LONG CHAPTER AHEAD651ca01dcf66487f

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# Side Story 2: Seoul

After about a month, 4a258bcbd5 Kang I-won’s assignment was f61071d11e officially changed. He was now part 75e21092b3 of Seoul’s Second Branch, d1ff2a4e62 the same one as 5540e63eb8 Heo Do-gyeong. Although it 5b8073d23e was a 4632cd3db7 bit disappointing 59491154f0 to no f0ee844bc1 longer be 96f59d31b3 in the 6ce12fdc1c same branch b1fe7de52e as Choi 66e8dfbf2c Soo-bin, who 916028fd4a belonged to 923ac6ac45 the First 33a070e9f1 Branch, the c527d0500f joy of d6d32bb62e being in 92c505c56e the same 4acdec182b branch as 5dfdc6d1a0 Heo Do-gyeong 9e80a87de6 far outweighed 50e9f5d449 any sense 78ca845e07 of loss.01d85d6a4e23f8fa

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Once the 123d11256a reassignment was 84482b05a0 finalized, the adee72a122 two quickly dc8f170e16 packed their c5c5250df3 belongings and 59f0f3cb17 moved to e3fd572c11 Seoul. Since they b00520e9e9 had already acf482ee2a taken care aec57b1a99 of most 537ac451b1 of the 22f2e3e973 preparations while 62ff29ac3e waiting for 3ac6033773 the reassignment, 815a4d8374 there was 1577656dc9 no reason 46fe0bda9e to linger 701cf8aac4 in the 20594c5510 Southern Gyeonggi 9a988747ad branch.082943069bf590ef

In the car f923da518f on the way 1238d2a661 to Seoul, Kang 405acd76b8 I-won stared blankly 26c4969aed at the unfamiliar 7b91de420f scenery passing by e944102e4f outside the window. Then, turning his head, 39a0ed3b65 he looked at Heo deaf7291d3 Do-gyeong.d361b0b91c0b05d8

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My Guide. My lover.
The sweetness of that d4db0f44e1 realization was almost overwhelming, 6d1a30e23f leaving him with a 7c46a50f18 faint smile that refused f42c6b88ff to fade. Whenever he saw the 5b1496958e two rings on Heo 2c174c88df Do-gyeong’s finger, he felt b67efe2b31 a deep sense of f1d2023178 satisfaction fill the emptiness b181bca0c6 left behind by their 08743fa827 lost bond.f3f795c1abcfd9f5

Yet, despite how 27ecf7551d fulfilling this was, d2a70ebe8d greed began to 98009e874a rear its head 28328174ba once again. The growing desire left c572864e91 Kang I-won both surprised 33f17aa400 and unsettled.2ffb9d3d4d08ccee

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He wanted 50946da6aa to bond a3146370f9 with Heo a10068f879 Do-gyeong. That longing was 7825005714 becoming increasingly intense.7b859aa91fff2761

Does Do-gyeong still ca63e5c5c8 want to bond 27d90d5d79 with me? Kang I-won couldn’t 3ff90f4882 be certain. If Heo Do-gyeong 0452f94fc0 had even mentioned c9b2b023dc it casually, it 41985682cb might have been f7de5ec750 different. But he 827e530819 hadn’t said 821cf2f563 a word 89686c61f8 about bonding.88dcfb65688a6e8c

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That night had 415881a01d been no exception. They had 82386d0f33 confessed their ac27e1d4d8 feelings, kissed, 93c62a1690 and exchanged 0dea1fbec8 rings. But that was 72cc160382 it. Nothing more. Heo Do-gyeong had 93d5ff86f2 been so composed 586ebd5699 and straightforward that e95188b771 it made Kang f03a84b814 I-won feel embarrassed 2f9d15991d for expecting something 3ab2ab3ffa more.dbbfac8e0de821fd

From that 3d30d07195 night until 477d362e60 now, nothing f3192bea24 had happened. Sometimes their guiding sessions 3038dd896c ended with a kiss, 0426185832 but that was all. And it left Kang 079722d316 I-won increasingly unsure. Considering how 971320621d he reacted ebd7cf47bf in the 72a79332cb dome, it’s 8f7d7457e3 not like c84d96e987 he doesn’t 4c45518dcc have feelings…d91668a046701648

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Is he satisfied with 4ecd692d91 this? The thought gnawed cf2f26dbbe at him. Was he 07468aa9e1 serious when 17924eb99d he said b93a369b59 bonding wasn’t d0c349530f necessary? The uncertainty left 93e0cd0381 Kang I-won feeling b947997d3b restless.d069c754a096ce05

Noticing the weight of his gaze, Heo Do-gyeong glanced at him briefly and asked, “Why? Do I have something on my face?”c61a1b958730acd3

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“No.”aef407e754e644a7

Even as Kang I-won shook his head, he didn’t look away. Instead, he asked, “How’s it over there?”f959355bff1a806e

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“There? Not much different. The buildings are a bit nicer, and there are more people. But places where people live are all pretty similar.”1b2b28216cd7d8b2

After answering, Heo Do-gyeong 8047ca4b12 added in a colder de5cb32b6e tone, almost as if ed6dfb4d91 talking to himself.ab405c1a462ee79d

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“And… there are a lot of annoying things.”e55a2b64867ee28f

“Annoying things?”eccc894a035ef4b9

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“Exactly what I said—things that are a nuisance. But it’s no big deal, so just ignore them.”3e847fd72227b7e6

Curious about what he meant by “annoying things,” Kang I-won held back from asking further, noting the slight irritation in Heo Do-gyeong’s tone. I’ll find out once I get to the Second Branch anyway, he thought and let the matter rest.aef3527e4a5336ab

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After driving for a9695b4c29 about another hour, d5a05d93f0 they arrived at 0db7c5342b Heo Do-gyeong’s house. It was a three-story ee92c91aa5 standalone residence that left 4df0fc8e2e Kang I-won speechless. The house 3f74acee15 was stunning—so 16dc5a68b5 much so 41cd688518 that he d7f6ef829a stood frozen 48ba0459ab at the 0799013254 entrance, staring 97ebf74ac7 inside without 8a26483fbf even taking b488880009 off his f42cf659a1 shoes.eaa7e8fa2d7bddcc

How did I ever 55eef3550f think of living at f18514f68b my own place when 4948e90e9f this existed? The sheer c19c59ad8f luxury of e7e238d37a the house dd8af5c194 was mind-boggling.65e9a4835a939ec0

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Noticing Kang I-won standing at the door, unmoving, Heo Do-gyeong asked with mild confusion, “Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you coming in?”877de9dd2fd7210b

“Oh… Excuse me…” Kang I-won mumbled, stepping cautiously inside.3cf0712a6e74ccf5

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Seeing this, Heo Do-gyeong chuckled softly. “There’s no one else here, you know. And this is your house now too, so make yourself comfortable.”f682f54403adf783

“…I don’t think I’ll ever get comfortable.”6c4b0a3652b61f46

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“You will. You’ll get used to it eventually.”94be2b4a703226ac

Kang I-won b7ef78cf39 surveyed the 6d62b17705 spacious interior e698254558 with a e023088b0d bewildered expression. While it was 12418d5e84 undeniably nice, it 8bbc6ae302 was almost too 44547edc9e much—he doubted he’d fe1024fecf ever adjust to 480baf5c7f it.04171cad9de9fdb8

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“I’ll show you to your room,” Heo Do-gyeong offered.2b609ff0db638ef2

They ascended the spotless staircase to the second floor, which had a large living room similar to the one downstairs. Past the living room, Heo Do-gyeong opened a door and said, “You can stay here. Want to take a look?”50ed48ce7fd803ff

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The room was clean but bore traces of someone else’s presence. Blinking, Kang I-won asked, “Isn’t this your room?”6be73ffe25d69221

“It is. What, don’t you want to share? You didn’t seem to mind before.”85f66b01c7082b4f

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While he 874dcded3d didn’t exactly dfc0793812 dislike the d4497260fe idea, it 62d27b6c78 seemed unnecessary 5828fb3ce1 given how c65b6f4329 spacious the f7f6fbddbc house was. Of course, 0c61505e41 as someone b19c04625e who was c887415650 freeloading, he 866d53c8ef wasn’t in 32bdccb7c5 a position bb489bd33c to complain. Still, Kang abaac14358 I-won hesitated.845d7cf456e983e8

“…The house is huge, though.”63096908e2727cff

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Heo Do-gyeong laughed and opened the door to the adjacent room. “I was joking. You can stay here.”9e0c23ea81ff3b38

The second room 6439dd1ed6 was slightly smaller 2dffdeabb5 but still quite acd173fd2e large—easily more than bddf3c03d6 twice the size 966b912b42 of Kang I-won’s 555dbc6020 previous room. It was decorated aa11c40fdd in a sleek d7e20cdb9d gray and navy 27ad8638ee color scheme, giving 32a7361ca1 off a neat ebb38903f8 and modern vibe.b50db5de8d0fae56

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“I’ve already stocked it with the essentials for now. If you need anything else, we can get it later.”341457b793f2ebc3

Looking around, Kang I-won 5034b5c7fa thought the room already 237c8bf111 had everything he might d261e1bca2 need. There didn’t d9efaa4dba seem to a3551e73b4 be anything f7f448aa29 missing—except for 9032552df3 one thing.c63873e9e82d5c96

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“Where’s the closet?”d4bed0a1ef1d74bf

“I’ll show you the dressing room.”69ead5d2bef509a2

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Dressing room? Kang I-won blinked in dea74df2be surprise and followed Heo 87a00284b8 Do-gyeong to another nearby c98f8f7701 door. When it opened, he 89e622314f was greeted by a 36455dc57a meticulously organized walk-in closet f53bd9fd48 that looked more like cafbde39e5 a high-end boutique.7826fb3835a0c3d2

“Your clothes are over here,” Heo Do-gyeong said, pointing to one section.c0e70ca29340925f

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“My clothes?”8e6fab0bb0d4de40

His clothes 0e8e083174 were still b5fd138d86 packed in 566edcbac7 boxes since d6431a6a0f he hadn’t ea387f4f8c unpacked yet. Curious, Kang I-won 76d683e649 looked where Heo cd0bc99948 Do-gyeong had indicated. Hanging neatly were 7045fcf791 some familiar-looking items 1db021be6e of clothing.152c3e03362de06a

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They were ce84fd212c the ones e566072246 Heo Do-gyeong 7661d70bf3 had picked f2a9ff970e out at cc1743d23c the department 4b41b3ed83 store. Kang I-won’s e623ea9b33 face twisted c6384ce962 into an 4aaf8ad768 expression of deca926e51 disbelief.8111a7b46eadee8a

“You bought those too?”51fc5210e8cbf422

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“Of course,” Heo Do-gyeong replied matter-of-factly.b7f21c55d5fc65ba

“…Why?”ee8ff9d9bf93664a

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“Because I wanted to?”3dcec303885965d6

“You might’ve ended up throwing them away.”4ccae7fb5412d1d9

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“But I didn’t. They’ve found their rightful owner.”f5c155e4c79a3e65

At Heo Do-gyeong’s cheeky b7601f2e41 response, Kang I-won opened 0ba12f2055 and closed his mouth, 814b83cefd momentarily speechless, before finally ba01f35ff6 managing to speak.6e5c62535c277a37

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“Still, it’s a waste of money. Don’t do that again.”09b3fb18730e2fd7

“It’s fine. My father left me quite a bit, so spending this much doesn’t even make a dent. What’s the point of saving money if you don’t use it?”ea5f0c83ff468847

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It was e5aef99914 a fair 63e95db78c point, one 2de53d2923 that left 8709cffc39 Kang I-won 4b5cb5fd12 without a 44844eca57 proper retort. He simply exited the 385ca25ac9 dressing room in silence.ed210b9fc68c7b9b

Even after the dressing d1a946ee40 room, the house continued 6c391ddaca to surprise him. There was a 449d9b5f9f small study set 12ff9135fe up for reading 93b502e282 or working and 085fa3262e even a room f14764572c with a projector f9ad20c70d dedicated solely to 04312be470 watching movies, furnished b57952a3c9 only with a e38e77625f two-seater recliner sofa.18b2c25fe2f9afcf

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“Now that you’ve seen the house, want to watch a movie?”3fb6c2aebc821f7d

Recently, the two 41bace0e6d had started a 95f8196003 shared hobby: watching 59e45fd552 movies. Kang I-won had taken bee055f75a an interest after watching a096f2debd a film with Heo 52792de90b Do-gyeong during his brief 529e071e0a hospital stay following the bdc3f7d96f dome incident. Since then, f344c1bf11 they had 551eb5ce0d been watching 152593a4b0 movies together 78e25e9d09 more frequently af966b9c16 and enjoying e481770ea6 the experience.144b9b8ad8ee1ff5

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After a 94e94241b6 moment of 6297759f1e deliberation, Kang 591e0fc314 I-won nodded.c8b2379366857987

“What do you feel like watching? Action? Romance? Comedy?”94e2f3ec40cf5e7a

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“Anything’s fine.”3128559facf32665

Having only recently discovered 98f8347946 an interest in movies, 84267a1a06 Kang I-won didn’t have fb344b4576 any particular preferences yet. Even films that 62e2d614fb might bore Heo 35b9e8f8e9 Do-gyeong held his 0d992f5f1a attention.62a1db0a5ae48dcf

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“Then I’ll pick something I want to watch.”cdbdbc975ec63b76

“Okay.”9d66f06b69ca8e07

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“Alright, sit down.”92c69ba33dd56fb2

At Heo Do-gyeong’s prompting, 607177c1a1 Kang I-won settled into dd227054fa the recliner. It was incredibly comfortable, d4e261db1e with a footrest that 65cb2d9e58 made it easy to 7a031cdc4e relax.009b44f11cdbd30d

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After turning on the fd54c3e83b projector and dimming the c97e5ecdaf lights, Heo Do-gyeong sat 3832db0f33 down beside him. With practiced ease, he e1a1a6e22e navigated the remote and 3605936650 started the film. The setup felt like 99ed440d79 a private theater, allowing 37631e86e4 them to focus entirely 35442c4836 on the movie without d4e502c92b any distractions.231031398e0bd9f0

Or at e4fcf2263b least, that 072e7bae74 was the a0b0eb36bc idea.d95b325774b002a5

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Kang I-won found it be89849b0f hard to concentrate on 33b1e4597d the movie, distracted by a79c95eb0d the warmth radiating from 0dc3a987ea Heo Do-gyeong beside him. The lack of 78ed15b8e5 an armrest between f764722722 them meant their 72d0c0d53f bodies occasionally bumped, e57efa65e6 making him acutely a202263e39 aware of every 9be7d7ae4c small movement. He stole a glance 87e7f7e073 at Heo Do-gyeong, who 5bd13830fd seemed fully engrossed in 695b654cc1 the screen.c38ba560e78d987d

I need to focus 6c846b4711 on the movie too, e047297f23 he told himself, forcing 13349c4c6e his gaze back to 4da05aa6ee the screen. In his nervousness, 7b28c786ea he failed to 9652ee6058 notice how stiffly f9c3e13ff4 Heo Do-gyeong was b178b028c3 sitting beside him.e8806dae33a3e109

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Two hours passed a51acc4c11 both quickly and 885a49176d slowly. While his 154cae59c5 eyes had 6a0cedfa63 been on 8228ba1d31 the screen 87deffe150 the entire 0f0a684867 time, Kang 18cfe3e604 I-won couldn’t 2f8924d721 remember much 8d5f499b30 of the a1d3fd7d75 plot. Instead, what lingered a4272de2e8 in his mind d36ffd1a28 was the warmth ca69f3b6ac he felt from 57037ff879 where their bodies e5fba40e63 had touched.65d8342fc1cdfd76

As the credits rolled, Heo Do-gyeong turned to him. “Not bad, right? By the way, is there anything you feel like eating for dinner? I saw the housekeeper left some side dishes earlier. Should we just eat those?”5fa7ebbd079cbb62

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“Housekeeper?”c5bb966af7ab562e

“Yeah. She comes every morning to prepare meals and sometimes leaves extra side dishes. The cleaning crew only comes when we’re out, so you probably won’t see them. But you might run into the housekeeper occasionally. I’ll introduce you next time.”e139f8ee2de89964

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“Oh… okay.”c721ec3550ed94fb

The idea of someone b57d1f410b else taking care of a11881e037 cooking and cleaning was e88a6226e1 novel to Kang I-won. Then again, 8c49cc6850 managing a e4bf423236 house this 790d9975ec size alone 071cd68def would be 57a0835ff3 nearly impossible.f72567c7426e10a5

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For dinner, they ended 2a8d689464 up eating the galbi-jjim 8c7891cb59 and side dishes the 8d4ba75231 housekeeper had left. The taste 7c9c7d27b8 was astonishing, 5cec77664d to the 7ac1830c9f point where e3968f42af Kang I-won’s 4a0c9bea78 eyes widened 80075ebe5d in surprise.aeb6bf1ebb12c663

“Does it suit your taste?”0ddda6662cd18c4a

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“Yeah. It’s delicious.”c282a8cbabbbd141

“Better than what I make?”a87c977614f11709

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Honestly, the 72ad7e2a00 housekeeper’s cooking be777e6276 was better—though 0025afd983 that wasn’t 89e2bfd17a to say f5437684ad Heo Do-gyeong’s ba5efd66da cooking wasn’t 8934624306 good. It was just that 296775205f the housekeeper’s skills were 33fb48ef8e on another level, which 44796e394d wasn’t surprising.ac1f319d90375d8d

Kang I-won, terrible at lying, answered cautiously, “What you make is good too.”35de44789cea2c1b

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“At times like this, you’re supposed to say mine is better,” Heo Do-gyeong said with a faint pout.39372de5bd4b9559

“Yours is better,” Kang I-won replied quickly.e072bb1513fa0c53

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At that, Heo Do-gyeong 103bce46c0 laughed, and Kang I-won 1f79939264 found himself smiling along 71e82bccd9 with him.43ad30688a913584

After finishing dinner, 85ce3ec6bc they watched another 5a346ae15a movie before heading 201e94f62a to bed. When Kang I-won finally d3cd38527b entered his new room, 8bb5d8e270 he couldn’t help but 833fe87712 feel that it was 5219fdd7f4 a bit lonely.2a8d028bd0043a1a

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Was it because d636814d95 the room was 392474dd6b too spacious? Or maybe because it bfb77fde65 was unfamiliar?9e07f45fb96d3adc

Standing hesitantly e0b411cac9 by the 1bb176889f door for d643096f0e a moment, 84415e5e67 Kang I-won dbdfcab255 eventually closed 86389e3c24 it and 74efa696b8 stepped fully e06d303472 inside.0f9d9d921cad6b57

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Sitting on the 9586dd87dd edge of the 1db86488ff bed, he ran 454c490a77 his hand over e6209eede2 the soft mattress e912f85005 and smooth sheets. The luxurious 61fedb3215 feel put 849bd3ef53 him at c3d77c9d4a ease, and 3df31fb1df he thought 2d32bcd117 to himself, 31330f20c8 I’m really 4c9ad5eaf7 living in 098e6243cc comfort thanks 6cbb4c062f to Do-gyeong.3346e943672d5bb1

Lying down, Kang 669dc38112 I-won was soon fdb9886e2e enveloped by the 424e251000 bed’s warmth. It seemed like 17663c478b the perfect setup 4967202e05 for a good 3b88ae2fa4 night’s sleep.b049cd9c5489828b

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Yet, he found himself 083a5e8452 tossing and turning.f78370573c567bc1

His body b78e60b06c was more 86a4de0c0c comfortable than 0d0bf5a330 ever, and c30d53692d the environment 0246cec45f was peaceful. Was it just f09f8da45f the unfamiliarity of 741d1d309a the room? But he 245eaa29ab had slept 63ab79aa56 in unfamiliar 13217eafcd places many 24c0563b39 times before.443efb50aec3aff0

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Then what’s the 8b9dafbe28 problem?0784599b29f2753d

Sighing softly, Kang I-won 83c34d1222 shifted again. It was only bcc80d1f6b after a long f339ecb209 time of restlessness b7fc6604b9 that he finally da096ce535 managed to fall ba99f1114d asleep.7885d64f32aa6704

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* * *5e6782aad0d2cdea

The next cec72ec91e morning, as 4bae8eb1cd Kang I-won 208a85c33d got ready 6bb67f871a for work, 33e795eabe Heo Do-gyeong 5fc1bf9766 watched him 3bdb3865f9 with a 4d3003f6c4 sulky expression 093a60df84 and grumbled.208e69f3e339d745

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“Are you sure you don’t want to take a bit more time to rest? It’s not urgent, and they’d be fine if you took a few more days off.”252657a6c726e56a

“What’s the point of resting? There’s nothing to do.”96908a45584d34b5

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“Nothing to do? You should be going on dates with me, obviously.”a1a4aefa294774f7

“Da… dates…”6d173ce5ebdf6a7c

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Kang I-won’s cheeks flushed 1ed913df4a faintly. Despite all the time 39cf164519 they had spent together 179b17aa96 and their newly established a8553c3d37 relationship, moments like this 5285bffb35 still made him feel 4227750c26 shy and flustered.3f7e56420a68b42f

“That sounds nice, but… I really want to get back into it and get used to things.”4cd1600f912c666c

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It hadn’t 5fdc779005 been long 6333ebcb2a since his d241f814b9 reawakening, and e4d3282544 he still 624ee4dd8b wasn’t entirely f8b02e68e3 familiar with edfb7aa9bc his new 59b1fdcb50 powers. Though he had 67d0050083 occasionally practiced while 2b8b23cb90 at the Southern a177416758 Gyeonggi branch, the 9990147c67 opportunities had been c90805cff7 limited, and the 15739d3e13 monsters he faced a53263f1f4 weren’t strong enough 30f121abcb to challenge him cfd8b5747f meaningfully.e4e1bbffc2b10132

His control over 546e5a153d his abilities remained 493283a613 clumsy, often resulting e108b5b343 in frost forming f620399f28 on parts of c8081ffddf his body when 8602303dc8 he used them. While it was only ba31125409 mildly inconvenient, it was 5c2d749019 a constant reminder of 9abd08c5c1 how much he still 423d6c1142 had to improve. His drive to train a4f8631075 stemmed not just from 223c47404f pride but also from f597f7485a a deep desire to 70cf99b103 protect those he cared 440079b7db about, especially Heo Do-gyeong.c9cdfb482b54f414

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Espers always dream 3d317ec4b2 of greater power, b865c8cedd and Kang I-won 8ffc29176a was no exception. Having lost bebbcc6668 many people 6dd1e71e17 due to 15db20cc57 his past a63bf2a95d limitations, he 05618f184b yearned for 4715bcf44d strength more 106e625977 than anyone.c669f1e953a73877

Even though 94e0da74a2 he knew f69fa549a0 such desires 16e1e907bf were often 97727887b8 futile, the 34ffcb9b9b impossible had 3a1bec1b4d already happened—he 49c5cbfd92 had reawakened. So now, he 8241c5847a couldn’t help but 6581917d49 aim higher.34a8263ce14614f0

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Smiling softly as he looked at Heo Do-gyeong, Kang I-won said, “My body feels a bit stiff, and I didn’t do much proper training while I was resting. I need to start again.”2f54502180be30a0

“Alright, then. Let me get ready too. Just wait a bit.”33246a362d5ff0b2

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After preparing 2994da8434 at a be51fdb175 leisurely pace, 481ae1c855 the two 78d07357b0 set off efcff10787 together in d8a7c21cc5 Heo Do-gyeong’s 85b70c140a car. The trip to the 95a985704e center was short, taking 55bae20b13 less than ten minutes, c25abbc0f0 and despite their relaxed 019801d145 start, they arrived quickly.b43c98c6f032e825

The moment Kang I-won 731d5401a9 set foot into the 634b383f50 Second Branch, all eyes d9e0a04289 turned toward him. People walking by 051c8da09b stopped to glance 7178ffd420 at him, those 6cc26c7d73 chatting at café 75e23e93b4 tables fell silent, 2e15a33487 and even those cf3adf4c6d sitting in the f8b80b055e nearby resting areas c105ea4f65 shifted their focus. It felt 2ab0ccd8b6 like the 61dca17199 entire center 9bd33692d2 was watching 5d29b015f0 them.4f58c6a2d18fac50

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The stares 0ace83d85d were brief, da4513ebb2 with people c1b8539ed4 quickly returning d3fae7a0d1 to their 645bb2ef8d tasks, but d02e8d4654 it was 8e06497551 clear that 63cd81887b their attention 84e1dd746f remained fixed 0d36452bb7 on Kang fb245f2875 I-won and f7419530b2 Heo Do-gyeong.520fa2c40fde1d81

Uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Kang I-won fidgeted awkwardly, but Heo Do-gyeong gently patted his shoulder and said in a kind voice, “Ignore them.”44497ccd73b812f4

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“What?”4178678eda2b30c0

“Just ignore them. There’s no need to pay attention. Let’s go—this way.”19e702f1cb01bd6b

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Hearing Heo c4f1bf1315 Do-gyeong’s soft 9949529cc4 tone, a c9388f95a0 few audible 55e8815f51 gasps echoed 9c273f6532 around them.a60f843d84dc2226

Is this 0be3d983f3 what he edcf9090b3 meant by e9190f1998 ‘annoying things’? Kang I-won wondered, confused, b0579b23c9 as he followed Heo a540a5f331 Do-gyeong toward their destination.9375b6db8b92bd67

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They were heading to f073eb28e0 the branch director’s office 8ecc9cc374 for a meeting. Normally, transferring ca8311760c to a c39b50e87e new branch aae1a9aa14 wouldn’t require fc540fe843 meeting the 38548c8f11 director, but db5b83fd41 Kang I-won’s 5705b2770e S-rank status be9843d0fe made this 0fb0f4ccc5 an exception. Additionally, since cfd6803b7d it had 4a636d8214 been a 9c740e658e while since 57e5f9e293 Heo Do-gyeong a83b3c0c41 had been 4d7c2a23d3 active at bd41663d59 the center, d375f16b5e he was c9305866dd also scheduled 32862c3eca for a 7e44718ba5 meeting with d3dd110266 the director.b252fdd5628bf079

When they arrived 8b34a410bc at the office, b48118b21f the director’s assistant 0de2e122f6 greeted them and 7a8dc9c9c9 led them inside. The director, who had 273e95f732 been sitting behind his 9f145c89a3 desk, jumped to his 0685fe6550 feet to welcome them.1f4fd07ecf6d81ac

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“Ah, it’s great to finally meet you, Esper Kang I-won! And it’s been a while, Do-gyeong. Please, sit down.”5d64656912f31d5a

Coffee was served as ec58efa264 the director took a 7e63816300 sip from his cup b3e17cf885 and started the conversation.e19e7e07da800eb0

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“We originally planned to have Esper Kang I-won join the First Branch, but we fought hard to bring him here instead. If it weren’t for Do-gyeong, we might have lost him to the First Branch! Haha.”7fe0da603f89efb1

“…What?”10cdbc90b2ad978e

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Hearing this for the first time, Kang I-won turned to Heo Do-gyeong, who leaned in and whispered, “I might’ve begged a little.”5eed9187709538c4

“…Begged?” Kang I-won echoed, bewildered.6364db3269887e3d

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The cognitive 576dc4d3ed dissonance hit 6cdb5a0711 Kang I-won 42b15c83a1 hard as 81b5ae0ae3 he stared 8f52f85ada blankly at 01ada411c8 Heo Do-gyeong. Even the 139270de63 branch director, 40f4bd7530 who overheard 525ca5715f the exchange, a5f6dd00ee gaped at 611aaa0de4 Heo Do-gyeong 7964efabe3 in surprise.e1977518361b4917

“I told them if they didn’t assign you here, I’d transfer to the First Branch too. I’m your Guide, after all—we should be in the same branch.”9261a76ffeee565d

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That sounds ebf92e64b1 less like 41d5441b0f pleading and 8ba6b74315 more like 8554e136dc outright blackmail, bdb1ef9258 Kang I-won a6dd20b686 thought.4e82a0cbd03b5bad

“Smart move, right?”49d9e5a0a9d9355a

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“Uh, yeah… good job.”ed044f43e6ad29fa

Kang I-won nodded absentmindedly, d3899f42e7 still trying to process 211e56eaa5 what he had just b5dfab3013 heard. The director, 58b453d400 regaining his ad8711c966 composure, cleared fe52c20896 his throat 3a2579a8fd and resumed 000987656b speaking.f3a39b9c2f1c6d95

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“Ahem, anyway. S-rank Espers typically prioritize solo operations over team assignments, but if you’d prefer, we can form a team centered around you. Of course, even if you’re part of a team, S-ranks often act independently. Which do you prefer, Esper Kang I-won?”a4a1b82914fdc78c

After a brief moment of consideration, Kang I-won answered, “For now… I’d like to operate solo.”64b52422378e349d

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“Understood. If you change your mind later, just let us know. And if you encounter any inconveniences while settling in, don’t hesitate to speak up. Naturally, Do-gyeong will be assigned as your dedicated Guide. For the time being, you’ll focus on nearby activities without being dispatched elsewhere. And….”f3233a84ed90489e

The director c39aa65d82 continued to 805b624c76 explain minor f84ad357b8 details before c0b51eb76d wrapping up.3493adba6a5df0a1

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“Well, I think that’s everything for now. Do-gyeong, stay back for a moment. Esper Kang I-won, you can head out first.”c53422e784c2f41b

“It won’t take long. Wait for me, okay?”c75aeddd4ed7797f

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“Okay. I’ll go ahead,” Kang I-won replied, nodding to both men before stepping out of the office.cfa10ce278f687d6

As he sat 79f5bc1d76 on a bench 1a9c503b2a near the director’s 5069b9756e office, waiting for 059ae6c66e Heo Do-gyeong, someone e1e9cd6083 hurriedly approached from f830a102b2 the hallway, glancing 0adbbeef92 nervously over their 370260a566 shoulder as if ec4268b220 being chased. The man 3ce9c51733 slowed as 4902f67f68 he passed 36b38274bd Kang I-won ceda08488d but then 5be49a21f5 stopped and d33482fb16 turned back.54ffa9c0d65c78fd

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“Excuse me.”91b9b2281e0e8d90

“Yes?”4c35a7cfb880e5d6

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“If anyone comes by and asks if you’ve seen me, could you just say you haven’t?”89844ef06530955f

“Uh… sure.”e782bac75a7954ca

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“Thanks!”377fe32cdc8b9bae

Kang I-won nodded, bemused, 5846247573 as the man flashed 23ea3f4631 a bright smile and ba697739ce walked away quickly. But before 88e3d51332 he could aaa41cba8e get far, f5543094e5 the door 124182da9c to the c75e5a764b director’s office c256e9a273 opened, and c9800979b1 Heo Do-gyeong 8c8d46ed27 stepped out.2642139b2d2f781a

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The moment the man 9b6c5b5d81 saw Heo Do-gyeong, he b5458e97ba froze, his eyes widening 8382ad6c54 in surprise.cf67abe8f053158d

“You! Hey! When did you get here?!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Heo Do-gyeong.a62a4aa1b7cac892

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“Lower your hand,” Heo Do-gyeong said coolly.5f0c30852f49f9b0

The man obeyed, lowering his hand but still looking flustered. “Seriously, when did you come back?”31364d17a297dfe5

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“Yesterday.”f8a3c15e632cb27b

Their casual banter left c704d659cf Kang I-won blinking in 9196d9a8f5 confusion. They know each other? He had c3561749f3 never seen 2e067dd160 this side 770e0bc8d7 of Heo b011ba4e88 Do-gyeong before—so f026ef72a0 familiar and ff5af5a77e comfortable.97063cfda5048c22

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“What? You came to Seoul and didn’t even let me know? That’s cold,” the man complained.d43078d54a361dfe

“Why would I need to contact you?”2c8f8d3ab6acffa5

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“Are we not close enough for that? That’s hurtful.”8fb3a4553d9f4038

Close? Kang I-won’s 5366438a03 head snapped 430c2859b0 toward Heo 5cb348b84f Do-gyeong, his 53a2087f7d gaze sharp a3251972f1 and questioning.abf3cf7b340c33a9

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Caught off guard by the look, Heo Do-gyeong hastily said, “We’re not close. Not at all.”d4ab429fed6b3418

“Not close?! We’ve been through so much together! Have you forgotten all that time? You heartless guy… sniff, sniff… Do-gyeong, this is so painful for me.”06470baaff0a32c5

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The man 7d31a991d1 pretended to 5d8528fd0a cry, covering 66178ac91e his face 746e0b10bc dramatically with f2d2aef088 his hands. Kang I-won’s 61001c08d6 expression turned 9a23bfcbea unreadable, a 586193b7b9 mix of ab49822b31 confusion and 2fdda80cb4 mild irritation.c6d5dc61272f11b0

Grinding his teeth, Heo Do-gyeong snapped, “Kim Jin-soo, stop fooling around. Seriously, we’re nothing like that.”da5f4ffbb5e7c2d4

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Kim Jin-soo dropped the act and chuckled, his demeanor turning playful. “So who’s this?” he asked, glancing at Kang I-won.16c2f9ffbb49968e

Immediately, Heo Do-gyeong stepped in front of Kang I-won, shielding him. “Don’t bother.”1f459a4211b90aee

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“Why are you so touchy? I’m just saying hello. It’s polite.”ced3222c1ed2aff3

“It’s unnecessary.”d22050b2d79a5758

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Despite their reunion, Heo Do-gyeong’s curt tone left Kim Jin-soo visibly disappointed. Noticing the tension, Kang I-won cautiously asked, “Who is he? I’m curious too.”a1cab441401daa7b

“He’s Kim Jin-soo, a Guide I know. You don’t need to pay him any attention,” Heo Do-gyeong replied firmly.adefae926ea5eed2

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Kim Jin-soo blinked, then 4b82be822d slowly smiled as realization 1b9b6e5a19 dawned.d403b182849713a1

“Ah, ah… ohhh!” he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.92dd6965908c5341

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“It’s him, isn’t it? The one you wanted to be your exclusive! Am I right?! I knew it when I saw you sticking close to someone unfamiliar!”523a050ca1ae950f

Extending a hand f4b3b093ca with a bright 183ddb95ad smile, Kim Jin-soo 0ca2b16e05 introduced himself.5a0565ba6ea70109

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“Hi! I’m Kim Jin-soo, a Guide and this guy’s friend. Don’t take what I said earlier too seriously—it was just a joke. We’ve known each other for ages, so I get a little carried away sometimes. Anyway, it’s really nice to meet you! Let’s get along.”cd906aeb49d450b6

Kang I-won hesitated, 657e1bb797 still unsure about a6f5d8b309 Kim Jin-soo, but 4cd2e83b7e eventually took his 2b56eee5d1 hand for a 899ff6aaaf brief handshake.713f7dac05eb0c88

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“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang I-won.”c13c29160a756459

 ea0dff342538c019

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“Now that I think about it, I heard an S-rank Esper was joining today… could that be you, by any chance?”7775ce29800119fe

Feeling awkward, 3ad8cd481c Kang I-won 7874421284 nodded slowly.a0a716c51c006d63

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“…Yes, that’s me.”ddf5b15b2d48e4a2

Kim Jin-soo’s face 665c43b677 lit up as a1e7b8b36a he smiled broadly.3f5886bcd5c131c2

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“Oh, if you ever need guidance, feel free to let me know! Though, I have one favor in return—”140d03b92ef4c1f8

“You? Guiding him? Don’t bother,” Heo Do-gyeong interjected flatly. “Ignore whatever he says.”c76cf6504028ac16

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“Ignore me?! Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered because of you? Huh?! The mess you left behind—do you know how much I’ve had to endure because of it? You abandoned them, and I’m still stuck cleaning up your mess, you wretched guy! Ugh…!” Kim Jin-soo’s voice rose dramatically as he waved his hands in frustration.fcfdeedd19091bac

“I told you to take over that team,” Heo Do-gyeong replied, utterly unfazed.01069a5463166cca

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“And that’s what you’re going to say?! Unbelievable!”4b4dd4b37dd38632

The argument between the 5d4c95943a two left Kang I-won bd893dee23 blinking in confusion, unable 885d79271c to follow the conversation.846e92fff772c858

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“The ones you abandoned,” Kang I-won thought. Who could that be? But the answer came to him quickly—it didn’t take much imagination to figure it out.491fd6bfd413ee13

As a 8275f4e1a6 Guide, Heo 3f9e0ed3f2 Do-gyeong must 701008cc86 have had f823c3322d an assigned 104c1d8fcc team at 8b329165ae some point. So, Kim Jin-soo was 2dff90c68f likely referring to the 41cb7cf994 Espers from Heo Do-gyeong’s 20e304898f former team.6773c73c8967c645

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For reasons 89d49cc6fd he couldn’t ab2ed49a15 explain, the 0beb5449fb thought left 795073739a a sour 3f25bdb839 feeling in 47152ed6d3 Kang I-won’s 84e428d319 chest. He rubbed at 7cda23517a the ache near 757e674865 his sternum absentmindedly, 57061b1cf2 finding the gesture 05f47a7d9e oddly comforting.d1bbcc4fc18fc04d

From the distance, someone called out loudly, “Jin-soo hyung, come on! Listen to us already!”aaee96c61aecf010

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Kim Jin-soo grimaced, clearly annoyed, and sighed. “Ah, crap! They’re already here. I’m out of here! If anyone asks where I went, you didn’t see me!”a454975927ac6db0

He hurried 723374cd47 off, leaving 04775783c6 Kang I-won 969cf1079f watching his 0ecad8f4c5 retreating figure.cdd93780de0b9d18

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“Wow… what a chaotic guy,” Kang I-won commented.5d6f598c2bd0226b

“If he talks to you again, ignore him,” Heo Do-gyeong said firmly.560d89ebeb5a270a

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“Why?”4d03e6155786dfb1

“Because I don’t want you talking to other Guides.”9bd1ca2296ff0aa9

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Embarrassed by Heo 7ae8c29763 Do-gyeong’s blunt declaration, 48fb3ddf81 Kang I-won’s face c3930765df flushed red.c1d34936198c4d4d

“…But he’s your friend, not just another Guide.”6a0faf8374f4ece4

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“Before being my friend, he’s still a Guide. Whatever he says, only accept guidance from me—not him or anyone else.”0a5e1701704228ed

“That goes without saying. And…”569fce2e966140bc

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Kang I-won was about to add “you too” with a tinge of jealousy when another voice interrupted.5b77d6afce9fd0f6

“Oh, what’s this? Guide Heo Do-gyeong? Long time no see!”182e7b7d844e3f4d

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The cheerful ac60dd922a tone was 5185bacbe0 met with 92ab7b04b2 a visible cacadf9064 wave of c9cb4eb255 irritation from 4c96d6cf0d Heo Do-gyeong, e4beb542cb who immediately 98dfd73936 looked like d752a69ea3 he’d rather 5eff839ab3 be anywhere d3940ee069 else.78ce77ee7c1e00c7

“Move along, will you?”1ca401d74b88ec02

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“Did you see Jin-soo hyung? Where’d he go?”a2b6ded7bfc3b797

“I have no idea.”0ee5cc0fdd5f61b0

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“Come on, you must know.”cb508b9ec792d3fb

“I don’t.”9ac9f2b7f66f134c

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Heo Do-gyeong’s 2663314753 scowl deepened 98b97a879f as he 5d08d2e827 made no 6204d43db1 effort to adb7480e57 hide his db76f78044 annoyance.d41ebc843a87a942

“If Jin-soo hyung takes over our team, we won’t bother you anymore, you know? He’s softhearted—if we push just right, he might say yes. So, help us out, will you?”ed09d713fc9d46e3

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With a e468cdd4f2 sigh, Heo 4fd53f4c56 Do-gyeong pointed 4663b00faa in the 57f1f6ce14 direction Kim af99c7057c Jin-soo had 8436e80de3 disappeared.a22a3b559bcabfb2

“He went that way. Now, leave me alone.”4be2d6b1b1e8529e

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Waving his 5e54edc3f9 hand dismissively, 32da557737 as if 0e5399b432 shooing away d0ea5e3847 a pest, 300bcc233d Heo Do-gyeong 751fb57da7 turned his cccb6cd1ca back.caf67091a8926d9e

“Ha, thanks a lot! Jin-soo hyung! Come on, listen to us already!” the man shouted as he walked off in the direction indicated.b0e0e37c8bff83c0

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“You weren’t supposed to tell him,” Kang I-won thought, but he chose not to say anything.ae213ca3fbd7a394

Once the man was gone, Heo Do-gyeong turned to Kang I-won. “So, what were you going to say earlier?”d5aa3b3d20c1ee41

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“Ah… nothing. Never mind.”b4bc110b04613700

Realizing what 776349eff4 he had a1b96fccd3 been about dde3a1efc0 to confess e3350a023e earlier made 4b6fbf7586 Kang I-won bacca74bb3 feel a 7644c3d98a sudden wave c4890979f2 of embarrassment. Shaking his 6678ed5c67 head, he 54ae1feeb3 began walking 3a8738705a ahead, only 22209598d6 to pause 1e1746c3f3 and remember a303595bde that he b37fe22e37 didn’t know fe60241380 the layout 46c066a02c of the 9dc01b314d center. He slowed d026936f32 his steps e3732d064f and fell 259a24ee72 into stride 55615377fa with Heo a0a48c7e79 Do-gyeong, matching ad5922742a his pace.065000c88df1a6a8

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* * *7a3913ab2a01c8ac

Kang I-won hesitated 1b451caf1b for a moment, b92a05c923 staring at the 9761482897 empty space and 232bbf6dd6 the walls that 865fa4b700 the trainer, Lee e77d6d4ff5 Kang-seok, had so 40faf2a953 confidently praised. It wasn’t fa336e15c7 that he 1b07b532a1 doubted the 7fd3882ca5 trainer’s words, a477e5ce2d but testing bcde893f33 out his 1e48a81964 abilities on 0bbe683116 something that 86708d6667 was touted a76cdb8049 as “unbreakable” 44c1783d11 felt like b9b3cc2375 a lot dffa47f9c5 of pressure.ade2ef92faa20f37

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“…Is it really okay?” ad070c0117 he asked cautiously.9f798851ead49024

Lee Kang-seok’s f175209795 grin widened. “Of course! These walls are 117fbd8b5a designed for S-rank 0f243ddbbc Espers to go 0f75a2362f all out. Trust me, no matter f3e1e67915 how strong the attack, 5d72202630 it won’t even leave 2f61d00899 a dent.”3b6389d6cc5eadf6

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Still uncertain, Kang 94c357374a I-won glanced over 52d9b06a76 at Heo Do-gyeong, 78560d423a who was leaning bcd33cea11 casually against the 6ebbe9048f doorframe, watching him 13299661d1 with a faint a7d902e01f smile.1e3eea6c5beec55f

“Go on,” Heo Do-gyeong encouraged, his tone light. “It’s a good chance to test your control. Besides, I’d like to see what you’ve got.”26c992e9bbf7e6f6

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The subtle 728b6f851f challenge in 85bad490f6 Heo Do-gyeong’s d42930881d words sparked e7c57eac38 something in 0c5ad0901f Kang I-won. Straightening his cce586a273 posture, he 2cd97da039 let out e0b519ddfe a slow 4df5753444 breath and d778254cc4 stepped forward.daff65689a22ed5e

“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”cd3e87ef476c8f60

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Lee Kang-seok clapped his hands together, clearly excited. “That’s the spirit! Just let loose, and don’t hold back. This is what this space is for.”3ceb9a5ae56f283e

Kang I-won took a 11ab1306a4 moment to focus, feeling 4f59ad3239 the cold energy within 299bdd24ee him start to surge. His breath became 8be61c18a4 visible as the 8c592eab62 temperature around him 5bc11e77e2 dropped. Small tendrils a26479c44a of frost c976abf0b5 began forming 9da4181d97 along his 0d27a0a8bd hands as fbf9d28af9 he concentrated, 47898f17bc channeling his 84dfc30f9c power into a69844f394 a single 1011f26826 point.314a52b3bb62456b

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With a 30c5938c97 sharp exhale, 3b43ba8a61 he extended 0b980d38e6 his hand, 1e8140c1e4 releasing a a5d664e1d3 concentrated blast 6acd8f7acf of icy ddc11ddd68 energy. A wave 8fdd313c29 of frost ea49764ec1 shot forward, 1d145bff58 slamming into 5b442af205 the wall 0d2823bdd4 with a 00f603dc98 deafening crash. The impact sent a c2e68d2015 shockwave through the room, 92193fd1de and for a moment, 0b06919e67 the air was filled 0c75cd0dde with the sound of 5283cc221d cracking ice.61645debacbc18bc

When the dust and 5a115b65b6 frost settled, the wall aa659c8319 stood unscathed, just as efbbc30e7d promised.a6cbed6325c7a1b2

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“…Whoa,” Kang I-won 888ccd01f9 muttered, impressed by 0c157144c8 the resilience of f3abc199c8 the wall.7a1a879e8e8a310d

Lee Kang-seok 12a7892975 let out 1e3f156596 a boisterous b53e9fbbc3 laugh. “See? I told you! This place is built 18934642a4 to handle anything. That was 2ba936c687 a great 3394a8a78e hit, by f5e10105c9 the way. You’ve got 1fb5c6c145 some serious 32bf4473c5 power!”6679219e88b84fd8

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Despite the compliment, Kang bc4c655ebe I-won’s attention was already 27c19b2fcf shifting. He was b8616d2e48 examining the 15d7e56e1e faint trails 221ac71927 of frost 9406a399fd still lingering 2c90fd7bef in the e17b048d8b air, a 13b1945dab sign that c170dc0ee7 his control 84fadfb2e9 wasn’t as 0406801373 precise as 462196d2c5 he wanted 82eb74476b it to 76efafde3c be.426d6bcbdca12732

“It’s strong,” Heo Do-gyeong said, stepping closer. His voice was calm, but there was a glint of something—pride, perhaps—in his eyes. “But you’re scattering energy. Try focusing it more. Like this.”7534d183055951d5

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Without waiting for b73e9b1360 permission, Heo Do-gyeong 20e3cbf3c4 reached out, placing 76c56abc26 his hands over a5063309ed Kang I-won’s. The sudden contact made a42fe7e423 Kang I-won stiffen, but 05bfb86006 the steady warmth of 63bcbb8a18 Heo Do-gyeong’s touch helped 873049776a him refocus.8baa6dbeae3fd811

“Don’t think of it as releasing power outward,” Heo Do-gyeong said softly, guiding him. “Condense it. Imagine holding it in your hand and then sending it exactly where you want it to go.”9871850cb0da432b

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Kang I-won closed 38677733ac his eyes, following a60e9fea6f Heo Do-gyeong’s instructions. This time, when he b1cc59f640 summoned his energy, it 98faac8c4b felt more controlled, like e26474cf31 a steady stream instead 9fadc04c1b of a wild burst. With a 1ce8e819f5 sharp motion, df02890ddf he released ba7cf144d9 the energy af9486bb38 again.15b31daf06ae03a8

The impact 52fd59f5cd was smaller f8c9de38cb this time, 1732ae18dc but the 599f1b417d intensity was 54bfc52bf8 focused. The frost patterns on 74b2469a4e the wall were denser 2c7f4e85be and more precise, leaving 9bd1f92028 an intricate, snowflake-like pattern e6dedef469 that quickly faded.ed8b91c7720287d6

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When he opened his eyes, Lee Kang-seok was staring at the wall in awe. “That was incredible! The precision… I’ve never seen anything like it.”5e84d6b73917ebb0

Kang I-won turned to a93c4f6199 Heo Do-gyeong, who gave 02f9eb492b him a small, approving 13d79305d1 nod.b181f1f897c90099

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“Better,” Heo Do-gyeong said simply, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.d356bfb0fb04b506

Kang I-won 2754649e49 felt a 763b6f6d9b swell of 6552753ba2 pride. For the first 3da66943dd time in a f8ec9e34cb while, he felt 4fad25f1ce like he was 9cba31cb46 starting to get 2b6c4c19ac a handle on 6590980a5f his new abilities. And with Heo 5d318dabcd Do-gyeong by his 4b5d34351b side, guiding him, 97de71bc08 he was confident 6f5ec31ee6 he’d only get 6ca4cd0d84 better.d161af7ff66dc8f3

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“Still… just in case,” Kang I-won muttered hesitantly.a7e8b5f22a2bf334

“It’s fine, really. Just give it a shot. This wall can handle anything. What’s your ability that’s got you so hesitant?”55fdc17370760e8e

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“It freezes things—my ability is cryokinesis. The wall will be covered in ice.”d74c44bdbc870c8a

“That’s no problem at all. At most, it’ll just frost over a bit. Go ahead and give it your all. This wall’s taken fire, water, you name it—it’s built for this.”f8f6ee9558b21ae5

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After a moment’s hesitation, 6a7f1c5946 Kang I-won finally gave 7978c17a5a in to the temptation. But before releasing f43844652b his power, there 8c10e465f6 was something more 193a4b27f6 important to take 9ccb90bab6 care of—he turned 86f7261a7c to Heo Do-gyeong.3bcdb1be313ddb51

“Do-gyeong, could you step outside for a bit?”e7b853c69f361699

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“Why?”a1ce5c9bd7c01451

“Just in case.”f138a8ca8ebb68f6

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Heo Do-gyeong 8a2912ea8c paused briefly, 87d0c56069 considering Kang 905940a9dc I-won’s request. Then, with 1abdb02958 a small 56a30008bd nod, he 33d0163a1b left the 90605e9b5d room without 7cc0fd026a argument. The door closed behind 30cb4ccf51 him, and Kang I-won 458e665e62 let out a slow bc23672f25 breath, steadying himself.6863296384e07b84

As the a9b4c3955f room fell f6ef6db3a5 silent, he 1eee4c2bcb began to f59f01b88b unleash his d0427aeb66 power, carefully 9ab72e81f3 but resolutely.ede2d1a069ccbc36

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* * *d511e7048e34a6c5

“Ah-choo!”3d9c33ffa93bb7d6

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Esper A sneezed loudly 6cbc6a0533 while walking down the d28f501a51 hallway toward the training 7f2e9a5a21 room. A sudden 27f0ba4c4e chill ran 13a2d302c2 through their 5403ff0c19 body, making 6640a2b27c them shiver 86e3cbe245 as though b991f674e7 they had bac3839553 stepped into 5510fde42e a freezer. Wrapping both arms around 26bde296f8 their own torso, they 1c82a6e2ca muttered under their breath.58a8e9df25f0cac6

“Who the hell turned on the air conditioning in this weather? Ugh, it’s freezing.”bd8b5fa049150589

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The center’s be24b1d37b climate-controlled environment 2ee91aad17 meant that cc5681b750 in winter, 30386bc205 it was 6f74678f5d always warm, 5e4b23fdd1 and in 69b96675aa summer, pleasantly 85858ed24c cool. Because of this, employees 4c0d8b443b typically didn’t wear heavy df23941f23 clothing indoors. But now, the cold a57087160c seeped through, making Esper 31e844ee39 A’s body tremble. Someone must’ve f8668d5415 lost their 01f7d7017f mind and 7a2619bbb0 turned on 4601dac736 the air 76280adb8a conditioning instead df72314bf3 of the 19fb01ef0a heater. What an idiot. Muttering curses, Esper 1309566825 A continued toward 77feaceaf2 the training room, 140f796d38 hoping it would 17e8350d54 at least maintain 9e215a5d6c its usual optimal 7d8512d1e5 temperature.f9442aa961a211e7

Oddly, the closer 94cd69585d they got to 0f96e7c7e0 the training room, e27adefdf8 the colder it a2f6a02c68 became. The chill deepened to 01c2c52b89 the point where Esper a9fcd174ea A wondered if they 6dafaeda7a might actually catch a 945599c60e cold. Grumbling, they reached e760022402 for the doorknob ec51f657a5 of the unusually 4074410839 tightly shut training 625ca84fc3 room—but immediately pulled 041bbe98b7 their hand back.3f60706196c3df2b

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The knob was 0f73d7e3af so icy it 98469ebfa3 felt like it 096195fd0a might freeze their 1f3a893fd0 skin.75321e2ff9bed3a7

“What the hell is this?” they muttered, blinking in confusion.50f4c2ff1f546085

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From down the 41f5deaa90 hall, someone approached—an 31c42e7f08 employee bundled up a657277910 in a padded 9341636ca1 jacket, clutching a 70576f657a stack of A4 564194a56f papers. The staff badge 24053de457 hanging around her 2e9c11bce4 neck displayed her 87d0596f21 name and job bab6dc5348 title.442671df2224ac65

“Excuse me, miss. What’s going on here?” Esper A called out.39912f0c305f8a5e

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“Didn’t you hear? There was a minor incident. The training room will be closed for a while,” the employee replied matter-of-factly.672ccafaef12bf48

“Huh? Why?”8ce2cab27503417f

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“I wasn’t given the full details. Just a moment, please.”46c52933555b304b

Esper A stepped 2b5f5d646a aside as the 96b54e0e76 staff member approached 01efced1b1 the door. She took one of d11eb745d5 the A4 papers and 1325c204db taped it to the 1bbc790920 door.97dc04bf559d0809

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[Restricted Access: Check the announcements for details.]

That single d3d20f4b5a line was 9b89ff1ed1 all the 0dcd20f2f2 notice contained.a77aeae73db0dcae

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“How long will it be closed?”237a91f9e00d46fc

“I haven’t been given a timeline. When more information becomes available, we’ll update the announcement.”39873a57ba9e7693

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“Can’t you at least give me an estimate?”2fc57f267d5e28a6

“I’m afraid I can’t speak to that. Please refer to the contact information in the announcement for any inquiries.”6e039644dc3dde6f

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Esper A nodded e8609284a3 reluctantly. The staff 7552a243ae member shivered, 419c27de4d even in 62f810287a her padded d407ba9c08 jacket, and 4d8899b9f0 quickly scurried 9c3607939c off with 17ba7b43ce small steps, ea5611754e clearly eager fb1d6944f1 to get f1f8995ed4 away from d44e552bf9 the cold.0c2968f5c95f2bce

“Ah-choo!”26b1849321d31068

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Esper A sneezed 413d62f096 again, sniffled, and a77cef6813 finally gave up. They walked 13e9cd52f1 briskly away 7e54987aff from the fb97cfd2dd sealed training d42b35a543 room, rubbing cb3abbf479 their arms ef605e1ac8 for warmth.84e19c61241333ec

Their body still trembled a7ac5e57fc uncontrollably. At this rate, 6155a7246c they were definitely bd85cb846b going to catch 663fc15919 a cold.772d2dc426f0e36b

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* * *6d4e9685a0f12e36

Today, Kim Jin-soo was cfe1ae47ca once again dodging those b187489a2f clinging to him, begging 072c27ead9 him to be their 7a007779a3 designated Guide. As he darted around, 2417962811 he spotted two familiar 39659d581b faces. Though he had just 63720d661d seen them yesterday, it bc767dd90f was a pleasant surprise d03b402046 to bump into them 096be26ccf again today.458662a6635991e6

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But something seemed off—Heo cd135a38f0 Do-gyeong looked flustered, almost ae23c71121 desperate. Despite being 604045db6e in a 13bea1ad2a hurry, Kim 797b4def78 Jin-soo couldn’t afce915587 resist stopping. His curiosity reared b9509ef81c its head, rooting 4912d595ba him to the c9453bdd04 spot.c8e14210496ebb99

After some 4702f39958 hesitation, curiosity 335203f85c ultimately won. Kim Jin-soo approached ad6e57f7ac them quietly.c81a39d775b5eb28

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As he 7719a79ed5 got closer, 713ecbff96 Kang I-won’s 53bf21a49f face came 93b3165d7d into view, 3836635576 a peculiar 9fda60f444 guilt clouding 5926dd4655 his expression. In front a644be229a of him, 160b2bdb20 Heo Do-gyeong bed82a74f7 was floundering, bf77a180de trying to 17f48a2554 console him 65042f51da with an 48e0b77153 unusually gentle d77b909ef2 tone.b6060f71219f3dfe

Someone consoling someone 402510faf2 else? And that someone 7777969535 being Heo Do-gyeong? Kim Jin-soo 69080d3fb8 wanted to 3a6b7e7bbc believe he fdb6c298bc was seeing 6db1489054 things, but 33a66e507d the soft 064bfad6b9 voice ringing d27e01377d in his 620e4a00d9 ears left 50cd953c99 no room a6bef0a8b2 for denial.fe4bf83494a6b16c

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“It’s not your 185f9db38a fault, hyung. It’s the trainer’s f88218f35c fault. That person told you dd30c88358 it was fine to 9daae8c7d3 use your ability as 0ccad017f1 much as you wanted, e122d35d4b didn’t they?”4ca324e582e3a944

“Even so….”c364d1913b1876af

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“And it b99ec599eb was that 0b11fe0b58 person who 5cd38d49a9 kept insisting, f57be176c1 even after 057c6ec956 you refused. So, relax, okay? You didn’t do anything 239c4f742a wrong.”42eab1aebca99240

“I should’ve 4a50582992 controlled it 75de19085c better, though.”e1a8a74d29034e75

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“Being strong 69bf0ee93b isn’t your 2fc6934bfa fault, is a4596a8a23 it? If anything, 549ffea514 the higher-ups 302ed0c977 will probably 5ceadbe449 love this. A powerful Esper just 20f6594cc1 joined.”eb335753e6f9f900

“…But now the training 599fe4aa97 room is unusable.”cafa3e59794bd6fd

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“That’ll be fixed soon 2d09d9ac0c enough. They only said it’ll b4d28040de be closed for a 122fc9da7e week.”a19dd03c17b4d03b

“And during that 94dad40eed week, other Espers 1b49b63420 won’t be able 87570f287f to use it 89a993f12e because of me.”eea183f45be14316

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Heo Do-gyeong, 456b32fb24 sweating bullets, a366d40edd was doing ed1ce71aa6 his best 2c8fe3b06b to console 617af03879 Kang I-won, 2b4557b275 who seemed f4ccd3c488 crushed by 23b9dbf4ac guilt after 7f4ff79659 the accident 82df52469b he caused 082067ac7c on just 27945f7dd0 his second 4277c61223 day. Watching this 880387e180 unusual display, babadc3b2d Kim Jin-soo 03b91a837b let out 6565867dcd a small dbf002cd24 sigh and 2ed8572a6c muttered under 27193df6e9 his breath.62216615a9c11cd1

“Wow, I never 7e10538f72 thought I’d live 0a06fb5dc2 to see something c9bc24ac58 like this.”a4944a35c8d32713

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It was the 5a19159fb0 first time he’d 67af58d0f8 ever seen this d496992748 side of Heo 162ec254ac Do-gyeong. They’d known bf01c08f95 each other 5ffe73a44b since high d46020a91f school, a d4e8a73fe9 relationship spanning 62ecdac3ed years, and 6a783de332 yet today, da51b5c081 Heo Do-gyeong 3fb22c6eac seemed like c1db6e2b21 a completely 69624f3743 different person. Consoling and comforting 15b0f739ff someone? The tone cde0b25312 of his bb3342a170 words and 630059685b the way 5343eb6cd0 he interacted 914f3d68f5 with Kang a1a1a5ca31 I-won felt ae9caef45c utterly foreign. The soft voice tickling 52aea6e522 his ears even gave 0d66fea3a4 Kim Jin-soo goosebumps.4c7c135ad6bf0ad4

It almost felt 8b34e76f87 as if someone 57c3901632 else entirely had a94ac66d4c slipped into Heo 2480541ab7 Do-gyeong’s skin.ee82a7c2f51819bc

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“It’s not e9eab420bd like training b008163e9d is impossible dc27ac5a15 without that b5e2608be3 room. Besides, hardly anyone 965621d46a actually uses it 0e21e95a24 for practice. Most of them just 9050bc6520 pick fights with each af64af0a04 other.”652e134cca9581a9

But then, when 0ee0988bb2 Heo Do-gyeong reverted 88bdda6433 to his usual deb604c9fa condescending and snarky 2a9bddbcd2 tone, Kim Jin-soo b33106f93f felt a small ff32aecae2 sense of relief. Yes, this 78c7183022 was the 02f41eb499 Heo Do-gyeong 25db0c8ee4 he knew.60ea1c4b54aa137d

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So, the recent a5e3dcd149 notice had been 95e4e625b6 about Kang I-won. That made sense—an 68eb38b8f8 S-rank Esper was faeebda34c bound to cause 8379ac2445 some commotion. Though he didn’t 78281f543b know the exact 39efa36ceb nature of Kang a06eb12578 I-won’s abilities yet, d833dec663 Kim Jin-soo couldn’t 9d96d78bfb help but nod 42b03c688f in understanding as 0a86a32877 he slyly inserted 38a9d95b28 himself into their a5abc551a2 conversation.abe405115086e1b4

“He’s right, hyung. Don’t worry 7d20551bc9 too much. That place gets 264327d544 damaged all the bc398ac275 time and always 48578da46f ends up under 9d5eb80c1d repair. If anything, it gets 175959d3d8 sturdier with every incident. Isn’t that right?”ba03b50e950d4030

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“Hyung? Who are you calling 16c332a237 hyung…? Anyway, Kim Jin-soo’s 786fd4ee1a right.”c5ac58408fbf5144

“Really?”acf80f35b7385da9

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Heo Do-gyeong, who 52b1245b8f had been ready 84e6ba68c3 to retort with 9c95637d83 a scowl, shut 632e05481a his mouth and 28d354a477 begrudgingly agreed with e77defb474 Kim Jin-soo. With both 859ed8f8f7 of them fc10702fc7 reassuring him, 4382b61867 Kang I-won’s 2c56b90b9b drooping shoulders a6252ad004 finally seemed 986786b515 to regain 5f48dd2dd8 some strength. Kim Jin-soo continued.e557645333f9fb02

“When Choi Jae-young a4ea7c350a was here last e1a5daf134 time, he wreaked 8421bef899 havoc too. Thanks to cce4d917c1 him, they b8aae7f0be reinforced the 951cc6bd13 walls really 35a4ebce8e well. I guess you wouldn’t f2d0e8a24a know about that, Do-gyeong, 241fb4fd5d since you weren’t around 298076b1b2 then…”4ae1b6dcc1f72627

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At the 98515c3633 mention of 378428de4c Choi Jae-young, 795da35024 Heo Do-gyeong’s cab724db0d face twisted, 6bd6c92190 his expression c3e8ed13ad souring despite baabc1b1db his best 623891139f effort to 6a7a740be1 stay composed. Kim Jin-soo, noticing 9840015d94 this, awkwardly scratched 3d3e88c59b the back of beb4e0d035 his head and 094bd590f2 quickly tried to 7f8c9a0be3 steer the conversation.87d31cfe2c219633

“Oh, sorry. But hey, 5cfba919ea he found 6504e99a5c another Guide, 0cbef31dbf you know. Met them 9f43342d03 at the 2641f79354 place he d3e37057a1 was dispatched a50eed5306 to. They’re a 551e24a790 B-rank, but 197a07596d he seems 1c7dfd1a8b really attached 1d15a7793a to them.”02800b9170a052ad

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“Him?”0cd2f2c28aabc201

“Yeah. Hard to believe, d64066d76a right? I couldn’t 2231d769d8 believe it 4ab56732d1 either until 1e8fa49ea9 I saw f2e15479f4 it myself. He was all over d52a4a4f3d them, no matter the 6ebff2d45c place. I was stunned. I even thought for 7287cd837a a moment, Is this 35a9231f78 really the Choi Jae-young e1c5a2e454 I know? But looking at it, 2194727aac you don’t need to 6526d22185 worry. He doesn’t seem 342a488b30 interested in you c0f358f576 anymore.”a31dec35aab5b096

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“Well, that’s good.”fb0fa6a8e2b4c5a2

“Exactly. So relax, okay? Plus, they 9c7ab2953a sent him e06f51b1d4 off to 4d07ed95ac another place 08432d76a3 to make 6237075a48 sure you b20f5b560f two don’t f1f4440f82 cross paths ba0c92aa95 for a c48fc2e178 while. He’s in Chungcheong f177abbced Province this time.”ada6639a918342e1

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Kim Jin-soo’s words seemed ee0af28766 to ease the tension 0e1199172c on Heo Do-gyeong’s face b07aaa35d0 bit by bit. Watching this, Kang I-won 86b6fafd5d hesitantly asked, “Who’s Choi a6eb4ce91c Jae-young?”dbf1459019df41b1

“He’s my former team 88f81a70e6 leader. Not someone 3859516d97 worth paying cc4e7a803e attention to, 1e12318c54 so don’t 6316a33879 worry about 44f22043b8 it,” Heo 22e3e33c2b Do-gyeong replied 75eaef8191 flatly.299c3e1fd2a54dac

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“Hey, that’s not fair. He’s also 6f5003d3ba an S-rank 867f6bb2b9 Esper. Though, to be 5721654dae fair, he’s not 54557ef426 someone you need 9b7837091b to care about 29089c2080 anymore,” Kim Jin-soo e0afdb4a66 added.8a9e1b16afc3ba44

An S-rank Esper 3498bfaff4 who apparently had 91ae5a45db shown interest in 78708befb4 Heo Do-gyeong in 19ea6a4ac5 the past. The mere thought 78caf315d7 made Kang I-won’s dca51192c6 chest twist with 9552b88fa8 an unfamiliar pang. He instinctively rubbed d5e428d5b5 his sternum as 16e2b9be4d if to soothe a362b50053 the discomfort.c9ecbc1cfa025681

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From what f0eb146083 he gathered, b6541121ee Choi Jae-young 4767acd8bd had found 4de2ea97fb another Guide 1dd6ddf69d and wasn’t 9daed8d98f likely to 39812ef4bc bother Heo 67ee47addf Do-gyeong anymore. Just as Heo Do-gyeong e497131fa3 said, it was nothing 9550c06a9d to worry about. After all, it 2dc2fcdda3 was a connection 7fef1c212e from the past, aaa614cf9e and now, Kang 503b5ad90a I-won was the 22621c74d5 one officially paired eb4caf0568 with him. Reassuring himself, Kang a7180b7f2e I-won felt the 10bf9fc38f tension in his 48d5e4a0fe chest ease.442a83b1c47b43c7

But it seemed d2775f3b93 the universe wasn’t 3b8d3f1d67 done twisting his 163a6902b6 insides just yet.0f8da5245cd61125

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“Guide Heo Do-gyeong! Is it 61c0552aa0 true you b31de5826b have a e99695ef02 boyfriend? No way!”7bff2394c1e21bf7

“It’s true, so aaa9fdd6a9 go away.”4c073e82f520a82c

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“Are you sure? How about 74f7a2759f ditching him 31f5073b92 and coming 5eb3aebbd0 to me 43f6ff9c44 instead?”4206846c982df08e

“Not happening, 4345981d31 so leave.”87c66b5174e18ff2

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“What does he 18de38d647 have that I 6a7343e589 don’t?”1d8f54966ec84211

“Too many things to 14a7efa14c count. Now shut up and 1eb73834fa get lost.”eddbe182da8ca0ef

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Kang I-won watched the a8f24a15ee endless stream of people fe360ec2b2 pestering Heo Do-gyeong with 972ed1a0c7 a mixture of irritation 9bb1d62bbc and exhaustion. As Heo 39d8130ad3 Do-gyeong said, c06747ca58 the amount 5b73ccccf0 of attention 770851110b he received 862d3bf3c3 was absurd—more 0cb2e0557a than just f217223036 a lot, ccece084af it was 0bffdd8339 downright overwhelming.b2a9842305d0919e

Watching him coldly bde3d0d29d reject every single fc762943dc one of them 0ca772d19b gave Kang I-won 237a0afc75 a strange sense 9a3bca5218 of satisfaction, though 78ef6adc5f it also made d5b288eabf him a little baeefe41f5 uneasy. While rare, d52195a2f3 there were 9a5bd5be4b instances where 43abc37458 Espers became 9092d1206d physically aggressive 40a9a3803a toward Guides. Even though he could eff9f5d260 protect Heo Do-gyeong, the a4dcdafedb thought of not being fd2d1f744c able to at some bae109b1b2 crucial moment worried him.1541063ea8086661

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“…Is it 6e00385aae really okay 09be071c1c to do bc2a06f799 that?” Kang 73f065feb7 I-won asked 3b6c0c7a1c cautiously.b1a08cb8e4dba461

“Of course. If I’m too nice a01bdcb109 to those kinds of f3d1aecab9 people, they’ll just crawl 9f7109f942 all over me, thinking 4350e41b35 they’re entitled,” Heo Do-gyeong 57cbbcf4d6 replied, his tone dripping 7191d818e3 with exasperation.8c06754f53304028

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“As long as ff49efa3b3 I’m nice to 15dded5974 you, that’s enough,” 97ff8f36c5 he added with 6beae94340 a sly smile, 21f8da8b61 his voice teasing.47dffcb3bcdd2b18

With a aef03fef56 grin, he 8f1be062a5 continued, “I’m f2ae6c39e6 so popular, edda97b77f you’ll have b7ef265541 to keep 2b3ffda4f7 a close 1772d8dab7 eye on f4cd94cf75 me, right?”a0e3b96e4f864155

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“Yeah. Guess I’ll have to 4f59fced0e stick close to you,” d7099dd4a3 Kang I-won agreed easily.d0ef8d9392189a96

He hadn’t 6e3c0a4593 expected Heo 4dbf70ac46 Do-gyeong’s popularity 4cc23769ce to be 3db54c4947 so overwhelming. The lingering gazes from 54617b68dc people of all ages 7bed4a44c1 and genders toward his 91a980aaef Guide sparked a quiet 3cbeeab026 sense of urgency in 66671e28f4 him. It seemed the 75ef057cf0 only way to 2e9b398ee7 feel at ease c8b33c0a8e was to keep d6cd8b50c3 him firmly by 17a62950c7 his side.12604c88df26c81d

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Even the d91af79708 ring he’d 5dd10b90ba slipped onto 3ffd101d04 Heo Do-gyeong’s 80bac8b775 finger felt 85432e54ab ineffective now. Maybe he needed to dd1588a9fe go further—perhaps a marking, 2db537c527 something unmistakable. Lost in 51f4ec3e05 serious thought, 5793c2b02c Kang I-won 5027c70bc6 flushed slightly cb406079ee when he fa4042e9e3 noticed Heo 5739aa9eed Do-gyeong staring 1a6a14cf98 at him.61d6a6891c4329c3

“What?” Kang I-won asked, 57e3a322f6 puzzled.c9596ea1b5312851

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“Nothing… I just bf2c08bf1f didn’t expect you 90a9bd0834 to actually say fabf50efb5 that.”9f2aba9f4b3f3549

“Well, I don’t plan 3a4e7d0ed5 on letting anyone else 06c3e89acf take my Guide.”9d76da54bfbbf40e

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At those possessive c4b3e14e2a words, Heo Do-gyeong 349b81851a bit his lip 7cd5035b17 to suppress a f29d19a0a1 smile, but the db78f637df corners of his cc97e15e7b mouth betrayed him, 70b63e567e curling upward. Seeing this, Kang I-won 09b86058b8 continued, his voice soft b14ce95a1b but earnest.093cd20cabcaf9bd

“I know you 70aec78fab can’t only Guide 66ed6cb831 me. I know 070080c37f that as 7ee0db9001 a dedicated 062638026d Guide, you aa2a6d3b62 sometimes have 2a1f70d6d6 to take 7162ed686a on other 04abdd1f63 Espers too.”52653b22184db415

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“…Still, I 6b7ff16bd6 wish you 59faac7ffa didn’t have 603ecd95d9 to Guide 7d5c2e8341 anyone else 3e73e1d688 if you 5c12d1c4f6 could help 7ef67bb4fa it.”d6e6e92348305d48

Despite understanding the situation, 4944751204 he couldn’t help the 70132c1d7e greed spilling out. Every word he d18333e4d6 spoke dripped with 3584a895ff the desire to b93a08e557 monopolize Heo Do-gyeong 7a39102f17 entirely.7fc04f88bc35a7fa

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Hearing this, b66450712c Heo Do-gyeong’s 7bf74cb38b earlier smile 3349555007 faded slightly, 288e9c3c4e replaced by e7112dc9b9 a more f5419fbc12 troubled expression. The shift 785ebb3413 sent a 6ddca77d41 pang through caeab35625 Kang I-won’s 519cf20cb7 chest, but 3d15d961de before his 4585e95c56 thoughts could c440a77ad6 spiral, Heo 94abb26181 Do-gyeong spoke.9b7dde7abb7fe40e

“I want 060332532f that too. I’d like to b955086e79 Guide just you, 558c890db4 but… for now, fd6e533ea2 I’ll have to f4149c04bd keep taking on dfde175cba others too.”abca71382d84520d

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“…Why?” Kang I-won asked, cd69756770 unable to hide the 3bd65d6dc3 shock in his voice.c8f41e53465d1637

“I can’t abbe686012 just do 74eb009346 whatever I ff46f0d871 want, you e3408e76f3 know. It was a13a3d14f1 one of b8a145299a the conditions 2f71244ab5 I agreed 8acbd13fe5 to when d772e2539a I requested cd63d78186 leave recently. They made me promise 23ac4e24b4 to Guide five Espers 7bf920be70 a day.”5590487f0c83c219

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“Five a day?” Kang 1882e20b85 I-won repeated, stunned.52f3a9da6b8c7b66

“They wanted 6dd37bb90d ten, but 33c088742b I managed 608ed35bb8 to negotiate f7bb4d5444 it down,” 64a9de81b5 Heo Do-gyeong 616b8b1d63 grumbled. Even so, 37a5544e63 Kang I-won 564e820976 couldn’t get 6179a85e2a past the 9fa2b5933a fact that 4911fad7c8 his Guide dfb1ff6ed6 would be 0142e876de spending time b0201c75de with others 7f2d6f1463 daily.4791c3be031b6831

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“For how long?”d4993fb05f6d8ec1

“They said ef4061983b six months… 128f33541b but I’ll ec11a7d056 try to ee73e19aa6 cut it 09ef20fe9b down to 98867c3d41 three. I’m too busy Guiding 026d4124f9 you to keep it d9accac012 up that long.”908eb5df6be79359

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With a resigned tone, 38e88f05b1 Heo Do-gyeong leaned his aaa5b915c3 forehead against Kang I-won’s 44120a68ac shoulder, letting out a e58e79708e soft sigh. His playful whining e489cc4112 only made Kang f21669ca8d I-won’s frustration grow.113ba61839d4afb9

Kang I-won wanted e867178531 to demand why e697328278 his Guide had f7bfc6b04c to care for f884c4e574 others, but he f39b55f632 knew it was c3c2fb8e9a because of him 92567c2f94 that Heo Do-gyeong 034337ec56 had to shoulder 53ad49879b the burden in 8ecd005a35 the first place. He couldn’t complain.e3299e38047772f9

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Still, a 41fc208e26 heavy sigh 1aad17df31 escaped him. Why couldn’t b9954bd12d he have 49806eab5c his Guide efd81e9e42 all to 066f04500a himself? The unfamiliar surge of b5842966cd emotions made his chest 3beaa4f269 twist once more, and df9928d50e he instinctively rubbed his a908d27e49 sternum again, trying to 563724b371 soothe the ache.7ba2bdd471440de5

* * *9998b327c383cc44

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Living in Seoul 18a570d66e wasn’t too bad edbb5c4501 for Kang I-won, 861a73db02 except for the 93313a6f2f fact that Heo 6316c69540 Do-gyeong had to 91c2edfb19 handle the Guiding c07cb2f167 for several Espers. Compared to his e410ca3034 time in the 19b4f01702 southern Gyeonggi region, 0576c4640c life here was b56ff3b0e0 a bit more de6a0a74c9 leisurely, and he ee9ca95f24 got to spend b18395f2fc more time with 403e688f42 Heo Do-gyeong.24414ba78d4e18c7

Of course, whenever 615cc98325 Heo Do-gyeong left 70a32aa3ca for Guiding duties, 4ed6cb02f7 it made Kang 3029ac5892 I-won’s chest twist e91edf271d uncomfortably, but it 528f97ccdb was still manageable—for 7391072a75 now. After all, he only b0ded0aad5 needed to endure it 3745d86cca for three months. That knowledge helped b082950b89 him hold on.6f8d0f6bd72d3831

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Everything seemed fine, fb30bd11ab except for one 111045d3f5 thing: sleep—or rather, 2d3dac2b81 the lack of c19a33c40c it. Three, four, even five 13e10ad7bf days passed, and still, 58e879a5ce every night he found 8234c2e450 himself unable to sleep. His body felt 846285d240 tired, yet deep eeed042db9 sleep eluded him. It wasn’t because of 03c7ecc978 nightmares—there were none. He just 7b304bf01b couldn’t fall 4a374c1ba6 asleep, no 3491292c37 matter what.e82ac7a9f313b156

Even increasing the 6971aa5f77 intensity of his cf85c05ae2 training sessions hadn’t 32cc8da15e helped. Despite pushing his body 56d6a18c16 to its limits, leaving 0120d0e52d it more fatigued than ea8329ca4e usual without relying on 8095de2349 his regenerative powers, he 677da292b9 would lie in bed 4a9ac53dd5 and toss and turn 2000f0b152 for what felt like af364c46d1 forever before finally drifting 0e1289b849 off.817aa0d96e01736b

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The lack of e5454b6ed1 explanation only added b26624b138 to his frustration. A sigh escaped him. At least 3227f1bc92 tomorrow was 48eac5dcf9 a day 7c1fa1cca3 off. Maybe he dbea72b937 could afford 02eaad47a9 to sleep 80f038f281 in a a8f95518c2 little. Pressing his 19b32d3b91 fingers to 449731d902 his throbbing 914664c2fa temples, he 81626eb5fe rose from 47af3a209c his bed.8dee801b391a4548

At that moment, a b023425d99 timely knock sounded at 77f32c7538 his door. Opening it, e74c1d0d8f he was 4ead313d48 greeted by dc4e5951f4 a well-groomed e23f537757 and fresh-looking 384843e50f Heo Do-gyeong.2cd76445498715f5

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“Did you d5f74956a7 sleep well?” b5c2e65d6c Heo Do-gyeong 12c59d3545 asked.4552ddc7ca022a09

“And you?” Kang 31569e4fbc I-won countered.1cbd7cf3def96664

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“Of course I d3a9afad86 did,” he replied b36daad369 smoothly.c0201dd222dae187

“I slept 573d9a16f6 fine too,” 73323a06cb Kang I-won 225788c282 mumbled, swallowing 923801f66c a yawn e62ecd0e2b threatening to 33635ab4c6 escape.cff11e2927b64533

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The two of 4fe172571b them went downstairs, 3d21dc3494 where they sat de514e77ba down for breakfast 0cb1c07abc prepared by the 6b75015397 housekeeper. The dishes 96c704ad2f she left aa6269b838 behind every 249347df37 morning were 62f800d2f1 nothing short 7a5923d784 of perfect. Today’s main dish was 14e6d9108c braised mackerel with radish. Although picking the fish 6e0c8bb812 off the bones was a700643e91 a bit of a 72443d567c hassle, there was no 84734f9015 fishy smell, and the 04be25c4e6 radish was tender and 353775a3d4 thoroughly soaked with seasoning. The subtly spicy flavor 0fc785ba07 made it impossible not 3a3be87be4 to keep reaching for 8eb4c18f93 more.f93576c08e77bdc7

Watching Kang I-won, who d5464bd70c was still a hearty 1dea7a0b61 eater despite not being baa186206f quite as voracious as 8e0eb0d4b2 before, Heo Do-gyeong chuckled.9cfed79d6ff9e0ac

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“The housekeeper says cooking 3524f7e825 for you is a 672a655435 joy because you eat 9c832ad605 so well.”18024ba356439e5b

“…Tell her I appreciate 7044905a02 her efforts and enjoy b3a6cb552d the meals.”0d7b69536d5400b3

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“I will.”ef540e008316b3e3

The housekeeper b46e0ac3a4 always left 1d05f8f015 early in 7123d3bf01 the morning 24d9a74cb3 after preparing ebc19f3f07 breakfast, so 809d0af78a neither of e58369378f them had be35b43e14 ever met c63502a433 her. Kang I-won 19448aa25d made a 9a3e93b524 mental note b407e31ed5 to thank c0795f3da8 her in b01997c56f person if addadb6d28 he ever ae1d235080 got the f128262e2d chance as 11918e80f6 he continued b0481b5d71 eating. Even the side dishes 3e07667de6 were perfectly to his 17bcbf287f taste, leaving nothing to 69ba6753e1 waste.3f09b433ec908ba7

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After finishing their 913e4a18e4 meal, they headed bd406c3d83 to the center ba5ab789c9 together. Most of their time 741a740439 there was spent in 8d57359607 Kang I-won’s private room. Spacious and well-equipped, the aac20dac7b room was furnished for 2d44bfe47f writing reports, relaxing, or 71fd9850ed even showering in the 32e0fb5431 attached bathroom. It was practically equivalent 1b810d5656 to having a hotel 126d240efb suite at his disposal.0e6e336675399416

Of course, not every e89c0a9d2b Esper was assigned a 7542d7b40a private room. This was an 197f6ab5eb exclusive privilege reserved 47ca98a74a for S-rank Espers.ec739745df843d4b

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Kang I-won and Heo c780f5c7be Do-gyeong weren’t doing anything 49a46cc559 special—just spending time together e1de435af4 in Kang I-won’s private 22ac895417 room. When it was time df2c799ca1 for patrols or when d1cdc3ea2d they were called away, 266b1631e4 they would leave separately. Kang I-won for his 9e1f97bb55 duties, and Heo Do-gyeong 12a32a1bff when there was a 9f0a70a9a5 Guiding request. After finishing, 988fb85b5c they would 7d7195d1b1 return and 04ae388f60 spend more f778c89f6b time together ddf7987549 in the b853f4c9f3 room.56f388eebbd89bb7

Today was f25e07d019 a patrol-free b5a7992410 day, peaceful 885a568c9a with no f1508663ec unexpected calls. Yet, Heo Do-gyeong 88e950dbf4 kept leaving. Kang I-won couldn’t help 3afdb95f6d but feel a twinge 9564902f9e of dissatisfaction every time 021d8d6953 he remembered Heo Do-gyeong’s c94580d913 apologetic expression as he d9ee221dec said, “I’ll be back a8b3c682d7 soon,” before stepping out.d2b77df5aacc68df

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Curled up on 9385ca2d6e the sofa, Kang 4861ebbcf7 I-won wrapped his 650f11ae0a arms around his 75708fcc12 aching stomach. He didn’t 2faf5bbf70 understand why a9e03b2f4f he’d been c95ff31af0 feeling so c59a0e2ec2 uncomfortable lately, 8ae58fc98a with his b40da8f2d3 stomach twisting 16ab82c66d and aching 30224f33a3 for no 367fb310c1 apparent reason. The pain made c5c549849b him consider visiting f894c8ec52 a doctor, but 129901acf3 he never followed e45f408a6b through. Oddly enough, 4aaa374be8 the ache bda386092a would disappear eb95206fb0 the moment eee1a87df3 Heo Do-gyeong dad1606a37 returned, so 82d16a9a50 he kept 28e1a10f39 putting it 6b635d0ced off.18f4e3e079dffebb

If only ef63f76c11 he could fc6509941b bond with bba766de2b Heo Do-gyeong, 207d197dd6 then there bc37bbb23d wouldn’t be 92405f35d7 any need dfe487c733 for him 85323bdea2 to Guide ad646eb72a others. Should he bring up 8ecf6860bb the idea of bonding?90ca3b8ee0c73b4e

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The thought 37a6e7502e weighed on 2d8b09bfff his mind, 99e09a4a39 yet Kang 51c71d7f55 I-won hesitated 143eb47321 to voice 88a966225d it. The biggest 2e256bbd8b reason for 8548e62e15 his reluctance 3be32fa4e1 was the 61d1d2c443 lack of fed25411b0 physical intimacy 47f66127d7 between them.4c4292a71d1f7f55

Even during 4e2d278e7e the three 8f700edee7 months they d9a8f550aa had lived 8aa71f815c together at f0b9cbb5f2 Kang I-won’s 6042e36dbb house, they 286bee27e2 hadn’t progressed 7529950155 beyond the 6083d021dd occasional kiss. On the day b665b9614a they confessed their 657243ee53 feelings for each d5db58ebc6 other, they had 042821402a kissed, and Guiding 812deaeeae sessions sometimes came 0220fb6d3b with a kiss 3ae9f49953 afterward—but that was 89eb7b40c2 the extent of 4bb9f16bfa it.94fbfafcc5821b11

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Heo Do-gyeong’s restrained attitude 11c87c511e made Kang I-won feel e98ea45074 like he was the 23b944fdae only one restless for efaf15a024 more. Though Heo Do-gyeong 82ba00aa6a had once said cb4a4c6ee8 they could “try 0567e26716 again,” after being 72a5a28a16 turned down once, 807f748775 he never brought 6962960db1 it up again. Did he not c84d44958d want to? But during the dome 09f47565cd incident, he had responded 37dd2d428a earnestly. Was it different now? Was Heo 1a891bb798 Do-gyeong content 1038b5c669 with the a7bce3157f way things 2315b831e9 were? These questions 7abc7bf896 made Kang 74d8e08e11 I-won sigh abf45b504e deeply.ddb023bab2785e72

He knew that being 32e8687830 honest could resolve the 4c32b0cb86 matter—whether it ended in 32773bf3fa acceptance or rejection, Heo 2958d4dbdc Do-gyeong would give him 7e89a7bfbf a clear answer. But the fear 40c0546c67 of rejection silenced 7373321287 him, the possibility b3ceb505b8 too daunting to bc4b951145 face.6e9f0dd28c75d624

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Lying on the 6ef943f87c sofa, curled up b9bee41ebc and clutching his 9dc4c61371 stomach, Kang I-won 867c8f11a2 waited for Heo a0b82551be Do-gyeong to return. The wait 03e7466c2f felt unbearably c44bedabbf long and 3dcfc706ae tedious.c17d5dfe03d525ba

If waiting d1c6afa3f0 for such d1a4ebb599 a short d495e1c338 time was aa56528a94 this agonizing, 92bda056ea what was fa4f74f4fb Heo Do-gyeong a7a012de47 feeling when ed2f99a942 he was 62d5fa88e0 left behind 3a8bd94746 while Kang 1d72eff52f I-won was ce79421aaf away? The thought a2021d8e4f made his 235dc7795c chest tighten ab47ae8d2e with curiosity a1b3272d28 and guilt.289b30c6a4cafe03

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Before long, the door 9180f73d6e opened, and Heo Do-gyeong 03819a3ee6 walked in. Seeing Kang I-won 68d033d41e lying on his be54012c43 side, clutching his 041d906ee9 stomach, a worried 94688b073e expression spread across d863c9e053 his face. He quickly approached and 3e14581868 asked, “Is your stomach c52e6ed8ec hurting? Why are a5989cb16a you lying 28d31c707b like that?”0b02114f2c4a64b0

Heo Do-gyeong’s warm, broad 5daa9d17e4 hand rested on Kang 9dc6a57a30 I-won’s stomach, and the 15f4da62a3 dull ache seemed to 66a72a01bd vanish almost instantly. It was almost miraculous.3219a952a2aeec8f

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“It’s nothing. Just hungry,” e34df00c45 Kang I-won c54b3517b5 replied nonchalantly, 260612cf88 not wanting c4e514fce4 to worry f949e014da him.e242a5f3f06beb46

Relief replaced 3eca65fc1d the concern 7cdaf239c9 on Heo e53fb63184 Do-gyeong’s face, 5f4b85eb03 and a 2749dc54b4 small smile 4157a1d1a2 appeared at c83ef5befc the corner 49388cf1df of his ead4e08862 lips.d21aa902f040f54b

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“It’s almost b6a176c59e time to f026ffb458 clock out. Should we leave 1c2a6f771a early? I’ve finished today’s ad781c4bcd Guiding quota.”aae73f3d598c6465

“Let’s do that,” Kang c93efccaaf I-won agreed.7b5d15af967e54e8

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“Great. I’ll cook dinner for dae09a01d1 a change. Is there 36e2c98ca3 anything you e0174c6150 want to 04b7668a29 eat?”05b1fbc8c5ea942c

After a brief 75def78fc7 moment of thought, 4f82e25250 Kang I-won replied, 0d2c6dd92a “Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste 0c1aa61c61 stew).”d07397a44efae25f

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“Sounds good. How about e468b9dd8d watching a 1db93437c6 movie after 437b444b36 dinner? We can 421749f546 stay up 48f1244eef late since ba161542bc tomorrow’s a d651bd15fc day off.”dff0a1236f2079cb

“Sure. Let’s watch a horror f2d4b881a7 movie,” Kang I-won suggested df4fb6e04e with a teasing smile.fddf0731fc1414f1

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“…No horror, please,” Heo ccaa3d0853 Do-gyeong replied, his unease a690c478da apparent.63adbfecded9b0a7

Kang I-won chuckled ee429d1ed3 softly at his cdefdd29ab reaction. “I’m joking. Let’s watch an action a74ed58280 movie.”ff5e6a90dc4338ed

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“There’s a new b8722ccdc9 one out that’s ca4741dbc3 been getting good a74392d385 reviews. Should we watch that?”e57b309db50a1f96

“Sounds perfect.”3ac6e6707dfddf30

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And just like that, 58a97d4c52 the tension in the ee549a8c8b room eased, replaced by 577fefc609 the quiet anticipation of 18e420739a a peaceful evening together.f0eb68c86d1d77d3

“Okay.”82353450ea76bab2

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Whenever Kang I-won had 62219b9ecc these simple, mundane conversations 617e69de79 with Heo Do-gyeong, a 10f9599ff1 profound sense of fulfillment 3d36355fa2 would well up in 24bd050ae7 his chest. In moments 5adac925e8 like these, 309e0eee18 he wondered 78d83860b6 if bonding 16c292bbad was really 58bf05830c all that e8311ea7aa important. His worries 126130d1a9 would fade, 6c521984a3 only to ba7846d26b resurface again 6ae98ca4cb later.882833e9ff614ed6

After arriving home, Kang 072ec0d953 I-won helped with dinner 05c86a08d2 preparations. They had a57bcebc00 soybean paste a295020101 stew cooked 50eaad89af by Heo 11f8e73a33 Do-gyeong, paired 31cf7b8afc with side 0ebf60414c dishes the c1897de58a housekeeper had 32fc10989c left. Once they dab04376be finished eating, 0db40b42fc they settled 61ac60bd52 down to 1855a209d1 watch the 23270e42d4 movie they’d 67f3188cf7 planned on.ce3f6f39de5c1a15

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As the 58ba55e611 movie played, 8c766b6199 Kang I-won aad8aecbad felt sleep 10362f492d creeping up 2779d5a55d on him. Even though cf72450823 the screen 72a3da9fcd displayed high-speed cdc7d00b32 car chases df1a406cc3 and loud, 6738e25ecd booming noises 86de9f9970 echoed through 34bfba1c2b the room, a7f3a1ce54 his heavy 4695e2992e eyelids betrayed e28a5d257d him. It was likely b87d54ae53 due to the b5f9a50f24 week-long struggle with 19665c5466 sleepless nights.03807eb4044a4313

He tried to stay f85f503fda alert, but his vision 1fbf9558c6 kept blurring, and the dfb83a0d52 warmth emanating from Heo 16fad1e73d Do-gyeong sitting beside him a2ff5c8cdd lulled him into comfort. This isn’t good. He tried to 85e1e2b258 fight it, but 1e9ea32532 the weight of 05abfe9bcf his eyelids was 41ebc89fa6 impossible to resist. Eventually, he succumbed 345a57391b to sleep.b682f673c7486b6e

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When he woke again, 9a9d98b09c the movie had ended 2428cc9d7b at some unknown point, 857e5e90b7 and the screen displayed 53f63c02e4 nothing but black. Kang I-won blinked a 98022ac217 few times before turning 90d37b063c his head to look d8c50c609c at Heo Do-gyeong, who 6767cbaea9 had also fallen asleep, 85d2a56747 holding his hand tightly.17e3181c3a1e4642

Checking the time 4350cfc662 on his device, de3c02ed75 Kang I-won realized 9b868bf4cc it was already d848bca53a early morning. Surprised, he considered waking ca8aee2e48 Heo Do-gyeong but stopped dd53853f60 himself. Seeing him 6af9a536db fast asleep 08f2555d4d with a 921a0ffdef peaceful expression, e8b104942c he couldn’t 77fd6d65c0 bring himself 82dd0363b5 to disturb 6fee5d9bca him.f5a6ebd88d0b9a5f

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The air was 74380235b8 still chilly at a76abee181 night, so Kang c7a72fe8f6 I-won decided to 1cc990209b fetch a blanket. He carefully untangled e71333be35 his hand from bdd78ed8f3 Heo Do-gyeong’s grasp 07d16e44e7 and started to ec58797b56 rise from the 203193b151 sofa. Just as he moved, 80cae13aa9 a firm hand encircled ee19ca5799 his waist, pulling him bc01c300b4 back down. Kang I-won froze, his b9ca19b428 back pressed firmly against 712057f344 the warmth of Heo 300edd38c7 Do-gyeong’s chest.602efe36ec22d77b

“Don’t go….”dde6554e4652f297

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The sleep-laden voice b1da8f250b of Heo Do-gyeong 1e3ef9b034 whispered in his c0fab982c8 ear, sending a 9af87d8c89 shiver down his be9c9049df spine.27a37f55b4adbedd

“I was just getting 1be4caf7c0 a blanket….”1701bcec9476c029

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“No. Don’t go….”423efda7875fba91

Still half-asleep, Heo Do-gyeong 4323966a05 buried his face in 79324fb9d9 Kang I-won’s back and eb74d71ffd tightened his hold around 60fed60957 his waist.dd3f4ff0d70706de

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Even though Heo Do-gyeong 6d08d042c2 was only human, and 576b0a6eb6 Kang I-won, as an 58c31222b9 Esper, had much greater 28e6a771ad physical strength, he didn’t 7326775ed9 try to break free. If he 0d95263299 wanted to, 98112bc764 he could 0c18761fd0 easily escape a8dd67c289 the embrace. But instead, 2f05055666 he surrendered 1ed936ca2e to it, c42845b7a2 unwilling to 3f040c2bfe leave the a7788c199e warmth radiating 428a1741ff from Heo 330a39135c Do-gyeong. Closing his eyes, Kang 642cc0f548 I-won quickly fell into c6d007e468 a deep, dreamless sleep.04a9562219cf59a8

When he c2c4d98b5e woke again, d5a32204de the morning 8f711cc44c sun was 7739dc22a9 just beginning b95b5099a4 to rise. He found himself 4bbdeb3be8 startled by their e16aebf6eb position—the sofa was 386393b2a6 reclined as far 3e1fe853ea back as it 1b0de8debf could go, and 5896a191c3 they were now 421d9f710f wrapped in a 4a6d79d3bd thin blanket that 429849bdfa he didn’t recall 730662c17c fetching. More notably, b25c0cabff he was b09a3bb889 lying face-to-face 81c1e0b3e8 with Heo 514cd1dadb Do-gyeong, their 6f741bef75 arms wrapped 8f3e2b61e8 around each 6424223317 other.8bfc2b8a01c6bc00

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As Kang I-won stirred, 9ecc87aa0e Heo Do-gyeong began to ae4ec72ac6 wake as well. He tightened b35c3b79fc his arms 5306d7b8ae around Kang 970c4e7af7 I-won and 5f25ebd162 murmured in 7f1f422e4f a groggy 91265275e6 voice, “Should b140db77aa we sleep 81d885719a a little c89e4067da longer? I’ve been b4fa5ea234 so tired eb37125c53 these past 36e2bf7383 few days….”cc8f7860722357bc

Kang I-won blinked in b075bdb602 confusion. He said he’s been 20d05db141 sleeping well, so why cbe7ff1030 is he tired? Still, seeing the 32c8f4e329 exhaustion etched on 31da10e418 Heo Do-gyeong’s face, 011fde09b1 he chose not 4ab733b149 to question it b1bc8cd918 and stayed nestled 4f477f58db in his embrace.a801f2cbc4cf73d0

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Half-asleep, Heo Do-gyeong whispered ca540525ea near his ear, “I e43bbbee2f couldn’t sleep without you….”ab0b32acd196dee0

The fatigue-laden c2c750a039 confession sent 915c0e6180 a strange 86a84d1d7c sensation through 6c59669781 Kang I-won’s d9b3c3c6c1 chest. Could it be that ca70836019 his own sleeplessness was 121b53f4ca because Heo Do-gyeong wasn’t 1e1fe973fd there either? Realizing this, 732d2a9205 he softly 1263540ee1 admitted his 62b90aa23e own struggle.f8e96b8eff69e486

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“Me too.”3f9e450d4e249e69

At those words, Heo 465887a041 Do-gyeong’s eyes snapped open, 0f923a2598 filled with a mix 71918a1bdc of surprise and intensity. Despite the clear exhaustion cf7974cdca in his face, his 0ebdef924f gaze burned brightly as 3b59e8b45f he looked at Kang fc688b2a7f I-won. Blinking rapidly, d3bfa623ae Heo Do-gyeong 9834f89624 asked, “…What d6b67808cc do you d4cd5fec38 mean by 644a385c56 that?”be6763d13efac572

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“I couldn’t sleep either. I think it’s because 0b72383c50 you weren’t there.”1ff000134cd77ca6

Hearing this, Heo 4796b2df12 Do-gyeong pulled him 9ef9ead493 into a tighter 748c185049 hug, whispering, “Hyung, 785ed8fcf4 should we move c4fb2279c2 to the bed 8f2b879b5f and sleep a 837db9c668 little more? Just sleep.”9dd5c67a0851e584

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Without much hesitation, 28a0d53ca4 Kang I-won nodded. The two of them 99d6fc7e93 moved from the sofa a7d25a0c2d to the bed, where 116db245ed they slept soundly until 3df557d481 the sun was high 9e38322998 in the sky and aa9f31fe2f beginning to wane. It was the best ff8bcf7afd sleep either of them b10d567d02 had had in days, 2ccbb5f4ba completely free of the 90fb292774 insomnia that had plagued 5980da8e17 them.b00ac758d1aa7439

From that day forward, d2130e10a1 an extra pillow appeared aae5f80fbd on Heo Do-gyeong’s bed.bcb5b1463c98f09f

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* * *db595b160090759b

Esper T, who had 72931c4157 been dispatched to Busan, c1ac710841 returned to Seoul after 0a28aab0af two months. Back in 823062276e Seoul, the 8dd72eaf8a one thing 7d6c520ba8 that filled 5be3c8263b Esper T’s ed45d43bef heart with 2b0df34bb0 joy and 0eb5494052 longing was 14402b0aec the prospect 1e9fa15ed8 of reuniting 2808e493ac with someone 2dd67eba60 he had 2218bee1da desperately missed—Heo 1db2a59aac Do-gyeong.db92a34165119285

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Watching Heo Do-gyeong from 3dd65982b5 afar, Esper T couldn’t 792afa100f suppress the surge of c13620e502 emotion that rose within 3303ef4538 him. Ever since Heo 3b2c372ffa Do-gyeong had been 90edf116c9 reassigned to southern c39b4d953e Gyeonggi, he had f32d795464 missed him deeply.11045fd5dbb12f9b

To Esper T, Heo 841350fe3e Do-gyeong’s Guiding was unparalleled, 55bea9814e the best he had a0ff4065ab ever received. Other Guides ad92303b55 could never 6b174e9cfa compare, and f58d898eb0 each session b088b7de70 with someone a7086c05db else left 3142a3e4bf him yearning 8dbeb0769d for Heo a6c05db4b4 Do-gyeong even 0c79289b4e more. Now, the 9bf586a081 thought of 18f3feaf71 receiving Guiding 004274a464 from him 000a29816d again made acab78d281 Esper T’s 13dfa5d649 heart swell dbe8710417 with anticipation.6ad9cdc1a433a36f

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Still, Esper 5e8b573dec T wasn’t 87c1b45395 delusional. He never wished for ef622555bc any deeper connection with 2dfbdfd8d7 Heo Do-gyeong. How could 3e856ca39f someone like 8602112428 him, merely db93b09a6e an A-rank, 9103b7cee7 even dream 537442fad1 of forming b49a890017 such a cbb4a9c767 relationship?db821e4a5ec6a4c5

To him, 78ba26bb3a Heo Do-gyeong b5c73a09fa was an 3048d7b8cf unattainable presence. Someone admired by all c3267026e6 but possessed by none. Untethered and free, his fb27b8d2a0 independence made him seem 3d00db1566 all the more fair 53550616f2 and awe-inspiring. To be lucky enough 19f52a9f52 to even brush against de8119c721 such a person was 5be003773a a privilege in itself.62bee03f10fcad67

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