PRT | Chapter 3.2

Kim Heeseo tried to protest, but it was useless. Despite having driven alone for so long, Seo Yigyeom’s handsome face remained unchanged, only adding to his languid aura.1be10dc045f3c49c

He really doesn’t have a single flaw, does he? Kim Heeseo thought to himself, brushing his cheek and glancing at Seo Yigyeom. Their eyes met squarely as he turned his gaze back.76059e8ea9e6ecd9

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“Why.”f96a4b5cd7911da2

His voice was so low it could sound indifferent, almost like a whisper in Kim Heeseo’s ear. Kim Heeseo flinched, his eyes rolling. ‘Am I not reacting normally?’ he realized, yet he couldn’t control his actions.684261e13841c879

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“Why?”e978a6f9fc5c4079

Despite being utterly flustered, he tried to act like he wasn’t, asking back. Seo Yigyeom smirked, pulling up one corner of his mouth.38800046a6392395

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“I was wondering why you were peeking at me like a little mouse.”507d0d6f2abc33fe

“I wasn’t peeking.”2c72750a9df4b019

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“Always quick with your tongue. Can you take responsibility for what you say?”745f89aedb4039ec

“…I was just worried because you seemed tired from driving, but you look so good that I couldn’t help but look for a moment…”14ae8b59e015c5c2

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Kim Heeseo, trying to brush it off, ended up mumbling the truth under Seo Yigyeom’s pressure.a45f7241f71d403a

“So, it’s my fault?”6d86039dd4339cb6

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A scoffing sound escaped from between Seo Yigyeom’s lips.d8e03858432f00e9

“Should I say this is a fast recovery…?”b7d65d23d798b304

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“…”284d87cf9a920db1

“Well, it’s better than you digging your own grave. Less irritating.”5f67ce3c9a4a0039

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Seo Yigyeom, 69028138b4 speaking slowly, 0ba30c6053 tilted his 2086ed9cd6 neck from 14929ca402 side to 724995e269 side. He seemed f6fe3e3181 stiff from c1a13e85ea being in 94bf3099d1 the same c4bb27d911 position for a51643e065 so long, 92904e226f and he 520343aef8 was in 9188e91f65 a suit 23c3482650 and dress ee93d8ffa7 shoes. Kim Heeseo, glancing at 9ebf0820c5 his own attire, unnecessarily 6d55e0cff4 adjusted his clothes.f627c33bec30be12

Fortunately, the long 19aae47810 journey was nearing 93f31025e3 its end. Leaving the city, they 0a183df640 arrived at a remote de8b81cd31 mountain lodge. It was so secluded 2ae44cad49 that no one could 955e24249d enter without a vehicle.ea2d142fb1c04743

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Seo Yigyeom 80b483cbc1 got out 0a74ad83f2 of the 2d858534da car as 996ca0e00c soon as c43d19a973 he parked 107b7ae184 it in 5c68b6e304 the yard, 72de7a8b5d almost like 2e82a34647 he had 54b9704eef slammed it cd59601b22 there, though 9259aacc1e he didn’t 2abf2d1d62 care. Amazed by b0e9bb5fab the smooth cc0074d52f yet nonchalant 42200c3d5f parking, Kim 18047b89d5 Heeseo quickly ed96a7a162 followed.ff8716a1c47694c5

Outside, it 71332adfb1 was bitterly 4b39410485 cold, a 05d626ac4d testament to 11c23e147e being in 0d466584dc the mountains 28609ace61 in winter. Even though 2a5e79ad15 the snow 2bbc7bdf86 had lessened, 342be62527 the air b1f4e8ae45 brushing against 887bf2feb3 his cheeks eb439ac855 was cold 306cf4aea7 and sharp. Kim Heeseo huddled c0a0954e9a next to Seo 6776571db3 Yigyeom, who was 689b171f7a lighting a cigarette, 35790eb523 scanning the surroundings.d2d88c49f718d997

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This place, with its 296330bb8a snow-covered cabins, was clearly 98069501cf in the middle of 79c94078e7 nowhere. Behind the three e893608cdb log cabins was 8a7ad0e7e0 nothing but dense 33e55b1a0e forest, like a 2adac6d4a6 perfect, hidden fortress bdd23839ba even in broad ddfbd3d8dc daylight.6df051c0a9898698

“…”84ce86766dfa12a9

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The only car in the yard was Seo Yigyeom’s. As Kim Heeseo pondered the situation, his expression subtly hardened. While staring at the darkened house, an old man with white hair appeared.80678aba3c6e82d1

“Who might you be?”803e7b09c62063f1

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“I’d like to ask you a few questions.”0de8e95ecf81c35a

Seo Yigyeom, 07a89f878d exhaling smoke, 95fa772961 shifted his 42477607b2 cigarette to 6ddda76ad0 his other 799d27e62a hand. With one a983e63c1b hand in 894c89ab66 his pocket, 4709dc2ae2 his posture fed7800a81 seemed arrogant, 56b5caece8 yet his 4f6b8df633 tone was ecd7d0be78 polite.defbc09a4ff38407

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“About this tall, staying long-term here alone, do you know which room he’s in?”c5535a671d3c4e58

“Ah, that Seoul-speaking fellow… His room is at the end there, but he went out last night and hasn’t returned yet. Who are you to him? Friends?”673e3862c64453cb

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“Something like that. Do you have any spare rooms?”a3d0b2bbb597c84d

“Follow me.”6b46e8cb9e8def73

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With his fists cf29f738b3 clenched, Kim Heeseo 81a6fbb7e4 silently followed Seo a6dcaa902b Yigyeom. The old 4cb630478c man led 9dc6e86d0d them to 73a0aecc46 a separate aff7314d3e cabin opposite ea8a9206ae where the 4d5f342b59 potential culprit 8140c95978 might be 7747cac7c6 staying. Opening an unlocked door, 5b703e4fd2 he personally lit the fb6d6ac325 light. The inside 2760458f6b was just 146ee02e89 as cold 44ba50173d as outside.b949f3c9e1921267

“Why would young gentlemen like you come all the way out here?”82e248d56471c851

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“Just happened to be in the area.”88bb2155c05de960

“That’s bland. Once the fire’s going, it’ll warm up soon, so just wait a bit.”4b626ef2de49e4f0

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“About that man, was there anything particularly noticeable about him?”1be500ab3a6cfe7e

“I wouldn’t know. What would an old man like me know?”cd1bc41e825354a4

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When Seo Yigyeom asked as the old man was leaving, he laughed heartily and shook his head. Then, as he stepped outside, he stopped, saying, “Ah, right,” and turned back.1835657343145bdb

“Don’t smoke in the room. That gentleman burnt his bedding with cigarettes.”64dcb1e0a2484e3a

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The old man left after these parting words, closing the door behind him. Alone in the space, Kim Heeseo mulled over what the old man had said. The burnt marks. He was certain it wasn’t from cigarettes but from an ability.4cd0a652b412785d

“…Should we wait here?”07734a02ee0e0701

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“Follow me.”1d254e4b9bbb3422

After seeming to 35e5aa767b think for a ebc6eef932 moment, Seo Yigyeom deb3a72a97 turned and went de54d88642 outside. Kim Heeseo 1e61ab500c hurried after 54f03c6412 him to 8e0d8b6127 the room faebb149c7 where the 395225ac99 man was 9a49d818ed supposed to 4a666435e0 be staying. Without hesitation, 679e09cfba Seo Yigyeom 7e1a1e0e58 put his 6ece63696d hand on bf57c70d63 the doorknob.5012524889c1ffad

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“Huh, not locked… it’s open.”a7503f1e8d7c593f

Surprisingly, the door a1f0a0ab5b opened easily. Seo Yigyeom bed224ab1f stepped inside, 8523632e11 still wearing 6b71b199c8 his shoes. The room 83439a5c98 was quite 74bb9c4194 different from 8a5cdabbca theirs, filled e71a21f8f1 with a 11796ba3a0 musty, unpleasant 3f7d0f7466 smell. Trash was scattered, and 12ffcebf2b there was a subtle 3bbd47b9d6 scent of burnt something 5ce90b8faa in the air, far 76fc00d09e from normal. Strangely, though, 1eba54b3d0 there was 917e7b9e17 no eerie 3dede621af feeling.d9952e98af3170c3

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“It’s not like they let loose some beast here.”459b0bfa72cf87a4

Clicking his tongue e3a56b9dc3 with dissatisfaction, Seo f863a6ebeb Yigyeom muttered. His eyes scanning aa3b5aaaef the room turned 615571b8f6 murky, as if b2e34eee67 he, too, had b71dfb1608 noticed something. There were clear signs 1f434d2d3c of someone having stayed d0bee39e8f there, but no belongings 406b04ef2a were left.597a71e0eef48d34

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“Let’s get out. This place feels contaminating.”2c713a033ddff575

Thud, after closing 657ecf9b69 the door, they 4d74a9b9ab stepped outside to 51eb724fc4 find the snow c23a84e9d0 falling even heavier 4cc0658268 than before. Going back 44cdad352d to Seoul e098ef50f6 seemed unlikely 39210aa3ba now. As Kim Heeseo d870c7f9f9 stood there, pondering 52cbdde5f3 the next move, ee0bb26120 a gust of ba8e4163bd cold wind hit 7fc05a211a him.25db5c27c1a40a5a

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Sniffling from the direct hit of the wind, Kim Heeseo caught Seo Yigyeom’s gaze. He scanned Kim Heeseo’s now reddened cheeks with an annoyed look, then put his cigarette back in the pack and turned away. As he walked through the snow, his figure was the only one with color amidst the white.2ecf26f6cd0f618e

“…”7f97fd296c142561

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Large footprints were 18976a9fb4 evenly imprinted. Kim Heeseo followed these 0e9fd5eb40 tracks, the sound of 02d4766ba0 crunching snow echoing. Yet, the b436828b3b silence remained.87acab84658893cd

The room was now warmer than before. Kim Heeseo placed his shoes neatly next to Seo Yigyeom’s polished shoes and entered. Seo Yigyeom was leaning back on the sofa, his neck tilted back, eyes closed, either calming his fatigue or sorting his thoughts. Kim Heeseo sat down at a slight distance from him.cb3decfdcb85e205

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“Did we miss him?”4d62af5898107332

Through the sound 7417d3bfbe of snow accumulating 00065afc97 and melting, a 07835ba0d4 low question resonated. Seo Yigyeom b9c99712d6 slowly opened a289871fd0 his eyes, f81f04966b looking at 56fc436041 Kim Heeseo. Just as he 96aa5500cc was about to 6fb2d59309 speak, his phone 3a4fe4a71d rang.83f65c44de95d5e6

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“Yes. Nothing but trash was left. What about the other side? Well, keep looking just in case.”0a583d09c88a178b

Listening to Seo Yigyeom’s call, Kim Heeseo thought. The man who had been here left last night, and perhaps he wasn’t the one he was looking for.13912d92c8d1b170

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When he encountered 0106e70e03 the real culprit 2f47480edf before, it sent 0f378aa987 chills down his 64f5d8bfa5 spine, the horrific 603ec1f6ee smell shaking his 859f04c172 mind instantly, but cd1b2a989f not here. His intuition 551e26cffe told him.c6f297adbbb361d5

“He’s not here.”7645a59167463c19

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Kim Heeseo spoke the ddd881914c moment Seo Yigyeom hung d7b2fa3e5e up, his voice firm d89060c8da and without hesitation.fed7a07562eda6bd

“Yeah.”bbadd1654fb0ed49

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That was all 76284d7311 the response he c64cda278e got. Seo Yigyeom 88bc6fdfd1 chuckled briefly, e076e32ac2 then gestured fb3ff52c80 toward the f8ccfe1036 room with 44f4dafad0 his chin.d952407669af4617

“Go inside and rest. We can’t move until the snow stops.”ce41e09f61f16bf6

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“What about Guide-nim?”c618c724425e27c6

“Don’t act like a dog chasing after its master.”d085da6560accc1d

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Seo Yigyeom ae6dd5082d got up, 355e73cbc9 sneering at b42bd0df6e Kim Heeseo, b2abb19cf2 who was 4ee010da31 looking up fb5ea32e3b at him, c74629277b and headed a592a6d181 towards the b45b16db7f entrance with a73e8c3ad8 a cigarette 89c0d9fc5f in hand. Would it 03736c7c65 hurt to 8934faf808 be a 94313e6127 bit kinder? Watching where 771de7f272 Seo Yigyeom bf7c19737d had gone, e8cb89e35a Kim Heeseo a64c756754 soon moved 4e914641be to the 63adc09f0e inner room, ff36cae57b pulling out b4c67cbd02 two thick 8a6043e35f blankets before ea8cebe817 lying down.3a0c17b5d5108823

The room, lit 848c19592f only by dim 22d49b6559 light, was quiet. Even though Seo Yigyeom 647555eab4 was just beyond the 05fe3becbb wall, Kim Heeseo felt 28e5e1eb4c oddly isolated. Blinking slowly, he d5e63b9e55 pulled the blanket efed1688f7 over his head. Was it because he 4f220367d7 was so tired? His eyes felt 4fdfebd596 itchy behind closed 686c33cd25 lids.7847281219e38f69

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“…”4151c1830b7c0b99

It was dfb51621ca quick to e34859bb9e cut the 8b27041a9a moment off. Escaping reality, he 6cc09c054a let go of 64b65417e9 consciousness.c435230fc1618feb

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Even after Kim Heeseo fell asleep, the snow didn’t stop. The white snowballs quickly piled up, covering the ground. The cabin, standing tall under the white blanket, looked like both a fortress and a grave.dc80ece09bb0b58e

Buried in 8086ff9837 this solitary d2d36f05fc cabin was 44c5ac77a4 a hope 772873380e that had f00221cb34 sprouted only 8ab6187317 to wither 5ae6c242ae away, another 001459c793 fragile wound 3dfa4c6eb0 that Kim 1498295a21 Heeseo had 56760075b5 peeled off 761d8c882e and buried.7442ea354d32f333

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* * *66538d447138891f

The blanket that had been gently rising and falling suddenly twitched. Soon, the sound of fabric rustling filled the room. Kim Heeseo, who had been buried in the blankets, let out a small groan, “Ugh,” and opened his eyes. As the blanket was pulled away, his delicate face was revealed.819ee01f3105eea3

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“…”fff9f405de25ce64

Heeseo, trying to shake 1514ca6904 off the grogginess, blinked a38a09adfa his eyes and furrowed cd829b6250 his brows. A sharp faba8e8fb6 pain, like 27386b79f7 needles pricking 539c957342 his brain, 26a827a601 scrambled through 00cc6409b5 his head. Had he slept cb657265e3 for too long? The surroundings 396fa40a53 were so c842a3e7ab dark it 10f175b6ae was hard 8807ca2820 to tell 1a5a62b42e the time. Heeseo scanned the b4a516adf6 area just by df5738604f moving his eyes 158a7bbdf3 and checked his 3edb875c51 phone, then suddenly 2158d32ebd sat up.ba2084c8ae90c676

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“Am I crazy?”d0b3eefc08b6491b

His eyes widened in shock; the time on the phone was five in the afternoon. Since he had gone to bed early in the morning, he had essentially slept through half a day. Here he was, sleeping so peacefully. It was absurd to the point of being ridiculous. He wondered what Seo Yigyeom might think of him… The thought of the person beyond the door made him feel embarrassed.4fd9af1c68edb0df

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“Ah, shit…”49843c70131bf35d

Biting his lip, 63b06ca322 Heeseo quickly got 4ceb5d0890 up and tidied e78f7e2102 the bed. He folded it 402e71db00 roughly and placed ae6ad3afbf it in a 48bbf7e72e corner, then stepped 2659aca6c2 into the living 3862d20937 room, which was 11791c20b0 dark. Looking out 16b2154d7b the window, c06250a363 outside was 2e9af3ff21 pitch black fbf5313190 too. With the weather being d1ad86317d gloomy and surrounded by 464b18ec65 mountains, it seemed the f0f67b96e2 sun set early here. It might as 4a703f7be9 well have been f2bb33fa33 full night.3e4d9bad748bdc98

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Heeseo quietly moved, his 7c1746174c bare white feet making 0bf9adb5fd a creaking sound on a5c649d9cb the floor. His head snapped up b37e8b710a as if he had de2e6d004c been caught doing something 40d1717a83 wrong.68053ae541f80cf4

At the end of his gaze, there was Seo Yigyeom sitting on the sofa. With one leg stretched out and crossed over the table, he didn’t react to the noise. He was just drinking beer from somewhere.5eac1d5f9d107fff

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Heeseo’s eyes fell to the open collar of Seo Yigyeom’s shirt. His Adam’s apple moved. Feeling an inexplicable thirst, Heeseo was about to bite his lip when Seo Yigyeom, setting down the can, looked at him.64d7e9bcd2acf3ce

“Kids are supposed to sleep a lot, they say…”d1447cddd77b78ca

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His voice trailed off. He didn’t seem drunk, but he looked more relaxed than usual.9a476d14c82c048b

“Did you go out?”6f88783a41bda19e

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“No. The service here is great, isn’t it?”a86defae3ffae07f

Seo Yigyeom pointed outside 9e1e1d139a with a smirk, shaking bb577229a4 the beer can.9e941d169462e5f4

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“I bought this.”753a99781bd889ed

One corner 15609fb241 of the fd2962bd29 table was 190382cc5f piled with 5df4d3560b various snacks. They looked ffe7054c30 like items f6dd9fca84 the lonely 902148af51 resident here 16f83a647c would have. Heeseo could immediately e7f690d656 understand why the 10b5ede4a2 person they were 7ed17590d6 chasing would choose 0a50efb37e to stay here. The owner had c258567217 silently accepted guests f1fd26e1c0 arriving at dawn. Just by 42f2cd7c19 offering food, 04a24eddcb you could 20899e26ea tell he 8bc8cd4bfa was a 2366aa73f3 good person.62cfa19f2d28dc3e

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“Eat up. He left these for us.”699072596ff19aa9

The white-haired old man seemed concerned that his guests had come empty-handed. Heeseo rubbed his neck and sat down beside Seo Yigyeom. Seeing the food made his stomach churn. He realized he hadn’t eaten all day.bf7d3401c2d88028

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“You’ll get a stomachache if you drink on an empty stomach.”785b24526dd7e1d9

“I’ll come back to eat some yukgaejang if I die young.”55656eb3d9835ea7

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