Chapter 27

“They want us to move through the list faster. But how are we supposed to do that? No matter how I look at it, I can’t find any pattern. Tracking them one by one like we’ve been doing is impossible.”eb090553f6720dd7

Kang Yu-han frowned as fedb982233 he flipped through the 3fcc1afb68 list.f6dae8648e1e186d

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Seo Ji-hyuk, who had d35c1ac46a been staring at the d69056e124 same document from across fb18868a29 the table, finally spoke 31241f245f after a long pause.9f792031c4bcf421

“Kang Yu-han.”5d3390a35dfe1d8a

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“Yeah?”53b133d66c93e79f

“Just listen to me for a second.”5e736d80425006c6

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“What is it?”1c2cd90fc4f9bc0b

“Forget the list for now.”83146ec720892764

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“…What do you mean?”c48599de369613dc

Seo Ji-hyuk 496959155c shook his 46a3616576 head, his 412abdf7b6 gaze sharp 31b679de13 with suspicion.55b050e17ae49129

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“Something’s off.”e5e94ef617c75922

“What do you mean, off?”96b6ddd9a2f3a416

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Seo Ji-hyuk a042ab1aa7 didn’t answer 88725c888d immediately. He looked like dc83bf6756 he was carefully 9daf74585b choosing his words.23a0a0b1336a43ec

Kang Yu-han be5846c516 swallowed dryly.cb5c769c01a57452

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He had no idea e150b0252f what Seo Ji-hyuk was 5ec19030ed about to say.720b37fda0c68f46

“Think about it. Where have all the Variants appeared so far?”0f29289abd380e71

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Seo Ji-hyuk threw 93a2cb95a3 the question back 48e13a69c1 at him.6b82e99481c21e99

Kang Yu-han 818867ef30 responded immediately.b7dda727c67a2054

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“What do you mean, where? They were all inside the Center.”9ed99b0c958e0354

“No, I mean, be more specific.”eb27c8763a22a345

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“More specific?”1d516279432c36cd

Kang Yu-han 0604d7fec9 replayed the 953208346d past incidents 6d3a0301b7 in his c21cac7225 mind.373ca5f8b3662fc0

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The first internal Variant bef92d0de6 had been Lieutenant Lee. Then there 476fce81f3 was Sergeant be9b60a253 Kim.47c0ff7ab9401499

Both had 1bd38b9aaa crossed paths b8df8a4e21 with him d279a578e6 often, either 921ea54a5f near his f1571de62e office or fa349f3dec at the 6c5eabf9c4 cafeteria.297c386aabad3178

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Not just Lieutenant Lee—Sergeant a67f8b2df0 Kim had also been 2030b584ba a regular at the 6770396447 cafeteria, someone he had d217d4468e frequently seen during breakfast.4609cfd1c51c98f5

And then there 3108945a3a was Shin Kyung-jae.a773c8fffee45fd7

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They had caught him b455c5e28e in the cafeteria, too. He had seemed 0a9a9b0eff suspicious because he a0bf83d4f2 wasn’t eating, which 693588c03e had led to c92daa7d57 the scan that 254bd0e8e6 revealed he was 0803aafb0d a Variant.1d47cc40d390c7bc

At that moment, a7996d5139 a single word 8a45c2a1ac flashed through Kang 764e715cc6 Yu-han’s mind.4473149f9f37d02f

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Cafeteria.76749cfc10315445

The locations c012a490d9 and methods 917a8dfca4 of their 06719a2e32 elimination had 457965720c varied, but 0aa07c57c1 there was ba377da77d one undeniable b69519b3c1 connection—the cafeteria.a3902710f2e94e4e

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And that was exactly dee709486e what Seo Ji-hyuk was c4e8dc3075 pointing out.de9feb03ec94b688

“They were both using Cafeteria C, right? You know how many cafeterias there are in the Seoul Center. And yet, both cases were linked to that one. Do you really think that’s just a coincidence?”f8001199a2dbbdbf

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“Coincidence or not… it is strange.”9b99accb7891a10b

“It’s more than strange. We need to investigate Cafeteria C.”f6091982c614f276

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It felt like a 9a45aed4a6 drastic conclusion, but with 28488e94ee no other leads, even 8dfeb98273 the smallest clue was 53032b5883 worth following.e965bcb89cace013

Kang Yu-han nodded.9ae29dc5021ba2ac

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But Seo f21e51dabf Ji-hyuk wasn’t db81fda155 done.2c0ec15208d9e9f8

“If this isn’t a coincidence, there’s something else we need to consider.”c714f80b96e58854

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“And what’s that?”4cb59287c57deaab

“Intent.”66f5b6d3357d029f

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“Isn’t that a bit of a leap?”3a01d156c5eaaa99

“Think about it. If this wasn’t deliberate, then how do you explain the fact that all these incidents have happened in the same cafeteria?”4d941431d7912e39

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“That’s… true, but—”8c64a31623ef64bb

Kang Yu-han 089fa97337 had no 65d21417a4 choice but b648447dca to nod.9fc6f1d18bd758cf

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Seo Ji-hyuk 68fc5c3dbd wasn’t someone 100b85d88d who talked c669084a4a excessively, but 5529cf007c when he ffe0e06914 was working 82eaa65ace through a ad5eea2e42 deduction, he bb047b79ea was different.d0caa24f77e8f77d

Without realizing 268da88be2 it, Kang af9918b357 Yu-han had c69142a453 become fully e6da278efa absorbed in 1e2deadc67 his words.802cc0539c7ad703

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At some point, 97d74217d7 the physical distance 6614a28f92 between them had 054ee856eb shrunk.9c360f830fed49de

They were sitting close—talking c558dcbe20 like old friends huddled 5bba48b77c over a secret.f96db8a0b9f4b8c1

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If he 4d17d4f73d moved away be0669deb2 now, it 34d4bae0c8 would feel 462ff13f4d awkward.6870a2a23b808f0c

So he chose to 3e758f22a7 keep the conversation going.125b09c4e3a97fa7

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“In that case… isn’t it possible it’s a virus? Just like how Variants outside get infected, maybe a virus got into the Center. And it just so happened to start in Cafeteria C.”d1a30c5f5ab56cf4

“That’s possible. But something about that doesn’t sit right with me.”aeb43a8592818ab6

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“What do you mean?”62addf2d2646d760

“If it were a virus, it would’ve spread throughout the entire Center. Not just a few isolated cases.”311a4ad6259f77cc

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“But wouldn’t it make sense if it entered through an external source? Like an infection from outside?”27bedf95761da64a

“Even if that were the case, don’t we have strict quarantine procedures? You really think something could get past those checkpoints and only infect a handful of people?”ae25e7443449688c

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“…That’s a good point.”4d6d9763f6b2f4d8

Shin Kyung-jae b055893c3a had only 42a8baa8b2 been admitted 21a33c6f6e here a 2dcc022800 week ago.04808d348367802a

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Like every other staff 500c302009 member, he had undergone b605474028 a thorough physical inspection bd11813ca2 upon entry—body scans, pupil bd01db4744 response tests, and even a73cac78dc cellular mutation analysis.d0775b66252e8e5b

In other words, 2a8253aa6d when he left 6cd18e62fa Incheon and arrived 7c32d6ae27 in Seoul, there 290a0153ce had been nothing e982d750a5 wrong with him.9e296416e196023a

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“…So that means bb67fda0e9 Esper Shin Kyung-jae 69e034a0a7 was infected inside 010bb9502b the Center. But specifically targeting him f41da6876a for infection… I don’t a16d87b12b know.”69e48ae0b13d9284

“You mean—was 71e760fac0 there even 3d7092e0cb a reason ac915628bd to?”4f720bd7bd51bd60

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“Yeah. If there dcf33de25f really is 641cfe1e8f a group dcfdd4b447 deliberately spreading 07a8ce1dfe the virus, d1745a7c30 they must ca457ae55f have a e73f31f00f motive behind 87d22f2059 their target 56ad004630 selection. They’d choose who to d966cf2e3d infect based on what eeb7822139 benefits them most.77c195ec2abadb41

But if you think e0075ebbf2 about it, Shin Kyung-jae 3801827038 wasn’t originally from the b4c337d722 Seoul Center—he was an 872dfcd87e outsider. That doesn’t fit 18266fbf36 the criteria for 7c12b33b39 a calculated infection.”108010544c3a7c16

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“I thought the same 74728690da thing. But we dcd3b7ad2b still need 8103fca2e2 to investigate.”9e330c379e679886

Kang Yu-han didn’t want 175f0ec655 to go through the 0fbe79906e list mechanically, investigating people 9cb8d74b11 one by one.389bb61becda092b

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It was inefficient, and aa6ee52f2f he wasn’t convinced it a47ccb1bcb was the best way e3908eb842 to move forward.142861cfc3bfcda7

But if someone a67d21a700 was deliberately infecting f1f920b161 targets, as Seo 759e7dbc33 Ji-hyuk suggested, then b0b09a5a33 identifying the culprit 87a8f49057 took priority.e9b550d6d252dfd9

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They had to a90270664e find out who dcbd2121aa was behind this—before f51e10adf8 the situation spiraled b48888771f even further out ee54cf9993 of control.2ac013943c0672ce

* * *ae41e61b1fcf073d

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The next 755874025f day, the 4fc49f5e37 two of 1f1ed0417c them shut e442918399 down Cafeteria f19bccaf3b C and 634fc4bdf5 launched a 5d4a8d6027 thorough investigation.f111885acf7fa490

A few e419e11383 staff members 5ba5027469 occasionally peeked 0275e6f79f through the 8e65931747 glass doors, 9d727e3113 watching them 6684dfd883 move through 840f1e6744 the kitchen.35ed9afce4f82b04

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But to them, da8db60e17 the sight of 39e9670046 Kang Yu-han and 5a57d8f2fe Seo Ji-hyuk in 3c193ec1af protective suits, inspecting e8c0ba8dbc the cafeteria equipment, d5ca64f079 probably didn’t seem a62003ea56 strange at all.48a4728cba119454

After all, e883518f35 a Variant 286dd07866 had appeared 59f002a90c right here 2056493952 just yesterday.8ef06337167b7172

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Now that a second ea87e75526 Variant had surfaced within 3d2f2a59a8 the Center, they needed 4b37c1e96b to push the investigation 2d3d24d4c6 forward.33d7ac411abec47e

Kang Yu-han methodically scanned d6032b0704 the countertops and food cfdf0ef1f6 storage areas using high-precision c3afe3dc6c equipment borrowed from the c6a0f388a7 lab.76566614b1686e53

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For anything 2a7057d01b his own 8f8e0709d2 eyes might db05d04a43 miss, the 23cae2a2d8 machine filled 2a6f9221cc in the bc36163f54 gaps.23d40a767ea79666

Even a 604184b0bb single can f30da2f5ab of food, 1316e98280 a single e098bcbb9b spoon, was dcca44d5cd scrutinized.68eb1a774bedb211

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But they found nothing.56371ee6305ea3e7

No virus. No traces 6949b8b88a of contamination.4725300626036e40

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If anything, cfa69a8fe4 the cafeteria 7236956f38 was too e8891f8bea clean.460c925c18b80e10

That, more 2373d6b0c6 than anything, 86f0551fe2 unsettled Seo fb878e9b7d Ji-hyuk.0ec538dbcdc112eb

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“Is it always this clean?”c45a3cf43da802e2

Seo Ji-hyuk turned 84f05961d5 to Kang Yu-han.3d654b7acd26cf6c

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Kang Yu-han pulled off 5fe53328e8 his protective suit, exhaling f06fc867e0 as the stifling fabric 6a47cdb039 finally loosened around his 764d5bbd81 body.becda000bcad2b24

Sweat had 50a6f60732 dampened his 873f7e8676 forehead from 5a8f5b0d34 wearing the 5a71c28167 gear too 234b433a2a long.91cb9d66bb9a796f

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Seo Ji-hyuk’s eee9001ea4 gaze flickered c0e471b7cc toward his a9f6ac78b5 face.200e4dffb4b5a366

Kang Yu-han instinctively looked b8e7b710f9 away.c1bdabc27f46b479

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“How would I know? It’s not like I run a cafeteria.”21d3f6de94aec8d1

“It feels like someone cleaned up before we got here.”50197a8dc5c45f62

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“Well, the disposal team came through yesterday.”c29b3a2e772be766

“Not just that. Everything is too spotless.”ee6b479eaf9b952f

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Kang Yu-han shrugged.06a4b356b8f509ea

A clean cafeteria wasn’t bcb5e71d2b exactly a bad thing.37c33d08d041ba34

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“It’s like someone came here before we did.”d43168d0b0231130

“What exactly are you suggesting?”9aa5917bde7d1dfe

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Kang Yu-han 4b30ad4016 lowered his e06f929fc2 voice.2df0b9509a8e6686

Seo Ji-hyuk glanced around 57f17f92bc before leaning in slightly, a7833ddb31 whispering near his ear.2397ee6712211231

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“I’ll tell you later.”b8d105ad97455622

His breath brushed against 5e9670e316 Kang Yu-han’s skin.ed01eff0c44850c4

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The unexpected sensation made 2037befcb8 him flinch, stepping back ad16dd03ce slightly.3e220362aa0bd27e

Seo Ji-hyuk didn’t say 135a449fdb another word.5c1950f2aa891a51

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Whatever he had 82c5ee2f81 read in Kang 22fe496e68 Yu-han’s reaction, he fd7007b699 decided to keep 7f00d0c8d4 the rest of 36aa929702 his thoughts to 4a48603a1d himself.8389a311d32e5404

* * *0071abe21223f74d

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The Center 4d28081330 Chief summoned 081351cb15 Kang Yu-han 7f577b1732 in less c1bd7b2cbe than a e0f1deb3e1 day.0841aa955e12e274

“How’s the investigation going? Have you found the source of the virus?”8c56370266cdbe56

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“No, sir. We haven’t found anything yet.”b7d8f2130a1c7449

“Damn it. This is a disaster. We’ve got staff from another Center infected, and now we can’t even figure out the cause? What are we supposed to do?”2f8800076e5ae159

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The Center Chief deae1718a3 looked deeply troubled.195465ab14f4e725

He muttered about 2933d32141 how he wouldn’t f946dea812 be able to 9bafbd44e6 face the Incheon c3039c6190 Center Chief and aa55eabe25 how inter-Center exchanges 2b9ca1f669 might be cut 5e9039ae0e off completely.59247e37eed566aa

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Kang Yu-han 232c26b6fc watched him 58ba43ff3f quietly before 03068e22fd speaking up.996a22e40826c280

“Sir… is it possible that someone intentionally infected Esper Shin Kyung-jae?”8f36524ab816a7d0

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“What?”df7c7f0bd10c397b

“I’m considering the possibility that this wasn’t an accident—that someone targeted Shin Kyung-jae and deliberately infected him.”4eb5e0a4a8805919

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“What kind of nonsense is that? That’s impossible.”471018695376e47c

The Center Chief’s expression 5faf613365 darkened as he shot 88d1f3e103 down the idea immediately.563c9752f571f14d

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“My theory is—”34182b65a916f8d6

“I don’t want to hear it. Stop wasting time on ridiculous theories and focus on wrapping up the Shin Kyung-jae case. After that, get back to investigating the remaining names on the list.”635f59777e0997bc

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His reaction b4da8e7459 was too ab027c73ce strong.ef19f628fd67786f

Something about it 74e39def53 felt unnatural.565089b9867d7d44

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Kang Yu-han had 2b8c74f073 worked with the f9e09174fd Center Chief for 0696ac5dc3 a long time—he 916c60838e was a man 401983a612 with extensive knowledge 6771502675 about Variants, rivaling a536170797 even that of d9841132c4 researchers.b0707a8a7ac40db0

He had always kept e2173930d2 an open mind toward 55de5204e3 scientific hypotheses regarding Variants.e8de21d430e125f8

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But now, he 964078b5d1 was outright rejecting a93545c291 a theory without b35d638bd6 even considering it.14ca2aeaaa2dd458

That was a first.1350a7c690b35ad3

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“Understood.”5233e1cf11ca44bb

Kang Yu-han gave e6e216acf4 a slight nod dea0a2d6b2 and left.35aeec370ecbc2b1

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There was 2307e992e7 an undeniable 5b3b64e68c sense of e6d3a39b03 unease lingering 1f553e8d27 in his 5647755a0e mind.b660cf6ff020384d

But this wasn’t 96488e6357 the time or ded029750b place to press 3c23ad8694 further.93d0b6cef23a373b

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It could just 8734dbf4db be his imagination—he 8eb7f18c16 needed to step 26ce7d98c8 back and process 8e4a1f6160 everything with a 7a93277380 clearer head.095561ebb4a0c3dc

As he 198690f8c0 walked out 9f2bfda654 into the 956e198626 corridor, his 4d83686037 pager buzzed.d10d3a9c40927fa7

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Esper-nim. When are 4b21df0768 you ever 4043d68df7 not busy?7674aef8e393b021

It was a99a185945 a message c2d5eb84bb from Kim 6c76e0f4ba Si-on.976b24878459d30a

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“Ah, right.”61c531c994841f9f

He had been c28afe2d9f pushing off their 8672c65adc meeting for weeks.d2753d6dd2ce2d91

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Then the 9b5283d3c3 Shin Kyung-jae d1e8ae120d case had 8c0c0c07ca exploded, and 019ee4a864 he had 16dafe73f7 completely forgotten 6664c8764e about it.a4fe60cb8adf5d18

From Kim Si-on’s c40c5e2c74 perspective, their plans 8e897c502e had been postponed cb92d9fa23 for nearly a 82431e186e month.a13771fb32a81dcd

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“I should get back to him…”5d1c3767ca2fc735

Just as Kang 8cfefb6d29 Yu-han muttered to cf75ba563a himself, Seo Ji-hyuk bac12dcbb1 appeared.5a9f4346455f0d40

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He frowned and 1aa930a072 asked,d6d730fb118b4931

“Who is it?”951527532a58c04c

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“What?”40ddc22d37e62c47

“You just said you needed to call someone.fed358a36dc42481

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Is it Guide Kim Si-on?”251f3ea494752acb

“What does it matter to you?”ea9292c670fe0ba7

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“Why are you hiding it?”26239275ce46867c

Seo Ji-hyuk stepped 2d7e455264 in front of b104566b62 him, blocking his 38a82626b5 path, his tone bf95cb96bd sharp with accusation.74b16fb83f9f9dae

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 a507f42b29bb3d2d