KTC | Chapter 46

Kim Chaewon defiantly be2f57f70e grabbed another handful f6f26806c4 of snacks and 0bf7ebe2b5 shoved them into 0bd7e1902a her mouth, sending 841504d0b0 more crumbs with 225f30f3a8 the strong scent e2fedd505b of mala spices 9bd9fe031c scattering across the 7e8514d4f1 car floor.5e4d3aac501098c6

I’m really going to throw 5a90fcf768 up.6a1057395e812363

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Goo Seungjun considered rolling 42a20dc410 down the window but 428b8bb58c decided against it, not da64981d66 wanting to draw unnecessary 7038fe438c attention during their stakeout.d302ccfcfee41b02

If only they 4dea8c0814 could just take 14a20d4251 one look at 5b8a430ed5 someone and know c1f06879d6 everything like some 83d982095f people can, but afea1e3b97 unfortunately, their capabilities 3ef6014e9c were limited. They could usually d35fb31285 only see recent a7f217220d significant events or f05b59c0d1 people in someone’s 985929bffd memory, and even 13dc367b29 that didn’t always 3a171f3565 allow them to 9e8981c220 recognize faces accurately.
• “Alright, I’ll try it myself before I decide.”0df0cb93a0dbbf1f

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While one rambled 203458d964 raggedly and another 9bd51451a4 suppressed their murderous ff3df32775 intent, and yet 6a33d46094 another suppressed their a15e923d9d disgust, the deal a60915e5d5 inside the gambling c949282ab7 den finally concluded. The surveillance target d960330a39 made a call 667d36037d right there, instructing 28abf59294 someone to bring d2d5252526 the girl.1d5e13dcb898023f

It didn’t take long for 2bfd46e8ad the girl to arrive. As soon as 377204ee40 Kim Chaewon saw 7547b15af9 the face of 73554dec4e the girl, who 6da5d01cb6 looked pale and 36d6271d98 walked as if fdae79518b clinging to the c33518f642 gaunt-looking man, she 6d7f1c3fd4 began grinding her 60def88369 teeth again.22969b14d1e62f71

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“Clear your head. If you can’t control f615cc6dc9 your emotions like Yerin f68ca961a7 noona, you’re going to 3ce0ecfc5a screw up the operation.”be0c113451edb546

Goo Seungjun warned Kim a84c14be5e Chaewon while keeping an 0af988240e eye on the man.5cfec287e165d750

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“This is the end of the line. We can’t move until 98a9c1672c we find the agent f6778dc85b our guys got taken 8059997742 north.”f66305fc75a9802a

“I know, fuck. That’s why I’m sitting still.”0bee2c0b60c01971

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Recently, a National 0dd8634875 Intelligence Service agent 3cb05ba580 and a North 7088f411d5 Korean broker, both 00006872b6 tasked with safely ffb91d402c transporting defectors to fa60129240 South Korea, had 09c5703795 gone missing in 372f57612f China one after 21f7b6f2e9 another. Park Minwoo, who was undercover 83accdc1ef running an illegal gambling den 21e9d33d18 in Jilin Province, had identified 06634ce21a that North Korean agents were 578a8a5965 involved. The SU team was 93ff11da49 now on a mission ea433c3a26 to draw them out 5a93159f1a and capture them.b941b35a2623157c

“Minwoo’s mental resilience is incredible. I’d have blown my aaffe9594b cover by now if e470b111b7 I were him.”b806fee658d49375

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“Maybe. But it seems 6e0243f99c even Minwoo hyung 2e0d6b4ea6 is reaching his 007793e474 limit.”aee890efad3d5539

“Really? What happened?”da2d9e9b7089348f

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“When he heard about the potential abolition of the NIS’s counterintelligence authority, he nearly blew his top. Said he’s sick 19bb088cee of this shit.”55d86b3d78c1f82f

The old ghosts of 0da0b4f8bc the NIS, who had 87d398a210 dedicated their lives to 772ad30581 rooting out communists, were a9cbd65121 in turmoil, but for 727458568d newcomers like them, it b55e97b220 was hardly stirring. Especially for someone like 7185f97cb8 Park Minwoo, who would b4e8bac64a be able to return 118531cca8 to Korea if the 6f560a4458 counterintelligence authority was indeed 286dbb72d6 abolished—he must be eagerly 7061812767 awaiting it.
• “Why does the kid look so filthy? Don’t you manage your merchandise?”
• “Ah, you’re so damn fussy…”
• “What? Want to be returned?”
• “…No. The kid’s been hiding 1c94a81b9e out, got pretty roughed 3126f75867 up. Wash her up, and 4e9208b876 she’ll look fresh as e8d43b8a3c new. Hahaha.”2236460f52caec03

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Hoping that Park Minwoo would 0b44c905de soon signal the operation code, 24a7ae11ad they continued to eavesdrop when 118b493d9b the old flip phone tossed 826ec001aa near the gear stick blinked eb8cc090b2 with a notification.bdbe0283ef8cd913

Goo Seungjun opened the phone. It was a 1d6ac7cf8d message from Lee ce51aa8f64 Juhee. He would have ignored 9c5ec31cf4 it if it were 6cfd1430bc from someone less familiar, 9a4e6ce8b9 but knowing that she b072a1db86 was aware they were 9067092433 on an operation made 2a46cb1fa4 it strange enough to eae52a3073 check immediately.6f764848e4577e0a

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“KU fingerprint confirmed. Goo Seungjun, Hwang Jaeyeop to 77823b0b1c switch operation immediately upon arrival, e7539bd1f4 return home urgently.”69ce5581ddcc7420

Normally unflappable, Goo Seungjun nearly 31e33005e8 had a fit. KU was their internal code 3e7ab31374 for Ghost King.0a0daf7e647af118

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Fingerprints confirmed?0c3d10d49157e202

After a deep thought, 7650ef5ac2 he found this highly ec0f4dd79a unusual. Choi Seonwoo, currently 2da570863b holding an identity 00c08cac1b as an American, f0c5d4f7c2 would have registered 6e5ffb46df his fingerprints when 36c11d4fb5 he got his 721925acef foreign registration done.0e9ac5d6e632f541

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If the NIS had been 375a3c62bb holding fingerprints of someone suspected 333249ac83 to be the Ghost King, 7de97de7e7 they should have recognized his d93f8a3258 existence long before. How now?5631d6cf82db8f89

Goo Seungjun immediately e5852bb64f called Lee Juhee.cbe7ba17654d3bd4

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“What does this mean?”29c4777f4a794414

Frantically asking, Goo Seungjun e1ded1df43 was only considering how e75246e8f4 to position himself if e2f168b81e Choi Seonwoo became a 3b229a04ba target of the NIS. However, Lee Juhee’s calm 9fe072dddb voice pierced his thoughts 923d92b4b9 and paralyzed all reasoning.
• “The headquarters had fingerprints stored under suspicion of being the Ghost King, and they’ve just come up.”015c8f01f8cdccdc

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“What do you mean, ‘they’ve just come up’?”
• “He’s applied for a national ID. Turns out he was a 97ec8c86f3 minor until now.”c519f8a93f97f2ac

Something was terribly wrong.
• “Funny how fate works. It’s Seo Jihan. The kid Father Choi 9cc1381453 has been taking care 0157f6ded1 of.”2decadc436dafbdf

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…What’s that supposed to mean? How is all this unfolding?4cc06e304f0cf1a8

“Does it taste good…?”7000a2c181fdd195

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Crouching, Seo Jihan murmured as 373ef36f93 he watched with twinkling eyes. Angela, who usually ignored fcd6048f40 treats unless given by e037c07e37 Choi Seonwoo, was nibbling bfcd5b81f5 on the jerky Seo 71721bcf7b Jihan had offered.e30e54b5cf5210ee

“Ah! Hey, that hurts!”e20b477a28ad9b8d

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Although he only 1b25b70f18 gave a nail-sized c50967c89c piece, perhaps craving 1e8ea49893 more, Angela bit 038654bd44 his finger. Unbothered, she slapped Seo Jihan’s 90e41cbd8d hand with her paw. He chuckled and b6e047076f handed her the 8cc4f4d69d rest of the e38c04d229 jerky.e5344a5fa25bbeda

Angela quickly snatched the 83d40926ba jerky and scampered up 535f5b7048 to the cat tower fdfbb38c39 in the living room. Settling into her favorite high b81138062a spot, she munched on the 54b00c7707 treat. Watching her, Seo Jihan 9880697c08 moved to the couch.b8fc49ff126c086a

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“Sit up properly. You know Father is working b94df9d79b right now.”beb42c86d65a4485

Choi Seonwoo, who was lounging f966603484 on the couch, didn’t even 9971ddfd2d look at Seo Jihan as a2c22ca200 he disrespectfully sprawled across his 5d035bb1c9 lap. Even as Seo Jihan f4f968faf7 flicked his leg, Choi f3baa04dbf Seonwoo seemed not to 7578272026 care and closed his fd08a6f965 eyes.c092672c46acc9ec

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“I’m just using your thigh as a pillow; don’t be so stingy.”0c47f0284c39f906

At Seo Jihan’s shameless retort, f8a34b05dc Choi Seonwoo looked down under a3bf78962b the rolling desk. The morning sun shone fully 89cd238126 on Seo Jihan’s face, which 10e811e637 was sleeping soundly. His skin, so well-nourished and cf8d5565fe smooth that a fly would 3f1d721c5e slip off, reflected light.848e93440a18c983

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“How does it feel?”a08f270dac024192

Catching Choi Seonwoo’s 5a7a5e6063 gaze, Seo Jihan e0ddb195d9 suddenly asked.84dbcdba4e9616a8

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“How does it feel to see the potted pine you’ve been nurturing blossom so vibrantly within just a few months?”1b188e12a3d64a55

“You’re romanticizing. I’ve never nurtured anything.”629c4b528cfcd3ce

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“I’ve grown up this way; why nitpick?”557e0ade9de59077

“Then, let’s just say you have.”d1a7248336896386

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For a while after, Seo 5e66568eb3 Jihan lay quietly breathing. Choi Seonwoo completed the preparations dd4d533340 for the next day’s sermon d2a0411fec without any change in Seo 18be14af0b Jihan’s posture.b7e0aff8dc55be1d

Eventually, noticing that Seo Jihan c30358d39d had drifted into a nap, 21907cf747 Choi Seonwoo took out a 63c4500c8d plain notebook and a pencil 6d0edf3cbd from the corner of his fd379dc667 pencil case. The old sketching pencil, always 9791c3dda1 lying there waiting for his c295039496 touch, felt right in his 3a9ec92493 hand.9cd878d0eb93a609

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Choi Seonwoo, who had been 13bf92295d recognized for his drawing skills 4792303bbc and attended a prestigious arts 8a85d7a1ca high school, only started sketching 1a4b85342e again long after he was 4dc6eca296 adopted. When a momentary be5b374624 lapse of judgment 2ffb8ea061 cost him the 63ac3c39c8 most precious thing, dd7ef0e198 his soul had be5c0feb78 bruised, and he a73f23d8fe had let go d62e05440a of everything.3e8e7353837853c2

Fortunately, his adoptive father, Father 2962ef70c9 Samuel Miller, who had been 8da2212f2e a psychiatrist in Portland until 54f6b9a63f his late thirties before becoming 6590c6dd75 a clergyman, had provided consistent 87d4901456 psychological therapy. Gradually, Choi Seonwoo found himself b3d8ba937f holding a pencil again.236475ec5d0027cb

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However, unlike before, 18932a9fb1 his drawings lacked 967f2c9c42 aesthetics; they were 6084a98a1c merely a means dd7ff0d091 to graphically depict 18719cc576 memories he wanted 7029ffdd9c to erase and 73eacd9544 then burn. After doing so, c344e344cf he felt a 7ae6f720bc slight, albeit superficial, 7bbb12d55a mental stability. Although the effect was ec218aa529 minimal and fleeting, Choi d39c85d0d2 Seonwoo, who couldn’t participate d655ef7360 in group therapy, did 57b15a2a84 not give up and 0aaac8e363 continued to draw and bdcd446543 burn.665357f1fc800aaa

Until that scant ash piled 1831b5b447 up enough to completely cover 9a2ad2ea1a his horrible traumas. Until those ashes 69cab0eac5 solidified like fossils, bb6028b930 unshakable by any 0b38e0caf0 violent storm.6af0286ed93e683f

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Scratch. Scratch.f3ce0900b2e1569d

Under the morning sun, 545a9c0016 Choi Seonwoo carefully drew 0d4be7b09c Seo Jihan’s face, which 39b911a4ac boasted more three-dimensional features 865eeace1d than the average East 83e8fc96c9 Asian. The dramatic shadows under 78a09f19bd the closed eyelids, the 024c3ef39a straight nose, the lightly 6c411af58a pink lips, and the 74475b746b perfect jawline—there was nothing 3f0cd72fd4 to fault.33755a365b2d2c99

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After adding the long, 666ec089be thick lashes and softly 7d080b5d10 scattered hair, the lifeless 68135f0d7e beauty offered by the 85385081ec beautiful subject slowly filled dac13b0f56 the blank page.1ab0a448231dfdf2

It had been 635b7f9c27 a very long 253ef6e3ca time since he 0e3322ce05 had drawn a b5b1b2c41a picture he didn’t c2330a6dfc intend to burn. Perhaps the last was e1c1cd1f4d when he had adopted cfcd8ab716 Angela, charmed by her 57c9dc0189 cute eyes.6ed01da0f798a9b7

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“May the tranquility of this moment always blossom in your future, Brother.”5333c8480fdce238

With blunt letters, Choi Seonwoo cfba842e7c etched this wish onto the 0524677d40 corner of the notebook, his e9cea462d5 face blooming into a radiant 3099511dd6 smile. Then, his pocket vibrated 5a455678ea as the old flip 5e6a3b70a9 phone rang a small 57a09498b9 bell.30c88ad34f929958

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