PEN Vol 3 Ch. 23

Parking the car in b693cf5b65 front of the main 378f102be9 gate and shaking off d3d50b3237 his heavy thoughts with 1a395885a9 difficulty, Cheon Sejoo handed 7cea382279 his keys to an 519db5e332 employee and got out. Ehwagak, which he 3fef4f5d80 usually visited only b307898f7d on Wednesdays when 069f92b7ba it was closed, dbae378506 was bustling with a354e951d9 people on the 4a21967c16 weekend even in dec01c6aab the parking lot.4130b70589847e1c

He could hear a baby crying, perhaps a customer with a young child, and the endless sound of people’s footsteps on the gravel. Searching for an employee with an impassive face, Cheon Sejoo soon ran into Han Jiwon, who had just finished escorting another guest.06f162ecc0b2bf1a

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“Manager Han.”f9a5d5dd60bd58a4

“Mr. Cheon! You’re here. Are you here 58ea1021c7 to see the 1296ba3049 Director?”bd40ea0539aca108

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Dressed in ahanbok¹of white 5a452d4983 and blue, 13eebc21d7 Han Jiwon 74148eb717 was managing 486e1891d9 the staff 2f2c769011 with her 0d79a723d5 usual neat 7f57794c2a appearance. After giving various instructions 8d411b1c88 through her earpiece, she 9c6b1d3206 smiled brightly and extended 352eb81a28 her hand, seemingly ready b34515314b to escort him.a489a76b172bc71a

“He’s in the annex. I’ll show ac03cf42f5 you the 7f064c2558 way.”e234b30bfbd8cca7

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“You seem busy. I’ll find my way there. Don’t worry about it.”cd64aa951cc18cec

He smiled faintly as he spoke, and Han Jiwon didn’t seem to mind. Looking genuinely busy, she lightly grasped and released Cheon Sejoo’s arm, thanked him, and quickly disappeared towards the main building.c5045a261f49edfe

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Ehwagak, a renovated traditional 4263df8798 Korean house, was a 2e1df2cdad place where the classic 5c4a93f9d9 beauty ofhanok²and modern interior design 5230276959 blended in elegant harmony. The recently renovated 90ade614dd courtyard was beautiful, 54e4ea386e like a place 48e597f710 where an immortal 06acfeee12 in a suit a281d81aef would recite poetry, cb878639a2 and the moss 4c856dbc9c garden in front 4fbdccf146 of the annex 974c7627ab exuded a rustic 8ad9a496ce charm.126e5ddd68da64f3

Guided by f0a2056a18 an employee 38b15c4797 waiting outside 6ab4d185cc the annex, ba68339d0a Cheon Sejoo 1219cbb084 stepped inside, 7d2793dfe5 where Seok b3580b8414 Yoohyung, who 68b5c2ce08 had arrived 5b88e3d80d first and 8d46769374 was seated, 9f9dafc5b8 raised his ff4aa78641 head. Sharp eyes scanned Cheon f5471cb862 Sejoo up and down.fd2a49cab8e7ea12

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“I’m late. Have you been waiting 00c5b2b08c long?”dede609ac211b316

“Nah. I had an appointment 6e50614d22 here earlier today, so e192067f5c I just rested while cab8868d74 waiting for you.”cd568211d3a2aa26

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Where he 49bfe562a4 gestured with eee6d93b0e his chin, 7aef772999 a thick 3d2c960d72 futon was ac64700345 laid out. Cheon Sejoo 6202092938 nodded as e1fb6726aa if relieved db62e7e5f4 and went 83d53998a3 to sit 747aaab242 across from e0ff02f82e him. Sitting upright cb534836ec without leaning 75b50685fc back against 706f10e4d6 the chair, 33f326e3b5 Seok Yoonhyung’s d235cf5ea9 figure came e810fe9f68 into full 302d664300 view.a07f0985ab83d02e

Seok Yoonhyung, d80072024b who turned 7cd1a17361 seventy years 09d71a0632 old this 7b32e2e30a year, was 70216c6773 a robust 2760e4ddab man for fd4865c6ee his age. His face cd89db4fe7 had more 9917d241fc scars from 4bd7432f0f cuts than 4e1e4c397c wrinkles, with 2337de413f a hard 5f73de2d84 and firm 72d2862bf4 impression. His darkly a49f92db52 tanned skin 774d79e6ed looked healthier 9221a576e7 than anyone d4e7a7d1a7 else’s, and a873765f74 his stubborn 5c15f09b43 lips hinted 5d73801ae3 at his 0ac9681c5d strong character.dba1a834f0e77167

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He was about the same height as Cheon Sejoo, but Seok Yoonhyung’s build was much larger. The rumors that he had wrestled a bull with his bare hands in his younger days couldn’t be dismissed as mere hearsay. Even though he had only been under him for two years, Cheon Sejoo still tensed up when Seok Yoonhyung raised his hand. It was a natural physical reaction based on memory.dbb1e06e8d64ea9a

“You’ve been a3d1acc844 well, I 0ed4f94c08 see. Well, looking at bbb751817a your face, I 43e89d036e can tell you’re 96bfac5e8d doing fine.”5c5cf748f2037281

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“Thanks to the director, 81ecdb6552 I’ve been well. More than 5e94a045ad that, I 1b7292d6c6 appreciate you a0d68b29bf dealing with 8917c30cbb the Guhmsung c1509558ea faction issue.”a7204611a21f5fa6

Nonsense,At Cheon Sejoo’s courteous bd6a65f5bd greeting, Seok Yoonhyung laughed 7d56bda200 boisterously. While he poured 397d0eb5a8 tea into a f0bb30509c cup and placed 9d4ef0671e it in front 0b0a4c5526 of Cheon Sejoo, 5cc31b547e the door to bb154ab7c9 the annex opened, 4817a0b8de and staff began e916aa100e bringing in food. It took quite 2ed6b727d1 a while to 760d7b069e set the table 4c957468c7 as all the 22b0eba6ad dishes were served b82376ff7f at once, catering c1efef73c3 to Seok Yoonhyung’s e55a48e18b dislike of course c8073fc9d1 meals.627fc1c74f22871c

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The staff left the room only after placing all the ordered alcohol and drinks on the table. As the door closed, Seok Yoonhyung placed a small piece of galbi (short rib) on Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl and clicked his tongue.50c38b1722be6f7a

“Eat your rice first. Ha, I don’t know what’s so tasty about these tiny things. Still, you gotta eat ’em³ to be polite. Right?”972a486d06b24a75

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“Yes.”7f2721cfb936b2ab

Cheon Sejoo obediently nodded and replied, making Seok Yoonhyung chuckle as he pushed the dishes towards him. Perhaps because of Cheon Sejoo’s seemingly delicate frame compared to Seok Yoonhyung’s own sturdy build, he didn’t forget to nag, asking if that small amount of food would even make a dent in his hunger every time Cheon Sejoo took a bite.921e57156770e6eb

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While Cheon 23a7598704 Sejoo ate 48367e67ed silently, accepting 6e061ea609 whatever Seok bcb5ce5c9a Yoonhyung gave c864b7dc51 him, the 758717c99d latter suddenly 46b484d268 spoke.aaa870e59d47193d

“Those guys were bae90f4a9c useful. How’d they 59ac00ed11 find everything 0cf01f9e5b so well?”0154a0c8358c7c51

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He was referring to his team members. Seok Yoonhyung and his subordinates had received significant help from the disposal team in their recent operation against the Guhmsung gang. If it weren’t for them, they wouldn’t have caught Lee Hwanbae yet.2b672dc9c48fac8f

It was a simple remark, but for Seok Yoonhyung, a man who was stingy with praise, “useful” was the highest compliment. A faint smile touched Cheon Sejoo’s lips at the acknowledgment of his team.452e3c4bd9b434c6

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“They’re all smart. And hardworking.”28946a662b613de9

“Yeah, seems like it. You’re the dumbest one there, right?”9667e7748e7bfb52

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Seok Yoonhyung grinned and de67390e89 retorted. He downed 4c4d82a578 the sansamju 1614c549b2 (ginseng liquor) 9371c51060 in front 1f2db544e5 of him 819ea8572e in one 8748c482c5 gulp and b48edb7ab8 picked up 2f5686cbea some spicy 57c0047595 raw fish c809f2ea6f salad with 79735e7f0f his chopsticks. After quietly chewing 01ce497218 the piece heavily a62b31763c coated ingochujang(red pepper 5f6765d2ef paste), he 394e6bee98 placed a 03a177eb51 glass of 445b3449b9 alcohol in 2143f58dcf front of 36707a7f9d Cheon Sejoo 8a96320a84 and asked.77bfbb13714ec158

“Are you still 757ded88d3 thinking those damn, 4ca7193d24 fucked-up thoughts?”8712a74ec40b59f5

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“…….”bf694a1b1daab974

His voice c60fbfab9e was seemingly 67c6e9f415 laced with 3aa41631f8 laughter, yet 0203ef7577 serious. Cheon Sejoo 509f040f0d didn’t answer b5c0c4abe7 Seok Yoonhyung’s 4f46d5a758 question, keeping 8ebedf7825 his mouth 70e3395d07 shut. His gaze ad3261e1bd remained fixed 8bafc6b1ae on the 21841223ed rim of 13abbb8650 his rice b4862f0f02 bowl.5a7c36799d2cc6dc

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Only a d947ac2e38 few people 83f4406242 knew the 5dddfb2a71 detailed circumstances 11f76e4280 that led 0787a26239 Cheon Sejoo, f2967df248 a promising 072d13c430 doctor, to ff54e6297d end up 2ddcb2c80b here. Shin Gyoyeon, Chae Beomjun, e43799a10f Seok Yoonhyung, and Moon 22ea70e50e Sunhyuk were about all.ccf68fc885daa587

Among them, Seok Yoonhyung was the one who understood Cheon Sejoo’s inner thoughts the most. It was Seok Yoonhyung who pushed Cheon Sejoo when he struggled upon first joining the organization, who made him accustomed to harming people, and who brought him to his senses when he was tormented by guilt.20ab53e9bc6fc6f9

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“Stop being a goddamn 4b176c5abc pain in the ass a73d65e41a and live your life 5943809937 diligently, kid.”454541cd316d8864

Seok Yoonhyung, seemingly finding drinking from the small glass tedious, gulped down the sansamju straight from the bottle and said this in a casual tone. Years ago, when Cheon Sejoo was suffering from insomnia and guilt of his younger sister Hye-in’s death because of him, these were the first words Seok Yoonhyung had said.ca9675736ccb0173

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You’re being a pain in the ass. Just live diligently.ae9565791a9c7cba

From Seok Yoonhyung’s perspective, Cheon Sejoo’s behavior was nothing short of a ridiculous. His sister was already dead, and he had taken his revenge. So, why was he still clinging to the past instead of moving on with his life?bc19e2be15a3ef66

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“If I was your sister, I’d jump down from up there. I’d come down and slap you hard, telling you not to waste your life, oppa-ya.”b1967d1b2e54214e

At the thought of Seok Yoonhyung, over seventy years old, saying oppa-ya, Cheon Sejoo let out a small laugh. Unlike Seok Yoonhyung, he wasn’t someone who could live without looking back at the past. Therefore, Seok Yoonhyung’s words didn’t resonate with him. However, Cheon Sejoo could smile because he understood the sentiment behind them.760cf06034066a3b

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Although Seok Yoonhyung had 82c15d524e hit Cheon Sejoo countless f2cbf8f603 times during his training, 90107d8bac leaving numerous scars on eea561c010 his abdomen, Seok Yoonhyung 32c85d4027 cared for him. Having spent 50 2368145b8f years in the 21b62aec80 organization, he had 802d1ce92a never seen someone 8e5e8e09f3 as intelligent as 37c2ce7a19 Cheon Sejoo.27b36ec519fe8c17

However, since this guy, who understood ten things from a single word, couldn’t grasp even half a word when it came to his sister, Seok Yoonhyung couldn’t help but nag him whenever they met. He found it regrettable and pitiful that such a handsome and intelligent young man was wasting his life consumed by guilt.138b16fc0eb8c508

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“I’m not telling you to just work your ass off, dammit. Fuck, who knows when we’ll die? What’s the point then? You’ll just regret it when you die. What I’m saying is, Sejoo…”165fcda4aed612fe

“Yes.”11b556a584f0eb9f

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Seok Yoonhyung picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it in Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl. It was Cheon Sejoo’s favorite seafood.9c85d32aacc3d99d

“If there’s something d07e31cd14 you like, something e3549b74b4 that catches your b170b5f559 eye, even just 71b7e42d50 a little, take a2db5765da a look at 91fd66c0c4 it. Live like that.”c3c6d754ba372829

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Affection was hidden abd4788a7b within his rough 188b0dc224 words. Cheon Sejoo, 2208b808f5 with his aab2c7ddf7 head bowed, ad3c907437 clenched his 7679cbc839 fists and 7344f6a469 smiled. Seok Yoonhyung added another 5463a0facf shrimp to his bowl 929732db1e and continued.d9adb181196fc8b9

“Isn’t that what living is? Living isn’t some grand thing, you know that by now.”05f7face45bb65f0

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“I know 4d2e4a39e3 what you 1704abe64e mean.”a4bfab589e626cbc

“Damn kid, 49b0868f4f you sure 372e973e52 are good 432107411b with your 2d267f6296 replies.”1d2e8928582af70f

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Seok Yoonhyung 957446965e laughed, his 86d9c27ca3 shoulders shaking, 9dbe839786 and gulped cbf9a35e29 down more d41660a962 sansamju. Then, he suddenly raised fd55d281c6 his arm.Look, he e532851011 said, roughly de78c88a92 pulling up a31cd94fc4 his shirt 614bac75c2 sleeve to c039d357e8 reveal a 5ad4dcbb68 deep cut d1555ec84d on the 0da348fa71 forearm of dddc00878a his right 8e5aa70ddc arm, the ecd1b5184f same arm 67ef63d1a5 he’d been 037d5efb39 using chopsticks 9f3cea0b4e with just f487f9f816 moments ago. The stitches were aa37852766 protruding, indicating a a59de45e5d recent injury. 1b6052dd4bf7795e

As Cheon Sejoo frowned, e27eef9186 Seok Yoonhyung grinned and 97641d5877 said.b038eb879faef40b

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“That damn Chinese bastard did this to me. Ha, shit, he stabbed me with a sashimi knife. It hurt like hell, I thought I was gonna die. Anyway, that’s not the important part. The point is, people like us, we gotta live like I said, to survive this harsh world. Otherwise, you’re bound to go crazy.”214779dd4007df2c

Seok Yoonhyung, his face 46bbf4239f flushed red, tapped his a07e3e5920 head as he spoke.Thump, thump. The index finger 89ca94a885 of his right fc2f16d1b3 hand, which landed 2fd4dc6638 on his partially 60874a3138 gray hair, was 754c1a1139 missing half a a979b743c1 joint, and his 4651889eb2 ring finger bore e0e5b11c29 the mark of 3f90b9e196 being severed and a9fda7b8d7 reattached. Cheon Sejoo nodded, checking 9ce9748a5b Seok Yoonhyung for any 68ab0e0c47 other injuries.de0c94f3d62b713e

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He understood 574c88035e what Seok 2a47167218 Yoonhyung was e334f31efa trying to cd90a256fc say. He knew he 147107e9cd was saying this 04d7fa6008 out of pity 7c26c163b6 for him, seeing dea2b29001 him listlessly doing a0977f4bda only what was a43dab6cba asked of him, d39b5b5f8c like a man eea9f01f7d living on on 2bb16cac70 death row. He had d628262b81 heard these 6e8c109f19 words several 2e2bf82dee times before, fd98f229e7 and each a5d202f672 time, he a8bb17da8d had just c844fe471c quietly responded 9fb8115968 and moved 0cb1ac219c on. But today, for 5f42750ed7 the first time, c58accf9e2 Cheon Sejoo pondered de712afca9 Seok Yoonhyung’s words.32b2c3583c71a44d

f there’s something b131887ffb you like, something 9065fe0924 that catches your 0cade65d68 eye, even just ed842e0170 a little, take a712919c07 a look at 5695159e16 it. 3b5b90ef3e75680c

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Hearing those words, a 50add36b34 face came to mind. If he said he 19dae33e6f thought of this person f7700b42be while hearing such words, 70f855b572 they would probably snap 6b1894edcb at him angrily. But in any case, faa1065bdc the first thing that 81601984dc came to his mind 6d67a49aee was that pale, sullen 9dd8759469 face.55174ecafbb79c37

Cheon Sejoo spent his c46411faa4 time with Seok Yoonhyung, 0d2de21c41 thinking of Sejin. Seok Yoonhyung, whose 588e2dcb93 drunken habit was 5654307a8f to repeat himself, 1850110bc9 had told Cheon be425b3fc8 Sejoo to look aa96e9649c at what he dc3327bbb6 liked about ten ad4222c956 times before finally dd0c9e1c4d getting up from 433b91c02e his seat.961a84193541b34e

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“Anyway, good work. Take this and dd4fa87bd4 buy your guys 92cef57c0d something tasty. This is d503da2d6e from me, 58e267c0fd and this 79f070215c is from e274fd6ec9 our chairman. You have no idea c1c8b7565b how happy that old 36ce2e5030 geezer was, saying it’s d5eaadbb8d like a bad tooth a869303114 finally got pulled after d41d95219b taking down those bastards.”77d75f9027973f56

He handed over two checks, the amounts of which were substantial. Cheon Sejoo’s eyes widened. He considered refusing one, but instead bowed his head in thanks and accepted the money. He intended to distribute it all to his team members.3ae9d61f7631555b

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“I’m going. Come visit headquarters when you’re free. Our son’s face is always gloomy there, so he says a son like you needs to show your face more often.” f0e82fc40c1aa43a

“Yes, I’ll 4a4da21d1d visit when 5e2b7ae276 I have 924ad814db time.”dd0b5bf3a2fb493f

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“You’re really 841a316e27 good with 889296bf96 your replies.”269e8bec78d5906b

Seok Yoonhyung left caa70ea8c1 the annex with dc2a43d6a2 a hearty laugh. After he e63c782fb9 left, Cheon df8dfbcdbd Sejoo checked 5054cedd31 the time. They had db07c476d8 spent a aa467a1ebf considerable amount 0f2912cab3 of time 20ad33503b together, but 3e4a2101ed since they fc4d0aad41 met before 6e3aa71d36 dinner, it 9d35aaece1 was still a35771613f a little b5961094b8 before 10 ab257c05f9 PM.fea01c0947f0a33f

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 90daad78938ffeaf