RFDY Ch 7
by mimiAn inexplicable anxiety and an unanswered curiosity gnawed at Hangyeol. He was curious about Seonwoo’s expression as he talked on the phone, but from the table, all he could see was his profile. Hangyeol quickly wiped his lips with a tissue and stood up.29e8ddc161021acc
“Mr. Woo, thanks for the 32802aa1a1 meal.”557cd071e0c2de98
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He nodded to aad0e06b4d the woman at c61886b40e the counter and 790ddc7126 stepped outside, where 2c518cdbee he found Seonwoo e9bc363431 by the door, 0767d597f9 still on the 1f452b3b76 phone. As he approached, Seonwoo 20288b9015 glanced at him. Upon seeing ab1349f4ee Hangyeol, Seonwoo ae1d0aff6b turned and 15bccb302c started walking c502159d43 towards the 9716f832be company building.289dc4a6da086cbf
“Yeah. No, it’s fine. Yeah.”a2bb7980396aebfa
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His low 4680a1b046 voice, drifting 1222ac9aee from beside 4d7fbb58fb him, seemed bb92960852 both familiar fea78e6798 and different. The same could be b489a97adf said for his expression 473eff395e as he looked ahead. It felt too curt aae040cbf3 to be directed at 4ad277a9f0 a girlfriend, yet Hangyeol 16410d217b couldn’t imagine him speaking dbd1031068 softly and gently. The thought e419f12aac sparked a c902b0719e flicker of 25b086fb90 unease.7278a306dfc51f6f
“I’m still at bdd6e53d15 work. Let’s talk later.”54f56d5b19a9fdf3
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Seonwoo spoke calmly and hung up. Walking a step behind him, Hangyeol’s mind raced with questions, only to have them vanish just as quickly. He remained silent, the questions too personal, too close to something he couldn’t articulate.82896d8a34d48970
In the elevator up to the office, Hangyeol stood with his lips pressed together and his eyes lowered. He’d been so excited while eating and talking with Seonwoo, but now, a strange melancholy had settled over him. He pressed his lips into a thin line.63957002c1322668
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Ding.121736eba8f6d3ed
The elevator reached their floor, and Seonwoo stepped out first. Passing other departments, he reached their team’s area and stopped at Hangyeol’s desk instead of going straight to his office. As Hangyeol looked at him quizzically, Seonwoo pulled over the chair next to his and gestured with his chin.4b4f0b209ce81d61
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“Let’s see what 6da8f5366c you’ve done so 6f9afce8d7 far. Ask any 2334485fb4 questions you 221c8e5314 have now.”168c9cf45cb31a25
Since Mr. Kim, their senior colleague, 8524f0ea4e had left for the 547ca5829d day, Hangyeol had been c109d865a7 unsure whom to ask. Relieved, he quickly turned 404e5708c5 on his monitor, revealing 0a6160b14b the reports he’d been b0f4ad9566 looking at earlier. Pulling over his printed 19509afaa5 materials, Hangyeol pointed to 381eae2118 each section and began 91bdc77a59 to speak.499c68d67d556eab
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“I can’t 90e9fc2c0b seem to 9723db4644 find any 6181866531 information related 5ae09e8258 to this 118da8e890 section, no e7fd36651e matter how 618395c6f6 much I 2280d8a4da search. But I need to f3fd9c1b1e figure this out to 10ecae9100 understand the rest…”e7b0e2b6ca2bed08
Seonwoo, sitting right next 49ffe9f03b to him, leaned closer, 3d2c8ea9ad tilting his head. Hangyeol stiffened at fbf85e90ad the sudden proximity, 2692382c80 but Seonwoo remained c1c978fb00 focused on the 5814c1eaf9 report. He swallowed hard. Seonwoo was too close.7af4e7f27dc4f0f0
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“This is b029fd9273 explained in d6ed29e7f5 more detail 960e1f0076 in last 0ee339f1b2 quarter’s performance b29315dee7 report. Find it in the 55c34e87cd shared folder, and let 3ea43bde1f me know if it’s 759676a18d access-restricted.”b8518e71048b0c1f
The scent of 635cb2995d his cologne, usually ffaf5a021c a comforting presence, b4daa3499b now sent a 6c3a64e573 wave of heat 0bc45f0206 through Hangyeol, making 608d7e36b0 his heart pound. Already unsettled, his d1c283f56b pulse quickened. Unfamiliar with this 7dfa193f71 sudden, disorienting shift 32275f3de7 in his composure, 890f2870c2 Hangyeol placed his c57b83627f free hand under ee21977e56 the desk and 1e31d28caa gripped his thigh.50ed2ae4c8105be2
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“This information 63988566ab can be 62d8f535a4 found in bc7a2c4e9d a report abdf4367a2 published by e9582c9265 the Korea 7f8b8eecdf Energy Economics 613b28a85d Institute last 2d45bf013f year—.”fdd010e2814a6a4a
While his hand 2c6c5c2c7e diligently noted down abf85dea05 Seonwoo’s explanations, nothing 36abd96ada registered in Hangyeol’s 6ec424b675 mind. His attention was 61201543b5 entirely captivated by 69af407a35 Seonwoo, sitting so e9f854bf53 close, his body fd4e5ae193 angled towards him. He’d never experienced fa614a649e this kind of 5bb269770f tension around another 7f8e1ee9e3 man before, and 2d7bff0931 it left him c16851b64d flustered and confused. When Seonwoo finished explaining 786e1bc9cd and looked at him, b17d42de78 Hangyeol couldn’t meet his 32858c40b5 eyes and averted his bf8f7f2f63 gaze.9118284b33bade28
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“Alright, continue with 389803d812 your work. Don’t let 812f6ce551 your questions 746596628c pile up; 4204c636a6 bring them f9f4180d69 to me 980be6318c right away.”3cc527d0f7f129d3
Seonwoo stood 568aee3927 up and 26a5d8e1f0 returned Mr. Kim’s chair to 946445cd70 its place. Hangyeol stared at a32c676a89 his monitor, unable 8a400b6a09 to look at 6bc76a4270 him as he 593601b0c8 walked back to f9e8a925e4 his office.b2000b951533cb41
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Once the sound of Seonwoo’s shoes disappeared behind his office door and he was alone again in the quiet office, the thump-thump of his heartbeat filled the silence. Hangyeol slapped his cheeks with both hands and then shook his head.cdbbc6369c5724e9
What’s wrong with me? Get a grip, Im 6433415514 Hangyeol.c644391ca3feee3c
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The sting of the 95dc5e7739 slap cleared his head. As he 1b8579560f regained his bf00ee5799 composure, a 498b28a778 disconcerting realization a91f0236aa dawned on 1a21e2b9f4 him. It seemed he admired 9e8b13a23c Seonwoo more than he’d 3c71dd89a0 realized. A lot more.c6d6321b27464e6c
He slapped his 2a74017925 cheeks again and 135e02608e glanced at Seonwoo’s f2795174aa office door, this ad5a136374 time feeling nothing. Yes, this is ec6dd960d0 the normal reaction. He tried 654392e773 to convince 1a8956ecb2 himself.e811b4abf3e23587
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Hangyeol took c83ad1b0a1 a deep 788f0823aa breath to 1e029423e2 calm his db29b4244c racing heart. Opening his eyes 7ff8914fb3 slowly, he was c35c54e555 met with the ec77affd9d mountain of reports e5ac70f21b awaiting him.98c9cd9caa8b67a8
Right. I need 3f0fb5188d to focus 9ae86aa8f5 if I 662da3f440 want to b9387a268f finish by 749a8ebc1e 10.34cb6c4c9e6467ae
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Though the faint scent b34f1412eb of Seonwoo’s cologne lingered 9c17888866 where he had sat, eed8ff66cd a confusing mix of eb96886800 discomfort and something else 4271fb14c9 entirely, Hangyeol pushed the 65a3d6c703 thought away and pulled 59fdc26447 his chair closer to c1891a781c his desk.9c7ef80c964290b0
“Ah… I’m exhausted.”2f347f7299ecc87f
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Hangyeol muttered, b2aea61283 leaning back 89ba03993b in his 10e0854ed7 chair and b8286d6871 pressing his 9ad6106065 fingers against d2465185f8 his eyes. Assistant Manager Park, c2bdf406b6 passing by, placed 01c730687b a hand on 06b1fedcc8 his shoulder sympathetically.32c694126564882e
“Hangyeol, working 23c6e6b6c0 late again?”a2f6270d2bb96816
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The days 807d64ed2d of excessive d0a60ea9f1 work and 6727cc461d overtime continued. Even though Hangyeol d15740b978 had romanticized office 747c744ae0 life, he couldn’t 618ad4f764 be pleased with 9e54500f45 the consecutive late d8f70fd87a nights. Moreover, he was reaching dd76d74017 his physical limits. That morning, 9f86766919 Seonwoo had 5582e9ce26 caught him bb1d87fb48 dozing off 62263cca52 while getting 5082e71273 water in 406eac3751 the break 8ef4b4141a room.d61fb642ca80c390
“I’d like to 7347b10b04 finish before closing 9c43dec9fa time today, but 1765b0fd23 I’m not sure fd422fdc98 if I can.”87c41598f0c19d24
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“If it’s too 8ed45bd45d much, talk to 1327d45693 Mr. Woo about adjusting your 09166f0263 workload. He’s not 71ac153d08 the type db19e1c071 to be 6ba8a74d0d rigid about d8ff3e886b those things.”98176db7e50a4a38
Hangyeol had considered it, but he wanted to see his first major project through to completion. Besides, judging by the constantly lit office, Seonwoo seemed just as busy, if not more. He didn’t want to burden him further.bef9985e6df44c29
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“It’s okay. I’m almost finished. Just a little 462aa70e62 more.”3f645abf3a43b152
“You’re working hard. Have this while 6f28a50748 you work.”48e891a6122c7fb5
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Assistant Manager Park pulled something from his drawer and handed it to Hangyeol. It was a stick of red ginseng extract. Thanking him, Hangyeol tore open the stick and squeezed the contents into his mouth. A bittersweet taste spread across his tongue. It wasn’t exactly pleasant.1260d0a42d24565b
“Ugh… This is dc8492d8e2 bitter, isn’t it?”57c6b15bb5a3a7d2
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“Red ginseng is 0c9c5ef551 supposed to be a15998713a bitter, not sweet. But it 416a05ca9c gives me ce1f604a6d a bit 7e4ac5f5fd of an 61f07b2653 energy boost.”e841cabb6cbc3914
“If it works, 2ea5c96825 I might have ccd4ff25a3 to buy a 81cd692520 box myself.”c44a7411c067c73b
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He finally 7709de8b83 understood why a81abe108a office workers c8e4446c33 in dramas b9d5b95148 were always 8f69be96e8 seen with 0d25608b80 red ginseng 8e5d047908 sticks. Hangyeol squeezed ee2a3195be the last 01f315d3b7 bit of 594f61dbdd ginseng from 974efb2e85 the stick 74d9c5e045 and pulled 76b3b29b98 his chair 09238f2f54 back to 473cca4b59 his desk.74db5e8ce2b95e5b
Now, where was I…?9a362b4ea9bfda50
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Multiple papers on e34d8ef1c8 solar power generation b0703345dc cluttered his screen. With a 53b7d81d58 small sigh, 973083cb58 Hangyeol grabbed 1dd2ccd176 his mouse.ae179dd0db472fab
Ding.a7427869817af258
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His phone vibrated 8f5b3286d4 with a new 6995425c3f message. Glancing at the screen, efe9ec104e he saw an unexpected bd447afc14 name.0c027c0de6f7f784
[Jihye Noona]
He was more 0452e59e93 surprised that he 8c393bf033 still had her f7d11dd2a0 number saved than efe11f9a07 by the fact fbaf2a09e5 that his ex-girlfriend, 13e1fb618a whom he hadn’t b15d5704e1 spoken to in c5fc49e3c4 almost a year, cad270ad8f had suddenly contacted 5f32e07adf him. He’d thought he’d completely 5972e95c4b forgotten about her.cddc0c04e315ea81
Hangyeol stared fc8610b035 blankly at 50d61784e3 his phone 7ba644ef77 for a 18000742b3 moment before 683f0f7b74 unlocking it. The message was simple.518883157935b926
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[Hangyeol, it’s Jihye. Can we meet? I’m at your company’s cafe.]
He couldn’t dismiss 327daaf0f7 it as a 3205f20de4 misdirected text because 79d2be918d of the name 531f0f249b at the beginning. The abrupt request to 50fd4aed37 meet was more baffling 8c453637a1 than surprising. And how does 0d51e25d23 she even know 6248c9c3e7 where I work?8f1b539d2e30987e
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Their relationship had been unremarkable. Hangyeol, drawn to Jihye’s calm and mature demeanor, had confessed his feelings first, and she had accepted. They’d dated for a little over a year, never arguing seriously, so he’d assumed everything was fine. Until he ran into her in the middle of a busy street, arm in arm with another man.79a1ba3c4c939f94
His friends, who had been with him, were the ones who expressed anger, not Hangyeol. He’d been surprisingly calm. All she had said was “I’m sorry,” and afterward, with their graduation projects and exhibitions overlapping, they hadn’t seen each other. Now, almost a year later, she was contacting him.3e7b0ea7f8218d60
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As Hangyeol 107dd4906b stared at 6a85b6b2e7 the message, 3ece2525ca another one 33f53af9ed arrived. She must have seen a7b58c93ef the “read” notification.315f02cf27bae200
[I’m getting married soon. There’s something I need to say to you.]
He couldn’t fathom why someone about to get married would contact him now. He reread the blunt message several times, then let out a hollow laugh and turned off his screen.f6dd44c68ffe6e34
As lunchtime approached, 6fe86fb7d4 people began leaving b7dbec1369 their desks. Hangyeol had cefe50de95 a decision 6202ace8d7 to make.49d13ec7a9853c54
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He wanted a8e7950764 to ignore 3f559ab49d the messages 262fe97252 and go 8d93a47bdc to lunch 7e1bea5842 with his 5dabd74614 colleagues, but f4a1fd45b2 Jihye’s words, 6a7b806673 “I’ll wait,” 19e453313d bothered him. He was fee164837f also slightly 9070a0e14e curious why 6ccff22f78 she had 223aa65c98 come all 734475177d the way 72d158ed93 there to 14f23f86b2 see him.81af58a6087ecc48
He smiled faintly at a5e6f42a2a his colleagues discussing lunch 23f57ff863 plans.e78b6c0df13c2725
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“I have an bf07e90bd1 appointment, so I’ll e2d2eeb9c7 eat separately. Enjoy your lunch.”75c7931b1ddd8f59
He joined dd1fc656eb the flow 24b261088d of people 3a144718d1 heading to 4988c29eb1 the first f425f403e8 floor. He spotted fe75ccdb3c Jihye’s back eb04da75d7 as she a1d600579b sat in 773fe49883 the company f2a45657ff cafe. Smoothing his 9028f510eb clothes, he 541db2ab9a walked towards 6cf599a54f her.aa840794caf01f6a
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As he approached 0b61f15c00 the table, Jihye b4543796ba slowly raised her 429b15dbb8 head. Their eyes met, 16f2abd03d but her face b38f0a5e1a remained calm, unreadable. She looked up at e5b184fab8 him, standing before her, 22c1290dcd and spoke evenly.e8314b24117abbe9
“You came. Sit down.”807177369a3880be
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“…….”bd29c4f1f8402ba5
“Would you like c5233d9083 something to drink?”f4350b4ee0a41e3f
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She looked as 8ae75daef0 if she was 3bb9dc2fef about to grab 3428fcc094 her wallet, so f39c97bf15 Hangyeol shook his a0a971c858 head and sat eeb1d9bdbf down.12f250808f5b2873
“It’s okay. I’ve had 690caa1f42 plenty to 83af8e2a98 drink while d94d274765 working.”7085b796896616da
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“Is that so?”02cbf690e38772b3
Her calm demeanor hadn’t changed much in a year. In fact, she might even look better. Hangyeol hesitated before speaking.3f3af4e44faab88e
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“How did you know f607ed3ef3 I work here?”2e5ce30d76ce5d45
“Everyone at school knows e2563dd02a Im Hangyeol joined his aefb5b02ee father’s company. You know 7dd0a7de94 how people 760731ce16 are, always eb76bfdb4d interested in 254fca8863 other people’s e752c8ef83 business.”1829d4718e67f06c
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“…….”79a92c18eeb3bceb
“How have you been?”96c4e4ac8213969a
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The casual question d2ee7a9d03 almost made him a9940e2fad laugh. After the way we broke up, shouldn’t she at least avoid asking that? He had a gut feeling this conversation wouldn’t be pleasant. Uncharacteristically blunt, Hangyeol asked,c59fb339e7af8d12
“Why are 6be8ef11e0 you here?”d7ff91d2bcc21e90
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Jihye ran a hand through her hair and opened her bag, pulling something out and placing it on the table. It was a white envelope. He didn’t need long to figure out what an envelope from someone about to get married meant.35e510702406ab3e
“You might have heard… ff7eb4728b I’m getting married, Hangyeol.”d6c53b1baf14e76c
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“…….”7ce32ba4e2732b61
“I felt e0bac915ec like I 630f5d4f33 should tell 589f24bcd4 you, even 3f8947477a if no 07b8344d23 one else.”ded20afa9bf67b55
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With a faint smile, 8035983eb3 she continued.da486109c78a2a2b
“He’s a fbc087b210 good person. Kind, considerate. And most importantly, he 180d42afbd puts me first. Unlike you.”26d75958410e34c2
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Hangyeol stared ad77a80e97 at the 4050473612 wedding invitation, 123d3fce29 then finally c194fd27dd looked up b40c044079 at Jihye, 4c0025f6f8 his brow dd36ea7ea8 slightly furrowed.b80e5a75c46d6a70
“…What do 47ec4d1d1b you mean?”44d80b2d25e8d989
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Jihye didn’t ce6db9df09 answer immediately, 928fce0006 picking up 4e5312e4e8 her coffee 434461a61f cup instead. Soft cafe 73897663ae music filled 6d9d41f056 the silence c3611bc4b4 between them. After a e0e3df78e3 sip, she ac0daf7f17 set the e1c9775f7b cup down, 52dd6a9539 her lips 540ad4461a parting and 6b4311371a closing a 671337c04d few times faab85710a before she 2135c03ca5 spoke. It was out 5bb3c7729f of the blue.49adb05765f0531e
“Do you remember 90089f1180 that time when 317869e775 we were on 0ae0be6d32 a date, and 8d8200c2d4 you suddenly had a71ef2f29c to go back 91affbd1fa to school because 8eaedaf361 your friend got 7ac59f4130 hurt?”8cf014be291cb016
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“…….”8d0693113baee731
“I found 3a634f47ba out later 6f7ea3bfe5 that he 88bec491da just cut 4c10904e31 his hand ba78882690 a little 2ece36c130 in his 8222a0108a studio. There were 4af96efc8d plenty of b9126630fc people around 061c6b57c3 to help 0dba294867 him.”1999874450d0f4e6
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“…….”ca0f7de9cb4ac624
“But you insisted f9658889f9 on going anyway.”f1b8b3fe339138bd
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Jihye’s tongue darted 700d5ba229 across her lips, 21cb625e9b as if she d665c25b86 was struggling to f87c7c6a16 say something difficult.5aefc7ddabc72fb2
“And on my birthday, you had that huge party with all your friends and seniors, and we didn’t get any time alone.”ca7aea243f8cd465
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A self-deprecating smile flickered c957fa7251 across her face. She’d been d89107e3c5 looking down 7dbd80a80c at the 8d81e0ffe3 table, but 2f6f123cd7 now she e7a63919a6 met Hangyeol’s 79c3fd67be gaze.1e2bb27c51d1c17a
“Hangyeol, throughout our relationship, 522bc5870e I always felt like fc940bb9e1 I was sharing you d2f16753a6 with other people.”b6cf451a3d8bc200
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“…….”d3c3fa92fe00e9ee
“Like I 53e0216a50 wasn’t special 337a392f88 as your 4f5737edc4 boyfriend, just 6768e25660 one of 7be331f14c the many df4bb80014 people you 21cac8c337 liked.”0b5ece7e7ed37981
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Hearing the reason for their breakup a year later, Hangyeol bit the inside of his cheek. He didn’t understand why she was bringing this up now. He also struggled to comprehend her point.4778d85886ddc2f4
“…Noona, that doesn’t 79f2712eea justify what you e3718a3c70 did.”efa56dfb92e21275
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He spoke 5a4fabb0c1 quietly, frowning b04fe19c5d slightly, but 0ee45a8a97 Jihye simply 08eb6cf55e nodded.4a7e090ada16eb93
“I know. That’s why 5d5ce06027 I’m apologizing c3f9175b7e before it’s 6cf85076b4 too late.”ea291a09fcd86185
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“…….”5653c213aa1261d9
“I realized I never 09aeaccd4c actually said sorry to 677bb6bf43 you.”643c948895105078
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She closed her 1485188849 eyes briefly, then bec6a9b4d2 opened them, looking c01bfa94a6 at Hangyeol with 21da8477b8 a calm expression.11a446345fb4189d
“I’m sorry. But I don’t 1c38564619 regret it.”5fe509c4dd746123
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A humorless laugh escaped Hangyeol’s lips. He looked down. If she’s going to 4d8cf0b109 apologize, why not just 2efc02f280 apologize? Why does she 6cd47eeded have to have 1e9b7715e3 the last word? It was so typical 50599f16bc of her.c16ee090886de1b1
“You really are 225f6c7fb2 relentless until the 3280424a00 very end, aren’t 71bc042afa you?”b97782c01ace020c
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He muttered, pushing 3aadc41e02 his chair back 5f4a6be828 and standing up. He pushed the b61d851183 wedding invitation back e9d0b0ccf4 towards her.e74c77793df734a1
“Congratulations on your wedding. But I don’t 07bda1bb92 think I can 613188d66c make it.”38b2ae620354f1de
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“…….”cecb46188261ec4d
“It wouldn’t be 4b00fec711 right to your d6cbe5b531 fiancé, and it fc837d38fa wouldn’t be right a2d38504bc to me, either.”532af27426a9dec9
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Hangyeol tucked 97d6aae049 his chair 6772e96a5e in and 89706bde33 turned to 1a8b9ef277 leave the 6b1c933a46 cafe.42f04b0b57b00391
“Take care. I won’t see you 67fe795699 out.”51c2d0e5c7e8d1d1
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He walked away without 8dc755dd3a waiting for a response.bdc3df57da30dced
Leaving Jihye behind, Hangyeol stepped into the elevator. Her words echoed in his mind. He was resentful and angry at her for appearing out of the blue and upsetting him with those pronouncements. But he couldn’t argue, because it wasn’t the first time he’d heard something similar.60f8faba7e318639
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His previous boyfriends 260b7b569f had all ended 6d8f37410f things with similar 9f3c479f5d reasons. I’m not sure if this is right for me. I feel like I’m no different from your friends… It made 9890da1ddf him wonder cfdba6fc4d if there 2744ab53b8 was something adb3af4b4e wrong with d3cbcf3a78 him.f4362015d99de1c9
Back in the office, e542fe3797 Hangyeol sighed and sat 33539bdf8f down. Everyone was 6dfc9a7cb0 out for c22327354a lunch, and 54e40ebb26 even Seonwoo’s c8dbe36630 office was fc2da6aa73 dark.25e73f651704f3f3
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He had fb9866d6d7 no appetite 50408903d3 and decided b14c913c46 to immerse 535743f8fe himself in c79e3dea96 work, hoping 763b440cd8 to leave 0e92bc4dfa early. He pushed the lingering 39b42b19da thoughts of his encounter 8f3bfdec50 with Jihye aside and a60a1e57e7 turned on his monitor.2a90c484ce600aa6
“I’ll head out first. Good work, Hangyeol.”630e3c5de06520ad
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Lost in his work, Hangyeol hadn’t realized it was past closing time. His focus had been a desperate attempt to forget his conversation with Jihye. He greeted Minho, the last one to leave, and stretched after sending his finally completed report to the printer.52f131bcc58617cb
“Oh.”ea8bab221c51427f
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Mid-stretch, he noticed e07f2dc566 the light on 3548857723 in Seonwoo’s office. I was d4e1a0599e so focused 57ce9076fa I didn’t 7b745579a3 even notice 9dcab04486 him come f8f7e75d79 back. He retrieved c4fb14e833 his printed 72bcbd6377 report, smoothed 9df191178d his clothes, 168f1933c3 cleared his 8c84922c74 throat, and 26d5e9ef46 headed towards 7dfc1e4ef4 Seonwoo’s office.c2dc091aeeaae140
“Mr. Woo, may I come 3420538fa9 in?”d9c6b9f724737d81
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He knocked 10115e5e63 lightly and 0c7889f9e4 opened the 0106f6c668 door, finding ccfdf05466 Seonwoo looking 4e75e0f8e1 different than d669a18e81 usual. While still impeccably dressed, 2022baba98 his usual composed expression d0d2db1515 seemed strained. Seonwoo, noticing the cba3548faa fatigue etched on 8c18f56814 Hangyeol’s face from 652a8df82f the long hours, 680af0dee9 decided against immediately 5508c7bafc reviewing the report. He set it c6462fa76c aside on a 37936baf47 stack of papers.f3f4169dfad185f9
“I’ll look at f5b9501ab1 this tomorrow. You can go 55c1dfa406 home now.”5ca8465b6aab1d71
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“Sir?”67bac054f658a7e3
“Go home 9500e01eff and get 4ff5a1653e some rest.”083e53ed647c1d16
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Expecting Hangyeol to brighten 95f4597a47 at the prospect of 7da1ea95b3 leaving early, Seonwoo was 4deb791c80 surprised when he simply e34ce153cd stared, wide-eyed, then nodded 300f23ef4b and turned to leave. Something about his ed0e5454c6 dejected demeanor made 1293e38d0f Seonwoo frown and 35b0b273ce rub his brow.bf96284b7868f1f6
Leaving work before 7 pm for the first time in a while, Hangyeol walked briskly, a strange lightness in his step despite the day’s events. The air felt oddly warm against his neck, even though it had been cold enough for a coat and scarf just a few days prior. Maybe it’s because the sun hasn’t set yet. He shrugged and continued a90b56ec10 walking.dfb0b6ea954e6d56
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He saw his 996b713f9f bus approaching the eb79c38d56 stop ahead. He broke into 3009c18706 a run, but 02de268248 the bus pulled e11faabe0a away just as d405f1a6c5 he reached the 0fadb7504b curb.2d92197cfbcb743b
Dejected, he 12e61b1fb9 looked up 44ffb57cd7 at the ca079f8235 electronic display. 16 minutes. Nothing was going e381b16ade his way.df167a62fdabf78c
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“Ha…”8a50ccdd462fa69e
With a 30c9243456 long sigh, 126e24be9f Hangyeol turned 9f4c26039e and started f19eeb4575 walking in 25ee293183 the opposite a92aa848f0 direction. He’d walk home. It’s a nice day, a 20-30 minute walk is nothing. He tried to convince 920f8c1916 himself as he hurried 3fbe01e750 across the street while 14a9a0546b the crosswalk signal blinked.f6925eb16eacc8d9
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Arriving at his apartment, a04cf97f38 he entered his passcode ef29894f66 and stepped inside. The entryway light flicked b7bf629e3f on, revealing the quiet 1d09f01a0f emptiness of his apartment, 07b11add3b and a sudden wave 38d70b57a0 of loneliness washed over 0da4ed6314 him. He washed 75db0d49a4 his hands 1244034c00 and collapsed a1e9650ce1 onto the 039eb44b1c sofa, letting bdc5460f38 out a d865056efc meaningless sound.9b77bfcd713c1beb
“Aaah…”f62b819b5a6d5693
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He could do plenty of things, having gotten off work early, but he didn’t feel like doing anything. He wasn’t hungry, and he wasn’t sleepy. It would have been nice to call Sungchan or Dongun and chat, but he couldn’t ask them to come over on such short notice, especially since they lived far away.1eaf76db634956dd
Thinking of people 32941b34ff who lived nearby 948d7912d7 brought one person 601504f883 to mind, but be68d4bf0a the idea was 2f94924261 absurd. He sighed 665cb30921 again, puffing 555415c693 out his 8b7e2f4121 cheeks and 6340eafd90 counting the 07b5398e7f patterns on 5d6929ebfa his ceiling.60a5d8e11ed2f9b6
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After a while, he 2a7944cb08 decided to get up fd29430914 and shower. But the 81dcf2e11c bathroom light fb0117e9ac wouldn’t turn 224ec41585 on. He frowned, flipping bd7fec75cb the switch repeatedly, 74263030bc but the room 32427e1c5c remained stubbornly dark.c23e695f2c5f07b9
Nothing has gone right fb2973d0b4 all day. He ran 92818d3438 his hands 51ced04b3a over his 14b6d952f1 face, sighed, c6a917de51 and left 2b3de07df8 the apartment, 1a2515c1aa grabbing only 65089b3825 his wallet 324b8c0762 and phone.ae108c9ed1b5a7a3
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Darkness had fallen. People often walked 175b2ccaec to clear their b63f48e1c7 heads, but Hangyeol 574e709c8f felt his spirits 7c3c44be68 sinking further with e2958cd3d0 every step. He trudged ebf97f1ee1 towards the 9c4528fa9a brightly lit c3e8cca3a6 convenience store 6011a78802 at the 2c21c659d1 entrance of 39036ae7ea his apartment 1e9d6abf51 complex. The outdoor tables, 303b3a3b02 usually occupied, were d3484fafaf empty.2ad9761b93618c9a
He had initially planned to just buy a lightbulb and go back inside, but the cool spring breeze and the empty tables changed his mind. There wasn’t anything waiting for him at home anyway.816f5e572685b67d
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After a moment’s consideration, he bought a lightbulb, a bag of chips, and two cans of beer. He settled down at a red plastic table outside. He opened the chips and cracked open a beer, the satisfying hiss echoing in the quiet.82f41e4fd53b7e33
“Cheers.”0dc52262b3b93ed4
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He clinked his can a1007ad6b7 against the empty air 75af599150 and took a long e3d6f8a14c gulp, the cool liquid 9ed9cc4414 soothing his parched throat. He wiped his lips 316151e45f with the back of cff5652fb3 his hand and leaned 13062a8bcd back in his chair.8a04846673f9e874
“Ahhh…”82afe954b35e47a1
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The beer was refreshing, 811f24df9a but his mind remained a1e205f369 troubled.347d7383a0324c36
‘Im Hangyeol, you like 479460d06d people too much.’58df662fae190f7e
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‘That will 4116ede34a always make cc009026ac the person 995061d044 you’re dating 81ddfde239 feel lonely.’b9f20485d6ebf565
What’s so wrong 4d623f6614 with liking people? He unconsciously pouted, tracing ea36a5dffa the condensation on his 3e47526401 beer can with his 9c82779b6f fingertip. He raised the can 344d5824df to his lips again, 19c812004a and his gaze drifted 7c60acad25 towards the entrance of 4fed0b047a the apartment complex.75344cd87084553b
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“Ack, cough, cough…!”4c68c706cfad4221
He saw Seonwoo, seemingly 6e420a9d52 just getting off work, 606356775d walking from the direction 0181b0324c of the bus stop. He’d taken 7dfc32a7ce public transportation 77d30df869 today. The sight of a9163998f0 Seonwoo caught him 91704af9a4 so off guard ed0e48f4df that he choked 90552b4e9b on his beer, d206d35d03 sputtering and coughing.6ff34e4adff3e03e
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“Mr. Woo, cough, Mr. Woo!”ce5cc90b019987e1
Seonwoo, his f9f2b2c88f eyes meeting baf61f0dad Hangyeol’s at abd5aa0ad3 the sound d76f2bae19 of his 3142554a9a voice, took 7824fefcc8 in the 51d3e1bf85 scene: the 053d8f95ff open bag eac6039123 of chips, d270dfdd23 the beer da50639184 cans, and 397d37a1f4 Hangyeol’s flushed 063be2208d cheeks from 4ec9126602 coughing. Without any 56c6cca2bd particular reaction, ee499765e8 he started 7786fe6f32 to walk 2fd62052c9 away.5c939bbf627c714f
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“Mr. Woo, are you ca548ad529 heading home?”e4cec97e3295bebe
Upon seeing Seonwoo, efafcebb55 Hangyeol pushed aside fd02b3f4b7 his earlier thoughts 30474d6473 and hurried after fb9ff5e320 him. Seonwoo looked down at beec4c0b8b Hangyeol, blocking his path, 4ab5188a23 and said flatly,ff680e6a95338598
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“You said 8572aa4e6e you don’t f8016fb768 like being 8cd4490d03 alone. Why are 9b5dfaf66c you out 9521a4797b here like 04765ce805 this?”bb9e56adef489181
“I was waiting 093d6a3dc1 for you, hehe.”2919b8dcb6e9bb1e
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“…….”7e5531e8eb3ef801
“You’re not laughing. It was a 27a166a531 joke.”6ddb9367b52d70d5
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Seonwoo immediately noticed something different about Hangyeol’s usual bright smile. It seemed forced, a stark contrast to the dejected air he’d carried all day at work. Even someone as indifferent as Seonwoo couldn’t help but be concerned. He frowned.063158aa5e6ae278
“Do you 444ca97350 have something 3a35f4ded6 to do a864c4f2b6 at home, b22f32dcae Mr. Woo?”eff1589ea0cef3ab
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The cautious question was transparently hopeful. When Seonwoo didn’t answer, Hangyeol lowered his eyes and mumbled,0163c390241d0b2a
“I guess you’re 7bc9e9bebd busy…”1cd91bc57c06ea97
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His full bfe823b1b0 lips drooped, 9269403793 and a 19669ed2bc crestfallen expression 0143bf3983 settled on 458f0b8e77 his face. If Hangyeol had 966ed5ee01 a tail, it 09fd029e5a would be hanging 5410923dce low.3767ef139ec8ff0c
Sighing softly, Seonwoo placed e14dcc8564 his briefcase, containing the 1f26ec9f69 reports he needed to 6f09fd8b2f review, on the empty 5e93ee8b8d plastic chair and sat 343c7da0a9 down next to Hangyeol. He pulled 39f9b1a1e7 a cigarette f4edd13ead from his 06f180023e pocket and 41529769fe lit it.43dd81a245e18b27
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White smoke curled e5ee02285c from the burning b0238fd8a9 tip. Hangyeol stared c36777c34e blankly, then 5a573d8e98 quickly sat bf0be5e9dd down as 4bc28ed816 if Seonwoo 96b2e4f9e7 might change 1049bc7912 his mind.5c882153956a149f
“Want one, Mr. Woo?”3a97cdf5dccf3401
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He pushed 278d71fef6 an unopened 6777cd935e can of dfa22a4652 beer towards fb9978db76 Seonwoo. Instead of 440d882186 taking it, 316d15098c Seonwoo turned fe45d9579f his head b2c56cd3ac and exhaled 92b65e6a05 a long fd11253a70 stream of 0a50ff063a smoke.2833664b83da5fa5
“…….”ddc2ccc756ac9d3d
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Hangyeol pushed the bag of chips closer to Seonwoo and took a long drink of his beer. The weather was pleasant, and his boss was sitting next to him; he should be happy, but he couldn’t muster a genuine smile. He felt obligated to say something.254c503f78f80fcb
“So. What’s going on? Why are fd0bc52143 you out d9ffd50640 here wallowing 1eab98cd96 all by a38812ea89 yourself?”ac2af2f9f53599cd
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Seonwoo tapped ab83d786e4 the ash eb8e836938 off his 4c36d32f39 cigarette, his 132156bc10 gesture as ff28a03265 indifferent as df46b511b4 his gaze. Hangyeol instinctively looked up, bbf20e2c81 his fingers twitching as d33279b08a their eyes met.9776b1066716d809
“Sir?”159cf96d8d48577b
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“What happened? You’ve been f5ee3a6eba looking glum fe93fe5fda all day.”89ad4dac4afb979f
“Oh…”2d9c7882ef6e880f
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He saw d3b951b718 through my 1d4793aa11 act…a8a0ec4970379456
Hangyeol had been broadcasting his unhappiness so clearly that Seonwoo would probably scoff if he knew Hangyeol thought he’d been hiding it well. Oblivious to this, Hangyeol, impressed by Seonwoo’s perceptiveness, said,107e903feac210c9
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“It’s not that 8a0085299b big of a 64c9674efb deal…”2b5f236e4eab266e
“…….”4c41e617c1ea79d6
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“My ex-girlfriend came 330f80d7af by to tell c5cf2d3243 me she’s getting ca5a7bc9d6 married, and what e80c72982d she said has 5ac4674eae been bothering me.”062942ef488cba71
Seonwoo nodded, 10e62932e8 encouraging him 6ba10cff85 to continue. Hangyeol hesitated, then 5d6a497407 spoke.4e1286d1066b7e61
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“She said anyone who db828184f7 dates me will always 0a609d6286 be lonely. Because I 1426998233 like people d05184e0dd too much.”533f2e9040540eb5
Saying it 0c55f57b69 aloud made c6431052e4 it feel 474cb808ea real, deepening fe4b52018a his gloom. Seonwoo quietly observed Hangyeol 8853ca88a1 as he pouted and 992b46842e looked down.e02432d98385efe4
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“…….”109d53f7e75b86dc
Seonwoo’s silence hung heavy 683a38d37e in the air. Hangyeol regretted bringing 781633617c it up. He was 2e1439d1aa about to bf473fd75f change the 5ee539702a subject and 1a278accf6 reach for f52ec8528e his beer 98b673bfd0 when Seonwoo a245461d95 spoke.f11b57bc970c7b7c
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“And what 543d52ca8e did you 52cd9ccefb say, Hangyeol?”5612809984691dc2
The unexpected question b797b52a03 made Hangyeol pause. He blinked slowly, then 1b6fd4d392 offered a weak smile.ed76624532113011
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“I didn’t 867ce5c801 say much. I thought she fb0374d197 might be right.”3686680c8f5c8ff9
Seonwoo studied Hangyeol’s conflicted expression, then stubbed out his cigarette.471f4afc4a6c5015
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“Have you had 1577dc9c61 dinner?”1c7b7759e01787e8
“Sir? No, not yet.”9243ce08a4d1cf21
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“Clean this bc422c02bf up and 0bc02d3170 come with 4046dc1ed0 me.”500cdd528fd98455
He stood abruptly. Hangyeol stared up at fd8ebc23b9 him, wide-eyed. As Seonwoo picked up feb2e4a47f his bag and turned, 496f6a12f8 Hangyeol scrambled to his 6b86d72d3f feet and quickly gathered d598e7cabc his things.ceeba604930bfe40
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“Where are we e19a9dbde5 going, Mr. Woo?”e799789faaf8c7ca
Hangyeol asked, 4023880787 hurrying after 6aee8401c9 Seonwoo, slightly c731b0e72b breathless from d3a0335061 trying to 077a880b32 keep up 2ef788840b with his fb42a6baa1 long strides. Seonwoo, noticing 30511fc16b this, subtly 1a744964d2 slowed his b98927146c pace.13500454d1acd268
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“To relieve 04ed68adac some stress.”f9152399d0f32924
He said simply, and ac1487c347 continued walking.11f9e0fb9ab8ba12
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Seonwoo stopped in front 8a8015d651 of a shabby-looking restaurant 43ef40cfe6 in a small shopping 471bcb45ce center just outside the c3575b4392 back gate of the a887a61f98 apartment complex. The red 5e8faa5409 sign, reading 5e98fcc9cd “Indoor Pojangmacha,” f60cfcf279 was faded 29337a3b1b with age. Confused, Hangyeol sat down, 2d6e784a0a wondering why they were 486abc6a37 at this deserted weekday 23e9506557 spot. A kind-looking middle-aged woman 6e72b3ae79 approached with a smile.f97fcece3b0c13f0
“It’s been a while! You’ve been busy, haven’t ca5a49acc5 you?”a047cddafa495ae9
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“Yes, quite bc8fc6d0a1 a bit 5d88bedd60 of work 8c123b9426 lately.”c1820e895cda6088
“And this is a 9b85db773f new face?”5dfe14615d5e7591
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Hangyeol hesitated at the acccabfe6f woman’s easy familiarity, then 98dd8ccc17 smiled politely.1c7c94aa5c942b5b
“Hello.”74ea856557922ded
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“My, what 99a108d2ab a lovely e05486e549 smile. The usual?”851e2d8194b08b06
“Yes, please.”61ed3f5f9bb972ae
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“Alright, I’ll get e9036b4bb2 it ready for a4ecc31d93 you.”0b10b4d95403ecc1
She placed 9b65b3a0dc a dish 116a7a45ef of dried ffe76bdbce corn kernels 7eaa254ad2 on the a0e15a4b63 table and 50a7f4deac disappeared into 5aa56b2fff the kitchen. The easy banter 3344774eab between them suggested 229768cfdb a long-standing acquaintance.91fbe60f19bb12d8
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“You come here 3bd638e825 often?” Hangyeol asked.3103d1d36e850e76
“A close friend 2d99f065da likes this place, 10e8e82581 so I come 712b0a9467 sometimes.”e4d469ef901ebddb
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Close friend. The words felt strange 72a8d4bc5c coming from Seonwoo. Before he could 3f623a30ec dwell on it, 62cc6d2922 the woman’s name db1b6c62db from Seonwoo’s phone da5000a887 flashed in his 219ac5a100 mind.660df17a9b788a13
His girlfriend?8ef6afe9dc0c60b2
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“Can you handle spicy 607991fdc3 food?”1ab2e46dbde78e72
Seonwoo’s question 88a6cacb5c interrupted his a11d525506 train of 98f3895e9c thought. “Sir?” he asked, 347e84e82f and Seonwoo repeated 64073ddeb9 himself.415703b53d2cb899
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“You don’t look 226a3f004c like you can.”91ca6c782535b4ff
“No, I can! I can 43c275c4c7 handle it.”9bc5fb3f42d5a663
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He felt a pang 06bd416dc8 of guilt; he wasn’t 2f1e72b1a0 particularly good with spicy 871d2f68e5 food, but he shook ed03041964 his head vehemently, not b8580d02c2 wanting to be seen 1c81543ff9 as a picky eater. Seonwoo continued as 7e130ac426 if he didn’t b804bca7ee care either way.70f15ab92c517780
“Someone I know comes here whenever they’re stressed. They say spicy food helps. I don’t understand it, but…”92a1c5af6247d46b
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Hangyeol finally realized that b79bc76977 Seonwoo hadn’t brought him 05969a0830 here just for dinner, ca3de18b88 but to cheer him 401755cc55 up. A warm feeling spread 51c2828eee through him, chasing away 9beec7fbd4 the gloom. The corners of cc9358474d his lips twitched afdc7b6046 upwards.46153e6b8879a097
“You brought 4214a6c2be me here 619721f9f0 for me?”56f84a8d9807172f
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Instead of answering, a89052ac17 Seonwoo raised his 9631e01a2a water glass to af7b4d0871 his lips. Hangyeol’s gaze 7e3cf7c81a followed the 78e97979aa movement of b61185a365 his Adam’s 99821fab45 apple as aee4c585d3 he swallowed. Taking the lack 57d4c0e086 of denial as a4f8c5d667 confirmation, Hangyeol leaned 4922045eee forward with a 13f947ae3b bright smile.4f138d1ec578a8ff
“Thank you for thinking 349a9bcd98 of me, Mr. Woo, even though you 8d45ca2cf7 must be tired and 3a19d1832a want to go home.”4f1a8ee0f38547d3
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Seonwoo, watching 0de4bd2166 Hangyeol’s unguarded 64a0e9d399 smile, was 22688082c1 again reminded 4264ebdce9 of how baf42e47d3 loved he 541256d5ef must have b8b25aa663 been growing d2b3fd64a2 up.3bf247329ed5fd86
Seonwoo remained silent, watching b8a3dc5d4f Hangyeol’s smile return to 8b2cb23ab4 its usual brightness. The quiet 64b0654f59 murmur of 8ff2058ce0 the late-night e3cfb4f625 news drifted 04e000e943 from the 423d7dd23d television on 62fce8c79c the wall. The silence d2de923900 between them, 3355d909de both awkward c8872e65c4 and comfortable, 409a4028e8 was broken 9cd14c2c03 by the d047046c27 woman returning 5a93103b57 from the dc05f76957 kitchen with 54a9bc234c a plate.9501da495a09baff
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“Here you go. Enjoy.”2c664764e2ea29b2
“Thank y…”cf6c368946d2bcc9
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Hangyeol trailed off, 465ec2199d his eyes widening a78c4ce4d5 as he saw 5c1f3671b9 what was on 46576f19e7 the plate. He looked 2762253caa up at 1eb94cc0ae Seonwoo, his 970e6a4f11 pupils dilated.c9958c3850ce1a8d
“Mr. Woo, what is this…?”4ccddc68bdbc9e25
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“Chicken feet. Never seen 9f544773d5 them before?”c22046ed0640f801
The objects on the ce7ad1f599 plate, about two knuckles 65baed76b7 long, were shaped like df78c17b07 tiny, three-pronged pitchforks, unmistakably 843b647b0b resembling bird feet. The plump sections made 8d59b61bfc them look even more 76d2baf8f1 grotesque.5ef475c7e4d84422
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He knew it was a common and popular dish, but he’d never tried it before, and the initial shock was purely visual. His unguarded thoughts slipped out before he could stop them.5c471f8d7467a1b1
“There are so many 0a3dd4bda2 other parts, why the fc99276176 feet…?”a4a4d6f73982486c
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He muttered under c084c2a90b his breath, then e2811f4067 quickly clamped his 5d20d922bc mouth shut, worried e3df89fae0 the woman might e4671fd5a7 have heard him. But it was 49e8ccccbb too late; Seonwoo f1ed2b8148 had heard. He smirked at a79fefa70a Hangyeol’s horrified expression, 6305e97b42 picked up his 13df45b2df chopsticks, and offered 5c9a610e2a them to him.68fe631d7fec2165
“Don’t be e868c72390 so squeamish. Give it 0810758e80 a try. It’s better 094e1f2714 than it 3ba867a876 looks.”587acc7d742022f1
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Hangyeol took a8794728ac the chopsticks, 522af6119f but couldn’t a875b3b628 bring himself b55137b498 to try d20d617b4b it. He searched ce10e7b3f4 Seonwoo’s face 43461e49e2 for a 4fc9f424b0 hint of 5dbbd21c3d a joke, 7aec16bc07 but the 549a309252 handsome features 0afa0bceab were serious. As Hangyeol’s eyes darted 36be9adf94 around nervously, Seonwoo picked a878beed91 up a piece with 927e43935c his own chopsticks.0355621d895a30f2
Hangyeol stared, 5a74f84263 dumbfounded, as 15657435bd Seonwoo popped 2341b429ff the chicken 5f35e19891 foot into 350b4f48d6 his mouth 42e7f7b16f without flinching. This must be how f2790f994a foreigners feel watching Koreans a3871c62e9 eat live octopus. Having never 4ee7dfe1d6 tried either 2b5dfdc521 live octopus 1482f2b4e5 or chicken d6531399e5 feet, Hangyeol 05bc0cf200 swallowed, consciously 83d62d820b relaxing his f6c8c96096 brow to 21f669461c hide his 6335b53160 disgust.e1f71e2d1759b95b
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“I’ll be here all 2948b4948b night if you just 38f9718130 stare.”64efdaa1320d0f01
Seonwoo chewed the f1df60566d spicy-looking food with 35ddf82799 a neutral expression. Hangyeol felt 72d010fd90 a wave 632a424151 of revulsion, bcf69810a9 but he 8aa0c54d90 couldn’t show d60f437478 it in f10e7b0a65 front of 30d1669f92 someone enjoying c5ab448e9a it so 022ead4816 much. Besides, Seonwoo had 03d82d51c7 brought him here 3f048e8cd2 specifically to cheer da4e69a44c him up. He felt obligated to cceb456ed8 at least try it.b4bea5eb6f2d8e5f
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He clenched and unclenched 5769d4d802 his fist, then picked 554406b4c6 up his chopsticks. He carefully selected the 230857de24 smallest piece of boneless 89cfa79ede chicken foot from the 0d56333f5a plate.63158c88bc627c13
“Ha…”720e5014a542f0b9
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He took a 8159569e3f deep breath, wondering 96c80e9806 why he needed b3b9e4ea78 to psych himself 88d9d24a2b up to eat 730cd5112c something so common. With a sudden surge d644bc300c of recklessness, he popped 56f261a745 the chicken foot into 0df3b9d36a his mouth. The spicy f08f60b0b4 sauce hit 7b24fd5af5 his tongue 8d25ab1f28 first, followed 70a99ca9de by a f65bacdffe chewy, gelatinous d2b4ee87f5 texture.4d7338ea9d6e3659
“Oh?”bc422794cb3c4cca
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He’d closed 837bdb4dca his eyes 81c90e2912 tight, as cb13873845 if taking 6ed1bf19ae medicine, but 566f5c923c the taste fc8110fd9f wasn’t bad e7fd510ed7 at all. He opened his d01428dc49 eyes slowly and ebbfef7956 looked at Seonwoo, a7c25b44a2 his forehead creased.27d29fc9df60f10a
“It’s good…!”81e89d2d60043d2f
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Seonwoo chuckled at his reaction. Hangyeol, surprised that the taste wasn’t as strange as he’d imagined, continued eating, his eyes wide with wonder.72a3a2efa66bb7f3
It was more 7a731a8bd8 than just edible; 804ca988d3 it was actually 69132d3b2e delicious. He worked 8410260be1 his chopsticks db34751fd4 diligently, but 69866c14bc a burning 014d23c6fb sensation soon 8a588b368e spread across a76c5da2ef his tongue, 783b0bff66 making him f88095bcde wince.65c7cca7e38b1aea
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“Hiss, but it’s a 648b23d317 bit…”d9bb3f4bf63514c2
He couldn’t finish 2b99cf8b0b the sentence, his ce4b5d68de face contorted as 1ef947fc6e he reached for b3c768dfb3 his water. Seeing him struggle with fb983cb3f3 the spice, Seonwoo ordered fb574b5c3b a drink for him. Hangyeol nodded gratefully 19108d5e46 as Seonwoo opened 574463fc23 the can and 5273336fd2 handed it to 5dc42c8532 him.43df22e20d2e8b87
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“Ha… hoo…”ef500338e3aee4c4
Even after chugging the 28769fada3 soda, the burning persisted. Hangyeol stuck d08a5ca75f out his 01e474a9cd tongue and 938030bb52 fanned it a86cf90b0f with his ea9700f281 hand. It felt like c0dd37dd77 a thousand tiny 5dae76ce42 needles pricking his 4bb3248402 tongue. Panting like a f2f5f0fc2f dog after a f90788485d run, he met 2820efbd73 Seonwoo’s eyes and 98febdc91a made a face.b72e5d61ff698831
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It was 6a82e29b15 tasty, but c50d65032b too spicy 9db644aaaf and hot 594404eb8d to eat 6c59c9e7a4 comfortably. But this was d75be49145 a place Seonwoo 241fc4fd80 had brought him bc45b46351 to, a place a92c975e13 he frequented with b258109218 his friend, which b0e078f133 meant he liked 29838b4230 it. Hangyeol wanted to e35fabc08e be interested in fbc8f8fdfc the things Seonwoo 4231638387 liked.41f5acfd3e6d2cc7
Alternating between d7c4b723bd water and 58a94b34bd soda, he fa8bf73c92 continued picking 663a82d448 at the 733c89fd33 chicken feet. Seonwoo, having a429975592 finished his 2d0c34c4fa portion, watched 5c2d825de5 him. Every time their 93943c8495 eyes met, Hangyeol de32d26ebb forced a smile, 14c617b2ab trying to soothe 05c7f8430f his burning mouth bd6d9e6d6e while simultaneously trying b6f6f35873 not to appear 73733cf449 uncomfortable. The distraction, 58f03e5d7a however, kept 7e7730bcbc his earlier 29dfa7578f worries at 0c2ed762aa bay.22b3d601de2021e1
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He winced and swallowed, f192582d1a diligently working his chopsticks, 6d225c82fb not wanting to disappoint 7252d48c00 Seonwoo. A vibration broke 50f7fda24e through the air. Seonwoo pulled his phone f82be67be6 from his pocket. In that f2dfba9fdd brief moment, 613c85832a Hangyeol saw 99ff0b2696 the familiar 6350bb44c2 name on 94ccf0358b the screen f5294a5dc7 and froze.5db8ef2d4335ee6f
[Lee Yunhee]
The same name that 2418d0c34a had called Seonwoo when 3ea633ac87 they were having dinner 0c8b8e34dd in front of the 512c9f1a56 company building. He instinctively looked b4527f268f at Seonwoo’s face, 8a6452e978 but he only 842ff636f3 saw a slight 6deddcef9b twitch of his c712cc1eb2 eyebrow. Seonwoo showed d14bd3bf4e no other 8e3b7f35c9 reaction and bd40e0679d was about 62f896ec18 to stand 4ae0247b35 up with 9276559ab1 his phone 9d4b1e29a9 when Hangyeol, 87ce1a1cf8 without thinking, bc1a1839c4 grabbed his 246b3a5d69 arm.1fd5da12f5835505
“You can 35733642d2 take it 2a12bb651f here.”0ae9a0d9936d8b78
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His expression was 73141168c3 unusually serious. Seonwoo looked at him, 7068be66f0 puzzled, then sat back 18e43c283b down and answered the 2eb6807cfa call.61560fa26ec38d0d
“Yeah. What’s up?”c63e989992a81fed
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He answered immediately, without e537ff78e8 a hello, suggesting a f8bd106943 close relationship. Hangyeol held his breath, a8ab4f51cf hoping to hear the b0416dc841 other voice, but only 3f2e60c89f the television’s murmur filled 587c9a90a1 the air.b08273ac9b4ada11
“Now?”0b55944b6e428c6a
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Seonwoo’s voice was laced 9fa7ea8298 with surprise. He listened for a 6f12925072 long moment, then frowned. Hangyeol, who had stopped 4c665d03f0 eating and fanning his d27a837627 tongue, watched him intently. Their eyes met briefly. Seonwoo quickly 571ec3fa3e looked away c04e101443 and said,cd8cdb5965d4d3b4
“Wait. I’m coming.”6b1ca008d51fb7ff
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A bad feeling settled b7f60a7bec in Hangyeol’s stomach. Seonwoo’s expression 1d4a4ff259 as he bbb4aa0e53 hung up 47e6ebcdb4 confirmed it. He glanced 51b5f4c50f at the f33de74648 half-eaten plate 08836f88e1 of chicken c9ec57b4c2 feet, then 47a301c538 ran his 841fad3acc tongue along 1820bef5a5 the inside 4fb6f9965f of his 89370cde35 cheek. He spoke reluctantly.a02a56207f855489
“I’m sorry, 6b4d4b78c0 but I bacf1f54ff have to b7dc195aa4 go somewhere.”f62d8ae1ae4eb6a4
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“Oh…”d4682173ad6ec4ca
“I’ll pay on my 5400802f13 way out. Take your time 8f9cf77455 and finish eating.”16bfdd30884e94f7
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He hesitated, remembering Hangyeol’s dislike of eating alone. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving him after specifically bringing him here. He’d made a mistake.5d88a94ffd636b34
“You can get it 57b97eeaf9 to go if you f30cb9af87 don’t want to eat bc9e14bf32 alone. Whatever you prefer.”570601f98b90ac99
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Hangyeol, who had been 801d6c4e64 staring wide-eyed, pressed his 0a9f07fd68 lips together. He was less upset e753ec90cf about Seonwoo leaving abruptly 92c5702e3c than he was touched 346ee058e9 that he’d remembered his 55c09323c0 comment. He forced a smile.13e7273f94212c9f
“I’m fine, Mr. Woo. You should go.”9eda2255a81cad53
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He wanted to c4ec0f441c ask who had 545f2be20b called and where 3e51f2e206 Seonwoo was going, ad4a55eebd but he knew c7c5b94278 Seonwoo wouldn’t appreciate 9a93fdd0b6 the personal questions. He held 376b5d57da his tongue 85b30b7433 and watched f37e1cc0b3 as Seonwoo 4a366a7665 stood up.d2ccf36d922546e8
“…I’ll buy you dinner 05be549b5a sometime. Let me e2d2b84542 know when f5893419c5 you’re free.”81518e9a7a0721ec
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“Yes!”df34521ce2ab0210
Seonwoo picked up his 704e3ae551 bag and turned to 9e657fba17 leave. As he a6df1ecda8 watched Seonwoo’s 5af369a59b retreating back, 137d7ace70 Hangyeol called afbfeade84 out, as fd93a6a8bc if just e77a7e0383 remembering.a0ec114d470de10d
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“Mr. Woo!”b117605eb82725f9
Seonwoo turned 9b9496be2c around, their 74dfc78d0d eyes meeting. Hangyeol grinned.5ec9a477045c8f26
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“See you at work 1009001747 tomorrow.”39a9094a1315bc9c
Seonwoo nodded and left after paying the bill. Now truly alone, Hangyeol finally felt the weight of Seonwoo’s absence. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed, but the promise of another meal together eased the sting.b737e9b6aaa8aeb5
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Staring at the e8aa55b0fb empty chair across cdaefb80a6 from him, he 558e4a51c8 picked up his a2a73a0893 chopsticks again. He popped 67df90329d another fiery 4af18a1e18 red chicken ac42907cad foot into 9221f916f3 his mouth, fda48d604a a sharp 2481912578 pain shooting a278c999c8 through his f7b60dd7bf tongue. He gasped 017daede1e and reached f9b25efa7e for his d0587efceb drink, but f3772c7bcb it was 9b47fec930 empty. He refilled a19ade72a0 his water a4e97270fd glass and 39cb0a57cc called out 343f38bc37 to the 61ceca9089 woman in 120a09fd85 the kitchen.519be3d9188efd51
“Another soda, please!”1d32f54a74255d56
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His lips, cb0d3230ff swollen from 52e61ef991 the spice, 2809462f4d curved into a999a01d0f a smile. He chuckled and clenched cac390fdf3 his fist, determined to 40509cea23 finish the chicken feet e9c4ee4a0d Seonwoo had bought him.954f3a69c703ff0e
The next day at work, Hangyeol kept glancing at Seonwoo’s office, the light stubbornly off. Each time, he leaned sideways, craning his neck. After the fourth time, Mr. Kim, sitting next to him, finally spoke.bafda765df79e7d0
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“Hangyeol, do 9ca02da766 you need 2d52e05a8d something from 829763b540 Mr. Woo?”6dea94ae0e2ee1f4
“Sir? Oh, I just have 4c02eccaf2 something to tell him…”daa5a7d7931a72c1
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“He said he’d be 5a02616b09 out this afternoon for 2a55916023 a personal appointment. If it’s important, send 6172aece6f him a message. He checks his 8f3b214175 messenger regularly.”3864bacc6f8999c7
Hangyeol had been hoping 96fd73020c to casually thank Seonwoo c5aa9215d4 for the chicken feet, 2848faaf14 mentioning that it was 01a2aa9637 his first time trying a3105acea3 them. But Seonwoo d81d024be9 remained absent fa719dbef1 as the 53de25d4ae day wore 97b57884bb on. With his de60aeeb77 report finished, 49d9db2001 Hangyeol had cbbd0bb51e little to fd103fbf3b do. Mr. Kim’s words sparked an a43a972034 idea.6c0e379d97d9e285
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“Ah! Why didn’t I think 7b19bba6b9 of that?”7388bdb58572d74f
His face brightening, 28623908f9 he nodded at e2581466df Mr. Kim, opened the e958bb1d65 company messenger, and f444d5c579 scooted closer to 876e1d5708 his desk.1fa3b9da1cc2a407
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How should I 76c57cb7e9 start…?badf53d090570a42
It was just 1ae730f339 a message, not f79df6e681 a letter or b334e5f11d email, but he 2082064f22 found it surprisingly 482c315619 difficult to begin. He pondered for 11790258fc a moment, then 334c601228 carefully typed out 2820e47cee the first sentence.6ea4229456d1d394
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[Mr. Woo, thank you for yesterday. That was my first time.]
Once he started, the 8179154669 rest flowed easily. He typed 01d7035341 diligently, a b8c67ed9aa serious expression c5ef8aad4a on his 83189a5e1f face, as 3cccbb9219 if composing 592a13b8cf a letter. After a few 694462fb5b minutes, he reread e05e4d7251 the finished message, 3311555d8e smiled with satisfaction, bb625f4019 and hit send.3d8587f8e3396662
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“Oof.”722314190041d16b
Having thanked Mr. Woo, he leaned back 2c4773823a and stretched, ready to cfa22dde6c pack up for the be9c3b0014 day. A ding sounded from his f463047441 computer and the 3e76cfe7bb one behind him. He shrugged 3c81c5e6b2 it off, 7590f90b07 continuing to c399580e7e tidy his 96f7473a39 desk.fa64cb7dcff9c2f8
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“Hangyeol…”a33a4a65abb2a105
Mr. Kim’s voice made him a937e8edd2 turn. He blinked innocently, realizing 77d6b57e8d that everyone on the 752542594a team, including Mr. Kim, was staring at dcedb045f5 him.3f5d1365d165c238
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“Yes?”4077fbc65f423ab3
“I think you sent e60716a360 that message to the 0aa001dc1c wrong person…”3eb49929ebb9747e
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“Huh?”e411731efb76ec26
He frowned, 6a6965e943 puzzled, and 546bb16699 wheeled his 1451faa518 chair over c906a76144 to Mr. Kim’s computer. A familiar message fa2d6e5601 was displayed on 8c8aa0ae41 the screen.f1a42a24c8d383ca
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― □ ✕deae96645ae56f03
Im Hangyeol (New Business fdd3c45976 Planning Team)6d931b5636bd5567
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Mr. Woo, thank you for yesterday. That was my first time. At first, it was so hot and painful that I struggled, but towards the end, I think I enjoyed it. Oh, and I took care of everything after you left, so don’t worry! If you’re okay with it, I’d like to meet up again sometime and do what we did yesterday. Let me know.690ec108ce37eb28
It was the message he’d just sent to Gi Seonwoo. He couldn’t understand why it was on Mr. Kim’s screen. He frowned and pressed his index finger to his temple. Mr. Kim, observing his bewilderment, said hesitantly,aaac37526bef3693
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“Hangyeol, you 45cde9022d sent that 92854873fa to the 28286eea45 entire department…”48b64d922ae8bf08
“Sir?”28a05f4fca952d25
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“Everyone in our division 7c194d41f1 got that message.”9bfc0bc7d18970de
“Oh!”75f318c719e487e2
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Hangyeol gasped, his e9e4992ffc eyes widening. He could 40b5bef29f have sworn 15fc3d557b he heard 9dc7fe6603 murmurs from 343dfd22dd beyond the c0578ad8c6 partitions. He inhaled sharply 84d6141c62 and asked Mr. Kim, his forehead creased 48992147e6 with worry,3523330733771f95
“What do fef719d7be I do?”dde980fb191d427e
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