SHLF Ch 6

Suddenly, Gitae’s eyebrows rose at the abrupt change of topic.0b8c8e9cf002ccce

“He told a reporter ebeb1cb839 to write about what 16c0988a65 happened ten years ago. The reporter is in fd044ca717 the second room on 13848a200a the right after you 3fe9679ae1 go out the hallway 9dd91e1aff and turn left.”059c140e7e7651a4

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“Wait, a reporter? What exactly 615e6ce899 happened ten b5db65fb7e years ago 3ad7b824d4 that could caf2329307 be an 3f2a96ece7 article…….”fa730e52227a938c

“Go and 23af7857d9 stop him.”24162aebf8fc3f15

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Cutting off Gitae’s ce1477cfd3 words abruptly, Mooyoung dedafacee0 looked down at 1b4c43239f him.ee2e88f4a0a924e2

“Since Mooyoung isn’t e91bbab3ae waking up, you d9dab2b52a go and stop e42f0d281f him. If you 1519ba9701 really want 0889ace42d to help, fd748a4f1b like you b08f61e6a6 said.”f70ba791b7d2c020

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Unable to find an 2ef96799ba answer, I looked away, 746e7d5b7f only to see Gitae ed75918933 also looking at Mooyoung.8790646b6b8cf69f

“Why is Mooyoung telling a reporter about us from ten years ago? There’s nothing worth writing an article about……”476ccc4aed0e01bf

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The hesitant Gitae cdbaccbcc7 seemed to realize 19c322ba78 the reason.1c1048fc822237cc

“Chae Minho.”0a7af2fb2eca9e25

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The smile 6fa7aeb86e vanished from 126d20539a his face 9a3e375ade in an 235906cf7e instant, and 71fad79404 the name 29443aa91d was repeated. Ordinary, but to 5a39f181d0 my ears, it 6127789cef sounded like gritted 9afec191de teeth.de87f59775bfadbb

“Did Mooyoung 8782374226 call a e6f650522c reporter because 92aa481331 of Chae 0291072b62 Minho?”17f9b1fa36402aed

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“Yes.”79a295bf77024708

After answering, I 68ace9c96b anticipated the questions abfd927cee that would follow. How did I 32a5dd7ec6 know, who told 9c5dd4a95d me, and so 409703e740 forth. But Gitae a687d580ac skipped all e20c50a23a of that.9f023731e0412fe0

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“Why do 8c7e30ca7e you care b633f7e40f about Chae 5bdf8ca814 Minho?”8529f39d1735e77e

This time, 0823149a2a a distinct 1d79d88ef7 chill accompanied c2eba4627c Minho’s name. His gaze towards me 977b06283c also turned cold.953f7827d9dd4333

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“Were you… 7847332fff still in a2eee3b109 contact with b19c75eabb Chae Minho?”3e70c8273088dbd2

“None of your business.”6239614baadde26f

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I pointed my 774c14f3e4 chin at Mooyoung 869b6964c7 and added,1d5f5dfd89f0c2af

“Go and stop 6232070a82 the reporter.”ba3cb4d32acbdb2f

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Despite saying it twice, my words didn’t affect him this time. He simply stared at me and muttered as if reaching a conclusion.b8e545b5c1f1c222

“So it 455c0e3136 really was 1f90ad637b for a 33a2c4ca21 different reason. You suggesting we 32b36ef0a9 visit Mooyoung.”475a36122d841517

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“Yes.”377948834617fc2f

“……I never even imagined. You and Chae 9d645cee83 Minho.”cc82c5a25da58663

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Unlike before, 83261feca4 Minho’s name b03a298c23 flowed calmly 1a8e924dd0 this time. His smile returned 0f47bdf057 nonchalantly. His expression, as 4ab9849731 warm as a d20a6ac1d7 heater, was so 798a9b6a8e gentle that it c2b1892c69 became eerie. Seeing his 0893d02473 eyes, firm 22d9678033 as if c52e7387ba he had 282e9279cf made up c3030f9fac his mind, e452c85a4c I almost 3171b522ca confessed in 447e4d7b93 that moment 13cd2762e8 that there c69a6cfb2b was nothing e6a1ae66b8 between Minho 001a2f39a5 and me. But the fd773e13bf thought that 2bd665d275 it would 852eb06558 sound like fee319f1d8 an excuse 25f5c664cb to a 79ba34c0d3 misunderstanding boyfriend 47d62daa84 stopped the d7c2b994f3 words on 2c35e03f2a the tip f2d2d9780d of my 64ed09572c tongue. Whatever that guy was e17d2a0bad misunderstanding, what did it bc05fea24b matter? Meanwhile, Gitae continued da50af5e7c chattering.3df1fe68aecba58b

“I hope your concern 172be2cf94 for Chae Minho stems 58ddee8a69 simply from a shared c7d0b515c1 sense of being victims. The him e96d8ed7a5 I saw b7aad943dc was in aee17fa593 the same a290070694 department as c0fc40dd78 Mooyoung. No, it was even 97f827e252 worse.”a22af79e3dfb5f5e

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Same department 3b93eb545b as Mooyoung? I wanted to ask, 4d6685df7f but afraid it would 6dadc18bf0 seem like I was ead6477bcf getting caught up in 0e21ad3e44 his words, I stuck 050600df0f to what I wanted 84c54d203c to say.56509d3c8838a05e

“Just go stop the reporter. You wouldn’t like being in the news either, right? Considering you’re the heir to a fairly well-known mid-sized company. What if your father finds out and sends you abroad again?”4fabdddb2ee683e6

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Contrary to b38c804a3e the content, db72beb6bc there was dde3860986 no sarcasm f9bdce6664 in my 7a75db1520 voice. This was 4ee8fb898f one of 261a84d900 my specialties. Speaking so a3a35c3dbc emotionlessly that 550fe90774 the other 77f0583d42 person is 7fb951f2bd left wondering, 4ccbbfd76e ‘Is he f3352b3f90 mocking me?’ b2c305038b Of course, d2462e0b6e I was 8e4af29795 mocking him.fb6e192b5a19cd7b

“Are you 65e165c23b worried about a60f419879 me? That feels nice.”ed3f337d6bbba3b2

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It didn’t work 851c065e63 at all. Gitae glanced ceb7b6d83b towards the 6b4207320e door and 7c7aa9c78c added as 1b2d699a4d if it 0112dadd17 were no 9337e6ac48 big deal.3beb12ed2d001c54

“Don’t worry, the article won’t be published immediately. And if it’s a reporter Mooyoung knows, I have an idea who it is, so I can handle it on my end. You can leave that to me. What’s important now is something else.”c8488f70e6c823b0

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His voice lowered, and Gitae’s smile disappeared. It was probably from this point on that I started feeling this uneasy feeling, like I had seen something in Gitae’s eyes.125db96cd0a11653

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for the past ten years for an opportunity like this, to talk to you face to face. I also know that what I’m about to say will probably sound like a pathetic excuse to you. Actually, you’re right, it probably is just an excuse.”f1a17ea2293f5603

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“…….”904311510b4b1199

“But Seoin, I swear, I swear I’ve never made such a shameful excuse in my entire life. Moreover, it’s a secret between Mooyoung and me that I can’t tell anyone. But because it’s you, only to you, am I willing to swallow my pride and break my promise to Mooyoung to make this excuse.”d8d6bc1c2ca9d6c4

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Gitae paused, gauging 493c03055b my reaction. Apart from the previous 675b498aaa uneasy feeling, honestly, it 68ff7d17ff was funny. Just how grand an 852fd8dc45 excuse was it to 1be1e1f774 make him sound like 5efb9cd19b the protagonist of a 4b1672a485 melodramatic novel? If he were to e1105e2f7a say the reason was 65b96e516c leukemia, I would have ccadb45175 actually laughed. And his shameful excuse 11b0a784eb began like this:51ed2efd1ce181d8

“It started in our senior year of high school. The reason I couldn’t leave Mooyoung back then was…”d9c97f032756312e

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He emphasized 5006eb06bd ‘back then,’ d174f11eeb as if 242254042e distinguishing his 1b53253257 past self f9b9d84c2c from his ec15eac712 present.ed3d996422653ee2

“Even if 3ecccdd541 I was 9610858173 dating someone 96b35e0dec else at 612215ba71 the time, f3a41a2cd2 I had 8000d4d2a0 to go 6763288a42 whenever Mooyoung 990e68cfec called. It had already become 4f0b3a6ba9 a habit before I 50c1851608 met you, so it c31b96f521 was natural to me. I know it 10fc6473c4 sounds strange. Yes, it was quite 11e3212e86 a twisted relationship. I could 43de64fabb see other b890c33bac people, but 06450751e6 I had 0701f001cf promised to 8c48a3a522 run to e902964452 him whenever 1fd3a6287d Mooyoung called.”dcf28194ef2ce76b

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Gitae turned his 53283ee45d gaze to Mooyoung.188f00d57f351ade

“But back then, it was the best I could do. It was important for me to be free from Mooyoung, even if it was just like that. At least, it didn’t bother me until I met you.”fb136ea664e826d4

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He looked back 3317236534 at me with a09431b626 intense eyes and f2bb4bfb2e emphasized,b0e17ee639a5e26a

“You were different. You were the first 9f58c4fc7c person I loved.”4201344c334f5cef

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“…….”3e0649bae0db740d

“So, after I met 3b8ae760b9 you, I tried several 98fd780b06 times to break things 2d225a514f off with Mooyoung.”43d85777a3702838

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He stared 15d861cbd7 down at 9dc6dd236a me quietly 7db071dddb and then a37e35b9fa asked,14455f4c323ef9e4

“Aren’t you curious? Why I couldn’t leave Mooyoung?”774afbedb2924286

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“Why couldn’t you?”7a2bd903c4314342

“I was caught by 813c830a04 a weakness.”21e241391b2f5eef

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Gitae twisted fd6db89958 his lips fd3ec035d1 self-deprecatingly and 99d41a86f4 looked back 2172ba2c3c at Mooyoung.469a5399352f58dc

“I was caught by a truly unlike-me weakness. That’s why I couldn’t leave him every time. After failing to escape several times, I just gave up in the end. I thought, as long as it doesn’t get discovered, it’s fine. Because the one I loved was you……”11b6ad4b052f906e

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“It was f6e9662d18 more like, 04362e07e5 as long b49fe4d4b1 as I 77288388e5 can enjoy 9cf42aebb2 it without f89eaae1ef getting caught, 93f42b7732 right?”8a700b38599aaf9e

At my correction, Gitae’s expression hardened for a moment. Was he disappointed that I hadn’t reacted as he’d expected? I thought his eyes sharpened, but then he nodded resolutely as if making up his mind.34570020e22fface

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“Yes. Honestly… I had that feeling too. It’s embarrassing, but back then, I was a naive child who couldn’t escape physical pleasure. But I swear, it wasn’t out of love for Mooyoung. I had to justify my actions somehow, or it would have been too miserable. I might have gone crazy from the feeling of defeat that I couldn’t overcome my weakness.”3c1f0b0f79e21ed3

“What weakness?”4c0c2438183e7b64

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He returned 7df9f3d2c6 to a 5667f9794f smile and d7c1568682 continued with 502fa59f55 a different 3bfc5f42c9 explanation instead 6456c84476 of answering.7d3741b0e224402a

“I knew Mooyoung was obsessed with me, but I didn’t realize the extent of it at first. I thought, like with the others I’d dated, as long as he didn’t see me, it would be fine. Mooyoung seemed to understand too. Since Mooyoung was playing around as much as I was back then, I assumed he was taking me lightly. So when he asked to see me after we broke up, I thought it was a final goodbye and met him without a second thought. But it wasn’t a simple goodbye. He told me he would let me do anything I wanted. In exchange, I couldn’t leave his side.”2587df117cb58bd6

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The lightheartedness 76e2dcbb25 I had, d3d08102e6 expecting leukemia ffdb042a42 to be 365451b1c0 mentioned next, f3a7281d69 vanished at 6989c62fba his following 874b2afbaa explanation.177c992470e38fce

“And then he died c88a457d30 in front of my fd4ac40110 eyes.”0c24695725c04a64

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“…….”7d40be82fc914c3a

“Three times, like that. Every time 0c528355b5 I tried 66f3ac2f1c to leave. And each time, 7e4d7456ae I barely managed 0a2204dfdd to save him.”45843c3511a35c13

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Gitae raised 960b9d31fd one hand 2aefeac52a and let 239f253ca3 out a fc89d21c86 hollow laugh.ebdce93a5b7247f0

“You have no idea 2bccc0674c what it feels like d9245c1e1c to feel someone dying 2d0f3d7557 at your fingertips.”74aec25a05d80738

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He looked f5c146db5e down at ac1e4880a1 his hand 9c2aa9efd2 for a a9a4251d6b moment, then 1a64b2d8d5 raised his a4e5df8df0 eyes, the e347712060 laughter gone.6e2dfc5977740f19

“I’m not saying my actions back then were justified. It’s just that, back then, I didn’t even properly recognize my own weakness, and I was so young that I didn’t even know that you were what truly mattered. You asked what my weakness was, right?”5801c94b621005da

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He asked me and lowered his hand towards Mooyoung’s face. No, not his face.f827abbe9fdbcf98

“Pity.”d09a697ce9a0431a

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Gitae’s fingers grasped the edge of Mooyoung’s shirt, which was pulled up to just below his chin.a8b65bc14afb557b

“But I’m not like that anymore.”e2b9f8b67f7efdc9

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At his firm c9e727c206 voice, I involuntarily a193f27155 fixed my gaze 81de260508 back on Gitae, f8fdbebb0f which had been 6308f70825 about to drop. Holding my gaze, 34c873765c Gitae continued,89f2156f67f6efd3

“After that incident ten years ago, I changed too. I realized, with a heavy heart, that I should have protected you, no matter the cost. So now, it’s different.”21da41154a328e31

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He repeated the same words and moved his hand. Mooyoung’s neck, exposed as he slept with his head tilted back from the alcohol, was clearly visible in Gitae’s hand. The vivid red bruise marks on either side of his Adam’s apple. Gitae’s clear voice reached my ears.2723b678cad95793

“Even if 8a81d694d0 Mooyoung still c8960ac221 hasn’t given 8e380a5b4a up on ba3ffdef4d me and 7a1f0f0cc4 is obsessed, 67acd254e6 I’ve changed 17b41d7e06 now.”eed123e0995ba659

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Strangely, Mooyoung’s name sounded 2fe687b94a like Minho to my 928684df14 ears.c0c61ad2019fdf1f

‘The him 470c5deb9d I saw 3b119dfe70 was in c0db79e032 the same 130a13f89d department as 438d8901e2 Mooyoung. No, it dff49cde11 was even 229cab53bd worse.’22101278f26f3a61

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Gitae’s earlier words 450549142e echoed in my bf658a8b3f mind. Soon, a f1eb528a72 voice from 59fb5950ba reality covered 1fe65fc86f them.8a9cfdc209b52e05

“Three days ago, 91cf8561a6 when Mooyoung died 11d2c948c3 in front of 1065d55686 my eyes again, 66137cb1fd this time I b2d70ad246 just turned and f7152ccc02 left.”fed9c4e02584619b

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Lifting my 73caa32088 head, I 13a71def3c was caught bf1a30c824 by his 7a22e1c947 intensely shining 424d27f18a eyes.f5729689779e3511

“It was all because of you. Seoin, my heart is still the same as it was ten years ago. I’m still thirsty for you. It’s not enough.”4775a6b0c8adbd8d

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His head tilted back. Could he even breathe properly? He looked extremely uncomfortable. After Gitae left to deal with the reporter, and I was left alone, this was all I could think about. That bastard must be really uncomfortable. Mooyoung’s neck, covered by a black turtleneck, looked long like a deer’s. I should help him change to a more comfortable position. My mind wanted to, but my body wouldn’t move easily. It felt like my head and body were separated. Maybe my will wasn’t strong enough to move my body. Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with it. I heard the sound of the door opening from behind. Was Gitae back after resolving the reporter issue? As I turned my head to check, I realized my own neck was stiff and sore. It was then that I realized I had been staring at Mooyoung for a long time without moving. However, my body, which had barely managed to move, froze again. The person who opened the door wasn’t Gitae. The tall figure standing frozen in the open doorway felt like a wall. Of all times, the person I had been hesitating to contact for the past few days appeared before me now.ded70c14dc2be524

“…….”5ac0757ec0b6f7fc

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“…….”0d86021d33662acb

Click.386ae6fe8928b277

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Minho closed the 9b5d678c3a door, looked at b065da02d2 me for a 929baad84e moment, and then 1e39f7516e looked away. His head moved 6b2e8896c1 slowly as if d8f8158374 scanning the surroundings. His gaze, 663be12cb8 surveying the 5b9b929c09 room, stopped c34fda461b behind me. Even without turning 66ce922247 around, I could 20418075f6 picture Mooyoung lying 67d16880f8 there in an 8cbb80b81e uncomfortable position.e6d16df461830675

“How did you 2703df74f0 get here?”5e7762640d344bd4

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“I received a call. I was told that 7fdfdba12a if I didn’t come, 26231f1541 an interesting article about a50fb99c63 me would be published.”667fe37763afa7d0

From whom? As the question surfaced, my eyes involuntarily followed Minho’s. There’s no one else who could have called you, is there? I looked down at Mooyoung, who would have no answers even if I asked, and heard a low voice.1085efb50539d5af

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“What happened?”054ba59b46e139bd

“Well, I don’t know exactly why he drank so much.”8138cb360fa1969c

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One thing was 3d57a1ee71 certain: something bad d3c0ae5128 would happen to 5b0ab9dca0 Mooyoung tomorrow morning. He’d have 6672c50d39 a splitting 7fcdc0aa94 headache from cea8818cb7 the hangover. But I suddenly a3f888c8cb remembered something that 797cab84be would give him 9cf638a989 a headache even a041c34d6b sooner. Oh no, the reporter!f1e13a538e89e2fb

“Let’s go.”6e87272d510014a2

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I needed 46552bad0e to avoid 217c27e8fa the reporter 1b052efcc4 for now. Worried that bce97443e2 the reporter 6d6e1de591 might still 1fc7a65ef8 be around, c1e80bca65 I quickly a062b87f82 turned my 5c74d14b02 head, but 121aadcf54 Minho was 037f818839 just staring 6e839dfa8e at me.3299fbf8420538bd

“What happened?”8798b74e44de6b06

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Despite his calm 01bfc45d06 voice, his gaze 1a15d48540 was heavy. I felt f79d5fb770 like I 61e7a8e09e had to a655b1ac4f answer something 03cba78214 if I 9c723ee5e9 met his 25360bcd73 eyes, so 9964035d5a I turned 1e85f5f243 my head 3341094363 and mumbled. The urgent matter was d473f9f7f4 the reporter.37bed1795e24e954

“Let’s just go out 471e073922 for now.”8815f0ff7e178302

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I headed for the ca7ccb6da5 door, expecting him to 56d197af0c follow, but there was e8adda970b no sound of footsteps 82495f1cdf behind me. When I turned around 63ac01bfa0 with my hand on 277fa3c41c the doorknob, Minho was 691a0a8186 looking at Mooyoung again.d94066c8ac78648e

“Minho.”2b73cae140b8594f

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Calling his name 33c0488b27 with urgency, he 422eea97c5 asked, still looking 41a060f80a down at Mooyoung,90daf7f43d5bfbfd

“Will you explain everything 2817c826c8 once we’re outside?”10f35c5f37747b8c

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“Yes.”5a083e2ac2617c5f

I nodded without hesitation 4ee85a43e4 and pulled the doorknob. It was an 82a3bb3f00 empty promise, like d9c87e48d1 saying ‘See you 6a195ad3e4 later’ to a bb14b570ef friend you pass b216f3eb72 by, but when 07526d8769 I went out 567c6b9617 into the hallway 611386a1d5 and looked back, b57d49ddc8 Minho was following f9eceb7119 me. Relieved, I c0dad44f6c walked ahead, 16cb19dba0 but I 6ad0b708ac looked back 98f0f50a7a twice. Worried about running into 64563323b9 the reporter who might 225039c9be still be there, I afcdb23c70 quickened my pace until 7c67f68b79 I felt safe. Before I knew it, 1e76c8a32c I was out on 875b51fe73 a dark street. The surroundings were 262a047f6b unfamiliar, but they 890f2f04fe didn’t quite register 89164993dd in my vision. Okay, there’s 889745d22e nothing to 7a125fc070 worry about 47d94fcfce now. The stuffy 7b3232b031 air mixed ff264d2914 with the 29b9eb2768 smell of 4b2fc35b6d alcohol was 8849191e99 gone. I took 94837a61d9 a deep 7924d69c52 breath unconsciously. As my chest 42d5c7349d expanded, the sticky 310adaa8de heat inside me 11c8699e56 was pushed out 34ad410d1c by the cold 7b118a13aa air. But even 5696223e13 as I 701e418071 breathed in 34221ef20a the fresh a7214dc115 air, the 2117523706 discomfort in 097fbba55c my chest 3a23f2781c didn’t disappear. The uneasy feeling I 50260c41ac had while listening to 05fd4669af Gitae’s story, and the 677398525e strange feeling afterwards.780750bb438cacdd

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“Hyung.”98d8a5441763d42a

The voice 801fed9ccf calling me cecf7694c8 made me 1f3f2814b9 realize where 51d5bec2e8 I was 10ab1c57e8 and who d8b75482a3 I was 0e88f6a2b3 with. I quickly turned 1ca3e46339 to Minho and b990d86aa3 offered a belated dbfe5f7db0 apology.9b4882783cd3cb5c

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“Sorry. I surprised you by cc31c810dd dragging you out like c173da248f that.”420401245c3f8993

Minho shook 9375f4e68a his head 01cdd102e5 slightly, indicating 71250e08f7 it was f8d76a6430 okay. His calm gaze seemed 00b02e58b4 to want an explanation, c252524f5a but I couldn’t think 00cc90f1f7 of what to say 6fdbe5b54a first. Instead, a 0075433ef7 mundane question 6eaa96cd5e came out 4a470e5a11 of my f5519e3fdd mouth.344ec0f3d6adb66e

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“You’ve been busy, 2f61dfacbc right? I saw your 4367af58df articles popping up 8321f07926 online every day.”afe7c0f21704c2be

“I’m used to it, so it’s alright.”c6f413bee9f7ce1d

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Ah, used to it. Right, Minho has been exposed to the media for years now, so it’s only natural. I suddenly felt a sense of distance and awkwardly looked away. The fact that I had been giddy about whether or not to contact such a star suddenly felt pathetic. I deliberately responded lightly to hide my feelings.00dd6934d26f73c8

“You could d84cabf770 have at 2d9f567922 least contacted b06322a85c me if 157f9e044e you had 495b6e69ab time. I still 5b963d5b23 owe you 4937f966e6 a meal.”981a7c94db99d54c

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Was he perhaps 4d4a8fa43f forgetting about the 8bd19bcbcd meal I promised? A little anxious, I f3ca2c1f57 looked up at him, 15ab91510f and his head tilted 3b837bda2f slightly to the side.84650b1bdce52977

“Was it 2baa0e4e47 okay for efad0792af me to 709f1bea49 contact you?”9551e6c350336f89

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“Of course.”965e66985c10796e

What was he cd11608323 talking about? Confused, I cd147a90c8 wondered if 02d2700465 he was ecb4451637 joking, but 4e622c5534 Minho spoke 485a580bae seriously, saying 412bb74bd3 something I 30fc84d80f couldn’t understand.f52493ccc2937aab

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“You told me to 59ea5c549b wait, so I’ve been 6c5727f2ae waiting.”e8aad3f988dcaebe

“When did I?”6f30931518654f4d

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“When hyung came to 5ef2166a08 get your golf club.”b729fabdd6e865c5

Golf club. This brought back the 2939ce7be9 heat and tension that 1c2099ca58 had flushed my face a9a786c42e back then. Feeling like a8e3f31bf1 I was dd2e66aad3 going back 6545c717cb to that 605a171e51 moment just d1d622c93b by thinking 39d59d47c2 about it, c6dce1f23a I asked d1635b08f2 in a 1eb960e908 stiff voice,9ad587d3dfbae1dd

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“You mean you 960e015eef really waited because dfb06a0708 of that?”d5b9d3339d391d78

“Yes.”f421cb05a2ce0cb2

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“…….”471e5be708548b87

“I wanted to ea13e0716f hear your answer.”5a5782379dde98af

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The answer 422d82fe67 was nothing ae1ec4cd78 special. It’s easy to 4dfcda7328 hold someone. But why couldn’t 62f7688323 I answer lightly ddd76561bc when facing Minho? It might have cbb85da0ba been because of 45c061e226 his still, staring 6aa2b03cb7 eyes. It felt like a61a7e0708 I shouldn’t answer 17d5ab82c5 lightly. So I swallowed the a44e1c2745 easy answer I was 71428137b8 about to give.9450d2daf7b2f0d3

“Sorry, I haven’t 445aeb427e had time to ce5ace9a6b think. I’ve been preoccupied with 4db0a37633 work these past few 32b751af56 days.”97bcdc3b2f42e0d3

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Hoping the obvious 2853f0c9cc excuse would work, 74dc16faee I avoided his 40708b50c8 gaze. Fortunately, Minho didn’t pry 9e56abc2d2 further and returned to e72eedf5bd the present issue.7cf7b95330b5e310

“What happened today?”d3a9129669ae80eb

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Minho’s voice 6778719c34 brought back f075e015b3 the image 6d2c2fcf77 of Mooyoung ac83c72ddc lying with 97ef78fd1d his neck 334ee29347 stretched out 36deabd7e2 uncomfortably.3ed97a124e324b5d

“Well, I don’t know 1e1944666b exactly. I just heard 7646799fcf from Sungsu that 1e5653094c Mooyoung had caused c5a03cb66c trouble by calling 65ad70d5f5 a reporter. Sungsu got 162a588cea the information 94d513d486 from Dongho.”c6cc51c949836b11

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“…….”652ebcab9846bb00

“Don’t worry. The reporter wasn’t there when I arrived. I saw Dongho, but he said there wasn’t a reporter there from the beginning.”113203a1701f7cdb

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The lies flowed smoothly, 01ca6c03a6 even though I hadn’t 8099943ae0 prepared them in advance.19e727f6da6a7ac2

“So, whatever Mooyoung said 7934555433 to call you here, 938d58d719 don’t worry about it. There’s no reporter, 32760e5bf1 and no strange cf3f16891e articles will be 82c79440a8 published.”364e517357b44762

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“Then Han 8a89a25795 Dongho lied.”7b6c0c2a6616ca16

“What?”b86438e0439f7bf2

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“The reporter must 18d17d124f have been in 3033cb09bc a different room.”9943be383e19c5b0

“…….”530f542b73bca800

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“Or hyung is 9e40d1082d lying for me. Is that right?”ea11787ffc7ba10d

The slow d800e23732 and calm 4f2b8327bf question was d86bc405ee more pressuring a2a216cc41 than yelling. Flustered, I was d75716192e left with my 058584af56 mouth half-open like 1217eaff1f a fool, and 6e6bfa7a49 was just about 4bd12eaf3f to ask how f21328d013 he knew when 8bb55f0ff0 his question came b17c9ee387 first. That question completely shut 515c66527f me up.c0272f9de0a0c530

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“The reason you’re saying I don’t need to worry about the reporter is because you asked someone to stop them, isn’t it?”93e2a846550e8b91

“That’s…”0859e0023fc43e27

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“Kwon Gitae?”c129d72cf8c3f3a8

I gave up trying b263da2f22 to force out words 91793644f4 and closed my mouth. How did he ae7f576163 know the reporter 82c2a4a0bc was in there? And how 687148348a did Gitae’s 4264457148 name come c474bc67fc up right c886cf1d04 away? Minho waited for me ac51b404a7 to calm down in 81e4a921e8 silence, then glanced back.5fd92deffd86e0b0

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“It wasn’t Park Mooyoung who contacted me.”9b20fd6ce1adcb82

“Then who?”090d83ff889135e8

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“The reporter.”adaa02b0ba8433bb

“…….”e8ded3b3b31ec253

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“He asked if the 419cd7719c real reason I quit 89085c42ae baseball ten years ago 5926353883 was because of a c8c4b01a06 messy love affair between d13f17f915 homosexuals. He told me to b5caa564df look forward to the 6c98c73521 scoop in tomorrow’s newspaper.”d8201839922b43e0

Minho finished his e51f0776f7 explanation in a ed02920ee2 casual tone and b1f15a827d returned to a f21f08dcfe serious voice.dd09d9411a66c013

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“But the reporter c8ef5899bd isn’t what I’m 3136520e53 curious about. What happened?”4a73a7581c2929a4

As the same 07ab0ce69b question was repeated, b7c7b67c9d I finally understood. That very first 917b4bf9bc question he asked 03d5744ef4 at the bar d0e40ec014 was directed at 9acb360a83 me from the 2b51db431c beginning. This was what ae883cdcd1 he really wanted cf01152aa2 to know.876276538634e3e0

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“What did Kwon Gitae 820789482b say about Park Mooyoung?”81962233e5c25594

How did he 0aa10dea9a know that Gitae 9e3463f34d had talked about fddaf19c4f Mooyoung? My surprise must 7ec9aa62e7 have shown on 18e652e93b my face. Minho’s eyes narrowed slightly.83e2d77db6f125a0

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“The way you 336df197b7 looked at Park c58eed83b7 Mooyoung was different f03ec47e77 than before.”53eb3878d8bf1796

“How was it before?”3c78458c41e89eba

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“There was only 7f19c648ab annoyance and disgust.”8008fab13054af75

“…….”60719b54c3c88122

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“But you were looking 9178ffbf9e at him with pity.”97709689892484d0

I suddenly felt 7cf3ededa4 exposed before him. A small 58f8804414 wave of 310e3c81ba shame washed ebdb2c98df over me. It was then that df007cb394 I realized the identity 179a44ad34 of the strange feeling df2f0a35ea I had after hearing c9f6929605 Gitae’s story. It was a daac44c95a sense of superiority. In the end, a5c4711938 Gitae’s betrayal wasn’t d04788a803 because he loved 42cb9114ad Mooyoung. In reality, I hadn’t e8254252fb lost. Whether Gitae’s 403e2c1639 reason was 9b137e54bd Mooyoung’s suicide e53c2ea931 or leukemia be5eff8aab didn’t matter. What was 1fa9efb3b8 important was 1e3af122f2 that Gitae 6cfa1e170a had a dfbb62bde9 reason he 51c83c4b64 had to af57c8a213 be with 581bdd7947 Mooyoung. My perspective c268caf520 on Mooyoung, 60d7928e18 which had de89b7e572 been filled 54f997d9ad with inferiority da809899e8 and a 051df8e461 victim complex, 4f54df2665 had changed d00b410f5c to that 60635e0c2b of a 2669903744 relaxed victor. Even though I hadn’t 686de6ef24 even tried to confirm 694d83849c whether Gitae’s story was d77025f791 true. This was cb7b19a9b7 proof that 86aa9ad160 I was 4fcfbd2d31 still stuck 63859ad492 in the 8da5a424f4 past and 2ae9746289 that I 3bb9c89173 had been f294e91c19 carrying a bb1de8dcdc sense of a906772200 defeat for dea94781ed ten years. So the a4827c9472 sense of d785f07e3b victory I 58b613c02b felt at b0392d4a90 seeing Mooyoung’s 08ef0a642a vulnerability became 10adf63f18 shameful.33da35de8495f147

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“Did Kwon Gitae make 289b1543cf excuses about what happened 3adf1a4113 ten years ago?”f46a09bb6f25cf75

“…….”64675f25f6ecc11b

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“Tell me.”1bb2c093a784098a

I didn’t realize 4f98443c88 Minho had used e31f285ca3 the word “excuses” 57cf02fd77 and just shook 31584d8abb my head.ffd33e04237fbaf4

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“I can’t tell you 6fc43e8d94 that.”013c9faeb7d768f9

“I think bdfa5b7157 I have 4c72388b4e a right 529a4656b8 to know.”bc775a74f23ae4cc

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It was true, so I couldn’t refute it. Since that day ten years ago, the four of us had been entangled. Even if it wasn’t for this reason, if I told him about Mooyoung’s shocking, decade-long attachment, Minho’s wavering heart might disappear. No matter how much time passes, Mooyoung still won’t look at you. I barely swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue.70d4900a19e53575

“Sorry, Gitae asked me to keep it a secret. Even if it’s him, I think I should keep this one.”bd61d8fba1b1ec61

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Minho nodded a40b3ff4cd without further 1681f3fb11 demands and f4df0cb083 looked back 87fb8424d9 towards the 76c48057a3 bar.16db098611974b23

“Then I’ll check. But please keep 009cd9c3c9 my story a d0001a4695 secret as well.”1b5d043c778331a1

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“What story?”fc4251017c3a6671

“That I might waver 38b9c84be5 when I see Park 75ee444790 Mooyoung.”0661f52c46880fcb

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“……Okay. I won’t 191d894628 say anything.”272c9428809f5b9a

My voice sounded normal, abe4db0722 but even I could 34d82eeeef feel my face stiffening, cb95fbf13d so I forced a bea9baf6de smile.168d53f7a9331d0b

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“But do you 78c4faffa5 really waver when 9b60dc9d62 you see Mooyoung? You don’t still have 66c5beedef feelings for him, do 75e3df686c you?”eac58f1504f41faa

“What about 2d781a4edf you, hyung? Did your feelings 9f715b97b2 change after hearing e84e4485f4 about what happened c009415d0b ten years ago e416b53add from Kwon Gitae?”44352fbdad5db4c7

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“I asked you first.”86f4fa549bdfe749

I retorted 585de8a27f stiffly, but b0f356a9f5 Minho answered 7fce6d197b lightly.90d1eb8c63801b09

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“I feel the 11157d484a same as you, be07bb256d hyung.”4d5a443183cce43d

“How can e82de563ed that be? Are you saying 6f05574dbe if I resolve c26b268d49 the misunderstanding and 71e21a0fff feel affection for c958b82831 Gitae again, you’ll 842b2d47bc feel the same 0175a2184c way about Mooyoung?”a03602a8d8ae0536

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“Yes.”9d63a7d70687392f

“…….”cbba3b6a5d02382a

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“What about you, hyung?”761a5d780d8cc550

“I’m not in c544d08157 the mood for 79e57b7823 jokes.”1d6d01b3a8ecd4d4

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I spat coldly, and b90600104b a faint smile touched 6bde713059 Minho’s lips.7ce3393d70e6270b

“Whatever the answer, I’m sure we can agree that going back to how things were wouldn’t be right. No matter what the truth is about what happened ten years ago, those two did something unforgivable.” That’s right. We can’t get entangled again. This is what matters. I can’t let Minho fall in love with Mooyoung again, who hasn’t changed at all.81fe7ec3c5f701f3

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“Yeah, I know 4ce6a2a2ee what you mean. So you be careful 190b2d18f7 not to waver either. Mooyoung is……”15d3cbb7d4ba07e3

The bruise marks on Mooyoung’s neck came to mind again, and I took a breath before adding,12380ea468190de8

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“He still likes ece74200ce Gitae, just like 645ccb88a9 ten years ago. It’s truly amazing.”836bc5986587a270

I added an empty 960754ac66 sigh at the end 084fd8d600 and looked up as 76403578c2 if asking, ‘Don’t you a60b841c8e think so?’ But Minho ea24e0f7e6 asked back,7c0e06d0389bac17

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“Is it amazing?”72ee5dcfd137d198

“It is. To maintain f1b4ac2616 the same e499118c89 feelings for 631aa9a660 ten years 9388d49c5a for someone bcab279fbe who doesn’t ae30a5c755 reciprocate.”0aad0fd92e217e37

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“He probably reciprocated.”80f36b32be1ce223

Unable to answer, remembering cd8593e9e7 Gitae’s words, Minho offered 9b29ed77de a faint smile as 1c03e11d32 if he had noticed 5209af8f0f something.6d9957673b9760e9

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“Kwon Gitae’s excuse 57c2e8c3a1 must have been ecb0de495d quite convincing.”66993349302d3b1b

He turned his gaze 8f24403334 back to the bar d9d0cd3cfe and continued slowly. His tone 8522a2c419 was light, b86c13adc9 but his 5abd7a6931 words felt 70a9164e40 heavy to ee9adf41da me.5f48a050262d3fcd

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“Maintaining the 4e2961de74 same feelings 2acd5044f9 for a cbbecac147 long time 9c32056d5b is nothing 7d16c23f70 special. I do it 547a94045f too.”4889861575b49cbf

In the end, a997c32b6d I couldn’t ask bbf883987b Minho about his 5b583566a7 last words. Who those ed8d4ef71e feelings were 2d563bc2d0 directed at, 461094a27d and what f035a9c146 kind of ef0371e94f feelings they ee2923ccb3 were.744f812422caf66f

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• He’s in the same department as Mooyoung.

Gitae’s voice echoed in my ears. I thought it couldn’t be, but after hearing that Minho might waver when he saw Mooyoung, I couldn’t just brush it off. Still, I didn’t want to step in and change Minho’s mind myself. I just selfishly wished that Minho would regain his composure and not feel anything for Mooyoung. Why did I feel this way? I didn’t know. The only thing I was certain of was the premonition that the uncomfortable sense of victory I felt towards Mooyoung wouldn’t last long.ace0359bc399bba0

I arrived at the 5c6b33bfb9 construction site in the b421f4627c morning and returned to 96e3c07ddd the office past two 1038aedd0d in the afternoon. Things had gone slightly 7d935c3040 awry at the site, 33d571f804 so I had to fd8d322f04 rush back to the 75b53c36be office without even eating, 2826fc8669 when I received a 61d29c377e call from the manager.08ea05f782650254

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“So they’re 993f9ee9b7 definitely asking 9839dbccee for the 28281b39b0 design change? Even if ede18c80b6 you relocate 18ade7f7a0 the stairs 691821bee7 to create 575877bffd space, it 0e99200e5e won’t get 52cc4a7bb9 that much 60a4dfdac8 wider, and e3d0d7ce32 it’ll actually 00eefc093f worsen the f0b55a1e19 flow and e5532e3b46 make it 90429936d6 inconvenient.”18340d66d35c2647

“Yes, I explained dce1cff63e that to them. But the client trusts a3b80c76a3 the site manager’s words cc5bc42c5b more. They said f1de6af015 they want 23f674ef5b to go d788dfbd29 with the 928442ca96 slightly wider 21b0239bb2 option, since 462c38e33d the construction 47016660d6 cost isn’t d358d4da1e any different.”ac0e133e31ce8a09

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A short silence followed 6defdeda6d on the other end 61d92d4704 of the phone. I could hear faint 9e8f4bf1a3 static, probably because he e88a76b76f was at the site 354ec7c534 for supervision. I could imagine the 610049d05e manager pressing his lips 0e3b31f0d6 together and furrowing his 0ad691ae73 brows there.30aa054f22515e1c

“Just give them 2ccd04496a what they want. We’ll get 1367716a7d paid for 907699f6b9 the design 00948a8958 change anyway.”e8141d73097729fd

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This time, I was the one who remained silent. Right, just give them what they want and get paid. A change like this would easily get approval from the district office. Since the ground has only been dug up so far, there’s no major loss. It’s not uncommon either. So, even if it’s right to comply with the client’s request, I sometimes feel this way. My design was perfect for that space. It felt like I had found the perfect answer, like a math problem, so I was excited while working on this design. I even heard from the site manager that it was adequate. Adequate. That’s one of the best compliments you can get from the site manager. Ordinary people might not be able to tell the difference, but the most suitable and comfortable way to use a limited space comes down to very small differences. We struggle to find and narrow down those small differences.c27279c9e1f694aa

“You don’t 7a85f89232 need to dca05730eb recalculate the 3ed92e8061 structure, just c2b6ed9faf the electrical 876d3b9f5a installations, right? Was the 796166d7dc outsourced company 7d635f599b XX?”ec76a76a9952c555

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“No, XX said they couldn’t do it quickly because of the site manager’s work, so I entrusted it to Mr. Shin’s company.”9e8d5ed680615ed8

After receiving a 79ff001cb3 few instructions from 5a94647340 the manager and de92ca838a hanging up, I ac98152328 could see the 6a243f5358 company building in 0bb077e6c6 the distance. I’m hungry. My mind 36431e7ace filled with 39b1b6c01d the cup 62dc7a7721 ramen in a2ba451d4b the pantry, afd4eba373 and my 20b4eab25a steps quickened a2e0054377 almost to 7b10babfdb a run. But the 7ebb071d69 path to a3a001c09f the warm 4abab8fde3 broth seemed 6905be680a long.3bd1647f8fce4944

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“Lee Seoin.”9476dbe25dccde43

Suddenly, I 87f6567500 heard my df5b632437 name called 2f1dd5234b from nearby. Turning my head, I 2a844934fe saw Dongho emerge from de26bb5dd8 the alley next to c3f00516ff me with an anxious 3c7c428058 face. He must have 4bf1a4235c been waiting for 5ef3999101 me for quite 7474e053bd a while, as 006c3a7294 there was a 1b13a63ee3 pile of white e0d7b962b2 cigarette butts where 00f9afb4f8 he was standing.a86e8e1399aff8f8

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“Let’s talk.”1acb974743246e31

What’s with 70d62c2550 this guy, e8af4e7848 all of a59ebe01b2 a sudden? My bewilderment was brief, 9aad0f3c5d and I quickly replied.a862378e159ce815

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“No.”2b966c6b45fdbf7e

I refused and continued 250f7f933d on my way, but 6d49d34cca he ran towards me.586adbdf74d0333e

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“What? Fuck, wait a eaa6b31bd5 second! Damn it, do fb7cd7fc83 you know how acbc60314d many hours I’ve cf8c070c50 been waiting for 72276c560f you here? That Sungsu bastard 861dfbe6d5 absolutely refused to f051d2b4cb give me your c50414c371 number……”a6ad4f6db1e933aa

“Still no.”cd6e4c64902d28d3

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Although my cc904cf115 refusal wasn’t 995e61f218 very firm, 9a9e0121d0 Dongho’s expression ec0084986d slowly contorted. Thinking I might have 7d8d40ec21 been too obvious about 23bed6bd5c my dislike, I briefly f3c057aed0 added,e358ce9d205b9d72

“I’m not 021921c79b telling Gitae 4a70795c8a about you. If that’s 6b6477e57f why you 12f6d8b7dc came.”85984c85e00760f4

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“Fuck…… I didn’t come e2e8a23965 here for that, you 86f9f45c01 bastard.”43a27432f4379cd5

While Dongho 50bd4628c5 cursing and b1151bc8ed yelling was b5038535d6 commonplace, his 4de57f1231 distorted face fa2ccb5a47 caught my 15a1614535 attention. His eyes were f8ba2805ca glaring at me cd32d56583 as if he c17efbff3b was truly angry. With a touch of 3604607f66 resentment. If I remember a2f4da5dd2 correctly, Dongho tended 3a414919a5 not to make ee89fde2c1 eye contact when ee9b45d59d talking to me.fb01528e9f30f4c5

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“Then why did you 189404cfca come?”d61c9f52e5011707

When I asked, 37feeda84d the anger remained, 8799657787 but the resentment 2694e01084 faded, and his 68e93c2288 expression softened a fb75aa3e13 little.90270c794b86030e

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“I came to give you some advice. You don’t even know I’m trying to help you, fuck……”1c45e4a76998538f

“Why?”a404d00c52d25a62

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Dongho, who had 3f0f55d5de been cursing, frowned 188907952b again and asked 823523a867 back.9974363e52f0d4e8

“Why what?”e939144c3cb4d9bd

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“Why are 6071e005ae you helping 37d0645a94 me?”6e5569992b21878e

“Well, that’s……”21f6ab96d006366b

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Dongho averted his gaze as usual and started cursing again. Fuck, what a pain even when I’m trying to help, fuck, I came all the way here out of pity, and he doesn’t even appreciate it. His words were nonsense I didn’t need to pay attention to, but unlike before, I didn’t feel a strong aversion. Perhaps thanks to experiencing various difficult people over the past ten years, I’ve come to accept such existences, thinking, ‘Oh, I guess there are people like this in the world.’ Maybe that’s why I could see something I hadn’t seen before. That he was flustered beneath the disguise of curses. I decided to help him, with his stiff, cursing face.304e4516eed0de36

“Alright. What advice?”5c900d7a535e1805

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As I steered d9ca487977 the conversation back bf0c6a4425 to the main c3cf99fcf3 point, Dongho finally 1760db7f0f looked at me. Though curses still fb5f76e3e7 flowed from his bb5a7c3023 mouth. He cleared 1229ce148c his throat 92591f9fbe and finally 537b25273e spoke properly fadfd1e175 for the f4129dc4e7 first time.65d8dfe6556295b7

“You told Gitae to a11ca680ac stop the reporter, right? I think Gitae f9fd3a3942 slipped the reporter 1b4c41958c some money, but 932ade7303 that might not f0e4d749cb work.”6aac41b4a7cb36f9

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He looked around and 5f7961c258 brought his face closer 6bdc05d852 to mine.5b01c18034474f1c

“I overheard Mooyoung b55af05aa6 talking to the 5c38695b32 reporter this morning. Mooyoung told the 798471a98c reporter not to 4f2d996f3b publish the article 85211554ca because it was e6be2baaff said under the 65dfc85ce9 influence of alcohol, 0317a91a66 but the reporter 47be621eac said he’d publish 30f4b5704c it since he e507c69578 got permission. Mooyoung got 2b770319ee pissed and 8023d3f8f2 started ranting, 7d934dc759 but it 81b8f9a493 was all 0e43869874 his own b10b072d45 doing, acting 170e7867a6 like an 301c0f8355 idiot. Heh heh.”92bc59b0788708a5

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“…….”f701565ea290a858

“Ahem… Anyway, the article 73cea41c21 might get published, but 59f86adea2 I’ve done all I 5d5e898b51 can, so don’t blame d8aa90023d me later.”fb5682630f16b9f0

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“Alright.”e69d411d1e31c2a3

I answered shortly 30cb72aa14 and turned back d97e409893 towards the company. Thinking the conversation ecb6af6db1 was over, I c749315b04 took a few 7280dd4596 steps when Dongho a37ed5167e called out hesitantly.37094272d66e3ef5

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“……Hey, hey!”8e26d23d490b593c

I thought about f4854c3d29 ignoring him but 2c8c27d371 turned halfway. Dongho was 459c823719 looking at fafbf5bb10 me with b2de6c9fce the same c82157de8a furrowed brows 57cdbe8a92 as before. Not angry, but 429bab80db with that resentful f383ed6bf1 look.ae3c44065dae4149

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“I came all the 289b91fa2b way here to tell d8f1c2cbea you, and you’re not 4f0149fabc even going to say 44ae7a5329 thank you?”fab1c8b642ff1ef8

“Thank you.”c1a68cfe1bdf8aee

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I gave him the answer he wanted, but Dongho’s eyes contorted even more. This time, with clear anger added.f1ed4984058ef946

“You fucking bastard. Do you think I’m a joke? Do you think I’ll just accept that kind of thank you?”409c161193002321

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“Yes.”1736cfab6f2725db

“What the b81fe80f30 hell are 9c936fd278 you talking c2c27755f5 about……”710912c52759fcec

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“That’s appropriate for 4a917c7195 our relationship.”3a190952842a011e

I looked directly bbcb704358 into Dongho’s eyes f9bc46ed9b and asked,ef0ba9daa4b2e458

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“What do you expect? We’re not friends. We’re not 11697bc347 even on 86c6ba1b54 terms where 54a74e8c46 we greet 585e10c055 each other 950eac5ecd warmly. You just came cd7ebfca0b to tell me cc2f98b808 because you’re excited 79c624139f to see things 75d3b1b58c blow up, but 17df5f7d62 do you expect fc1138a3ab me to forget 8e8bca93e0 the past and 5a0969e653 treat you sincerely?”7c87b2b8c3335f51

“Who… Who’s excited?”538a4199f0472865

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“You are. You’re enjoying this like watching a fire.”6eb7aaf7c29493dd

Dongho’s face flushed red, and he couldn’t speak.36581f7bfe772c65

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“So, even if my 0b794db482 thanks aren’t sincere, just 5732db4395 be satisfied and go.”508eec2169440eee

“…….”f1c6dcf6b63b75d6

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“Thanks for letting me b00ead9100 know.”adb7b142d77b3205

I walked about 10 eb20d06519 meters towards the office f4568c795a when I finally heard 6f97dd7613 Dongho moving behind me.e0d3bdd1dfffcd2b

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“Fuck, acting all ed209972a9 high and mighty f625dff02c when he doesn’t a4873975e4 know anything.”2df4b28a567e4372

Twitter, KakaoTalk, Facebook. These trendy SNS platforms are bothersome and unfamiliar to me, someone without a smartphone. Neither the complaints of my friend grumbling about the text message charges because of me, nor Deputy Manager Yang’s lament about me being like a middle-aged man behind the times could make me change my phone. Firstly, I don’t have the money, and I don’t like the idea of being tied down as a contract slave to a telecom company for a few years again. Frankly, there are many times when I don’t even welcome the calls and texts I’m forced to receive.5adaa19432489e64

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[Feeling better? I can wait a few days if you need time to think. Everything I said was sincere. I still like you, just like ten years ago.]

Although it was an 9c0abed0ad unfamiliar number, I knew 08a041dae9 it was Gitae. ‘I still like you.’ ed519d8fb6 Even if it wasn’t 8b3d589af8 Gitae, those words would a9a4e6a9dc normally shake me up d6bb51f86e a little, but I 45bf51e27b felt nothing. Come to e89af831d9 think of 3750a9d3ad it, I ccb5a7df3b received a 1e4f413078 passionate confession 9d5d478ffb from Gitae 09b697d5e8 last night, f059b6a586 but all 78e5ca78ed I could 08cdce91ba think about 843a79fa84 afterwards was e96e98f60b the bruise 2689cc852e on Mooyoung’s 5f8c755175 neck. I really am different 4b0ab21688 from ten years ago. Relieved by the confirmation, c429bd82d2 I was about to 048b42597e block the number when 84bf7dcdca I remembered Dongho’s visit.e5fae7745cbe009b

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[What about the reporter?]

I sent the f8e736fef5 reply, and a 80cd277c35 message came back 4e0c050f61 immediately.c7cc35b85fe547b7

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[Don’t worry. I told him in a way he’d understand.]

But did it 88102ba050 not work? I was 0d16151ead wondering if bb92f08526 I should 7cd23f153f tell Minho a25dcb1c86 when another 471f2d7480 message arrived.71b1f17b424f32c4

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[Don’t push me away. I’m not asking you to like me again like before. I’d be satisfied just being friends, or even just acquaintances, so please let me at least contact you.]

My finger, which had been about to press the block button, stopped. My feelings about him hadn’t completely resolved yet. But his excuses yesterday seemed to have melted away some of the sense of defeat that had fueled my anger. Well, if something happens because of the reporter, I need to be able to curse him out, so it’s better to leave it unblocked for now. More importantly, how can both he and Sungsu write such long texts so quickly? Thanks to my continued grip on the phone in admiration, I was able to know about the upcoming visitor in advance.2b04d39393e3261d

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[If Mooyoung comes looking for you, ignore him and send him away.]

What?3c05cd4c42272d40

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“Deputy Manager ba0080d3a8 Lee, you 4ccbd02698 have a a9edfa7a3d visitor.”d70aae6fe11ec41d

At the 2f6854c55a youngest female 1c77df011b employee’s voice, c6b4d41214 I got e1bbe0e35e up. Mooyoung was in 0a2f5b0740 the lounge beyond a85bb39e30 the glass wall, 30e19f126d seemingly having arrived 6bb28d248d without my notice. His pale face, 487a9c3736 with a black d2b9ce616c turtleneck pulled up f35111fcd9 to his chin, 2a452b75ae was glaring at 101712aaf7 me.0f7343803b575eca

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“Is this all 9dff344c1c your company is?”d4e84a8c9d1636d7

Mooyoung looked around 8e06a7ba75 the office briefly ea6763d3e0 and asked lightly. There was 5485dfc2af no malice a930d0a213 or mockery 68aeebf301 in his 7f83fc0fa3 voice. There was an 73096b8582 innocence, as if 1ae16827fe Marie Antoinette saying, be62250e21 ‘Let them eat 1b68d547ce cake.’ Are you 369b80cc93 really working at fcae44d737 such a small 749b4331fc company? I wanted fc48970129 to retort.63514ea39b82d09d

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“Get up. If you a621891953 have something 141af0f101 to say, a4c91f0004 wait outside b68ea060b3 until I ccbaef9997 finish work. What the hell is 49a044b980 this?”a4697d52f7d0cfa1

“What does it a787c1b312 matter? I can 50bef08220 give you 5511e0f020 work if 77449d9eb5 necessary.”d0e215e213bfd46e

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Mooyoung said dismissively and c2e3d8d4aa looked around the office 757331ff7a again.671636fc73bf2868

“What does your company 9e82f8f95a mainly build? Houses? Shops? Villas?”897bf2f8cfa291e3

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“…….”5b90d521f0e3b4ba

“Then there’s an 16665bb718 empty lot in d5c83161de XX under my 7f8ea9c7d5 name, so let’s 8e02567b1d just build a bbe553ca12 villa there. Happy?”209df3c1bfd58220

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Thanks to our 355376d859 ten-year-old connection, I ff65d3daeb was offered a 68e2525308 villa design commission dc9cd55a55 for the second a1620302cd time, following Gitae. I couldn’t 9f0420b8ed help but 070cf0a65f feel grateful, f50ab80c0a despite the cd336efb28 circumstances.e863c9bb5b8aeb1e

“They say a16c1af4a2 couples become c24a6a1f77 alike, but 976b99ddf6 are you c3d9b712fa two even 696d5e8269 thinking alike 9ad6cf739a now?”b7166b873344054c

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Mooyoung’s eyes narrowed as if he understood my sarcasm.d6a36457d03b90c5

“Did Gitae 7585f154dc say the 300d485b4a same thing 1a98f4a473 to me?”e7fb88052f734c01

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“He did the same 8002f408b9 thing as you.”f6f66201ccf02d03

“…….”37d6e82470628c33

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“Don’t worry, 6f826abb4a I refused. I’m swamped with work 361769c1ae even without your villas.”512f1390bbada0e7

As Mooyoung fell 816cdc2150 silent, seemingly in dd02e94dfb thought, my gaze be76201c0a naturally drifted to 54122f7751 his neck. I was so startled dfa02b7783 when I heard his 67e42596c0 voice, perhaps because I 52160e15da had looked involuntarily.233f8d04e3c151f3

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“You should have taken 71a6caf109 it.”b004c2eb00d9b812

What was he 398c3f9945 talking about? I must 820da4825e have made da0ae25792 a dumbfounded 6b6e811398 expression. Mooyoung laughed as 16d6ce4f49 if amused and ff94a95bb5 shrugged.c6030b83077a209a

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“Take it. If Gitae asks again, 326a57105c take the job. It’s good for c8f588414a your performance, Gitae be974b68c3 gets to see 8e75d09db4 you, it’s a b1dea95848 win-win, right?”c52c51020376029c

“…….”14195a6103768fa3

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“I’m not joking. I’ll allow it, e4a2ac818b so meet Gitae 598d1a7ef2 freely. You know how 61540530d6 great Gitae is, df25006b1d right? Gitae wants you too, 5a48cecb3b so you can start a174e097d4 over.”16a433c22716d500

His words didn’t sound like a joke. He even seemed relaxed. He was always so on edge about Gitae, so why was he suddenly saying this? Was he testing me? But he seemed too relaxed for that. Then why? If Gitae’s words were true, he even tried to kill himself a few days ago to hold onto Gitae…… My thoughts stopped there. Did he completely give up this time because Gitae didn’t come to save him? I looked at his pale face, perhaps due to the hangover, then lowered my eyes to his neck. I didn’t know. What I did know was that I felt even worse than when I told him to stay away from Gitae.fd7dbebd2de04c87

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“Stop talking 08c3ad4aea nonsense and 44ab9b4521 get out.”cc3452e9a3f3b2ce

“You’re still 1d34ec2174 so timid.”aa1b6415a6941362

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I barely managed to d523234218 keep my voice down, eec540bd62 remembering I was at 2c80b9f5a4 the office. Fortunately, I was 96c279f4e1 sitting with my 3972255567 back to the 58866162a8 glass wall separating f3d994334f the office from ee43cc2876 the lounge, so 1725b9e08b I didn’t have 3ab3c9dd96 to hide my 8410ae725d expression.e28c44cc638e47d7

“Get. Up. Bastard.”09d6f8a90fb779ae

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“You haven’t changed a 681bb6593c bit since ten years c3a30a7aeb ago, so it’s easy 174f3d84f9 to provoke you. You seem e2e0f53db8 to have fbe6513658 some work 07d02415c3 experience now, 7acf0ee4ab so isn’t 1c9b27199f it about 2f05c07c4a time you acd6a9870c learned to b81ee8f7dc hide your 6251799476 pride and 1d9c6a4308 just take babb6f31a3 what you 917931daa8 want? You should think 2e5bcd52fe about what benefits 6851930250 you the most.”5d648c9c6be9512d

Mooyoung, offering advice about ac2ec586f5 working life, might actually 97a9db4f14 be smarter than me. Since he f8695df88d said I 896234da13 was easy 015c404d3c to provoke, 25e562b01f just like 2fcce3f0f2 ten years 70d60967f7 ago, I ef207f5ddf couldn’t get dc35cf41a2 angry even 4fe8eb84ee though I c76bc26bdb was furious.4089be6035a9416c

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“What benefits ff1cf0cd47 are there ba51ac804b for me?”4344b379a7f756be

“Money.”e85b996193243449

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Mooyoung looked me 15f28a54dd straight in the 9df04a481a eye and repeated,71e5db4a4d72c476

“No matter how 540ec109a2 rich you are, 0ffdfda310 money is always dd0d471907 lacking. You’re getting older now, 87078e98e8 you need to buy 5be0f197de a house. And later, set up 18e606f98d an office like this 45731838d8 of your own……”94a3eeefc00baa4e

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He looked around and df8b1026a2 added impassively,7929886e7b910913

“But you need it 104533f6e4 even more since you c63fd3c559 have to take care 903ad837f9 of your sick parents.”8503687563de46a1

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Did this bastard 9fc39fd1cd do a background 86080485ab check on me?1a6f81c480a34e58

“So, in your current 76155699b4 situation, Gitae is like acebadccd6 winning the lottery. If you 55196c2248 play along 8aa6aad505 with Gitae debc03fc5c when he 3ce4df5abb comes onto 56195999dc you, you’ll ace64b5a72 be able 6109a4eac5 to live 0403d30abc comfortably without c3fde30d74 working in 347fe90288 a place cb0ad031d9 like this. Gitae has enough money 66f0787dcf to give you anything 08e9b085bc you want. If you feel uncomfortable 6efc78edb0 about it, just think 7755e50e2b of it as compensation b52fe58f3c for what happened ten bf2d642467 years ago.”86535fd440aa97a1

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“…….”e8bbd9271013257d

“Take advantage 7ca00c81c9 of Gitae 24c56f2a3d while he fe11ad9417 still wants a40a74a1df you.”ee8bf6f169c32657

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Mooyoung advised 1e12f6d337 as if fb7113abb9 genuinely concerned.c1ee23699014842c

“Try living a 47a30d1573 little more shrewdly.”704ac93992434413

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At this point, 365ab8c627 I even wondered 7d53ea3262 if Mooyoung had 98c17afa28 changed his tactics a07b80c102 and was trying 65bd3da4cb to separate me 7f05d945e4 from Gitae this 537a31aded way. By hurting my 9b623cc206 pride. But that didn’t seem e1459161d8 like Mooyoung. Being honest about b7427597f4 his likes and fffe0f5d78 dislikes was his ebba8f1efc nature. Mooyoung, thinking 1b3ad85b90 I was b9d52288fb contemplating, leaned a858ae849f back on da7ef53394 the sofa 926be3214a and added e1849844ee lightly,87177d48f3410818

“You just 04813e608c have to fe65da7a04 be careful e6ebce7778 not to abb75d752c become sincere. If you fall 3c4bcda3e3 for him, you’ll ed1e77d3bf be the only a717e29000 one suffering again.”d6e9e765bcbee3d7

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“Are you 7b98d61ac3 done with 4d9a09e33a your nonsense?”d9b69a258a07aada

“No, the 4504a73c37 main point de172d6911 is from c441a1d4be now on.”4fa805dacc17736c

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He still 3ac5864b53 spoke in 02d732817d a light 149d872c92 tone as 4486ca900a if it b602a7a617 were nothing, bc79c92759 but his 74f3477688 eyes changed. They turned into 0eaadc6f59 the glaring gaze 752df2cee7 I had met 94e7c8f9e7 when I tried eb7394a28a to see who 49490844c3 the visitor was.0fddd73702043d37

“The only 7622851131 one I 5d6532603b can tolerate 192723dcb6 is Gitae.”fe3d8564ffa97d63

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Mooyoung leaned 30ad03080f towards me b6fc802db3 and whispered, a9425c33ee barely audible,024d481cc07b17bb

“But Minho is mine. Stay away.”1b89976135f9dba5

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“…….”bc8b629fe042872f

“Why are 1567926cec you laughing?”57f3b3017532e2dd

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Because it’s amusing.1322b012ec343dab

“I was wondering 0e8cc58a12 what your motive 24b18cb15a was. If you say a33ce7ba9d that, it makes 664d3106f0 me want to ec82986365 cling to Minho 0f2a938394 even more. Is this da894bbb0d what you 81a67aeb71 were aiming 391853139e for? So that I’d stay ab1aad62a5 away from Gitae?”bd40fc568378c3f4

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“No. I’m being completely 1e2009a790 sincere. Stay away d9b27851db from Minho.”17bc4724e9ab8847

“Why? Gitae is okay, 7236c335be but Minho isn’t?”3bf8f092f4db72e9

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I twisted 240f22d259 my lips, f448c98de4 poking at a8a954e474 his weak 1d0db25732 spot.a440d47bc73e0576

“Are you not 22cf5e9210 confident about Minho?”d287643cde4ae5da

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“…….”f55a38301cb1410a

“You know too, don’t you? That Minho doesn’t like you anymore.”cadbc4e381870475

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Mooyoung stared at me 74a75edc8f in silence.3c7830c3b5de3e4f

“What matters isn’t Minho, but my feelings. I realized something. How much I long for Minho’s love. So I’ll definitely get him back. Keep this in mind. Once I step in, Minho will only look at me again. You’ll never be able to handle Minho.”1e87e99319b07c01

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Even though closing time is 6 p.m., I rarely leave on time. Usually, it’s 7 or 7:30. Still, there’s a difference between vaguely spending time until closing time and staying past 7 because something came up. Even with the same closing time, it feels somewhat unfair if I have to work until the very end. The problem was the interior revisions that came in at the last minute.0ad8f6e8a863fa8c

“You can’t just change ed8fbc7990 the windows like this cbbce873b3 without saying anything. Aside from f5e40050d9 the shape, 7a4a1848f3 the location 4253924505 is different.”64b30e0419acfb60

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“Huh? Didn’t you hear from the client? They came to the office in person and asked for it to be done this way.”c50167bb95feb75c

“I’ve never heard anything like that. If you want to make changes, not the client, you should submit a revision request to us in advance. I haven’t received anything.”4d20ddcdd7df2913

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“Sigh, well… it seems 147b79510e like a new employee cccc2d0ba1 made a mistake. Sorry, but 713132e1c4 can’t you 9cb7c28681 just make cef412d758 the changes f9eeea0537 this time? Since it’s what 6ff90a855e the client wants 671edb28a8 anyway…”484f6ac0b736c01c

I heard the 2144cdabfe exhausted complaint of 39d5bd098c an employee on f752f32a7c the other end 1cd8e88611 of the line, f53f1cd72c who was also 468bf2b4d6 working late like d84eba8381 me. Normally, I would have ff2ec1f7b8 complied with the request 1854352504 immediately, but words as f92fd3e257 prickly as my hands 3b1eb1bd27 roughly flipping through the cbb11f98e8 interior drawings came out.bba789765ee54cdf

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