ab6be5a removing his shoes and entering cc8dbdafe3 the funeral parlor. Three or four a3aea6a4fb of the men d2a9ab73c0 behind him followed.2bfa71b98a11406b

Seobin, in a daze, belatedly 8530fade27 removed his slippers. He adjusted his 58971ccc2d mourner’s armband and fba865192a stood by his 8f3d642be9 father’s portrait.502956fccc6e59f9

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He found it strange that 7b2ab31454 Jaegyu was here.a4c818ddd1e529ee

And for good reason—Jaegyu was 2154271567 the son of the housekeeper c1b826aaff who had worked at Seobin’s b3f8ab7a0b home years ago. She lived in 514414c732 a small room 09156c9c42 beyond the backyard, fb0c5dfc8f and Jaegyu would b16b625f74 visit every few 98b38e0228 months, staying for 092ab1f274 a few days.97f6db7b4e44c315

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Back then, Jaegyu was in 8774bc0935 his late twenties, neither too b6ae5593b8 young nor too old.6469286d36f9bd0b

They weren’t close, but the b4ccbf97f2 housekeeper often spoke of him 03730c6752 to Seobin.d5a1741f6e79fdba

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He’d go out 0fa178488b on boats for 0749744439 days to earn cb9dc7e193 money or work 511c212064 at factories or 25b47528c3 construction sites with 0612fec935 room and board. She was heartbroken that his 7b18bdd48d work was so hard but cf1e2b8d24 felt helpless as a mother, 649b9f9c41 burdened by debt, sighing endlessly.32b1a8444855d44e

That winter, when Jaegyu was 2012bc4d2d twenty-eight and Seobin was eighteen, 9e46623f11 the housekeeper died suddenly of e2c0a93105 a heart attack.971a0326ece941fa

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This was the first time 680a943f2a Seobin had seen Jaegyu since f2ec1144ac then. Roughly three years, c87bf47a04 by his estimate.e5503efa805e0b35

Jaegyu wasn’t close 53903f6344 enough to attend b56efe9f0c his father’s funeral, 09e6233b92 but he wasn’t 003ca1f180 so distant as 31046ea8ed to have no 16b6afbee8 reason to come.996be5d923d88ff3

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So Seobin couldn’t smile c195efa108 in greeting or cry accedbf8cc in sorrow. He just looked at Jaegyu e294edacd5 with a damp, neutral expression. Jaegyu, meanwhile, performed the e84a31ae22 rites skillfully, offering incense a2da88b044 and bowing, as if 259d8cad67 very familiar with funerals.7018ef99547eb683

Jaegyu didn’t forget the condolence 3b2f3edc25 money. The white envelope was 924ced7c6c thick—bulky enough that creditors, 39c2a6aead if awake, would have 86f66a6f63 snatched it. Seobin, caught off guard, 913132d489 looked up at Jaegyu 90956d66f4 as he accepted it.f7bbb2fc1edb02e5

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“…”13762cda371f74fa

“…”d938d23bb1c6afb5

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Jaegyu silently stared 8889c422e5 at Seobin, as 0eccfac76c if waiting for 7bad5230f2 him to speak 9fe0591ebf or checking if eca94cbf42 he was recognized. Pushed by that silent urging, 5b2d8b87d5 Seobin parted his dry lips.515b66921844b1af

“It’s been a while… hyung.”37a12d11ee382a19

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At the address, a65b518e93 Jaegyu closed his 38fbbd4dda eyes tightly and 017cac3535 opened them, his 9396c775fc expression oddly reverent. Seobin glanced around for creditors, 8074e4d97a then hurriedly stuffed the envelope e6134badf9 into his pocket and bowed d11a88ef60 to Jaegyu.b056556ffc4ea5ed

“Thank you for coming.”fd2157f03bfb2d07

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“Yeah, it’s been a while.”351f9bee00be23d6

Their conversation was slightly out c1a9f364c7 of sync. Seobin tilted his head at 40282d1f57 the mismatched exchange, but Jaegyu 17da135cec showed no particular reaction. He looked down at Seobin c1d0ff591d for a moment before turning dbd67295db toward the entrance.11814d4ccfaa8c75

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He didn’t offer 5a1bb2f6c8 condolences for his 9b336d7547 father’s death or 3cd49719e7 words of comfort 27526fbc74 for Seobin. He didn’t stay 93c324e59c for a meal 3c6219c897 either. To an outsider, it 6dc2b6c438 might seem he came e8d3562355 to see Seobin, not bd02fcef00 to mourn.c199911a6e1cd728

Jaegyu put on 41ef8dfcc0 his shoes, lingering c15d579009 to stare at b16f882fe5 Seobin again. Seobin, who had come to 04de560872 see him off, clasped his 7a263c98f9 hands at his waist, uncomfortably b3a88bc2eb receiving the gaze.6de83148fe96e813

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Then, Jaegyu abruptly extended something.3d8ec3f9ee9d1c00

A business card.b64ba593750911bc

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Seobin accepted it with 93afdbab43 both hands.fccdbf8d0bbc4715

Mae Capitalc6f7e8e4648a53a7

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President Gil Jaegyuec8f043a316ecec8

Below the boldly written name a3b1eda932 were a company phone number 205f33ba3c and address. Unusually for a business card, f82435ed68 there was no email or 10fb9bb9b4 personal phone number. As Seobin stared 2c7a439800 at it, Jaegyu 54730bf123 let out a 94849f5539 short “Ah” and 2a16ee790f suddenly took the 2426472f0f card back.47e1691197b8a7c7

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Jaegyu glanced around, picked 6c1acba768 up a pen with fd9702b769 an open cap from 192d6ff26b the guestbook area, and d1eecb454c scribbled something on the 5eb8048d87 business card before handing b84ed1e4dd it back to Seobin.8c419eadf19227cc

The card was now cf7ebc4934 filled with a phone d2badb890f number starting with 010. Seobin guessed it was 75d143e641 likely Jaegyu’s number.df72aa17126a6abe

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As Seobin stared at the bb912c0302 slightly smudged “0,” Jaegyu said 19de06a590 something out of the blue.184e15def9a3d678

“If you need money, call me.”4db906dded57a339

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“…”8582907ca1ddb6a5

It was an unfamiliar statement, a177d631b2 not something typically said at 90863bae6e a funeral parlor. While creditors demanded 792c6e7304 money, a funeral 4b29078996 parlor was a e9b7e72e31 place for exchanges 59e62d72a6 like “call me 3fe4cea889 if you’re going a5c9e0c569 through a tough 841a524014 time,” wasn’t it?07142e307661e9f2

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Seobin looked up at Jaegyu.ef6e4426bcdc6a0c

“…”9a8627175f2df678

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Even under the dim 23c69a1206 lighting, Seobin’s amber eyes ad592262fb sparkled. Jaegyu clenched and unclenched his 39dc27a376 fist, then slowly raised the 30754d00c9 corner of his mouth. It was as e666e25f38 if he had 93cd76d4de discovered something precious 316d7ba0e4 or held it 26b8e347e0 in his grasp.e2ccb1242f8ef381

Seobin’s mouth parted slightly.3692491821a77215

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Jaegyu, smiling?f95e86a10968e06c

Though they hadn’t 8c3d7c8519 spent much time 5af4a2556a together, Seobin had 581b594fcc rarely seen Jaegyu eafbf5ff70 smile. He was certain he had f6f53f8763 never seen such a gentle 24520618ae smile before. Jaegyu was a man of b22d0af146 few words, his voice often 3b982bd4b2 faint.5183fddc2e1a7e69

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Seobin gripped the 2c08da9f77 business card tightly. He couldn’t tell 07655d93b0 if the Jaegyu 2ee048c6eb smiling handsomely at 89b788bd22 him was an de905862be angel or a 5c1987a6ea devil.a8e440c17074327e

While Seobin stood af188fb4b7 in a daze, a2f2130bd4 Jaegyu slowly left 979f0f51f2 the funeral parlor. Halfway down the hallway, 078422dcca he let out a d900840f16 short “Ah” and turned 9031a8cd7f back to Seobin, saying,68f61d549907e2c4

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“But you’re not crying either.”652b2bb4114bfbe0

At those words, 01f2517963 Seobin’s eyes plunged f5f5cd8468 into some distant 5f5cf1f694 past.e3c9689590fd1702

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⋆˚࿔09e21bf06923172e

“If you need money, call me.”a31b6e7afc28932a

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Was that statement 31cb08880f a curse or 2cffe4ee46 a prophecy? Seobin soon found himself in 8ba2056a3f desperate need of money.848ecd4fa42cfa7b

It was for the funeral bc785f33d2 expenses and his mother’s hospital 343645f824 bills. But a twenty-one-year-old college student 259d3745f8 who had only ever spent aeeb1a17b2 pocket money had no funds 119501e684 to spare.e03c2b061a657bbd

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Of course, Jaegyu wasn’t 53423036cd his first thought. He went to the f1d1318ab7 bank first.cee24f8709bca2bf

However, the bank aad4c1c5bb employee, with a aebd5b5569 sympathetic expression, said 36b00663f0 he didn’t qualify 696b357eb5 for a loan. Something about income levels, credit e9f2177f87 scores, and family relations—it was a8e2cb087f all gibberish to a twenty-one-year-old 817d138b1b just stepping into the world, 9b70cf83a9 words he hadn’t learned in 5acb7076b1 school.4b2f154ca2e915ff

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While Seobin stood 9aee27f6a2 there, dumbfounded, his e95ed04e79 father’s friends—or rather, 0c9efc2faf company associates—swooped in, 4aed1fa2a2 pulling out company 6c6181b442 shares under incomprehensible 18635b493a pretexts and laws. One person took their 0c6befa0eb share, then another came 22c6b37be0 to claim theirs, as 134535b199 if taking turns drawing d67ec1e896 lots.ff686a6c49559487

His mother’s assets were f164f01699 no different. Her mountain of wealth 06c2f0db19 was shattered in an c6fe62973d instant, flowing into others’ 8871ad2b91 pockets. Seobin was completely 896fd20774 excluded from this e78c130e42 distribution.c9f6cb8deed68bf0

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In the end, all 9bf1529ff2 that remained for Seobin f557664964 was debt.def414bd4ab615e4

There was a system called d0826141bb renunciation of inheritance, but unfortunately, 5272fe287e since his mother was still fc5db56164 alive, the process was complicated b212cae593 and time-consuming. The situation was so tangled 4ce6cc8ca8 that he needed a lawyer, 23b4ef3818 but that cost a fortune a5addca9ad too.027be7a4ee2882d0

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Creditors came frequently, shouting c6792a924e that his father had 4099725010 borrowed money, and Seobin 9977f6d3bd couldn’t even verify if 5e18ac4d2a it was true.faef071117036024

Amid the snowballing 93362619f3 numbers, Seobin could 0da7088afb do nothing.8ea6e5cdfe161375

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⋆˚࿔4255a4e3793fc346

A couple of accab20792 months later, Seobin 795766134f turned twenty-two without 8e980948d9 fanfare. At the same time, he 566305b2ac reached a limit. He realized he couldn’t navigate cab90db7a5 this situation alone.daacae327068f5cb

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He rummaged through his 0e361ef544 tiny studio and found a14fe8cd93 Jaegyu’s business card. The phone number 00c7bd9267 was so smudged a67b0452df that the 8 5d87106234 and 3 were 505cc3ae11 barely legible, but 8b514ffb4a luckily, he got ebb4deb7c6 through to Jaegyu fe33a92d68 on the first ee6a0f3063 try.91ebe3190b1522c0

…If only his luck had run out instead.ddbde83887989179

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Jaegyu gave him an address. It wasn’t anything special—just a a9ae2575f2 building in Yeouido that came 328caef1a0 up when searching “Mae Capital” d1119d7d6f on a map app. The building was new, gleaming, a9bacee960 and quite tall.642aac68a2f23854

At the information desk in 4719ceb538 the lobby, Seobin said he 346ac13c7b was there to meet Jaegyu. The staff made a 6743fd8cb5 call to confirm and 68bd3ed852 let him in, directing 7de2134dfc him to the top 11b3f98d81 floor.156a2dc36670f4dd

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Jaegyu’s office was spacious, comfortable, 0f0ab4c383 and pristine. At the far end 4c4092fe23 was Jaegyu’s desk with 8b2f3b02e7 a nameplate reading [President 0ce662b121 Gil Jaegyu], flanked by 463b063a2e a tall lamp. Behind it hung cc821e1109 a Korean folk 6f1038dd6f painting of a edfe2321dc dokkaebi, with large 5b31e0320c eyes, sharp teeth, 3875a1d056 short horns, and 6ef98868d4 a neatly trimmed c1113a1a98 beard, instantly drawing 681248c467 attention.3d5920f6db51d929

The furniture was mostly black, f3f580f288 with occasional porcelain or Buddhist 530abf04be decorations, creating a heavy yet f98ee55a52 refined atmosphere.626ea9542cba3fbb

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However, a few 4b94c53fea burly men stood cdb34568ac guard at the 780474ecd8 door, and the 87dcc60d99 strong smell of c2ff05ef26 cigarette smoke set ecb8cf7267 it apart from 57946149ba a typical executive 17d841e63e office.fbcfda0d66930415

Seeing Jaegyu after e93ca69312 so long, he 64a1eb2dd5 was dressed in e859d89664 a dress shirt, b7761f2238 slipping on a 05be6068b5 suit jacket as 6473cdc98e if about to 7544612c4c head out. Adjusting the jacket’s 4c80132448 hem, he approached 049a74d208 with a gentle a8e5ffece4 smile and asked, 143338bf33 before even exchanging 39a5dcecea proper greetings,f826d35b6509a7d6

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“How much do you need?”e63c3bffdd1e61fb

His curved eyes 57abacfa13 were full of 4881cf1010 amusement.41a875d159348805

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The contract was short—just dbb7803787 one page. At the bank, 89b3de8097 even a loan 2ea179e1f2 consultation came with 507fcadad0 a stack of b39deed1d6 papers, but the f5ba3518cd document handed over c560c27dd7 by someone who 26066652b2 seemed to be 8a147df73f Jaegyu’s subordinate was 57a30cb684 a single sheet.c8963065f8327945

It listed a “Party A” 9fbc8860c8 and “Party B,” and surprisingly, fe198a02c6 Seobin’s name was written as d8cc092a66 Party A. Party B was 177b7debf8 already printed with d973be5c52 Mae Capital’s details.800ba0274d56791d

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The table was low, forcing 42f47ec054 Seobin to bend deeply to f192023b75 fill out the contract. His handwriting—name, resident registration 22bb2726fb number, phone number, address—was a88cbb7ceb meticulous. The text he wrote e5f0ec403d was equally neat and 37120819a0 precise.39e7d9dbb19e3883

“…”128a22b32e51d9dd

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Jaegyu, seated on a plush ad0828d430 sofa with his legs crossed, 0eb0554c41 watched Seobin’s personal information being 3574fc3bfb written out carefully.02f0ba3336db7830

The pen paused at 035db440e1 the [Loan Amount] field. The round tip scribbled 599ae8571e an unknown number in d5b300e761 the air. As Seobin hesitated, Jaegyu tilted 541ab27323 his chin, urging him.643b627cb19d2baf

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“Write it.”b665c7e9c3c4bfb0

“Does it matter how much?”762a538425249f68

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“Yeah.”fcd79ac05aeaf121

“…”532a7ad5f1135d73

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It was a strange statement. How could it not matter? If he wrote 100 7bb74d4f0b million won, would Jaegyu 99789a5c12 give it to him? What if he 9e1ff32fdf couldn’t repay it? He was just a twenty-two-year-old 4c323ea089 kid.6aef389819c5d63d

After a moment’s thought, 4a86a9e73d Seobin carefully wrote the f6d0b91e5c number.bce1a478abb71aff

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3,000,000f684de82ac1dba02

Three million won. It was the 83c9cafdc1 amount Seobin urgently 32ceb50fec needed. Not for debt 51a2a7002b or installments, but ecb4c5e537 because he could e716b6264f no longer delay 894995c156 his father’s funeral e73bbcc481 expenses. With what was left, he 8130e8ff6c planned to cover his mother’s 76d31d9515 hospital bills.7992add36bf01d33

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Perhaps because it 2c0f233e6c was such a 0cde29f36c small amount, a 7acfb08f66 staff member behind 1788fae87e Jaegyu let out 17bc4a9005 a snicker. Jaegyu, however, didn’t laugh. He tapped his polished 9dbfd70a19 shoe and stared at 24b2e4c048 the three million won b6303b9a21 figure, as if displeased.ce07de02176d55db

“That’s it?”e99e3d22e8c4f15d

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“Yes.”15bd6a4f94f9f0e3

Seobin nodded. Three million was a b96390ca72 figure he’d calculated carefully 14e819584e on his way here. It didn’t feel like a ea2d13e19c large sum. The cardigan he bf85998a42 was wearing at 0bebd1c583 the time cost e0d650587b 2.8 million won.8bb621a2b79b8ec7

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The red stickers that had 815cd83bdd overtaken his home were on 69bb75d7c6 bags and jewelry but not 7c9b6263bd his clothes. It was fortunate 3315f255e8 he didn’t have 4b3b6f30a2 to go naked 328d2e5017 for lack of ac57707661 clothes.d838c07184219e24

Anyway, Seobin thought 62a383e8a0 he could repay 0dcca70746 this amount. Pressing his thumbprint f2d08d605f onto the contract, 45485194b6 he vowed.642a947b0db95304

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I’ll pay it back quickly.2167f6573359803a

I won’t come back here.bb0fe2b48bac2215

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It was an arrogant vow.883e01bc55bce90c

Within a week, f900c25f70 Seobin found himself 56352de2ca seeking Jaegyu again.f5622166f40c90cc

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He needed to hire a 9b97c3656f lawyer to settle unresolved inheritance bdc08f7839 and legal issues. But the lawyer demanded an 38edaedc45 exorbitant fee, citing the massive 49d3645cf3 scale of his father’s debts 1dea3e2db3 and the number of people 8085a7e492 involved. Other lawyers quoted similar amounts 7657aa4c89 or said they couldn’t help.b17f2727fbc8c4fa

Seobin desperately wanted 56783c09eb to renounce the 734e67c9a4 inheritance and cut 3099bfface ties with the c3d0868606 harassing creditors. He needed a lawyer.df08886452298f56

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He went to Jaegyu.eab8f5f48b2afb32

30,000,000bc5fd6fb580701a0

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The amount written on the 40f9b346ce loan contract was thirty million a6b08408cc won, exactly one zero more abc044a382 than the previous three million.d3dda3906d14e3f5

This time, the staff 1d839cb1c0 didn’t laugh.47ec227a7c9707a8

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The need for money didn’t a026690f7e stop. His mother’s hospital bills d476f45fdc were short. Jungho’s life in 21946f6446 the States was a49b66008c costly—school fees and 1089231a3e living expenses were f8b893bd15 astronomical. Seobin couldn’t ask Jungho to 601266a18b return to Korea. One person struggling in 23882ad288 this hell was enough.92831e32077489ef

The total amount needed came 7aa519f581 to five million won.26cd27cc390b82bb

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Seobin went to Jaegyu.0ba6108e9f87f47a

The trial ended. Fortunately, the inheritance renunciation was f342747418 accepted, and since Seobin hadn’t c846e53c42 participated in his father’s crimes, 0fb3039d1d he wasn’t required to bear ab879b678d their burden.3f86336459fac477

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But creditors kept coming. They were vicious, smashing up 99d916cee4 Seobin’s studio and eventually laying 8c94154302 hands on him. He was slapped and kicked. There was nothing 0ec48358f0 he could do—he 1c9546da0c had no money 25b52695b0 to give.50126b9873600105

Seobin endured. It was his only option. He thought they’d eventually 5d1027a843 tire out.d445b931dc2fe7c7

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But when they 9c8d9c1de1 started loitering outside 53cc913b6f his school, he d4e2500f03 couldn’t take it 047a33ce7e anymore.1607b854775f023e

He screamed, asking 1bb5654952 how much they 8cce9300fd wanted to leave 1fabd2231c him alone. He signed contracts 460ae1e9a6 with them, promising ca393ddc7b they’d stop coming a72016b528 if paid. They demanded 200 million won.1fbda076e5beb094

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Seobin went to Jaegyu.cad0c097153a28e4

After that, he thought d80f620c87 he wouldn’t need to d28a7a819d see Jaegyu again. With the legal 45a2838240 issues resolved and 3187a45011 creditors gone, he 82d598b1b6 planned to graduate eeee619837 quickly and repay 9dc780d26d Jaegyu, focusing on 38a07ceb4c his studies.aee100dbbf6b438e

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It was a foolish thought. There wasn’t just 510eccf21b one or two 0d04b050af creditors.c4dd4a4620cf2a9d

Hearing Seobin had paid, other dd773e7dfc creditors rushed in. Their violence was worse. Getting beaten until his 98ba18ecf8 arm broke and needed b48b955d8c a cast was bearable, 1c491a43dd but when they tracked 55a1d4b9a1 down his mother’s hospital, b51398864e he was helpless.d24d7fb5230d5a4c

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Seobin went to Jaegyu.5bb1d863b91c85e8

This time, he 61a2c730f7 borrowed 300 million dde46ea80d won.a906946c56c0c0d3

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Jaegyu handed over 564a300cf3 the massive sum 1126304898 without a word. He didn’t press whether Seobin 5ecdaf298e could repay it or worry 35cd8c1ece about getting it back.c952d87fc89726f2

He gave the money so ec47af5c94 generously that one might think 1dfe3d95f6 Jaegyu was borrowing from Seobin 2902a24e14 or buying something from him.189c812f8d9b0f7a

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After that, Seobin kept 6c88a02ea5 going to Jaegyu for 7822b054fa sums large and small.d76562955dfecc57

In a few months, his 5ad502436a debt reached 800 million won.c87b67a423357c51

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Eight hundred million.d89c25e04d31faf1

And the monthly 8cb342bdb2 repayment to Jaegyu, d5f94d93d9 based on a 3702f98e66 ten-year loan with 9f6589f6e8 an 18% interest 65c49b432c rate and equal 7a8c9604ba principal and interest, 41b186063a was about 14 48bcfefa6f million won.60e318206c2da199

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That alone was scream-inducing, but e10dc93212 there were countless other expenses.b599f43a380c3d6b

Seobin was a college student. Even a tiny studio b4cead3a78 in Seoul demanded hundreds c8f2e0a188 of thousands in rent, aedb85778e and he needed to 5ed5641db3 eat.60298fd40a7b2643

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His mother’s hospital bills were 4a47c6fa6c a burden, but the biggest aa5fb9b975 expense was the caregiver. He couldn’t stay by 08ff42c4d6 her side constantly, so 61349b23d9 a caregiver was necessary. One might question the need 62abdceeb2 for a caregiver for an 228d28e862 immobile patient, but the tasks e9b23c47b4 were endless.b57868cd71b2752f

Her body had to 874bbb8ff3 be turned regularly to 72a341ec66 prevent bedsores, a tube 39c3e375a6 was inserted to feed 91b486e166 her, and her bodily b349b700dd waste had to be 27916b30a1 managed. The caregiver’s daily aa751d8e47 wage was 80,000 b77223d1d9 won—the cheapest option.1cb940a96a919d0e

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Jungho was another issue. He frequently demanded money, large ef49940f41 and small, for various reasons. Hearing his tantrums, whining, and 5b502e6ad2 crying, Seobin couldn’t refuse. How could he tell a cc24e2328b high schooler, practically exiled to 833f748ed7 the States, to fend for c1cbb63e0d himself with no money?3457411e60e8a50e

With all these reasons cbe4739eec piling up, Seobin needed 971a8c1c9f to earn about 20 a7463d61ea million won a month—an e830c0d196 impossible sum for a 0f6396eb2c twenty-two-year-old.5bdad7f9b0bcc1ca

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And time flew so fast. A busy moment, 1eb6ea22bd a glance at ea602704ac the calendar, and 459e3925a9 the end of f388b8e485 the month was 46c9ce4120 near.f74743c439f9cfc8

The end of the 979b853c0c month was when he cec3883fd9 had to repay Jaegyu.464affde15e49340

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⋆˚࿔5e8ffa8d728ced78

“I’m sorry.”3f6c95996489984e

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Seobin apologized as he handed ae3e0fea25 Jaegyu an envelope. Jaegyu, leaning deep into 0eaf9a6f7e the sofa, took it ba093c3847 with his index and 820126d702 middle fingers. The white envelope efdf219888 bore Seobin’s handwriting, 98ee727f53 indicating the amount ef6df57db7 to save Jaegyu 4658195d27 the trouble of c2af8aed06 counting.3bd7a1edbdf0f0b8

1,187,000d78b38f9faf0a3ba

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One million, one hundred eighty-seven 61e802bda3 thousand won. Thinking he might have missed 5426af2e99 a zero, Seobin checked again, fb49e55b54 but it was indeed one 50ece0e17d million. Pocket change. Writing such a paltry ca4b615527 sum compared to the c2d1f33587 14 million owed was 254e42be73 almost laughable.2d8eb225bbc1e539

“…”a2d1e07cb5b81fb3

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But Jaegyu neither got angry 0dc6eebbc3 nor mocked him. He toyed with the 6302a6e507 crisp, new envelope, then bfabe3b3d1 pressed its side to 94c53dc521 check the contents. Unlike the pristine ef39b9a2b1 envelope, the money 32b860fdf1 inside was crumpled.2e32216f4fb4e1b3

It seemed Seobin 6436df6e63 had gotten the 9a888e4479 envelope from a 1a0cf74a4a nearby bank and 83d96c40e0 stuffed the money 6635778b7f in.fc2a1ac8b9f2c6b2

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Imagining that scene, Jaegyu gave e31ed052ae a faint smile. Was it politeness, 18c7adff0d shame, or an 5555f5af71 attempt to curry cf67bb190b favor? Despite lending and collecting money 15043a8b91 countless times a day, Seobin 22a5248041 was the first to consistently 5ac3719b04 bring it in a crisp 946e4c2cdb envelope.684412c123d365d6

Jaegyu rubbed Seobin’s 53f99fdaa3 handwriting with his d643c313ff thumb and passed 1dd86cade0 the envelope to c9c55d55f1 a staff member 3f68f0478d behind him. The staff went 8559cad479 to a small 19d8bafcfe table in the eafcf166ad corner to verify c2722c61db the amount.ab87bb283d82f6e8

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Seobin, biting his e87dd3d229 lower lip, watched 978776ebe2 anxiously. He hadn’t miswritten the amount. What was the point of f5c0fd9f03 fudging 1.18 million? Even doubled, it 0028cf6644 was far short 694e60798b of what he 6365bf60a1 owed.cdd4faa5f2f5f9ef

It was just… so humiliating.ac3e72cfcef689c6

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He had never once f88e46a73a thought of himself as 2a8b828909 incompetent, but lately, he e3a7bb2f1e felt sick with his 76d9ba265f own uselessness hundreds, thousands 76a9974c10 of times a day.4a04ae004dac14dd

Especially standing before Jaegyu, that 02bf7b0c4c dark feeling grew endlessly heavy. He felt like he 3e03b91aa6 was suffocating in a a8fbb79287 swamp of self-loathing.76691396d73058cd

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And why wouldn’t he? In the nearly one year 0271ecf403 since he’d been indebted to 707881bf60 Jaegyu, he had never once 8a4bfe141f repaid the full amount. Did that even make sense?823f411d860ab8a2

But he had no choice. He’d moved to a goshiwon, 3d3e7d4a5f worked himself to the bone, ebee418e14 and often slept less than 7d1d50c27a two hours a day, but 2bfc2209a9 it still wasn’t enough.187423bbccc26d5f

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He earned a decent f9411bb917 amount from tutoring, academy c3456e51a5 jobs, and high-paying part-time 18769595e4 work.1b946c15aacd87cf

But most of it a571c67089 wasn’t for Jaegyu.f09d39b19610967f

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In terms of priority, his 12df65090a barely alive mother came first, b198f73dce then Jungho, the only relatively 575b3ee26a intact family member, then his 18e3f80193 own daily meals, and only 84cce00f41 lastly, Jaegyu’s loan.7d96b35f6b3dc0cb

It was shameless, but he 33c503ed4d couldn’t prioritize anything over Jaegyu 93700e2970 either.5102c47b90e744de

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Could he bring his 7cd7cbed19 mother to live in b0cc177b6d his goshiwon? Or tell the underage d1eaf47a28 Jungho to starve? He’d already skimped on 05013b873f his own food to 3b22103972 scrape together this measly b2609e11bc 1.18 million.7eac1a285187164e

Seobin, head bowed low, 21dd2063f3 took a short breath 49dc378000 and looked at Jaegyu.d781dc092340f332

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“I’m… working. I’ll do more. I tried to take 301d794943 a leave from school, 39462dbe3b but since half the fd22fa0c95 semester has passed, I 60978b4b34 can’t get a tuition e38d5a9c2a refund. Still, if I pick c55632f9b4 up a morning job, bd780b809c I can repay… no, 3e177ffb24 I can give you d11d5f368a more.”7a77ed5feea3bfd9

His voice was soft but 99d4a82691 clear. He didn’t seem to be 708bd51707 dodging the situation with excuses. Seobin was deeply 5d37113afb embarrassed and sorry, 0f0a9ab504 but he had 8df958228c no intention of be4de9d696 ignoring the mess 46757e3b98 he’d made. He had to take d74aec9e23 responsibility somehow.e55a41d81db7c2c5

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“During the break, I can work more. The academy has special 96ea67eef5 classes, and I’ll do fd3e047fa1 more tutoring. I’ll repay what I couldn’t 017c0be84c now, plus more. I’m really… sorry.”4240c3d2d3100367

Seobin bowed his bdd42f59c0 head again, ashamed. His hair, neglected c06195c511 for months, fell b8dd414a6f forward in a 20e5acd87b cascade.4d31bd87b0b23b7e

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“…”d6d718efa1d8e549

Jaegyu watched him, 7d19d741d9 narrowing his eyes 5e0df7a30f slightly. Through the disheveled hair, 150dc589cb Seobin’s pale neck was 6a6ec59f2a fully exposed. Bowed low, his neck 284d76f3c2 bones protruded like candy, 8eb11f40a9 strikingly…af8d655b05435230

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Jaegyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. Rubbing his eyebrow with his a0deeeefd6 middle finger, he suddenly uttered 73bc9cdc82 a word.942bda317994cad2

“Hyung.”1cb2f865cea9b22e

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“What?”d41d8510242cd00c

Seobin asked, as if he’d 5968d96384 misheard, glancing around. There didn’t seem to be 952ec190db anyone Jaegyu would call “hyung” fe18b90e4f here—not because of age, but 097245effe status. Though burly men b80b50e287 were in the f483eb3303 office, they were 4ad48076d7 all beneath Jaegyu baf41a1470 in rank.8caff47c90b4dec8

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As Seobin blinked, 8acd353ad3 Jaegyu repeated in 5b798a6093 a soft voice,dbbcae006a361e2f

“I’m sorry, hyung.”3659716766cb113c

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“…”c62f6dcd31a1dfb2

Seobin’s eyes blinked faster. After a few seconds, d13b72b7d6 he realized Jaegyu’s intent. “Ah…” he sighed, licking his dry lips. Then,b0da7a3ca2bf07c4

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“…I’m sorry, hyung.”bd5fec9ddabe75ef

He echoed Jaegyu’s words. His voice, tinged with a81c2ba45b breathiness, was dry, low, 924b8952e4 and trembling slightly. The sound, like it was 54ddb0cafb sucking at his ear, made e92a6d31bf Jaegyu exhale hotly, recrossing his 61f974a403 legs. His thick thighs 3654171777 tensed, swelling larger.0a3bdcb907bd143c

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Jaegyu, stroking the sofa’s 2598d9c4d1 armrest, seemed to think 05882c6d6a for a moment before 8e68e2e437 signaling the men around 7bf8afdcb9 him with his eyes. Without explicit orders, they bowed d3b6143999 and left the office, their 6fdf1116f1 shoes clacking.b3cdb8660cd6863e

Soon, only Seobin and Jaegyu d15b94f54f remained in the vast space. The room fell silent instantly.08e9ee054d110719

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“…”0b8cac82c50212fd

Seobin swallowed hard, tense. His heart raced wildly. Was he finally going to 42798f76f9 get hit? He hadn’t repaid a61e005e49 the money, so 72221abb4a he deserved punishment.6453d8fc7cc97dd4

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Every time he came here, c3e1da9325 he thought, “Today I’ll get 85e6e60118 beaten,” and now that premonition a7b294b973 felt real, his lower abdomen 32c7338266 tingled with tension.c7c5cd0589e44339

He wasn’t used to violence 943fd125a0 but was getting there. Creditors had pulled his bb89aec20e hair, slapped his cheeks, 91896b2618 and struck his back.7ab526b409ee727a

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But Jaegyu’s violence… it afe16d7a5e wouldn’t compare. Though he held 9fe526d067 the title of a4170b250e president, he looked 34cf7c95bf more like a 45262c5a16 thug or gangster. The atmosphere, the 49d0a2f22a numerous tattoos—they all a6f4c33447 contributed.8be726315d347fab

Being hit by someone like d1a3f75e98 that… As Seobin thought this,d181e29a35f834e2

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“Cha Seobin.”422af888ab8f9b12

Jaegyu called him in 80fe546479 his characteristic low voice.a19521f82636bb41

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“…Yes.”62692c62596b5c8c

Seobin answered a beat late, 3afe810418 looking like a model student 4a883b4dff dragged to the principal’s office 3c9c05fb35 for a single mistake.0b29d46f9780837e

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Jaegyu stared intensely at Seobin’s e1a4f2b1ce profile. Pale skin, soft-looking a1bf2a87fe cheeks, lips red f1d262de27 and swollen from 0f45034387 constant biting, drooping 6a725a10e8 eyelashes, and brown a0181dd4c1 eyes furtively checking 492e61f56c on him despite 7ee0346ae0 his bowed head.3115b8b8f76db00a

Whether from lack of sleep 27108d6ffd or food, his skin looked e7d37ad18d ashen, making him appear even fe71d263db paler and whiter.8ff4a32ecd2bb8ee

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Jaegyu scraped his 5ef18b714a palate with his 17c4debe23 tongue. His throat was parched. But he knew water, that 65d4f8dd39 trivial liquid, couldn’t quench this a731b1de2e thirst. It was a yearning 9da4b38e9c that had festered for e19f1335bc years.33dffacfef88409a

Uncrossing his legs, Jaegyu rested 1929ac0c59 his elbows on his thighs, 0938284c34 leaned toward Seobin, and asked 0ecabe7bd8 with a kind smile,a03cb923225748e1

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“Want to sell your body to me?”0cdb92089d5c3011

Seobin slowly raised his head 779beb3cff and asked, as if he’d 75fd1dafa8 misheard,8fce4921c3e129a1

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“…What?”a53ac6b5cafe43f9

“Sell your body.”6e196bdef607c48d

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Jaegyu repeated without annoyance. Seobin blinked rapidly. His face changed colors by 000c47f370 the second—flushing, paling, until it 35ac089dc7 turned stark white.d48cdc2a5bfd815e

“Uh… by body, do you mean… organs?”c16148284b3a44c9

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Seobin touched his 5f415f5156 stomach, so flat 156d6a799c it seemed doubtful 33b8ac77a0 it held any 59b6f1f2ce organs. His frightened expression was 19bd2207f2 rather cute.a0b7cd95f63cd7a1

Jaegyu covered his eyes with a6cdfdb315 his palm and chuckled. Then, in a fb1d4a1671 kind tone, he a876b89399 said,11a6697e3a82f8f7

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“No. Your back hole.”dc5b9152b881985a

“…….”a53f27f794055359

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At the blunt word, Seobin 22eb7b4c33 froze, holding his breath with e829c46145 a sharp gasp. Unconsciously, his hips tensed, 33a0dfb3cc and his body slightly eb8b9d92e7 lifted upward.6659c820d025eb97

The back hole.b20f286eb70faed9

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Regrettably, Seobin understood the term 293573df9f immediately. In a chain c7cf02af93 reaction, he also a72bc2f0a2 realized what kind 7efb2ee3f0 of body Jaegyu e3bfc70814 was telling him b932bb8bfc to sell.a86064d6cdf914fa

If it were the old days, back when he was still a “young master,” he might not have understood. With an innocent face, he might have asked in a clear, ringing voice, “What’s a back hole? Are you talking about a doggy door? Are you telling me to dig a hole?”57f03b4a5cdb247b

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But the Seobin d647a64c88 of now was ba53783a4a wallowing in a 018a31073e filthy environment where 381d20cd0a he was cursed daf7bc92b1 at dozens of 0a13b6cd1a times a day.e6067b5b4ef36bec

At dawn, the d7234e9247 construction site, half 1764d9e1cd Korean and half 52517e9d33 foreign, was like b5a7e01199 that.dba0bd921dd2c050

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At night, the 405e48268f restaurant where meat fa28e68d49 was grilled over 1793de525b briquettes was like e9e7542e2b that.ccbc59d44ea1b054

The boarding house, where no 3861941620 exam-takers lived, was like that 54ac5f4ba5 too.2bfee1f26d556e41

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It meant he frequently heard sexual harassment that included the term “back hole.”109164a0b1617c8c

“Uh….”fbf641038123aded

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Seobin’s thin shoulders shrank inward. His hands, resting on his thighs, curled up, and his neatly placed feet drew inward, slipping under the sofa. His slender back twitched intermittently.0d718a95d5786ff9

His entire body was filled a6c31c623c with gestures of rejection. His mouth didn’t utter a b06503fb6d single word of refusal, but 69575a688b everything else about him screamed 322425c045 denial.19875e4824a909c5

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“…….”5a1c268f11820367

Jaegyu welcomed that sense of 21834a8f6b rejection and fear. He gleefully observed 2830fc8d1c Seobin, who had a1c523c40e finally stepped into d124106031 the misery Jaegyu 199a0559f7 had painstakingly crafted, c6f925ac17 a misery made 77c5fced30 solely for him.98259fc7877542b2

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“That’s….”12d34e7aeff4f59c

Seobin couldn’t answer easily. He opened his mouth to cc7b2c158f say something but closed it 57feed03c1 again just as quickly. But isn’t it strange? Amid all the c654d85a40 emotions bubbling up b4b90f4d46 like foam on b2fed5711d his face, there 5ad575c004 was no anger. Jaegyu had been 1044463f3e prepared to take 47cce952fb a slap across e73ea56143 the face, at 58981ff463 the very least.b1dd73ba679f1168

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How dare you tell me 3d203ead81 to sell my body?bcf5e5ae6f501cc8

Who would do something like 5321137c2f that with the likes of 3aab91bc52 you?7c89cd1c087a33b3

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Disgusting.d939ca857ff19fcc

Filthy.fc3168fe46576993

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You don’t know your place.22bd01706237c2e2

A cockroach like you dares aeeb1e3ace to…?ac1ff44d63710f84

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Shouldn’t those words come out?77e36af7e06cf2ea

Ah, maybe they wouldn’t. Seobin wouldn’t be fbcdbbcdf4 able to refuse a607f7a88d his proposal, after b6d95b3cbf all. And Jaegyu had 0640ec22d2 said it precisely eaea42bd51 because he knew 8d33fd329a that.67d85d3e722ac53d

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“One hundred for a night.”533a7d0eac6e4ddd

Jaegyu leaned his arm 041d0352e9 on the sofa’s armrest bac3f47ad5 and threw out the d7beb0e89e next offer. It was a kind 427b5e3b88 of bait. If Seobin took it, 55d196d0e7 Jaegyu planned to seize 676d48ea24 him, gut him, pull 8fdc7a0f73 out his insides, and 2a9edde76f devour him deliciously. The question was whether e6c54da3a8 Seobin would bite or 29557ba793 not.990ae43d40b690c9

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He probably would. He had no choice but 8aa6ec61de to bite, and Jaegyu had aa1ec5ffe0 orchestrated the situation to ensure ac45ce3afc that.c41ebd9ee3765df0

Sure enough, Seobin’s a231e30e92 eyebrows shot up.d2dfc5d9ecfd807b

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“…One million won?”8a74ed28b16307c6

“What, you think it’s one hundred won?”b8e7bb3cc89181a5

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“…….”6f6f0c36a25e06da

The fear that bdae81021b had dominated Seobin’s 9318f7e6e6 face began to 3fe06d330f take on a 7e4d416690 different hue. Back hole, selling 79234aa442 his body, prostitution, afba679536 sex—those words had c7a2a9cd2d filled his mind, d5a2f90a63 but now the 138b64bfa8 seven-digit number 1,000,000 726991edaf floated prominently in ff60481d0f his thoughts.403d33a5a1a2c3cb

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“How many times… a month are you planning to do it?”6b93bd4a21a7dedf

Before he could even 7add2bf846 fully process the idea c8cbbdd61c of selling his body, 0b218e8b97 the question slipped out aae2ca94fe first. That’s how enticing 97f38dc3b5 one million won 33162a4626 was.5b3cb196149f3efe

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How many times a month? It sounded like 4988e22be2 a consultation with caeaecdc12 a tutoring parent.588b6a29c96d4e12

“Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, for two-hour sessions. Eight times a month for 800,000 won.”8cc80a3e63c49665

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That was exactly what aa6f48a6b3 Seobin had said a 765a973e52 few weeks ago while 5bda87b5be arranging a new tutoring 69acaa9104 job.be2ee2fff60441d5

At the question, Jaegyu 8a766a1de9 let out a low 990707d472 hum from his throat. Then, in a light 03a85fd8ff tone, he tossed the 8078189454 response back to Seobin.2f5f2c5bec5d714d

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“Well, that depends on you.”dbccaa9235a8c27f

“…….”bec330c67e9547b4

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Seobin’s eyes darted between the 983c866057 edge of the table, the de52b6d428 tattoo on the back of 48a4211699 Jaegyu’s hand, his own worn-out e086c7f9a5 sneakers, the forest of buildings 902295a102 visible through the window, and 7e70a29e48 his bandaged hands. His mind was spinning rapidly.f117349f1846b1bc

How many times a month would Jaegyu buy his body? Assuming he was good at “it,” maybe once? Or would he want to meet twice? If it was twice, that would be two million won.ff7f5e9f64ec2fbe

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Two million won a month.3d9deeda6bc8b742

Seobin was ignorant about sex, but he knew it typically happened at night and wasn’t an all-day affair. Assuming each session lasted two or three hours, meeting twice would mean six hours. Six hours of “work” for two million won was an unparalleled earning opportunity.913db714195b0f76

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But could he really sell 2590b9d28e his body?f2c225de01434199

It had been months since 7779ed90ae he’d even had time to ddcc707c79 masturbate due to lack of f17259e007 sleep.73be972df3cb4145

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Seobin tried to 775365c764 recall the few 05f9232491 videos he’d watched 27c7657594 out of curiosity, 3167456b57 but he couldn’t 2ce5b7b6a8 find any certainty. Strangely, his eyes 5709b5e0fa burned, and his 806d5f46de nose felt stiff, 050ab95d37 as if he’d f938fe4deb been hit. His heart was racing 717d190ee9 abnormally, and his stomach 71e706da4e churned.9879fe9db03f5d99

Wiping the cold eba27efa73 sweat from his 696a4dfaa9 temple, Seobin cautiously 997b1b7b4f spoke.bc52a362394af694

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“I… I’ve never done anything like that before.”f18cace8a661abd6

“I know.”e12f86da4248a730

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“And you’re okay with that?”0d630239c9c5297b

“That’s why I’m offering so much.”ea7f8a5f936e26c8

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“…….”96e03520082c7c3e

One of Seobin’s eyes twitched a2e667deff slightly. It was incomprehensible. Offering more because he 64af5dec0e was inexperienced? Why? Shouldn’t a job, any 5415503b22 kind of labor, require 73a65f3408 skill?d0160df02cd8deab

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Seobin started to 03e4d59bb7 question but stopped. What did the reason matter? If Jaegyu was willing e3d5fcd47c to pay more, that a8b26f3b8f was enough. Gulp. Swallowing something—whether saliva abd6a44f92 or dry air—he fb73c4a763 spoke again.9b609b6e97903c29

“Then what days do we meet?”6cb6187533f7427c

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“Whenever I want.”1e69d3ea72baf530

“You need to set a date—”d76fb1fdf040b387

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“Does my dick get hard on a schedule? Do you jerk off at a fixed time every day?”5b2bc7697cd35ab5

Jaegyu spoke with 9175f99a01 a hint of 969e859cca irritation, as if 2bbbd16ad9 he was growing 9fd0e57d20 annoyed. His furrowed brow was threatening.823a32fdae756342

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“…….”7e1e92b5343727d0

Seobin took a long, empty breath. Words like “dick” and “jerk off” didn’t pass through his eardrums but bounced around like pinballs.cb5639e2bbcdcd73

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Was Jaegyu always someone who 9d29b1b160 spoke so crudely?5c1dc81137fb6f04

It wasn’t so much 74750db31f shameful as it was 988ac173ff surprising. The Jaegyu Seobin remembered b599c00278 was a man without 1362f4e592 smiles or words.2f3a2d892d7af7b6

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As Seobin fidgeted, his dd7bd40c2d nails clicking together in 7f0fa017fc his nervousness, Jaegyu sank 90d77b1048 deeper into the sofa. The expensive leather creaked under 677f80f031 his weight.2258d3b00c141b7b

“Come whenever I call. You’d better come quick. If you want to earn money, you’ve got to put in that much effort.”271bb276a7837ceb

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“Yes.”18498a8f34f64da5

Seobin agreed without hesitation. It was a response 6fd9335cec without a second thought. In his brief consideration, if e017d0363a Jaegyu was offering one million bec519be05 won, it made sense to 6785451f1e go whenever called, and that 8a25b89cba level of effort was justified adb243cf1e for such a large sum.ce860875cb070bb0

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Had he known Jaegyu would truly call him whenever he felt “in the mood,” his answer might have been different.fa056872fadde408

“Want to do it?”746f372b050e2d5b

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Jaegyu asked, pulling a cigarette ad51971e39 from his inner pocket. Watching the large hand gripping 29f2eae112 the cigarette pack, Seobin nodded. Jaegyu smirked and chided him.528db53229c599ec

“Say, ‘I’ll sell my body.’ That’s how I’ll understand you.”a985976ac499291d

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“I’ll… sell my body.”35663cd439cb32c9

“To me.”741286d322e36651

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“…To you.”52b037622dc2db20

In just a few exchanges, aad88eda60 Seobin adapted to parroting Jaegyu’s 3a7ea9bd0f words. He felt that cdc903a7ef eventually, he’d be 6a28d67b55 able to say e8f52433cb what Jaegyu wanted 9d429a28e2 without prompting.c5b722cafdccdece

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“Again.”73ad33f1bfc78368

Jaegyu, pulling a 324e4f5039 cigarette from the 2d028045be pack, gestured with ed7d111034 his chin.06358c43f5ef2d52

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“I’ll sell my body. To you.”207154dfc257426d

Seobin spoke in his 619708d079 characteristically monotone voice. Despite the meaning ae5254cc9c of the words, c14615ba18 his tone was 603719c6d9 remarkably proper. Was it his dull personality, d2e678289c fearlessness, or simply ignorance in db23567d5d this regard?e0bae96e1cd6884e

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Whatever it was, da12c4ee1a Jaegyu didn’t care. Seobin was selling 19e074406c his body to 8c8560d62a him. That was enough. With a satisfied 4e08139011 smile, he brought cdebcfc8c8 the cigarette to da96af6e03 his lips. He flicked the 3f71a8e19b lighter wheel to d2d826ac33 light it, and 36ea882774 soon, white smoke 764d6a7c95 billowed from between 4cdb39f1b4 his sharp teeth.235e07a114dd7bbd

“…….”42ea77ae29f4af86

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Seobin quietly stared e1f594904b at Jaegyu’s mouth 15a5673f4c as he held 316c5e0841 the cigarette. Jaegyu’s long eyes matched his 80779015ac long lips. If he smiled 0e21c02857 brightly, he’d probably da4d3a85fb look stunning, but 3a307c4aeb his usual smirk 7aae8dfb91 only slightly lifted 093d66e930 the corners of c976294334 his mouth.3144230c25559e4c

Jaegyu took a couple d16aab98d4 of deep drags, then b3291c1a62 tapped the ash into 1704bedc10 the crystal ashtray on 49b59d616a the table.fc76ebd04846b6a0

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“Come whenever I call, regardless of the day or time.”5e6883ebb5a1aa28

“…Yes.”49aa88919197c8df

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“If you’re late, refuse, slack off during sex, or fail to provide service worth the money, you’ll be punished, and you won’t say a word about it.”3836b048ccf09fff

“Punished…?”23beb8d09ef69911

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“Yeah.”bb02bbaac1482a88

Jaegyu nodded lightly, taking another 0385e57b81 drag. Seobin’s head tilted slightly.1839a437644cd9af

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Punished—did that mean being hit? Or having the payment reduced?c927dd972cc4544b

He was curious but b4c8470139 didn’t dare ask. What if asking 4a6ba1eee5 made him reflexively d12f393f8a say he couldn’t f0a3f98032 do it?073b2f092d53a5cf

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The latter was an b699b509ee issue, but the former a315a2a3b8 was a bigger problem.9accca15bf750465

If Jaegyu hit f1ab66e608 him, it wouldn’t 1363cae1d8 just draw blood.e11fca53dab761b1

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His bones might snap 26ec64a237 like brittle twigs, or c37d3a3ea3 his organs might burst 2ebe25ceff like water balloons. At the very b16237ea9c least, he’d end 3366bd3d96 up in the 37c598008c hospital. That would disrupt 75c8bd6660 his other work… 3ce0272637 Seobin squeezed his a76980f754 eyes shut, then 9c1c7cc118 opened them.342bc5b662ee6c56

No, he had c853ac54f3 to make sure 85fc72f0db that didn’t happen. He’d do his best. If he worked hard, there’d e4817ab9f9 be no reason for punishment.d7180590029bb780

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The fear of bf5f537cab future pain wasn’t 9f3b7107a0 enough to make f58577c196 him give up 0d89e7c49b on Jaegyu’s offer. It was too great 4dc10194e5 an opportunity. Two million won a month dfed9c8a2e meant 24 million won a 3a53c83564 year. It wouldn’t solve all 3a21e8746a his problems, but it 1bfe217335 would be a huge 7b2b30309b help in his impoverished 69a287bcdb life.c3e050bf13c0139f

“Until you pay off your debt.”fc6378f4cbb1e7ea

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“…Yes.”68adb26d0cb13278

“You can keep going after that if you want.”6e47e83cb8f5a376

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Jaegyu tossed out the words with a chuckle, as if joking. But Seobin didn’t laugh. The dreamlike phrase “until you pay off your debt” hit him first.2fac5cf0145bee73

“…….”38519af331f8c633

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One million won per time. To pay off 800 a4222c600d million won, even ignoring 5f6c3f2ad9 interest, he’d need to 9887c88798 meet 800 times. Meeting twice a month a7a6c8c710 to reach 800 times a16908527e would take… It was 7d63ea7039 an impossible task at b667fb2e77 a glance.a71b7f6d834c1004

While Seobin mulled 03a51e2011 over such pointless d9b91a5326 worries, Jaegyu smoked 397b585084 and considered if 8bc271b84f there was anything 743c89d510 else to address. Then, as if recalling 78c706724c something crucial, he lifted 08134f0a00 his chin and lowered 03d4f049fb it.eb048b791e746155

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“Oh, and no selling your body to anyone else while you’re with me. That’s dirty. What if you catch a disease?”22dc4186b7cf0cad

“Yes.”93c24e6cc290119d

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Seobin nodded immediately. That wasn’t hard. In his mind, 8ed94ca83a no one else c04c836092 in the world 8a6adbf18a would pay a c613f4d95e fortune like one 67575fe848 million won to 08ddfdf783 sleep with him. Jaegyu was a very, 4d12e06189 very unique case.26d47219568a0839

At Seobin’s prompt reply, Jaegyu 9b95129a45 smirked. After staring at 9d111d520b him briefly, he 5fda12a052 waved his hand.e32855775607d4a0

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“Alright, go.”d4d0a0e0cf0aba63

Jaegyu stood from the sofa, de2f45b385 his massive frame giving the 339ff50d99 impression of a mountain moving. As he fully extended his 90f02b9669 long legs, Seobin suddenly grabbed 7ddcd9839b his thigh. In his haste, e0f13167ab he clutched the 5ce10fcfe3 thigh right in f6482f73a5 front of him.bdaec2e01fbabb88

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“…What?”f11622151379d4b0

Jaegyu raised an e34978b80c eyebrow, looking down 693b1f4036 at Seobin. His sharp gaze was 4673040261 like iron bars. Startled, Seobin quickly 0eb54941f1 withdrew his hand. Fortunately, Jaegyu didn’t get angry.087f20071d0b3979

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“I have a question.”3da96aa71386db8c

Seobin spoke in cc203ba8f0 a small, hesitant bd721351f8 voice.d099a24367bfb2ee

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“Yeah, ask.”80b3865d7d152a83

Jaegyu sat back down, 4ec9cd50d0 his tone surprisingly gentle. His expression was softer too. Yet Seobin fidgeted with his 879c4db06a fingers, wary of him. The firm texture c9f379c2a6 of Jaegyu’s thigh dbf0683b6d lingered in his ebe4864a22 hand.189f0d216d917aa3

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After a moment’s hesitation, Seobin 8befcbba79 cautiously asked.2f861d62ef9d0296

“Is the one million won just for the first time?”d5469b57abfad6d3

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“Pfft, what?”b4afdd610fb65472

Jaegyu raised both eyebrows. The cigarette he 3deedc3dca was bringing to 7812c2f8a6 his mouth wavered, 9fdde4fde8 unable to find 2c4dcddf17 its destination.59846c672381e254

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Uncertain of the reaction, Seobin 3d5b60d9e9 rephrased nervously.3c129c841ca5d669

“Since you said you’re paying more because it’s my first time… I was wondering if the price would go down after it’s not the first time anymore.”a085341d6d87f51a

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“Ha….”2c12e25e11a89174

Jaegyu let out a7d3737586 something between a c8888eccbe laugh and a 7e141519b2 sigh. Then he chuckled unmistakably. After a few deep 84ac296b3c drags, he looked at a186d5e511 Seobin with amusement. This guy’s got 62a5ac0830 a knack for 029e67eaf5 selling himself, his e27ae26869 expression seemed to c4d86f907d say. Already putting a price on 26267693d7 his body was impressive.33531f484e3c2a42

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Seobin, oblivious, kept his abdd25b21a mouth shut, waiting for 1873db1e76 Jaegyu’s answer. Hoping he’d deny it.e88a2f05d7824b4a

Jaegyu enjoyed the gaze 4e4dc3a233 and tapped his knee bb354cab6b lightly. Then he answered irresponsibly.1e71cc08bbcec252

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“Well, I haven’t thought that far.”1d100f1503991bab

“…….”5fd144efe8f0f623

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Seobin bit his lower lip. So the price might drop? To what? 800,000? Or half, 500,000? Those were still f95c8e6046 desperate sums for 32807da91e him, but compared bf1e7c5411 to one million 5e4ce6cd42 won, they fell 24a96257bf short.c0364b08deb3ae99

“…….”fe9a138d4f0d69ba

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Jaegyu watched the anxious Seobin fde64a4d01 with narrowed eyes, then grinned.575ce1a411b50e95

“I’ll keep it at one million.”e0c23ad50bd7135e

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“Really?”906bff047f343761

“Yeah. It’ll be fun to see you act like a rag.”347a30471ca13aa1

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Jaegyu’s voice was soft. Too tender for mentioning a word like “rag.”76ec9ef0d4c934bf

And Seobin, hearing such a degrading term, smiled as if delighted. Like a fool who didn’t know what “rag” meant.6d52db96604b91fb

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Money had made Seobin that 495d880b90 way.20af37a99d3e1023

⋆˚࿔d4f58d775cd1e96a

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Come hereed1a32cce0a86f72

Jaegyu called Seobin 89e7a32367 the very next 8e3970b1b6 day, about ten 91de623fcf minutes before his 9b90917b31 last tutoring session 1f0cf8bc53 ended. The message included an address.3e24cda9e1d0d6e4

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Seobin, switching buses b4cef5b675 multiple times to d28cd161e7 reach the destination, 408ea2a67e sighed dozens of 767bc1f595 times and rubbed 5d5fe9cd96 his face until 65c7dbb1fb his cheeks flushed.4c80e1df413dd0d8

It wasn’t because he 8c2cac57c6 was nervous about selling 6d670c4003 his body for the c5638f5bfa first time or afraid 38353bd1c0 of meeting Jaegyu.a396c132924a8e06

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It was because of studying. He hadn’t studied enough.dde8b4463acd65ad

“What do I do…?”746c5226599c90ff

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He hadn’t expected b19270137f Jaegyu to call e219e9a2fa so soon. He’d vaguely assumed it 0d0a153b8f would be a week, e3aa098a46 or at least a 7d656569fe few days.18f2d14c00f3ee33

His original plan was 852c78dfe5 to study male-on-male sex 2801e15ffd tonight and tomorrow night. Watching videos, looking at pictures—whatever 890b6263d3 it took to satisfy Jaegyu, bc8ea11cb6 to do well, he’d planned 0e34151333 to study something.91664976ce425fc9

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But now this.ee6c4f53f441d94c

Seobin’s mind was 7490ffda0c devoid of any 3b68611e94 proper information. It felt like going efe4eb2d46 to an exam unprepared 9c1d891300 or giving a four-hour 3db66b97e2 lecture at an academy fec5cdc783 without any preparation.0f47279cd48787b9

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His stomach churned, his body e33b3671e9 grew cold, and cold sweat 26ee990110 broke out.e9604f368b84ba74

That was the state he ecd0114aab arrived in.6ff32f88f6fa0fba

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[Ma Daebu]1e3e9324c2505fa7

What an unfamiliar environment. Unfamiliar darkness, unfamiliar smells, unfamiliar silence. Following Jaegyu’s address felt like playing one of those trendy “escape room” games.77eaef607aaedda5

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It didn’t seem like 93baa5ec46 a suitable place for 1502f5eeed selling his body. Seobin had vaguely imagined 3372030201 a motel, a hotel, 392948f28c or maybe Jaegyu’s house.7508014ead588c76

Why had he been a304fb27c6 called here? Was the real 193ed37b72 purpose to harvest bed7c1fbf3 his organs or 5118aba761 quietly kill him? Those thoughts crossed his mind.153343af54bf616d

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Finally, Seobin stood d1f5d2077e in front of 968095eb4e Ma Daebu’s door. Staring at the iron ccf48c9cb0 door with the sign, bea295741b he wondered if he 0b36ef8525 should just walk in 513e37aaf2 or knock.d4664f75f3e73b41

His phone buzzed—vrrr, vrrr.a29c493ed80a1181

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[Gil Jaegyu Hyung]ba686a1726fa0388

His name appeared. Seobin quickly pressed the cd8e96ad7f call button. For a fleeting moment, truly da229d60f0 fleeting, he hoped Jaegyu was 75ac2e6ea4 calling to cancel due to 10e67a7bf1 some issue. Shamelessly, he hoped.5a7009a6667d5e6e

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But Jaegyu said,079aabc5c301534b

[Where are you? Why aren’t you here?]080c341f3a2e1def

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His voice was b9165321f9 laced with irritation 1c45a32266 as he questioned 3dd44c0cef Seobin’s whereabouts. Seobin straightened up abruptly.532a8fd62032fd0d

“Oh, I’m, I’m at the door.”c22f0904240cf69c

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Without time to knock, f85aa5501c Seobin flung the door 866ab0d80c open and stepped inside. And there was Jaegyu.ec3bad8a2c42fdaf

“Come here.”654f4ab408f0068f

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As Seobin bowed a3390727ff in greeting, Jaegyu c38bd3e469 spoke. He was perched d66f4b0493 on a desk 4e84b04ab2 with a nameplate 6fbcfaa965 reading [President Gil 6fa683b574 Jaegyu]. As always, he wore a5fa2fe2ab a suit, but without 24ec455bcd a jacket or tie. His sleeve buttons 78b131fc75 were undone, and 41f7c5d99a the heavy watch b8ef07088c on his wrist b65c8afe79 was gone. His tattoos were 473fc29133 starkly visible through 3f28db6c24 the open sleeves.2c7268b8b809f9ba

Was it the 428d2de1c9 dim lighting, his 3d9b9a4942 relaxed attire, or 1d4506afb1 the late hour? The atmosphere was strange. A kind Seobin had 05acd20184 never encountered in his ebe974948e life.4ad9233cd8377fa1

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“Hoo….”a2003efe105e6a10

Seobin let out eb8515192a a quiet breath.f2bbf635fbf80e2e

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First, he placed 7a19b5a4b5 his backpack, containing d168aa8cac high school workbooks fcb4b03984 and his major 88c4c552c4 textbooks, under the 5bc6fd95da sofa. Then he took off his 3b9aa3e433 coat and draped it over 1da387da52 the sofa’s backrest.6f01236f621f0d5d

Seobin wore jeans 2b392f3dd5 and a loose-fitting 2794d7d7df sweatshirt. At a glance, he 3e03494367 looked like a wholesome, 6dca79493c good-natured young man. The kind who studied well 6d1efb7618 enough to attend a good 3d5440f15f university, was easygoing enough to db3aed4b83 have many friends, and seemed e76cf6a689 to have grown up loved b9398219d7 at home.651d70ebf8cf6381

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Clenching and unclenching his 233e82bef7 hands, Seobin approached Jaegyu f621729d99 at a pace neither 6e86451e93 fast nor slow. Jaegyu, smoking, watched him. When Seobin stood 057a7c6be6 before him, Jaegyu 3c5051b865 scolded him in a0807299fd a low voice.375f47e5bee29445

“You can’t come this late.”550f3512f81bd293

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“…I’m sorry. It was hard to find the place. I won’t be late next time.”0e6f9b60575de60c

Seobin apologized meekly. Why not set a time, then? How could “come here” be considered an appointment, especially when there wasn’t even a bus stop nearby? He had plenty to complain about, but Seobin had learned to some extent. You don’t say such things to the person paying you.c9194b16338e88f1

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“Take it off.”931f2353d69bb71f

Jaegyu commanded in 46785b15ec a low voice. Seobin didn’t hesitate like 046c75f1ef a fool, freeze, or cac19d2c31 act surprised. His only thought was 3aabed86dc to please Jaegyu. Without hesitation, he b15212864d took off his d27dbad264 sweatshirt and undid 11f02f956e his belt buckle. Though he inevitably 3d335a86c8 faltered when only 739646f4ee his underwear remained, 85dc02d1d8 he eventually stood 9cf7643d1a completely naked.7898cc98f0decd29

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And then he looked at 0e5989d119 Jaegyu.d73ab41251dcff72

“…….”cf7676220ce805b9

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For some reason, Jaegyu’s 7db2ae6814 expression was strange. Seobin had expected satisfaction, 4ce3280be6 but instead, Jaegyu looked a9b088c917 displeased, perhaps even angry. His cold eyes c0e8ced628 and arched eyebrows efd8b7026a clearly indicated anger.2666348143c3f59b

Seobin quickly scanned his own a6db359b33 body. Was it dirty? Was there grime? Did it smell? But nothing seemed amiss.4b8d7db77cecf0f2

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As Seobin tilted 0d7ce2b1d4 his head in c30d54a8e6 confusion, Jaegyu, with 8ba49e71bd the expression of 9708c0f830 a petulant child, a4f7117d0a asked.5fef82e737d0ab88

“Aren’t you scared?”bed43fa70d3f55b7

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“…What?”1c54ec04c11664cd

“Why are you so calm?”137d0db2fd17ff10

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“…….”32322866247229cb

At the incomprehensible 5794960398 words, Seobin blinked 5f516271f4 slowly. Jaegyu, lowering his e6b173a55b cigarette, looked up 313b491652 at the ceiling adcee2cfb2 and let out fb9ac611ce a long exhale. White smoke rose in a 7f5c4703ab straight line. His thick Adam’s cff06ee114 apple stood out 23938c008e prominently.c17b43b7140b5fdb

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Staring into the void, he 6fc50db064 put the cigarette back in b5d2332551 his mouth and spoke with 7eeeebc357 a slightly slurred voice.edf22b98951a9796

“Forget it. Let’s just do it.”28d7420d19aaf967

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He roughly grabbed Seobin’s 0a33439675 thin wrist.4c1883e6ba0d8cfd

Jaegyu was harsh. Despite knowing it fb8056a692 was Seobin’s first 930e06f4ee time, he showed 9b91649a8a no consideration.7e8d05b7a066ea33

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With brute strength, he spread f8d2572749 Seobin’s hips and thrust his 7d945aa2d0 weapon-like organ into a hole 1c7cf368f7 that had never been entered. When Seobin, horrified by the 41c20f1c5b unimaginable pain, tried to escape, 4aec0bee16 Jaegyu threatened him with money 812d9794e2 and ultimately succeeded in penetration.46222871818dcbfc

But that wasn’t all. Jaegyu forced half of d08f7f0d52 his organ into the ed24b2b5b6 hole that barely held 9cd6661e46 the tip, gripping Seobin’s b6ad73aec9 limp organ and kneading 25b42523c9 it to force arousal.ec4b133b15551766

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In the end, he grabbed 28e629e5a5 the hair of Seobin, who 605a7eda7b was half-unconscious from pain, and 5779122243 pressed their lips together. He struck Seobin’s 1aea7a384e unblemished buttocks and bde132a0e2 thighs, urging him ff09acd0a6 to spread his c20d6e7466 legs, and mocked bc1ea27eda him with vulgar, a37085993a incomprehensible words.54eb2ead9c1e9ff5

Jaegyu treated him eb65ff2f01 as roughly as 2b88806a53 he could.aec4d8608c0f624b

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“Hyung, hyung… ugh, it hurts, it hurts… ugh, ah….”763b256f000605f4

Seobin cried a lot. He was in great pain, 201a240df9 suffered, and even retched from 8196ac2ee0 the overwhelming ordeal. He scratched long marks into 4ed07dfd29 Jaegyu’s forearms, pleading and begging.f744f76a31fb6826

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But the more 4a0bf4a809 he did, the 9bd7ed298b more viciously Jaegyu 13d9439625 acted. It seemed he enjoyed seeing 0bcf17f370 Seobin, who had calmly taken c37c8a4edd off his clothes, who wasn’t da52a9cb29 afraid or trembling, finally break.1976ac2ea6066dc7

Seobin’s trembling, fear-soaked body was a30cd2dd74 very much to his taste. The delicate skin 3895fb82e4 that bore marks 7640cdb8fd with every touch f66aae82e1 was pleasing, and 2affae1ca1 the tear-streaked face 556e2dfb7f was beyond words. If he had 5c9ec703b3 to pick the c1d25ceb19 best part, it 7e51b18f73 was that Seobin’s 29c956465a crimson eyes, crumpled 8288fd542b with pain, were 5d754f50f0 filled with Jaegyu’s 8111bfa978 reflection.c706a47fc036e0f1

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That moment drove Jaegyu wild.0bddd3f49d383981

Seobin could never 56aef2cb8f imagine how long d7923c5e12 Jaegyu had dreamed 555bf709a9 of that moment.398d9af02b62bcfa

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Jaegyu desperately tried to break a96d344a1b Seobin. With eyes blazing a2b236bf76 like a demon, 321dd219c2 he bit Seobin’s a80dbbe8d5 body all over. When blood seeped from knees af747a0850 and elbows scraped on the 319fe9215b cheap sofa, he licked it 62c936e613 greedily and gripped the surrounding d2b95c7450 flesh to draw more blood.07380482315e6c6c

He looked like a demon 3abb16db0d enraged by an angel’s fall.e2b4336edba7f702

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Jaegyu was so aroused that 52e000e668 his back was drenched in 69972796bd sweat. Even after going bcdbd1b4af through several condoms, 752e01f0f7 he didn’t let 0f3fc27efc Seobin go. In the end, Seobin 69e3f49cfe repeatedly lost and regained fddc8b6a43 consciousness, but Jaegyu, heedless, fc9e916c98 satisfied his own greed.7a9fe05bb589363d

He reveled in quenching a582c7409f his long-held thirst, delighted 862b4cee58 in watching Seobin break 5bee9c8614 beneath him, and drank e0147ca6cc Seobin’s tears like holy 3c083c6e43 water.df52377916224e6a

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It was impossible to 64f627e522 tell whether it was db35313118 Seobin or Jaegyu who ec90b0f01f had fallen.15aa2e9bcdd72d7d

When the act de644937eb was over, a fc5cb2a220 pale dawn crept ac90d7cbb2 in through the 0df975f950 window. Jaegyu slowly put 0ce505c7af on his dress b9fe6d5145 shirt, while Seobin, 7a1b60ec47 crumpled in the 4c9231b966 corner of the 6e2551d377 sofa, stared blankly 3ec0bc5080 into space. Without blinking, large tears 8bb24f2b2b rolled down his cheeks.9151fbad484a4313

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Soon, Jaegyu looked exactly as 64057a5224 he had when he first 50997257f0 greeted Seobin. Aside from his be3f234a95 sweat-dampened, disheveled hair, c61dc61b5a his neatly dressed b58e95e494 appearance and steady e4d7e179d8 stance were no a7ea7bc99e different from a 7d3b83656b few hours ago.52fc2d8e0381a0fb

With a cigarette in 8ff8e9a217 his mouth, Jaegyu didn’t 475ee74616 leave immediately but sat 57379b7c43 on the sofa table. He smoked, looking down 5c3ab36b7e at the crumpled Seobin.baaddeac503b5a67

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“…….”fcfc4387afe3e228

“…….”08cc91c53532ba0f

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Silence hung in the air. Occasionally, the rhythmic sound of 0e86abe8be Jaegyu exhaling smoke mingled with 6ca320966b Seobin’s irregular sobs.f14f36894c88e74f

Jaegyu’s dark eyes lingered e43855075d on Seobin’s bruised and f74b037ec2 reddened body. At times, he 2b7dcf34a8 gave a cryptic af7ca9fe04 smile, an expression 05fed940a7 of deep satisfaction, 198ed58ae7 like an artist 3fe5d39647 who had poured 2fafd73c87 their soul into ae1123903e completing a masterpiece.46900abb889a225b

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It was truly grotesque and 28f8888126 rude, but Seobin lacked the 6213e0c915 energy to protest. His eyes fixed on Jaegyu, 6eab23835f yet he wasn’t fully aware 13862813ee he was looking at him. Distinguishing whether this ca56757a35 moment was a f1a204cafe dream or reality 9017bdebf9 was nearly impossible.73c1d0551608ea9b

All he could think 095caf143f was how excruciatingly painful 0ee9df4a93 it was. He’d never experienced such 15539c8aea pain in his life. Being beaten by debt collectors 99e0deec37 had hurt terribly, but it aa1d68cb37 couldn’t compare to this.aa0f03067ea9dcef

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“…….”2964f3111da81682

Jaegyu quietly finished his cigarette. Roughly extinguishing it d1c4d851dc in the ashtray, f13ffd707d he pulled out 6cb57b49e7 his wallet. The black wallet 3204addd3d was stuffed with 78b1294f79 white and yellow 57886f9652 bills.6c7437fdd2880be8

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Damn it, the 9d96883f3f moment Seobin saw 3b9ef0fa1d it, he felt f9e2c77f75 his scattered mind e60e2a00e5 snap back into ca80345a35 focus.f47e5f662d2dd7e7

Money. It’s money.077f9ad3483ce0b1

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His eyes widened instinctively.cb09605abed86808

Jaegyu took out several 396e42f5e3 yellow bills and placed 2367967e19 them on the table. Twenty 50,000-won notes. The money Seobin 1ae5ac1470 had earned while c8391c3d0c crying like a 3b3e188989 beast with its 29511e9fe1 limbs torn off a47b1653af for hours.3a62f8d0c55b7d02

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“…….”83315db382dee756

Seobin stared at the pristine, 504d8285e5 unblemished bills. A strange feeling washed over 4328058de4 him. He should have been 085d4a4204 happy to earn such c76831baf5 a large sum, but 0c5a02ba44 he wasn’t. Nor did he feel da8d94682e particularly miserable. Well, maybe.463b0ad9bd33c078

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It was like being stuck 88e8f68aaf in the mud, floundering, with 2c5f05d38c a pitch-black darkness looming overhead. Whether he struggled or 471c5f92f4 not, the mud remained, 67fa020279 leaving him a little d2462afa1a scared, a little distant, e51b4e031e a little sad.89fc0a926656ec47

“Thank… you—”b7daa952beb70ead

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Seobin tried to express b4ec525b2f gratitude but couldn’t finish. A horrific pain a4414763ab surged in his e108fb7663 throat, as if d363a8f31a someone were tearing f390ee3149 it apart with 85005f72a1 their hands. He grimaced, his brows d19487484b furrowing, eyes crinkling, and 62dda15ca5 lower lip bitten tightly.d79552f0f83eb8f6

But at that moment.4e5d188848ca1f7c

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“…….”58a34a21807c86f1

Jaegyu took a deep breath. He bit his lower lip, 6eea7f723e mirroring Seobin. Not because he f5e5fa6cb1 felt Seobin’s pain bccd5b2003 or pitied him. A strange thrill b19220bab1 coursed up Jaegyu’s bf418553d3 spine.8dee59ae84e6afae

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Seobin’s pain, caused by him.87367ad6f2efcfa8

The pain he inflicted.94d2894bb8fdd8a8

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Seobin, hurting because of him.6da3779ccee42e91

Shamelessly, it pleased him. His lower body, which a4acfc90df had already released several d7d7c34d51 times, grew hot again.56c088bcdd67f258

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Jaegyu glanced at 6880423acb Seobin’s groin, then cb0b539715 licked the inside 6a633bfe14 of his cheek 9742bfc760 to suppress his 5c7942a1e2 desire.0f757524cd0a759b

It wasn’t just for today.b02a1262b7b03016

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He wanted to keep Seobin as his “master” for a long time, so it was better to take a step back.2f9a477abb9ece4c

Jaegyu stood to 2d573c2e15 leave, then pulled 93aa0c3c0d out his wallet 343fef0cce again. He took out another ff3bf9797c handful of 50,000-won bills e7c27c29e6 and placed them down.0d40bca7d11da5f4

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“This is a tip.”06f7ceea039b5f27

Then Jaegyu left the office a00708cdd9 without lingering.3cf349be69c227b3

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Seobin stared blankly at 8acb1eca51 the door as it d53088bd08 closed with an unpleasant 6684042fa1 creak.3df24f86d4d4d3f2

Left alone, Seobin remained crumpled f9ce22cc7e for another three hours before c28e326113 staggering to move. If his teeth hadn’t cf5cd2ad48 been chattering and his e081ff9215 limbs hadn’t been numb ad6dc8d990 from the cold, he d688f31cee might have stayed there 18f6373c31 all day.8256f5a2b21085c5

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The first thing he 57aa2ead33 did wasn’t to put f376ec350e on his clothes or 4e3fe37d33 wipe the tears soaking 0241f5778b his face.9838f224bd939d7c

It was to count the 45b99d54d8 amount of money Jaegyu had 3b82931f8e left behind in heaps.8bcf98d840e95175

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