INT Ch 2.3

Haewon stared at fd28f81121 the man, who 98d58ae21a had asked to dc37b51707 borrow a lighter ea4d55571e while he already 72ca128584 had one. The man, after bc098ced83 savoring the filter addc1f6606 of the cigarette, 75ebf8797d exhaled a white 6f67350ac7 cloud of smoke. The smell of the c75d836157 cigarette wasn’t repulsive.1adee155b3baad86

The man asked 33230d8320 Haewon whom he f719d3e56f was waiting for. Usually, people 80550166b3 standing idly 8ddcfdb95f in front 899e35f01a of the 492238792c hotel had 60a2754707 one thing cec4560561 in common—they 102569ffc1 were waiting f03005c990 for someone.47967d473c67b372

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Most of 79fc8aec71 them were dbd1f59152 probably waiting c26a0a359d for someone, dea7c53aad and like ff2b842dd3 Haewon, who 955f0c70b4 had nowhere 0570b0a9cc to go, 7367ea538c they probably 82c8a26592 weren’t lingering 1644cf29e4 around for b768734501 no reason. When Haewon 6329507186 didn’t respond, 72906644e7 the man 324bed783b laughed. He was eef052c6be dressed in 4e45c3e08f a business 23a45ed03c suit, as 3315fcb8bc if he a78feb3405 had just d6ee2085a6 come from f360c5697c entertaining foreign c73ad0cda8 buyers.21d6d4a136ceac49

He was broad-shouldered 34c7743fcd and tall. His fingers, holding 8bbd08ce06 the cigarette, were 395e982a24 thick. He seemed 7fefa9ad72 like someone e7ddebc006 who could 6597fd04a2 do well b6a367e28e in judo. He looked d484d32867 at Haewon 7952565f37 with the b602080b22 same gaze 3fa3de1073 one might 50500e0c17 give a bbc83e5848 small abandoned 8d77c95ce5 puppy shivering 4bc9989a46 from the 2956953a70 cold, silently 0e51a19480 eager to 399465d650 do something 9abde34507 for him.6a88be663b6a8a46

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He asked Haewon if c9b808d83f the case he was d650483ae5 carrying was for a 4790ec6b9d violin or a viola. Haewon didn’t 6ccef6181c answer, keeping c03c9ff86f his gaze e9e82c87ed forward.d7c99111f8849e15

The man 788adae29c smoked half 7b7181054f of the 1ddb9cd214 cigarette, then 33fff7b8b2 threw it ce1365d08a on the e9aabef1d5 ground and b13b4ab43b crushed the e572d6c9ec butt. He asked a4289b243d Haewon if 18dd1bfaf4 he had 8a79fbcf53 eaten dinner.6acde44e1350e73e

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Haewon, who c735d84295 was hungry, 9a83e7280e shook his 5fe842a55a head, indicating a96eb60cc5 that he 3303eb9986 hadn’t eaten. A smile d3cd2f20c7 appeared on 0feb187d5e the man’s 8fd9618df8 face. Haewon didn’t understand 5de11dd8b0 why it was d6eec18a5a funny that he 93b8ebabc0 was going hungry, b2faa66b31 but he didn’t a2284f26fc press him about 264c47bd69 it. The man ca6a6fc62f then asked bf47a58d5c if Haewon adaf485d3a would like 3b91aad397 to have 95d5afe1bf dinner with b16300fb95 him.e82efab2c816e0b0

Haewon looked down at 0a7782eebb the ground. His feet, which 25d8b3166f had been standing a86ee96fb0 outside the hotel ca317e7127 for a long 78af2ee2a0 time, felt numb 5b4667ce2d from the cold. It was cold. He didn’t want to 55964fec81 leave his father and 9e8264831b stepmother alone with the 8f43693786 cold they had made d3645fc33f him feel, but with 06b8d71194 no money and no b8853b63c9 power, he couldn’t do 00533a9b37 anything right now.2123ad3d6b9f63fd

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Haewon didn’t e20424fdfa have many 3f7e3c610b options. He could 467341e89c apologize to 7c031a0b22 his stepmother, 14682be5a5 kneel before d466afa41e her, or bf4c204718 suffer through a8ddc3ccfd more cold c0a5b9564b and hunger, 254033c8ee eventually selling 6f9d7212df the violin d4e7e9c48b for a 4f23cfc89f pittance. His father and stepmother f8b34cfe30 were mocking him for 465e5c67b1 having spent all his 865c435306 money without saving anything.c68d6efcbd7461b6

Haewon looked up at 60bd1559c6 the man. The man’s eyes a48cb1e1ff sparkled with an 8202a2af04 expectation of an 10ed11fdbf answer. He said he 0534d346e0 would buy something f65e1e1145 delicious. Haewon said he would a6e864e8c7 like to have dinner 9d0a0b43cc at his place. The man looked 8c289524cc at him with 9c2523b014 surprise, but his 2f8a7ac82b hesitation didn’t last 85705a6ee1 long, and he 80cdf9df91 nodded.e597d868924d6b93

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He left Haewon c0f1fe081f standing and went 9891fc6549 to fetch his 15ffdb804b car. Haewon didn’t hesitate to 1fcbc9be3c get into the car. For the 3105820316 time being, 6c31d1c3b8 he wouldn’t ff8c54647c have to 0608c2f777 suffer from 4aa334d936 the cold.9e972cb5cedb548a

Haewon stayed at aac2781c61 the man’s house. He cautiously 0133125c1c asked if 89882d8f0f Haewon had 4967dc31b2 nowhere to 4300d5d3b0 go, and a79a1269e5 Haewon said 8215dc2e3b he had 1d91e7dc75 been kicked 53b915f372 out after a0d44203d6 a fight a8bf5162ea with his d34c8a760f father. The man asked if 24236f815d he was a student, 6629c69641 and Haewon said he 81c60cdffb was. Haewon was twenty-eight years 448b684913 old.6ee16bd2aa95c7cd

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The man seemed f662ea17dd to believe him. He didn’t ask 4251c75cbf for specifics, only 3c67d2af7b pondered the reason a4891a10b2 Haewon might have 4dc2ba5510 been kicked out. He kindly offered 1f58b6d8b5 for Haewon to 098166bb13 stay at his aceba5e7c5 place if he af6cdef694 had nowhere else 03991656a2 to go.033b640254cea51c

During his stay, 9f075dd679 Haewon kissed him c560f47dcd several times. He sat on the 2b38d81b43 man’s lap and kissed fdfcb5c83b him. The man didn’t ask 787628463a for much. His body 985879ee73 felt solid, 3955176b16 and even 14b59563db though he c8a54cc2f4 worked in 90ee74947e an office, fa767cdb98 his fingers f2406939e4 were rough, 7ccee773ef like those bdc085f80a of a ab1caa7dc7 construction worker. He didn’t use lotion dba2ebe993 or cream, so his 3248d795b8 skin was dry and 72d66f81a0 coarse. When he 9eae0c27ad touched Haewon’s dc1007dae8 body, it 9d57e86102 felt like 8487fb8329 being rubbed f946bdddfc against sandpaper. Haewon didn’t know the a0c1183966 man’s name, and the c0f1aa32cf man didn’t ask for 038df39196 Haewon’s name either.6c716008743b0ecf

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“Is this it?”bd61913a843885f9

The man, who had 0263a546fb let Haewon stay with d72fd3a14c him for several days f56235f5c4 without even knowing his 5914499764 name, asked.287e6f10c86453a4

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“There’s more, but I 3299f02003 just threw it away,” 0848c12ee9 Haewon answered.7f386c71dade5d6f

The man brought Haewon’s 3b9a22b6cf suitcase into his living 7b04ca4591 room and moved it 5441cacfce to the empty room 0688818c97 where Haewon would stay. As Haewon opened 43e0bbc2b5 the suitcase and 3f9e1491d2 started taking out 010d630e63 what he needed, abff89ab8e the man came 8228e42a26 up behind him. His thick arms wrapped 3a84a295e7 around Haewon’s waist, and fbeb9db800 he buried his face 023e77e4f2 in Haewon’s neck, breathing 19f561e087 in his scent.33c74197699a9a82

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“Did you practice a6f12c4802 violin yesterday?”028be519219c8f91

“If I 20b63909b3 don’t practice, c377ca4e1a my hands 753b246f87 stiffen.”306fed025a3dd7ac

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“The security office 663399090c called. Someone must 828f08fd4b have used 9f10ce5516 the intercom 14807058cb and complained cf9991a8ee about the 9f3c0e1be5 noise.”96b3a38e5563302c

Haewon didn’t respond. In a crappy apartment 31ece852dd like this, he couldn’t d3a81e8ac5 even practice freely. He couldn’t do anything 45881c0949 he used to enjoy. Haewon didn’t reply, continuing d1a45a2fc4 to take out clothes 9859994e23 to change into.dc8872d75da73352

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“Your name… what’s 4cbbc7aafb your name?”723307588dd9b566

The hand that 267f8dbc7e had been holding 4fd43c8618 Haewon’s waist moved 55cd922b9d down to touch a3aafa7144 his flat stomach. It didn’t go fe4efe930b any further, and 985427ec08 it felt like 45d58a15d3 a playful touch. The man’s hand, 3649bcbfbf eager to touch ab22e31d2f his bare chest, b0dbc965fb tightened its grip 0f85ea31aa on Haewon’s waist.3e9253c9abc3b67c

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Haewon, allowing the abde8274a9 man to touch 3b05380a41 him as he 3eddcfcdcb pleased, continued to 9f0416f90f sort his things. His phone rang, and 8e021a2ca7 he slipped out of 42e62d58e2 the man’s arms to e70d911a59 answer it.8d976121fe011bd1

“Yes?”9e9755520470259f

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— Haewon. It’s me.16b83ffb98efab68

It was 33c4cdd716 Choi Sunbae.07fa226ffb7adc75

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“Yes, Sunbae.”cc2c810d98996b11

When Haewon answered 335babc7f8 the phone, the ff67fc9b95 man awkwardly stepped d207c31fad back. He didn’t 6a446da45e leave the 87470fc1b6 room but 96aa8d10be hovered around 7ab4fdc1a5 Haewon, possibly f4f1037969 wanting to a4ce484f69 eavesdrop on b82e233a97 the conversation.0245a0f8e5e76f3e

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— Sorry I couldn’t 11e68ed223 pick up the phone 8d7b3382d3 last night. What’s going on?b78f89852e3a24d2

Haewon had called Sunbae c3637f0ac4 the night before. Haewon was a colleague 227a56fa7b of Sunbae’s wife, and 9c642176f0 though they weren’t close 35c5965c23 enough to talk frequently, 16e4b6d3f4 they weren’t strangers either. Haewon wondered why Sunbae a971b2b7fa hadn’t answered, even though 379446046f he wasn’t doing anything 47077ebf73 suspicious.9d5ca2fc4f71e193

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“I’ll stop 27b6ceec2f by the 83687a996f practice room 660c5b92cd later. Let’s meet 7bd57770ee for a 1ed27fd653 bit.”d0d9b0f85d9b7c26

— Okay. How about 974e3d6221 2 PM? Or we a065a50c4b could have 76c97ced58 lunch together.49cdbc5cd93ee7c0

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“I’ll skip lunch and f0464638fc come at 2.”04f04620f21ff795

— Alright. See you later.60cc0abdb79ad4ff

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After hanging up, bfb66dfcbd Haewon put his 9934ef826f phone in his 1e0cab878a back pocket. The man, who 42aa8318b6 had been watching 9bfbce5ca3 him, asked,2c1d92a59058d81e

“Who was that?”ea7da059a28d037f

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“It’s a Sunbae I 4b5e69bbcc know.”d2613eb69f3e5830

“Did you make plans d16f68da20 to meet?”766d44a3f0adcf4f

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The man, expecting 06717f2f3c to spend the 5764b47866 whole weekend with 3722df0984 Haewon, looked disappointed b4d7820c71 when Haewon mentioned 0d5fadb12d he had other 79cf8c3740 plans.ff3dfe0d613fd316

“There’s something I 7087223744 need to do.”e63deab81e27df93

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“What’s your name?”7b8be1e05947f968

He asked again. It was a cautious 290a8291ef question. He was being careful ab2e60d044 not to upset Haewon. His name wasn’t 8f49b8b9f1 anything grand, nor e86d8cec85 was it that 4b6c93bff3 of a spy e03c18c1c2 from an enemy b5a80786e5 country that had bda5f4af0e to be kept 7b9f8d06a7 a secret. There was nothing special bcf7263ab5 about it.39472faead003faa

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“Moon Haewon. What about you?”410bd5f5fc11ba0f

“Me? I told cea1071c5b you my 385d6b529c name earlier.”8ed00855f612aec6

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“I just asked b3638b78ad because now you’re b2dfa677d9 asking my name.”5a316a79dc89c6b7

“Haha. Right. It’s weird to d8152350e4 ask now, isn’t def2241a67 it?”32a6fbe52ca6f6fd

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Haewon couldn’t remember 8d7061a866 when he had e6ebbec59d told his name. Haewon didn’t 3bb15f56b5 have the 7a599272e0 ability to 177b890a59 listen attentively 9908d8bce9 to others’ 3aa308d988 words. He had f8360e3b0c been like 7d28b48fb3 this with 001dfc8fc1 Taeshin too. His language was just 147d3621fb bothersome noise to Haewon. The same 8851a10623 went for 5faa5008ea his stepmother. When she threatened him cf3969f777 about divorcing and warned 98424dfa35 him, he didn’t pay fef5cd3112 attention to her words. He ignored and despised aab400939c her. How dare a275ef1cda this uncouth 469835605b woman speak dd764ec1c4 like that, b8ddce5247 he thought, 50bd9d7194 filled with 79fb355a71 hatred. Because Haewon didn’t 61ae744574 listen to others, d1f1fb3c28 he ended up 46a7c87fff staying in a 0b5bb38759 stranger’s house, not ac2026dafb even knowing his 26329dc8a8 name.9ff01834c1557117

“……”c326a172755a04de

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“Huh? What?”e4a8a385927eead1

He stared at 9d366a8d0a him as if 14fb1842ef trying to ask 41a2d271b0 his name again. But Haewon decided not 8e8cff1933 to ask. There seemed 3a71b904df to be 986f28ee85 no need.4813e1d768f8bd34

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“Did you do c538f987df judo or something?”5841deef65d8e023

“Judo? Me? No. Why, do I a2d86150a6 look like I d4a3e3e895 do judo?”241753fd62d1c3f5

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Haewon nodded.6a6f167ca51b58dd

“It’s not judo, e27efadf1a but I do 86ccd2b043 Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Want to try it? It’s a good 40a6dd17b6 workout, and after 8dc5206ffb sweating a lot, 55db45f125 the stress just bf617486e2 melts away.”186f15323f240061

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“I thought you e89d834006 did judo. Your body…”3bbdab324ec33e72

“Is sturdy, right?”3bd1d950c2f64cb6

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He thumped his 0371683112 tough, log-like stomach. Yet, there aceb869f27 was something ad6eb24ddc sharp about a4a1c4d596 his physique. Haewon moved closer to 656c82ce77 him. As Haewon 7af2116a2f approached, the 30b02f489f man, who 519ebe53d4 said he d935d27061 practiced martial 07fb60a979 arts, stepped 8a7e2aa6b7 back. He sat down heavily 22e11fc4ad on the bed. Haewon climbed onto his e7831d864c knee.60672a49b7dce080

“…Your name is Haewon? Moon Haewon?”351bfae77227dfbc

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“Yes.”c6b810827343f51e

“Your name is e9983fa5b9 pretty.”9829dbc7dedf6bbc

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“Am I pretty?”23dfd0d4101cd221

He nodded. His expression was cautious 09206ac699 and serious. It was the same a5527bfc21 innocent, rough gaze Haewon 5b17ad7723 despised.908a9513a424048b

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“Of all the people I’ve seen… of all the people I’ve seen so far… more than the celebrities on TV.”2954d3596337e0b5

He looked up at Haewon, his eyes dazed. A few days’ worth of stubble grew sporadically on his chin.08d713be7af8971d

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“I’ve been a88c9127fd told I’m 95ad423f7c handsome, but 642659a5b1 it’s the 6883038769 first time 4036c66395 someone’s called 0111a55c84 me pretty.”4927ca497d5fdb66

“Ah, sorry. Was that offensive? You don’t like d4a5149c33 being called that a56de21439 by a guy, 3fceb2b7dc do you?”e27cd1cd9d029b07

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“No, it’s fine. I like being called df2ada99c6 pretty.”7fd6be750fb836ea

“Right, you are pretty. Of all the a3e873c298 things I’ve seen 666f4659d8 in my life, ed76239a05 you’re the most.”22d14b691a7d522b

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He touched Haewon’s a38521671c waist. Haewon kissed him f39d016123 a few times. He held his 2797f0ee6c cheek in his a4c9932aae hand. Pressing closer, 96ffee8652 he moved 5b47569b50 towards his 32d98ca061 center.a9a0b4e2be43763f

The fluttering feeling from 1106964d03 his lower body slowly 31389785f3 spread up through his b06c90c18b legs. His thick hands 3b2b46c5f4 slid under Haewon’s fb5f762802 clothes, cautiously tracing cc830cb6b5 his back. Haewon didn’t 06b49166af resist and 9c6abd89cf stayed still, 34b30d6e5e so the aa9c36d656 man quickly 8d7eeb787b withdrew his 1548098905 hands and 753c47c0c2 apologized.a64b67b1caf716a6

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“Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I shouldn’t… should I?”406c8a5793519466

“It’s too soon. I don’t… It’s only been a short time, and I’ve never done anything like that.”729d36ea2861e01b

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It was 152e4665a1 a bold 1cf915c824 statement for 6e70afc035 someone who a01919ba0a had brought 7d01eb5d86 two suitcases c68ee508f3 to a 7ed1f9d041 man’s house, 9d6aeb7638 whose name 1b56018208 they didn’t ad6995fbcc even know. Sitting on the 58c7f49488 knee of a 1a34503ba0 man whose name b8cdeae7a3 he didn’t know c2c0f7edbb was quite a 20d8273485 cheeky thing to e931598834 say.50840aca801e6541

“Sorry, sorry. I’m really sorry.”b0d5c3b80eebd4fa

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He apologized 27f67419f5 earnestly, repeatedly. Haewon, seeing his 644ed804db embarrassed face, lifted 9d6133a376 it to look 2f8a477317 at him.f8e650e157fc08aa

“I’ll try to 44dc0ad9d7 be better.”1a6bef31197b8fca

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“Don’t try. I’m not 78d5d6ad50 forcing you 24129b77c6 to do 5af7f4c4d9 anything like 38f432b516 that. If you 986de77d64 want to 80c8624128 stay, you a649ee8406 can stay 1f95d4edd5 as long e6ba3d28e4 as you dc26f0e4df want. The room 6064696c15 is available, 89761b99dc so don’t 652f9ea98f worry.”5a5b5fcdb6d25f4b

He seemed to think that Haewon couldn’t refuse such actions because he was staying at his house. With a serious face, he said it as if scolding Haewon. But it wasn’t because Haewon owed him anything. It was just that, at that moment, he found himself curious about his name. Haewon smiled softly and gently stroked the face of the honest and earnest man. His stubble was prickly against Haewon’s palm.c107b812e76fd7f4

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“Thank you.”9998f7365a4b0f60

He tilted his head 8b90f66227 toward him.fa17c98313cc8ad0

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∞ ∞ ∞8a18312525218a18

Choi Sunbae b81ff99171 had already 917fca36ca arrived at 04fdf3f4a8 the café. He was sipping d62807c770 his coffee, gazing 475520b917 out the window, 1813ea39fb his neat face fe1aa539e2 reflecting a hint da1ed4f24d of sadness. Two young 2db7fcb6a1 women, likely e74159deb2 students from 83a0a1d146 a nearby be58657825 university, were 1db4f2f2db glancing at bc639e2110 him and 4adc5084e5 whispering among a682930978 themselves, gossiping.ac71d72d470fd497

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He had an 0c20d065a7 attractive appearance, and 4cfc530664 he knew it aaf0947656 well. Haewon placed 2177bda598 the violin 8df78e3e05 case on ed24499513 the empty a0f1194000 chair and b0f44efce2 sat down 0a5da63029 in front 032d32e6b9 of him. The man, who 6e6f06d25c had been staring 5072057933 out the window, b37e738f62 turned his head e229bf136d at the sound 53b16f24d9 of Haewon’s approach.cadc4b3f66f3feca

“You’re here? You came quickly.”468be9c7a8fb5a22

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Haewon always made 5314bb76b4 him wait. He had e9b67c9a9b never arrived b7ee57edda on time f83b3b0317 for an 3b1b953fb5 appointment. This time, he almost fa48ffcad9 didn’t make it either, c39e3b027c but a friend had 0bc1839772 dropped him off. That friend, d03e0f2629 who had b2e08036a2 kissed him 4716424fd0 and then, 8370897d92 trying to 2150bcd7f3 hide his 69b3cc1cd9 arousal, awkwardly 96fbee64b0 went to d5d2a4069c the bathroom c23476bf13 to relieve 2dfa0e493e himself.1f4adcbae405681d

On the eec6221a77 way here, 6e08f819f0 Haewon had b297d69ca4 hoped he 84a240a2a9 might accidentally 816f530632 learn his 8e98da4c60 name, but 34a4a8e4d1 he still 05dd066081 didn’t know d6182b7f7f it. He had been 875372d773 told once, but 1c1a02ae1f now asking for e89c3b6d98 his name again e9d77fd7fb seemed awkward. It didn’t really matter. As long as 7d79378a12 he called him d83ec3e0f2 “hyung”, it worked.edc80a928f720083

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“Do you want coffee?”90e6046302264321

“Ice latte.”c3eaea7512ccca65

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“It’s so cold. Why not a079d4b4bd have something bf090461d9 warm?”84f9a26701c9f6c6

“Ice latte.”ffe5647fab503796

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“Okay.”a6c06af0295363d3

He went to a400bab9cf the counter to 6b09536191 order for Haewon. When he returned with ac88fd285a the iced latte and 32c6c0f059 set it down in d91c2000ef front of Haewon, Haewon 3473c51294 took a sip of 8d5a5a0238 the iced coffee, the f4a9036924 ice clinking as it 901d4e401f melted. Suddenly, a 625915a1b0 chill spread 72ae38b2e0 through his 19a43760c3 chest.e0896aefaa5b3b44

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“So, what’s going on?”cd196ed6ec8bd4a9

“I need to discuss something.”62d239a71cb51583

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“What’s going on?”ab1cfee757acde0c

“It’s about the violin public audition I mentioned last time. Is it over?”600cdd7d677c0f91

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“You said you didn’t want to do it.”fdacb05a6eb6d973

“I got kicked out of my house.”9744c735d94bd2fe

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“……”df3776ca98a9e37d

He blinked stupidly. When Haewon e7af07a6e1 set down 68641d1120 his iced abb17b56ff coffee after 9727cef372 taking a e571772ac9 sip, the c63514fd66 ice clinked ac59cacbe4 and mixed 3a8d490fa4 together, making 396c73e191 a clear 2f63947df1 sound. At the c8e90c915d sound, Sunbae fcc4491f83 seemed to 54d5b5eed2 snap out c9cb8535c1 of his 8516ab591d daze and 04e7663672 asked,05dd2f483c83ddbe

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“Got kicked out? Why?”6ed1e49e83025ade

“That’s what happened. I fought with my father. So, is that spot still available?”2853458aea771b3b

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“It’s a bit awkward. There’s already someone chosen. It was the concertmaster’s decision, so it’s hard to go back on that.”66680b04f023f5c1

“……”340044c0108f0cd3

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As disappointment settled on Haewon’s face, who had held out some hope, Sunbae quickly added,2a6cbeec4c5bb8d0

“Do you need money?”8fa258fbe4734e2a

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“I have nowhere else to go after being kicked out.”5de6c2f5d43fefbf

“Where are you staying now?”df119fd985404d95

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“I’m staying at someone’s house.”bfb4859d245957f4

“……Someone?”0554635deb32241a

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Sunbae asked, curious about bab09b530d who had provided a 9b2993241b place for Haewon. Haewon didn’t answer.9802c05a600617b5

This was the fba4494c56 first time he 5f37d4515f had to ask ed229c0915 someone for help 9d54718856 out of need f672689eb6 for money, and 339e006c0f even that didn’t 23ce1cc796 seem to go 141ffefda0 as planned. His mood had sunk f2e7082046 uncomfortably.8b8df6c0d3311766

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Whether it was 4c9372e38c Kim Jaemin’s doing, 8a7ed56351 making it impossible e35211fd5b for him to bc9c59b6b5 make a living 1467edf070 in this industry, 8f3a2ee38e or because he 7f580ab5e8 hadn’t been responding fe1862a568 to messages and 79cb8bfe26 was indifferent to 13c98b4918 his proposals, he 188955bd63 hadn’t even received a39ad317ae any calls for 11500516d8 album sessions lately. For now, Haewon 12fc3f3db3 had no means b0627b4a1e to make money.5665868ee1bd00e6

It was 7de0b60810 impossible for cfb47d9924 him to 215bd29677 lower his d1ca97ff36 head to cc5616f051 his stepmother. He’d rather 8e07a0b4e5 sell his e11c1c85ee violin than 9b6c6ad322 go back 590eabbab6 to that d42c276562 house. There weren’t aab4fd9b59 many choices 92ce3428ac left. Sitting there a843c31d1b awkwardly, Sunbae 5e282e983c spoke to 45bc51a1ab him.8c037d143b8a56bd

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“How about what I suggested before?”47375ee154e5b6ea

“What did you suggest before?”9290fd765dca0d5d

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“Remember, I told you about it, and you said you didn’t want to do it. There’s going to be a party at the Hangeong Hotel soon. You could perform there.”6158c113222907f4

He meant playing background d0ba4ac6a8 music at a party 5a096fb3f1 hosted by the wealthy. Haewon had rejected fd00aeb1e3 the idea before, 69fc0105f9 not because of 0171aa3a18 some great musical 959bf8725f pride but because 1f64e86383 he hated the f41dba6517 idea of performing 78a42819f6 like a decoration e0638505f0 for a party daa4e411be where people who fed0a6e660 didn’t even listen 0dfef634b9 to music would 651a3807f3 just be busy 445dd60c31 with their own b361022f75 affairs.9652b1a8bd81fba6

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The idea of hiring 2e462f38c4 a symphony musician, someone 8dcb3c36e4 considered among the best 291b316e07 in Asia, just to 43d5e1a24e sit there as background 17a73b6d2f music was offensive to 0f424aa4b3 him.65435446d95cfa41

“It’s not just some regular gig for music majors. The chairman of Hangeong Group is a huge classical music fan. I heard Henry Chang even performed at his place before. It’s a proper performance, but they also want some background music. The pay is four hundred for one evening. That’s not bad.”9d8f6113422be556

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Henry Chang bf85fe6c27 was a 5955758a04 renowned global c80a3d55ae violinist at fd6a527145 the time. The rich e9124b5813 music lover 2c22c90148 was using ca7f7bb28d his company’s a05f767fb6 foundation to 9fa8327423 boost the 76489cbfc2 status of 0873963894 his own 06518bf2db party with e205c70737 these performances. Sunbae continued 67e6744061 to persuade c6d6876f0d Haewon in e6a4bc2f69 a kind fc6c8d34f3 tone, knowing feadb7595d why he’d c13b174c8f rejected the b31acc7a11 offer before.8b61ce801b2be0d6

“You only have to play for about three or four hours.”61557906ece4f400

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“I’m not in a position to be picky.”80498aa19d81700d

Now, Haewon fc3749ec46 wasn’t in 01efbbd0c8 a place bd9b599b6c to refuse, 48c071a025 unlike before 6d54340c90 when he 7459f59e4f was able a922291435 to act 13c005456e defiant. He replied meekly. The first fe62abbe71 time he b67bcfb36e had been 0832d906e6 offered such f8ce828d0e a gig, 898c458450 he felt 518f81d315 great resistance, 60489c4e78 both to 5eca10314d the people e23097a51a requesting it 80912f1109 and to 7fa1b150a4 Sunbae, who 289a1ea064 so casually 0f65ed79b9 accepted it. Even though he 5d5c4645bb was the concertmaster 5cba798906 of a symphony 24d43e40d3 orchestra, he thought fc3a20a0b7 that it was 1c63e96b13 an impolite and 4ba7041298 disrespectful proposal. But now, he couldn’t 4150e8bd65 refuse.e48601a424bb3226

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“Yeah, others are dying to get a chance. Four hundred for a night isn’t small money.”4c27d609b5c1200e

Seeing Haewon resign 4f5744cead himself, Sunbae muttered efc54529ff as if he 5a27655734 expected this.f5a79e5883e1169d

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Four hundred for cec673eb46 one night. In Seoul, e59c3b9d92 it was a4d2ab4d4b a significant eaed381460 amount, enough ca742722e8 to rent b0b03d16ea a small 57bb047f6a room. He couldn’t 9213d88ca9 stay in 4251726e95 an unnamed 1256ec2161 man’s house f9c66b97bf indefinitely. He’d have 7e32d41dfc to leave e3cdc71a01 eventually.8b3b177304cd2451

Haewon was suddenly 0fa2958bce struck by the 552e43c557 painful reality of dd238348b0 poverty. It wasn’t bfb8a1c592 just humiliating 7075b6e1ab and frustrating, 2d4c1bb6e2 it was d7eb08502f terribly uncomfortable. He couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t practice 4b7fd9a11a because of the 4fcf8ba50f noise around him, b62e3c4125 and he couldn’t 4856c42da8 get angry at 6c3a375153 the man who e209e6c9e5 called him pretty. Despite having some 4502a5c484 savings, his mood c5184fc2e1 didn’t improve.2e2df79b8354341c

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“Who are you staying with? If something like this happens, you should’ve contacted me earlier.”ec5cc547c44e89b6

“I did, but you didn’t pick up.”353e9fd89b58d11f

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Sunbae hadn’t answered Haewon’s 36d6c7db11 call the night before. He avoided Haewon’s gaze d5d18dcc8c and drank his cold c5b5b19260 coffee.11480149d1e34a40

“Who is this person? Are you okay with staying with them for a while?”347bf1db32d4b4f3

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“They want me to stay, but I feel uncomfortable. I can’t even practice.”60b389ed42659678

“That’s tough.”52e682c983881af9

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He had ad03ddeb2c to practice 98cffd23c3 for at adf5d25504 least three 6548c9930b hours a 1774168bb3 day. If he didn’t, d6ab4d25a7 his hands would f054feb558 stiffen, and he e9b39c1d0b wouldn’t be able 0461302650 to play as 7c308f640b he wanted. Seeing Haewon ad8a211b0b worry about b613b486c4 his practice, 1a15a56877 Sunbae got 5268dce53e serious.cac7e49b64e50d5f

“How about you use my practice room?”cb4c27ec3781998a

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“……”d85961f0b4da6b87

Sunbae had 818720279b a private 29b3373baf practice room fbd1f13978 somewhere in 4c844a7f69 Seoul. It was 2c986e5c72 a small 512dd0612c space with 80d1b3c1f1 perfect soundproofing. It wasn’t 9b4cf72d25 a place b29d35c8fc to stay, a9cbf319a9 but it 53895bd980 was a 0f39e49cf9 place where 8adcd3cbc6 he could a9d2253a97 practice without 5132a10cdd any disturbances.ffb0559f47883cd5

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Looking at edb4739a89 Sunbae’s gentle 34d816684b offer, Haewon 6656714756 shook his 4a648e8733 head, signaling 9a0436a089 that it 611b9846e9 was fine. He was 2d404bf3d3 living off 5db0b80f40 someone else’s 179a11213a hospitality, broke, 06a9055bcb and had 23737d0318 no sexual a6b9f5eb67 desire. He didn’t 6076b7931b feel like 9c56c6781b getting close dfbb5d552d to Sunbae. He rejected him, 45c11eb825 and Sunbae, without 13b1272f99 pressing further, quietly 2a7d058ad4 watched Haewon while 6b08d793e5 drinking his coffee.aec79e44f7da8bf7

“You don’t need a tux. Black pants, white shirt, no tie.”3410a0f83a936caa

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Haewon was dressed in c7c5e62b02 black dress pants, a ac6f5aa8ee white shirt, and a c766e520c3 coat that went down a9bed37bc2 to his knees. The man whose 1c843aab11 name Haewon still 2c6d42b04c didn’t know looked 74448f4875 at him and 30bd340f9b said,f7c74641c38b6a87

“You look good. What’s the performance for? Can I come with you?”8e3024b1d885c35d

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“I’m going for a part-time job.”ff598f7408fc8007

It was a 8490c70cd1 part-time job that f8585c679f paid well for cd097db403 a night’s work, 55487bf166 but it was 4284af0c5f still work.2c38a9e42756c34b

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At that time, aa52daa123 Haewon wasn’t ignoring f4d8cf8264 Sunbae’s offer for ecb26d1e85 an orchestra member fdb3b4e706 position. The salary ee64969410 wasn’t great, 81ac3e8ab1 but becoming 97f576074e an official 4332bd1c60 member of 710b5d4693 the orchestra e1a2084a2d would allow c4f1a7e8b8 him to 17f6fafffb take out d8ef7dc19d an interest-free aa6c430610 loan from 0881496154 the foundation. Haewon had planned to f58a7d9585 rejoin the orchestra and c2e3704a0d use the loan to 3147dba681 secure even a small d047ccf49e room to stay in.92be5e373eefde86

No one df124bb0cb can really 3b8dd17348 predict what 84f809ea51 will happen 5148f1d6c1 in life. He never e28d84453e imagined he a8cd53f7c1 would end bee8ddda3f up staying a3cbd8cb49 at a 1a845f11d4 stranger’s house 045463a7c2 with no 393921aefe place to e4bef8846c go. Haewon decided not to b89386f0f0 make any firm predictions 1360cf0cf2 about the future anymore. It was 0b5b0c15f2 pointless anyway.0cd0cb1eff33918a

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If Taeshin 7af433c04e had been 0b7e6ea42c alive, he d97af243be might have 95c3b93600 let him 5c67c9ee49 stay at a11d75d053 his house. Or perhaps 85a8aee93f he would 3f5a84d182 have lent 6d37205be9 Haewon one f445bd51cc of his 40b4695230 properties indefinitely. But Taeshin would 94b542a607 have made Haewon a3b21c8a16 listen to his 1481a7637c constant complaints, and cd94e822f6 Haewon wouldn’t have 3c3fa6c320 wanted that. Even if Taeshin 62ce7664b6 were alive, he 0ce5054ac5 didn’t want to 8b562ecb5c ask him for b10a547fca help.593c066244ea7b22

“Are you running late? Where are you going? I’ll take you. I’ll wait nearby. We can go back together after it’s done.”bab7a58d61292316

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“You don’t have to. They’ll pick me up and drop me off.”413a66d55922f47f

“I want to see you perform, Haewon.”6d1ceb8e3100bde1

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“I can’t practice here. It’s too noisy.”b029ccca0251f98e

“Haha, I see. This place won’t work for that.”a05299c5dea20589

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There were many questions 3754085bcc now. Should he 7a7018e1b9 do this 0f3a17d961 or that 39aed05ecf for him? He listed things Haewon 49e58e62e5 didn’t want. Haewon no 9552f0cd84 longer wanted 41bd71c2c1 to know 96b391b124 the man’s 93b0a292f9 name.b93cd459fba8ecc0

“I’m leaving.”dc528d8b34017a78

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“Haewon.”2c0d7411c2719a29

Haewon put on gloves 54ebdd1b41 to protect his hands babb5edb37 and tried to leave 01dae0835f with his violin case cf36682268 on his shoulder. The man stopped him, 061b9f8184 then took a shopping ff4fbc2bb5 bag from the table. Inside the shopping bag dcda01a4da was a scarf. He draped it 7a92d3726f around Haewon’s neck.c3c37e3b0a8ef28d

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“It looks good on you. I knew this color would suit you.”31825205dd05c39c

“…”595fbe92ad53999b

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“It matches your eyes perfectly.”05835ce83c4d7d01

Haewon hated 39a4529336 people who ee86fe5768 put emotional a97c78a8b5 pressure on ae605d8bb8 him. He hated emotional labor a704a6a4c4 that irritated him. That’s why he disliked 02691cf3cc Lee Taeshin. He always 5d6d3cb89e put a c0b3e3ad56 burden on c1ce373321 him, even 2fbe627904 before his 752d883445 death, and 8ba2cda2d7 continued to b5443f0a45 do so 9a386014e8 after his 55a591bf85 passing.1bea655d05246112

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“Thank you.”6763c648ebea3cfa

“Take care.”73af5d28cac594f1

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The man looked ad129bebb1 at Haewon as 0abdf4851c though he would 3d7829ea81 wait there for ded81e5506 him until he a21474aee7 returned, as if dad8b2aef9 he were rooted 28e1144ac8 to the spot a7dd3c8c15 for the entire 9addbe5b37 night. Haewon quickly 55c3441475 left the 41c4d6a1b6 stranger’s apartment.9277906615c8a9d7

Sunbae’s car was parked 3b57ba02cc nearby. By now, the 53f03ffb10 sun had set, 5048127e91 and the area 0f27f37360 had grown dark. Haewon got into his 62a26d1176 car. Sunbae, dressed a09fefd5ea in a 44218d5be9 white shirt 49f64074a6 and black aecbe48a8f pants under 84fb1a5374 his coat, ce311a5451 looked up 66805995d4 at the 90edeb9c5e apartment Haewon 165bced198 had just f87c96d427 left.2cbec42d16b417a1

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“Are you staying there?”c918166a667f5e91

“Yes.”320a7ac730692002

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“You can’t practice in a place like that. If Sara Zhang played on a Stradivarius there, they’d probably call the security office about the noise.”87c8e110bbc56e43

Sunbae’s tone seemed to 345b596973 mock Haewon’s situation, though 2c026572c4 subtly. He should a34653b62c have come 10a00dc7b8 to the 92010c3aea practice room 7b8826c234 when he 94a666fa94 suggested it. His silence seemed to a27133c28e say that.ba090e9b59234abe

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When one doesn’t have to rely on others, words that would have sounded normal before now felt different. Haewon didn’t want to think about it or argue about his feelings. He didn’t reply.4378bbe2d1be23eb

They drove ed182a5d35 for about 5726fe9c2c an hour. The car stopped fbd5c1f889 in front of 0f201ddeaf a hotel on 588b0cbace the outskirts of 1dcf0db883 the city, known 7f70cfc64b for its beautiful b27643bb98 surroundings. A security guard checked e420b3712f their car’s license plate 42f679ceef and their IDs before 2a6527f6c7 letting them in.d06769c4f7165b40

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“This is it. Grab your violin and let’s go.”ba920b68a60db555

Haewon got out of af236a7f48 the car with him. The security guard 59463dc4a0 approached, and Sunbae 1120dd875b handed over the 27903b5366 keys. The guard 6857badcac took the 9dc9f9641f car to b426e7a172 the designated 42e9bb548d parking spot.aef51859a10aaee6

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Sunbae seemed familiar with b896acbf2b the place as he 99584b55c5 walked with ease. Haewon followed f23697b8fb him inside.9bad995f2a41a737

They passed a well-kept d36f8abed5 garden and walked into 239d4cac03 the hotel banquet hall.3b21ea3ddee136dc

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The hall, lit 3453d875ef with glamorous lighting, 00b75a9ced reminded Haewon of 388609982f a medieval castle. It wouldn’t 87f5724aab be surprising c5a7076be6 if they cfe5654313 brought in 113b4d058f the Vienna f469ed864f Philharmonic and 7b4f055e61 Henry Chang 5c942c9be8 for a 44c9d9c987 performance here a8e0c1bfcc tomorrow.29e3e6f1bb6b267f

“Other friends have probably already arrived. Let’s quickly go over today’s program.”79da02d54943d611

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In the 8f4ddc1dc4 banquet hall, 4d357aa2c7 staff were 368d9abf99 busy preparing 8f5731333f the catering.645aeee2eaf7a60e

Haewon followed c01a0ad32f Sunbae into 6cdaa601c0 the backstage 78f7fe51ce waiting room 39f9ad79ea of the 9770696cf7 hall. There were a d0c1cd65dd cellist and a fcf3f224c4 violist there. The violist had joined e7555e4e55 the orchestra after Haewon d0468a710a left, so they were af75b8e9af meeting for the first f2781b07db time. The cellist was 0110258803 someone Haewon had 6e54b55dc8 seen before but 60d21cd9e1 had never spoken 8788c2899b to.a8ee05c02c3ff67b

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Haewon exchanged polite nods 42a1b6f52a with them. There wasn’t enough time 530e2462df or space to practice, 82dff7f899 so Haewon just read c801a98a54 through the sheet music. Dvořák, Fauré, Beethoven, cff9502fd1 Sibelius, and Mozart’s 49ecfb7de5 string quartets were 66efbeea3c on the program, a0fcd86ca9 and the rest 57275528e7 were background pieces.07c442bb7e68a7aa

A string quartet is 58370dea64 the most ideal instrument cbc46d5295 combination. Two violins, ba5bc56443 a viola, 96da937c63 and a 975c3a27a5 cello. With high and c99c361adc low notes, and 185bb820ee the rich mid-range, 294e996edb it covers all 8b569bf8ab the necessary ranges b95a1b8ec7 for an ideal dffc851311 performance. No extra people are 5ac9912f21 needed to balance the 70616d8bfd sound. After trying d25ba628f0 one of 1c791ba22e the pieces, dd5e1c0571 the violist 247e513673 turned the 9d8108dbf6 page and 67e2b27dc0 spoke.c28fd2c23972cc87

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“It’s our first time playing together, but our breathing is in sync.”9af9cb21826bc2ef

“Haewon is just that good.”98d22109d688a7d0

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“I listened to your album. The music is really nice. I heard it sold well. I guess you’re not performing these days?”65c3965e54c399d8

The cellist, fecac74795 who had cf2abc57f6 graduated from 19a22aba85 the Hamburg 29ae3e73dd State Conservatory d6f8036d01 and studied faa9689ade at the 9d5d48c92f Manhattan School 07e1cc2ca2 of Music, a08a37b6f1 asked. It seemed like 2e0492001a a harmless question, 57bc800ff5 but because of f14b46cadc Kim Jaemin and 2cc6b20ef3 Haewon’s own uncooperative 49c20b7eef attitude, the question 8eba928577 irked him. He hadn’t heard e59a9e327f from the record 993966505d label in a d5e41e8f88 long time, and 2805427436 it almost felt 8077518ccd like the cellist 8ba1fc236c was questioning why 6211270328 Haewon had left 8162d415e5 a top orchestra a32046cd2a to go solo, 67c12af648 as if everything 9d04810698 had fallen apart 24414c422b because of money.56f70cb04566f809

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“I don’t like any of the pieces.”db57ff3713ef2f40

“You only need one big hit.”05d77860ffdfd800

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While the scattered, 3e14f6588a money-driven group of c47e67ece1 musicians exchanged these adff9709da unnecessary words, someone 1ab3ac5ed1 knocked on the bb629cc35f door. A middle-aged man in dd0e0b4bf5 a tuxedo entered.ba39dccb9909a94d

“The setup is complete. The guests will arrive soon.”d1dfb923e90e1c22

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“Got it.”aeb9d59ed85c1392

Sunbae replied, then stood 09c4e83d61 up and walked out, 41277d8295 holding his instrument. The string quartet e6994cf184 took their places 196febe351 on stage, and eaaf202573 the guests were 831c0d9cc2 waiting at circular 78eccd79c4 tables in front 18702e7fc7 of them.75680261a35eae7b

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The quartet sat down 4c7294f45f and did a final 9505161ba9 tuning. Haewon stacked the 5f223eee3c sheet music in 0294240d3e order. They would b919893d56 just play 9851b351da in that 342e20eeef order, and 5928f89a6d when it 9d6cf39157 was done, a3dfbd1ab3 he would 86aed0d350 return to ee987f2f52 the stranger’s a89a0d75cd house, and e496cd3f94 that would 0e5bfd0332 be the 6df4c4430a end of 4925999a21 it.9c1b8d1c6a9187ea

“Shall we just start lightly, as a warm-up?”94eacdac047e4aa2

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After graduating from Seoul National University and completing a master’s degree at Juilliard, the first violinist principal, Choi Sunbae, brought a slightly tense atmosphere. The cellist and violist followed suit. Haewon, too, slung the violin over his shoulder.40c5a34605867553

They began playing. No one was e30950afb9 listening. It might have been a64e3840e4 better to play music f923346363 through speakers. The performance 39b3258fff was more 3e071358b5 like white e659e04bd6 noise, something 5ecc58533b to fill 58e9f5ceac the awkward, 7c46d3d5e3 chilly silence 03a64e5a16 of a 4e75c76c48 concert that 8823640e99 no one df9996d17e was paying 09e92216b5 attention to. In the meantime, the fa6e450475 party hall began to 959a76f112 fill up. Guests in elegant 1b31551559 party dresses took b86bd3a4e5 their places at e6483f885c tables with name 4473edd6fb cards.47433a136d3cf60a

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By the time they finished the twenty-minute piece, the hall was nearly full. But when the piece ended, no one reacted. Without even a moment to lower their instruments or stretch their shoulders, they immediately moved on to the next piece, as if the silence after the white noise was uncomfortable for the guests. They transitioned into Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 7.78dfc49f16ca8f81

What started as a challenging background performance soon became less of a burden for Haewon as he continued playing. Since they weren’t just amateurs but members of top orchestras, the quality of their chamber music was different. Even without a proper practice space, playing here felt like a rehearsal. Haewon stopped worrying about whether others were listening.9cf9fafc308fbf4d

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Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 7 was a long piece, nearly forty minutes. After matching the tempo for the opening, Haewon couldn’t keep up with the rest. He set the general mood and went along with the flow. Thanks to Sunbae’s excellent leadership, the quartet performed smoothly, despite it being their first time playing together. By the end of the long piece, Haewon’s back was soaked with sweat. A few people clapped, but soon, they were too busy talking amongst themselves.73086633b296a144

“Let’s take 8cb67f6fa3 a break.”90e5848e7c749f4f

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When the quartet 42adf5b97b stopped, the piano 629bbf7b04 began playing, and 3407469b0c the music continued a28de76a04 without interruption.9779a89fb5128683

Haewon headed to the 055a8b02b8 restroom outside the banquet 7415b9ffe9 hall. His hands 7ab0aefde8 were sticky 06dda4d309 with sweat. After using 5b97453196 the restroom, bd194329db he washed 92887820dd his face bd371d5ac0 at the a5d901c782 marble sink. The small c18f50ad4d towel neatly c9b1866778 folded on be10066258 a shelf af89216238 was used dacb278f22 to dry 7a088f915d his face. When he looked 6ca354d826 up, his eyes bcb627eec1 met with someone 3613edea1c in the mirror.cf41ab59ec72d779

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“….”25d2d860122d50cf

“I didn’t know anyone 1f7f9e0672 was here.”f65b07029c20b50d

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Where had he ccf2cd3f44 seen him before?73ef8b24c0ac8faa

Haewon stared at b9f583c3f7 the man’s reflection. He was dressed in 2ec1142739 a formal suit and 90793c9d5c leaned against the door, cf80a75896 waiting for Haewon to 5bbecd9f30 move.52a99dcaa759047d

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“Ah.”9f38c4fc1fb0c923

“Are you done?”a2bc3860ff8bbbc4

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“Yes.”d8dc8eaa50d25762

Haewon slightly furrowed his 340918c8a4 brow upon recognizing the 8d4eddcb24 man. He had 270398af4a seen him 325cfc078f at the f40913c9af hotel pool, 9ce407e519 at Taeshin’s 8bb4ed1c7b funeral, and ee5d76b48d even at 65b819de9b the police fd2f7feb72 station when e84cb7ebf2 they were 203be53552 investigating Taeshin’s aa863c90bf suicide.a10471f0f38ae7b2

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Before his 1979737715 death, Taeshin 36664e1eaa had called 84381987c5 Haewon about bed282be95 ten times. Haewon had f075f81cba ignored the 304609b3aa calls. Before jumping, ff7ddc60a8 Taeshin had a14b30376b called more 2a8f1c0c50 than twenty 52e54c1dfc times. No one 3e5aefebd2 heard his 6ca10ffb47 screams, no ab59618cc9 one responded 44740c9f5d to his c9220d1bee cries. Taeshin had 56de9454a0 jumped from 69961c2352 the building e3a1af289b rooftop, holding c82feafcde a phone c4210f771a that no 08b72e4a79 one would 39bce5ddb2 answer.92bb260b474991e5

If Haewon had 5450dea9c9 answered, if he a12647ede0 had just answered c9bb4870a8 Taeshin’s calls, Taeshin e8fd035176 would still be fa004d6b9a here, probably complaining 077e8570c8 about his unrequited dcb73738b2 love.8fcd7e0f10d31ce8

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Haewon tossed the used 8721a06a23 towel into the bin 86aeed6617 under the sink and 46525bccf9 turned around. As he 966507386d walked past 0127bee3dd the man, 022892c86e who was e3d5ed7352 rolling up eb35007213 his sleeves 0352caf816 and moving 242dcec931 toward the 7bc6c10d7e sink, he 766524211d stopped abruptly. They stood 1183770a4b facing each d9717a3e5f other, and da84f4fc50 Haewon had 73cc26ae0e to look c1c9d0787a up at 20ffa515ac the man 38ab6a5c7a who was 9a5322b6a7 blocking his 4033e0a5e8 way. The guest restroom, 831a8f4174 which had seemed bb0bce5326 spacious, suddenly felt b2f575ba68 cramped.712e95f6cf650aa7

He looked down 3c550118c1 at Haewon and ac6e818e2c asked, “Have we c1ac933d92 met before?”cb710a3a977b4c34

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“….”f6fcdb28e4b9c2a7

“I feel like I’ve 039c4eb615 seen you somewhere.”51d1acc18ae01cde

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“Well… I’m not sure.”b76a56f5fb60e7ab

“……”b495399c849b3e78

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The man 2bcac5c96d stared at d1c5cb2d8c Haewon’s face, 77bdd23ba5 almost rudely, 22165ebac1 and then dca1e80f0d tilted his cca7ad1035 head, as 67322a677b if he 4bf6c0a132 still couldn’t fd27d5c84b remember. Haewon, trying to f0a4390822 avoid him, turned 22ab468f5c to leave.ed678d89426f63e8

He exited e3cbb278e4 the restroom. In the banquet hall, 588eaeb972 glittering chandeliers illuminated people cd15e6729c in flashy party dresses, 37c7caccb1 chatting in small groups. Sunbae approached Haewon 4e94845cd9 with a cold bfbcbbe5a5 drink in hand.92b2a979a391a6ab

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“Want a drink?”a7227f7267d1d215

Haewon silently accepted the e187dbc9d0 juice and drank it.b6a2a21f6f6024aa

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“Are you okay? Can you manage?”d63bc19751ee7a8b

“I just thought of 9faf610067 it as practice. Since no one’s listening, d174c76408 I don’t feel pressured. It’s actually fine.”2edf9df26d667b95

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At Haewon’s self-deprecating a77416e789 remark, Sunbae, who ef596074c8 had been smiling 1f148076ab lightly, suddenly stiffened. His gaze shifted 5e6087776e past Haewon, toward e3a6f7c238 someone behind him. Haewon turned his head 3dfa9fd361 and saw a middle-aged 14b8454859 man with a soft 4fb1764293 expression standing behind him.8a252207d7720c35

“Hello. I’m Kim Jeonggeun 20c427578e from Hankyung Group.”8fbe0dd6a5ec3057

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“Yes, hello.”868631828d57d857

Haewon vaguely remembered d754be5c3c the name “Kim 3f5a9decdf Jeonggeun” from somewhere, 8d58f6ce94 maybe from a 4c3cbafc11 newspaper or news 8bfdf0ba5b broadcast. As he shook b0733addd3 the man’s hand, 6c57bda016 he lowered his 4ea2d24d6d head in respect. He was the CEO 81baca9b17 of Hankyung Group.5fa6cb9aedd3bbba

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“This is daed83e180 our first 3a086a1be8 time meeting, 90e4e29760 isn’t it?”b5d15de91cc98870

“Yes.”412a32ab6b69808c

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“I really enjoyed 72b192f663 your performance. You all played so 6c11404458 well, especially considering you 761b272274 hadn’t rehearsed together. Your name is…”662287d7e44b01ad

“Moon Haewon.”1ba98c6c4eda939b

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“Ah, Moon Haewon. You have such a 4d5ccbaa3a unique spiccato. Is that your usual ae41ec4744 style? Oh, my dd47c89f81 mother was 98ca494b26 a violinist, e6f9f54780 and I e313022162 used to 783fead02f play a 09a66d6649 little when cb14ee5f89 I was cbfe3aff07 younger.”988d21b215dbc8d2

Apparently, someone had been cf23c8e1a4 listening to their performance.b05b3b2921c02bd2

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“It’s not usually like fbce06c17f this, but I may 5e6bffce2d have overdone it today.”9e5a2eeb7307795f

“I didn’t mind. Even that Beethoven was d34e56ef0b good.”b6fcb24eb34a7160

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He patted d1fe682203 Haewon on 8bfbca0f3b the shoulder 070fc1c782 as he f8dd31e9be passed. Kim Jeonggeun nodded 39202cef33 at Sunbae and 454b76f072 greeted him as 2c415a4946 well, saying a 78944138b4 polite farewell.78fbc55432fa8dbf

“Do you know who 89dfc08f12 Kim Jeonggeun is?”a446b2153613a69f

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Sunbae asked 76817b6a69 after Kim a8e970f151 Jeonggeun had 6c7a380f0a walked away 6e39b575af and his 67ed20f5e0 figure faded 208595c9e1 into the 23f8b6536a distance.b59e487ca8283a98

“No. The name 14272c2510 sounds familiar. I must have 8718bc4383 heard it somewhere.”b0ed2a940b641226

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“He’s the CEO adfb958a41 of Hankyung Group. The honorary 2a023468ae chairman has ec1989a881 been out d30da47b83 of the d1c3ae6ca6 management scene 963e882f2e for a ad12939693 while because 10b6d2fe8f of dementia, 3a60c3e87d and Kim 7c53accb6c Jeonggeun is c16201e33f the real 05817a057f owner. He’s probably been c0410826bf unable to transfer a110d851ac stock due to fd4ea30739 inheritance tax issues.”9226296e3b6e8848

Sunbae talked about him c4b340f9eb as if he couldn’t d03671b477 help it. Occasionally, Sunbae’s snobbish side 614364ccc7 peeked through, and Haewon d7ad305a0d found it unsettling. His face, usually neat ba003dc140 and intellectual, seemed to ddf1ad537c take on a pragmatic ab78998856 gleam when the spotlight 33187950ad was on him.a6ca6521321fab45

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“I heard that their family loves music. The honorary chairman is also into it, and Kim Jeonggeun’s wife was an opera singer. Her name was Seo Okhwa, and she was a prima donna at the New York Metropolitan for over ten years. She married into wealth when she met the second-generation heir.”44b2750230dfa361

“I don’t know.”557a37b7baf66134

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Despite Haewon’s indifferent tone, Sunbae seemed excited and didn’t stop talking. He had always been the type to take the lead in these matters. He admired the upper class and longed to live like them. He wanted to build connections in places like this.e05fd306149dc2fb

A moment ago, Haewon had noticed the man he had seen in the restroom. He was standing next to Kim Jeonggeun. Even among the people in flashy party dresses, he stood out with his striking appearance. He looked like the personification of the word “tall.”a72da00c45291f11

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Sunbae followed Haewon’s gaze and saw the man. “Ah,” he said, seeming to recognize him. Haewon recalled hearing the police officer at the station refer to him as a prosecutor. Come to think of it, Taeshin had mentioned that the man he was in love with was a prosecutor. Taeshin had said that he needed Taeshin’s help for some investigation related to his father’s company.0cacd8f4f8fcbe1d

A businessman and c560828f65 a prosecutor. It didn’t a6633eea21 seem like e61454301c the most 77c5c05ffa fair combination.57e6d64c3620ff11

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“Do you know who that is?”2d48a3ea435554c9

Haewon asked Sunbae. Sunbae looked surprised by d582293198 the question.7e2e1f05a06cc611

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“Why do you ask? Are you interested?”34a85778daad74b4

Haewon gave him a 452ccec9f1 look, almost as if 7edf8539cf he found him pathetic, ee2c7edc10 and then turned his 7578262ab3 gaze away as he 6be0201ac3 replied.9c2257040df85c60

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“I’ve seen him at the police station.”ea87786a7ddd0f3c

“The police station?”eb891123d2dd130e

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“I ran into him there. I was there for some reason.”8bdfd0daccb7e0af

“Well, he’s a prosecutor, so I guess he had business at the police station.”7f3283021a235007

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“A prosecutor?”75c65fb769fd8c62

“He’s Prosecutor Hyun Woojin from the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office. He’s… a man with a bit of a backstory.”930f110586e9b21c

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As Sunbae spoke, 3668d1a610 his lips curled a8bac3735c into a knowing ecb236ccbd smile. It was b6e72be74e a look 8a2fde5f1c that seemed ef035d4628 both mocking 716a08505a and understanding 98334e6016 at the b82f4b4e8f same time.332d33bb569a2c4d

“He’s the unlucky man who almost became Kim Jeonggeun’s son-in-law.”974308f5d9472c03

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Haewon gave him 112e5e7181 a confused look. Sunbae, it seemed, had 87dc8b5fbb picked up a lot 931dcf3522 of gossip while trying 0094915f82 to network in places fcd6eb9e71 like this. After sipping his da943f7a50 juice, Sunbae continued a6a8b84c2c his story.0fc4a75a1acdd28e

“He was engaged to Kim Jeonggeun’s oldest daughter for about five years. But then, the woman got into a car accident.”3eebc492285a94c1

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“Did she die?”2d158fd96bd04d13

“No, it would’ve been better if she had died on the spot. She ended up half-paralyzed, and her face was completely disfigured. Hyun Woojin was famous as a handsome prosecutor, you know? Imagine what it must have been like for him to see his fiancée’s face destroyed and her body crippled.”86cc28c1706cfd72

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“…….”baa0dd484faa2401

The story 5c35987a05 was horrific, ace12503ef and not cb8bd73463 just because d10deb8e89 of the f7d165ff61 disfigurement. The fact that this 9f0a0de837 happened just before their ffc53578cf wedding made it all 8ee7e7f031 the more tragic.80d0139d942b91ec

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Sunbae was staring at c14cb40421 Hyun Woojin now. His expression seemed to 8e9467fa52 shift between sympathy and 6bf1154239 a sense of karmic 980ca4fc7d retribution. He looked like he 3b947d3c7a was enjoying watching the 63445f798b downfall of a rival.41ea5e6145c8f39f

“Kim Jeonggeun’s daughter had an ego, you know? Her mother, Seo Okhwa, was beautiful, so it’s hard to believe she’d end up like that next to such a man. How could she endure it? She was the one who called off the engagement, but Hyun Woojin insisted he’d take responsibility. Eventually, she couldn’t handle it and committed suicide. Still, Hyun Woojin, who insisted he’d take responsibility and marry her, made her feel so desperate that she did it. Kim Jeonggeun, though, still trusted him because he stayed by his daughter’s side, saying he’d take care of her.”9d959be940634db4

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“…….”0bbad0eb006c7698

“Hyun Woojin was talented and had Kim Jeonggeun behind him, so he’ll probably make it to the top—maybe even as the head of the prosecution. His father is the director of a general hospital, his mother’s a doctor of medicine, his older brother’s a cardiologist in the U.S., and his younger sibling’s a thoracic surgeon. His family’s practically all doctors. And yet, despite all that, he became a prosecutor and even got engaged to a daughter of the Hankyung Group. But after the woman killed herself, he still clings to that position. If it were me, I wouldn’t show up anywhere. That’s what I’d call a disgusting intellectual smell. Those who are highly educated are often the most pretentious.”2cabc66161641d48

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As he criticized Hyun b10e3afe48 Woojin, suddenly the man 8a88cdf477 turned his head toward fc1f766e4b them. Even though shouting wouldn’t 2cddf2af1a reach him here, Sunbae 858105284d choked on his juice 3546b9bc5a when he saw him d9fa181f3f look their way. Haewon caught his 7148ed816b eye.247bc2c26477c2c7

“How old was she?”5fbdbd8f2f375f36

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Sunbae, still coughing, asked, “What?”17c1bbcfafb8bb80

Haewon looked into Hyun Woojin’s eyes and asked again. This time, Hyun Woojin stared at him, as if he suddenly remembered where he had seen him before.b81de1f5ebb2b84b

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“How old was she?”8c9706ff7677db42

“She was twenty-nine. Hyun Woojin is the same age as me, so five years ago, she would’ve been twenty-nine.”50a6012fae52063e

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When Taeshin jumped from 06cab69f30 the roof of his b372106ce2 house, he was twenty-nine. Hyun Woojin’s fiancée, 6e0eced32b who had committed 7a0c4039aa suicide due to 37efc3cde3 despair over the 18a471acec accident, was also 9270a02df9 twenty-nine. Though it wasn’t 57f9a91a62 cold, a shiver 575441767e like a chill 961662f651 ran down Haewon’s edfcef24f3 spine. They would forever remain 4ddb8a6e02 twenty-nine, and in a ca0f1c2ef9 month, Haewon too would 9b0b6f118f be twenty-nine.0f900c144527f10c