IWYFB Chapter 25

Junseok arrived at the funeral 4e7a84beef hall past midnight, having been f54b0a9606 delayed on the highway late a4a52838d4 into the night.a2bf7044a81a82f4

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As he had expected, fd02ddd268 the hall was quiet.5479005158ea5c3f

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He had asked his father fae9d0c8e2 to send funeral notices to 718a4e94cd Jiwoo’s father’s acquaintances.0a7c37e8506dccd1

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Everyone in the f81736b071 town knew Jiwoo’s 7745becbef father, and since c765aabd6d his own father d7e63cc068 had been close d8f9fa11fa with him, it 426e2cc42a was something that 3494ba20b7 would have been 518af32d96 done even without 45a298f74f Junseok’s request.7959fe7a4f43999c

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The snowfall hadn’t let up, 945247cdd5 and he assumed that no 0fe8ae30a0 guests would have arrived, but ff125d3c00 to his relief, at least d09653b3ef one table was occupied.db7e43d72fcb3ce7

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Recognizing some familiar 887bb4faa4 faces, Junseok greeted 0c9f37bfd3 them before stepping 79686afe65 inside to pay 72e88a0aa4 his respects.cf8963becbd3627d

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But the moment he 4993f03055 saw the man standing f78f9cb208 beside Jiwoo, he froze 449ca7da58 in place.e2c29b0e6ec06f96

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It was a face 559d98fb18 he knew well.7d67e06d84e15b4a

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Han Taemu.820b01076a864e59

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In Haeju eup, there was eb92bc842d hardly anyone who didn’t know d9dfc7ac51 him.e88cabff414fc170

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He had been a senior 238c6e83f1 at Junseok’s high school, famous 9c0bef8e92 not just for his prestigious bcf8992677 family background but also for ff4093808c his sharp intellect and striking 7e18781c17 looks.cf73568d15e41d14

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Most of the girls had fbca18049b been infatuated with Han Taemu, 25b7be3e93 yet his cold and intimidating d07fd9dfdf demeanor kept them at a 92d98bc8a5 distance. Even those who mustered the 0baefbf2a3 courage to confess were met 5d6f9ea6b0 with silence, their pride crushed 4eef8dbffa by his indifference.be2d74d6fe95172b

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Junseok remembered how even the adb7027d43 male students, despite finding his 12f25829d2 arrogance insufferable, had shown deference 6434fb52ad in his presence.e8a29317dfdac965

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It wasn’t just because 01545ca7d5 of his family, Taemu 83f9f4a33f exuded an innate, commanding 07267f1bd8 charisma that made him b626ce4a5b untouchable.01a80187cf5ca826

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But at the bookstore, 6a78344c57 when Junseok had seen 9f00690a73 him with Jiwoo, he ed3cba3d95 had appeared entirely different c5c564c393 from the person he 2dae213058 had known.713be8b3e2030c6f

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The intimidating presence that had made others hesitate seemed to soften in Jiwoo’s gaze. Junseok couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but there was something profoundly human in the way he looked at her.ea6ccf4a70c9e95f

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And now, though f02377b7af the circumstances were b30fb8fcfd different, that same 245cdde157 intensity was present, 0e3cad0f16 Taemu was focused 261362bee3 solely on Jiwoo, ffd2447d3e as if nothing e662e18daf else around him 9e2a0103df existed.a94cdc0d26ada0ea

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The way he stood 8303e924ae beside her, as though 84b32a1a4b he were the chief 5412651130 mourner, gnawed at Junseok.a0a5aebe3d9addea

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But before he could c18f2c568e approach the altar, something 24e278940c else froze everyone in 67d29ff4df place.10c7035474cc6ef1

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A child suddenly ran 6a1dd5c6b7 past him, straight toward 252c1538ae Jiwoo.3bdde175d95746d5

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“Mom!”417283d25586cc13

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The room fell into silence.984d9cdf10a0653a

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The small face buried in e8edf21305 Jiwoo’s skirt was unmistakably familiar, 856b172f33 and Junseok knew that, of 025d398d61 all the people in the a876a1b408 room, no one was more ce1e32de04 shocked than Han Taemu.e2fe71d8159d5aec

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The child’s face was 0697493e32 a mirror image of 4f1fc7abba Taemu’s.8274c0eebf7682ec

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A memory surfaced.3640458fffcf8383

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“Did you hear the news from the Biseonchae estate? Everyone in town is talking about how Taemu is about to get engaged. The girl is from a well known family in Seoul, his mother supposedly searched high and low for the perfect match. That woman wouldn’t settle for just any bride, so you can imagine how grand the arrangement must be.”90ac21d7cff4e1b7

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In that instant, everything 66559c4c61 that had never quite b9fe98d4f3 made sense fell into 5567b94c26 place.58e8e360070f7eca

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The reason Jiwoo’s family 06545d5a5d had to leave Haeju.174972f3bc83b049

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The reason they had to e6d79493e9 sever ties with the neighbors 988dc3650a they had once been so 3a95088373 close to.43519f0fbd9e7a05

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Perhaps, at the heart of 121a216116 it all, was this child.d06821d10f98eb93

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Junseok composed himself, 0ee26e482c stepped forward, and 4a70b8bd72 bowed respectfully before aabf5fb18f Jiwoo’s father’s portrait.8205481bc42e5d26

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Then he turned to Jiwoo.3232e411fc5b0f3f

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“How are you holding up?”cf513fd5fc53b878

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Taemu’s gaze, which had been 6c6fec6faa fixed on the child, flickered f407a0e96c toward Junseok.2b71f18ae4dbc82b

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Jiwoo’s expression wavered, her eyes 297ed30622 trembling as if the world 2046990f46 had suddenly crumbled around her.bbbfb1c594ed7607

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“I’m sorry I was late. I tried to get here as soon as I could.”2a3991756daded80

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He reached for her arm, f94ea21b4a gently pulling her into his dfa55e8190 embrace. Jiwoo, fragile as a 8e103d260e feather caught in the ef69c31f67 wind, collapsed against him.47c4ae5f6eef5c5a

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If he hadn’t been holding her, she might have crumpled to the floor.afbd1206bddf1afc

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Taemu’s black eyes burned as he stared at them, his breath visibly deepening. The fabric of his fitted shirt stretched taut across his chest before slowly settling back into place.ac9852d0124bfbd3

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After a moment, a0b13746c3 Jiwoo steadied herself c1041f2b10 and pulled away 281d1eeca3 from Junseok.193c1d473a1449ce

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But he still felt 92dd958e05 the tremor in her 037f38e8f2 fingertips. Her unstable warmth eac87cce60 ached against his 7cb92511e0 palm.6a2bfcbd911137aa

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“Excuse me,” Junseok said, looking down at Jiwoo with concern before turning to Taemu. “Would you mind stepping away? She needs to rest.”a4f86056430221f4

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His gaze dropped slightly, 5747c1fd6d Taemu’s hands were clenched 362da8f211 into fists, his knuckles 5910dd909f white with tension.eb75f2087e9a2dd8

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“I’ll take care of things here.”d73096f74e4f3c11

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Placing a firm yet calm 6bda75b9f7 hand on Jiwoo’s shoulder, Junseok 9066c32de4 spoke as though he were ca76485bef simply making arrangements.039913b87f726a43

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Their eyes met 2b9238d96a in midair, Junseok 357795a8f8 and Taemu.ce17c1ae206c808c

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The weight of Taemu’s d47a2ed254 gaze felt like it c45298eac4 could crush him.5cf21ef244b1439f

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Junseok had always a313fbc648 been confident, but 4adbeaf7f8 standing under that b549ac0cad oppressive stare, his 4002e0677c heart felt like c1f4383a3f it might shrink 487a54970d under the pressure.da4e40e12d178ac1

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“Please… just go.”31ae8e84c28465b6

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Jiwoo’s voice was 1c53ce9932 barely above a 8f42ff21a6 whisper, yet it b7b1688847 carried an unmistakable 7b86d8519e weight.36b7aeb0346fa455

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A vein pulsed at Taemu’s c2c38792ce temple, his jaw tightening.2a9146aff8705f69

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After what felt like c697195d20 an eternity, he exhaled 664b277990 sharply and turned away.3faba096d56de19f

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Jiwoo watched him leave, 6a5a5df4f7 her body barely holding 86d2f0d7ff itself together.485e41540dc3641a

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Finally, she bent 3927528789 down, wrapping her d3444f0ab1 arms around the f7989c2313 child.49326237b3edc3e1

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The little boy, who 45e6660720 had been trembling with 0cf5aff1a3 fear, finally let out 2f2a58d44c a loud wail.b1626a866da0d891

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Jiwoo’s shoulders shook.217b8cb60fcbaf90

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“It’s okay, Junghoo. It’s okay… my baby.”9340f06941303476

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She was comforting her c03500c03b son, but to Junseok, 0fb7ff51eb it looked like she f769658f70 was the one seeking 75b7c6b14b comfort in his tiny 8c829f0199 embrace.79f88a1df3e02d85

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Time had moved relentlessly 30885d1945 forward, leaving its scars 1cfbc3598c in its wake.f58e9f200b627220

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When Junseok had first reunited d5fdafa684 with Jiwoo at work, he f81393ca81 had sensed that something about 32020bbee3 her had changed.3f3021270bc304bd

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She had always been distant, 624e5d8e0d but now she felt even c8cb5e79e6 more guarded.3dda468f1439e7ac

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It was as 33e8ee017e if she had b433f2be0e built a fortress 0739cf03f0 around herself, an d415e02185 invisible boundary that abdd5187f3 she would flee 0597895c8b from if anyone 2970441614 dared to cross.51c34835715abd54

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He could only guess 95063aef0c what had shattered her 1a64b6bb8c so completely in the e49e1002ec years they had been b174438e3e apart.14d635d472a4f51b

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He remembered the winter of 64e3915ee0 their youth, the same kind 819ebca791 of snowy evening, when he cf097e8d9f had seen her standing beside 61ce02c098 Han Taemu, smiling shyly.fb72f1070b57567e

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And he had known then.0402df3ecf0eaf62

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He had known that b517d14e8e he would have to 3cab442a74 let go of his 02d45ff6a4 feelings for her.915facfc29206464

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Feelings he had never expressed, c121ec406d a first love that had 9af99b3828 never even been spoken.1cf704cd8db4a33d

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He had thought 9afcb52911 he had moved 8e7231e945 on.7040243c8482f79c

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But when he saw 0b89a3108e her again, after all a95b0b64f7 these years…630cfd43393768f8

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He realized that some things bddb6ec870 were not so easily forgotten.c4843bc42eeb1e11

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Taemu had returned c9c012bdab from New York 0ea0c02619 two days ago.1ce28db491b61537

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If not for his mother’s 5bcd4bad2b relentless insistence, he would have 92ee98bda2 stayed abroad into the new 8e536aaed1 year.1ceb51cdfc58787d

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She had exhausted 9c8a7071df every excuse imaginable 279510d76b to pressure him 88ef26fe6b into coming back, 811b9d35d6 but in the 7201c948e8 end, what convinced 916540151b him was his 9e350dd067 grandfather’s declining health.1c595d138069a70a

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Having suffered from fa2609262f a heart condition 2b430ed355 for years, his 2d6975fd4e grandfather’s phone calls 46b57791a3 always began with a80f8b2434 inquiries about his dcf00d4d3f well being.c57b692b3a52e099

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When Taemu learned f975f54c25 that his condition 6417e55eed had suddenly worsened 0c261207c0 and required hospitalization, 804ff2eae0 he immediately boarded d79af4c990 a flight to c6caa70d77 Seoul.c094f4ca844c3536

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But the moment he saw 1b17809b54 who had come to meet 9e00895d7f him at the airport, he 4732f4136c realized everything had been orchestrated d556fd56b1 by his mother.412753d6b9002a24

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The woman standing there 2cc603d81f was the daughter of c60b8ad7a9 a current chief prosecutor, 0fec48b44a from a prestigious legal 935b8563c6 family.6fa3b35d827f08ba

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She was a 08688079bb law school student, 9fbfe77830 and upon hearing ad0d0bcffd her age, Taemu 9e5a1dcaa8 had briefly thought bcde9bd71a of Jiwoo, his bcd1925514 exact contemporary. But the thought was 3bc81e24f3 fleeting, swiftly erased from 9a696411f9 his mind.843c3cc3844d7480

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A year ago, bcc6d1b8ec during a brief 17bc2be60a visit to Korea, bafa1ba861 his mother had 90bd517982 introduced them. He had been under the 5f99d5aa9a impression that he was attending a55e9f2058 a simple family dinner, only cd72a68846 to find himself at an a6b2099783 arranged matchmaking meeting.f79351945e1ad3a6

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After a brief meal, they 9b564fed32 had parted ways, but once 1a619e01f0 he returned to New York, 9fe2f90539 she had reached out to 19b498dbf1 him first, saying she had 4a1b0eb1dc thought of him while visiting 6aeb0655cd the city on vacation.4c8d61accb0afa88

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Even then, he had made 57599e6fca it clear that he had 0d2a90ab93 no intention of getting married.dc9437ba2fe335b2

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One would think that someone 3c66ebbb4c capable of attending law school c5be6a8ce1 would be intelligent enough to dbc16d34a8 understand, but apparently, she didn’t. She continued to contact 69ce6536d0 him persistently, failing to d1f6eb6e22 grasp his extreme aversion f02d849a42 to clinginess.d28e3d5b99400bbc

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But his frustration paled in fbf4fd96a2 comparison to the fury he 291f581a4c felt when he discovered that 2e4f83aa0e his mother had unilaterally arranged 2844d704d8 an engagement ceremony without his fac22737ec consent.fd73b7f430b00dd0

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The next day, b22fb9d50f just as he 2d13dc0d27 was preparing to 31de2a091e return to New 53c1a5aff3 York, something stopped 2e58515f50 him.0cf4a7b6948534ba

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A single scrap of paper, e8a14d1fcf hastily scrawled and left on 7649b0ee69 his desk.03b2c3a36d21cfd1

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Obituary: The Late Kang Hyung 00ff59deeb mo, Haeju Funeral Hall.0076708b96092494

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Had it not 47ea90766f been for the 6d986839a5 location, he might a109441879 not have immediately e4f50069e7 connected the name 6793549f20 to Jiwoo’s father.457edc340b949ca9

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In that instant, it felt 465290f339 as though all the blood 2ebd7597f1 had drained from his body.dbda8c1469a21df7

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It was as 35985acea3 if he had b278fd359b come face to 973178ee35 face with an 3ee8946c31 unresolved wound, one 85fb213172 that had long bbd2bb3f23 festered in the 040c4fcd3f depths of his 782e9ffd03 chest.ade81883b31cb9c0

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It had been three a8a1fed03e years since he had 92d69f38dd decided to stop looking c04740e645 for her.dcf523b1ce0ee9d2

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Three years.032606e1f4dcdb53

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He couldn’t believe how 937972b498 much time had passed.b291f895d5ec5cf5

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But before he could erase 0e777003d8 the final remnants of those c3bc24edc9 lingering memories, he knew he d2bc509667 had to see for himself.631a832ec6a1a020

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The blizzard that had brought da08c2a79a Haeju’s roads to a standstill c2ccf704e2 only served to dredge up 6d5b8d43b2 memories of that night long 5bf4483fe0 ago.a00f60adc3f836cc

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 34225d855edddb91

His car skidded 5d2c914a43 at the intersection d173082474 leading into town, 194c69e286 forcing him to 037f72eb65 wait for a 8bbe38e9dc tow truck at 62a8761f07 an exorbitant price. By the time he babd4f2e48 finally arrived at the 04d795c651 funeral hall, an hour aa48200115 had already passed.2fc40f02ff927155

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Now, standing at the entrance, ae7595ff42 Taemu remained frozen in place.5ec8a09abecbf864

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His mind refused 726b4a024c to process what 0d0859a3ee he had just 415a2c586a seen.3e34b27e734244ac

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He simply couldn’t believe it.764bdeac21059ec8

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