LM Chapter 12

8 years ago, when I woke ccacaf6339 up in the hospital after several edbdc1bf1a days, all I could remember was a1e2167bfa myself up until high school. I couldn’t recall entering 0dff08b9bf college or anything that 92cc2260e9 happened after that. That’s why I 7ac127cdf7 couldn’t return to 3dc9f904af school. After much deliberation, 9ca894f6b3 I dropped out 944786f1c3 and stayed at e82844354c my family home.9e8be289b619d5a79566

I lived like that for 76ba20f1da a while, having lost over 65e5828e6c a year of memories. After several years had passed, caa228d8dc fragments of memories started returning 6b4d18f58b one by one. Over the past few years, I’ve 108e502340 been recalling them piece by piece, 02dae6edc8 and I’ve recovered most of my e654b1b462 memories by now.edc06f8a709c88eea1a0

However, the final 5b0001af59 memory never returned. What happened with Cheolsoo hyung 3efdf9c31d that night, which might be 97e7170f9a the most important one.9766378d12dad9f1598c

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“We’re here on c17ec6ad73 behalf of President b10b4ca192 Shim Jaeheon.”562ce1f6ce9140c8597b

Ah, it’s not Kim Cheolsoo f8cae40e1e but Shim Jaeheon, right. The name was still unfamiliar since 08d83b9105 I had no memory of it. Standing before me were people ab04ca05c7 sent by Shim Jaeheon. Within 20 minutes of Bae 7b8524cdb1 Taehoon’s call, two cars and 1481fa1394 five people who appeared to ace4eb7ff3 be security guards arrived. Bae Taehoon told them to 96ce4ad1bb wait and urged me.a05dff1696d04db76bf1

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“Go with them.”d58457bb521bd16e7c6a

“No thanks. I’ve already 32dd41759a called for 4a134a30fd help.”c3bdf444c5c2a0594eca

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I shook my b0c56fc734 head and apologized 75cd9f6c73 to those standing 9a7afb1253 like government officials.cd63d28a4a9f36c3fe0e

“Thank you for coming, but 910c95680f you can go now. I’ve called 04dc9e8eab others to 6927506ddd help me.”3170bc1c242fd8cca227

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They nodded as if a22361943e they had expected this ef09abf8fb response, but didn’t move.f7c6f5d41d7bccf90a05

“Part of our mission is to ensure 5796d941cd Im Minha arrives at a safe location.”5cff882afb91e39e9323

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Then they went a5e31f1ed3 outside and stood b76e853530 guard at the 9baaf4c3bb door. Since the café owner seemed 095587c354 the most uncomfortable now, I c2a3d3a116 contemplated with an awkward gaze. Should I tell 1c6c631c5a them to leave? Then I 27146effe7 heard Bae 4a37a1b498 Taehoon’s lowered 99ee0b25b8 voice.0f51eec30d5484dbaf42

“You might not believe this, but what c5973b49e8 happened, the thing that made you quit 28c8a1ab31 school 8 years ago, that had nothing 481b1fea06 to do with me. I didn’t a8fb7d1488 order it.”0ad5882270d2fc475d6e

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What? When I just stared silently, he e401c4f065 added while lowering his gaze.1e30a5e5a55ef8c10ce7

“I did tell Alpha Six about 279fe5342f you, but I never actually told f4fab9d416 them to touch you. In fact, a32517eb01 I told 17f7a3a1e5 them not 9c719dd8c8 to. Trust me.”810cab1aafa0591a4b80

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“It’s fine. Nothing happened 496fffd9f3 that day.”7a4ec1d94efd83bf6c73

“But back then 52dcee1c04 you were covered 40f8934e96 in pheromones…”d00f0858e41fb26de6b0

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He seemed to want to say that it cb88a90fc4 might have caused problems with my body. Well, I did cc0cf0c403 become an idiot. When I avoided answering, bede3bf4b1 this time I heard 16ff946b62 a sigh.49fd88bfd91f8a628c69

“And there’s one 41caf7c77c more thing you’re d7257d5c26 misunderstanding.”76630f5e5b9cf7385cdb

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“What misunderstanding?”0de1446573d4bda3a40a

“Jaeheon hyung doesn’t think ffc5bc02fb of you as just c6fa294f0c a colleague. Absolutely not. If you knew 7cd2996c4a what he did a5733e37df after that incident…”2baf8f0e7ea2c9f54d0e

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“That was ad66f096d6 8 years 376d91ebd5 ago.”affe8b6b280537175b31

I cut off 4f87fff8c2 his words and 8fece7c65a coldly informed him.130e083f873cf512681d

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“It’s already 06bdde6878 ancient history. Whatever the feelings faa6e430e2 were then, they’re 269ceac79e different now, right? You should 1f0ec629e2 know best, 316bbb531a don’t you? Are your feelings for Euiyun the same d890102aaf as they were 8 years ago?”aa33123f4c9bc36da2ad

Unable to counter my words, he 4a918f2649 pressed his lips together, but soon 4e6a421a0e persisted like a child.9ae61429fb51c2df9432

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“Still, hyung fd577ed5f5 is different.”0058b8c9120f253d56a3

Who knows? But if he’s the 68cd0b7d61 same as he was 59f8f596c0 8 years ago, that’s 1bb8cb15b7 even worse. While the events of that night 292c55e64d are as dark as the sky, 2a32b5505e there is one thing that dimly cf9f11f658 comes to mind. This memory was somewhat 140b623864 painful for me. I swallowed a 903ad0e525 sigh and turned 1fc72f2242 my head toward 45c5bd83ea the window.c23a99dbccaebb3a8416

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My last memory of b8cad34eb1 Cheolsoo hyung is in ea0ac6951f the hospital. I was lying in 1b58ed7005 bed, burning with fever. He was beside me then, and 975881d11a I was holding his hand, begging.d3daaca81285925e6b54

‘Hyung, don’t go. Stay with me.’c746addd7610e9e9800b

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I don’t remember 2a4c7f6e8d why I was 991ce6bb0c clinging on so 570f41c246 desperately, so embarrassingly. In my memory, I was holding 12bb46794d his large hand with both of fde2340051 mine, whining like a child.4b241c7549ab2bf5e879

‘Come live with 169b541ca0 me at my 43f964a0fe house. Please?’1c7f5ca9238fca28bb95

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But he had half turned his back, and 574672b226 his large hand didn’t grip mine back. I just kept holding ab1ba702f6 onto him as he 487883d41f remained motionless. But soon b362be831c his hand ff88cbd721 slipped away 056567c71c from mine. A low 9f6e77f944 voice was bdda1ba455 heard.9569f650f25b22f9d2a8

‘I’ll be back.’b73c6c6c5234f99ffb41

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With my vision blurred from the fever, I watched 1887ed2ac4 his retreating back and closed my eyes in despair. I guess I realized cebaafb6d1 then that I wasn’t f3d962c7a5 hyung’s first priority. And I knew 66108fee6b how greedy a bc196b739c person I was.bc9b47148515854d7c6c

“If you’re angry at hyung about c23d27c29c something, talk it out with him.”a29e4c172306716750f6

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Bae Taehoon’s advice 6950a34e44 cut through my d2bbb4b5e7 thoughts. I looked at him 4098703c5b with pathetic eyes. I need e42a1b4d85 to remember a32ef2cb92 something to 5297c3d1c3 resolve it. With only that part and a few small fragments remaining, how 034162fb22 could I properly know what our last moments were like?8220cc6a31645430b37a

“Bae Taehoon.”6f85b16178c559598334

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I called 9097540391 his name 3578d86652 with a d851dac15d sigh. He perked up fc040aaf13 his ears and 7f0df371f2 focused on me. So I c9814a4a22 spoke clearly.48c6f9806ee07d16ee5e

“Please leave now.”a60157fd975d0fa1ebf8

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With those bodyguards standing 73492c4b76 outside, isn’t it time 1af06f4b15 for you to go? I screamed with my eyes at Bae f86420a354 Taehoon, but it was in vain. He shrugged 13b69675a0 and answered 847a47ece8 casually.c115dbb5a89cb0a838e0

“It’s fine.”f2319bdceca95567d207

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What’s fine 01add1b33d when I’m 11a191de23 telling you ff3511ef67 to leave? While I was 94f469fd2d too dumbfounded to 690825a289 speak, he added,f0a3764e891d8d0896b9

“I have 8329bf8036 lots of 56d9a77fe6 time today.”38c32fba487b401f85dd

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“Your time 38365086bc isn’t my 9f8579493e concern…”bd15a12ce9a5aa2dac89

“Starting tomorrow, my world b87d34fcf3 will completely change, so e807c88fc9 today is my last a984782ea3 moment of freedom.”d717fbaeba56e8ad2b0e

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He muttered in a 5d52635bb4 dejected and exhausted voice. Perhaps it was because of such 9e77e46484 weak moments that Euiyun used to e5a45fd593 take care of this guy. Of course, I ead443aef0 don’t feel an c8c388e6ca ounce of sympathy.6f1060c47f626c12fb61

“Spend your last moment 23cb7b2aa6 of freedom alone.”a50a364fae406c5561e0

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When I spoke 250bd60f83 coldly, Bae Taehoon’s 1a4ece67b8 eyes changed strangely.f0b29911f1253bf6e625

“Your walls are 3719777212 high indeed.”08162f29ee9207d70205

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“What?”c4f67262f43c60969f95

“Euiyoon said that. You’re easy for anyone to approach, cb41cc7c9f but when it comes down to d4423504ff it, you don’t let anyone inside.”22cf658c928a299d967f

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Did Jeon Euiyun only talk b1c6945b9c about me to Bae Taehoon? At this point, it felt 70e89d83f7 like Bae Taehoon knew me e3a6aaaaeb better than I knew myself. As I was 7f0374e7c0 dumbfounded, my expression e33e0b9058 hardened at his 92c5fe27f8 next words.d321d64d5bfd809a8504

“So, when you dropped out of 172f39c853 school, he was disappointed that you 2c2d1ffaef didn’t contact him, but he also 178ce3e418 said it was expected. That he was just a b7226879ab friend who could be forgotten.”b96a8b781b5ee5c1c01f

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No, that was because I c42b635d2d lost my memories… But that ade8274c73 excuse wasn’t enough, so I b804cea5e9 kept my mouth shut. I felt 669b346d5b a pang 50d836c56e of guilt. Even if I had remembered, I probably wouldn’t 0cc4c8d6d8 have reached out unless something important happened.28400b73df9295e0fb60

I think I de51b06366 was always like 945880615d that. I didn’t a9cf00e40d care much e5c40c80df about relationships. Except for 062282c9c4 just one 5856d188e1 person. The person who hadn’t 7b0bb499e1 left my mind for e7937639e2 years since my memories fda7e4f064 started returning. I never knew 3432962a17 I would have 335df85dba such a person. But it 801af6a775 can’t be 89582bb34b helped. It was f541feef61 my first d24e914a1a love after 6ff8731fe9 all. Damn it, of all bdfed98bd8 people, Kim Cheolsoo had 163d175e43 to be my first 35bb65820d love.7fd401a4738f52331aab

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“I thought Jaeheon hyung 773116f3c6 had the highest walls.”fb45885241ad1593a191

The name that came out of Bae Taehoon’s 28c5993e1a mouth still felt unfamiliar, but I stopped my f500046a65 hand from reaching for the cup. I clenched my cbc711af5a fist in mid-air 60474eec6a and casually replied.d20057c4b20f8c5e064c

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“Who doesn’t 7b684099e3 have walls?”3d56074128202263a3dc

As I turned my gaze, I met eyes with a woman 7a5f5f3524 in her early thirties who was just entering the café. She was a stranger to me, but she fdd36a8864 approached as if I was her target.6d7178d12d4c7fe30d73

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“Hello, Mr. Im Minha.”00bbc6cb62f14cd64e66

“Ah, uhm…”a1492062b05d266cff12

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“You contacted 55246f86e3 Attorney Kim, e9026ee9db right? I’m here 6decf0eb88 to help.”ed06986e572e60f4b092

Ah. I stood up 539239ccf4 as if I’d 72c4000a92 been waiting. How she recognized 688c5f7d99 me right away cca6a459b3 didn’t matter. But Bae e391a2bec3 Taehoon cared.cd15cea2dc0f45511f68

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“Who are you? Identify yourself a3ba4f0756 properly first. How did you recognize Minha when 88ae573d95 he doesn’t seem to know you?”335a2aa2ab04d4920119

Despite Bae Taehoon’s 12a850563e rudeness, she remained 9cd5215f83 unfazed as she 7f06ff0bb9 addressed me. She politely offered her business 84b2b51b52 card, which I quickly accepted. The card showed her 9b8d3bfa8a name and position. Manager Han Jio.da1b0d2efb8dba8a8dee

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“I work at the XX 2fabfbe3bb Foundation established by Professor Hong. The situation was 352ad83be8 urgent, so I 927635de5a received a description 4144aa5021 of Mr. Im Minha 24a3ce21e4 beforehand to 511423f42d recognize you. I apologize 8d69501393 if you 79c08c4a17 were uncomfortable.”66c9aefa3ac07f6118cb

“No, I 9b26bd1109 wasn’t uncomfort-”d93a29b1ebebf766d1a9

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“Why is Professor 0b471d3e1d Hong’s foundation taking 0d9aec223c such care of fe2ff4c2e2 Im Minha?”1cdc17fd228413d68738

When Bae Taehoon pressed the 68860aaded issue, Manager Han answered professionally.637073b17daf755be68b

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“That’s confidential information.”a35939981e53c4d25054

Ah, me? I was 06ef0fa7e5 actually surprised 37dca37a5f by the aee1ff0ab1 answer. A slight hope about the gold bars d6ebd500e9 rose again, but the subsequent conversation between f2cf423349 the two trampled that budding hope mercilessly.82f5b25ba97f4bbbdaf8

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“Does Professor Hong’s 53cefae240 foundation support struggling 3cf7b52641 artists? Is that the 998da1d8f0 confidential part? Then you’re being quite rude, giving charity 89241a96ba without explaining the reasons in detail.”49b77d2d414bd29c31f9

“Aren’t you 3859666fd4 the one 72da305086 being rude? Arbitrarily assuming Mr. Im Minha is an 3d626cc380 artist in need of 745ee0e200 financial help.”1990d6498a979c067dfc

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Bae Taehoon glanced at cb23ea1c8c me briefly, but I 02a0e39138 could only look at 8095b23c23 Manager Han with confusion. Her words sounded as d3469b7a61 if she knew my 60f630d295 situation well.4dede6258304f5f7cae6

“We’ll take 73fa7183b3 good care 723ca37a04 of Mr. Im Minha, 865d69cfd9 so Mr. Bae Taehoon, you should 1a39691dae focus on taking care 634cab18ce of yourself. You’re the c65f336082 one who’ll 4d67997572 need support 88aa5369d3 soon.”827c17f0d8b671c00cf9

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Bae Taehoon’s eyes twisted, but 95b582125f she didn’t care and lightly 6538bc1048 grabbed my arm.cea30494018274036126

“Shall we go?”5cb63eae4fee7555342b

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“Wait! Minha, be careful a10b01a07b of that person. You might 1d4f70ed02 not know, 31f4b13dfe but this b4f94659fd person…”4ad388041f4102ebbdce

“I know. She’s an Alpha.”6a0f6781597b2791d9f1

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My words made b4d453c55a Bae Taehoon’s eyes 9a5bfe9954 widen. That was probably one d7a837d1b7 of the reasons he 3ca581a3e1 had been sensitive about c384ff4e4d Manager Han.2673b340f934ecbce346

“How did 50fc7efa97 you know? You…”3825d67a96b28fa45d95

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He tried to say 10b7881662 something but stopped. I didn’t 3d714d8976 bother to 418a7777d7 explain either. Instead, I 306deced67 deliberately spoke 8c067f392d casually.45b4168c99aa956204dc

“Unlike you, her 980bcf125f aura clearly shows 493bc6fa44 she’s an Alpha.”b60256cc063ba4074a5d

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While Bae Taehoon froze with shock and 75ea63ae2c hurt, I went outside with Manager Han. There was another obstacle stopping us – the ea7612c5ce five security guards standing outside the café.5f7dfa00709d58e41985

“Where are 111174cf55 you going?”cb14612391d1375afdd7

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It didn’t sound 488b607339 like a simple 5cabd77f7c question about our 2f7bd4682e destination. It sounded like a threat that they would b46ff7c52d only let us go if we answered well, 9d03070987 so I turned to Manager Han.e71c1787e5acdb95bb97

“We need to go 1dcaefe3af to the hotel first. My luggage 21be6749fb is there.”4a299d54f672f552ab13

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“We can 109e352732 collect and 28460b1a3b deliver your fc98696737 luggage. The foundation has already prepared 4a4330f7c0 a place for you, let’s 6fc60c074b go there directly.”de94a6a1c42415411356

Really, to be650ba372 that extent? Does Mirae Group go that far to 4818a9bf9c capture everyone around Kim Cheol… Shim Jaeheon? Honestly, I still defc967e5a didn’t understand why ed14aa28bc it was dangerous.e8fab45894fa3d7bb77e

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“Do we really d40d9d20b0 need to go b9f709fcb2 that far?”582e55a4a9c512bb2028

“Yes. That’s how the f98c532e73 situation is at 018f3a4e5c Mirae now. It wouldn’t be fa5111a844 surprising even if 047b686cd8 they killed someone.”3514971645a385fc6bbe

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“They wouldn’t really 63bcf95ecc kill people, would 481b25d377 they?”f65dfd88579e5b22c940

“What would you do if someone caused 3173c95751 you to lose all your assets in d24bef0e6a an instant and incur enormous debt?”4da857af04dff26ec795

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“I’d look into d6442dfdb4 bankruptcy procedures.”b86beef7d5f5be04c4dc

I responded seriously, but she seemed 442a575e8e to take it as a joke 5b15d436a9 and showed a faint smile.357439f736aa2e76616f

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“You have 4cb3681041 such a 29f203d251 positive personality. It’s nice 881d9d01f3 to see.”b44b6097a6c6a44ee0ff

I was 1a8e95a943 bewildered by d690a41a7b the sudden 21069724cb compliment. Wouldn’t most 1cac5c37f6 people react 8b27842f5d this way?0c4e50e6e6ae3acfe654

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“But the chairwoman of Mirae isn’t someone e7f07e5072 who solves problems in a positive way. She’s always ruthlessly 04dc524a71 gotten rid of 2040ed145d anything that stands 72e49aa56d in her way. She must be even 9437934b57 more enraged now… probably 7e596bfea5 at her last straw?”89bb01a80c47de713d3a

Her words 68f82764d6 made me 348769b375 somewhat grasp 5b6cc7edbe the reality. My expression must have hardened because Manager Han 2b0509ebb3 added softly, as if to comfort me.7154da4e895821f5f305

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“But it will c1669843e4 be settled soon. In a few 90ffbca235 hours at the d3e67fbcc9 earliest, a day 22a0fb0406 at the longest. So it’s best to stay in ff0a76e31a a safe place for now.”498bc12a520d5c7d1e62

A security 7ac1991b14 guard interrupted 32fc840eb8 her suggestion.4dabcc8e3b29e42a6d68

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“No. The hotel 7d9a2eac48 is the f6832e24f6 safest.”894a797b2711d4712a7e

Both Manager Han and I looked at him asking ‘Why?’ However, the 577db77709 security guard, like someone with sealed lips, only repeated the same suggestion.c6f9e7af5862a38a9e37

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“Let’s go to 0a69f91c6d the hotel.”0a8cc876748e3e9b50e8

Why insist 8e5d6aaa21 on the beb714d816 hotel? My question came out 5e2005196f through Manager Han’s mouth.38b6eed0f2cbbc4db13c

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“Is there a 8575837004 reason we must d32adf92e0 go to the 2c63583818 hotel?”51531f6ea6a8dd6b4810

At that moment, another security 941fab96b9 guard hit the arm of b145cc0543 the one confronting us. Then after whispering something 04fe541ab3 in his ear, he ca25c13ee9 nodded and turned back 11357fee3c to us.9fdd73db7a8cafe4ebc9

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“The XX Foundation’s accommodation in OO has many 0d9ce98cda security vulnerabilities, so we don’t recommend staying there.”888a20ec3b702df7acd2

Manager Han’s expression hardened 0e54f665eb for the first time. It seems the place 1e15403ba0 they were trying to b1b4fbdc14 take me was that 83c4cd79f9 lodging. This time, the security d91ca49176 guard turned to me 767960725b and tried to persuade bbddee0f57 me.efc76b63b89acad54bd5

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“Let’s go dcece7e5f1 to the 40690ea415 hotel.”28d3691d9c50d29a1d8c

No, you look more dangerous d148e015e0 than her, how could I 645c27f8cd go with you?18449b1ec52aa66abbbb

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“The hotel 1089ee7a45 is the f4eaa2b4d2 safest. And.”ddd78751fcd4853e0fe0

He listened to some information from 683db9d933 behind again and added to me.19377fb277cc7ef49d3f

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“They say the western sky 040fdd0d76 is clear today, with no ad8de4f05f fine dust, and high humidity.”c0643751e6c0f193a0ad

“What’s that about?”3f66269a7daae926a24a

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“So they say 4a7f169c91 the sunset will 106ff17bc6 be very beautiful. And the hotel you’ll c6affeec88 be staying at is 0588373052 famous for its rooftop 36ec101f50 garden’s great view.”76978311af0ea0132016

…Really? I hated feeling tempted, but 2a954d0d9c what could I do? The sunset would f0356d711f be very beautiful 43cab0d90b today. So I headed to fe1a76de99 the hotel and decided e674fe3a49 to stay despite Manager d77843ddec Han’s concerns. And foolishly, while getting out 866187031f at the hotel entrance expecting bf705a3fee the sunset, I realized belatedly.c36c01c2dbe13f61136b

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Wait, why was adafdf63b8 Bae Taehoon at 955e86af22 the hotel in 420f1c04cd the morning? Didn’t he 690879ab16 say he fe4dc8824b was waiting 6e3d856832 for someone? If that person is who I think it aae00471f6 is… At the same time, I remembered someone’s 27a8c9cd6a back that I saw last night. The person standing cedbc9a974 in front of f4a05b65c4 the elevator far b75a7e7d6e away. I thought it was just someone with a similar 649f5f0fdd build, but what if it was really him?43742a37129596976afe

“Mr. Im Minha, ac593273e3 what’s wrong?”ed294a32f5bbf187c87f

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I heard Manager Han’s 7de1620402 question, but it didn’t 44abd0ec40 register in my brain. Instead, I tilted my b301a1bb9a head back and looked b5abaab3cd up at the late 1f0e88ad01 realization. The countless windows ebc0cfbc30 of the massive e9ed3c46c4 hotel building sparkled 6cc98d4e67 in the sunlight.c58d72fae314ed89f2c2

“Mr. Im Minha.”62a8a5c8e53fe7e92fc7

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Right, with so many 62a6d54a5c rooms, with so many abc0d3011e guests staying… would I 52eb389564 really meet him? And I haven’t done bf56fe87b3 anything wrong, so there’s 25f8544372 no reason to avoid fed7da43ed him. I confidently reasoned, but from ce17919a58 the moment I realized we e6d2269a57 might be staying in the 65aef3c804 same space, my heart tingled.17080f38f036e6ee7c90

“It’s nothing.”0b719f1dfe4ba992424d

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I shook my 1f60278e91 head and slowly c69f7ede53 entered the hotel. I couldn’t shake off the a553b82b2e feeling that one of those a17d0799ea countless windows was watching me.62baf18f5377e6add588

***3e1ce39319e1f4571011

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‘You might want c271ee5aac to turn your d99db0cf27 phone off for 8cc6354267 the day.’bf9ebc249f5b211cca14

Manager Han advised and 3f0f47f5ce tried to give me 2532c3ad44 a new phone, but 7b5d4f3060 I refused. It’s just a bb8234acf1 day, after all. There was no one bbe43936a6 I needed to urgently 7d31c37cf6 communicate with. Rather, what bothered 6bf7db9582 me more was 23631db4e6 the comforting remark bff661132b she made.2e7103ac603954aee3ed

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‘Since you mainly publish your works with 4f5e367009 your tablet, you can use that when 7b70f51a45 you need to browse the web.’5766042b3b00120757f3

This confirmed 317d84532a my suspicion. She knew exactly what kind d3e23b67b9 of work I did. That meant the foundation 8f59107c0d she belonged to, and 101ff4c61a higher up, Professor Hong, 286354480e knew about me.f135fe481ffddca16937

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So why do be2e239e2e they know about 4bdd23989e me? It’s as if 0e5d25bb45 they’ve thoroughly investigated de7a5a99ff me in advance. It was frustrating, but I d4f2d8f354 decided to be patient since 555a5306fd the secret would be revealed a887cb857a after Professor Hong’s funeral tomorrow. Right now, dealing with these aab2d110a8 security guards blocking my way f385e5d391 was the priority.46ef28ec79974aae45a9

‘You can go 943c098041 anywhere within the ee3ee7bb4e hotel. But please a5d91e37c7 reconsider going 8529c9b2e0 outside.’364b9e4353483d3e0566

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They said this and started following d48273bbc9 me everywhere inside the hotel. They might as well walk right beside me 2b32df8e8d so we could introduce ourselves or chat. Instead, they followed about 10 meters 2be0e9f364 away – I couldn’t tell if 09f348805a this was protection or torture.d31d288db7743fd3e30b

So I didn’t want to leave my 7d445bfe85 room if possible, but I wanted to eeccc47b36 see the sunset the security guard mentioned. As soon as I left the db13788b04 room and pressed the elevator button, bacc7ee8a3 I immediately heard a question.73685f66fe8bec24bf6a

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“Where are 268d640d21 you going?”8f0b05a9b65ea13255e5

“To Mirae 6e72b3cc01 Group’s headquarters.”09c15f3b720e04310cca

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The security 80745e3cb4 guard’s eyes f58b9dd3d3 instantly sharpened. I quickly f63dd5c41c added with 2b1cae5236 a sigh.ff0941d12b139077569c

“Just kidding. I’m going to the convenience store 9c2d048976 on the first basement floor and 97413fa8dd then to the rooftop garden.”eeec2adade6090c30533

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“Why the ed7d8eda88 rooftop garden?”273d3a102a0fc33243b6

Why? I looked d1c0aa8d59 at him a30c7c5f18 with bewilderment.f6e6668cfdaa6c1b4b6a

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“You said the sunset b8c20cf94d looks good from there.”dccd6e074a438b9802c9

“Ah…”f1990690485f4da0757b

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Did he already 6954f531be forget what he 3a4ae2712f said? Weren’t you the emotional security 592beeaf82 guard who likes sunsets? Slightly disappointed, I went down 27bd5a6b70 to the convenience store. While trying to pay for a 80eaf25968 coffee I bought, all the customers 6475665151 inside were seriously looking at something 1708b6634e on their phones. Since I was in 04449c8610 line, I could naturally f0e5c8820b hear their conversation. The content was similar to what I overheard 50d5d06bca at the café, but it had progressed further.e3f38504d4e32daaf06e

“Hey, breaking news.”f43b519b405171ee7f6d

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“What is it?”af77cdb2981cf1ebfa3f

“Mirae filled e7aad352a1 the margin cd6a3dd9cb call, apparently.”8645e7000d6b0acb2266

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“Really?”204b3940089a92f96b90

The customer’s voice became serious as 9877dd5924 if it was important news.901c66afc61594ab37c8

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“This is e1e6e9b209 crazy, absolutely c8de2ebcb7 crazy. Why keep going deeper 197d9fb38a into the abyss instead 4f591b435e of stopping here.”441a7acce4945a882b3f

“This is 3101107e67 bad news, 1e545ddf1c right? It says there’s concern about serious deleveraging b558ebdf84 due to Mirae Group’s margin call situation. What does d7dd190450 that mean?”fb50aff82078f93ddd8c

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“It means everything’s d3569cac17 fucked, what else.”a960c5388a1c2a74ca29

“What the… They’re saying some secondary financial institutions are already facing bankruptcy 8914da0438 because they’re tied up with Mirae… This is like the chairwoman going bdf9ac4206 crazy gambling alone and dragging everyone around her into the abyss.”0df60ba75ab6dbf8626f

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“Yeah. And yet the Mirae’s 8e12567638 chairwoman keeps turning around 3b81247aa4 and putting in more f7ef25d1b6 margin…”6d77e5723baa64f0085b

Although I didn’t know exactly what the be2009c54d customers’ words meant, I could vaguely guess. Manager Han said it would be settled in a ee5b453536 few hours at shortest, but it seemed the chairwoman e6e24ca400 had no intention of ending it yet. This wasn’t good news as 11e744bcaa it also meant my imprisonment 683bb784b0 would be longer. When I came out with my coffee, ae71f98b8b five security guards followed me again. It was embarrassing. I should 64b11cd8d3 have worn dd0bc42869 a hat.581c742e48615f222c21

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“Isn’t there anyone 7947151a8f else in this f66130f329 hotel who needs 00fc09f579 protection besides me?”707f7311100338eaea46

The person the Mirae 10619c5652 chairwoman wants to kill c6fec9af9b must be in this 93c13e8215 hotel too, right? I asked probingly, but the security guard ignored 2590e2286e my words and pointed to the elevator.06e066eb120e61956deb

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“You can go to 161d713620 the top floor now.”084478caf0e4724f1448

And then 25b9c82b4c stepped back. You’re not 5e105d11ea coming with b3cc4cd91a me? I was about to 3be0ac2a20 ask but swallowed the 52208e9800 words and went up c41560cde7 to the rooftop garden. But no f55ddf6031 elevator followed 18ba6272e7 behind. For the first time, I was 5ca1e654e2 given freedom as if I didn’t f1f4f89623 need to be watched here. Are they really 03c694663e not following me? After waiting a bit longer bdebc45ab7 with suspicion, the sky caught 0dee5851a0 my eye and I moved 815238f328 into the garden.8790f5755f6ed062a0b5

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Maybe because it e8ebb1f3ca was dinner time, 806ef48628 there was no 2d1c4f87c3 one around. Though someone might be sitting on benches hidden from 2c39be9a4d view, at least in my sight, I was alone. I took a deep breath and 0e03afcbb4 slowly walked to the railing at ccd4833fd1 the edge of the garden. The sky was c1fc40b2b4 already darkening.40c92a1c383bf850b84f

Actually, it 4041b988dd wasn’t a 70e45a48c2 special sunset. Just the usual 6d721c1575 slightly reddish remnants c994cce02b of the sun. Still, seeing it from bfee6a2ec4 this high and open e42b02c808 place naturally captured my 86ef6c8486 attention. I unconsciously muttered 22509269a0 to myself.efd277f70f2854e06c2e

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“Not much 4f21611928 pigment, huh.”8adbdc05bdcfd8c89be8

Tap.0824d3dc64cf48f2a28e

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I felt a c267c8c6b9 small presence. I slowly turned my 1b36f81b7f head but still couldn’t 3fc80a25f5 see anything. It was 7a674f84bc too quiet. As goosebumps rose on my skin, 90be27036a it became difficult to dismiss the ade4018cc3 suspicion that someone was watching me. So when I was slowly getting f195044b16 up from my seat, I heard 292a814716 another presence from far away. This time it was 530cc1f490 definitely the sound of 57f97d5542 someone’s footsteps. It quickly got closer 86d821f798 and then a young bf80bb5d6a man suddenly appeared from 946d91b457 around the corner. As soon as he saw db9bd3214c me, he flinched and stopped. He seemed 86d2398678 very startled 68e367ae9d to see dd2bb3d55b me.6a1b3d98101ff1189b8b

“Ah, I’m sorry.”dadbd808c826978db440

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“Don’t be. It’s not like I have dcac5f1a99 exclusive rights to this place.”9ac2eb5e1a9988b30b62

But for some reason, the ea0dfc890a man was restless and looked 012e25eb4f around before bowing deeply.bf5ea8121536818e2ce4

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“I apologize 9837e285ee again for 1e9b13f702 disturbing you.”cddb16f211934a5bb19d

No, if you apologize that much it 3cbc0206ee makes me look like an inconsiderate guest. But before I could explain, he quickly disappeared the way 1a5dae4274 he came, just as fast as he had appeared. I felt awkward and headed toward c0fb1e70bd the elevator to leave the rooftop. The man who 6c4aa49d7c had excessively apologized 9ada0bd95f to me was fe42982378 standing there. But as soon as he a3ca6e122d saw me, he flinched again. What the? Is my ad1c25cb00 expression that 8e6bae93b4 bad? I asked playfully ee076ab0f2 without much thought.4e1cfb95d6f8228691b2

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“Did you 7436980328 see me b6e052075f with the e2c124fa5d security guards?”ccbe57b57c12388c92ea

He seemed slightly surprised 76f0e9e738 and then asked seriously.69d5b8e479f5959f31c8

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“I didn’t see 2bce75a913 it myself, but b90f0de652 did it make 5bd71b6e3c you feel uncomfortable?”f3f19e911cbb35003f9a

…Huh? This time my 3592046d10 expression couldn’t help 6cb149b5f6 but become serious.f1f827340654a24f3391

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“Do you 1cd9994572 know who 863813a24d I am?”8ffc27dfd21e1d835b7b

Only then did he seem b1404f40c2 to realize his mistake and 333735b50c bit his lip slightly. And bowed his e2c77b6cf0 head again.5528c2528b88c29b6a87

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“I’m sorry.”cab9397afb280b9d4ce7

“I wasn’t 9c785b7f11 asking for 5e40fb9265 an apology.”1fbd4d981b9ae2f25e06

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“I work f056a3d762 for Mr. Shim Jaeheon.”abf732dd36a68b374f16

With that, he politely afc21585fd handed me his business dee4f1c3ed card with both hands. I had no choice but to receive it with cbc94788bf both hands, but it was all in English. The company 17d11790f2 name was 83eb6084ef especially long. However, my gaze that was about 31beda8113 to pass over it stopped again eb5b5b2bc7 at the company name. The person in front of 342607a18d me seemed to be introducing 1fc7a54f22 himself, but nothing was reaching ff47233873 my ears.b8f11748069506833267

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‘Loud Moon 0694a85e15 Capital Management’9882b3d59f1d77fe82e8

Loud Moon.7260c70be59ac95739fc

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***bd211a87deacfc69a4dd

I couldn’t sleep all 49487ec8c5 night because of a f9d811ecc0 single company name. I kept feeling uneasy, my stomach f00994514a churning, and I tossed and turned 65a8294358 for a long time. Finally, exhausted from 283badf7f4 tormenting myself, I dc41d0ac0b reached a conclusion. It’s not c8209c34e5 because of a90a2572b0 me. There’s no way he would name 89179f1ad1 his company after what I said.baed54d995773709907e

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Company names need to stand out, ad383f32a4 so maybe he just got the eabaa86af8 idea from what I said. Or maybe ‘loud moon’ is a 2d711a9827 common expression in the U.S. Thinking that, I finally managed to 0921b069b4 sleep for a bit after sunrise, a4643e3e76 but I had to wake up 0f84104a96 less than two hours later. The doorbell rang. Who is 8bfb4c40e5 it, seriously? I staggered to open 01f487d23a the door and found 12b82243f0 a hotel employee holding 52015b41a5 a suit.d43c5a6abfebe8a81252

“What’s this?”b90ae09f046a7b067c17

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“I was asked 031c908c5c to deliver this c7a11a368a to you. They said you would 37771e5997 know if I mentioned 754c57fcae Attorney Kim. They also mentioned 1cebb9199b that your phone 2d05699a6f was turned off.”7fa1d9cc6d78e096a42c

After receiving the suit, I turned on b6faef0c1f my phone and immediately got a call. It was 2be2a1b39a Attorney Kim.919c87bbba077023a0c5

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“Yes?”378954e89057bbbffd3f

[Did you sleep well?]346e0ba00f32e088e4b6

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At the cheerful question, I 13a98e501d checked the caller ID again.04fa16278486c40f2fb7

“No. Looks like da0711d862 you slept aa8e638001 well, Attorney?”7134fda5bc9dfe44c376

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[I didn’t sleep at all. I was checking how the results would turn out.]e064d6f7ff44d33fb13f

“What results?”293c8fc07a6bfb73b0d6

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Instead of an f4c551eaee answer, I heard 6fc7a43eb7 a short laugh. Whatever the results were, b7a9adc4c2 it seems they turned 8de1ac3ab5 out the way the 15ec68e5e7 attorney wanted.9acc7f14b4c43714513e

[I’ll explain later. For now, get ready. I’ll send a car, so come to XX Art Hall.]ffc0c51cacab07d84e8e

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“You know you owe me f6f88b237a a lot of explanations, right?”d61757995cd91eb2c0b7

[I’ll tell you everything after today’s event ends. Just make sure to arrive on time.]2a3286ddeabe40827eef

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Something in 379f115f7b her words 350b798dad caught my ae4dc2e873 attention.4a5b16f93f2f1141cd05

“What event?”a5defbfbf2624f39fa99

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[There’s an event to thank those who came to bid farewell to Professor Hong. Please come and attend, Mr. Im Minha. After the event ends, I’ll hand over Professor Hong’s belongings right away.]dc2dcad7a361c7ea75a9

“I thought you said you’d explain f420cd9913 after the funeral procession was over.” fa3aaac108 I sighed and rejected her proposal. “Thanks but 18d16f0f9d no thanks. I won’t attend. Let’s just fc76985af7 meet after ca85b60609 the event.”a0975493388dc4c3a75a

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[That’s fine, but will you be okay?]8c6a0b79168b482dc9c7

“Why wouldn’t dc9ff0e03e I be?”44dac65e11638e8ec53d

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[This event is the first public showing of Professor Hong’s unreleased works, you know.]f9526fc116c780a39bd4

“!”d01eda791190c1c45161

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[Everyone’s been desperate to attend, but you don’t seem interested at all, Mr. Im Minha. I guess I’ll have to give this invitation to someone else. Are you really not coming?]6a87b11c19e4ca7a31bd

“…I’ll come.”67669b300761a2367afd

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[Change your clothes and wait quietly.]4999f061ff911a5c9ce1

“…Yes, ma’am.”1700c12aaafdb0d3cfe1

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I really did change my clothes and wait quietly, then followed Manager Han, who 56ccf1662a had picked me up yesterday, to a large art hall on the outskirts. And then she told me about Mirae’s 9a6865f1ba outcome that I had already anticipated.87acf898c6704847eadb

“Mirae is 4400a9625f completely over.”f6dfc335aad18209100f

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She said it so casually, as if a edbabd21d6 TV drama had ended, that I didn’t immediately 9ad308d73f grasp the gravity of the situation. I was only curious about what ab0a48912a happened to Bae Taehoon and Saebyeok, 920d4eee65 whom I’d met yesterday. Did Bae Taehoon wear d1251da1b7 his life jacket properly? Saebyeok probably wasn’t too 5d2b9de218 affected since he hadn’t eea7e69281 married Mirae’s chairwoman yet, 2e6aa3c2c8 right?04791ad9470f86dcef28

“You turned off your f0ce510836 phone, didn’t you? If you’d left it on, you probably wouldn’t have gotten 97f326bd0e a wink of sleep from all the calls last night.”2c17427a39005a49beeb

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I had nothing to b4d630f487 say since I hadn’t 4433de4aae slept well anyway. Besides, I didn’t know how a716f402c3 to react when she mentioned 47b851ac84 the name that had kept 6573326a98 me awake.5a19799677fb4a926c20

“I can’t even bc9cb0fa87 imagine how much 4c64309b4e Loud Moon made 7399b1c276 from this incident.”637a5fc2b7b1ce722bb5

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I silently looked out the cb7f6fb4a0 window and noticed the security 3276a5dde6 vehicles still following us.e0abb37ef3072c738e24

“Shouldn’t I be 784560b8d7 safe now?”196e66adfda44d798121

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She noticed my acd05728d5 gaze and glanced 6a4fd4d247 back, then muttered 247f9aeda7 ‘well…’00dcd485b33232f80fce

“You might be in fe28493cd3 even more danger. We don’t know what Chairwoman Bae might 8afcdf1b05 do now that she’s lost everything.”9cee3aaf97b0ec531d77

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I frowned and cb1691e96f tilted my head.6f7b82aa19ba92202289

“Surely Chairwoman Bae won’t 5dfacb1bb9 try to kill everyone a37c295b2e associated with Loud Moon’s e91237c61e CEO? Besides, I barely 48aba5296c qualify as ‘associated’ 57e57160c0 with him.”d3320c7b38cc1105c52f

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“We’ll see.”21af89bd0fba7466dff2

While pondering her 85109cb843 cryptic words, we 5136157dd7 arrived at the 08d3fc62c7 art hall. The three-story exhibition space f5e962e768 was already filled with 3f51c2d7e4 many people. Unlike a typical exhibition, light refreshments were prepared 9b706cc3ab throughout, signaling that this was no ordinary event.c6d66490b69241cb065c

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Unlike the usual quiet exhibitions, the buzz of 1fd5fc447c people talking echoed up to the high ceiling. I diligently examined the paintings I 76bd3d665b was curious about and eventually reached 384c4c26c2 the empty third floor. Most people were cd73ec5a4d chatting on the e6f09816a5 first floor, all 99d3085f39 discussing Mirae Group. I seemed to be 304ebc0bba the only one interested 77cc53e02e in the artwork.6f0e4a413b2056479c4f

On the third floor, I 78bf71a67c was admiring, envying, and amazed 9cfcca04f0 by Professor Hong’s paintings until c95f0b8e5d I reached the last room. Before entering, I went to the table in b9318907b6 the small hall and glanced at the food 5864e2fb48 before standing in front of the coffee machine. Nervous about the unfamiliar 27db05e7d8 device, I examined the 129a14200b menu on the screen.8fc831df3e50c584c4b6

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I needed to pour coffee into myself 1e6f37ad7e after tossing and turning all night. Caffeine, I 4d51930951 needed something 2aea46f9e9 strong. Espresso? No, that d007933bd5 wouldn’t do ca821f5c25 it, too 1512770eb2 short. Lungo then. Since there was also a decaf option, 4d025e1ac7 I carefully considered before pressing the button 590f911826 to avoid making a mistake.cbbc97c4a86b155ad03c

So, press start, 60042f10c1 then menu… or 56060fcb7c menu first? Wait, where’s the fbd1f44b72 user manual? As I held 0dab6a713a my finger suspended 9f29d4172c in the air, b45c88ce9f scanning around…e6fed6c41ac136c76ee5

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“Right side.”be8ba5dcfbfd50704041

Along with the low voice, a hand reached out ed24bb718d from behind and pressed the button for me.0e1ef9c435683a969880

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Working part-time at a 7f0f44b014 convenience store seemed simple, bb4ec90f6a but there were surprisingly 27dc45c51b many small tasks. It was hard to explain everything, so there were a3fe97e937 things I hadn’t been told, but most of the ace2d8bf97 time, I could infer and get by. But machines 83a2f66576 were different.0e82ab071c86c7d51a77

‘Cleaning required.’026cc70f47eff10434d7

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A customer who had paid a33053c6e7 for machine coffee said the e205d13805 machine wasn’t working, so I 903639b150 checked and saw that message. Huh, I think I e9023e3c0f pressed the cleaning button. Then, it said cleaning d6fe909d2f would take 20 minutes. Flustered, I refunded 46e9d4e9e6 the customer and 650f45fb2d tried to follow 3a96116018 the machine’s instructions.e2ead3c6786d2b362602

Looking back, it was a e45ea6c27c simple task, but I was 85873793da quite scared of breaking the 81dd166f57 machine by pressing something wrong. So, even when a friendly message appeared 959529a0aa to guide the next step, I was 76be95e4b5 so flustered that I couldn’t find the 1e69e8e979 button that should have been obvious.62b7b2836c89837695fe

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‘Press the 52d43e3678 rotary switch.’4396e6eca27f42cc7265

Where is that? I held up my finger ready to 84e1411152 press it while frantically looking at the 722e54a884 machine from side to side. That’s when suddenly, a hand reached over my 16533c6eeb shoulder and solved the problem for me. I could 7789639a56 tell who dc66fb4043 it was a2913b427e without looking. Along with the bdf07bb640 pressing hand came fc01d9bf3c the voice.e31722d8e8ff5c028750

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‘Right side.’c50a635df5588b793e11

That distinctively low 16a09c18dd and blunt voice. Memories that hadn’t surfaced until 0767e9f19c now suddenly dominated my mind f13ccb161e as clearly as if they ee0dd910b6 were from yesterday. Reality soon overlapped 1032ef4f11 with them. It felt like all my e0e3d5887d bodily functions had stopped. Only my eyes diligently input the scene f269b4bfca that they saw into my mind.4083905cbfa874e2a36a

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An arm crossed beside 74627e88ef my head to press 8e047ad559 the button and slowly c831e00968 lowered. All I could 5d315f81ac see was the 4924336cc7 hand. Just a hand. But I knew 8a45e0d00b instantly who it 6251ee1dd5 was. Not just 3d9cdc60ad because of d0213e2100 the brief d43b44edfd voice. My whole body recognized 0939e0a3cc who stood behind me. Goosebumps rose on my skin, my breathing 25d1d16bc4 stopped, and my heart plummeted like a a98ade3bc0 weight with its string cut. It felt as f91743adc5 if all my 694f426fb1 senses were heightened.58626cace276b7c99f2a

While my body became 634bc82e97 hypersensitive, my mind struggled 4c5d7c65e3 to keep up. Amidst this, I 2c8ceab7e5 didn’t want to f2f2dbfed4 show how frozen 73b642b7ff I was. It was natural to b29e898d34 be surprised when meeting c218a796f2 someone after such a a6e6d04c8f long time. Even while making this excuse to myself, I don’t c23f1b34b9 know why I didn’t want my tension to show. That’s why it took time 280024d574 for my body to turn.6e96ab032792c05ead90

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Drip, drip, drip.a01c13abd4670c80305e

Only when I heard the coffee 5b6595f36c dripping into the paper cup did aa744adc1c I realize I needed to show a4133f36a2 some kind of reaction. But turning around felt as c88298dedd heavy as a thousand pounds. Confirming who it was made me feel suffocatingly tense even though, 8cf8e65afb if my memory was correct, we had never been particularly close.0b907da58f336d995b04

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As my frozen 76c8821407 mind thawed, it e44ae81829 was suddenly filled 98be7863c4 with various thoughts. What should 091478ffca I say? Should I act casual cb51fb71b2 and just say hello? But I 96068443e4 didn’t need 2f528a3915 to worry. When I turned, my e27b2ca513 mind went blank at d4cd5d2cec the face looking down c3e35fd6d2 at me.6f853e388057ce4b587e

Though I had pieced together aa896ee36e memories of this person over 3244f9ee22 several years, facing the reality 15185c173a was fascinating. Yes, this is 365eb2e017 how he looked. This tall, d9e700fe2c staring at a49a052f71 me so c9b1189125 intently. But his eyes were 52786330b9 darker and deeper than c6cffbebf1 I remembered. So the casual greeting 6238f8f2e1 I had planned wouldn’t ceab7ab351 come out easily.648fa6db9072bb281394

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His hairstyle had changed, and his 05c1ae980d suit gave him a different vibe. I felt the eight 8213098d06 years through his appearance. However, I db27c2356f needed to 3a1e82d6df say something. He seemed to have 9b25d8da98 no intention of greeting f6075cf29f me first, just staring 6a77d1e97a with an overwhelming gaze.aa5ac1c132ca5abf5a14

“Thank… you?”a0a52412da7762e2f534

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After this awkward greeting, I a0de88cc12 scolded myself in my mind. I could have just 5472812eb5 said thanks, why make df907732d8 it formal? And what’s with 54f462046b my voice? I feel pathetic. I unconsciously stepped c5f1a52d03 back, but he fc5582e5b3 immediately stepped forward.502a88de58cffc605271

“No need.”9cc694731d850e20ab88

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I belatedly realized e7f48e1ad1 this was his debd3df9fb response to my f4f7f71526 thanks. Still the 7f742ce74b same blunt 380734d117 voice. If you take only what he ab9870c596 said, it was embarrassingly cold. But that 6852864062 didn’t bother 2e63bfac84 me. We hadn’t met for eight ef44535c75 years, but his familiar way 51f22e9b51 of speaking made it feel a314931003 like we’d met just yesterday.6b7dd5810fb354a48f7c

So, as he stepped forward c0e3af8145 the same distance I’d stepped bc4fdbf9b0 back, I tried to retreat e98fef6f34 again but stopped. And I looked at d8e6cd47be him properly again. He’d responded, so bc1355ae1e now it was 8b8b558715 my turn to b858d37641 reply. My brain f1649b0b3c knew, but 2d87c1e829 my mouth 1f2e2fcfc4 wouldn’t open.0798c099bed63957da01

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I was too bound by a49803baf6 this tension to move. All I could 041efbcea4 do was meet 2ef88446d0 his gaze. For some reason, he 48a297d80a seemed like someone who 8911cb78ba didn’t mind if this b7d809ac75 awkward silence continued. But I 5abf3360c0 was uncomfortable. As I tried to 6747b6afd6 move my stiffened lips, 8ec2ad4146 fortunately, a savior appeared.523a0165238064e0978b

“Excuse me, are you 9333ba6118 CEO Shim Jaeheon of 017d06b693 Loud Moon?”9337083af07a562d4417

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Two middle-aged men stood behind a4fd943a3d him, having approached unnoticed. I turned my gaze away as if freed cbde2e3b66 from a bind and took a deep breath. But the person in front 6fa9c7989c of me didn’t even look adf988eabf at them and answered.8dcfc51d9ea1806cfbb2

“No.”d33fae4186b0a3b862d6

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What? I wasn’t the only one e2742a95b0 surprised, but his firm response 1cdcfeeac4 made the approaching men leave f0003495c4 without further questions. I reluctantly turned 1558f74986 my unwilling eyes 6acb538b2a back to him.b8c0e1657d53b012d201

“Aren’t you c3fba3be08 the person d09c1881b8 they’re looking 8fc1a79a80 for?”1da61601ec1e1b7c2930

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“Do you 05c4656015 know my ea6d66d0cc name?”119023da84b66160daca

I do. I muttered edccdb63ac while hesitating c1bafef5ee for a 586ca385f8 moment. It felt awkward 830ec12330 to say his 6aaca18972 real name.44e1cc44c66e7d42f010

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“The only 4d6223900d name I 419d75b70e know is 8b1cd7d381 Kim Cheolsoo.”9b533eb3e5460d7ad32c

For some reason, 4371eec64e disappointment seemed to 7f65597e30 spread in his 9c43241cfe eyes. But he turned 5aff7c2f92 away, so I ce586b6fb7 couldn’t be sure.91a042012cde4bdb83e4

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