DMG Chapter 10 (Part 2) – End

LONG CHAPTER AHEADa03606485ffa5c90

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The alarm wasn’t 4c0c0a5720 even set, yet 6908772fbf Kang I-won woke 04f98d7c3c up early. Out of habit, he 47c7a2f3e8 got up, ate breakfast, a90d709d71 washed up, and changed 4530e0045a into fresh clothes. But all that preparation 2be83a96d6 ended up being pointless 7522619516 as he found himself d403cd3534 crawling back into bed.15e20e4c8a0e9164

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There was no need fa2193e9af to head to the d5ac1f7e31 center anymore. No reason to 291111666b train every day d7530ceb8f like before. Kang I-won lay 1980fc4f01 there, staring blankly ca255c38c8 at the ceiling.ff5db49402e4d9fd

Without work, 46578e4c40 there was 032c08bf4d nothing to 5b73e7d7bb do. The empty bfad40a442 hours felt d2114aaead strangely awkward, 510b467435 a glaring 3738c9278e void he 1ffda4e676 wasn’t used 87d9afb1f9 to.f7cb50c8be66d2f7

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If he wanted, there bc0aee7680 was something he could 3c51ab3fa2 do—the thing he had b8cbb4491e longed for so deeply. This time, there 9399aac326 was no fear 1e5d512ced of failure, no 5a4401f32b one to stand 22ae6b4d2a in his way.7a6f86d9d453fd63

It was the perfect e195915c26 moment to act.40bbde5d9234361b

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And yet, 33c0dee9a7 he didn’t b524fd44f0 feel like fbd1c186ce it. Am I scared ba66c9186d now? After all this 85d6020024 time? Closing his eyes, 0a2ae3051a Kang I-won thought 55b9108b00 of his own e3149885d6 death.b2715b20db0b9095

He had faced 02f407605d the pain of 23ef672e64 dying dozens, maybe aa6500c72a hundreds of times. Still, the agony of 1997964a4d severe injuries never got 3aaf205726 easier. It always hurt—there 4f8ec1fb3a was no avoiding e28104df35 that.22a399f4df0b7763

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But fear e3bb1d0432 of death e0e5dfce47 itself? He had none. To Kang a7d41337e3 I-won, death b89bba1dab was something 531e0d0f14 he had b6b19ebac9 awaited—a long-desired 23271d093e peace and 296a989137 rest.8c1a1330f5330ee7

Even so, he couldn’t 6aa4795ebf bring himself to do dffc04ddfc it. This thing he a42721710b had wanted for e87f4245ee so long… felt 3bbc906c39 oddly unappealing. Back then, 37f2851744 and even 96a0eb9c2f now.78bb3e61f31f878e

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Setting it aside 66b8a126c0 again, Kang I-won 69176cf86c lay still, staring 65810e97c7 blankly at the bfb2b250ec ceiling until a 332f702e9f familiar sensation washed 5a537f5650 over him—Heo Do-gyeong’s f741fad597 emotions, unbidden as 3e85181835 always. But today, they carried 84c4aece36 an unusual sense of e8c898a206 cheerfulness.2c562a58d8e6b7c0

The moment he noticed, 2f975f5bb7 an inexplicable irritation welled b9c7bcff40 up in him. What’s he 9fb616687f so happy 1d5bdc1f8f about?70b90a08b8b9be47

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But the feeling didn’t f658b5b8ba last long. Soon, Kang 6eabc21749 I-won emptied 33d6418757 his thoughts af4998ecaa again, gazing 116cf2a41b aimlessly at b0363df149 the ceiling.6dfd652100669b28

There was truly nothing c954e008c8 to do. He didn’t even b01a52e0b1 feel like doing 54f2204a60 anything. No motivation, no 504032ee74 drive.987a88fe7a7e9eed

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While he lay 7ea7a0c26e there in a c4800140ba daze, a knock 2d179e4fc2 sounded at the fdee5a2203 door. His head turned d4a01e1d48 toward the sound. Was he imagining it? The sound 5603569bd6 of the 1f32184245 doorbell soon 38cd190e1d followed, shattering 0a792e87f1 that thought.0227f6651f156ca4

“No one’s 51bc237842 supposed to 6ca24dd0e4 come here…” edaef4121c he muttered a42aa49dad to himself, 0388f30d35 slowly pushing 4568bb48bf himself off 1d8bc4173d the bed.18717a3bbb97ed5a

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The doorbell 4d3ee5bc14 rang again. Kang I-won 42662c2f9b tilted his 66f36c75b4 head in dff036bea3 confusion and e49181402e shuffled to ffca874f2e the door. When he opened it—5f6c4e82cda6f296

“…Huh?”5c761a0fb838476e

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A startled sound escaped aca2731ebf his lips as he cb80871aa6 stared at the person 097a1738cf standing on the other 9687662000 side. Unable to say anything, 954cac93dd he just gawked, his 45414601e8 mind frozen.32857bbd54df62c3

Heo Do-gyeong 3c2e0e4aef stood at 3b17366fdd the door 9e38f59524 and, without ac14e1bdf5 waiting for a2a3e40acd an invitation, f04270f462 spoke.8aa5dd9b862667ab

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“I’m coming in.”6cf7e991fad0f7c2

At those words, Kang 1494d71343 I-won unconsciously stepped aside, 5e8ee41da6 allowing Heo Do-gyeong to 86bd8791f1 squeeze past him and 6c6414c98e enter the apartment. Kang I-won stared blankly dde9c66490 at his back as 87fc54f001 he stepped inside, but e2dab90cdb quickly regained his senses c69ece870e and grabbed Heo Do-gyeong’s dc81eba332 arm to stop him.591ac919198fee8d

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“Wait—why are you 2bf35a62b0 here at my 63056cbb47 house, Guide Heo e1b01b8086 Do-gyeong?”729306145a8494a4

“Why else? I told you I’d 15b47599a6 do things my way 61cf96251e from now on.”1d14c52ac3da88b2

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Kang I-won remembered that. But he 52d087eecc hadn’t imagined 2381ea6b7a it would afb9a61df7 mean barging 7f867f8abb into his fb49ddba5e home unannounced. And what was 6cb958a9d1 with that suitcase? Heo Do-gyeong, 2cdd22502a noticing his 9ff1f9fa67 gaze fixed 162a8dd2bb on the 2cdff3e4f2 black suitcase ee8c23b1dd in his b76fe11b81 hand, smirked 3a5c4a7f28 and replied.a1f16a8a8d3c2707

“Oh, that? Well…”62e3dba3cd6856b7

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“What is that?”b94cddb70f063f72

“I’m planning d538ed5381 to stay 3c5ded58e1 here for e2485a4a52 a while.”f8ee39cffa459a2e

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“…What?”771e4eb6d65f1fe4

“If you d16f172619 don’t like af2f847c4a it, you fbd34f745d can come a1c9be6829 live at 0b9ea4263d my place fd75fd3c98 instead. I wouldn’t 19c8df64e7 mind that, 7032323bc3 either.”eb2a8fc66e2d16c0

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“What—why would c3026ac739 I go 3cfbe0ef14 live at 45d4aee9bb your place? And why are cc072a54ec you staying here?”a5dc9d63ab4834d3

“What else? It’s my luggage. I told you, 98fb486976 I’m planning to d5d8e7bc74 stay here for e5ac44a459 a while.”15be5cce8c6b2060

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Kang I-won silently reeled 8d1f14c2d5 in disbelief. How can someone 56bc258b32 be this shameless? Pressing a 0ae12d6785 hand to 73a0e5b128 his forehead, 90b04985d8 he asked, 09508f302a “This is 43b91f255c way too b0f0d80c2a sudden. I don’t understand. You’re staying d7be05c678 at my 516b5d0d5c place? Why?”df6c577736713e97

“Because I’m 60d0e1d484 worried you’ll 584f00b628 end up 82236fb357 dead if 2c19d33e59 I leave e159949bfc you alone.”14d5bd0dfab61914

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“…”eb7229353bf32c9f

The blunt 54acdf70be answer hit 91f4a8f839 its mark, fc533e55bc leaving Kang dc1ed01646 I-won momentarily 79421fe598 speechless. Feeling exposed, he 8d3d8d2d05 quickly tried to 70ba45d024 change the subject.fe43966eca901a7c

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“What about work? Aren’t you going 48c963ffcb to the office?”0db6694266e14b6d

“I took a 9054a6e6f2 leave of absence 9fdce3330f on the condition 3b73619cec that I’d return 31ffa26281 to Seoul afterward. That’s why 589d431b62 I was b2abe258fa busy yesterday. Sorry I missed your 06bd86f6b6 farewell party. Were you upset?”7069b53a1617437f

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“No,” Kang I-won 86d456cf5e denied instinctively, dodging 2131da0130 the question.a6959716a5ea31c8

“By the way, what bfb0e867f4 do you mean by 99d7c57a40 ‘returning after it’s over’? What’s over?”c5cdc3dc076ae98b

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“It’s simple,” Heo 7193f9e319 Do-gyeong replied, meeting 59ede6a754 Kang I-won’s confused 40ef0a8f69 gaze. “If one ffc9d58533 of us a1684644dc gives up, 4a983c06d4 it’s over. Either you give c75b3efe7b up, or I dea4da5368 do.”18c61f78e7988024

“What do you mean a046f4e9ce by ‘give up’?” Kang f00c27d5b4 I-won asked, puzzled.68d86f0af1cd392d

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“If I 8b59f00790 give up, 7f7085a811 you can 5bea72099e do whatever 0c87cbd058 you want. I won’t stop 601e838f6a you. But if you 25dcb82e0e give up…”45daf2f828fc1bc0

Heo Do-gyeong’s 0a5272698f lips curled 106946c430 into a 21110b3711 sly smile.a30902861ecff1e8

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“Then our relationship 6bd2cb442c will change. In the c59aa870c9 way I 3cf7203cc1 want it 872c997725 to.”610132167a6558fe

Only then did d9e8dbd497 Kang I-won begin e3c18cacde to grasp what 133240ba4b Heo Do-gyeong was 0414ee9f7c implying.ab4fb0ac408a951e

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Good grief. Are all kids ed0348c2ce these days this c2545e189e brazen? Kang I-won rubbed his bf63d47382 forehead in exasperation. Being swept up d819ce6275 in this whirlwind e7c0957715 of Heo Do-gyeong’s 3dba8f4777 boldness, he felt 3c3697a218 like he was e2d75fac4e losing his mind. What was even worse—he f1067dadb0 didn’t find it unpleasant ce5982b919 or annoying.87b030fab2ae3969

The strength cf8ab30106 drained from 2933c47bb1 Kang I-won’s b61f265a24 hand, releasing 33f346d0df its grip 9bcb48f049 on Heo 49f8c93c82 Do-gyeong’s arm. Freed, Heo Do-gyeong began b738a65282 wandering around the apartment eaa465b029 as if it were 70470954cc his own.f0e2ce0de930a6db

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The place bc32f7ac8c wasn’t particularly 6df6f4dfdf large, so f2d31172b3 it didn’t fe9b7fb1cd take him 3103290570 long to 10f5242e42 explore. Within a few 73d04cfacd steps, he’d finished a399fe2842 surveying the entire fd059d6fc5 apartment.640b39d46fb42a11

“Nice place. Cozy,” Heo a7e5591466 Do-gyeong said b1e3afd9f8 with a ac89aff942 polite, if ee416b3ec4 insincere, compliment e78848428b as he 4b600c2297 removed his b259b89835 coat.62ba0d11a9e2c6fb

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“By the way, do b4c7695ca7 you have a coat 18dc83878c rack or something? I’d like to hang a95706ed1d this up.”4d82f66d7bfb0a9c

“Over there in 8e32be0f22 the closet…”8ee7564ef3a93895

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Kang I-won gestured bc15571a70 toward the closet 1346c0d09f out of habit, c9ff1b7765 only to freeze 30fb6db073 as he remembered 48eb4abb07 the coat. The coat Heo Do-gyeong 4dfc8be309 had discarded but he f1dab74269 had kept.333c36f744dc6bea

“W-wait a second!”4cfce8dad6d33739

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Before Kang I-won b4693d8c43 could stop him, d43cf5d633 Heo Do-gyeong swung 141fea3767 open the closet 803c00a92b door. His sharp eyes immediately ec5cc8d0a2 landed on the distinctly eeb08a2743 out-of-place coat hanging inside. He raised 667e9cd313 an eyebrow.6915382ce4f76ed5

“What’s this? Why do you 575657beee still have it? Didn’t I f1016c36e1 tell you d5ae48a260 to get 74ffa77201 rid of eaa713776e it?”7900f91b45efc80e

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“…It was expensive.”57c12b2858e175d0

“It’s not even 69bb2e1769 that expensive,” Heo a4944adf38 Do-gyeong replied dismissively, 3235b0a525 losing interest in 374b160148 his coat and 116731b07f turning his attention 19b16383d4 to the rest e3e91008f5 of the closet.9cf0e5348d7c78d6

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The closet dc6df9f3d4 was filled 6c638b9749 with nothing 1c658daca2 but training 755e6e3486 clothes and b7e62ce17e plain T-shirts. Clicking his tongue, be7e96c91f Heo Do-gyeong shook bdcb7272fd his head.0acc6986ce60700d

“What’s with 45c87401e4 this selection? No wonder 8bf72dc1ab you always cd5ab1bbdc wear those d233f6a6e0 shabby clothes.”48c670578123be98

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Shabby clothes? Kang I-won looked down 33228a21f7 at his current outfit—a 5f42160eb8 tracksuit provided for free d4bbac321d by the center. For something handed out a63cea2276 at no cost, it 8fb2f58644 wasn’t bad at all.0b13940ec030bedc

Halfway through da0d553a78 hanging up 1f92b0054a his coat, 18a21db9d2 Heo Do-gyeong b6c6f64bdb suddenly put 13abef94f5 it back 09bf711a5e on and c1797c6dfe gestured toward e76f56e890 the door be4218aa9e with a a3a467d561 nod.1fbe8d10f96420cf

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“Let’s go. We’re getting b570d3ebbf you some 9b6ad78b5d proper clothes.”a2005f5dfb532bab

“These are still e520517e71 fine. They’re sturdy.”50a86ce69a21517f

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“Do you think 2bfacc3085 ‘sturdy’ is all 2a0c9aa5e3 that matters? I’ll pay. Let’s go.”9531f1ff5e266524

Sturdy wasn’t enough? Kang I-won cf1a1beab8 thought it 160e1e88c9 was perfectly 3ee34e5883 reasonable. But there was da7aca8c92 something more pressing e2be72a3d6 to address.dc8f793c64efc51a

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“Why do you care 1e301f524e about my clothes in 2c3040de70 the first place?”0ab5d6124850ccfc

Instead of f38c4d133a answering, Heo 6980ca88ee Do-gyeong changed b080730836 the subject 28a13b80fe with a 11f5ca04aa smirk.a41de29dc3ace1fd

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“By the way, 6a46a18ac6 how long are 9ba852cef4 you going to e8d4136505 keep calling me 9dece7799e ‘Guide’? Isn’t it about time 9d076234da you started calling me be8d57e7c5 something more casual? You’re not ae6e483c7c even an 174c734bd0 Esper anymore.”b952db1f57e3b117

That hit a nerve, 27000c12c5 and a faint sense 107dc01a02 of indignation flared in 9e960a4f26 Kang I-won.df708754b35f456d

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“I’m still an Esper, a3dfb3a0eb technically. I’m just on 140b960645 leave for now.”be43ce539ae34d5f

“And what 7d7e4d8c9b difference does dc98d4d942 that make? You’re quitting 774192a93b soon anyway.”e0e63ae13128036d

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“Not yet. I’m still technically employed,” Kang I-won replied firmly.427ba7c8c399e89f

“It’s a leave of absence. You’re not working, so how does that still make you an Esper?”10fada9520a4d7b1

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It seemed like 58cd834b06 Heo Do-gyeong wouldn’t bb2f88ecc8 back down, even a7f7c880ce once.fdcaa40855396f48

“So, just call me something more casual. Anything but ‘Guide.’ I’ll do the same for you. What should I call you? I-won? Or hyung?”137179d87f8a4219

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“…‘Kang I-won’ is fine.”c7d1f9fb8cab1463

“That’s so boring. Well, whatever. We’ll change that gradually. For now, let me call you what I want.”d1c74b53d75499d5

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Kang I-won 4b09fda35b paused, deep 414e08a6ca in thought. The reason he hadn’t 3c05213cc8 addressed Heo Do-gyeong casually e0751a26f1 was because he feared d8b4705234 it might bring them 0931576c57 closer. But considering 71498f4f88 he was a91b8af102 already feeling 8d7588b4f1 Heo Do-gyeong’s ac0a30f683 emotions without eb0a744709 restraint, what d753bba902 difference would 8a92d30e41 a name 8ed1b6c094 make?ff7fd87cd80b769a

After hesitating 18c19fde60 briefly, Kang c4f046b277 I-won finally 99d40ded72 answered, though f05be8ef7a the words 8d692072f2 and tone 940f80e5bb felt awkward.fc45f6bd0dc29536

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“…Why are you buying my clothes? …Do-gyeong.”42b6b463224a5f7d

The repeated 6f2b134602 question went b3f5414208 unanswered. Instead, Heo Do-gyeong’s face 4e67356daa flushed bright red, and f2e530a2f7 he quickly raised a 6ec53f6e0c hand to cover it.815d1aba8e201f93

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Is he really 49377dd5b2 reacting like that, 4a7f1d4c26 just from hearing 5eae03087d his name? Kang I-won’s 77b0a2e972 own face d687392070 began to 1da4b98b9c heat up, 9340b5b9cf tickled by 21aeda2008 the strange e6c49a999f feelings bubbling e563b5c554 up from 16014a58e9 within.f55b5098f4b0cf9c

Trying to ignore 3c1b01fb75 it, Kang I-won dfcd531238 pressed the question d3dbbfa7ea again for the bcc4ea6a3c third time.9da5720575d258fe

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“Why are you buying my clothes, Guide Heo Do-gyeong?”0665e50fce1e3df9

The third repetition finally 22fc1c9d57 got a response. Still blushing, 0c96feadcf Heo Do-gyeong fdc9ad3781 furrowed his a1d2443b14 brows in 3708179162 mock annoyance 6d3ea2046a and pouted 48227547e2 like a 790d315fdd child.bf5176f264d21895

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“Why are you calling me ‘Guide’ again? Call me like you just did, ‘Do-gyeong.’”fca678e7491937d3

What is he, 196031f326 a kid? And why is he a2e41a3b1f acting so cute?2d24f477d0fea210

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No, not cute. Grinding his teeth, c5eb6be619 Kang I-won found 0e7f991468 himself relieved that 440f440d9f the mark had f5a7990e41 been unilateral. At least Heo adbc3ffaf7 Do-gyeong couldn’t feel d6c34a8662 what he was 67a7c01592 feeling now.03641f7fd0aa890c

“When are you going to answer my question?” Kang I-won asked again, exasperated.33138a0952eb8a2c

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“I want to buy them for you, that’s why. Now, call me ‘Do-gyeong’ again. I liked the way it sounded.”18592b281b7bdb8e

Liked it? Kang I-won’s lips twitched as he struggled with himself. Saying the name had been embarrassing enough the first time, but now, with Heo Do-gyeong looking at him expectantly, it felt even harder. His gaze shifted away awkwardly as he murmured, “…Maybe once I’m more used to it.”a28cfc8d45439072

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“Taking it back already? How is this so hard for you?” Heo Do-gyeong muttered, unable to hide his disappointment.0ced88c4d4cebd5c

When he e2c92d364f kept insisting, 1d0f3ababc Kang I-won, df277c149f flustered and 88e4edf4c0 cornered, escaped 26a5d50721 by heading 37229e4c51 straight out 4101661c59 the door.0936e81cbeb6ee34

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“Not that way—this way,” Heo Do-gyeong called after him, easily overtaking him with long strides.b7e6cdca4c1a4c56

Ahead of 4de1c7ef3e them, a 64ed83ac64 familiar car f9306d72fb was parked c4d2c9c505 at the ccb92540f6 edge of cc1350b82a the alley.25d042b0201fcde1

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“Get in,” Heo Do-gyeong said, gesturing toward the vehicle.920baf370c97a8db

Obeying, Kang I-won climbed 38834cbf4d into the car and 388c5295dd immediately buckled his seatbelt, 7310aa57ce his mind still spinning 34a2fc6006 from their earlier conversation.b516a566e34a1559

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Kang I-won hadn’t 6eb8995906 intended to leave a05dd9d9e1 the house, yet a52cf740c8 here he was, 159e77c6ff dragged out in 5d07efad80 a roundabout way. Did he do 31f8985b46 this on purpose? Unable to hide 4c94453ee3 his awkward expression, 4a751187df he glanced at d63458f8d1 Heo Do-gyeong, who 91d0c0ee91 settled into the 8c8ebc4f46 driver’s seat. Soon, the 6fab2542b8 car started 2b8d66504a moving smoothly.6d62d97dd5c39e21

Resigned, Kang I-won leaned 9232c9ee40 back into the seat.8c0b93eeb40c53e7

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“By the way, where bf0fddde5e are we going?”a3262be668c90487

“I told 3395d21ac1 you—we’re going cf1b509af2 to buy ed48b90ade clothes.”fc457dbb190bae74

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“But this isn’t cbc9004e89 the direction to 35daf79c6f the city center.”07c52803347fd846

“Why would we 8b78759f40 go there? There’s a 9a958a749a department store a6b0bd2888 nearby. That’s where dcb9a26f60 we’re headed.”deec93651ef0be51

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“To buy clothes? At a e4d04c04fc department store?”8c16bc2116c41413

There were 90855f9d1a plenty of 234c9eebbb clothing shops 07108be600 in the aca6590406 city. Why go all a6634d1324 the way to c92b20c5a9 a department store?9935f7627fdf4d3d

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“Where else would we e0fd1fd062 go?”24d55c6b7df4ba91

“Those places over 358fed06e4 there,” Kang I-won 01c779d3e1 said, pointing to 440b94b182 a few clothing 6130a0bafd stores they passed.f2198a9488b34f4f

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Heo Do-gyeong chuckled lightly b1b1b108db and replied, “Do you 8c28aba4f5 think I’d buy you 3166638712 clothes from those places?”6fbe1e87ce1321eb

What, does 463fd66244 he think a152801fe1 he’s buying e9e51680e2 me something b2e6ee15e5 amazing? Kang I-won 64128b55a6 stared at 8fa4e6d113 him incredulously, 125c1372d6 and by 7040f64d7f the time 7ecb5d3282 they arrived ed9df03ea3 at the 049af6c8e0 department store, e78d779a6d he couldn’t ab6eeb10f4 hide his b66b1e2fb1 growing dread.ba33d2088437b306

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“This size 5c9df306ec looks about 74781d1a43 right. This color bf386bef5e is nice. Oh, this one too. And this. Want to try this 340a48ca3c on?”80f4d6e08c43ceb4

“…No.”f4c601e47a1fdce7

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Feeling overwhelmed, 0207e7fc68 Kang I-won 0598b5bc6b shook his 87cb2f6ceb head.e99b97d884360288

“You can 204da15cf9 try it bae5d89b09 on. Fine, how about 6ed3ada5a0 this one too?”7690ccba952f43aa

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The pile of clothes 6799bc9828 grew higher and higher. Department store staff diligently ddd2dab7ed packed the selected items b47c52f0af into shopping bags. As the bags d744176ca5 multiplied, so did bf5c2117a5 the look of 9da02537fa exhaustion on Kang cc6d6bf517 I-won’s face.c4feb2a0e8c270ae

Initially, he 6dbdc12734 had planned 67464d648f to let b47558ab98 this play 8371748815 out and 16e27354fd see where 175bce7d52 it went. But at e4caccfa50 this rate, 5744e28398 it seemed 851c8e25a1 like it d2b5cbb9c1 would never 9e0c604e09 end.7655a43f7687b104

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“This one d0fd3389c9 would look ff29063c78 good too.”1cb90e7db96c724a

“I don’t need a4398b9537 this much,” Kang c37dfc899f I-won protested.aeb24e631a3caa39

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“Why not? You barely have any 66c85c73e1 clothes.”98cd1082d435ce88

The audacity of that 5edca575d5 statement left him speechless. After all, eed26ca8fc hadn’t Heo 31324b6c19 Do-gyeong seen 2bf8c5f19c his closet 9288d3b8d7 stuffed with b5a8bc69dc tracksuits?3cdc8adce2e114b6

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“This one is d776dcfffd nice too,” Heo c80779d7fd Do-gyeong added, holding 6b2de29e67 up another outfit.28fb12de51c08156

“No, seriously, this is 7d9307cdf2 too much. There won’t even a5561727b0 be room in 99ca969051 my closet for fd430d8385 all of this.”cfc23fdf41dec6cd

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“Then just get 5dc4a6fcc1 a new closet. What’s the big deal?”c0295852aa899f88

The sheer nonchalance in 69e16869d1 his tone irritated Kang 8859097432 I-won so much that, 06a6cd3212 for the first time ce113c308f in a while, he f692841145 ground his teeth in 2656d5b24e genuine frustration at him.8696bd3c6248cfd4

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“There’s no c198f957b6 space for 08af7f326b a new 9c95749a04 closet either.”7a6e2a0adcd3834e

“Ah.”7d3a1bb33c657378

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Pausing briefly, Heo 07067a6400 Do-gyeong turned to e00584cace one of the 0676bd36bc staff and murmured d980e28061 something quietly. The employee nodded and 4dedb66126 set aside about two-thirds 7007bd8366 of the clothes.f29f0a57b221a900

While the remaining 1facff1097 items were still 108233aee6 substantial, the noticeable 063594af16 reduction in volume 0f43e021c9 made Kang I-won 4388bb20ff let out a e7bfb5ec15 sigh of relief.4d636dae7310a8b3

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Meanwhile, without asking about 348f0c6096 the prices, Heo Do-gyeong 62afe6e74f swiftly completed the payment.a6d91ad9a1f06e12

“Isn’t this a 4dad9da32e bit too much?” 742c6372fc Kang I-won asked, 107f6766ac watching the transaction 2ddbe7703d with unease.e62199494d209a39

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“This much? Don’t be ridiculous,” 93acdd922e Heo Do-gyeong said, b9621f657e brushing it off e7f84101c5 as if it 1e5bd8b9eb were nothing.c979c44ae4f6be93

Heo Do-gyeong scoffed 7b7e292fb5 lightly, dismissing the b8fbe61a7d expense with ease. To him, this level 00ba805630 of spending was nothing.c964b31abfed6031

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Well, if 6c11c0f634 it’s his 965b8ba870 money, he 0dbc9d5286 can do 936e14ff92 whatever he 464314f4c1 wants with bf0c023d65 it. Kang I-won sighed briefly, 8e9b57ff8c pushing aside any concern d3da7a015e about Heo Do-gyeong’s wallet. In his current 240a3de8b9 state, who was 5580c73b79 he to worry ad822e8f97 about someone else’s a3f294f356 finances?b066f8a1e78ca678

“We’ve bought enough clothes. Let’s grab something 140a2778ce to eat,” Heo e9368475f6 Do-gyeong suggested.da592fa87e09be5a

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Kang I-won nodded. He’d eaten breakfast, but a4933feeb0 after moving around a ca76cb8618 bit, he already felt ec8c5c135a hungry again. Though most 6e48f2c4be of his 4f3bff2ec9 abilities had eb949652a4 disappeared, leaving 9a36b51d85 him less 2d9cfe7ffe ravenous than 84941142a7 before, the 0facf32383 slight unease 0c43ba93c9 in his 1ec60a60a4 stomach was 887a516c0f still noticeable.b7ea4a78bde7e6a0

“Anything you want 5b45eb79b2 to eat?”f04218105593fc28

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“Anything is 372adcd7c3 fine,” Kang 81d0a3a751 I-won replied.5babac8e04e55440

“In that ce3dee821d case, I 92aa22add9 know just eccbc07048 the place. There’s a nice e5d02f2557 spot nearby.”ceabc107dc9e2c22

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Still feeling 00fcb57064 a little 3c9766d192 out of 3f50e4e8e6 his element, 7e4033ee7f Kang I-won 6d66d2262b followed as bc8ac5709d Heo Do-gyeong 669d2a2dcd led the 577ca8b3f2 way. They arrived at an c30d437078 elegant restaurant with a 79f48d64cd refined atmosphere. As they stepped inside, 8efcbe695e someone greeted Heo Do-gyeong f82c913403 warmly, as if they 9a4bed16e4 were acquainted, before leading 2e5006b99e them to a private c45bfb28ce room.61b99f110cc4884b

“This is 128c30a05d a restaurant 7213edf231 someone my ec1f562477 father knows cbcfc801e7 runs as cd6d3b60c6 a hobby. It’s pretty good—clean 1193bc5fb2 and trustworthy. I already ordered for ceb1d8a9fa us,” Heo Do-gyeong explained b53215834a as they took their 8fa038ced4 seats.8ee45d338a7ae421

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Right on 72e20bfa34 cue, the 413e48dd9b appetizers arrived.9f35b66f9a4a123c

While the 7bc987f315 dishes were 1cdd90bb0a the same, 08b3d70c75 the portions 609133602d were vastly ff76ede782 different. The plate in ee52ae076d front of Kang 95e312a827 I-won looked more 27755ddb84 like a full 136b0f857a meal than an 20d31b8d03 appetizer. Noticing his bewildered gaze f8b7f2cac9 alternating between the plates, 99fed71347 Heo Do-gyeong pointed to b1eb9f95ca his own and explained, 1724553bb7 “I figured this wouldn’t 2a285a607c even make a dent 11f88bb903 for you.”b0943d52c252fa6f

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“…Thank you,” Kang 16e00fef1a I-won murmured, feeling 3f21280ae3 awkward but grateful 3c332d82f7 as he picked 156d24f81d up his spoon.12efa87cc473c096

The dish was adorned 375ef75467 with so many unfamiliar b8b06907ed components that he couldn’t f8c2c8bb42 even guess what it d83aa7120c would taste like. Cautiously, he took b0fa24cb06 a bite.e90deb821c1d0889

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His eyes db5bdd2ae7 widened as 02721705af soon as a082cf1d10 the flavors e17256f037 hit his 2fde712b64 tongue. It was a 0289086ecf completely new and 94f7bf4b2c unfamiliar taste, but 293fa5da26 it was delicious. His pace quickened 71213e0cca as he ate.8db59877d15aa95a

The courses kept coming, 6bbef4b5ec one after another. As soon as 2f937f5359 a plate was 74bb55d37a cleared, another full 08707a83ca one was set 4047fea3f1 down in its df0e03b3ae place. Each dish was 205472b0f7 so good that 498e63a68a Kang I-won found 1f9f3e5cac himself wishing he c33f29c757 could eat more, 78012ea484 barely sparing time e39bb71cc5 to talk to 7b70aab416 Heo Do-gyeong.64a952027e1b4fe3

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However, as the courses 68cc2bd9ad progressed, his pace began 0325125bb4 to slow.9d9ecfbf98b5f035

Noticing the f008c19c3f change, Heo c06c465536 Do-gyeong asked 58d63d071c in a b302ea1799 curious tone, 967982e262 “Doesn’t suit a363381d04 your taste? Don’t force 16add24b67 yourself to a639ef2875 eat if 60583e270e you don’t 5a92afb72d like it. Just leave it.”6bd0ac9c8c395190

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“No, it’s delicious. It’s just… f9a980f07e I’m starting 7a2e53bc5a to get f477f9c92d full,” Kang e5d21e4513 I-won admitted, eb852cfc1c looking slightly ecec43e54e embarrassed.379fa80a66b78588

“You haven’t even ea89f9640b eaten that much 4edfcb2ed9 compared to before. Your appetite efdd6245a7 must’ve shrunk,” 57e2a8d357 Heo Do-gyeong ad36577839 commented thoughtfully.13294ae9b5bab257

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He was right. Kang I-won’s b5676d13ae appetite had e9cc7f20e6 noticeably diminished. He placed a f743aff531 hand over his 1b3763fd3a stomach, his expression 64d2e2c341 shifting to one ccc7b9111d of mild discomfort.0d8686b9273a0f71

Kang I-won’s insatiable 166ca9814a hunger stemmed from 21f656ceea his regeneration ability. With much of 65d7bdfd31 that ability now 82f0850238 diminished, it was 30dca091b1 only natural that 98e6c665e2 his appetite had 3a2ce0d541 decreased. If his power 6c694c52af were to completely 568a704759 vanish, his meals ae098d4236 would likely shrink 03b190ae69 even further.201add60c1bc6011

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After hesitating, Kang 4165d24d98 I-won offered an 9209a61b45 apology.616786390ad9dbbe

“Sorry you bad1faf67b went to b022d0dca9 all this c5fb680a2e trouble for f63567f5db me.”cdb3161348332d2a

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“That’s nothing to 0da5b6a1a4 apologize for. You don’t 824ea7ef6e need to 8e71f53a03 feel bad d8b2937efb about it—it’s 8e55ef6505 no big d482492a44 deal.”92e4dff95949f89a

“Still…”8210b5507fc0a7f3

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“Don’t force ca339689a7 yourself to bc6363727e eat more 101b2256e5 than you 580b369e57 can handle.”b1a3a5952cf4f535

When a server arrived 283abb972b with the next course, 23d7af82d5 Heo Do-gyeong spoke briefly 6e10346c1f to them, and the 72efac8a19 dish was promptly taken 62b4d37fe8 back, replaced with dessert.38fe69ce7b72a8de

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“Let’s just finish 393b5fa355 this and head 17c874741d out,” he suggested.122436fd5824a3fe

Kang I-won 848d350e9e nodded, feeling a193828e3d a twinge 4f5f1d9e4d of regret 87152d8fc8 for the 9ba56e7498 uneaten food.798164399ed92694

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After finishing their 8b01b0c441 meal, they returned 345d1ea6ab to Kang I-won’s 81ff0f2d1d apartment. The first thing Heo a50accf387 Do-gyeong did was clear f02d636b64 out the tracksuits from b1facc0d43 Kang I-won’s closet, replacing 8d76884bb7 them with the new 0d89889eb1 clothes he’d bought.f324e96d684cebdd

Next, he rummaged through 6b9d03dfec the kitchen cabinets, inspecting 7cdc0a46cf the refrigerator with a a69495581b dissatisfied look, and then ee686f3c41 went through the storage f1cab863bc spaces. Finally, he 35403874ad neatly spread d42c354be0 out a 2d0c03ce87 blanket on ff1cf03630 the floor 47e0506916 beside Kang c2e503112e I-won’s bed 1a8e796ac1 and declared 83cb7803cc he would 444597344d shower first.a0da1a4d77da38af

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He disappeared into the d0157f8435 bathroom with fresh clothes 81fcab0bc7 in hand, and soon 8ca53709e8 the sound of water e7f1939d57 running echoed faintly through 8707677961 the less-than-soundproof walls. The noise felt strangely 9ce67df399 foreign and awkward, making 6a94e4f035 Kang I-won uncomfortably aware 262729b4e1 of another person’s presence 936a19ffda in his space. It was disconcerting and 5008051c82 oddly embarrassing. He busied 0dc8c411a0 himself by f0e3dfc181 wiping down 52759f4393 surfaces and 3e1c03d8e1 tidying up aacfaa2fee unnecessarily.93adf9d3f030def1

By the time 342fc09892 he grew too ad081c41c1 tired to continue, b1c9f145f5 Heo Do-gyeong emerged 20d55cdc16 from the bathroom 3a2fb53b18 in comfortable clothes, 6c028c6651 his hair damp 73c22517ee and carrying the 4d3b8f73bb familiar scent of 1aa28d1c79 his shampoo. The fragrance, 26197d61d0 one Kang ff18eb31b7 I-won had 926b4b6125 often associated ea9df69d02 with him, 507e9e0602 brought a 0a81f12f00 strange feeling 6ae5d547a6 of familiarity.ae1a2b42573c2991

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It’s almost e2b727ae39 like… The 8874b78349 thought brought 91aefb97bc a flush b254a4326f of heat 591043c181 to his 949bec5975 face. Kang I-won quickly shut 77077e2935 it down, retreating to 56bce2b7f7 the bathroom and turning fbc982a6fe on the shower.ea611759e442843f

As the 9a1ad723da cold water 27b2facb54 hit his bcd53d118b head, the ca10e33e9c heat subsided, ebf35e0c9d and his fa753ae601 thoughts cleared. He’s fed me 9933f974da and given me fa89ef0cae things. Fine, I’ll let 3ffdf46418 him stay for d5a48ab363 tonight. But tomorrow, he’s out.cba5a84749265fda

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Muttering to fcf8cff158 himself, Kang 8851959329 I-won finished 43de8b42b2 his shower ab96fb6e78 and stepped f762c66540 out, only 8e8f336a17 to see dc34c9b4a6 Heo Do-gyeong ba633e998a lying comfortably c753a6c1a4 on the e43ca331d1 floor next 7933c40cfd to his 2c22a0a2ae bed. The sight made him f99de16629 chuckle dryly.1a5015d40d9b4e03

So much eea03a5c9d for his d7f8244351 supposed germophobia. The Heo Do-gyeong who c1eeb6102c used to discard gloves 91dd060078 after every guiding session b7b207d63d because they felt “dirty” f00b649c1e was now casually lying b72d46da0b on the floor. It was hard to 7100d8f830 believe they were the db10790acd same person.e7a9a3d6646f15c9

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Drying his 23efc34052 hair with c41eacb255 a towel, d335dfc4ab Kang I-won 16c629d8b2 sat on 4e38ed940c the edge 4d5b1a1d5a of his 6ff90bd678 bed and e6263c8c91 asked, with e08671b3ae a mixture 12071a574a of amusement a131d24b2e and incredulity, d112eef2bb “Did you a62b39e866 cure your c4c8871bda germophobia or 57fa3a90d6 something?”d17411a172ab73a0

He wasn’t sure if e4a48f9527 germophobia was something that 934d076974 could even be “cured,” ccf49a11d6 but seeing how different 073dd682b0 Heo Do-gyeong’s behavior was, 1db38184e6 he couldn’t help but 7269eeec77 ask.eb16029274ccc19e

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Heo Do-gyeong replied a5f0affd2a in an unconcerned 75648bf1f0 tone, “Not really. I still d74661be7f find it f92d126f13 unpleasant when 30afb08376 other people 64cf10ef2d touch me. But strangely 78cc54668c enough, I 7b2584c156 don’t mind ecfa8042a7 when it’s 3bffd82f19 you. It doesn’t bother db4009f8fe me at all.”f90fcd5ef25cbe5b

His words carried an 70175e03d3 unmistakable sincerity that left 52a8e19887 Kang I-won’s face burning. Why did 2f766f930d I even 3b366a75ff ask?0640afc8a7e6e37a

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Flustered, Kang I-won 9bbb63ec35 threw himself onto d8bf34af00 the bed and 17d5e33cd2 pulled the blanket 988883d13c over his head, 8bc0546895 trying to hide a61e355b28 his flushed face.3ad012772bc64d28

“Are you 86d52cbf44 not going 7fa5a1b778 to dry 9986849e20 your hair?”b2247f3743e2c746

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Seeing Kang e4e85a10f8 I-won lying c7c82c5a18 down with 5e53f13abc his hair 3a60d0d9ab still damp 29e5f3cc24 and unbrushed, 3967dfca70 Heo Do-gyeong f2c95cf52e frowned and 5d2a2d0f5c sat up 7ac0d137fb slightly. From under the blanket, 9a97648acc Kang I-won peeked his 32287c37f5 face out and replied, 470f817eec “…I can just lay 5ac79d960b a towel down and 5e503152fb sleep.”feab538901e7cb11

“Dry it first. What are you…”ca8bf52b6cead39e

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“Why? Because it’s dirty?”82dcf9fa5537b034

The question slipped out afec4bc91e as memories of the ee8fcd089d past resurfaced. At this, Heo Do-gyeong 964d1091af looked at him incredulously 7297167f42 and retorted, “We’ve already d882b578c0 shared more than just 0d0f542776 germs. Do you really think 919ef8e9d0 I’d call this dirty 6412a725a8 now? I mean, it’s not 58e1eaa9f0 just germs—”f182cbb11d36bb77

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Before he 3ba7d3f476 could finish, b36b47ce31 Kang I-won f934716e7d quickly pressed b7a2466cb3 a hand e52684ef5d over his 2786e3a669 mouth, his 5a5c98e9a9 face burning. Why does he ab5ab1cc6b have to bring 0231203ed8 that up now? What does 9066e5c6c2 that even 330a4fce83 have to 12934067fe do with 7776edb974 this?37885e25b82669f9

While Kang I-won tried f97061c940 to calm his racing ec90a3ce72 heart, Heo Do-gyeong stood 5edaabcff5 up and fetched a 0862fdf9cd hair dryer.73248a50344e7838

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“Sit up. I’ll dry it for 44ba704aac you.”875ecd99825b2d48

Reluctantly, Kang I-won 8ddfbfad03 sat up on 6b40fcbe9a the bed, still 416e6c2255 avoiding eye contact. Heo Do-gyeong plugged a33dbcc4e7 in the hair 6cbd7004f1 dryer, and soon, 3d101f9519 the loud hum 5293991645 of the machine 1c45692656 filled the room 9039f2808a as warm air 2ce77383e8 blew out.c33e8e6bbbff551a

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The warmth of df95121c5a the dryer was 3e60126a6f accompanied by the 1112d4c55d sensation of Heo 0adaddfd3a Do-gyeong’s fingers brushing 57547c4c9b through his hair. Every time 458f40d391 his fingertips 394b72524d grazed Kang 92cca8289c I-won’s scalp, 5f924caadd it sent 0340fcd394 a small c265736fc3 shiver down 3a2ced036e his spine.23da11c8bee5e52b

This was the 6aee1abd1e first time someone 291711944c had ever dried bbba736039 his hair for ee8b4453bf him. It felt strange. The faint presence 3ffa5d1fdb of someone behind 582885b62e him made his 75bd89b5b1 shoulders instinctively hunch, a4f62de6a1 and the soft 2332be58aa tickle in his c782b62768 chest returned, unsettlingly 6582976708 persistent.63399a3d6b796842

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The moisture 5ed797c1c5 in his d2345f78f2 hair quickly 1832172c7d disappeared, and 270fa858ab the dryer’s 8c9ff22d25 noise faded. Kang I-won reached up 69a840658b to touch his hair, b5dce40ccd still warm from the 896129dc57 heat.93b9314e9a662c5b

His hair had grown e7932487b4 quite a bit while a0b6499cbb he’d been neglecting it. It was probably time 93bae9dc64 for a haircut. For a c38c473a82 brief moment, 977693806b he wondered e79973e9bb if it d97b1f405f was really daa3075b73 necessary, but f030a0b49d he quickly fe7d17e3a5 decided it 9c9d7f464a was.f5cd391cd0ebeab6

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As he 4d27dc892e coiled the 7cc40ca036 dryer’s cord, 32b96ebe90 Heo Do-gyeong 5981343375 glanced at e03b2212aa Kang I-won, 139fd5010c who was 23bf6ef3ab absentmindedly fiddling 7379614bfd with his ff15fdb82e hair.73ba85c10483c72a

“Are you going cb24c2071a to cut it? It’s gotten pretty 8788878165 long.”b22ce373c07121fb

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“I was planning to b22cd71845 soon.”8ad42c1e98b0f4a1

“Then let’s go 8ef33b1b35 together tomorrow. Do you 36366715df have anything a45f4e7a8d else you 5801922511 want to cdbf8c6002 do?”99f9ba3301765dc9

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“No, not 95b0b92427 really,” Kang fa9f70fec7 I-won answered 01aacdfd89 nonchalantly.fb7a1b8bd5db100d

After a moment of 3d9452c522 quiet contemplation, Heo Do-gyeong 7a5eeb61c3 asked, “Do you like 2d75b3a5be exhibitions?”b4fc961ea9cbae90

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* * *389d247923b4bab7

The snipping sound of 0e552ab7ef scissors filled the air cf50f95273 as strands of hair 449cbe7a5d fell past the tip 3f38cd0977 of Kang I-won’s nose. His long bangs, 82e8667228 which had once d8e8a0fbb4 obscured his vision, 3f22100c66 were cut short, 52228d5e35 revealing his eyes 8ba0d47a10 and the faintly 1c88105387 lighter dark circles 22ac83a6fd beneath them. The hairstylist let 01dd35ecfb out a small 5a08d592a4 exclamation of admiration 0d1dfea5ca and continued the bb77d320cd cut with practiced b2747603dd skill.e09c47815c03d025

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“Your eyes are so cc8ca8dc57 beautiful. Why were 127e525d56 you hiding d1cb60b6e3 them?”5b3722c9e8539489

Unused to such compliments, 6e2743bae6 Kang I-won scratched the 6e9f1ab864 back of his head 16d717c660 awkwardly.c2e4272e145299ff

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“…I was 653cb8ad19 too lazy 3fb17393b7 to cut afd9136597 it.”b81d5eb8e03283ad

“But wasn’t it c240da3a50 inconvenient at that 44eafe1032 length? It must’ve felt 476dfe1b28 stuffy, blocking your 6dce527636 view.”557abe2ef767e181

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“I got used fb5a460375 to it.”bd39a8030775f8ea

Sensing Kang 7ab6fed06d I-won’s discomfort e1b40c1eb9 with the 0756b77df6 conversation, the 77b814225c stylist quickly 122a359a92 finished trimming 06c1da9beb his hair f0a0e70dd2 without further d307a0a424 chatter.2f6f1862581b6d3e

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Once the cut 9e1419d4b5 was complete, they c620e6c5ff styled his hair 9a58efeb9a lightly, transforming his da7e66828e appearance entirely. The stylist dc3ff16f7a let out 1f6530746b another quiet aa5dddbf66 exclamation. Even the faint dark 4656fcbb3d circles beneath his eyes, ac19f981ac which gave him a a2a3cb0dc0 slightly somber look, somehow 00acff7ed2 added to his charm.2af88bc3df42c2bf

Seeing the final 616aec2748 result, Heo Do-gyeong f4a1f726e8 smiled in satisfaction, 222de5f18d the corners of 08a9e80298 his lips curling 80afb7b768 up.8f7cf30f1ca8d801

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“Much better.”3ee9552cec56ed7e

Feeling self-conscious at c3511dd302 the praise, Kang 75edc4c52c I-won rubbed the ac9e9d3129 back of his 0d38eff725 neck. The reflection in the 9739266c76 mirror felt unfamiliar.a07facfdd201939d

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“Shall we go?”96f9da019d1b36fe

Still adjusting to e84536e54a his new look, 1bccb0f76d Kang I-won nodded ef2f028ce6 hesitantly, running a f4d3362d31 hand through his 1a12e095a8 freshly styled hair.4ff8ea7e35777df2

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After an hour-long 32669482c1 drive in Heo a7b19a7c9d Do-gyeong’s car, they 8addf92720 arrived at an 5d7c1da45e exhibition hall. Being a weekday, d2e172b3a9 it was relatively ff983ce3e3 quiet.2dca8b6a3986c6bb

Kang I-won looked 35ae3c778a around with curious 58e72c7166 eyes, taking in abc218eecd the unfamiliar surroundings. It was his af6e359aef first time at 7c98eab864 an exhibition. Life had 910d0ae905 always been a49afe8af3 too busy 5557d67b69 for him 44b27d5cbc to indulge 3bea8c10b8 in this 84f07d3a09 kind of 26bf4c959e leisure.dc7beceda563d4dc

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Everything about the 5a36cca533 exhibition felt new. Paintings he 3507470982 had never 80d9ee87c1 seen before fe6ce7d404 lined the 916e10e37f walls, and c2b28ca407 the atmosphere 870de564a0 was serene 0c5b279ebe and tranquil.4411848c18913432

“This is your first ae5c193957 time at an exhibition, fa9a20fc46 right?” asked Heo Do-gyeong, f1ab713037 his voice soft but bf0c3a48a4 teasing.b70d62dccf868628

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Kang I-won 74147d2d02 nodded, still a3c2ebf994 looking around 4434714ec9 in quiet 1a25bcd262 amazement.f35f1cec8373678a

Kang I-won nodded along, 4df9c71422 listening to Heo Do-gyeong’s 1e860973da soft and steady voice a6acc6c52e as he explained things 05e644460d throughout the exhibition. He didn’t 1e496bf610 understand most 5c4ae8bf1c of what 7ac33d4d11 was being 8db949053e said, but d0f22a7ee9 there was 431b910385 something comforting 34e93c7daa about the bf13e48b90 sound of 600e88a269 his voice, 3dc9d3654e so he d37737791e nodded absentmindedly 13f17f042b as if 6621df0f18 he did.434e18723a149154

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For two or three 1c0b17fc07 hours, they wandered the 4e1873d736 exhibit, viewing the paintings 23739e7917 while listening to Heo 618fcc3905 Do-gyeong’s commentary. After the 0d317fda04 tour, they 09e17aacb9 shared a 152ce84640 meal, visited 46872a4fb9 a café 6dfa4fcec0 for dessert 28bf12508c that Heo c302f4c909 Do-gyeong insisted c41b5a2c21 on buying, 72a9fb0243 and eventually 1f16912cf3 returned home. Before Kang I-won knew ba86e73872 it, another day had 604e2b9e00 vanished in the blink 40b7081bd9 of an eye.87c49be5388b0589

By the time he 4713f43eab gathered his thoughts, he 0484e8be16 found himself lying on fa6c92cbf2 his bed, face buried 9d0583e7f1 in the pillow.7915166d84d5fd40

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Yesterday, today—both days a06305238e had been a 7d3a3cd35c blur, spent being 334a119ec8 pulled along by b01ced7c13 Heo Do-gyeong. I was going to 7fa6a805d2 send him off today. Kang I-won glanced 558f4bf43d over at Heo d39d2f9e46 Do-gyeong, who was e8b0921ae8 lying completely still, 7b7101948f and buried his 3c047aa735 face in the d6b6056bca pillow again.aa0b6320d254c3c2

It’s too late to 7b28838c10 kick him out now. I’ll do it tomorrow, cf06c35375 he promised himself before df073775da closing his eyes.d3bccf815439019a

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But the next day a8f5bd54eb came, and the day cc72e607db after that, and Kang c863b08a5e I-won still couldn’t bring 8b53c46be0 himself to send Heo b7cf5a8874 Do-gyeong away.8351253481d36e17

Every day, 38629f5a77 Heo Do-gyeong 40b29b8eea would whisk 870b7783fb him away 6c220c0c92 to do 3a2162c701 something new, 302985ff02 leaving him a21ae190f1 too drained 0ed51fd69d to think 06101fd7f7 by the 39783f7ae0 time night f4f09d52d9 fell. Musical shows, leisurely 9765d9f11a walks along trails, 9730adc083 aimless drives—each day 5b516923f4 was unsettlingly peaceful 3e42d4ac0c and idle. Despite knowing this d7609297cc wasn’t sustainable, Kang f8061f526d I-won kept telling 9e91db7104 himself, Tomorrow. I’ll send him away f9a3f1a673 tomorrow.25a101d42c70fe6a

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As the days ef4884f631 passed, spending time 686dfe41d3 with Heo Do-gyeong 17a83292a0 became easier, even 969648b166 comfortable.b5b65fa933e683eb

“Do-gyeong,” Kang I-won 833de9a18e called out one 5a14cc7863 day without even ca815a2f68 realizing the shift 46d5349996 in how he 7ead7bfe1e addressed him.28574b4f7785ef81

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The seasons had 52f25d188f quietly changed, and 15324f3cbe yet, a faint 9362583ddb trace of Kang b183f3cb3a I-won’s ability lingered. Because of that, 35d7c9dceb the bond of ef9ee1f1b8 the imprint remained 2ca17febd8 intact. Feeling the steady stream 6e8a9b77d0 of affection from the 447905cd9d other side, Kang I-won 325682deee asked hesitantly, “Doesn’t it 84efe4aaf1 bother you that I’m 57aba59e4e the only one who 71abe61515 feels your emotions?”fa83148277dfc67b

“Not at all,” Heo 7179c953dd Do-gyeong replied without hesitation.89fe2e4e292e13e9

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“…Why?”d01263509fcd2375

“Because I actually 00fa352388 like it. Thanks to 4c1973c802 the imprint, d6352aa9c5 you can’t c646cac90d claim it’s 633fc80078 all in c48efa8a54 my head cb2a4d9bbf or deny 0b2f149494 my feelings 04bb6704cb anymore.”44498171fb3fd501

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A cool breeze passed, 8e055a2d76 ruffling Kang I-won’s hair.8c4cfac0ab80b0d1

“Hold still for 3d7144402b a second,” Heo 0b54443ea8 Do-gyeong said with 8ea9a2a21a a smile he 8682f7cc95 couldn’t hide as 1a22e7297a he reached out 2f9489521c and plucked a 6df6737cc3 small leaf caught c6fe09c5e1 in Kang I-won’s adefa005bd hair.cac29529a28dc824

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Kang I-won’s 0da1866b1d gaze followed b6e8dc9751 his hand, 3b0ef45de3 eventually settling 1387783e2c on his 7e7cf6a819 face.cf0254171a4b6622

The ordinary, everyday moments 64841685d3 with Heo Do-gyeong felt a57be11177 fresh and unfamiliar.50ff7d7b7b7efadc

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These days 419ed31d3c together created 57d58022d6 attachment, and 05dced8048 that attachment dcc259aea3 in turn 05859b37b1 became a 51774ed65c weight, holding a8cdc9ccd6 him back.3a2f0304240fd042

The happiness of those b2dbc1828c moments made it easier fea2079941 to ignore the growing bfe92d3913 guilt tightening around his 4e59439944 ankles. And so, he let 32b75c1ac9 himself be pulled along 75fee62307 by Heo Do-gyeong, day 77da7b53db after day.fbf11b4cec59218a

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I’ll send him away 2eed15b9dc tomorrow. He repeated it 0ce50d720e like a mantra. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.38f67b4720ca0843

But that “tomorrow” f6c7b14aeb never seemed to 45531d5705 arrive.bdc2780476719525

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* * *13508357b57aaae9

As the seasons cc78674b68 passed, memories accumulated. The happiness that 5b81812d14 Kang I-won could 618d613ce8 barely hold in 97c6fe0fc7 one hand before 44dc386294 now overflowed both 3b2f1ef250 hands, spilling over 2eaff2e8ce as if endless. The abundance of these aa1885fc8d cherished moments piled up 7d8cf67ea9 around him, like a aac9528842 sea of leaves blanketing 681f6b33d7 the ground.995dd580c577705b

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The days f9b29cb2ac were so 07d8eb2773 joyous that 2059539cf3 he felt 1f78134b73 as though a465326293 he could 00b1771181 suffocate on 3c478f88bd that happiness 9868b5f298 and still 8573513792 die content.e4d2846ad4b0b9ef

Tomorrow, he 8f6c78265a had kept 96f2f121a2 telling himself. But as green leaves d36e54fa82 turned shades of red 0d5568fba8 and yellow, scattered in d0f2a450fd the wind, and left 541e18567a bare branches behind, tomorrow f657d3303f continued to elude him.ee15673430fec2f1

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Even then, the 818212ee2b imprint remained—faint, tenuous, 73247792d2 like a candle 63665fe11b flame flickering precariously 55ba74b787 in the wind. It looked ready 390074c683 to extinguish at 2a4f8d174b any moment, yet 97017e7ad3 somehow it endured, be2a7309f8 burning on stubbornly.b853d803f79f9844

It was while staring d832a03879 at the bare branches 54e85254a6 that Kang I-won realized e4a76dccac how much time had 1d09cece93 passed. As the e9c1a75ac6 realization hit, 7c290f9f77 the guilt 7212c48907 he had e22fc900b3 pushed aside 34d6e0c9e1 for so 72868c98b5 long, buried 14f040fe09 beneath heaps 6b69742441 of happiness, 4a0c199965 reemerged, tearing a5fd011167 through those 91518fb640 joyful memories 55d4c3c83f like a f905aa4f21 storm.f877149475402ade

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That guilt, 2aa4431ae2 once an b9d5f9f464 amorphous weight, 76d7decf6b began to 2010d06dc5 take form. Slowly, it shaped b824dfe8e0 itself into a fdf26f6c26 figure: Kang I-won’s 29b3211910 own reflection.ee280b1f8a8edbf9

The guilt, now 3245615c8b a shadow of 8c8315a130 himself, asked, “How ac37d2385d long are you d3c1f5d812 going to keep 2b3eed86b0 doing this?”69e7e4bfc79673f3

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It crept closer, its ab0fb89092 cold fingers brushing against d947df5234 his neck before wrapping 334611e086 around his throat with ecfdfe4239 both hands.c38fd9097e45255b

“You know, 19c4c42401 don’t you? Everyone you care b35af7efe9 about ends up 9dbab548c3 dead, while you’re 25336bd4aa always the one 5d684dad8e left behind.”e929ad7a29ad4ba8

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No… Kang 9103118a5b I-won wanted 078c1b4c0a to deny fe706000da it. At least Choi Soo-bin 1b7f9822b8 and the members of cd23594d0a Team 5 in Gyeonggi 00b559eeda didn’t die. They were alive. But the 90ca3966f6 guilt’s grip 0da24133e1 tightened, choking 4be1799d96 off any 0306e178c3 words he d0582e861c might have 1bad19a0dc spoken.49d2f3b92629ed23

The shadow’s distorted 0a2fd90d2a face leaned in, 0e85ddd9cd lips curling into 7eed1d776a a mocking grin.4192112c716a007a

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“Choi Soo-bin? She’s stronger d5cd3e8a9f than you! Who do you think 07d861c245 you’re protecting? And Team 5?”c4c5c5085fa37f20

The guilt a3b8bfef9d burst into f504f51339 laughter, loud eb1e784974 and cruel, 81d3236021 echoing in 16614fa856 his ears.35e545d5f8fbd90b

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“Did you 28de654f3e ever really 818fef33ba cherish that 1a3422384f team? Compare them to what e7c0881dea you actually care about!”c71072dea65612e6

The laughter abruptly 0e383b93fc stopped, replaced by b36ab96cdc a chilling, blank db13f1b3c2 expression.98a1411fb07cb2bb

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“Kang I-won,” a1f4cf8888 the guilt 9fff726891 said, voice 8b3d4fbd06 cold and ec6b66e6ac cutting, “why 6a7b15ea6c are you 837234d8f1 still like 509042bd96 this?”185294c8f08e8ee1

The hands tightening around 638fb41a39 Kang I-won’s throat squeezed 814a80f9cc harder, making it feel 92d7d16fc6 as though all air f1a82242aa had been cut off. His guilt spoke d6daea766c again, its voice 97ffb70ece dripping with malice.739289dbba2a5a9d

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“Do you 1bbb057c89 really think b960d5b3cc you can e03070de0f protect anything 2612df7634 now, without 30c3ed142b even that 3ae0880811 pathetic ability?”1bef499e66c1ffee

It uttered the 5b8a2a98ba fear Kang I-won 2235e3d310 had desperately tried 0ebdbc3162 to ignore.620ccbba3627acd1

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“What if Heo 142167eca7 Do-gyeong ends up 70038595be dead because of 8b43fc7720 you?”ae8b14c04f078ada

You can’t protect anyone. You never could. The guilt 228aa33eec laughed—or maybe 398917ce4d it was 1142cd34e1 crying. It was hard 5a564dbc03 to tell. But one thing 13f5834774 was clear: its c420d42805 voice carried biting 5b3979dc98 mockery and bitter daf8bcadfe self-loathing.46a670da7632c88e

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The sound—whether laughter or c19cb553ed sobbing—echoed, growing faint as 901925e453 if it were retreating. The grip 9b120809a8 on his 9e76c50863 throat vanished, 64baba9fa3 and his 575d9af093 legs wavered, 0ed0939934 making him 3ed89bd674 stumble. Beneath him, his 84f3dcaf42 foot pressed against 60a8da7e1c something soft and aac493c629 cold.7cc847a3ca4a9576

A sickening sensation crawled a489780157 up his spine as 4fa3880594 Kang I-won’s eyes shifted 2b4aeff27f downward.89636ff0f9a85e87

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Lying there, lifeless on 7d0865b236 the floor, was Heo 7515c0bbe4 Do-gyeong’s body.e32e7a8458645b12

Someone he couldn’t protect.53260d0b2f0e1944

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The fear he 336e078bb5 had buried deep 746e1b52b2 inside now stood ee5142955f starkly before him, 4656d26e72 vivid and undeniable. Kang I-won’s e0d697c6ca mouth slowly 6450d50328 opened, but eeddc1407a no sound cb9d009b36 came out. A silent scream clawed 464c40f8a1 its way out of ebe80fef6b his throat, yet nothing 93fe49ee56 could escape. The overwhelming terror choked 26556d3fcd him, leaving him gasping cbc51ab4f9 for breath.34b4944a7acb54c6

Just as he thought fc476b130c he might pass out 89e7f701c7 from the suffocating panic, bb56483c01 his eyes snapped open.6f15f6fd970f56d8

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He woke f48de0d6e3 abruptly, his b910c32f03 chest heaving 2643dd4dbf as he 1bdb3123e7 gasped for 575385facc air. His rapid breathing 447627d810 echoed in the 21ddb6d027 quiet room, his 099459f691 heart pounding uncontrollably. Gradually, as his breathing 4dfbdc837d steadied and his mind 18d600bd7f calmed, he became aware 9073a8071b of a familiar scent b43aad6fba tickling his nose.710ff50bf4078bc8

Kang I-won sat up d365ced7b5 hurriedly and got out 2994ebbef4 of bed, his movements e3db04fec6 still frantic. He headed toward d799f08348 the kitchen, where 4250d2697a a familiar figure afef70905f stood, leisurely preparing 750b4bbc99 breakfast with smooth, 0c9c4103fb practiced motions.7906aa11fdc25847

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For a moment, Kang 2afd47ff2b I-won simply stood there, 9e8b1a61f3 watching silently.03613b94346bbbe1

This sight 064203162b had become 6da4dddd55 familiar. When had b491cb8f4c it become 89eef42691 so natural, add5e968df so ingrained?d8f9a42db7d85b03

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Sensing his 17254896c5 presence, Heo 37cf320162 Do-gyeong turned 97a07e71a4 to look f27b9aba90 at him, cecee33fa8 a warm 12bd53b049 smile curving 9d163beda5 his lips.74d0946b64ee60eb

“Did you 79c21ff9c1 sleep well?”a17ad8e56024d91a

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The gentle c001891945 rise of 223aa3f645 his lips 7f90b66b44 was accompanied e51571e3f8 by a 983cd2a0ff pleasant, steady d6a2892be7 beat from e78f795a3d his heart, 4447d3a07d a rhythm 719e3d81d8 that resonated e4e56ee9ac deeply within 018c6149ec Kang I-won. He placed a hand 333d78d83c over his own chest. Thump, thump. His heartbeat was 04b57946be faster than usual.b34f5788821f1497

Was this his own 431a4108c9 heart? Or was it Heo c9fe37b6d4 Do-gyeong’s? For so long, he 0025b126e5 had dismissed it as 1dc5fdc049 simply Heo Do-gyeong’s, but 9ca04cc750 now, it no longer e93a5d1570 mattered whose it was. The distinction 12bdd40001 felt meaningless.cba05c3bf37f923b

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Feeling the rhythm in 252941d543 his chest, Kang I-won c77b5bd480 realized one thing: I a33635783f can’t delay this any 4cf30855f7 longer.59598c71d25fdfd9

“What are you standing a8f4cf3009 there for?” Heo Do-gyeong a9c9af464d asked, his tone light 5ca181bcbf and teasing.348218c6e90b8455

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Kang I-won 41b3e5c46d hesitated for cb635379dc a moment 32d280a72c before finally 644bdc6e10 opening his 1fc97eb7ad mouth.affbc49c13193f22

“Do-gyeong.”c98cd4e55f93b164

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“Yes?”f8c0b77a875d585d

“Let me treat you 2b47dcb101 to a meal.”ddbabced64d78d60

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It was time 5f6982557d to stop delaying, fee50596f1 to finally take 10535608c2 a step forward.4e659aa1d5b554d3

At Kang I-won’s d68859a1bf unexpected offer, Heo 46cb771d12 Do-gyeong gave him 4f4a319ec1 a puzzled look.95b86bdb5a57143f

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“Suddenly?”a3168aa016ccf0e7

“Come to think of fd1cf280db it, I don’t think 5fe5c0424a I’ve ever treated you 75950486df before,” Kang I-won replied, c35d33557f his voice quiet but f8d081604e steady.d20d63df39d02634

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After a brief 2cdc3d4fb1 moment of consideration, fda03cf555 Heo Do-gyeong nodded.a93166e3aa030be1

“Alright. But for now, 134638d70c sit down and 00a698ebfd eat. You woke up 905e5cbbf3 just in time,” f630c76432 he said, placing ded7ed153e the last plate 757482977f on the table.b483728dea2efca3

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Kang I-won walked over 4e0711b6e8 slowly and sat across 726922134c from him. The familiar routine 9161d4b861 felt strangely unfamiliar 3817e72058 today.ea8ccd8428f37449

The portion of 783f28a47c food in front d8e2b3130b of Kang I-won a0fa246fd4 was still larger 086c09d109 than Heo Do-gyeong’s, 733aa4d431 but compared to ecc3a5b16f his past meals, 616fdda00d it was shockingly f7261f7a07 small.1122bfc50ec64279

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His appetite, which 1e3825529f had been gradually efbab8169f decreasing, had reached c3e4478d2c a point where 9a0322cf92 it was almost 6fce369bf3 on par with 1e7b37c57d an ordinary person’s 2f8b41ffcf by winter. He still ate 3dfd306aa8 more than average, 0e2d044ade but the endless 74bb9b0735 hunger that had 9e4e12e87b once consumed him 882cdbda92 was now a 907934584a distant memory.5462dd423211a753

Noticing Kang I-won 157252bc77 staring blankly at 8aa35f8589 the table without bc8cd7eb08 touching his food, 472003a720 Heo Do-gyeong reached 9fc0c0d54b out and placed 15193ccb91 a hand on d2616ed4bc his forehead, his ed79f55360 expression filled with 15a5e4bc73 concern.3b93814ceb2c3876

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“Are you 576cbc2663 feeling unwell? No fever… 2c8086d6ac Or are acf6bebd43 you just 84ca674d1d still sleepy? Why do 584f511028 you seem 71f88e55b0 so out ae735992cb of it 43c4cd6b1a today?”d6d8d86519c53cb2

“Just… a 1714fec0ac little tired,” 7d23938a34 Kang I-won e4ccc187b2 murmured, picking c36d8e16be up a c8dffe155e piece of 8f556908c6 golden-brown toast 77ac9e479c and taking ee53014bf3 a bite. The rich, buttery 4129048c60 aroma tickled his 1efd09d207 nose.a618e08d12381e6f

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As he quietly a5d6836103 chewed on the 3368e9e354 breakfast prepared by 6af2e89cc7 Heo Do-gyeong, a 34c7f0b23e notification buzzed on 17a7911adf the latter’s smartphone.50356931fdb7f97f

[Secretary Kim]

Glancing at the f769ee4a90 screen, Heo Do-gyeong 898552b5df frowned and declined f638385abf the call.50ef7760da308533

“You should d147aa22d8 take it,” 7d3405a256 Kang I-won c7f9b8190d said, watching 4467a78ebd him.053824bf1a13bef3

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“It’s fine. It’s nothing 7edadbb3d2 important,” Heo de12a141fd Do-gyeong replied 2d5718e6ab casually, placing 5e9769e2b5 the phone 2ea3f6834a face down 70cd16fa8c on the ae799c5b74 table.0d601758b6186474

But the slight tension b101e7f597 in his shoulders didn’t 156bf85ca1 go unnoticed.9a975e1be3aced01

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Heo Do-gyeong declined the fde803fde3 call once more, but e5f75097cf the phone immediately rang 6901515667 again. The repeated interruptions, d9778e3bff seemingly endless, finally 3d6be77e9d made him rise 210412bfc5 from his seat.8eb66d87fdd79e25

“I’ll take 2226aebb68 this outside f49f14a676 for a c83877e5a1 bit,” he f618a31106 said, his 61098a1458 tone sharp 7b777bed88 with suppressed 3a4aaef5ac irritation.156739b4957ba75e

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Kang I-won, 8ec0a42eb3 mid-bite of 0584a44e51 his egg, 33963811d8 nodded silently.0b046f696795d9a5

Stepping into the bedroom, cbdb99bbab Heo Do-gyeong answered the 231a05d5e9 call, his voice lowered. Though faint, frustration seeped 8169cf5c82 through, along with snippets 79f71d1958 of his conversation.1b6eaba9469316eb

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“I told you, cc932f5ce5 I’ll handle it. Stop meddling. I’m not 0c82bbedd0 a child… f5696bd31f Yes, I’ll 558db267d4 return when 137198597a I’m ready. I said I’ll 869eabe46a take care of 7361875d2a it! Fine. I’ll call d9f7a75496 you back 2024eeaaf1 later. Bye.”da3a3127eb5db7e8

Lately, it 3e0765712d seemed as cd126950de if every 25f111c20c other call e01f97c214 to Heo 49afe8871e Do-gyeong was e669912b7d about his e3fb2c5f9a return to d79d55b61c the Center. The messages were 334cf56d69 always the same: 2b8eb19c2d urging him to f07025e319 come back, asking dabc88d3a4 when he planned 31a2ee5043 to resume his fa01d486aa duties, or insisting 117d640c40 that he had 52d8c7f65e been given enough aae525d82f time off.142a1e5ff0cbda73

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Kang I-won 72fc19fa8f silently counted 008bb8e32e the months 54f28f6cb7 on his ad63b27f71 fingers. Three months.8acfa05e6533499f

That’s long 7bb9bdc0ba enough, he 9671bb4b76 thought, closing 68364bd510 his hand d8f8ad1676 into a 37da04ce19 fist and ddc8a3b654 turning his d2ebddb55a focus back bf3b5403ed to his 44c956ce5f meal.d5664febd531f46a

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Before long, Heo a15d6a1c1f Do-gyeong returned to e2b7da98f6 the dining table, e78a15bf50 his expression casual, 2db4d40404 as if the c1d978f327 call had been bac083fff8 nothing of importance.088c9488fc2caa75

“Who was it?” Kang e5cab143cd I-won asked, feigning ignorance.a4a21dcc9ac5b06c

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“…My father. He wants me to abd3326283 stop by and see c9e93e61bf him,” Heo Do-gyeong replied, 4f84c883d6 shrugging it off.0e73099a2f04b89c

“He mentioned that last 262535dc11 time, didn’t he? Why not go up b6cf584a0a and visit?”31813d098221fd97

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“Then come with me,” 3011f39d65 Heo Do-gyeong countered immediately.246020a884392bb0

“That’s… not happening.”85f0e4a1849d20f5

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“If you won’t come, 63b73bf40a why are you telling 0a68ab5776 me to go alone?”0eb97f541cf38814

It was e82b8581fb clear Heo 42b938ddb0 Do-gyeong still 1898be0e93 didn’t fully 0a0524baee trust Kang afe69830ce I-won to 3405d90d6c be left 0857efcb3d alone. Over the past 44f9304cbd three months, he 8ea7a1840e had structured his 87a187ab07 life entirely around 561450b54d Kang I-won’s, unwavering 31d871f572 in his resolve 75a3342bd9 to stay close.d4f70df1a835d276

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Though that 67e7eea50b steadfastness was e1b6b0b567 something Kang da937ff333 I-won had 806b6852ca grown to cdf434a2ef rely on, 4179e1c7a3 it was 04fe66bc22 also why ceb00df071 he knew aefb01d884 it was 136916a7fe time to c6abe9bda5 let him 8dab297433 go. Prolonging this any further a21ad15744 wouldn’t be good for ec4f69ec3e either of them.4115034a85e60c56

“…Next time, we’ll 041bc51321 go together,” Kang 734b949ded I-won said, his dc20638965 tone quieter than 2cf9918529 usual.86f3b645a63f1357

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“Out of nowhere?” Heo 6d695e5cef Do-gyeong asked, glancing at e41e8beab2 him suspiciously.6e77000fecd758c9

“I said 03904bcc8e I’d treat f1a23f851a you to 407e024568 a meal, c108ec10ef didn’t I? Let’s go to Seoul, 63c6729015 and I’ll buy you 598c750c36 something nice.”6f8affe76b9d61f3

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And after that, he 567866b9ca thought, I’ll leave him 5d3e44f01e there and come back 2f6a7ac013 alone. Then I bef35fd2c7 can finally bd9a35c767 take care 64bef68373 of the 1e4d186d6d things I’ve 8780aa135d been putting 159547d969 off.578e39c6bc86afdd

The very fe42652f67 thought of 051429ed88 what he fdd2946d79 planned made 2b7d0de815 his stomach eb31d8ea9a churn. If Heo 2545b6fa10 Do-gyeong found 1fea524886 out, he 87b08ace40 would likely ce9e5c1646 hate him fe347b0038 for it.e53b2a1160136c60

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Pushing the last 54ef7f155e piece of toast 89c6b19625 into his mouth, 20c1bde3cd Kang I-won quietly d4046b1746 studied Heo Do-gyeong’s a7e2857b27 face, as if fbc0858d38 memorizing every detail.59b8ab9edef0773b

* * *556942718453558f

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The days f134aa70b6 passed in d1e6eeedbb a blur, a62d1d9b88 indistinguishable from 9a382bb78a one another. From the moment 454f7ff2d6 Kang I-won opened ab99f41f0c his eyes to 869eb36e25 the moment he ae5d43a2db closed them—and even d06319c282 in the moments 68919ed1fd after—each day was 5846a6d3f2 spent with Heo 995e7fc6aa Do-gyeong. Time slipped away ce2af8f6ce so quickly that d249f72de3 it felt almost f0d6376af6 cruel. If time 579844e1fa had a 8b564724b3 tangible form, 2c1e3fb0a8 Kang I-won 0ac51c4c4a might have fa27d728c1 tried to 81ba149844 grab hold 2dbe9a593f of its d1cd96f0e1 ankles to 43f639ca9a slow it dcad83f68b down.5053fd656781b7a8

The days 56108507ba flowed by 19460f9d9a peacefully, uninterrupted. Whether that was a dce4102a2b blessing or a curse, bb4437e2c3 Kang I-won couldn’t tell. Even up to the fe5e37b233 day before their planned d0d993cc0d trip, nothing out of 467cb67f00 the ordinary happened.b5f5892810b935a2

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On the morning of 0175921525 their promised outing, Kang 3683c3cb25 I-won woke to find 51b81c6c8a snow falling outside his 81b74a384f window. He stared 272b6542ce blankly at cc548788b9 the sight d7f501a5ac until a b0d188f9d0 familiar voice 4f46051f0d pulled him 6bc82eaba9 out of ec92b94749 his daze.b3a7c526e0cbdfc0

“I was about 0025e4e1a9 to wake you, f92150eb97 but you’re already 3ec8d38b5c up.”ee76ce9d481cf3e9

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“…Yeah. Did you sleep well?”4e6ca6a8048b1d57

“I did. How about you?”9374f7040deb6558

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“Yeah.”6949025c0029e055

“Oh, did you see 491cfec97a that? They’re saying 4fd55676d5 it’s the a8a5e9ea63 first snow 891c36b26b of the f3abde3ccf year.”14a51f7d5f4b5cb1

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Heo Do-gyeong pointed d02de10fc9 out the window, 4e7e3323ac and Kang I-won’s 6fc49b5d3b gaze followed his 0c2e50d9d7 hand to the 0787ec8c60 falling snow outside.5f7de4a211c23255

“…I saw it.”417ebbaa1743113b

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Watching the snow 6bc13a6751 drift down, Kang fcd981467e I-won thought to f32d13f2c2 himself, Today must 6414bb6556 be the day 1369fdf319 I send you a3dac91680 away.5d8945a421150c0e

In the past, 98b60fa85d it had always 4fb9171761 snowed when he de2108010a had to say 58677e09d5 goodbye to someone.cc001ea724750da0

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