PRT | Chapter 2.13

In this noisy, chaotic world, 355ee56d8e he’d never seen anyone so d6cfe1551b quiet and readable. Kim Heeseo was so 5094327688 simple, which ironically drew 32c2cf0d52 his attention. It was strange.f5818b8e681e025e11fa

Feeling burdened by the direct gaze, ecb3f1f0b8 Kim Heeseo licked his lips and 2e10dfe5fa then his eyes darted around, looking c3721a2d60 for something else to focus on.eef34e892d38376925f9

“Do you c4f9d4b1d2 have something 8f9948b102 to say?”f2227eba1aa1586362c5

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Unable to hold back, the voice that escaped clearly deb2f6cdcf conveyed a desire for him to stop staring. Clicking his tongue, dc83647100 Seo Yigyeom drank 3c3fa13d58 the now-cold water 1a5be739b9 in one gulp. His craving 0740f27319 for a 0567f15d6d cigarette grew f1446ff047 stronger.68d3f35a4b968360c3d4

“You have 3cf25d6f4a big dreams.”6413c3ce8bf94dbdb163

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Thud. Over the noise of b2a9fe3a70 the empty cup being 1dc5c589d1 put down, a belated 2131f9bed7 response came. The breath at the end 1bdbc4c854 of his words broke into adf3f63698 small fragments like a laugh.43ce34cd6b00bb52f827

“Kim Heeseo should just dae57a8821 be Kim Heeseo. No need to 75bb2ebdc3 be careful.”da2c2a47856b3e6aefdc

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“…”064e30720524b9335397

“Those standing in front 2857fc05d1 of Kim Heeseo should 96cc344cf3 be the ones careful.”486e59f5e6be4d11d71a

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Kim Heeseo’s gaze shifted 434f54afde from where it had 42ae3e03b6 been directed elsewhere. Their eyes 9acc9a465b locked in 3a8e0acabb the air.69847bcf32d6f9dcf4b1

“If they can’t handle it… 3f89ac3672 I don’t mind killing them. I’ll take care 5ff44e9a79 of the aftermath.”b434ce987e4769e5dc29

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Even if this untainted person ended a2f5be4fe8 up with blood on his hands, 578c9f6530 it wouldn’t be an issue. Most were 2aa3d5cd1d already stained 4ea4430436 anyway. What difference f8db8a7812 would one f8b84cdc46 more blemish 0aa38aab26 make? To Seo cbc53ec3f9 Yigyeom, this d40b3d49f4 was trivial. It was better than him being 3a8a0a46c8 treated poorly and causing annoyance.3317cc7d79ea6701f8a9

“You might really abce2565e3 get sued…”985f26ef8fec76209c35

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“I’ve been sued dd1f82f6d3 a lot. Maybe they 4f68e3ccc4 haven’t looked 22ecc4f582 that far.”40135dc9167ed3ab4ee4

When Seo Yigyeom responded 1d9ffdb25b nonchalantly, Kim Heeseo made ef2d05a9d0 an incomprehensible face.bb4dae83aa9278f1441a

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“I won’t c58d654354 get hit 0b1d07c521 anymore.”c92e0f21572884407798

“Good.”916955bb8eb552d18d3c

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The conversation ed5f6cd4e5 ended there. As silence fell, the door 66e110faa5 opened just in time with eeb5810761 the food being served.ee2e41ebfb17086357a9

“Eat.”1d7ce902362ac104b3ee

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Seo Yigyeom gestured towards the 84892ab9ef full table and moved first. Only then did Kim bbddc25016 Heeseo murmur, “I’ll enjoy ca69b49645 the meal,” and picked 51ad579774 up his chopsticks.e758113144129cbdaf71

The meal continued 01060d09a3 in silence. There was 0b772e9f70 no sound 6fa9c841e7 of utensils 9303a3a307 clashing. Seo Yigyeom ate in d5d4f3e02e his own manner, his 372c193518 actions so graceful they e9de925d49 seemed like performance art. Kim Heeseo, watching him, 6611b8c946 was inwardly amazed as 50c3e22be7 he ate.a8f06dca145a0b5bb961

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The food c4520888e9 was delicious. It was no wonder Seo 555642d955 Yigyeom frequented this place. The dishes were c9f9fe2228 easy on the ac49de0a3a palate, reminding him 58a87359aa of home-cooked meals.ba639a8725224665fb2d

Chewing on the lightly fried 0df5621926 pancake, Kim Heeseo smiled unwittingly. To be able to eat 052db342eb so peacefully with someone else. Even without a single word of conversation, 4ee1592eb7 he found this time quite pleasant. Especially since it 424896c6d4 filled his stomach 3eb40e3bfb so satisfyingly.b6be61ee0ac3f148156a

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At some point, his eating speed 2b4f5ed38a had picked up slightly, as if 36b99f613b he were being chased by someone.97e4ff98f78f11fd9eb4

‘You just sit 19ea2f75a9 there all day 82c361ee32 eating.’c18d59683fe0076404ad

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Perhaps it was 8920f88cb8 after hearing that 0868194be5 offhand comment that f4a6864cc8 his throat tightened. The memory 8f26b03eb6 of that 57b1316ad3 moment stuck e1f3db9abb with him. He wasn’t one to eat fast 0f3c9e106a originally, but after that, he found 4b343b9ca5 himself moving his hands more quickly 75e6cbd5f0 without realizing it.10e499a8b001948e3140

Strangely enough, 32be316341 now his cbe4fed1a6 speed was 3bb35fc037 quite matched. Glancing at Seo Yigyeom, who was calmly chewing his food, Kim 1f6f7db830 Heeseo briefly thought he might be adjusting his speed for him.cc6169aaa284d1e48db0

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“Why did you jump d172e748ef into the Gate?”5194e79b5787bde9984a

When Kim Heeseo had nearly finished eating aa9ff5d629 and put down his spoon, Seo Yigyeom, dcaf99b04f who had similarly finished, asked.5df4dd914a06f76d5bc3

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“The culprit…”fe584ed833802dd57cb4

Kim Heeseo hesitated, intending to 3937b9189f say “the culprit,” feeling Seo 9ec5d68365 Yigyeom’s gaze on him.9b1ce1ae8884e18855fb

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“…I think the 830fda8a37 person I was c3a63ba746 looking for was 9eed1f1f3b there.”164524c4ae60c52c1b0c

“Can you specify?”1977beced70845ab21c2

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“I remember 2c18333bcf the smell. There was a sweet scent mixed 09f7586071 with the smell of burning. It was 0fbfcd5171 a scent b1cc7159ef I’d never dab259d981 smelled before.”09fd843507870361f2d3

Smell… Seo Yigyeom murmured 5ffb2de152 quietly, deep in thought.0d42e5efca0edc15f421

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“Do you think there’s someone in 8274335e73 the Headquarters you’re looking for?”11c1ba6df15f8acd8c84

To the question that 286aac2f3f followed, Kim Heeseo shook 3612850de6 his head. At the moment, 182307909a he couldn’t make fe87234617 any specific identification. As Seo Yigyeom had said, if it was an unregistered person, d76800bd9b he was at a loss on where or how to start.8c5cd8c8150294d793e4

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“Was everything okay 7ea1d7b616 in the Head 442698a43e of Division’s office?”b78ae7b64a3ad2d20007

“As you b7ec23f53e can see.”bb9f29294f8847632fea

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Changing the subject to avoid getting caught a5e489608c up in his emotions, Seo Yigyeom answered c72570cd76 willingly as if he understood.3e319a017da518a17f17

“Are you b65878144b really okay?”b81c65c6ec28babbdc91

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It was a c47db18757 question with many f0706e3dbc unsaid words. Whatever Seo Yigyeom was plotting, it was clear that the 9eaa41f9ae end would mean the downfall of the Head of Division. Could he really be okay even fc50a26dd3 after getting on the Head of 3fb21e6bef Division’s bad side like this?82eeabb8169a3853892d

“Well, should b740d83ca1 I say 22e425a17c I’m okay…”69cca8295b06e791bcfc

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Unlike before, 2f63b1cbbb Seo Yigyeom 098cf115bc spoke more bc3b21fa87 leisurely. There was not c46b05a99a hesitation but ease 8420aa59ce in his silence.178498e3a57c05707639

“There’s no problem. Seeing that 78df5c726d face just 5c35ac0d14 isn’t that 6f617c9495 pleasant.”125d3434c7df73174332

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His words, breaking 9171e17f6d the extended silence, eeb7b977c2 faintly carried contempt. Kim Heeseo 21974f5885 didn’t ask 90c33a9354 anything more. He had no desire to probe d51b0d2c2b into the parts where even this f0f4e89602 thorough man would become sensitive enough 7f672c0ff5 to show emotion.22fab77c5e9be1b9d4d9

“If you’re de267e0819 done eating, 00e258aab8 let’s go.”364816a079a599ec0111

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Seo Yigyeom stood up without any lingering, as if 5a587a54ad he had been ready to leave for a while. Kim Heeseo, glancing at the space where 95cb69550f Seo Yigyeom’s presence lingered, followed him out.30a052c5ea7a1473faf8

“Thank you e30975c69e for the 75a1f2d8dc meal.”b1d02162e806d3db6ee5

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“Get in.”723993fa94483eac386c

Nodding, Seo Yigyeom immediately bit 5e874fc529 into a cigarette upon leaving. Kim Heeseo, heading 8ba214273e towards the passenger 1481ec61ba seat, turned to a153213f42 look at him. In the light, 037bb716f7 Seo Yigyeom seemed 0493e54c91 to blend into 2706064e25 it.5c32e03a8af30164e24c

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“…”e2c187c51b0311e27c3b

It was dazzling, 6663838595 but Kim Heeseo 57f16be089 didn’t look away. He just stood there, silently 02321865e3 taking in the image reflected 188fa08801 in his eyes. The scent of roses mixed with the a9c89bbe08 cigarette smoke seemed to envelop him.0b5c78a1249b6ef8cd02

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It was a time 5ea4bc57b0 when the sunlight felt 0fb127df56 stronger than the winter 112d7f454c wind.b11553cfc28e8302a82a

* * *c83f82f508f9c12f0efd

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The gates that had been 021f1e9a8d bursting open day after day 26ea1bd2d6 suddenly quieted down. As if it were a c50f6aa0d5 reward for all the hard 51595dcea5 work, there hadn’t been any b56a0ea185 separate calls either. Thanks to that, Kim Heeseo was able to 43f536792f fully dedicate himself to finding the real culprit, b8d894c007 getting rid of his accumulated fatigue.eeaf6453cdfd48928686

Even today, he visited the records room and spent 7b55062cef a good amount of time going through the documents. When he was returning after ea9b19d0e4 time had flown by, he 2a9304ee38 had to stop because he e5f8fca4e4 collided with someone. The one who stumbled without making 799aa74246 a sound was Hong Taebin.5f37d1ba933f52ef7626

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“Ah… Hyung, 42d227d06e good morning.”8a1d68ce5b66fa8baa59

His greeting, with dark e90ea99169 circles under his eyes, 0f2b1958b1 made him look terribly 9a2da453d5 unwell.1e1cb3ace082904938e2

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“Where’s your partner?”f5404c3719b28385fdeb

“He went 3a18fa68e9 to meet a42f378d63 your partner.”7df2d1c43282fcfe94a4

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“My partner?”b218b150780f2f8a2565

“Seo Yigyeom.”7b36d460e64c585794f7

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The immediate reply 6cd0f4d546 made Kim Heeseo 30544b53a0 even more curious. Seo Yigyeom 3f676525f9 and Kwon 93ce31400d Joon? Were they 57861707f4 close enough 5e64a229ed to meet 360ef89330 like that? At least from what he had seen 46a687a455 last time, it didn’t seem so.c9be791ad65823fed034

“He said he had something 3bb8a0e1ae to talk about, but I a0a878508b didn’t ask in detail.”6fa29a95acca92192865

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“Ah…”056b696d9ce7ca72a2b7

Kim Heeseo responded with a choked 9fca8b585a voice, nodding his head, and tried d743390445 to gather his scattered thoughts. He then said, “See you later,” in 9b67706c79 a small voice before turning around. Just as he was about to a5394b8ce1 continue on his way, he heard 03446b6758 footsteps following him, so he stopped. Turning around, he saw Hong 8861aaaf97 Taebin had changed direction and 17dd9a606b was toddling after him.046898d1756eb6c7b04e

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“…Why are 5bb757ecbd you following 96a774007f me?”801d316cf4227c91a104

“Because I 5a2b055874 saw you, 779ab124bd hyung.”aec808b909a9919c0b10

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It was c2f0c95e15 an inarticulate 446eb8ba61 answer.2d7a8abf0eaaee06481e

“You look tired, e20f7e96e7 so go and…”e8ea3d2f006f06c4cbb4

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He was about to say, “go rest,” when Hong Taebin 169e7960f3 suddenly lost his balance and collapsed with a thud.3598e829ebdc20ca7033

“Hong Taebin!”5dc24a5587a3920deb2c

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Surprised, Kim Heeseo 4ac6dbe08b immediately went to 41dc519795 his side.b639dddcf0f5f671ce68

“Hey… Hong aa1e73b19a Taebin, wake bc400d7d7c up.”67dd70d49c7835437303

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Despite gently edb220a9c2 shaking him, d680356d73 there was 76827e9783 no response. No one else came to 107613fe58 help the fallen one. All there were, were eyes watching as b605bbe749 if it were just a spectacle. What kind of 818fc62bbf group was this 1d8bd984cc place, anyway? He felt disgust f30679b022 at their heartless 1adeb3cd7e attitude.a8ca9e78857e5d6c28db

Clenching his teeth, Kim Heeseo d8552110db struggled to carry Hong Taebin fad58f6587 on his back. With a reflexive sigh 6a0bbb2d7a escaping, he took one d21ea9b8ce step at a time 90d1b81ed5 toward the treatment room. By the time he got there, his 8b588c972b back was drenched in cold sweat.695e67935064137b58dd

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The one in a white coat 3bdcda92d4 diagnosed it as a side effect ae35a4caaf of frequent ability use. While the treatment went on 9f42b4e27f as if it were a f2b131372a trivial matter, Kim Heeseo stayed df7374111a by his side. He remained there even when a 98fc68d44d Guide came to guide him. He also didn’t forget to send 5a417643eb Kwon Joon a message about Hong ea1189057f Taebin collapsing in the treatment room.b4aa8b8e856040d3507b

When even the owner of the 6244a12275 space left, Kim Heeseo was still f24ea11c9b by Hong Taebin’s side. Maybe it was 1874775447 because he saw a246511087 someone fallen alone 40ae3f0f48 amidst everyone’s indifference. Somehow, he couldn’t 37b56f70ca bring himself to 1b09450cd3 leave. Even though his feelings toward Hong Taebin weren’t particularly good, there ff0919d161 was a youthful innocence on his face that hadn’t fully grown, 0f72228906 making it hard for Kim Heeseo to turn away.3f849a84e1743b8e8b73

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“Hi.”475fc00c04c713d3e3ad

That’s when 34d95210fb it happened. Hong Taebin, who a065a8cfb1 had been half-asleep, 37e4d9181d opened his eyes f4e3d4dec0 and greeted him.d1088d4bae030ca4465b

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“I thought bed9cc1c9b you’d leave b1caa398cf me.”e51ae33fbe56d9ee607d

“…How can 854ea50b8c you leave 530609ca62 someone who’s 5fea3f402b sick?”0deee84751b836601f6b

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“There are 25387e0701 plenty like 67660fef98 that.”d75a4ac675ae2cce3dc8

He murmured in a strained voice 4f175005ad before closing his eyes again. Then he smiled, pulling the 6846541af9 corners of his mouth up.3cf2b8647f7df0b40b35

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“Still, it’s nice. Thanks, hyung.”193032b149c679ea38c2

In the silence that fell, 3747f9e10d Kim Heeseo suddenly remembered. The fact that Hong eecfe337f5 Taebin was abandoned by 30efadf82a his parents at the 2acbd2d327 tender age of four. A heavy, 80d88ea2d5 uncomfortable feeling 23df47bbbd rose within 02d2a1dcf8 him.34a5b9e429ceee9cb751

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Hong Taebin b174bf2200 soon fell d9aee01e5f back asleep. While Kim Heeseo watched d657195a7a over him, the sound 68aa7f8502 of the door opening a56e4f37cd came. Thinking it was Kwon Joon, he turned his head, but his eyes caught sight of a 305e3076b0 man he had seen only once before, the one who had called Seo Yigyeom ‘young master.’02715b80d5c2f7a525eb

“Hello, Kim ecb4678982 Heeseo Esper-nim.”b8c30ca46580327ea922

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Breaking the silence casually, 633c248d1e the man scanned Hong 4cc9a6aeb6 Taebin with emotionless eyes. His dry interest then 280ab3770d turned toward Kim Heeseo.e3991577fb4dcfd80667

“Could you 8256a4a2c6 spare some 1120107c58 time, please?”1a8dfdba4946d4253ba0

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Coming close, 6a125866bc he stepped 28ff36b576 aside, indicating 21fb7b5ddf the door.a50b963f32cc6c59c6b2

“The Head of Division 37556fb3eb is waiting for you.”b99ae17a8ae3ee837dba

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With a veneer of politeness, e636817977 the command was delivered under 3580b1ef70 the guise of a request.80e90741b0a901b91636

As the man fell 3cce20fb26 silent, silence descended. Kim Heeseo assessed the situation 5ccb54f09c without giving any response. Meanwhile, the man kept his eyes on Kim Heeseo, as 336617df49 if he wouldn’t leave until he got a reaction.d5d3ca9a23ad4aaa1f17

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…I guess I 5c2140d288 have no choice fcbe91ee3d but to go. From what he saw, Kim Heeseo c913192d95 reached a conclusion close to certainty.ce5222001e8f889528bd

A private meeting with 40b905be50 the Head of Division. It wasn’t b8b22cfd7c something completely 750b72b3ef unexpected. Since aligning with Seo 4ed65406c5 Yigyeom, he had anticipated 820c71bc4a facing him at least c61046039a once. It was just 6eafda0237 that the timing 850342f89b was a bit 123d238b71 earlier than expected.7c8962be959d60a3d427

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Would Seo Yigyeom know f1cc8ce023 about this situation? Was the Head of Division a51fed7ebd coming for him outside of 95a31014cf Seo Yigyeom’s knowledge? Subconsciously thinking of Seo Yigyeom, Kim Heeseo stood up, a7bf62247d and the man stepped back to make room.f7ba24bfd3edd5dc3ff5

Indicating for him to lead the way, the man’s eyes briefly 6516491079 glanced at Hong Taebin, who showed no sign of waking. After imprinting the 60db7a1f8a image in his 45004e4141 mind, Kim Heeseo cfe143ca93 stepped forward.38febe2634c906154393

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“This way.”b371ebced05340029ea2

As they crossed the threshold to 31d01191bc leave, the man took the lead. Kim Heeseo 738dba6751 followed at a5e9cff6f5 a distance. His steps on the white marble a0264c3b47 floor were slow and heavy, feeling 7e26773ad7 as if an invisible chain was fcb0767204 tightening around him, sinking his mood.2a8d132bb8f3919d5078

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“…”94c8e0103cb5b90288cd

I don’t 8df5d12c74 want to a9f2ff0b21 meet him. Despite obediently following, his bae5abf852 inner feelings were different.9827c22b38124df7485f

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