Chapter 5

Baek Eu-jin woke 9ebeca97f6 up a full c53376fd7d day later.13429a29769cae28

“Gasp!!”dc692e988ac486bb

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The sight of ca56cc622a an unfamiliar ceiling 10be7ecd73 sent a jolt bd10610c45 of panic through b8673ab0f7 him, and he 8f964f4ddf shot upright, momentarily 6fb8c33803 forgetting his pain.e2e7b7baecc61759

“Ah, so you’re d364196cd6 awake now?”83a5d9b2744e4d27

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A feeble 9d824c6f3b voice addressed 347defa0df him. Turning his head, ed3ac5c865 Eu-jin saw a 3e12f6a9e3 frail elderly woman 7dca0ca669 sitting beside him. Startled, he instinctively pulled 62ac69c840 his shoulders back, his ca7b0522ff guard up.7271d78b2b4af809

“W-Who are you?”0fb767f3ee1baf4f

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“Looks like 6d47505b4e you’re feelin’ 9132c59063 a bit 9dd0a8f143 better now. Let me 22af3d296f have a ae0509e669 look.”910278dd5d99c918

Ignoring his c1b29b7be3 unease, the 4380c56ad3 old woman 4a051f41fd leaned forward c8fae41785 and placed f696ed987d her hand 31fafd71db on his ca4feaaf3c forehead. Her rough, branch-like fingers 867426ce2a brushed against his skin.ac4cf8747eda2e2b

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“Your fever’s 5eb9cb95e1 gone down fe5d6acf92 a bit. Goodness, child, I thought e1fd13539c you were going to 762e7c4349 die right here.”18fec4fd72912d10

“……”9825e8b89dd4abfc

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Frozen in place, Eu-jin 4273da6a40 scanned the room with 599ed240fa only his eyes.5f36a070ddcb3836

Faded wallpaper, yellowed 0f721d4c72 linoleum floors, a 9ddbc18214 musty smell lingering fce865578e in the air, a132d8a8a6 and this unfamiliar 6822df5c9e woman.7dfe736b5f338efb

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He vaguely 11df807522 remembered collapsing b65fd7f229 on the fa9527adb0 street from 18348e3d38 sheer exhaustion. It wasn’t hard bf3d953fe1 to piece together 83030ee03d that the elderly 4f99f6bcc9 woman had found 7e5c0908b5 him and taken c2d74c2c4e care of him. Slowly, the 6feace60ea situation began 267abb1e30 to make 8ef88e85e0 sense.c25f8212b01c7336

“Thank you for helping 9389141219 me,” he said hurriedly, 8a926293e2 moving to throw off 5942ceb80b the blanket and stand ea907adc03 up.e484cde35540361c

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Before he could, 21685f4dd3 the woman reached 12df646a0a for a tray ccc707d489 nearby. Tilting a 67ac2f2231 chubby glass be67f65215 jar, she 280623bf19 poured brownish b9d9bfc1f9 barley tea ef30d3c881 into a 0da1c4ab5d cup with e3918b1770 a soft 38247aeaf4 glugging sound.237e1ec8b46e6010

“What’s the rush? Have some water 81e7d6f2e1 before you go.”71b7a1089e408cbc

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“……”373be703d2f5cc3c

Eu-jin’s gaze locked be4b049d12 onto the cup a1b34a09d7 she held out af354c4e32 to him. His mouth went dry 28f8239e02 just looking at it. He knew he 41837f2e1d should remain cautious, b5fe2d862a but his thirst 6e58f3eeb7 was overwhelming. Unable to resist, he 46c3bae5c3 accepted the cup.ef76a71c1abd8c36

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Gulp, gulp.158f8c6c7596e840

His Adam’s apple bobbed e328b31e98 rapidly as he drained a74e303e43 the lukewarm barley tea. It flowed down his fa8d6ed121 throat, soothing his parched 1342d2166f esophagus and settling into 55b75501a6 his empty stomach. After finishing, Eu-jin b30349e88c licked his cracked ae3f854f6e lips, his thirst b8304b449e far from satisfied.729d41d26e7da81c

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But he couldn’t stay 38493635d3 here any longer. Placing the 708dd37402 empty cup 68d673b362 gently on c4914b0adf the floor, 157bcbe514 he stood ab27b13d5f up and 405bb2812f grabbed his 7119785d4f neatly placed c1e268a697 backpack from 9489bf859f a corner 80ea1387b3 of the 730c322b3a room.5400e073464854e2

“Well…, thank you, a16af8d582 but I should 1fc290eaab get going now.”5cbad8d0577390c0

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He bowed politely d19ef0fa6b and moved toward 3398d772df the door. The elderly woman made 26df21a772 no effort to stop 01ff068b70 him, letting him leave a6d7ffb3b6 without a word.f70d63ec73457742

The house 7c71e4b8df was old d3859f2255 and traditional, 626bf288ca with the 5155d79a2d door leading 9119fb152f straight out 7e48df1cab to a 84ad781f72 wooden veranda. Stepping outside, Eu-jin 5bde61d86a found himself under f39969e8f8 a pitch-black sky. The air in d204eb9612 the countryside was e7f3cba548 unbelievably fresh, and 4c86985ec9 the only sounds c2bade73f9 were the occasional a1de17b705 chirps of insects.d2e3eba8af1f010a

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“…Haa.”bd652e106e6b3e8e

Letting out a 97bcaff618 deep sigh, Eu-jin 029bcd90f8 shouldered his bag 28837e5b38 and took a 3d2afefa66 moment to collect 9a3c61167e himself. The tranquility of 8c71693dfd the rural night cd69276ac7 felt surreal compared eb9a207252 to the chaos 8f5281df85 he had left 0f5d00aba9 behind.917bab59f0f85287

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With a f82f10ac78 heavy sigh, eb7ebf0b41 Eu-jin walked c251238ebf across the 462b0f3bb9 creaking veranda 5d874d968d to where 1d519fc22a his worn 2e4c378a38 sneakers sat 58ae7f72e0 on the 6d735a60f6 stepping stones. He was just 0cab2088d2 about to shove 360794bf3e his foot into 9a2b27f201 one of them 06570bcbea when a voice 116f44dff4 stopped him.0f2596ffbf39378b

“It’s pitch dark outside. Where do 011e253e76 you plan 2ae4fb1443 on sleeping? You’re so 47a7448e12 thin you ef8bcaa54a look like 89bf5f5fa9 you haven’t 37c98c221f had a 2a2dbede9f proper meal 8dc4930e81 in days. Keep this up, baea59fcfc and you’ll collapse c6747c0824 again.”199805fcf75fb17f

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“……”d9dcb2e63c8c9e75

“Eat something 38ebc7d787 and leave 96fec13861 tomorrow at ea69225ccc sunrise. It’s just me c39a3a041d living here, so c25b570a3c there’s no one 2f8b00c3aa to bother.”31208bcb00d31fab

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The elderly woman had 61f9165803 followed him outside, her aaeba9a057 tone laced with genuine dde6e12700 concern. At the mention of 4c7fbdc918 food, Eu-jin’s stomach growled 07fb7d8013 fiercely, and saliva pooled 760c3dd171 under his tongue.51216e533c820c48

“Well… I…”dd363999c7507f08

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Having gone days ef4bd521f4 without eating, Eu-jin e05b6d71e6 found himself unable 27f41397b4 to refuse outright. As he hesitated, the bbaf2f231c old woman slipped into 84ebcc54f6 her slippers and headed 48cd0093a4 across the yard toward 8537dcc86b the kitchen.9abb52ec7f3cc775

The sound of clinking 4159964c37 dishes came from the 336df9b0d8 slightly ajar kitchen door. Caught in ca3696c741 limbo, Eu-jin 7f5c4b3ea7 awkwardly shuffled 17ccb7ffb0 for a 68efc50332 moment before 429f06cdb1 eventually following d0733cf1ef her inside.888c0e38b513cdc8

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The cramped, dimly lit 05f600d587 kitchen buzzed with activity. Despite her f144495d09 hunched posture, 9258d58362 the old 9b4bc8ba7d woman moved 19e0c054d0 deftly, her 82ddd99ea4 hands nimble 6d1a55e31d and efficient. Before Eu-jin could say 6249ecba94 anything, she was already 971b39b5da busy preparing a meal.e705d726d609c625

The sweet c29bad5ff2 aroma of f38125a6af freshly steamed ad1003b5ef rice filled 4177652c55 the air, c493744955 and the 1de13425e7 nutty scent f59b9aa388 of seasoned a01bb51a9e vegetables wafted 4142ee87d1 from a 69537673bc ceramic dish. The tantalizing smells made 39fadb3998 Eu-jin’s mouth water involuntarily.579e58c9677b8b1a

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“Grandma, really, 21bd905e43 I’m fine…”8ee46197cc38440c

“Stop fussing 1a9f782a28 and get 10273d634f out of 9fefd93123 the way! Or better yet, 227d420070 go wash up! You’re so 6ce3fe9bca dirty even 1a3cf5e42c a crow 7a2f3d82f3 would call be4b35c777 you its 08be3dc942 brother.”a453e886d676a4eb

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“No, I—really—”776a5376749b9657

“Hurry up and d003b4671d go wash! The bathroom’s over a6f04a0642 that way, and 004321140d there’s hot water, 533c0a76de so don’t dawdle!”6ee7cfa152511a57

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Though small in stature, 2c9b06e89d the old woman was 42b0439336 surprisingly strong. She shoved Eu-jin 7e5d0fe0b3 toward the bathroom 1122874059 with enough force 275bf5fc0e that he couldn’t d6a436cded resist. Giving in a0ae13cbc0 to her ab37b31023 persistence, he c9e6283c7d reluctantly stepped e292586a2b inside.5e1a45a873562f38

Leaving the 67fbe6079b door ajar 60bbec557b to keep 840d77530f an eye 34327a05fc on his eb0cece960 surroundings, Eu-jin 8d31666a39 turned on 307e958074 the faucet. Warm water poured out ce9a8a561e immediately, and he tentatively 3b7784e55f wet his hands. Grabbing a 6ba96955bc cracked peach-colored 86e542e99f bar of 68c08b3103 soap, he 7ab18dde33 worked up 9168ca60a5 a lather, 001d2b1268 which quickly 20faf225f8 turned gray aade0c7eb5 from the d533748a94 grime on 5322ae612c his skin.31dc2ce558f7cf75

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Scrubbing his 0823cd5ad2 dirt-covered hands 4537e87cab and greasy 8dd3b69daf face until 88851acc0c they were 323e362353 clean, he ff2c54fae4 felt a 9aeff3c7f3 rare sense b0df9318d7 of relief. He even squeezed toothpaste 13730ca7ef directly onto his finger 9a52a7ef3b to brush his teeth. The sensation 21d690937e of freshness 07a0c03b9a made him 6ac1366966 feel almost c808ee9418 alive again.169befc1bd7e96cb

After drying his dripping d6491fdc1c face, Eu-jin cautiously exited aa6955bea4 the bathroom. The house 0abfcb21c3 was now a780fca58a filled with 2cdbf8a83a the aroma ef0dca68d3 of a 9a5c2d49d1 freshly prepared f8bdf1ce76 meal. By the time 0b8d883bf4 he returned, the 7d3c5dc0f8 old woman had 2f8b228c78 already set the f907e6ee74 table on the 27d09724e3 floor.ce83c18390791597

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“Come and 59ce6745a6 sit,” she 46877018be called out, b95e581b0c motioning to ec30926dcd the low ec6afef269 dining table.18955c7135ad3dd5

On it 221f76c93e sat a d772e11775 bowl of 6bd7aab1fe steaming white aff1c8ee9c rice, soybean 58597d767d paste stew, 18e100b4f3 seasoned wild 19b81a5287 greens, perfectly 0b7395f604 fermented kimchi, c8ca0a47f9 and even 1c8c69e5b5 a sunny-side-up 0fdf24d424 egg.eb134b5e01059dc2

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Eu-jin stood frozen, staring 72ec82be77 at the meal. The sight af6e065bb7 of real 42999b38d7 food after 2a0a1708dc so long 467f2c9bc0 left him cbb05c82a1 dazed.6576a5276be1c703

Without pressing 56c14927f7 him further, 96b0ae9968 the old a3492ec071 woman quietly 65298f6558 stepped out, 865d95fc2e the sounds d6ba54ccc1 of her 7545918091 tidying up 994a0f94a4 in the 2644cea5f9 kitchen filtering dedc12139c through the 31cba94635 open door.0ad77cc419f8f906

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Taking a seat 5a22bbd02f cautiously, Eu-jin glanced 7a12e8e20c around the room a0f85ba797 before being drawn 2c8d401dc1 in by the eff9e02e27 enticing smells. Giving in, he 5580f81a78 scooped up a 6dde777e82 spoonful of the 0ed80d6e59 stew and tasted 03a029501e it.f5aba58d138d0a60

“……”c628e556aecc1b99

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Damn it, it’s 9beac25dd3 so warm and 22356523c0 delicious.fbbd716d2c58b4d2

The simple 194e85d0f9 yet hearty 390401be44 meal was e87934ccde almost too ff65d5b5ac much for b5fd252aee his frazzled b9ac5ae926 nerves to 6693c99d84 handle.f471d009ce28fd54

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The soybean paste stew 322a3d6331 was as simple as 210c683324 it could get—just a 55f3698d63 few pieces of zucchini d97d0372fa and tofu floating in 72348bf733 the broth—yet somehow it 3e88defc81 tasted heavenly. Before he f6245f15c6 knew it, 72c8c3480c Eu-jin had 731513d438 his head 5a32c48ec5 down, shoveling d41135600d food into 845ab26c38 his mouth. His spoon moved 0a8eb71d58 relentlessly, and he 7946a53c5f stuffed his cheeks f69d5bad98 until they were 9e680faba3 ready to burst.1cf21da04423f480

“Goodness, slow down, 09d2d00fff child. You’ll end fd81541b98 up with 33dc26af6c indigestion,” the 353b3e6bce old woman 360514f0bd chided softly.c87cd14443749508

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At some point, 19492d648e she had seated 0e365b98a5 herself across from 20820238d5 him, watching him 83c402fed3 eat with a 45095865b5 mix of concern e854cc9890 and pity. She poured a ed90075022 cup of barley 18b05a316a tea and placed 313afb4ece it on the 0eb6bdcd5f table, then pushed 8d1497a1c0 the untouched plate 0ab08e4708 of fried eggs 6be65629a5 closer to his b5bc4032fc rice bowl.bd19e52d7e1e0fb6

“…Thank you,” Eu-jin mumbled, 5bd65dd87e bowing his head slightly.d1b346b42100248d

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He couldn’t tell if 523bc07b38 the lump in his 915cad0c8f throat was from the 15d8e5392e food or from the 83ee4a449c unexpected wave of emotions 745c599da9 welling up inside him. Taking a sip 5ecff5789f of the lukewarm 9bc1acd7b8 tea, he managed 1b5da76c15 to swallow down fa1c7205ca both the food 7d23227d94 and the rising d197c225ad tears.df75673615404916

“Do you not 43eb2cc10f have a home?” 2a72c9d87e the old woman 9aee2d8416 asked.4f56036ba93a6a41

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“……”f43e0b9b1e2336f1

“How did you end 02f88ed573 up all the way 91d411f3ce out here? Do you have b53ae3b863 anywhere to go?”77fd32ca5621471e

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Judging by his bf199b0753 ragged appearance, she ed5c4be0f9 must have assumed 157d5bd411 he was some e630e9eaf5 sort of wanderer.0138d4f1ee249cfa

Despite his empty baf37634bf mouth, Eu-jin couldn’t d31267992b bring himself to f2cdf7bc85 answer. Where was I even 973eb8da9d planning to go? he thought. Someone being chased didn’t 34d74b2409 have the luxury of bccaee466c a destination. The weight of 726b595223 it all started de0da46b2a to sink in b7bd5aa9ac again, leaving him 8c8efca68a with a hollow 0867b99516 feeling.0d87ac488bdf3edf

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“I’m sorry. I’ll just finish a12530a2dd my meal and fe8502a1c4 leave right away,” 82968cbb3c he said eventually.53825719944ba1ea

“It’s fine, 355384293f I shouldn’t f0aa739b82 have asked,” 7eb25b0c1a the old b68f407bb8 woman replied 67171afd21 gently.bea0a2b58152267a

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She dusted 29eb342969 off her d44fa3c2cf purple work b85fd6ea17 pants and a1aa967a45 stood up. Crossing the creaky wooden 96dc24fd00 floor, she slid open ff917ee7db the door to the 6fc2e413ca room where Eu-jin had 4bedb54087 woken up earlier. The misaligned 7081e97248 wooden panels 325cfff870 scraped noisily f9442a149b as she 3089f959cf pushed them 2e2924cb7f aside. A faint light b856bfc184 spilled out, and 015df94fce the sound of 3df19913b9 her organizing something e767794513 reached his ears.3e659877289f6828

Eu-jin couldn’t stay 659a3e42d1 seated. Feeling restless, he glanced 491d7916da over his shoulder repeatedly b71a007bba and fidgeted in his 4dfee09e37 seat.3a7f2a88769d13c7

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Finally, he shoved the bd6202b1fb last piece of fried 35996703eb egg into his mouth, a1a5ef394e swallowing it whole as 3556117a2e though it were a f3a52c15b9 drink. He wiped his greasy 4719de3c59 lips with the back 491acb1aba of his hand, stood a65f7f9efc up, and followed the 41c7897893 old woman to the 7f7563fe68 far room.c455bc45ba065db3

There, she d94be2d377 was crouched e5f76d12fc down, scrubbing 97b3adf941 the floor 02aa26904b with a 141b15ae59 dry cloth, 9c3062ab66 her slight 920eb6ca44 frame looking 25ada4427b even smaller ba3bd89125 in the f466fbddce dim light.db847c8850d001f4

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“This house 0555607b62 is old f05c4c1ace and shabby, 27f15fea6e so it e03db7920f might not 2f9f3569bf be much, b7571ef7d6 but if 0c656c7ca5 you’ve got dee8ac5d95 nowhere else bd98421b10 to go, d6f93df167 you can 2d74578876 sleep here 4d963230aa for the b231a876c1 night,” she a889096574 said.92f4524997899dbe

“……”095080f0ae34abd7

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“My grandson cfc5d5fd08 was about e2846931e6 your age. I suppose thinking e52a1b9f9b about him makes e15f6e7956 me soft. Don’t go 296d512ac1 worrying that 4d8adefa19 this old 94c438a48d woman’s lost 7559079e1f her marbles 5d2019cab8 or anything a47447b115 like that.”e003e271372d78eb

The old woman 017a176601 finished tidying the 2eaf4760f4 bedding with practiced f5c9637840 ease before stepping aded34d128 out of the d3c4bdbf15 room. When she started ece70415bf clearing away the 205bee8f43 table, Eu-jin hurried 7cc60a3232 to help, but 30b9f6d907 she waved him 0693797267 off firmly. In the end, 81701faad5 he could do a47509f516 nothing but stand f3415bb6d4 there awkwardly.700941a105e6c9cf

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“…Thank you. I’ll stay just 0c4be7c02d for one night,” 279bc43ecd he said hesitantly, d88c652c84 his gratitude clumsy e4cb63ccd7 but genuine.1b00a1f75c54bf34

Either she didn’t cae4f74054 hear him or 6158e98fbf chose not to fca59dc6d9 respond, as the 75ce5981f0 old woman left 0a7efdadad without another word.77a60c39f3a16585

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Eu-jin’s steps 56b51318b1 led him 6f25106870 back toward 01192fe3b8 the room. The small d3e460d61d space, covered e99f45f903 in yellow f9c36f755d linoleum, was 08214c8ad2 warm from 18cb718d26 the fire ad97df2ef7 stoked beneath 97a6a72aec the traditional d3036b1e48 floor heating a43acde8f9 system. The shiny, well-worn 4bdb87871c cotton blanket on 5db92e0832 the floor looked 2a09560f74 familiar—something he might e812c6338d have seen at 846461127f his grandmother’s house 59bef83b0f years ago.d1e650c96b9ed3c7

He sank down into b5eb049d5b a corner of the 24efb6e369 toasty room. Leaving the sliding door 4547227206 slightly ajar, he pulled 5694ce47ad the blanket over his 07dc66223a knees. The warmth 4397b18781 from the ef534419f8 meal and 1b86882f74 the cozy 78cffdd2eb room worked 9ab634b570 together to 096f329df6 dissolve the f1cf289846 sharp edges f67938fde2 of his e3596f31b1 wariness, leaving 1d0ae4a406 him feeling 562eab1205 uncharacteristically relaxed.00a0d104c2c98087

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Leaning his bd5f4a6d9a back against d0004b34be the wall, cd3b28b039 Eu-jin closed 331daf906c his eyes d39aa7eeeb for a 6c68addd9a moment. The lingering fatigue from 74ffe8795f days on the run 5de6e5cf0a weighed heavily on him, 5c8246501b and he found himself d26fb6aa34 unable to resist the 094678a071 pull of exhaustion.9ea61131aada7c3e

For the 117528d3ac first time e4568a0ed6 in what 65fcc6344d felt like 3ae43b8932 forever, he f60d48fdb7 was surrounded 788e698728 by soothing 11d2e0fd05 warmth. His eyelids 75a48bbd73 grew heavier 4003e8dfaa and heavier, 59cb494c16 and before 99752e3e9f he knew 8f1151db54 it, he 0e3f2442fa had dozed d384c3c914 off where 778e80a045 he sat, f896d72c36 lulled into f93e188c80 sleep by 607d53c733 the rare e6799bf064 sense of 0e965de1a9 comfort.2a502a655e77403d

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* * *c3d1b1709d645df0

What Eu-jin thought would bd85ee6318 be a brief stay 0fcaf5fa17 of one night stretched 1a2aacbc49 into an entire month.baa2464225f82bdc

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The elderly 1ec23ee056 woman, Bok-soon, 14ecd55988 had suggested a22b2affe7 he stay fc2b46ff48 and keep 44cc9c6dbb her company, 97f76081d6 and he 250596082f had agreed db52af308b without much eb444fb37a hesitation. His life as a 18255e5a01 fugitive had left him 02b8a7d56b exhausted, both physically and 3ee61bc87b mentally.bcc8a21b377e867f

Geumchon was the 272c423ddb perfect refuge: a d09785ebd6 remote mountain village 0f1ecdbdba with minimal contact fb12894ad6 with the outside 2bebe7504a world. There wasn’t f5824b5981 even a 994f064254 police station ccdf2d4131 or community a181b16fbc center. The residents, a6f792e00b mostly elderly, 73e83414e7 seemed disconnected 3e0b9bfc6e from recent f9ae67dee0 events and fa28950280 didn’t concern 479e14dd53 themselves with f7e335f2dd things like b7c305fc32 Espers, Guides, ece1a34650 or rifts. It was as if 763c544050 the village existed in ccdeea8060 a bubble, untouched by 59b54001d3 the outside world—a pristine 0d9bfa5113 sanctuary.3a9f2d509bec4972

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“Eu-jin, watch the fb2c7c775a house while I’m 9c52181fcb out, okay?”fa3bdd1933c38857

“Yes, ma’am. Have a good trip!”1781c69fddd014bd

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On market day, 9f473e5923 Bok-soon left early, bf0dd15651 eager to make 257de5d889 her way to 27bb477191 town. Eu-jin, who had been 891ae985ee busy cleaning, followed her 6ad1cb892b to the gate to d6fd0d59fc see her off.e79bc899f18c4118

The bus stop was 48cb161968 far from the house, 4842f8ceed so he didn’t go d2e892e6c6 beyond the gate. Instead, he held onto e3e50c4166 it, watching her slowly e7479f98a8 shrink into the distance e0a0aefb97 until she was no 80294be2a6 bigger than a speck.37379301c233611c

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Even in this remote ad36531d42 village, Eu-jin wasn’t willing 99db03b9da to take chances. He avoided going 7f7d0949d5 out during the 60117fa630 day, limiting his 4683151395 activities to helping 84a28d03fd with the small 161a7687ba vegetable patch beside 37236544e1 the house.3d2eeb6c90bf0d33

When he did go e642c2a567 out, he wore a 047a08a9cf sun cap with a 24014d1d60 wide brim and draped 187a4252a4 himself in a farming 3a91789079 hat to keep his 4b8c8180e9 face hidden. It wasn’t 21c86ce00d until the cb226dc382 sun set 00a4005c42 that he fba79c8b21 ventured out a544a3dee5 for short d6d039b7af walks, wearing 48eddf072b a simple 4602a68da6 baseball cap 15b83387d3 pulled low 0e2307ea75 over his beb3b531e7 face.1b500a4f2bce0053

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The autumn 1f417ea2c5 weather was 360e9b52e3 pleasant, with 5fd7669e50 a crisp 42ae2b1392 breeze and 55d3f44b48 golden hues be46ba7531 in the 47064b1b55 air. His favorite pastime a40cfb5c0a had become walking a4e9e3c4b7 hand in hand 2ec6309288 with Bok-soon to d5b32c76c7 the village’s tiny d0441ac1d8 market, picking out 372c272201 snacks and treats bbadb5c1e8 to share.ecc062f06310126f

Back at the house, e909ff91ba Eu-jin finished cleaning, wringing 7c9a86c98e out the cloths thoroughly 87ee8260f2 before laying them out 8138e6199a to dry in the 268e0f0c23 sunniest spot.52c79e89b3c09f20

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Satisfied with his work, 17d7b9c429 he sprawled out on 69eaca50cb the polished wooden floor 50b5b1df3f of the veranda. A playful puppy that 1d64258b74 had been bounding around c2beb67809 the yard came over 995fda8b3f and flopped down beside f851a4f0dc him, belly to the cb87d446e4 ground.0e7c0ad116ea7b64

Eu-jin propped one leg dc22344b18 up, resting the other f6a2da072a across it, and laced 137af9f24d his fingers behind his cffc338c6d head. A gentle 435dc957a0 breeze tousled 937c9bded3 his fine ea1b1c72ce hair as 9fc2afd294 he gazed 9d97e17d9a up at 28cfedf8d0 the sky.d406fda0f733c1a2

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Are they 86ee6e3767 still looking 0b6de87fb7 for me?02249a53ee505dd4

The thought 4b4ea3c141 lingered, drifting 5f5ba21066 lazily in 08e015fde4 his mind 6e72d218ce like the 64fdb0c1d5 clouds above.1219a4325433cfce

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Surely they’re not aa70af1b04 still wasting resources fd657b5483 just to track 65b5968f6c down one Guide, 970640416d right?7af69f6b0fd6bcee

As Eu-jin 7036138c9a grew more 0854c54a83 accustomed to b0a918e58d the peaceful 7d653bafd7 life in 0c1be3fa90 Geumchon, his b8f63a4d22 curiosity about 19bfe003ef the outside b02fdc4452 world grew c861f425a8 alongside it.2660532d22a9af19

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The house did ead68f566a have a TV, 5f5f73df90 but it was bc543c817e mostly used for 50e1e66da0 dramas and lifestyle bdd7b97726 programs. Without internet access, 81250ba0d9 he had no 02573c1fad way of gauging e9c8addac5 what was happening fc58a4306c beyond the village.3327d995480f9cd3

Still, he de384c8bdd couldn’t stay 28203b3f72 here indefinitely. Sooner or cef7e6570f later, he’d 68eaa69fe3 need to a3fd4a0f16 figure out bce983314e a plan c602010c3e for his a3a946edf0 future.1d609a29707f3afa

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“Haa, what should I ee507b348f do?”c422411b6fc1a30f

Eu-jin lazily rolled onto fcb86a0059 his side and began 1f69a52bfb stroking the puppy’s soft, a69e464f86 squishy belly. The simple pleasure 4c330e49f3 of it melted 3d1ca63694 away his worries, f020618326 leaving him content eea6f96d6d for the moment.44ebb345571c5813

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That evening, Bok-soon returned 838abb0c83 home with a bundle 7a1da1bfed of aged kimchi and b262fa9a10 began slicing it up 4c7b6d36e1 to make savory kimchi f8634fd3c3 pancakes.967b8b510a491540

Sizzle.883d9c8f9438c3e2

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As the batter a3a3abdb33 hit the heated 658bfd04ff lid of the 8aa2e29243 iron pot, it 610477b702 crackled and fried e9df0d655a to a perfect ecebfd8173 crisp. The nutty aroma of c0a679e5ec the oil filled the 77a02c90f6 air, making Eu-jin’s mouth 53389334bd water.4511752a6d9d0431

“Grandma, should I go 4031e8a841 get some makgeolli?” Eu-jin 40ca2f0151 offered, unable to resist d6d61f9a65 the tantalizing scent.4d8cb699378bb44e

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“That’d be great. I’m busy with 0ac0b80aa4 the pancakes—think you e899d3e8cf can handle it 42d8f26e32 on your own?”1987da3eec05188b

“Of course! I’ll be back in ee34cb952a no time.”c867a1bbbcb9b165

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Eu-jin hurried f0ebdf948c to his b41be4d292 room, grabbed 9a1d169914 some money 8424cc8a9a and a a99b915651 flashlight, and 1c0a362d48 shoved a 004ea009c7 black cap 1046277a8f onto his 0f993b8931 head before 7b63218ebe confidently stepping 46cf0481d4 out the 5d92efb13b gate.1837673c62b31f32

The unlit rural 28756f6ae2 road was pitch 123e33d49d dark, with not 38f23ef261 a single streetlamp 7240f5389d to guide the 345b9f0cd6 way. The fresh night 550fae039f air carried the 7170845849 earthy scent of a4fe22e97b fertilizer. Eu-jin shone his bd5706f623 flashlight on the ffcdc6c767 ground, carefully navigating 31ea6b45e9 the bumpy dirt 4972284314 path.a41d71d19e7224c1

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Before long, the small sign for “Yeongsik Supermarket” came into view.8a38853b3763206a

At the outdoor fridge, 462c8cc6ac he grabbed two green 683dc1008d bottles of makgeolli and 14d7dd1d29 pulled a crumpled 5,000-won a24c2d72b2 bill from his pocket. The note, having been 4013a0be6f stored in his piggy ad0270733a bank for ages, was 42cc140010 wrinkled and worn. Eu-jin flattened it 4ab6c13c82 against his thigh 24d227a084 before stepping inside 6814123dd1 to pay.19f3db0e932d367e

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“Here’s the payment.”0c8e963e126b39a2

“……”ec2d4c42523818e7

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The man behind 01f6e865b5 the counter lowered ae3f0010e1 his phone and 0e18441f19 glanced at Eu-jin.b6590f210d835c5b

This was Park b7380642e7 Yeong-sik, the heir 006667f841 to the supermarket 1951dae4d9 and the only 8441f440f9 young man left d1a5f8bcf7 in the village. Today, he was 8ad5c16708 manning the shop 13f4602085 in his mother’s d7a745e2ad stead.e8fd9f9d6a74bd85

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With sharp, monolid eyes, 6c231ad0b3 Yeongsik scrutinized the unfamiliar cbb96ca2b7 stranger standing before him.b31ee028c39ae204

Something about Eu-jin’s 5ab01de8d5 face made him 445d62285b pause, his gaze 4d55bf2940 lingering as if dab2436794 trying to place 05b142bfd9 him.bdf5d25afdc7664c

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