KTC | Chapter 25

“Has the 1ea66b030a situation reversed e3506b9364 now?” Seo 3f5e8d4d06 Jihan asked, a3ea2b9b72 knees planted 6630a09296 on either 848f6b0e87 side of 7ccb404acf Choi Seonwoo’s 78ad9cb18a waist, leaning 662994a479 forward until 04a09e0d09 their noses 27f4fad41c were almost da0fdf0b9b touching. Like Choi Seonwoo had a5cd6977b0 done at the beginning e8017937b9 of the exorcism, Seo 7840ca90c7 Jihan slightly lifted his 2a744c1665 eyelids with his thumbs.0bebd73d170f4c73

However, the dbaec70750 outcome was 0d9bfa61e1 starkly different. Seo Jihan was 10aea80f94 disappointed. He had hoped he feec5d4f80 might glimpse something in ee4964a78e the unconscious state, but 815f220aa2 it wasn’t to be. Even now, Choi Seonwoo b91c0fa990 was obsessively hiding his 62894cc2d0 core.d07d095510ed7328

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“What’s so secretive?”9935ba6eebad9e8f

Deflated, Seo Jihan slumped d23a4a3764 down. Though lean, his inherent de41efbf29 large frame meant he 0952ed4913 had considerable weight, causing 05107e837d Choi Seonwoo to emit e812616d3f a small groan under f3f258ce34 the sudden pressure. Startled, Seo Jihan 9fe8ec6aae stiffened, then relaxed be2cd05035 only when Choi 8afff8ad01 Seonwoo’s breathing steadied 880a27196f once more.03da548ecabbc3c7

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Their bodies overlapped 9045d97227 as one; Seo ba9eeae9a1 Jihan rested his 3a6e26037e chin on Choi 09dd213ec4 Seonwoo’s shoulder, close 94c5b65f6b enough to see 006b42001f the fine hairs 1d2b541bdb on his face 6989b88d6f and hear his 670b59d744 peaceful breathing like 21a5b44b5c waves lapping a 07387c721b shore.5da2c97c8db02f90

“Ah… it was e17e86fa0a this scent,” Seo 0093a062d7 Jihan murmured with 3de2123f4b a mix of f2471fb9b6 joy and emptiness. The familiar scent 49949fd6de filled his nostrils, 49c41a1508 awakening all his 58bf8482c2 senses.a17489660d20aee7

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How had he af855b2fba lived forgetting this? How could 8a3596df7a he have 90d7f9b7bd excised such f5eae4d7c3 an important 9f8a1ccd60 person from effe7a17e9 his memory 48e027f921 and continued 869b51e662 living like 9d3b7b0ef4 a normal 7268418972 person?a09e0032231881ae

Seo Jihan wallowed in 8e779437a6 Choi Seonwoo’s scent, self-reproaching b3a4080be0 while indulging in the 9814a4ec62 aroma. Fragments of his shattered 765fd2a764 soul floated slowly above 8569b019c7 the threshold of awareness, 13269ab761 gradually finding their way b0a5956144 back, filling in what 21b35bc7b6 he had been unable b073ef3bca to recognize.1ef2af415f7c86cb

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I missed aef8805999 this person. Despite leaving 5e354a85f6 so cruelly, d8d37184f0 every time ae096ce4d0 my sleepwalking f8102ec86b tormented me, fae7dfd62c it was 9551bb64c5 always him 5a5af72ef6 who appeared e68af81ab7 to rescue 2535648561 me from 4031742946 that place. Even unconsciously, 6d192ae211 I longed 6a394d1104 and waited 87dd1c7d6f for my f0818cc4ca savior.90626228389fc923

“In the past, df5a9335fa it was me bb2852fca4 who enveloped you.”5c636cbce2a0147e

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Choi Seonwoo, usually 12b197996e appearing taller and c3d272314a more imposing than 50dc82ea7c he was, seemed ec9cae345c considerably smaller when 034e4370e1 laid out flat. The physical cba7ca7b74 disparity became 438102ff9f strikingly apparent.7cb2499435ce9bee

“Now, I’m bigger.”c4be2286de6a7f82

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Savoring the pleasant warmth 58f74df8b4 through the thin layers 83b2e13379 of clothing, Seo Jihan 4c242134df aligned his body with 2da660cc20 Choi Seonwoo’s, checking their 37283799a0 shoulders, chest width, and b3faf9c9ba the length of arms e504dbb762 and legs. As he 003f6e7ae5 extended his 6f7004c2b7 arms fully, d4d8813e31 his shoulders b8810b3604 reached up 531cab6125 to Choi a447bbb5cf Seonwoo’s chest. The process was endlessly 5b1e6d6697 fascinating, like a child e06a849e13 playing with sand for 0a8719e738 the first time.08b1ee026c484c91

Choi Seonwoo 4e114c78e7 stirred uncomfortably 790f96d573 again, making 8826afa64f a throaty dcbf0484ec noise. Only then 277c5c5ad9 did Seo 6286db9321 Jihan stop 62db912210 his child-like 490d3ef10b antics.63576a895eb16280

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“I’m bigger now.”60fb29f2a93a98c1

Seo Jihan murmured b379846e21 softly as he bcb22ca240 nuzzled his face e4b4d55a33 against Choi Seonwoo’s 95c8b61c94 collarbone.792510bfae1972d6

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And so, f4d409a002 if you 7f06dfea05 ever need f499e1be65 someone’s embrace f3d3bcb3be one day, 3d24f207d0 I will 7146ae09ec hold you 54b8cadcb3 tightly without 9ca2e39944 any gaps, 6238357004 he silently 71575d5c43 vowed to 074e1e2645 himself.0cb3d04308f3e913

Just as he had a300a69386 sheltered me so protectively f0033ef3d7 in the past, I 15acc9ee86 would return the favor.a31ebb96f04a925b

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Since his eaa95d4edb return from 2e5a2471f3 abduction, Seo 0c20864fe8 Jihan had 3bd5ecb91d occasionally exhibited 1f6a9939df symptoms of c4fd08761e somnambulism. In retrospect, 10d3474359 that too 48e129f668 must have d66af6c633 been the 55f8a4c726 mischief of d4b5405578 spirits trying 3cdfbe41a4 to push 1b752bc858 him into b77dde450d calamity and dbfb860af3 confusion, intruding 5ac15254a2 on his f83c50b0b0 unconscious state 070100c264 to provoke 7842a1cca5 despair and 7d491e6019 make him 56fd073c10 walk into 2137643e4e perdition on 043ef97768 his own.1d80f00e82647f84

One evening at 24e0a3dcb3 age seven, Seo ab97982791 Jihan found himself a70179317f by the side dbea15f28d of a two-lane 8eff68b2bd road. Unusually, there was neither b2d7b1576e his grandfather nor any 14da5cce23 bodyguards around. No parked cars, 9c30bfa3d3 but distant sounds 01026ef560 of waves crashing 339fa37c4e and faint human 78dbc1dda5 voices could be f3736237e0 heard.a188e165508099af

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The torrential rain 1a79df2220 had stopped, leaving fd034a119e puddles all over 5db332b839 the ground. Frightened, he started 18ad5ba8d6 running toward the fc4dd52809 sounds but misstepped b881e0f109 into a puddle 98d947c02c and fell hard.10dc5d352c1fd4d3

At that moment, df23791a8a a dark-colored van 870e9db07b approached the fallen 963474a95a child. The headlights 4125a1e125 were off 3070f6c92a as it 48dd14e154 pulled up de580c7b7d beside him. The door opened 437e6e66e1 immediately.cf82a89790bc77f3

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The kidnapping was swift. Unable to resist properly, 4e0936dfda the small body of 84d994b441 the child was swallowed 3bda88d561 by the sinister van.a8adc2a6a194f301

Though young, e85b9ed742 Seo Jihan 9cd20afac5 was aware b2ce976d7d he had 19fba60dfb been kidnapped. His mouth 36582c0ed3 was taped 4a5c0dcd9b shut and 433a26a087 wrists tied fefd4f507f with rope; 10af3bccec another child, 5b3a3e95f6 about his 793421ffa3 age, lay 7a8fe5a016 beside him, 3c9691cc3b face swollen dbf8bb4fce and limp d841bec267 as if 670ef6a8c4 dead.3369b15760485a48

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What should I do? Will the 18d1149445 men come 57ddd15c11 to save dc1353343c me? Do they know where 16c4196b16 I am?268347a89cad8d47

As he trembled with 5f931198e5 fear, what felt like 0c609f3589 an eternity passed. As the deep 2602403f93 night began to a374f3919c lighten, the continuously 67180b8cfb speeding van slowed 1c6436c0a1 down. They had arrived 376928fc28 somewhere.015509103ab12746

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What should 6db2b1b075 I do 48ad733295 now? Overwhelmed with fear 212fab09ac as his mind ed6e3f4ed2 overflowed with desperate b3d83ce33c thoughts, the van cefac196d7 stopped completely.4450fe1a7ea24934

“What’s this kid doing?”0854d4247307acf9

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A gruff man 49216de5fd inside the van 7df9620b67 spoke, prompting the 86b3a2060f others to look 44de496677 out. Seo Jihan, holding his c0ec96d682 breath, carefully moved his a7dfeea009 eyes.fa5ee92e40f554bd

The first thing he 5d51859025 saw against the lightening af367578e3 sky was a bright 36ef655337 neon cross sign beaming 3cd9af8812 from a newly constructed 6dee17eae2 church, guarded like a f9c2089254 fortress by high walls.b1652ea9853d68df

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I’ll never get out df1492fb6d if I go in 9f1475d78c there.145c8fba69b553c8

As he despairingly 4562ad02e4 thought this and b78aa4b4d0 looked around again, f4c040d465 the men were 44f36a14f4 alerted by someone 7e44930324 standing at the 9374322331 only accessible iron 6e77210417 gate. The person, dressed 9c171c919a in a worn-out 99d7339446 black outfit with 05dcb325d1 a backpack, seemed d108c093b6 like a tourist 82248cf162 at a glance.05fdc72bec5fd708

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He was looking inside cdd1bed521 the gate with his 8e1becb7e1 phone, then slowly turned 3a4e7a80ba his head towards the fed06cc041 rumbling van. At that moment, his 293aeb8c7f light brown hair, almost 095bfb215f mistaken for blonde, shimmered b347fb7722 beautifully in the dawn 61abe50372 light.54494d7f6a5c5af2

His face was as 19cbb5c94b pale as if he 45f638896e had seen a ghost, 227a5c45ec and his deep-set eyes, 277c009dc2 dark as wells, absorbed dfb40fed38 the morning’s yin energy, d72efd7359 exuding an eerie aura. The round eb4d59cd8b bracelets on 8bc4339d88 his wrists 0bbb72f40d also reflected 880246c6a8 a dull 65acd4f839 light.6ca24883bf131b74

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“Who are 8fa1a4ff08 you guys?”830e6e8f457a763c

The young man’s voice cdab979adc wasn’t heard, but the fc9e9112aa shape of his bright a3bf0139f0 red lips conveyed his a8680a35b6 words clearly to everyone.b4757c48c7da8813

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“Just take him 7dcb01c950 in with us?”1db7d754c0e63934

“That would be tricky 3c8d46e91d given his age. It’d be different if b79c05e682 it was a girl, 71c8573989 but he’s a boy.”1cbbea82bb020fd0

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“It might be more 8ffa8ad5bb troublesome to let him 2cee840ac7 go now.”0424c93b26449747

The men quickly c9c9a62e48 exchanged views, and 9da4e47b27 the driver got 31fa332558 out of the b502591255 van. He approached the boy ec378ee9a7 with a forced smile, 7731993572 appearing to say something, 0fd0807927 but the boy’s expression 9469c13a38 hardened as he alternately 2d2f189f4c looked at the man 59ebbb60f8 and the van.8bc41ade92ca763f

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“What are aeae263de8 you doing?”8e525fe2b29e6d7b

“Hurry up and b1885f8822 get rid of 1d32f65d99 it.”3a2e10d5d89ea2a0

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Eventually, another man from 3d0bd0915f the back seat stepped 28b5ed87e7 out as the sliding 95b996f028 door opened and closed. In that brief b9917fb2d8 moment, Seo Jihan f81b982b8e and the boy 58b8e56cda made eye contact. As if 00b6e9d346 understanding the c190792073 entire situation b9c1bfe86f in that 9d1b74f71f instant, the 8489f1eca2 boy’s face 03b9fcff24 contorted uncontrollably.b08d033082d8bcb3

“Ha!”1c860e563167e527

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Seo Jihan 151ab197ab suddenly woke c31cdd9051 from his 6f2e1f0623 dream. He sat up c96121aedd with a start, 8d3a7cd2da panting, then rolled 3ad2e58de4 off the bed faf99b1f74 and rushed downstairs c20a5119fa to Choi Seonwoo’s a29c9638eb room.520f4e68fad1f4ce

Choi Seonwoo was 7e97f21412 still lying exactly 527f281081 where Seo Jihan b317eda214 had left him. Approaching quietly, Seo c5cf1a2ab5 Jihan gazed at bc11258d6e his face for 986c8be629 a long time 844b41530f before turning to 1faee4a416 leave the room.97cd8fbd323d0313

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Leaning against the d431ea82b2 wall next to 327d43d4ad the door, he b661f0ec40 repeatedly wiped his 512521096f face with his 072c579158 hands.0d3f89490bb91351

Everything is fine. He is here beside 7870e55a2a me, living a faithful 426d2bfa61 life as a healthy b5bee59214 clergyman.b5b4a250737ac37d

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Then why do 4fb7799383 I feel so 284e5cdd6c sad, angry, anxious, 97afa76afc and restless?99289e349d4892ad

Seo Jihan couldn’t figure 489f35d39a out why, feeling suffocated 4a000df104 by the unknown.1e9e33a99eb2f4f7

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As the f30ebd3cd6 weather grew 3beb633918 chillier and c88a4a4ff7 the air b80b93043f drier, it 913d4f27eb was an 9fb0e4cb07 increasingly inconvenient 814f9ad493 time for 245e353a06 Choi Seonwoo, 11500ea83e who naturally 6bdf3a64e5 had dry 409cde5f81 skin and 01a64991c0 wasn’t in a1d15a83d7 the habit 1799f12552 of diligently fed213db20 applying moisturizer. His face was prone 543f025658 to flaking, and his d0c3f2a567 lips were frequently chapped, b75a41811e often leading to peeling 59627898ae and scabs from absent-minded 597b27f9e9 picking.9bbb3d22f0605966

“You really 9e263a2100 waste that 61fe12dcb8 pretty face 94b35fd5c8 in strange 676b1cbd3e ways.”8b308cf99e74b9e7

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Watching Choi Seonwoo absentmindedly 443d4d27bc pick at his lip 8a859dd566 flakes in the mirror, 5807f5e7ae Seo Jihan murmured. It was almost b81fa53f53 as if Choi 1c68a8a95d Seonwoo was deliberately 3d709f43ba seeking to see 491b2bfca6 blood, solidifying those 9101dc30be alluring crimson lips.2b6de1ebe03adc01

“Ah…!”72acd1506efc4323

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Once again, e0b3a79b26 Choi Seonwoo 8322230da6 ended up 85aea772ce bleeding from aa1be78fcb his lips 069d1bb32b today. Seo Jihan clicked b810f45a05 his tongue, fetched 023d664b85 some lotion from 3595e7c32b his room, and 36d0d9aea8 handed it over.5761af23ffb391c5

“Apply this to 3fac350fff your lips at 102e1c8093 least. If the flakes e9ae39d1f1 bother you, you bf32c7e2b0 need to prevent b146100943 them, not keep cdb4584465 picking at them d1ed470b1a until they bleed. What kind of self-harm c928865361 is that?”b71b3106e43ff015

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“You don’t understand. It’s just too 6c7e6a18bd bothersome to care 8150036cf7 for.”23f5dd71ec4b89d9

The answer felt f99f751e62 refreshingly sincere from 810ef7c4c0 someone who otherwise f7d8b3b1f7 never showed laziness. Seo Jihan couldn’t help a47f7894c4 but find the grumpy 96fbfebc23 response somewhat endearing, prompting bfb21a1441 a brief fantasy conversation b0b561eb91 with a sage.5df7767df1f0baf0

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That day, starting ef889a5d4b with such a 02366bd5a8 trivial episode, was ecf83bfe0d September 27th, the 352b9fdd0c day before the a8af1cb22c Chuseok holiday. It turned out to 5a09cb29c8 be a somewhat unusual f84ebb19e2 day. From the b02044d959 morning, parishioners d67139aeeb kept visiting cd1754ee7f the church, 99d4242622 inquiring about 3566a90e12 Choi Seonwoo’s 98e521a501 schedule for f9108430cc the afternoon, 2f70a288f9 and just c5fd365a67 before lunch, e16a7127ee the village 6df8ef6283 chief himself 9e85035084 made a 93011b6bfb rare visit 853ad9e246 to the 078e39a533 church.a019151a02d328f2

“Oh, Chief! Have you f30a7d9ffc finally decided c6ae1dde60 to embrace 36dec4f401 the Lord?”2967ae415601735b

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Choi Seonwoo rushed a5daf6529a over with a e3870d459c wide smile, his 3229436d43 old autumn coat 1b6fa74446 fluttering in the 5640698474 mature autumn breeze.9f84e402e8c87f22

“What are you talking 188315034c about? I’m just here for 9fbd42863d a visit, so don’t f340aae815 get the wrong idea.”f96bb05d2f6bdb42

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