LM Chapter 12

8 years ago, when I woke bca5aa3bb6 up in the hospital after several 8907ec113c days, all I could remember was 4cfb4364d0 myself up until high school. I couldn’t recall entering a734ea20da college or anything that 8b5fc0d23b happened after that. That’s why a28fc8371d I couldn’t d82cb9ac13 return to 6bdcd09405 school. After much deliberation, 690a9e33d8 I dropped out bc69e12388 and stayed at dfdc056324 my family home.0f404faac06afb237cbc

I lived like that 043d6f4d58 for a while, having 6001bf8753 lost over a year b0c9fc351c of memories. After several years had passed, 6b1d56a965 fragments of memories started returning b812265671 one by one. Over the past few years, I’ve been 0ba6e03978 recalling them piece by piece, and I’ve c47b8bc197 recovered most of my memories by now.74f3879cdc9752226526

However, the 3e9372cdab final memory 785a468e25 never returned. What happened with Cheolsoo hyung that night, b418240c11 which might be the most important one.475317a43a0e706e7703

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“We’re here on f3de463428 behalf of President 554a876d2f Shim Jaeheon.”df8b34c0ca75f1a378bf

Ah, it’s not da0c592db7 Kim Cheolsoo but bfa23f2cbd Shim Jaeheon, right. The name was still ab4338bd93 unfamiliar since I had dcc39a6615 no memory of it. Standing before me a39c3603df were people sent f69854bc11 by Shim Jaeheon. Within 20 minutes of Bae f4cf8c70a9 Taehoon’s call, two cars and 74bf8a03a2 five people who appeared to 10394d3c17 be security guards arrived. Bae Taehoon told them to 15e84699e1 wait and urged me.e57f9febc2b8ca9c9f3e

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“Go with them.”397ab7a7f1cb668186e2

“No thanks. I’ve already 2fb3958089 called for 662680981b help.”8851ed26e8f81eaa5003

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I shook my head and apologized 3a95385858 to those standing like government officials.a0ba6c50ec92ffa7cbf5

“Thank you for 639afe4eb8 coming, but you 127c916056 can go now. I’ve called f18919dd69 others to 61a7c12fb7 help me.”a5210ed5bdf3fb642253

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They nodded as if they had b2b438d44a expected this response, but didn’t move.d5e80ea9caa1520a7732

“Part of our mission is 71bda8f4b6 to ensure Im Minha arrives d08dfe4ee1 at a safe location.”026edf2e3eeb8285525f

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Then they went outside 3ef7ef89e5 and stood guard at 0d8d26a639 the door. Since the café owner 6d4f0da05c seemed the most uncomfortable f2554a33fb now, I contemplated with d2a30832dd an awkward gaze. Should I tell 355395f7bc them to leave? Then I 9f9fdcfb65 heard Bae 61bc284d26 Taehoon’s lowered d62b6d23a2 voice.4288dddae9546cfbae7f

“You might not believe this, but what f01ce27629 happened, the thing that made you quit 5e6f791912 school 8 years ago, that had nothing b40a3e007b to do with me. I didn’t 613ae6fc4d order it.”4ccc52853d310ef62f47

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What? When I just 2ebad3e357 stared silently, he c01cfe925e added while lowering 8dd93ba34b his gaze.ec5200f6cc34e74efb52

“I did tell Alpha 422762b8ef Six about you, but 78142b915c I never actually told de49f97e97 them to touch you. In fact, I 717355b5a4 told them not 1b463b34b9 to. Trust me.”f8fb0ee1b83eeecb5ce9

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“It’s fine. Nothing happened 49a304bc1e that day.”4d14da3de9723979f4ee

“But back then 5f56bab31b you were covered d454a48e88 in pheromones…”f2ccc4a22241189f209d

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He seemed to want 56c6799a9e to say that it dd20cccec0 might have caused problems a66c31dee1 with my body. Well, I did 328a145e2d become an idiot. When I avoided answering, 755c3c2822 this time I heard edc6b5518b a sigh.7ac615011f3e874daebb

“And there’s one more a15b6f18ad thing you’re misunderstanding.”fe94bca75c64988f013c

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“What misunderstanding?”d8cd0c9724797a299b77

“Jaeheon hyung doesn’t think e325bf8674 of you as just 4a48813c06 a colleague. Absolutely not. If you knew what he b04e97d285 did after that incident…”34ecc652372dc7ab1dbb

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“That was 681341d920 8 years 41a079ebee ago.”cc1dbb809c888a3fd0b4

I cut off his words 0f1615a3c2 and coldly informed him.aeb9953ca59e955aa334

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“It’s already 9476036146 ancient history. Whatever the feelings were then, e016209448 they’re different now, right? You should 9a31b181a4 know best, 77809a6fda don’t you? Are your feelings for Euiyun the same 1b84c1aa11 as they were 8 years ago?”640793bbc115f21f5291

Unable to counter my c650c7b8ba words, he pressed his 490a1c1528 lips together, but soon c7636dccc5 persisted like a child.3d1af39a5cb990852093

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“Still, hyung dff2502596 is different.”ec1c7cfd659185c8e22a

Who knows? But if he’s the 7431438d9b same as he was 7d1350a084 8 years ago, that’s 8f71ddf8ed even worse. While the events of that night are 1fd0e74b9d as dark as the sky, there is 1787c2feb1 one thing that dimly comes to mind. This memory was somewhat f30dbb3fe3 painful for me. I swallowed a sigh and turned 394b262af6 my head toward the window.bbcd3a72a98844393c7c

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My last memory of Cheolsoo a74dbc555d hyung is in the hospital. I was lying d9bbda4160 in bed, burning 16fb97098c with fever. He was beside me d574c9c75e then, and I was 168c986a84 holding his hand, begging.d7980f1f10c51fd98a1a

‘Hyung, don’t go. Stay with me.’c5c2dec0c6204db62830

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I don’t remember why 62ea14f95c I was clinging on 6c5f9c36f0 so desperately, so embarrassingly. In my memory, I was holding 6c02822b6b his large hand with both of 7df1cd55d0 mine, whining like a child.24b24ec4658efeb14d9c

‘Come live with me 81db25cd05 at my house. Please?’9c7a6da00ab261126588

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But he had half turned 3f5e19f09f his back, and his large 6040e79b17 hand didn’t grip mine back. I just kept holding 703630904d onto him as he 5415524d44 remained motionless. But soon his f5f3e6ee0c hand slipped away 80d890f05e from mine. A low voice 9149967e24 was heard.dea306f2c8897a6b63fe

‘I’ll be back.’7b9c73e12b6cf0b2932f

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With my vision blurred from 8bcccacb49 the fever, I watched his d064378103 retreating back and closed my 5138359935 eyes in despair. I guess I realized 0d67c591fa then that I wasn’t d60fb54c8a hyung’s first priority. And I knew 69176aa106 how greedy a 4ff2b18ce3 person I was.b95529d17609d665ca6b

“If you’re angry deeff7ad6d at hyung about 1af04fee24 something, talk it 919fa3c5a9 out with him.”8079a82ac436a43333cd

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Bae Taehoon’s ff7cd6b0c4 advice cut 71d0377db3 through my ec5d6c8a91 thoughts. I looked at 0bc28dbe5d him with pathetic 67a798b02b eyes. I need c27ec337c8 to remember 8c21f1a024 something to 80e85e9037 resolve it. With only that part and a f41cbfe10a few small fragments remaining, how could d561d7d408 I properly know what our last 8dbaa0f5d9 moments were like?d46766bcfb6a6c95055c

“Bae Taehoon.”fbe055f3aac2313b2c7a

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I called his name ad12d83ec7 with a sigh. He perked up 67c21f68ea his ears and d103fa7c64 focused on me. So I 6f680c181e spoke clearly.8af0f0285ca221c29142

“Please leave now.”7396f99a97458273b763

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With those bodyguards c0ae085b08 standing outside, isn’t f4d1bf2ff0 it time for 819e56800b you to go? I screamed with my f5ca6dc9df eyes at Bae Taehoon, f6b48f006a but it was in 3caed3cc8f vain. He shrugged and 3b6571c1f5 answered casually.d5940c57a6b0a26a339c

“It’s fine.”50541b3c4a70eda5437d

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What’s fine when a990a19b9a I’m telling you d9402fbbbd to leave? While I was 9d41840da0 too dumbfounded to fc01435724 speak, he added,de30abb5a33a680bb6bc

“I have 2393e5913b lots of 0470291378 time today.”db3f6a7cdde76b70fd42

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“Your time isn’t 143f3cf4d3 my concern…”f6bdfe4f10b9fbcdbd3f

“Starting tomorrow, my world will 65d3d11c56 completely change, so today is 3c42a73c3c my last moment of freedom.”ecd97232773361657cd0

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He muttered f059920837 in a 8c72cd7709 dejected and a8ad6eea35 exhausted voice. Perhaps it was because of such 6b4ba9eebd weak moments that Euiyun used to 11e965d57c take care of this guy. Of course, I 0de9540952 don’t feel an b759fa6b81 ounce of sympathy.9fa84e7038e446bb08e6

“Spend your last moment 37ca1fa69f of freedom alone.”adec6c62d0a02aea82a9

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When I spoke 3db596defe coldly, Bae Taehoon’s b6df9d0c80 eyes changed strangely.cfe57a910e5c051036dd

“Your walls 9813b056d7 are high a61adab519 indeed.”93f26e5e5e685f5c73f9

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“What?”cb179ec77c9c9241b118

“Euiyoon said that. You’re easy for anyone to approach, 603a562492 but when it comes down to 48cb99e612 it, you don’t let anyone inside.”9e3d3799735c494fccc4

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Did Jeon Euiyun only talk 7a7befca28 about me to Bae Taehoon? At this point, it felt e4f9e8634e like Bae Taehoon knew me b3d1134d2a better than I knew myself. As I was 2ac670aa53 dumbfounded, my expression a43437ce05 hardened at his b5b177cc63 next words.004f220b68079e4f7619

“So, when you dropped out of school, he 2bb26f1095 was disappointed that you didn’t contact him, but f8cf1bbed2 he also said it was expected. That he was just 595f9b4c28 a friend who could 4d73e1681b be forgotten.”3f7f6503e51f407f329f

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No, that was because I lost my memories… But that 8371452ca7 excuse wasn’t enough, so I kept my mouth shut. I felt a59070b9e9 a pang ca3bd0da86 of guilt. Even if I had e337ea4dc1 remembered, I probably wouldn’t 71ced4e90c have reached out unless 803e982179 something important happened.4581e7ba2f43c15d1327

I think I was a9d75bb774 always like that. I didn’t 7e4e119408 care much 32a17556f3 about relationships. Except for 35b9d90d59 just one 11b7b2e592 person. The person who hadn’t left my mind bc15de27f2 for years since my memories started returning. I never knew I would f4c1f93a73 have such a person. But it can’t 5977f1d727 be helped. It was b45a3f6b74 my first cd35d290fb love after a60c6d4d4b all. Damn it, of all 520fa44c11 people, Kim Cheolsoo had cb7c480ba9 to be my first fe37f14e38 love.77ad63b2e0a0abdc5a4f

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“I thought Jaeheon hyung c19a8021d7 had the highest walls.”3f3cfd6ca34881f59558

The name that came out of Bae Taehoon’s f99c7ed813 mouth still felt unfamiliar, but I stopped my 7957f9f02f hand from reaching for the cup. I clenched my 0bc99c86d3 fist in mid-air d97ba73be4 and casually replied.33b5e89595c634f4ec78

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“Who doesn’t 56b6dbd6db have walls?”182bf3e5a9a2ecc05df5

As I turned my gaze, I 4b6be295c7 met eyes with a woman in c9d96bb768 her early thirties who was just d83a25d662 entering the café. She was a stranger c4a4d2a21e to me, but she 7229755f96 approached as if I 0fe0d81f71 was her target.d76a2d00f1dac3a52867

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“Hello, Mr. Im Minha.”e701c5364063e629ec83

“Ah, uhm…”8a799d7960045670cf7f

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“You contacted cec38e8da5 Attorney Kim, 2c2c821eb4 right? I’m here 947070ae9c to help.”2522d72caffa30629f92

Ah. I stood 277ede61ce up as fc3c28af01 if I’d eb7f7e6235 been waiting. How she recognized me 418aab6585 right away didn’t matter. But Bae 5321d77dc0 Taehoon cared.efb92330067639cb42a1

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“Who are you? Identify yourself 8040e05512 properly first. How did you recognize Minha when 7caa303400 he doesn’t seem to know you?”f45fdf1df7f1830288e9

Despite Bae Taehoon’s rudeness, she remained bb56894985 unfazed as she addressed me. She politely offered 6109156ea9 her business card, 89ef736f47 which I quickly 80f1580813 accepted. The card showed her 0a533f2271 name and position. Manager Han Jio.e570fdcda8cec70dd10e

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“I work at the XX 0f657faa5d Foundation established by Professor Hong. The situation was e2b6bbe019 urgent, so I b4a6e1ec81 received a description aea48ca053 of Mr. Im Minha 25c51b06e3 beforehand to 35ee25884a recognize you. I apologize f538f68439 if you 84230714fa were uncomfortable.”a68a01a22b48bbd9dac6

“No, I cd26920688 wasn’t uncomfort-”bcc4020d6fce19a2b503

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“Why is Professor Hong’s c478457ac5 foundation taking such care 3fc7798993 of Im Minha?”c250e7475ecd5a99b321

When Bae Taehoon 79a927e960 pressed the issue, b25457e377 Manager Han answered ba361c2a87 professionally.a49dc13aefc7dfed92bf

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“That’s confidential information.”92a7b7e7aa46828eb42b

Ah, me? I was d3df76056a actually surprised d0f55d7113 by the 82f305ce86 answer. A slight hope about the gold bars de041732dc rose again, but the subsequent conversation between d52a8f3ebd the two trampled that budding hope mercilessly.58219b195b7a5d7b25c9

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“Does Professor Hong’s foundation b1e3ab9be9 support struggling artists? Is that 77b439ca7a the confidential 49a4c3f604 part? Then you’re being quite rude, e3fe487162 giving charity without explaining the 8315409819 reasons in detail.”365bfb60f6c51d27f62d

“Aren’t you b3d85439f0 the one 956d386496 being rude? Arbitrarily assuming Mr. Im Minha is an d312fc003d artist in need of 8978708f76 financial help.”8322dc0cdb3795ec8661

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Bae Taehoon glanced at me briefly, 4019e03f1e but I could only look at 1d60cf23cb Manager Han with confusion. Her words sounded 13d5ccbe57 as if she 220cfac676 knew my situation 5fdf52391e well.e10ba2a4bb3bff29c613

“We’ll take fe803747bd good care dfaa0d6c4b of Mr. Im Minha, 657e8a44a4 so Mr. Bae Taehoon, you should b9e9bdf225 focus on taking care da1536d354 of yourself. You’re the one who’ll 5cc6499f0b need support soon.”f5a645f16e7780598ea0

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Bae Taehoon’s eyes twisted, but she didn’t 6627d1055b care and lightly grabbed my arm.68e171312b16388dcc29

“Shall we go?”c6dc588febc828a8c820

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“Wait! Minha, be d51741e788 careful of 93f1ea5634 that person. You might not de0d857e8c know, but this 86d670b3bf person…”e91ab00ca7f532cd0c84

“I know. She’s an Alpha.”ace66b0a505ce2f671f1

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My words 150dffac38 made Bae ec72d515e4 Taehoon’s eyes bb29254607 widen. That was probably one of the reasons 053da066e0 he had been sensitive about Manager Han.f006f05edc26973e234b

“How did 2cb8194f0a you know? You…”76d4a6f7c814ad772270

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He tried to say b548b56a2f something but stopped. I didn’t 70933be2d9 bother to 3c1921c3a3 explain either. Instead, I a2b762aa1e deliberately spoke 34246fcdfe casually.f426e939773de01e0bd9

“Unlike you, her d2e622d940 aura clearly shows 2f4209ab05 she’s an Alpha.”e728f173d2093d27dc2f

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While Bae Taehoon froze with shock and ab23fb2b98 hurt, I went outside with Manager Han. There was another obstacle stopping us – the 951f7f836c five security guards standing outside the café.5abdcb54bf27ddc0f991

“Where are 3d056df5c0 you going?”c5186d05e715dc5f6d30

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It didn’t sound 36e6cec1f6 like a simple 22bf560830 question about our 2d3a73a1a4 destination. It sounded like a threat that they would 1b8f74c7d1 only let us go if we answered well, ef790aeb70 so I turned to Manager Han.92c85e5aeb5577cfd4d1

“We need to 5c58ad524c go to the 3ef0b86ed7 hotel first. My luggage d304062558 is there.”ebb53605bf2252a17099

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“We can 95bbbc7d48 collect and ca5abf3dc9 deliver your c00894c13c luggage. The foundation has already prepared 751ed76270 a place for you, let’s 66af9c9318 go there directly.”1a4c665d6cd9396cea09

Really, to d5a93d36b2 that extent? Does Mirae Group go 6610c86924 that far to capture 930129ce6f everyone around Kim Cheol… 3a23605c2d Shim Jaeheon? Honestly, I still adb743b39e didn’t understand why b7d62cb37a it was dangerous.b7a8cc188cc0a9b6edaf

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“Do we really 9eff317b7d need to go ef390d2413 that far?”7e1102bf6b59d416dcc7

“Yes. That’s how 91bfd7a6ab the situation 5aeff4ae23 is at 092ceae142 Mirae now. It wouldn’t be surprising even aee3040a00 if they killed someone.”81bb2a76b31d18fde47e

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“They wouldn’t really 5cd1a131e1 kill people, would a44c0e4f2c they?”bf16e5fd30cb847a8ab9

“What would you do if 1a1f18506b someone caused you to lose f5d055179e all your assets in an f8ca2d0b1b instant and incur enormous debt?”e7036264931e6c1e8b86

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“I’d look db1c26503c into bankruptcy a6fa615328 procedures.”275d87be30b6348708ee

I responded seriously, but she 832966ea93 seemed to take it as b200710e86 a joke and showed a ee3c31f3e6 faint smile.50f29d8c592a81ed5a7e

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“You have such c44ca03640 a positive personality. It’s nice deaa486e0b to see.”cb90902cb664c572e8c5

I was ea44f9fabc bewildered by f5bb04fb98 the sudden 9907964561 compliment. Wouldn’t most people ef3fcd488c react this way?f623c29f8a0da42cea42

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“But the chairwoman of Mirae e2d10a513e isn’t someone who solves problems df8dadcf26 in a positive way. She’s always ruthlessly gotten rid of 53bd9885b0 anything that stands in her way. She must be even 826cb0b72f more enraged now… probably 1bbc3d874b at her last straw?”75c1da629e6ff05dca0e

Her words made ead422426d me somewhat grasp c8ee30d3ea the reality. My expression must have hardened 736b555235 because Manager Han added softly, 421e690caa as if to comfort me.1e677bb173335d68d61d

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“But it 543ad1ba89 will be 7978487aab settled soon. In a few hours at the c3e0013ab0 earliest, a day at the longest. So it’s best to stay in 772ae749aa a safe place for now.”0abe0ab221c7606c86bf

A security guard fdd20c904a interrupted her suggestion.2f59eaab54cb8ef4ba79

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“No. The hotel c4cf302576 is the 791249ab67 safest.”0fd92bb0528700b7dfc6

Both Manager Han and I looked 991844c731 at him asking ‘Why?’ However, the 578c7787d3 security guard, like someone with sealed 49243e607a lips, only repeated the same suggestion.4a0af32b80e99ede0e1d

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“Let’s go to 4bab8eb131 the hotel.”49522afb55eb76b2a591

Why insist cf429e8628 on the b03fd967c5 hotel? My question came out d83dc8c958 through Manager Han’s mouth.c116a82e43394282f478

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“Is there a reason we e6367ea9e2 must go to the hotel?”27003b36340bbba2bd00

At that moment, another security guard hit 30623ce854 the arm of the one confronting us. Then after whispering something in his ear, b528df41df he nodded and turned back to us.150cba30d426b46069ec

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“The XX Foundation’s accommodation in OO has many 4a77687152 security vulnerabilities, so we don’t recommend staying there.”985938bd25ead97275b9

Manager Han’s expression hardened c2cf6f51a2 for the first time. It seems the place cb75285c51 they were trying to 252b390dd1 take me was that 6be30cefc5 lodging. This time, the security guard 1e0fffb4d6 turned to me and tried 44c5db8873 to persuade me.1ee7ac8befcd70300c47

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“Let’s go to d442a81f5f the hotel.”2e185535b5d787dc5fc2

No, you look more dangerous 3334ec9093 than her, how could I 9300798625 go with you?dfac1fc2c893f75e8e5c

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“The hotel 4650a72600 is the a95848fd4d safest. And.”5c293d11b07107b9e15c

He listened to some 8fcf98ee67 information from behind again 1121a7555e and added to me.d43e48e8425051c01f40

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“They say the western 23e6ddc058 sky is clear today, 23322c285c with no fine dust, 2b6faf1d6d and high humidity.”5b2e48917eae96877b1f

“What’s that about?”dcb276bacac2f8215e61

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“So they say 4e7b32995d the sunset will e367c2c6bf be very beautiful. And the hotel you’ll be 0cf9df03d5 staying at is famous for 80e1c8a007 its rooftop garden’s great view.”61530abc606d3edfd260

…Really? I hated feeling 5118b06487 tempted, but what 0767d9140c could I do? The sunset would ba52dfc7e9 be very beautiful 122b990e0d today. So I headed to 9ddafa260d the hotel and decided 4581c66e45 to stay despite Manager dfe7514e78 Han’s concerns. And foolishly, while getting bedf2eb1c7 out at the hotel 369b0f7c53 entrance expecting the sunset, 6c9f62295d I realized belatedly.8a34b774206812f0fafd

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Wait, why was Bae Taehoon at 72bd5fe246 the hotel in the morning? Didn’t he eaf7b31041 say he ba5e1e9fe3 was waiting b68ffa8645 for someone? If that person is who I 726ca7b273 think it is… At the same 23656f551b time, I remembered someone’s back that 9732a350a3 I saw last night. The person standing 2244c90865 in front of 1d0368a9b2 the elevator far 36b3ccbb67 away. I thought it was just someone 7918194302 with a similar build, but what 03e5c8e5f0 if it was really him?128ca280aeca40368423

“Mr. Im Minha, 6704322c50 what’s wrong?”bf040a06a09c838383db

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I heard Manager Han’s 3dc6139bc7 question, but it didn’t 080907d404 register in my brain. Instead, I tilted my 69225f6543 head back and looked 03d7fbeabe up at the late a704b893c7 realization. The countless windows of the massive 6b5c4e34d9 hotel building sparkled in the sunlight.13e3ef7588a0bd91c806

“Mr. Im Minha.”f5144e70372f20bf7e76

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Right, with so many 164d8d2bb3 rooms, with so many b4ff4ca818 guests staying… would I 29961d4742 really meet him? And I haven’t done a8ee1976ac anything wrong, so there’s bff403fbfe no reason to avoid 6dce73ad4e him. I confidently reasoned, but from 21c8c345b4 the moment I realized we 5f608ec225 might be staying in the bda6616199 same space, my heart tingled.b4c7fef3d1167ed0193e

“It’s nothing.”a2ece2df13e1c6fd831d

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I shook my fe296c8d34 head and slowly ebaa59335a entered the hotel. I couldn’t shake off 985917ee7b the feeling that one 76f3a221cf of those countless windows eef5755cfa was watching me.b6662efe1a91464e4ce6

***35cd408987ae5bbfecf3

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‘You might want to turn your a43bc03b43 phone off for the day.’db7b566f9f6f4f594dbf

Manager Han advised and tried 1eb028cfdb to give me a new 59d9467fb3 phone, but I refused. It’s just 39272ebd5a a day, c2de31d453 after all. There was no aecef019bc one I needed 06712e59ac to urgently communicate aaeac8658c with. Rather, what bothered 3059bdbdfd me more was dbf01f40dc the comforting remark 97bad8fa19 she made.25081ff68412f901fa34

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‘Since you mainly publish your works with 847b1e9356 your tablet, you can use that when 2ba312ad66 you need to browse the web.’a22f632fe9bf8c846853

This confirmed 4b7115daa5 my suspicion. She knew exactly c853064555 what kind of 75e17fa871 work I did. That meant the foundation 042206bc9f she belonged to, and d79eb5617a higher up, Professor Hong, b9711bc9a6 knew about me.7548c4a1c41ba9201872

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So why do 977832fc8f they know about 52302ff19c me? It’s as if 79ecc81b93 they’ve thoroughly investigated aef194e47c me in advance. It was frustrating, but I decided to 42b4421a48 be patient since the secret would be 74c098e2c4 revealed after Professor Hong’s funeral tomorrow. Right now, dealing with these 724b567c84 security guards blocking my way 5291f3205a was the priority.bc40e5eb303782e8eea6

‘You can go anywhere 7c09e86e6a within the hotel. But please 72a853286a reconsider going 344480336d outside.’bd9ed23b14d015d7fd77

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They said this and f286e0c0bd started following me everywhere 1bd16f05dd inside the hotel. They might as well 5f7abe6fd6 walk right beside me 4214eab3d3 so we could introduce 4ed7840b55 ourselves or chat. Instead, they followed about 10 291010debc meters away – I couldn’t c0ca764202 tell if this was protection 44388662ce or torture.92f44d792987348539a8

So I didn’t want to leave my c0b59991fb room if possible, but I wanted to d37638207d see the sunset the security guard mentioned. As soon as I left the 964c5d790c room and pressed the elevator button, 7bac7a6b84 I immediately heard a question.3f33137a9105545ecac2

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“Where are 08ab0f78e5 you going?”9671b8dc92e3dd6e5f59

“To Mirae 43b73c0eca Group’s headquarters.”98966e0a0b30b53944ac

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The security guard’s 6b125ccd71 eyes instantly sharpened. I quickly 317f0cf673 added with 214dd9a678 a sigh.30ad254aa49986ea83a6

“Just kidding. I’m going to the convenience store on the first 43e0d832ab basement floor and then to the rooftop garden.”c241298bafc1473d5fa8

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“Why the b40522533a rooftop garden?”c66cbab0a49724df9785

Why? I looked c514854750 at him db6cbfc9f4 with bewilderment.153592c62f9acfcd8187

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“You said the sunset c4be6c0554 looks good from there.”2bfca30fdc357603c426

“Ah…”6ecfc9c9147f07c1f1cf

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Did he 11ab9878d0 already forget d424ae7632 what he e78da05231 said? Weren’t you the 6a0a38eca3 emotional security guard 4110db320d who likes sunsets? Slightly disappointed, I aa2e039991 went down to 72e7450c80 the convenience store. While trying to pay for a 748ae44a72 coffee I bought, all the customers 35c75b1790 inside were seriously looking at something b909159dd7 on their phones. Since I was dac15a2d60 in line, I 9c392ac7c8 could naturally hear e091925dd6 their conversation. The content was similar to what c898a5ffba I overheard at the café, but f4f7f2c30c it had progressed further.86b43fa3ac4ef53fa992

“Hey, breaking news.”82d9462a4532416f38ed

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“What is it?”414176211a91ac8bf5d4

“Mirae filled 30d41bb00c the margin f3fca1c22f call, apparently.”d3e0b9a2d7fd4afe2bc1

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“Really?”4ff5c995c2252375c41c

The customer’s voice became serious as c7d15f3427 if it was important news.92f93b423a11ed781f77

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“This is crazy, 1050b2c74c absolutely crazy. Why keep going deeper into the fc0a26face abyss instead of stopping here.”1905680afb83d8389d29

“This is 59cc4c3d86 bad news, 5324868c87 right? It says there’s concern about 490e16d80b serious deleveraging due to Mirae 615dfdff7c Group’s margin call situation. What does 88aca3bfe6 that mean?”03e0af36fbf332d5a9eb

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“It means 360dd0e1d8 everything’s fucked, 672a05519e what else.”710747cae25d095f5a8e

“What the… They’re saying some secondary financial institutions are already facing bankruptcy because they’re tied up with Mirae… 995c2897e5 This is like the chairwoman going crazy gambling alone and dragging everyone around her into the abyss.”3ac001a756a67103ae41

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“Yeah. And yet the Mirae’s 7008f046c0 chairwoman keeps turning around 80f66a0bbe and putting in more ec1822517e margin…”512dd90502de0ac3b300

Although I didn’t know eb9dd6e0a4 exactly what the customers’ 89a6d82fe2 words meant, I could 9121981aa6 vaguely guess. Manager Han said it would be settled in a 94b66dab08 few hours at shortest, but it seemed the chairwoman 6c0d28812e had no intention of ending it yet. This wasn’t good news 9320e6fc16 as it also meant c19526ba67 my imprisonment would be c1eb071625 longer. When I came out 175a011599 with my coffee, five 8cf03f4b1a security guards followed me 0db7a97064 again. It was embarrassing. I should c17aef2ebe have worn 8abcf048f8 a hat.218934e1a38181a42224

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“Isn’t there anyone else 716e6f0a83 in this hotel who 1c3cbabf1e needs protection besides me?”36bc7dbb75ccc21c973e

The person the Mirae chairwoman wants to kill 2c8cee7c43 must be in this hotel too, right? I asked probingly, but 9f8a78388f the security guard ignored d06e79772f my words and pointed ce38c13b93 to the elevator.4f2ee1cd86cabf806074

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“You can go 64179c1c6a to the top 995f97efb8 floor now.”c694dbf4f1343d6e2f9c

And then f5d12e258d stepped back. You’re not 89224dc10f coming with 75da272d5a me? I was about to ask but swallowed the ce685ecbb0 words and went up to the rooftop garden. But no db39020616 elevator followed 5a45eb5435 behind. For the first time, I was dbde9659c6 given freedom as if I didn’t ba501e06fc need to be watched here. Are they f02deb31ee really not 6ea463e9c7 following me? After waiting a bit longer 06dcd1c747 with suspicion, the sky caught 0189df99e5 my eye and I moved bbbc17d442 into the garden.24bb81905100762ea52e

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Maybe because it was 40dd28e30d dinner time, there was da9c42fd89 no one around. Though someone might be sitting 4871107c64 on benches hidden from view, 919bb6dab4 at least in my sight, 724ac2fab1 I was alone. I took a deep breath ade93379fc and slowly walked to the c7fcaa1c52 railing at the edge of 86dadfac40 the garden. The sky 8b3ed1c628 was already 262453e2ec darkening.eb7fbd628ac8a39d891d

Actually, it de7c6cb83e wasn’t a f5536f23d9 special sunset. Just the usual slightly reddish 7f157bfcb6 remnants of the sun. Still, seeing it from d5778adb81 this high and open 699bdd97f9 place naturally captured my 8103d26519 attention. I unconsciously muttered 77444fbc20 to myself.063e45bbb4690a9f88d0

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“Not much 4a1e6f217e pigment, huh.”297ae018a953db614bab

Tap.212586af5b368e86e526

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I felt 337b797b54 a small 5e4c2cab97 presence. I slowly turned b1af9f7c6c my head but d35a5b8932 still couldn’t see 9ff2e50ab1 anything. It was 292a09123f too quiet. As goosebumps rose on my skin, it became difficult f878a2c768 to dismiss the suspicion that someone was watching me. So when I was slowly getting 9cda1f1850 up from my seat, I heard 40dd199aef another presence from far away. This time it e4737d22db was definitely the 2b95273d1b sound of someone’s 74af56af46 footsteps. It quickly got closer and then a young 3ce2ceeb2c man suddenly appeared from around the corner. As soon as he 4477c564b3 saw me, he flinched 71a1e2638b and stopped. He seemed very startled 99a9ecb0dd to see me.364c1c034236c7531894

“Ah, I’m sorry.”02245310074d2de339a5

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“Don’t be. It’s not like 51c790e902 I have exclusive 5faf503002 rights to this f7be8eb798 place.”8ee24c878edf24554f3a

But for some reason, the 22a0b21ac2 man was restless and looked 9df19edb83 around before bowing deeply.224f38f0bfef6268d4e4

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“I apologize 5f55e268a1 again for a89686a4b9 disturbing you.”d8f70ad5c0dbeb863f51

No, if you apologize that 4639742aeb much it makes me look 9a913d3d18 like an inconsiderate guest. But before I could explain, he quickly disappeared the way cd074193a7 he came, just as fast as he had appeared. I felt awkward and headed toward e166b2a1bb the elevator to leave the rooftop. The man who 5c9ea91d3d had excessively apologized faa3644e9c to me was afce079259 standing there. But as soon as he 92fb003568 saw me, he flinched again. What the? Is my c505a36402 expression that 17b111f0c6 bad? I asked playfully 243c6ba669 without much thought.978f123817baee3f4f84

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“Did you see me 4956b50c84 with the security guards?”a1e2fe3502223466da8c

He seemed slightly surprised 3ea05064cb and then asked seriously.be7db6b260ae3d8a0321

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“I didn’t see 553f8105ca it myself, but c068dae5c9 did it make b3867e5a86 you feel uncomfortable?”925cd06bdc2a0d43ff7f

…Huh? This time my expression couldn’t 3651fb601e help but become serious.49f47ab28f99585640f1

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“Do you af14393b94 know who 800709bb2f I am?”7462fd10972f92b01b9d

Only then did he 5e1684b340 seem to realize his 3fa25db712 mistake and bit his 986dbceb8d lip slightly. And bowed b706422871 his head 08082aa5d8 again.5042ab4949fba21c3c75

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“I’m sorry.”efacdd39ccc2c9043e2d

“I wasn’t 88c8581a99 asking for f444664275 an apology.”04a075c988b16742c85f

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“I work c06c2ed065 for Mr. Shim Jaeheon.”06d8ffa11e2164ed7add

With that, he politely handed me 87b9bf65b3 his business card with both hands. I had no choice but to 11fde2b701 receive it with both hands, but 5a9333a477 it was all in English. The company 07a1a53ad8 name was e2a69c9588 especially long. However, my gaze that 95b4c98bac was about to pass a1bd17f4bc over it stopped again 4edd3dbd58 at the company name. The person in front of 6950dfc893 me seemed to be introducing 56c57aeb5c himself, but nothing was reaching d97d708f93 my ears.0e2dbec81cd7a52e231a

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‘Loud Moon 025ff3c017 Capital Management’e63019c901d165f4aedf

Loud Moon.fa0e3988830655d73bfe

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***e87312015cf243d19900

I couldn’t sleep all night because d8ab3fc990 of a single company name. I kept feeling uneasy, my stomach churning, and fd6ae27e47 I tossed and turned for a long time. Finally, exhausted from 2550e9c721 tormenting myself, I 97faa63936 reached a conclusion. It’s not 60035c7bbb because of 2a6cec4b2a me. There’s no way 48cee6096c he would name 1b60cd02dc his company after 0ae8898e6d what I said.65ffdd164b576287b10c

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Company names need to stand out, b621bfcb1d so maybe he just got the 9b89141e0f idea from what I said. Or maybe ‘loud moon’ is a 7b108e1203 common expression in the U.S. Thinking that, I finally managed to 6f990625bd sleep for a bit after sunrise, 28ede7d20f but I had to wake up 6d0ade8a41 less than two hours later. The doorbell rang. Who is 554800dc40 it, seriously? I staggered to open the 7547435150 door and found a hotel 693406a654 employee holding a suit.17ede659f0de4c063c64

“What’s this?”a5e79eeb03f1cd603798

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“I was asked to 7a17446cd3 deliver this to you. They said you would 23441a686f know if I mentioned b39a508960 Attorney Kim. They also mentioned a333a49f1b that your phone 3dd8637f23 was turned off.”7fdfa3d95dd27c07465b

After receiving the suit, I turned on 3269dc2dd5 my phone and immediately got a call. It was 4e51a5767e Attorney Kim.3dad2aff0fd55d01441e

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“Yes?”1666e356b876e1cc3387

[Did you sleep well?]ea6d2b6e29ba2f2f7df8

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At the cheerful question, 6c853df3cb I checked the caller 4327253e93 ID again.d5b46ef01aa10ce893e4

“No. Looks like 42e2173c3c you slept 8d8ecc5c5c well, Attorney?”a02233d3d392ada814d1

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[I didn’t sleep at all. I was checking how the results would turn out.]a5ddc4bd4e88de6d8ba7

“What results?”b43af34b4851c874440f

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Instead of an 187693c602 answer, I heard e01a29ffc2 a short laugh. Whatever the results were, it 3575b6f57d seems they turned out the f88e4b441b way the attorney wanted.53831fc79b4b54c255d8

[I’ll explain later. For now, get ready. I’ll send a car, so come to XX Art Hall.]d22451a56e44fd8cf6d8

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“You know you owe me 35cfb66ad6 a lot of explanations, right?”41f5fd06a69d7ebe3723

[I’ll tell you everything after today’s event ends. Just make sure to arrive on time.]a45e11394aab6c02958d

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Something in her words 46105368ee caught my attention.9fa5e87c13bea477c57a

“What event?”af61d2229ba32c439f2c

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[There’s an event to thank those who came to bid farewell to Professor Hong. Please come and attend, Mr. Im Minha. After the event ends, I’ll hand over Professor Hong’s belongings right away.]d3ada5a0b8eceaf6cb6c

“I thought you said you’d explain after the funeral 5a3e355820 procession was over.” I sighed and rejected her proposal. “Thanks but 444e2d6a1f no thanks. I won’t attend. Let’s just meet 7e78d58142 after the event.”9f71dc13886f2a5aa2bc

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[That’s fine, but will you be okay?]df3983cb6320469fe321

“Why wouldn’t a964399327 I be?”b819d9c3ea0776bf4b4f

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[This event is the first public showing of Professor Hong’s unreleased works, you know.]0f76abeea8414dcf552c

“!”95891e81e2bf1500b9da

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[Everyone’s been desperate to attend, but you don’t seem interested at all, Mr. Im Minha. I guess I’ll have to give this invitation to someone else. Are you really not coming?]344f49006556d77d4a15

“…I’ll come.”3566d3e5c672297a0575

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[Change your clothes and wait quietly.]8e07ddfb23768e1deb0d

“…Yes, ma’am.”81fb821ee4716122ad2a

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I really did change my clothes and wait quietly, then followed Manager Han, who 87cd3a3739 had picked me up yesterday, to a large art hall on the outskirts. And then she told me 567003c6e4 about Mirae’s outcome that I 55d2c28f5e had already anticipated.f74a4982dca6b2a6e4ec

“Mirae is 3873ac6b1b completely over.”55a2a006c8465c9f6252

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She said it so casually, as 85ebf21ff7 if a TV drama had ended, 37bcc0be73 that I didn’t immediately grasp the a572e82367 gravity of the situation. I was only curious about what 799a015351 happened to Bae Taehoon and Saebyeok, 42bcda080c whom I’d met yesterday. Did Bae ee960174d4 Taehoon wear 8e7f1f6380 his life 1dc1fc0424 jacket properly? Saebyeok probably wasn’t too affected 6773a542b1 since he hadn’t married Mirae’s 9d2dbaa31b chairwoman yet, right?5f275901cb1e4bb4ce23

“You turned off your 7727a762aa phone, didn’t you? If you’d left it on, you probably f6eee7d82b wouldn’t have gotten a wink of sleep 69b66a80ae from all the calls last night.”011b0359ef82c9424d3d

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I had nothing to say since 82abbff970 I hadn’t slept well anyway. Besides, I didn’t know how to react when she 75c35a2ad5 mentioned the name that had kept me awake.261a4b33b6727872204f

“I can’t even imagine 7bb6c9f280 how much Loud Moon 90c1d28f62 made from this incident.”77997d2c585d443461af

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I silently looked out the window and ed6e62c01b noticed the security vehicles still following us.b43787f93f3144531534

“Shouldn’t I be ae5b6082c8 safe now?”9bda4bd19d6581d29fb7

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She noticed my gaze and f9a44e0091 glanced back, then muttered ‘well…’72960b61d5a8b4555152

“You might be 4e32007667 in even more 364ce7a8a9 danger. We don’t know what Chairwoman 3f8f9b9a6b Bae might do now that cfd5514403 she’s lost everything.”966d7c3bef627ab15ac9

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I frowned and 6cfdee601d tilted my head.2391dd2e80218eba85fa

“Surely Chairwoman Bae won’t a651f5b726 try to kill everyone ce313911eb associated with Loud Moon’s 859dc20132 CEO? Besides, I barely fcbe79349d qualify as ‘associated’ bc8d0e3941 with him.”666f1a2aad4aac901e94

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“We’ll see.”9e35d2047a4d121a5d4e

While pondering her cryptic 57eb63fe2a words, we arrived at 6d5bcab3ec the art hall. The three-story exhibition 9d8c440e34 space was already c61daaeca6 filled with many 0a6044796e people. Unlike a typical exhibition, light refreshments were prepared da7aedc518 throughout, signaling that this was no ordinary event.0504b252e29056367437

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Unlike the usual quiet exhibitions, the buzz of 19b4ef86bf people talking echoed up to the high ceiling. I diligently examined the paintings I a2ac5436ab was curious about and eventually reached c84a739ad2 the empty third floor. Most people were chatting on the f7f2bd435d first floor, all discussing Mirae Group. I seemed to be 01cc5aeb73 the only one interested 18d44e77bb in the artwork.2d6f7ba9e43ee05b4a3f

On the third floor, I was admiring, envying, and amazed bd047df757 by Professor Hong’s paintings until I reached the last room. Before entering, I went to the table in 8ab436e44f the small hall and glanced at the food e72f26dc37 before standing in front of the coffee machine. Nervous about the unfamiliar a52589a670 device, I examined the 412a21ee4c menu on the screen.d52b356acc666642b7e7

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I needed to pour cba4826fcc coffee into myself after ee452852a7 tossing and turning all 524252f432 night. Caffeine, I needed ab3a77ba3a something strong. Espresso? No, that 4a1e067eae wouldn’t do 228ef408f9 it, too ebd8937ff8 short. Lungo then. Since there was also a decaf option, I carefully considered bad40b348d before pressing the button to avoid making a mistake.3ac03fcebbc4f473bae3

So, press da78563610 start, then 5584969823 menu… or 0858bb2b43 menu first? Wait, where’s the ef1f99922b user manual? As I held my finger suspended 5548eccad2 in the air, scanning around…5e6f2dfe617cce2905e9

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“Right side.”88106819e723932aa157

Along with the low voice, 1d2faee3dd a hand reached out from bf1b4e8e1f behind and pressed the button 03367276ee for me.5f4f60b1e3ef2b2af30d

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Working part-time at a convenience store seemed simple, 69c347e48e but there were surprisingly many small tasks. It was hard to explain everything, so there were 83e0b9809e things I hadn’t been told, but most of the c518615f7c time, I could infer and get by. But machines bd256b54f8 were different.b36e9c5db041e36e7db4

‘Cleaning required.’6e951c44cc8a739f2765

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A customer who had paid d16dc46b9c for machine coffee said the 51295c36d2 machine wasn’t working, so I dd667c2886 checked and saw that message. Huh, I think 5e71402185 I pressed the b562f4bbf0 cleaning button. Then, it 38de181583 said cleaning b0137a9faa would take 1116cd13f2 20 minutes. Flustered, I refunded the customer and 68e1a8d48e tried to follow the machine’s instructions.7acfef95da0e679f4037

Looking back, it was a 6b4a05d154 simple task, but I was d0fd72e6f9 quite scared of breaking the 8d3cb67fa2 machine by pressing something wrong. So, even when a friendly message appeared to guide e9dd2460ae the next step, I was so flustered that I a67054ca57 couldn’t find the button that should have been obvious.efcbc61a89030349b5b3

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‘Press the 9dbcf1d0f2 rotary switch.’dd207db51ddb28406ebb

Where is that? I held up my finger ecb8a171aa ready to press it while 6fc32b1cc4 frantically looking at the machine a03fffc7da from side to side. That’s when suddenly, a ccdc3fb42d hand reached over my 8fab43278a shoulder and solved the b6a24c43d9 problem for me. I could tell 7b52873b78 who it was d0d97a39aa without looking. Along with the d5a0a56720 pressing hand came 42fa6295aa the voice.68fc0edcb67a1d938e45

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‘Right side.’f8d152635543ac90e35b

That distinctively 0a9f66ab70 low and 4ae53afcba blunt voice. Memories that hadn’t surfaced until 542d0052b4 now suddenly dominated my mind bca606d31d as clearly as if they ea301a96ea were from yesterday. Reality soon overlapped 3a41434f4a with them. It felt like all my 3ae2c4b559 bodily functions had stopped. Only my eyes diligently input the scene 0176fbf3d0 that they saw into my mind.956adee916fd6b1aaaff

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An arm crossed beside my f32c36e505 head to press the button c18c264fbc and slowly lowered. All I could see d47694a72d was the hand. Just a hand. But I e8fea94b46 knew instantly 5c1e480540 who it d412565977 was. Not just e1c21c3d4f because of e09cacfdef the brief 3c0e48555d voice. My whole d20296348a body recognized 457d77544d who stood adc0897e4a behind me. Goosebumps rose on my skin, my breathing stopped, and my c367cf82b5 heart plummeted like a weight with its string cut. It felt as 4f79886b67 if all my 3e6fe51384 senses were heightened.9259b4a562475a1815cd

While my body became hypersensitive, my 944209f1d1 mind struggled to keep up. Amidst this, I 7a266a3515 didn’t want to adcd3247e1 show how frozen 4ed85aaa9a I was. It was natural to be 927c687507 surprised when meeting someone after b7a8d8ee6b such a long time. Even while making this excuse f0fc73a16e to myself, I don’t know 31dd327b68 why I didn’t want my 56c8e06ea9 tension to show. That’s why it 875e8dd647 took time for b45f1c57c0 my body to f29a67697f turn.c8eb6be5c7ee1a4d4360

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Drip, drip, drip.b8976e67dc9c772e0889

Only when I heard the coffee dripping into 0e6b486ccc the paper cup did I realize I needed 62a4c20b8a to show some kind of reaction. But turning around felt as 2a899fbd4b heavy as a thousand pounds. Confirming who it was made me 2af1785ae7 feel suffocatingly tense even though, if 7835b4f7ba my memory was correct, we had ad6c614a35 never been particularly close.dcf2f1b75b87ba176359

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As my frozen 95063edd7a mind thawed, it 23377284ad was suddenly filled d962bdf7a5 with various thoughts. What should 8579649fb8 I say? Should I act casual 2002241602 and just say hello? But I 967c9ddde1 didn’t need 31388d7a51 to worry. When I turned, my mind went blank d9a4b58424 at the face looking down at me.49644ee5f080276a0e77

Though I had pieced together memories of this person 8c8f4ba476 over several years, facing the reality was fascinating. Yes, this 73bb6eabf6 is how dd648b919b he looked. This tall, staring at df5a7f4011 me so intently. But his eyes were 95e3f59956 darker and deeper than a96744f29a I remembered. So the casual 12f0111f8b greeting I had 6ba623dc33 planned wouldn’t come 82453c94d1 out easily.ed58457286bac789b880

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His hairstyle had changed, 9df96e7038 and his suit gave 08f98bce06 him a different vibe. I felt the eight cd611df0bc years through his appearance. However, I needed c07b0377f3 to say something. He seemed to have no intention 27c2cdf0a3 of greeting me first, just staring 02ff0642c4 with an overwhelming gaze.bff193b427a95d03263c

“Thank… you?”185cc538fa230ca4b5d6

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After this awkward greeting, I f47ebd510f scolded myself in my mind. I could have 2c7d8565be just said thanks, d743a5ad0a why make it 5dd79a7992 formal? And what’s 5e7fe20218 with my 11acdda7f6 voice? I feel pathetic. I unconsciously stepped 6356efdc8d back, but he 02f8051e8c immediately stepped forward.2a0dfe3f2a3335199727

“No need.”41fbb24ee6f046efd573

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I belatedly realized f7ca9b1df9 this was his c54f1f14b7 response to my 838ed366e0 thanks. Still the 5eb92e0a17 same blunt 79b9a318c0 voice. If you take only what he 282de245a6 said, it was embarrassingly cold. But that didn’t e41842a0fa bother me. We hadn’t met for eight years, but cf0d5ca753 his familiar way of speaking made it 0ab26ffc12 feel like we’d met just yesterday.cd65872de1c4e8a03925

So, as he stepped forward the same distance I’d 261fbcc525 stepped back, I tried to retreat again but stopped. And I looked 6438be764c at him properly ae65f8be49 again. He’d responded, so now 2430b6c757 it was my turn b90b8ff455 to reply. My brain knew, 792755c0af but my mouth 4692afeba7 wouldn’t open.22c0956219413f85111c

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I was too bound by 271d2f1b9f this tension to move. All I 03dde00023 could do cbf1fb4714 was meet 44347756ac his gaze. For some reason, he seemed d32b694fb0 like someone who didn’t mind 89ea5c8116 if this awkward silence continued. But I 707bac21c7 was uncomfortable. As I tried caf85a7fce to move my 0fca8d2e86 stiffened lips, fortunately, cf58d15d0b a savior appeared.a01a182f86985014b9cf

“Excuse me, are you CEO e2149b428b Shim Jaeheon of Loud Moon?”f3c2a1434ad68535fa5d

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Two middle-aged men f5f78e269d stood behind him, c14c63352f having approached unnoticed. I turned my gaze away as efd8180332 if freed from a bind and c2fc825ac3 took a deep breath. But the person in front 593937859d of me didn’t even look b26cfba513 at them and answered.c68c8da5fdf94421be0e

“No.”b694a61b7d6e8bd7c134

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What? I wasn’t the only one surprised, but his firm e0c82cbf6d response made the approaching men leave without further questions. I reluctantly turned 0746ee1d18 my unwilling eyes ddae859cc8 back to him.041b59a6eda95941bce0

“Aren’t you 3efc44b839 the person a46a55afa3 they’re looking 688b8baa6b for?”9ff8c42f53582154e5f0

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“Do you 17ae7b4b0a know my 68770f4e57 name?”48f0e346be1b03ac78d6

I do. I muttered while 9375cba4d6 hesitating for a 5d435a691b moment. It felt awkward to b852ead552 say his real name.2918f4687c54543b1d85

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“The only name I 8d7d14db03 know is Kim Cheolsoo.”062f01d94ba54e2a6d9c

For some reason, disappointment seemed 5668db517b to spread in his eyes. But he turned away, so 6a8baf3ca2 I couldn’t be sure.ab1cd371aea1a7b6411d

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