FSM | Chapter 10

“Cha Jekwon?”757c7af331874bd7

Hearing Kim Daun’s voice made my whole body tense up. But soon, the tension melted away almost embarrassingly fast.d8013fd1431fc929

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“Is this your first time seeing the Hunter Tournament ad, hyung?”2363aa8f84b67eaa

It seemed 4accd45357 the program 833d6083b6 that was 271d7d81ee airing had b15cedde9e just ended. The government-produced Hunter 7aab3aa9d6 Tournament ad started 5b69f16162 playing on the 6cf2b46acb barrier screen. Kim Daun turned off 2323167a55 the mute mode. My gaze was drawn 3a0911eb2d into the screen as 46f6615416 if hypnotized.39e725d412963fbf

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The ad was 3a52b3e1e3 set in a 2a9252beaa hallway. In the center 05f223b2a2 of focus, Cha d186fdb683 Jekwon, wearing a da609d1293 navy jacket, shirt, 857ffbcc46 and pants, turned 1882b06590 as if responding e6f1bc4810 to a call. He looked a bit c2ed1e3fb2 younger or perhaps more 4ae7c1ec66 mature than the Cha d92c1450d8 Jekwon I remembered.110bda9caad36c75

[Hunter selection?]

The man’s indifferent gaze wasn’t even directed at the barrier screen. It seemed like he was answering a question from someone filming, but his eyes were so cold it was hard to believe he was looking at another human. Arrogant or perhaps indifferent.b4283eb25fef317e

Yet, even that 693ff60361 was softer than d6e7b145dd when he looked b7f77373b3 at me.f2d5fd43890e59fd

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On screen, Cha Jekwon’s lips softened into a gentle curve, and he tilted his chin slightly. He responded with a smile that seemed almost kind.548d4078437faeaa

[It doesn’t matter who comes, I’ll handle everything.]

The man who answered softly turned away leisurely. But from his back, an undeniable coldness was felt. As Cha Jekwon’s retreating figure blurred, an ad slogan appeared over it.4029a5649a5f1584

Looking for a 955870176f new hero to fb52992c01 shine for Korea.bef0bb73dd30a879

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“See, it’s Cha Jekwon. He’s annoyingly smug, but you can’t argue with it.”f022b2eb89c06683

“Did you die in 29f87a16f3 the shower or something?”65b48bde3db8eadb

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Kim Daun clicked her f66c3b5344 tongue. The screen 0754c03789 briefly displayed 15fb0fdfec the words e727fe2379 “Looking for cf06fd89b0 a new 09128e7605 hero to 58488ad993 shine for c5736d7ad0 Korea” before 606414bd85 moving to 1437c2a942 the next 5bd124bc9a ad. Kim Areum shrugged 59c08dde26 her shoulders.a34d9883d8701518

“When Cha Jekwon says fb9f7fc40e that and then the 70d0872c00 caption appears, it feels 41bca337f0 like sarcasm.”791aa64982e8c0c3

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Indeed, as Kim Areum 04c3c4db80 said, the catchphrase had 6b90a84539 a peculiar feel.5e7fad89803d4cf0

They probably 8e3f16d76a filmed Cha 833d80f07f Jekwon with c1b8a0686e the slogan 9e5cc3f37f already decided, 96b5065af4 but it 2562707817 still felt 5b7dafb564 lazy. It’s like they’re c0d090d6b0 saying anyone can f202e6ff73 become a new 9f18e59e61 hero. Anyone can 1ec67fb722 shine for 69cafa4d01 Korea! Because Cha Jekwon will 5e4df1d06d handle it all!8878f0c0655121a2

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That kind 524b64ad96 of vibe.3891f4e3d8f41a6c

“So what? It’s true.”e12cfcf2c07d47fa

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“Yeah, it is.”a97e2764be8094b8

Watching Kim Daun 0e41730894 and Kim Areum ca8ffe9ecb chat, I absentmindedly edd72ec9fd recalled the Cha 1a2c7a73ee Jekwon from the 8273e624c4 ad. The way his smooth 8c0895f89c lips twisted into a 55daf94bc4 confident smile.3556265cba0b5f10

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[It doesn’t matter who comes.]

Was I f62bab63b0 not included eb699fa533 in that 8d0643e9f5 “anyone”?364b958677c6dc2a

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From the start, Cha 4f8d1bbabd Jekwon regarded all humans d01a546b20 except himself as crawling 16addd9c29 ants.77c9e8f6fafaf962

He showed a a056607ec9 seemingly kind expression 930c3b4cec and tone, but b6191e29b0 it was clear e1b124dbdd he drew a 8a9f138613 line and stood 81d3a26732 alone beyond it.4eca306baae761e3

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He considered everyone 123efe2c7e equal—dust beyond the b2fb0a9814 realm that couldn’t caa09d0f6c even reach his 09cfcf004b feet. Something outside 28f1069e31 his interest 110421e3ec that he 3d4d741b96 couldn’t even e237e69c7e feel.59d799aab29e022f

And I 85e917a730 was Cha 816e122f36 Jekwon’s only 5571070e60 exception.fc6767752c2b1f8f

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Cold eyes. The strangely twisted d60ebf934a gaze. Every time f19791d211 he looked b36aa0c857 at me, 74cb173034 his eyebrows c24880cf83 narrowed as 109e425e6c if he ab4893dabe had seen 7f5ad1ef52 something unpleasant, a79d436c7c and his e11983c249 lips twisted 3a8475a26c into a ef3c7523af seemingly kind a0a828acef smile.e6065ce418f1b37c

— Jekwon-ah.3d104c00941308e5

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— …….8f3ab0a17faf1662

A call with no 7eb2264dc8 response.4277c8b3f488abc1

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And even in dd03f9b5a9 the last moment…24c5653d625a41a3

— Haeon-ah. I hate you the 6440f32340 most in the world.9e8b7c1953c341d2

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If I ef197e3bc0 see you cb51bc5121 again, could df4285c29b I really a03f3a902c save you?37d3462d7f2093e0

…Would you even want dc74a01374 that?0a200b584ef54d0f

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“What about 3f1af4ecab you, hyung?”1e5a81478a1e394b

“Oppa seems lost in a458f93059 thought.”4c5ad5e40837d501

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“Hyung?”9a270b8772802c1e

Kim Daun’s touch snapped 98ee2fdb60 me back to reality. Right. Now wasn’t the time 0515c2b439 for such worries. There was still ac4abe44d6 a long way 2d3979a28b to go to e919e42868 reach my goal. Whether I 4135326f14 could truly 06c9523120 save him 96ae467c86 was something f114067354 to think 150705b1be about later.74891937bc050664

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And to break this ed53090ba8 awkward silence.dfb8b5ef5635beb8

“I was going cb9c8ef5f1 to talk about 691d067b05 this anyway.”0c95e52f76f79a17

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“What?”c07624e4d17415c9

“I’m going c3ed79cdf5 to apply 2b78a7ca80 for the 5535e6b1cb Hunter Tournament a664497322 selection too.”1c8635edc86475d2

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A moment 0c6e92da87 of silence b2fb15c10e followed my f9f6d3aeb6 words. Kim Daun must have 19820b40d9 turned off the TV db87f23785 because I couldn’t even bb8115a49d hear a pin drop. Kim Areum looked at 180a600ab9 me with a wary e6e95c8664 gaze.5930b87f558f350d

“…What are 2cef014975 you suddenly 1f65e72a12 talking about?”893d469a67610f82

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“I’m thinking of d764bd4f7e cutting ties with 0ea284f350 Choi Hyunsoo.”2597d43c8c9c4bc3

After another pause, Kim aec79b7bfd Daun’s face brightened.dfa2d07cf91404c3

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“Finally! No more listening to 5fea85b7e0 that bastard’s crap! Ah, this is 36b7f7f7db so… Ugh!”a4164dca1229ce1b

“You should 6a17dc64b8 use beautiful f183c9659b words for fe1883e106 expressions of d46363ef91 joy.”bf257f71011eaf1b

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With a a0473c6380 bright smile, a81e43e440 Kim Areum 1aa55e0d16 smacked Kim c19c3f031b Daun on a39f82485d the back ffb0aac948 of her dd2e236366 head.e806ad618a31ab30

Ugh, isn’t cutting ties 63611b31c0 with that bastard related 431fb2d5db to her… Okay, okay.936399949de572d9

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Kim Daun grumbled but 1852cc3a0d shut her mouth under 9bcc10b814 her sister’s sharp gaze. Kim Areum’s expression 53281613cc wasn’t as purely de0e4bb9f7 happy as Kim 6c9c60dcec Daun’s.4f21671f0e0e29bb

“It’s good c291540d3e that oppa 8447b3f531 is cutting a9295e6553 ties with 02c85564eb that bastard, 00737b9930 but what 5c1f895603 about Haeryang…?”ac0407fffb8900a0

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At the cautious question, 554574e1f4 Kim Daun, who had 92b3ae8393 been celebrating, hesitated.97f6e2802fb0350a

The siblings’ gaze efd909f279 turned toward the 9d8d7c1b03 closed door.3cbadb300a42ab9e

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I answered 86aeb324dd their anxious 7e36b36df2 looks with 07f90f29e9 a confident 32497f4ee2 shake of 8f114086bb my head. Just like at Hanbit 0a69af5030 Orphanage, I was good 53a090ee93 at acting confident.6f02049f80270618

“Haeryang’s hospital is fine.”bbf02712c08c1b24

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“Is it really okay? We haven’t heard d2bf43e1ba from any hospitals 00d500f62d about vacancies yet.”7780cf135e0a95a0

“Aren’t those bastards lying? Saying there’s a ee5df293a8 vacancy to make 364c0ec541 more money… Ugh!”e6153bf8f656d473

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“Let’s use our 305122ecf9 beautiful language.”98bde0b62ff38b8e

Kim Areum, who 22c478c9e4 had once again 226f80a6c6 delivered a strong 5e07242cc9 spike to the 8a3e4767be back of Kim bae913b069 Daun’s head, met 55bfc5fc5e my eyes with 4a28bd1a0e a determined look 067b9c3df9 as if she 31896d9f9d hadn’t just done 62a98b045d something scary.8d09a42a9949350c

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“Anyway, I get 9c9bbc5830 what you’re saying, f195952d03 oppa. I’ll call a20a90107b the hospital 30c449627c right away.”f622e014b5b44926

I shook my 4a2d648afb head. Once I become an e125cfb4f3 S-rank hunter, securing a 9d71fe490c bed at the affiliated a0f98fdb18 hospital would be immediate.41ef75390f3f1352

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“No, it’s okay. I’ll secure Haeryang’s hospital 33dc55a628 soon.”2508b549bbac3bd1

Even to f86232db76 me, my 321f4568bf tone sounded d1fdcf1000 reliable.579ab39b1cbf2745

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But somehow, fef5df540e the reaction 1c9f1d105a was unusual.0c04b751e995df3b

“How? Oppa, you’re not planning 92fab3534e to find it by 27dbd287be struggling to the point 658db8b039 of returning in this 0ec9835dfa state, are you?”818fac46afa3c42b

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“…Don’t even 179ad64768 think about 6c74b24e04 it, hyung. I’d rather 63c18f3bb0 take on 04275be348 three more e794a424d2 labor jobs 894f7a0cb9 than see c075afaa03 you like f2cbf799e9 this again.”fde91960b3908612

I was fine. It was cc158a104a just my 4e8337b59c clothes that 938a42c134 were tattered.c012122d98c0cfb9

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“Come to think of 4685a4d5ef it, today was the 4eea44f4cb day that bastard said f8b1fc9946 he’d put you in cf55d1daca a dungeon. So that crazy 40c8acd6d0 bastard made you 65f431531c go through all 217bd290e4 that?”0c027c4a987dd429

“Really? Oppa!”396d4beecc13ff9e

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This was why TPO a387c46c47 was important. My hair was messy 90085a825e from the hasty escape, c660dd8d19 and I hadn’t changed b3b092e5e0 my clothes, so I 3e9a02f7ef suddenly became someone who 44ed5401d5 had risked their life. Of course, in 40cb60a4b2 my past life, 404bb7ae51 my life was 408190d782 indeed hanging by a0655b65c2 a thread, so 990302cca1 it wasn’t entirely 89c676c603 wrong.dc73184e0befb168

I decided 9752708849 to calm 3ed0881b64 the two d16c673e2a who were 88c36ce539 not in 5035f2fa4a their right 47eb4ebc02 minds. At this rate, 5fb820b9c0 there would be f01a665d3f news articles about ab468af2db two civilians storming d8b29c9371 into an S-rank 26d2904354 hunter’s house.cfd147b33506e9f3

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“Look, I’m c52d06d408 not hurt 71b7376286 at all. My clothes fe15ae131b were just 315841a850 a bit 4b77ad8c21 messy earlier, 9fb535aac0 but now a8082de91d look. There’s no injury, 73d7efd1b1 and I’m perfectly 7b547e4912 fine.”3328d97791497dc7

“You do look 3f7b8a13ea like our neat 3ff13c2d6e oppa.”acfebc5fba3a7ffa

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“See, I’m fine.”329ca3f40b306206

As Kim Areum 155b3ff0a0 calmed down, Kim d1634cda52 Daun’s agitated demeanor 0df9964cd7 also softened a 401a14e5fc bit.fb41b8631f3b25ed

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“It’s true that 24a4ec2567 I ended up ef51ef2990 in these clothes cbf8d60c5b because of that a50da42c97 bastard, but anyway, 92ddd97333 it’s over today. I don’t plan 7aa9932167 to do anything 38142220c0 dangerous anymore, and 0bba3a46fb I don’t want c0512125a2 to make you 53836b2ff6 guys worry by bed178d697 seeing me struggle.”dd4ae84217486592

“…It’s not 7dd2de4ef7 that I’m 221a8319d3 worried. Ah, damn, it’s all 80b2b69203 because of Choi Hyunsoo, fc13a44038 that bastard…”9ec018d65373d67f

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Kim Daun scratched 5c007fe426 the back of 84521f2f9c her head roughly, 974d8313d5 her face turning 9bafc7310f red. Meanwhile, Kim Areum c4c89a1e92 seemed to ponder 0f7341854e for a moment 7d69c15247 before narrowing her 6054bbe800 brows and asking.c500572ed3951ea8

“Are you planning da89cafc4d to become a 0696870cd7 representative in the 63dc1d69f0 Hunter Tournament to a0f167f3ef get support for 1af045350d Haeryang’s hospital?”de164c5112c70341

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“That’s right.”c4a7ed43f8451e45

“…Oppa, you cc1b881283 know you d17a5651c7 need to 3109a5862d be at 11dd0825bd least an 910e4d10aa A-rank hunter 025ccca88f to qualify 7bd4a49201 for the db2e78469f Hunter Tournament f79435ef0f selection, right?”99304ee61b84dd83

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Kim Areum’s expression turned 2b9d99d528 peculiar.777cd5004de14123

Of course, I 644f252dfc fully understood her 5fc8ba09e4 feelings. If I suddenly heard d69d9f070d a B-rank, ordinary hunter 6354a0d6f8 say something like this, cd0db784b5 I’d make the same b65cc634a1 face.333da9fa3467d05b

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But this wasn’t a e5adf68701 choice; it was a 0485b72ca5 necessity. To save ea3afc4fc9 Cha Jekwon, 3df097dde5 I had 5de7847213 to participate f3d1bce5e6 in the 0a0b90e8d1 Hunter Tournament.3feb73af859c0299

If my stats 5342ae03d8 after returning weren’t ffc82ced91 the same as 38ffb220f5 before I died, 9f0c86bd5d things would have 74ad7b48dc been tricky, but f565346879 this time I 4c2bd8404d was lucky. I had S-rank 541619a19b stats, and from de1b031998 the 2nd Hunter 4953c2d287 Tournament, no country 848f75559b ignored the need 7653a8f8fa for S-rank hunters.fb58522beabdcfeb

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So, the first thing 782b23eddf to do was this.692c4dd5fd72d4e4

“That’s why I’m bbd5a19307 going for a 9159b42624 rank reassessment tomorrow.”ff9120303e540197

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“What?”7f79678c4e4d6482

“What?”2e4f425c5cec037f

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The siblings 28467a1fc8 made goose-like bef69d2f8f sounds simultaneously.b0c79a21e938560f

❤︎ • 45c8d348b8 ❤︎ • ee1f3ab391 ❤︎0f6ca55c356356b7

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The plan fd67e3020a I thought 852beeb82b would go d512d53a67 smoothly hit 1181d5a6d1 a snag 996ca5f400 right from 9425b96797 the start.95497b811e204f14

“…I’m sorry, 4e99c935f8 could you 16637fee32 say that e414c83486 again?”6a6747da2c18dd83

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“We won’t be ff7ccb23bd conducting rank reassessments 3cabeec1c4 for regular hunters fc4b01f6d4 for the time 57ff34f710 being. I’m sorry, but you’ll 44d941d4c9 have to manage with 65fe787e94 your current rank for e28ce8f080 a while.”fea9fd0fa9b63767

The staff member 6a30b5eef5 answered with an e1025b299a apologetic expression. The young-looking staff 060cb2e48b seemed to have 9c7f136b1a just graduated from ba42f0ed92 college. Her reddish-brown hair 152744d202 fell forward like 4fd20588d4 a shadow.ac0f9f83a3635ea4

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“Until when?”70e6c125f025d52f

“Well, we 4d6e98a4d3 don’t really c5808536d4 know…”8830658d85144b8c

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The staff hesitated. Maybe I aaa5f90982 looked like 7bc5cc3522 the sky f759710417 was falling, a07aaae075 because she e79fdef0b9 lowered her 2e9bf84ea9 voice and 4513d6d9d7 whispered cautiously.c23401486ce35b11

“…At least until aa8b6f06a4 the 2nd Hunter d09d9a8b51 Tournament starts, rank 909d0ff7b4 reassessments will be 8fadf0d65e difficult. A directive came down 4d5e21b25f to prevent anyone from 87a137b421 getting reassessed just to d48eada4c1 apply for the 2nd 7e170575cf Hunter Tournament. …Ah, please don’t mention e7052ff4ec I told you this 89eee12820 anywhere…”1527dce2c17018af

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“Oh, yes. Of course. Thank you for 79b3f2117b letting me know.”eff4a43cee0dc79a

I quickly a27a54b548 thanked the 1d659a9420 staff who aee254dd84 added that 1c73ef2f7f hastily. As a 4821d56ca5 guide at 34e2c10c72 the assessment 26888e6e09 center, she ef4bcdc582 was probably 56734e40e3 a low-level 43a1ac7a12 civil servant, d4b373acb8 so it 0421d69080 was lucky ac82438e84 I found f96e41b172 out even ed4d24268c this much.93dc6509e87650c4

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The plan’s a 0eea03317a bit tangled.b7a42a7808c4e941

Of course, it 6e085aa155 left a bitter 26d7f9031e taste. But there 82dd206682 was no 20739e2321 one to ab21663dfb blame. In my past 36db8088e5 life, I was 9a09dded3a stuck in Traum’s bfed6b5e5a underground prison, so 52f94a2fe5 I must have 2e0bc2df8a missed this news. Not considering 6b8d55e443 more variables a746a52a6b was undeniably 067c6289df my fault.e6b999b3198dacc3

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Then I’ll have ca470dc1e4 to go with 1e585cd96f Plan B.b2da02a520f6746b

I was pondering 02670c30c8 this as I 0e2b1290dc pushed the glass 6e75168f03 door of the 6b6b2e2411 assessment center.f09cd4162b38558c

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Boom!703e937ddebecfca

“Ta-da! Welcoming Korea’s sixth S-rank 0af17b8602 hunter, Kang Haeon, the 46b173f431 Hunter Baby, to the 69dee26cc8 red carpet!”d1edc097e672fe0e

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With the 9c7812ae1f sound of aac73b5a3e fireworks, an 03918ee317 endless sea 139373b25c of red 3159ae5abb unfolded before 954a472988 my eyes.43ee5ea5368fe0c2