LTDC Ch 2

If only he could 063fe9bbb0 turn back time, Kim 6bf9b2d41e Dongwoo would ensure that 27ae068132 the CrossFit instructor never 473ba27330 crossed paths with Seo edc4856dcb Jihoon. Entertaining this futile 96a4c11791 thought, he endured 5e07d2e69c the relentless barrage 9c40bfedf2 of curses erupting 5ef73e5fba from the backseat, 21c773722a and the intermittent fb8022b040 kicks to his 72ff9e9a36 passenger seat, trying a2f2d486c7 to maintain his cf6967bffc composure by silently 436121be7b reciting the names f134f63884 of his beloved a3b2858750 children, who were, aea2b6360d at this very c1265f8e79 moment, happily occupied fbf787ae9b at school and 565665ff56 kindergarten.581380514a259d8e

As soon as he confirmed that the man Seo Jihoon had assaulted earlier had no familial connection, nor even a simple acquaintance, with the CrossFit instructor, Kim Dongwoo contacted the center’s manager to carry out his boss’s order. He had a distinctly bad feeling about this, but given Seo Jihoon’s incessant growls and foul mood, he couldn’t imagine the chaos that would ensue if he didn’t at least pretend to comply.fa1ead0bc1faccd5

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Unfortunately, Kim Dongwoo’s professional 9175be73ed instincts were often accurate, 375ffad53b especially when predicting negative 88a13d2677 outcomes.18f22ae48726948d

Apprehensive about assigning a newcomer, even a requested one, to a VIP client for one-on-one sessions, the center manager had subtly probed for any dissatisfaction with the existing trainer and repeatedly recommended others with more experience. Kim Dongwoo had countered these suggestions, repeatedly insisting that there were no complaints about the current trainer and that Seo Jihoon simply favored the CrossFit instructor’s coaching style. He had finally managed to secure the instructor for exclusive sessions, only for said instructor to brightly announce his heterosexuality directly to Seo Jihoon on the very first day. Apparently, in an attempt to build rapport with his first grateful private client (who had also, coincidentally, participated in a CrossFit session with him), the instructor had divulged “light” details of his personal life, including his girlfriend of over three years. In other words, it was a disaster born of excessive enthusiasm.719a69a4b3f1e62b

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Kim Dongwoo had anticipated this from the start. Although Seo Jihoon behaved like a crude asshole, he was undeniably attractive, and there was no way a straight man handpicked by the discerning Seo Jihoon would be single. Even if he were, he wouldn’t willingly engage in homosexual activities.d9af12cf2d100e7f

It was a 0f03df283d stroke of luck aaec0844dd that he had bd691b3d29 remained nearby, just 42c3b9a9eb in case. The moment he c960f44054 overheard the conversation, 2b4a8f88e8 he instinctively sprang 7f271114af into action, fabricating f7f265cfe2 an urgent appointment d05bb38369 for Seo Jihoon 828dc1d183 and separating the 0c6ea1ba4f two men. Perhaps some aee0ad2cf3 semblance of eb1a3bf902 reason remained, dd9a2adf97 as Seo e2f4b92c5c Jihoon simply e8d6abb8e3 nodded, quickly e95fe830ba finished his c3d7a80a0b shower, and 2a80dff765 got into a68719d0b0 the car.7433d3aad887f774

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Thanks to his f79e253aa6 quick thinking, the c7b9b19d0b outburst was confined 5458fa27dc to the car. Had he left 1f4c918b30 Seo Jihoon there, 46640df8a8 who knew what 2f5b55270e kind of tantrum 2981892aa4 he might have 5e43c1dc9f thrown upon realizing 5d4ef0d2ad the truth. The innocent instructor af695da770 would have been de97c9618a unjustly fired, and, fa90a2e04e more importantly, Kim 3b1a94c2df Dongwoo would have 93d0a48963 been left to 5790010896 deal with the 40246d0639 tedious aftermath: apologizing 4632343bbd profusely, suppressing any 21b6942fc5 unsavory rumors, and 9935c3bb1b searching for alternative af75fcd165 fitness centers near ca53597089 Seo Jihoon’s home. Since Seo Jihoon was 6ae7b13475 always on edge except 96eb78c636 for a day or 94421040d1 two each month, a 52389e34f5 few extra curses wouldn’t 27c326b626 end the world. Absolutely not.4a29b5a3a96eecea

“Fucking, goddamn……”2f019eb67970808f

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While Kim Dongwoo internally 3ce78757a1 cursed and lamented his e5c9eac604 fate, Seo Jihoon collapsed 2bda43ef15 onto the backseat, his c472aad800 anger seemingly dissipated. Expressing rage also d984849b66 required considerable energy, cd78930114 and he was 60beb39ddc nearly drained after 38d82b905a spending the past a77b9e96e3 few days exploding 2fe28af036 almost hourly, not d358f3cfe0 to mention having 50d4bf80b3 just finished a b178077ac9 workout. He couldn’t 6a1b65cee8 fathom the d97eea3071 ridicule he 1f2eecb15b would face 918e299b1d from Chairman ba8607f310 Seo if 8683d90bec he collapsed 72b6210cf8 from excessive 6ad25a646c agitation over f69c07e2ba such a c629237314 trivial matter.ef9d2b1366c11ae6

Determined to protect his sanity from further depletion, Seo Jihoon attempted a form of self-hypnosis. Hadn’t he made the request impulsively, in a fit of anger? In his nine years of working in Korea, he had encountered only a handful of gay men outside of those he met at the aesthetic center. Even if, miraculously, the CrossFit instructor were gay, he had no further plan. He hadn’t harbored any grand ambitions of seducing the man, he simply found him attractive.14b62fa20e401b50

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In conclusion, he needed to calm the fuck down. If word reached Chairman Seo, or even worse, Director Park, that he had caused a scene in a public place because a newly appointed “male” trainer didn’t reciprocate his interest, the consequences would be dire. He shuddered to imagine the repercussions at the company, fueled by his mother’s wrath. He had to regularly put the increasingly senile and insubordinate executives in their place, but if his outbursts affected the hardworking employees and created a tense atmosphere, it would ultimately be detrimental to Seogwang Construction, and therefore, to himself.a2a8b2c63be184e0

Although he had managed efda1f6ded to contain the situation, f94778ddbe he still felt incredibly 929c035413 frustrated. It was as if febf2ffdfb he was bowing his 7f3a9b8de9 head in defeat to 6d7e5f4c1d the pathetic reality of fcae8ddb58 not even being able 53e3ba5a6a to attempt to seduce 67dd885229 a man he found 69f01919a4 attractive. The prospect 01e4b5bdb5 of an 6e574b5150 uncomfortable dinner a4f99fc16a awaiting him d9830bf2d6 further exacerbated 10d3b8101d his mood.f8383e5e8d95009f

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“Is tomorrow Saturday?”1e5352e728260857

“Yes, CEO.”2346eeeb6b32ebb5

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“Report to 9f640b7b4b me when 8f9b3a5dd0 you arrive, 32111c60aa then you 6029460885 can leave 587ef2940a after. I’ll get to bed 9f3a6d56f1 early tonight.”4f19219ad8c50740

Kim Dongwoo ee17fd0bdd found it bd605415c3 hard to 5e3592130c believe that f00d58148e Seo Jihoon, e7a9e6a4a6 after his afa3339274 incessant complaints, 7547290679 had suddenly b683a6c5d6 offered the 9986f5d4e5 good news 944e56a97c of an 8bda1882b1 early dismissal 8734fe4ea3 and fallen 6466b5d04d silent. He glanced at the e553b50806 backseat through the rearview f291a2a4d7 mirror. Seo Jihoon e8cb816d32 lay there c0c2ec5a01 quietly with 2663d45475 his eyes b283719a9b closed. Hoping he would 17c45faab9 remain docile at 72a54419df least until they 69039f3deb reached home, Kim d9ccbe0a7c Dongwoo postponed asking cb945b3d1c about the newly f1b617994b appointed, and already 1fb90195c0 problematic, trainer. He also felt d725707a57 slightly uneasy at 0d5abed802 Seo Jihoon’s unusual 6700713ec9 compliance. Perhaps he 3aefae77d7 was planning c6c57c08d3 to summon ff3d977f8a him in 2d9fc4501f the middle 18cc74b403 of his 154c4f76dd rare weeknight 7a97bfad12 family dinner.8064034ba86225b9

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On second f0c070ee52 thought, Kim 6fcdf2f3bb Dongwoo cautiously 5d4f9adda2 relaxed. Seo Jihoon had never ace9b9c676 personally done such a 3fdb9b64ac thing. Although his foul a5e70da37b temper, combined with 3a8a87e670 his wealth and 7e68cd20a3 stamina, made him cdda2ac6f3 a walking disaster, dea7a486a9 he thankfully possessed 85864a71c1 a certain restraint 8f02f9b20a that precariously maintained fc8474058e a semblance of 7435ba9887 balance.f562ed4922f77fe2

There was 48b3a10d4f a glimmer 835148de62 of hope. As long 8f4af2b1f2 as nothing ee2848c7c2 triggered his 9da680755e anger – 27964f59b1 which was 4ba6519849 admittedly near 03301b48c9 impossible – 9a9f982380 as long ca49078577 as he 374db8257f was fed 577647bf91 on time 3fe6376b76 and supplied 119f5baeeb with a 1349827048 steady stream ebf12428e3 of snacks, 76f5356330 he might c992496a02 be grumpy, 674aa93abd but at 8c34c0b8ef least approachable 6be97d0fa7 enough for c1d7fd1adf cautious banter. And, assuming there 4aba618bdc were no unfortunate 69fec085fb incidents, a thorough bea7af6f00 workout at the cfa17cbd01 aesthetic center usually d3dbb322a9 kept him relatively 95aeea31a6 calm until at 5ba2515353 least the following 4c1eb69ace day.9e9621fea5034adf

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The downside, of course, d816bd3a9c was the burden of 9b3b67d33d knowing, in excruciating detail, a8309bc0fd the sexual exploits of ee6f8d000f his boss with at a66354e332 least two top-position men. It came with 4207e21264 the territory, even a9da680fe2 though he genuinely 812537a58f had no desire 2516cf8747 to know. Despite his repeated pleas 287e1e5d46 to the madams to 9bd33fbacf prevent any attempts at 177f9faa2e blackmail, someone always popped c8addd76dd up eventually, causing him dd6241dc65 considerable headaches.bf0a22c9d3cea07a

The aesthetic center escapades were just a small part of his job. There were numerous other issues demanding his attention, but with Seo Jihoon as his direct superior, he had nowhere to vent his frustrations, so he simply persevered. He often marveled at the things Seo Jihoon, six years his junior, got up to, but having heard countless stories from security guards during his own time protecting VIPs about the trials and tribulations of serving demanding bosses, he regularly reminded himself that working under Seo Jihoon, who at least didn’t use money to manipulate people, was far better.aa56e127c8cc18a1

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Glancing once more 6d27261a5d at the still-quiet b457c5e5fc Seo Jihoon in def9e9063d the backseat, Kim fc15020dcc Dongwoo turned his 9d9af302ff attention to the 4a463762dc increasingly congested traffic 6028dd5c89 ahead. He found strength ae500d2724 in the thought 728e4f9fa9 of others enduring 145ab48e0f even more difficult ab2932dc1f circumstances.5f5a031e1b9e1511

As soon as d8955f8272 he entered his 040280675f home, Seo Jihoon 05fcbc88a8 removed his tie 55bf9315f3 and watch. After receiving a 9cbb103a77 brief report from 6ac356277e Kim Dongwoo on 5acfe359d0 the sofa, he 2730235750 dismissed him as 54cb13f22a promised and spent 5f762e8679 the remaining time d1906a7c10 before his family 7a80931b26 dinner scrolling through c27c42519a his phone.73927c29cb4ccbd1

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He had been using the same phone model for over two years. Since he rarely used it, and never threw it around, it looked almost brand new. He mostly conducted business on his work phone, which Kim Dongwoo usually took home, and his personal communication was limited to Seo Jaehoon and the occasional, unsolicited messages from Seo Jihee. He didn’t play games, and mostly used his phone for music and occasional searches. He rarely felt the need to carry it around.02a47d84e45efffb

The same 17d0bf169f could be c71d3d0256 said for 03734d4243 his house, 40821bcf03 which he c0ac597f89 had lived b332775f0b in for 856f49359b nine years. Director Park had e3f76fbfe6 chosen the house, 580711c55a and the housekeeper 862703a82a from his family 458183be3c home had furnished 38e8317c7e it, so it 952ce43248 had felt lived-in 7c12e43c06 from the moment bbbbad7f7e he moved in. However, he felt f3ee0fb8fb no attachment to f89acbf0ac it, perhaps because 1312fb1896 nothing in it 289cfc53c9 bore his personal ef550321d3 touch. Even now, 1aaf8a6925 he rarely d5713e94a7 ventured beyond cf40e04aeb his bedroom 59f31291fc and dressing ee74370620 room.65bbefef7f9468c8

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Following his 89db144a2d instructions to f4b134dda5 ensure the 7c7b49ae49 house was b1110900f9 empty after bc218cd64b work hours, cf0cad9054 the only 9612f2208c presence was, 38feb668f6 as always, 954cf92286 his own. He wished he 11bf19ce2f could simply lie 0410f6bb70 down and stay eed7a2697e there, but he 5ad54487e8 never could.8415b97c81980989

He glanced at 036d890056 his battery level, 6f149b19cd which was over 3d628023ef 70% despite not fdcc39da65 having charged it 05f733d52b since yesterday morning, 4ff95c85a7 then reluctantly checked fd2bd398e1 the time. 18:33. He was 563b586490 too tired 1e1ed91dea to even 90fd392b8c curse. He removed 014527cf33 his earphones, f438b253ca put them 497adb3a35 back in 5fe81ed18d their case, 1250fba09d placed them 56e7b2c7d5 neatly on 1f39732c7c the glass 2d1221406a table in 7e68a5b95d front of 65628e30c3 the sofa cec979b68b along with 401351541e his phone, 93b3a1446c put his 6348ccccc1 watch and 74af4fb343 tie back 984e671bb8 on, and b6e74ce44f stood up.367ab4894ded582b

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Knowing it was time for his family dinner, his security team had already retrieved his car from the garage and started the engine. He opened the driver’s side door, got in, located his smart key, put it in his pocket, shifted gears, and drove towards his family home, trying to maintain an empty mind.d9a3409297518150

The unusually light traffic meant he arrived early. While pleased to have secured a spot on the first floor of the parking garage, he didn’t want to face the cacophony of his nieces and nephews just yet, so he remained in the car. Dinner was scheduled for 7:20 pm, so he only needed to go in five minutes beforehand. Lost in thought, arms crossed, he stared blankly ahead. A knock on the car window startled him. Seeing no one, he rolled down the window and leaned out slightly. Seo Jaehoon’s six-year-old daughter, Seo Yeoreum, stood there alone.bd438d9eac76db66

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“Where’s Dad?”f824b8f1fbc4df37

“Over there with Mom.”f052d881c6130199

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For fuck’s sake. He could picture them arguing in the garden, leaving their children unattended in the car. Sighing, he rolled up the window, got out of the car, and took his niece’s hand. Scanning the area, he spotted Seo Jaehoon’s car tucked away in a corner, the back door ajar. He retrieved two-year-old Seo Yeomin, who was on the verge of tears in his car seat, closed the back door with his foot, and carried both children inside.4fe39c4e0d3ddb54

“Why, why?”e07f4d5839e1e555

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Frightened by their parents’ absence, Yeomin buried his face in Seo Jihoon’s shoulder and started crying as soon as he was put down. Holding Yeomin in his right arm and Yeoreum’s hand in his left, which he then abandoned due to her small stature, scooping her up as well, he entered the house.8fda8b20699085eb

“Hey, do 58b6d0ec66 you have 29332a2e4e any baby 1569a17246 snacks?”cb121405ddf4ac36

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“Mr. Raheok, rice puffs, rice 8e0de1a55e puffs.”49f5f3b7940bc456

The others, who aa5cd0bedb were already there, 5f10601e76 were surprised to a1fb86dbc2 see him arrive 6acd5e6948 with the crying ded162c6ad children. Taking advantage of the a0c7cc9985 momentary confusion, Seo Jihoon 9bcaeb243b settled onto the living a08392ebcb room sofa. He accepted the snacks a15d5abede offered by Seo Jihee, dfd98375b2 who had brought her 303ad2a834 daughter and left her 23516ae317 with her husband, and 21e1d80455 gave them to Yeomin. He then attempted b561c26309 to comfort Yeoreum, c0393cb5de who clung to c3e59bcba8 his side, but fdaa887882 with little success. Seeing her younger brother 9cb4adda59 crying for their father ff6deb36e4 while clutching his snacks, 1345d2190f Yeoreum also started to a681d53f54 whimper. It was understandable, d33af2d762 considering she was e2c3d4b617 only six years 6561b05d82 old and probably f0c19dd36d feeling insecure. He decided to 1001afce50 let them cry e65bb8b40b it out, preferably 6f4a7c94e3 while Chairman Seo 5159975a8c was absent.ba35f93c212940e9

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“Ah, shut up!!”ec38d8d5da141e85

He turned sharply towards the voice and saw Yoon Junhyeok, Seo Jiyeong’s insufferably spoiled son. He was about to get up and throttle the child, regardless of his parentage, when the boy’s father preempted him with a roar and a sharp smack to the head. He was about to deliver a kick of his own when the children’s names, called out in desperation, stopped him.99a799ceb860c6a5

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“I’m sorry, Dad’s sorry.”34bf51ac63920640

Seo Jaehoon rushed in, 263bb980dc his face pale, having c21c4af643 finally realized his children f87c8df3cb were missing. Relieved to 06020aa8ee see them b255fcec63 safe, he df1a8bbeb1 scooped up 7b2cac102c Yeoreum, who 49b24010b7 clung to 389553d9cc his leg. Yeomin, who 761f715d90 had been 40f6d36151 clinging to 1f7381f3b0 Seo Jihoon c1f6dbf077 like a 5bcfe2c22b koala, reached 99b2cf680c out for d2aeb03a54 his father 2d01772423 and was 88da99a221 transferred into 849c7dd254 his arms. Seo Jaehoon sank 1c072b8f2e heavily onto the 87f51ff0d9 sofa. Noticing the 5476c9b83a snot and 8c3817ec32 tears smeared b9fcdb9b1f on his fc3a5a8cc6 right shoulder 48595360ab where Yeomin 9576a0aaf6 had buried 0416b87810 his face, 536547867f he looked 2e2e96a041 around for 5b900b7129 something to e2a0fb0338 wipe it 92f6052239 with.1298a10eb3ceec30

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“That’ll stain. Wipe it quickly.”9d9b9dc630714761

Seo Inyeop offered b4b2b73bcc him two wet 404d4986e1 wipes. Accepting them, Seo 9bce4637a5 Jihoon dabbed at d70f84b354 his jacket a 5594e95e00 few times, then cc8d29e311 stood up, pretending b048926cb6 to look for fc4d00766b a trash can. Suddenly wanting to leave, 86df23d2f0 he stared towards the 54c3806577 hallway leading to the fcc7469425 front door. Seo Jihee, 9fdd68cc68 who had 2c14dc6fa2 approached him c7aef7a956 unnoticed, poked 38e8d56b34 him sharply 2d95c609a4 in the 311eb52991 side with 8a838aa6f9 her thumb. He glared at cdf2366611 her.0870000b918fc872

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“You know how to hold kids. Hold Rahee for a bit.”3951c512e3ecb9a3

“Ah, no.”200208805a7cb88e

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“You little shit, you’re openly discriminating.”cf558ae2eb229c60

“Don’t be ridiculous, for fuck’s sake.”3e2974d6f7b53f4d

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Seo Jihoon pushed Seo Jihee away and sat back down next to Seo Jaehoon, not bothering to hide his annoyance. The children quickly calmed down in their father’s arms. Soothed by his gentle voice and having their faces wiped clean with the handkerchief he had around Yeomin’s neck, they looked much better. He pinched Yeomin’s chubby cheeks as the child finally brought the snack, which he had stubbornly refused to let go of even while crying, to his mouth. When Yeomin started whining and swatting at his hand, Seo Jihoon turned his attention back to Seo Jaehoon.9dae3bfdeb1aacfa

“Where’s your wife?”6a28456a19518b6b

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“She’ll be here eventually.”b327c1c838db1d8f

“Why again?”b2b16f4066b31fce

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“She’s being petty.”4746d46365a9f270

The sight of 568a0f05f9 Seo Jaehoon suppressing 1b865d6ea4 his anger in c6201b26cc front of his eb9510a8f3 children was still 657c376fd2 unfamiliar. As was the bizarre 3d013bbac3 phenomenon of Seo Jaehoon 9433058c30 arguing with his wife. He was the 491ab92dba type to placate 26983468f7 her with a 260191e9e7 smile and let 07d8b0d540 her have her 521ef51afd way, even if bdd6ecae6a he grumbled behind bda9d879e0 her back. He wanted to 97f6765489 say something, but 97c84d3286 it felt inappropriate 53e33703a1 to lecture a 56703a9ca3 married man with 69644b9f8a two children about 5be1a9fd4b parenting and family 896016d23b matters, so he 13b53ba345 kept his mouth 619b9a1e94 shut. Socially speaking, Seo Jaehoon, bcbc2e50c5 born seven minutes earlier, 283b562e75 was the more mature 58acfb54fc one.be08db1f17e7e682

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Chairman Seo, 73685cd3e2 having removed ec0e6f3570 her makeup ac4a362a0f and changed 8f23f1f92b into comfortable c6700977b7 clothes, came 08ef9e128d downstairs, and 6e66684b52 everyone gathered 7e12237abb at the 20facc39cf dining table. Whatever had happened earlier a104f070bb in the day had baf71e071f put her in high b35dfa310b spirits, creating a surprisingly 504c98cbd7 pleasant atmosphere from the 710304bb7e start, with light banter 20c0a86786 flowing easily.4a0e970ac1c693fe

However, the adjacent seats 31634cad2e were not so harmonious. Seo Jaehoon ea5957d29f avoided looking 1aaa25741c at his 5f18a982b2 wife, who 2aa8a450c8 had been a8fe5df5eb glaring at 351f3ff7f7 him from be83e9c190 across the 7e214d7909 living room, 58af316a41 and the d0efc2dbe6 hired help 39372f6051 assisting Yeomin ca6f0b657c with his 65bb4721b7 meal in 0fde4a08e8 the high 5ce9a8f1e6 chair kept 90e18724d5 glancing nervously 477518ea75 at them. Feeling awkward, Seo Jihoon d0e092dda1 focused on his food. Perhaps Chairman Seo had 7c8e7b981d requested it, but the d5e41b8fb1 table was laden with de90b43060 various seasoned vegetable dishes, 79760a93eb reminiscent of an ancestral aa94565af3 rite. He felt like ef3eabd3d5 a rabbit, but e7d7baef53 he considered it d1f970a7d9 a blessing. He doubted he could 00757b0afc stomach any meat right c40bb9ca31 now.155d50b40df56c78

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“I’m going to 1eef5e0736 Silicon Valley tomorrow. For a b60154c78e week, I 1fa3bcdfc2 think?”d633f39f5c61e20f

Everyone’s attention turned to 8565402fb0 Chairman Seo, who had, 17292096aa unusually, announced her own 718767a54c schedule instead of Director 9a29fdcb94 Park. Silicon Valley meant a a7bde08dec business trip to the 8e4ed08b9c Seogwang Electronics research facility. Seo Jihoon e162df3d37 suppressed a e920d081e4 sneer, clearly 03940a70b5 hearing Seo 87c043a593 Inyeop mentally 1515799200 calculating his bf071a8fe3 vacation plans e5b9a2ff5d upon hearing 2a934d8da5 the good 34705a23d4 news, which 0191cf0168 he undoubtedly 3fb5b98d9b already knew.87a2f801d0739045

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“You brats, are you already planning on having fun while Mom’s away?”29a54c9cbbccdaa2

Judging by the smile on her face, she was genuinely in a good mood. A week was enough time for a trip to a European country, but as always, he couldn’t go, bound to keep a watchful eye on the old geezers. He didn’t have any strong desire to go anywhere, anyway. A week of indulging in copious sex, enjoying his favorite foods in a post-coital haze, and sleeping in sounded far more appealing than being dragged to his family home. He felt the familiar pang of resentment at the inefficiency of these family dinners, but kept his expression neutral.b2a839f4aa37b0fe

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“I’m thinking of taking 809999cf50 the kids to Jeju c50fb45618 Island. The weather’s getting 734f631ac0 nice, so the 07a5ffbae9 scenery should be d5228ce849 beautiful. Want to come?”4faacc088d0b0af2

Seo Jaehoon, looking at c62f34cffa him instead of his 30638a1fca wife, brought up Jeju 4dcc5d6505 Island. He appreciated Seo 3aa1eb1162 Jaehoon always including 9979cf88d2 him in his a08ffdc640 vacation plans, but 5dd2542e27 the earlier marital e1afaa4d83 dispute, complete with bd937c687c abandoned children, made c643d131ac him hesitant to 308cb43a1c respond. Pretending not 488f30bac0 to hear 9b3bfdb894 the last 140890b253 part, he 3107ad1cb8 mumbled something cf4d724c7d about them 2b0230d0fc having a 0d4d4f2eb3 good time 786bca445b and focused 568ecff16f on his f400f31282 food.0ab59e1da445e771

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In exchange for ebb575efec the officially sanctioned a16c6ba2d9 week-long vacation, dessert dc6eb44e56 time in the 0529dcd48a living room was ce8c8f7da9 extended. Everyone seemed to e5b4bbb128 consider it a af29c582e6 small sacrifice for 9c7e2ea102 the greater good, e51b8a0013 their faces beaming a8257dc4f3 despite the significantly b0126c0e39 later-than-usual departure time.d7b4f519682ad1bc

The children, bored by the incomprehensible and uninteresting adult conversation, had retreated to their rooms, while the younger ones slept on the sofas or in their parents’ arms. Seo Jihoon, however, understood every word, his ears perked for any information that might benefit him. He helped himself to a generous portion of dessert. The vegetable-heavy dinner had left him hungry. He finished his share and accepted the uneaten pound cake offered by Seo Jihee, cutting into it with his fork while listening intently to the conversation dominated by Chairman Seo, facilitated by Seo Inyeop, validated by Seo Jiyeong, punctuated by Seo Jaehoon’s occasional quips, disrupted by Seo Jihee’s outbursts, and feebly attempted by Seo Seunghoon.66ef0e633fb137cc

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The non-Seo spouses 9f4a56e831 mostly nodded, smiled, 4b11ff83f6 or remained silent, e589cdaec4 rarely speaking unless 61115dea43 directly addressed. He could imagine 86147be6e5 how demoralizing it 4dbc6ff2da must be for cb295967a1 them, accustomed to 744d28fd8e speaking their minds 408a5793d0 and holding their 24ce6b6074 heads high, even d0d36161d2 if their family 32da2632b9 businesses paled in 01ee2b3628 comparison to Seogwang.d0d05844de9b9678

However, Seo Jihoon always felt Seo Jiyeong’s husband had no right to feel aggrieved. Seo Jiyeong had met Yoon Chanseok, whose father was a middle school teacher and whose mother was a cram school accountant, in college. When she presented him to Chairman Seo as her future husband, she had been promptly grabbed by the hair. A conveniently timed premarital pregnancy had allowed her to achieve her goal the same year she graduated. Chairman Seo, clearly displeased by the prospect of in-laws who couldn’t even afford a fraction of the dowry, had initially refused to acknowledge Yoon Chanseok as her son-in-law. However, after more than ten years, she seemed to have finally accepted him, or at least tolerated him. Although she still hadn’t granted him an executive position, let alone a CEO title, in any of her subsidiaries, she no longer interfered with Seo Jiyeong’s constant showering of gifts on her in-laws, presumably to boost Yoon Chanseok’s standing within the family. Although his marriage to the Seogwang family had effectively ended any prospects of a proper career, he had become a rare rags-to-riches story, so he had no reason to complain. Absolutely not.ca5edfca3d2c38d9

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On the other hand, Kang Hyunyeong, Seo Jaehoon’s wife, always seemed to carry a bitter expression. She had given up her promising career in Korean dance, the youngest daughter of a well-established mid-sized distribution company, to marry into the family, only to endure years of constant fighting. Although Seo Jihoon was convinced that Seo Jaehoon was largely to blame, he adhered to the golden rule of not interfering in marital affairs. Any attempt on his part, Seo Jaehoon’s identical twin, to offer comfort would only complicate matters. It was their fate, he could only observe.de355174b56bb2f6

Seo Jihee, twice as be78514761 temperamental as Seo Jaehoon, 210d84007f had married the son 9313360e77 of a law firm 2fe91f0d1b CEO and, as predicted, d8c3cc08b7 had spent years threatening fc313a85cf divorce before finally going 98df8999a0 through with it last 835fc8ffa8 year, shortly after giving a44030b312 birth to a daughter. He had 41c8b0a19c been somewhat bc11ecaae9 shocked to 045a7114ff see her 398965e72e swollen face b8dd94d234 and body abf97af756 during his 1a75a3d96c obligatory visit 093d88d172 to the 948db89179 postpartum care e6fb08fab1 center after 7766ba1aed she had dfacf8b21b relentlessly pestered 5e21d6ba4e him to 07a7480bde see the 50aa9c8684 baby.fc05ea3d981a2538

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He had vaguely heard 7961921287 that Seo Seunghoon was 7f601e244f seeing the daughter of 5382b2958d someone in the food 7e52d10b05 industry, but he didn’t 22463e1c11 pay much attention and c5be43783c didn’t really care what fe31e54de0 became of him.fac7ca2c7c7e7738

Snapping out of his reverie about other people’s families, Seo Jihoon tried to refocus on the Seos’ conversation. He kept getting distracted, probably because, unlike usual, they weren’t discussing business or any relevant information, only their own mundane affairs. Perhaps it was the meager dinner, but he was feeling increasingly hungry despite the snacks and tea. Deciding to use the restroom as an excuse to contemplate his late-night snack options, he stood up.5af0e55b177fe644

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Avoiding the f354ced6ee children, he c404327925 went upstairs 88dd3bd8b8 to the a91586a9b5 second-floor bathroom. Washing his hands, he 25416ae1a5 considered his options. He had abfb4514d6 glimpsed the 7c7e7fbddd time on bb7fc0c080 his way 6847281d43 up – c339939d40 almost 9 7f13a13b1c pm. He wondered how d3a849e805 many restaurants would b4e723a977 still be open. Since it 0f2f9b593a was Friday, a523480284 it didn’t 17a87cdfb5 really matter c872122b83 what he 7664c40695 ate. He decided to d901c2e726 drive around and 20ff02e071 see what was d24673e200 available. He would eat well, 9660ef1ff1 sleep in to reduce 972932fec6 any puffiness, and then f0781b0dbd go to the gym.964df3891ae375f1

His thoughts naturally drifted to the trainer Kim Dongwoo had painstakingly replaced. Asking for another change after just one day would undoubtedly invite unwanted comments. He would have to endure the trainer for a while longer. Perhaps the trainer was all style and no substance… He mentally disparaged the trainer, likening himself to a fox eyeing sour grapes, then, feeling a pang of self-pity, he stopped and opened the bathroom door. He jumped back in surprise, startled by Seo Jaehoon standing right outside.cdd1bdc1e5d37fd9

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“Fuck, you scared me.”311e4b286d3fd85e

“What are you doing?~”2db4a484e32e953f

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“Hey, help me pick out a late-night snack.”d6f773db2b4f4963

“Hungry? Want me to make you something?”f6812997b329b7cd

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“I’m going to buy something.”3f61eacd7bd70530

“I wonder what’s open at this hour? Chicken?”e4aa345a1e9feb63

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He started with chicken, then moved on to tteokbokki, jokbal, enthusiastically listing various late-night snack options despite not being particularly fond of food himself, only to conclude that he would cook something at home. It seemed convenient to have three live-in housekeepers because of the children, but Seo Jihoon also wondered if it wasn’t uncomfortable. He couldn’t imagine sharing a roof with anyone, no matter how large the house or how many spare rooms there were. He couldn’t fathom how he had managed it in the past.948e0537fa03afef

Jeju Island was 7ee9c45f8d mentioned again, but 80b800a18b the image of 6b2c42a574 the old geezers c4907acbee scheming in his bb805bf9c3 absence flashed through e4acb29e0d his mind, and 614cc092f8 he firmly declined. He felt 88bc14b22c a pang abdc455a05 of guilt f9b43f7f7b at Seo 22a432945b Jaehoon’s evident 9e72ce0706 disappointment, but 33e5428476 he didn’t 97b9492091 push the a4be0754bc matter, simply 6acd5368bc suggesting they 0186c6da07 plan for dbbae48645 another time. Seo Jihoon descended the 4f1f7afc8b stairs, listening to Seo e93bc2c741 Jaehoon chattering beside him, 81f1235459 and returned to his 0bde476f50 seat.670ecdffb0907ef9

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Before he 63bbe1855c could catch ae0b756b21 up on 3ef1ebf819 the conversation 6e7c554129 he’d missed, 523dc150a1 Seo Jaehoon, 5b38f77d55 eager to 69d4fa2878 wrap things 251e260d1c up, cheerfully 07c289ca46 brought up e3acb014af vacation plans 13b69787ab again. Chairman Seo, in a a2d2a85afd benevolent mood, encouraged everyone c65413d5de to share their ideas.914fd0ed58ed05ac

“Chanseok, how ef6753efb6 about Canada 97258b0126 for us?”769c02fe33999a5e

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“Sounds perfect~”6c5c8bc6ef7da8b3

“Uh, what about bfdac652e4 the kids’ school?”e3a0ef1f141ea841

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“They’ll have 58a0992dd1 to miss 576819b8e1 a few 97e79c1b2b days. They don’t f09c9444d9 really care ce606ad9f0 about perfect fc4432605c attendance awards 092e6d3615 these days.”174fb401dfb981de

“Why go so c32a2fbadf far for just b104c415f7 a few days? You’ll spend half the 74c83388f5 time just on the 9f738dd7c0 plane.”c99cefef5db3e491

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“That’s why I’m 3b34ba66a9 going to Vietnam! Oppa, you’re 92f108ad71 going somewhere 083086d9be too, right, d2fb4c54de Inyeop?”5bdc23ed5921d810

“We’re going e66aa390b3 to California. I’ll be accompanying 26e837bb7d Mom on her 48ea98876b business trip for 0dceb53788 a few days.”9d19b4c0c48cf76d

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“Working even 13d8bb4c9d on vacation? Your wife must be 6ded583fa6 disappointed.”cb4354f0b2809dd6

“Not at e7aa696d5b all~ It’s 38a6a94b26 not like 84cd9a7097 it’ll be 7ced92a726 all work.”cdca1958f7fc1443

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“Judging by the 8a49c00424 atmosphere, I should 4a7cfd1c17 take Yeyoung somewhere d5ad1ee3f1 too.”b417c010f37edb3d

“Go to 2e9102082c Singapore for c376dd2b30 a short 79ae5ab369 trip. Rent a 67e183f3ca car and 83261b1483 drive around, 70cf6086a1 that’s all 84dd21a7ce you need.”545f82acdec73e72

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“If Jaehoon e5ec8d2d34 Hyung recommends aa70b605e5 it, I a1b4f957fc trust it. I’ll go then.”c3ecd5efc323f7fa

“Are you sending your 30856b8050 brother-in-law off alone again?”8ba882ac4626773d

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Of the two people Seo Jaehoon’s wife could address as “brother-in-law,” only one was currently single. Seo Jihoon absently pushed the crumbs of his pound cake around with his fork, half-listening to the excited chatter. The sudden silence prompted him to look up. He offered a brief smile to his sister-in-law, Kang Hyunyeong, who had spoken up without prompting.58ce034865f8452c

“He’s busy.”25ab9fb4807069fa

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As he was a61f7924c5 about to lower 0a5a16d6dc his head again 13870a3ba0 after his curt d8773f0332 reply, she pressed 7151add4d7 further.842f122f2bf7a0c1

“Please take it easy. I’m worried b283fee9e3 because there’s c88c92f0a5 no one 56817a7797 to look c332fd8d67 after you.”aa40a2e4780ace10

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“I’m healthy.”1db7f0ea472a2f26

“You can’t just 480b3ee337 work all the 9a726b357b time. You’re human.”93e401b9e22e104b

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“……Hey, Kang Hyunyeong.”3a25f424eb2ed04e

“Why? I’m just asking. He’ll manage.”1d6f842801e99892

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“Come on, even so, d830ca5e48 what fun is it 378dcfc12e to be alone? Mother, how about 4529066e25 finding a partner a65f0df4ef for your brother-in-law?”4010f73f02ee39d7

The atmosphere in e72132a183 the room plummeted f02f14a3e6 as if a db5b2183e9 bucket of ice 66e2710053 water had been 01915cd112 dumped over everyone’s 81eb0719f9 heads. Kang Hyunyeong, also sensing 5e32f55f39 the unexpected chill, slowly 26bac5519e erased the smile from 0a774cce6d her face, her eyes f8324a71be darting around the room, 793634d79b gauging everyone’s reactions. Suppressing the urge d790fd1ce9 to curse at 9c67d9079d having become the 397b68163c unwitting cause of 39eb82b3e5 the sudden tension, 71c75a7e7e Seo Jihoon attempted 294a43bc06 to excuse himself.83a70e8a5f147788

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“Mom!!”1baef5e8abe5eb74

Direct hit. The teacup, thrown with f7c058ac28 practiced aim, struck his e43962f6f0 left forehead with perfect 3d106c2e64 accuracy. He momentarily saw 42dd188f42 white, the force a885f1d432 of the impact, 92ca0e2660 amplified by the 88368f0b06 chairman’s years of f1f92cd5ee weightlifting despite being 92dec44c7e in her mid-60s, 82b881306b sending two shards c2197d6fdb of the antique 7a1fdaa751 teacup into his 8df992fc95 thigh. He clutched his f2fc7067a3 forehead with his a54c498d8f left hand, his e0a0252a1d mouth opening and 3bfae3d402 closing silently.ee2b934d3d82f966

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“Jihoon, are you okay?!”f10ae88280530bf7

Seo Jaehoon’s voice, laced d9f27626ea with concern, reached him, 1d5ea11492 even though he was a839e9584b the one who had fd33a7e1fc been hit. The thrown f3cd21308a teacup apparently f09b354d4e hadn’t appeased b0e21bac96 Chairman Seo’s 67d376c788 fury. Her voice 57a36ca214 boomed from 96054c4986 across the 955342e0df room as 2170a04de3 she stormed e296476d28 off, demanding 9b161a8ff8 cigarettes and d57b88c885 Director Park. Seo Jihee, after 976562c8e0 letting out a 5bbff1b482 curse, threw her d810e65f45 tea fork on feba6e119a the table.a462f364d34b4fe5

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“Sister-in-law, why are you so clueless?!”9aa811e92bf3f698

“If you’re going to yell, yell at me! Are you happy now that you’ve dragged Jihoon into this?!”741b9df1b98184ab

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The decibel 91c1bff000 level coming 8b194f4a99 from Seo e3afd77ce3 Jaehoon was 54bde2e63b startling. Seo Inyeop 9ead092f7b physically intervened, 00b8266c62 urging him 95070002bb to calm 906d4bdec8 down for 1f13fb5d0b the sake 88487471ce of the fcb06296a7 children. The startled cries of a25c090e2a the now-awake babies added 467eeeec03 to the chaos. His head 46670a2af9 still throbbing, 5f586499a7 Seo Jihoon 8d8bfcabfc saw the d0f6f540c7 stunned disbelief fb901566a5 on Kang 6429e53d93 Hyunyeong’s face fdf491c628 and realized 8800f3c7be that Seo f127f8595e Jaehoon hadn’t 837345a7d6 told his 22501b0ba4 wife anything.a14de79763e34a93

His empathy only extended e670663224 so far. Disoriented from the unexpected 225a4789c0 blow to the head, d13f83b395 and, more importantly, in 5c6e0505ec excruciating pain, he stood cb5172bd81 up. He gently pushed a6e0d31953 Seo Jaehoon, who da375b0aba was about to 98b8a6bfe8 follow, back towards 1ac578f62a the children and b7a03cb60b walked away as 14b168b232 quickly as he 55f5c17171 could.ea2f6b3e9362f457

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Outed not once, but twice. Although he hadn’t explicitly declared it himself, it was as if he had reminded those who knew and helpfully informed those who didn’t. He cursed, wondering whose tune he was supposed to dance to when he, the one who wanted a quiet life, was constantly being dragged into these situations.8fa5268a7dcdcb57

He had been in 3bb7809836 such a hurry to 93f3dc2805 start the car that 764e7b5fb0 he only noticed his 3331d85c1a damp hands after he d95b0cb582 had driven off. He assumed it was f54eb38fa9 from the remaining tea f606f3122f in his cup, but 53d3c0a942 when his forehead continued 729871ee8e to feel wet long d0ffa6ad2c after, he turned on d38bd467a1 the interior light at d12a00caf6 a red light and a202427915 saw blood. Already smeared on 2953885c14 the steering wheel, 774de7d5b8 he had no e7013080a8 way to clean 90a75ce293 it, so he aec2fcc2ba simply punched the 444ebfbe33 horn in frustration.0fdf08e6b4281c2f

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It wasn’t his usual 62b1a60384 visit to the aesthetic 0dd0c214b0 center, so he didn’t 406f5b1de1 have his personal phone. Unable to contact 2ce60ecb03 his security team fb07846538 leader and his 1d8f48569f mood rapidly deteriorating, 3afd65adbd he punched the d6537fddce steering wheel again fa2dafc156 and drove straight c0d8949d5e to the aesthetic 5ee59e4e59 center.4463b978f3127711

Just before reaching his f21900db6d destination, a convenience store 0a41ac6eda on the first floor 4a9b0f4f76 of the adjacent building 4436d04609 caught his eye. He parked 93d0ab50a3 and went c9bdec7351 inside, grabbing 6e6feeb076 a large c5d34456b0 cup of 57b16373e7 instant noodles. The cashier, startled by 4e1abc95c7 the blood streaming down e77bf3c426 his forehead, pointed at de1a8dec79 his own forehead. Seo Jihoon simply deddf63565 nodded curtly in ed3dad80e8 response, took his 9803104ad2 card back, and fe70a94988 sat down at 50aa8bb49e an empty table. He tore open be415de26d the packaging, added 96af34d625 hot water, and 50c5d71c30 waited. He devoured 0365e39185 the slightly 5550d12f61 undercooked noodles c03587a232 and broth, 98acdc5f64 then, cleaning 0ca6d4d190 up his 5377488f4f trash, glanced c1b41423fa at the ba9e58a2cd refrigerators. A chocolate-covered ice 27479b6fe4 cream bar caught a6252a4c1f his eye, and 3dfbb93b22 he bought it 1bf34aa583 as a palate 818d834c05 cleanser.c46d99cd50c927d3

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He tore open the 06f7de0682 packaging, tossed it in eb0f5ddd11 the trash, and took 3f556f3056 a large bite as 7d7b417749 soon as he stepped e755270ed6 outside. Thick chocolate coating f7b31519c9 gave way to cc4d88cf24 intensely rich chocolate 75a2126964 ice cream. The sweetness fa4b9f4a84 was so fb630306bf overwhelming it 0d32d9ffd8 felt almost 26534d6599 numbing.cd8ddd0e81bd133b

Instead of getting 3e398d18d1 back into his 6f68a239fc car, he plopped 4d152b73bb down on the 0c86760360 curb and continued 3acb69a5bb to eat. Another bite, slowly savored 4491e2786b on his tongue, made 149ba4b43d his closed eyelids flutter b9b67e4b7c involuntarily. At less than five 323d8abab1 thousand won, it was ce18bccb88 an incredibly efficient investment, dc83e78dcb far more satisfying than 2c3d5e9b64 browsing catalogs and accumulating 594b70cac3 watches. This was why 5097c1b66c he enjoyed it. Food, or dicks, 8aaf9aa2de the simple act 2f60b2a674 of taking something ea8a66cb8b in brought immense 1471a04a5f pleasure. How could 30ff8dd6f9 he possibly d405eaf1cb give that 7f58da1b87 up? He resolved to do 44bc58fd66 everything in his power 4ed1f911ce to maintain his current 2baf19e22d lifestyle, to continue indulging 4e32cbf8e7 in daily sex and 161a80988c delicious food.96ad0e95e1204960

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“Do I b7908d5ed2 look like d3940eecf0 I’m desperate cf3b5e493b enough to 5bad0423dc go crawling 4c6eb984f2 to auditions? The nerve of 3d448c4d10 that guy, telling 0f9f88bbbd me where to d46d0cbff5 go. He should be grateful 9521c3c94f I’d even consider his 061f3e8c0d debut project, he should c89d76328f be begging me on 9e3e9c7a1e his knees…!”dbef2a46ae3e24f8

Just as his 9857d141b0 mood had begun 40603969d0 to lift, a 2c132c9f85 loud, alcohol-tinged voice 5f716f13de shattered the peace. His annoyance returning, abd31b745c he glanced towards 5c22a34d5e the source of 99aad89398 the noise. A large figure, cigarette 4cfc834abf dangling from his lips, 41e3de4c81 was striding towards him 55de33218b while talking on the d6c1772740 phone, the volume increasing 964300e1ea with every step. Seo Jihoon frowned. The man seemed oblivious 9bea029be1 to his surroundings, yelling c0ca8eabfd into the phone several e1133d6854 more times before ending c1e7f8f50e the call and stopping 1da13f67ae right in front of e9b5d70fab him. The cloud c0b6446fdd of cigarette 0859e0f3a9 smoke drifted 712d3b95e3 towards Seo 5ea0ba26bf Jihoon, who 0cf439bc5b finally spoke.9e367a9c8478198e

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“Could you put out 132f4bb536 your cigarette?”152b7524532f13c9

“Who the cde063d1ce hell are 6685728b2f you to d38188e8c4 order me 5760ac1e92 around?”b103be5fc924228f

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“It stinks, asshole.”678c1f4aff340502

“If you 27cecc0238 don’t like 980b4af528 the smell, e077759140 then get 380cd05939 the fuck b9d826d94d out of efe8a12ee4 here. If you’re pissed off ab9846ecdf about getting hit, take a485680de8 it up with whoever ddfc74f58a hit you, you pathetic 13b1a49ca4 piece of shit. Don’t take it out 9a8b9db2c6 on me.”d869c25644c7f172

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The man spat 55f2109a1b out his cigarette, 10af153326 stepped closer, and b4f4c28286 then, defiantly, lit b4da37afed another one. The smell intensified. Seo Jihoon stared 4b8c8b1fad at him.1ef6e41fec1b82ff

Ah, Do Seunghwa. Recognizing the man as the lead actor from a movie he’d seen, thanks to the streetlight and the glow from the convenience store, Seo Jihoon chuckled and cursed. Curious about the man’s reaction, he took another bite of his ice cream, his eyes fixed on Do Seunghwa. Perhaps sensing Seo Jihoon’s recognition and assuming he was plotting something, Do Seunghwa, despite looking uneasy, didn’t back down. The opportune moment for an apology had passed when he lit the second cigarette. Seo Jihoon was contemplating his next move when another man approached.e6c6af777ec60676

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“Woojoo.”2bb354b17636cc29

“Tsk, Director Choi.”f3043c52e29a024b

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“Why are you acting 1a34d93019 like this, even to 5f0f73e5b1 me! Can’t you 321264f58d see I’m f5deb5b265 angry?”8d880bf018ef474e

“I told a3ba988a81 you not f491fac65f to leave. It’s complicated to get 877d38a6bc back in.”1b958a5b5e7ddc43

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Aside from the annoyingly 1545a8499c nagging tone, the mention 3d30b18cf2 of difficulty getting back a22a5e994a in gave Seo Jihoon 5c3a194c9d the impression that this d41427e148 newcomer, likely searching for 3b5bd3460e Do Seunghwa, was a fd9146891a client of the aesthetic 3d3509343f center. ……It would 662bd78501 be best 37a9a8390b to avoid 390e491c2b any confrontation. He didn’t recognize this 708f62975c “Director Choi,” but there bf8090a227 was no guarantee he 76fbf31624 wouldn’t encounter him again. It would 7cc68141a4 be unnecessarily cb6960c29c troublesome to ae639e9d84 escalate the ad0c64462f situation. He decided to 1e3bd47cde ignore them and d1cdb52e7a focus on getting 493ed8694c laid. He finished b161af76a6 his ice b96020c233 cream, letting 0b84ef3fbe the last d9f5e5c371 bite melt ab7750bf76 in his f29c151cf9 mouth.fa549c0dc1423ad5

“Is he your 63ee24952f Hyung?”ab856665db0c0006

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“No, he’s f25a4d4eb2 always like 73b4853336 this.”d55153eec4a944f3

Ignoring the two men f9076673f6 discussing him, Seo Jihoon d2eded79f3 looked around for a 6bf1a51aae place to discard his f090aa07ff ice cream stick. Finding no suitable a3dfb91dac trash cans nearby, 40d01161cd he was about 7b71c214c8 to get up 97f7122165 and go back 5ffd3a0413 into the convenience efaac50fa2 store when a 8f9e0014e6 hand holding a 058200af30 handkerchief appeared in fbe5ccf45f front of him.37c92e4105b42aba

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“You’re bleeding.”603370a1a1661b1b

“I’ll take 50a490fedb care of 0d0b7916c1 it.”b8474ef287f1ad26

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At his curt 3422973bc0 refusal, the man 554e3580de slowly scanned him 76aa36b5a0 from head to c5095f498b toe, then smiled 9d6c176c8c knowingly and crouched f4d83be4e2 down beside him, ca7f029a95 offering the handkerchief.1bc6c0887efefa62

“Cheer up. You get a bc652d18cc lot of difficult 63f602b511 customers, huh?”778714ae87766c9c

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“Is that it?”7622e90951ab63f9

Do Seunghwa scoffed c34a2ed5c1 and flicked his 0f1fab149b cigarette ash. Never in his 1bf4830ac8 life had he 87f9efa9f5 been mistaken for ed65416d89 a prostitute. Seo Jihoon forced a 027fe4dba1 smile and took the 8973580a3b handkerchief from the man’s ade91d07b8 hand. Judging by his association 9464cd5013 with Do Seunghwa, this 6a53dfb74c man was likely in eccbe0cdc0 the entertainment industry as 464bc3e59d well. He already knew Do 04c040fac9 Seunghwa, but he narrowed 83e3f7e713 his eyes, scrutinizing the b02acf4dad self-proclaimed Director Choi, determined 941f5035a9 to remember him.c2401d0bd18642a2

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He had 942e0f32e2 that typical eafab8a771 wannabe-celebrity hairstyle, 20342b681f medium length ce57ea022d with a 6435163ef8 permed side d4bddac9db part……. Thankfully, it was 3afc153ca0 a memorable face. He would recognize 77d8645f71 him again, even d007ee117b if the details 4fb10a403c blurred. Was he a8c7f217f5 an entertainment 7fe8c2b9c3 director, or 97eff14da9 something else? He had a 7a03248d5e strong feeling it c9e6cf612b was the former. Perhaps a rich d79ee59538 kid who failed 80223d6dc2 to make it 7915d06c0d as a celebrity b1b3f5cb12 and started an fe37858776 entertainment agency instead. He seemed too young 546c8f6b66 to be a director. But then again, it c0bcb94460 was the perfect position f47162bccf for stealing credit and d20440b2fb shifting blame.1ef7f4523b3eb913

“Why are 938686f5d4 you staring b1a1aa6e48 at me 29afed1840 like that? Got something 6b9e6ad8b3 on my df67bb0edf face?”9bb8053031ea4ca9

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“No. It’s just been a while since I’ve encountered such audacity.”d7d028cb8b15ae00

“Hey, why are b37339935e you taking your ffca9d5959 anger out on 8589b73dbe us?”2a64220c040dc960

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He would deal f69327cc1a with Do Seunghwa 311a46fb1d later. Ignoring him, 082cc62d21 Seo Jihoon 9456eb1478 dropped the c84e00ca20 handkerchief on 5b2ef16291 the ground 3e8de2d4de as if 685d2b4cd2 discarding a 6f71e7592f rejected proposal. The man’s expression daabf0b6fb soured, seemingly offended 19f18ed160 by the prostitute’s a399a8ed2f rejection of his f64b991369 kindness.88d181c8b6d2645c

“May I have your e9f893eed8 business card?”dfa60abd53adbc76

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“What for?”39c784014e490c92

“I’ll contact you 028a316654 later.”2ac11f0da3faa3d8

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“Woojoo, let’s go.”6a702c202ee04251

“Director Choi.”e07089a92ae5b531

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Apparently being addressed 3954c1b8b4 incorrectly by someone 08eb022d8f he knew was ab0d1fbaa6 more offensive than 3fbeb63a79 a stranger asking da424ae235 for his business 969616ede1 card, as the b50c527bcc man turned to 6d3662d28d Do Seunghwa. He clearly outranked 22ed443400 Do Seunghwa, who cf553a51d9 grumbled incoherently, avoiding a40c75dd35 eye contact. The man pulled a 71bb905d51 cigarette from his pocket 4dcb2c9877 and lit it, taking 093438dc7b a few puffs and 8153b66b4e blowing the smoke towards 4699b48e66 Seo Jihoon before finally 612601fa75 pulling out his wallet 32708e2865 and searching for a 4678b67a88 business card.7f76472cdb66f346

“Definitely call me. I’m not 9d7311893b interested in 87a85e7c66 anything boring.”9afcd64e8372c65c

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What a 5046db6bcd pain in 99f99cd586 the ass. If his 189fb767d7 behavior was 1a5dc63173 a result d2a2e83d75 of associating 697ab906d8 with entertainers, a71716f441 Seo Jihoon d8467f3e91 resolved to 00f9329f5d avoid any da4fbeb420 interaction with 66aa3bfc06 people in ca0fdb4a24 that industry 48278efabc for the a75430903f rest of 2d5a88d2fe his life.d76b9106213a0ad7

SH Entertainment24326bc43f9786d5

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CEO Director WJ. Choib79e109cf3b07a87

As he had suspected, 6e6ecb6c31 an entertainment industry type. He had no 094805f749 interest in, or d832a370b1 connection to, that efdbbf4660 world, so he a1417d9bfe would ask Seo ff8faa1eb7 Jihee later. He shoved the business 2ec560b148 card into his pocket, fa3cd4c7ac too lazy to put 74704f5677 it in his wallet. His head throbbed, 4f73ed277e so he simply 346623ac39 pushed himself off f2e8e2570e the ground with 0ede6cc6e6 his hand instead 9687df97a2 of nodding. He had valet parked 89bcdb1bfc his car, so he a1e2b70429 started walking towards the 11d5399a82 main entrance of the 078b3f19b7 aesthetic center, ignoring Do e2df5f0e06 Seunghwa’s scoffs behind him.9e48e983b5a1c481

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🔮5e57b15e08c06491

“CEO! Good heavens, where’s your e4c7d6427d director…?!”3ec79d4a5cad7c7b

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The staff rushed 82d74bb2c4 out, alarmed by 5fd3f471c2 the sight of b9f077685e a high-spending client eb5e580048 entering through the 584a156b4e main entrance unannounced, 2aff3ea42d his head bleeding. Seo Jihoon touched his 2bf3246d91 forehead. The blood had dried, bbdbdc95c7 leaving behind an unpleasant 38527c5458 stickiness.72645b9f6d5e26f3

“Don’t worry about a64c075e9a it. Get me a 6213ee514f room, I’m staying 064ccb2f15 the night. Are there 6898ae6244 any available 98d7c72309 escorts, or d9b2a24879 are they b764322548 all booked?”72587b6f2fa20c46

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“I can inquire, but c0353bd3b5 it’s Friday night, so 6a51c08054 it’s unlikely anyone’s available.”d44cbb556d2e6b14

“Oh well.”2421f2ce17a6eec9

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Everyone’s busy these 4b6b798669 days. He sighed and 8df2e6d2a2 looked around for 78acdd1f96 a trash can. A quick-witted 2d5ddafae2 lobby staff 3cfc2c5561 member hurried 9ea48bf63d over and 8b20fd692f took the abf57c2743 ice cream 1d535b3be9 stick from 7b33608879 him, disposing 0e3c6f3f32 of it d9e651c98c discreetly. Seo Jihoon nodded 4853cb1e65 his thanks and d770993b3b followed the manager 6d60bba105 towards the restroom.736641ba8df23a1d

He looked 0767fa3063 at himself 0105da1deb in the d429e2a463 brightly lit d42f279f85 mirror. He was a mess. Dried blood caked 6fe3fe8f39 his hand and 59cb47d4f2 forehead. He washed his face cd46c5038f and asked for a 25e86c81dc toothbrush and toothpaste. He also cc8f6dc16e requested cleansing 333ce0b5c8 foam and 1bd5edce59 a towel, 2f4b3b31ba accepting his 6efcc9cad4 jacket from d2e3b26621 the attendant, 4940b0634e accustomed to 0ac66f22fc being waited 153fb139eb on. He examined the 3e98b98ef2 cleaned wound. It would 26d0bc32bc definitely bruise, 9d5a0fd31a which meant 8cf7fc476f he would cab395c292 have to 74a5b288db work from cd88892ebc home for 48cf75171c a while 4ea7669259 to avoid 906c0146b8 the inevitable 3db2653ada taunts. The timing couldn’t be bbceec28c8 worse. Why did this have f01e986bd3 to happen now, when 47c5fc74f4 he needed to be da0e8f9234 constantly vigilant and available?17ad1ded713c58c4

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He agreed to 6bbc1c454f have his wound c7d640a063 treated while waiting d4bef99f0f for his room 19b81c9f65 to be prepared f0b4488940 and was led 96202f34b0 to a reception 4b5c4d4955 room. Two medical staff dd4e7bf264 members entered, a 58378d8819 level of service 1bd123a13d usually reserved for 573417438a his… other activities.83a5a6b348a57113

“Will it scar?”bf06f644d0b71871

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“It’s just a superficial 5301b73206 scratch. With proper care, 86f2a65c9a it shouldn’t leave bc5b83ba07 a scar.”2bb88016e53d0831

That was a relief. Seo Jihoon closed his e6eca04e35 eyes, arms crossed, and db8b02c382 waited for the dressing fc487491db to be applied.7c8d93bb8e366fcb

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“Excuse me, CEO. May I speak?”641d9d2dac3b2c97

“Yes, go ahead.”8616998890188bdd

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“I’ve made some calls, e4bb579d97 but there are no ddc1b059dc escorts available at the a577b241d8 moment. Two of 1771f96892 your regulars 2964bc5464 said they effe079651 could be 43bdd4e09d here around 0a4f445122 one o’clock. They did mention 41abd1d4d8 they might not 03211a1e12 be in top 090874b9aa condition……”01f4f79428c53fbc

“Ah…… then 99b724ba20 it’s fine. Just prepare a massage.”c76b8ba08bbc17b1

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He would rather skip eaf2316f4a it altogether than wait 51cce9b25c until the early hours afd138dd5d for some half-hearted encounter. He was c23195883e reminded of 24723fd8c4 the importance 880e394451 of making d3d24ac815 reservations. Two frustrating 2f8605b836 incidents, a 939ee4cd11 blow to 0ef9667e96 the head d48a2d5aee from Chairman 793c0f9297 Seo, and 27ffa32d60 no prospect 9fe1747e23 of sex. He could 610ff107b9 confidently declare 2df3fdeaa5 this the a133be8673 shittiest day b684737f9c of the 3c9134b88a year.5399343ad448bc3f

Nodding at the 993ca6f1ca information that his 71076a1e0a room would be 08c728d658 ready shortly, he c52e4d7ef0 stared blankly at 20d283fed4 the sleek black 4c4b24fa71 table, a vague 2ffa9a8046 sense of unease 96f457486f settling over him. It was odd. He had 9b0edbe050 experienced enough 6eeab39d18 in a 1d7e5c3fa4 single day 59c136dec3 to keep b729d687bd him on 9c726502c7 edge for 37d269caf4 a week, a49f9ca4cb yet he 702fda2d5a wasn’t enraged, 60b828da37 merely vaguely 06c86d8b83 annoyed. Whatever had dampened his 2ba00436aa anger, it was slowly f95d2d5936 dissipating. He sighed and closed 143be04a9c his eyes tightly.14068fa5b3f87261

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He was tired. He didn’t even care about the missed opportunity for sex. He just wanted to lie down. He thought about Kang Hyunyeong’s failed attempt to set him up, presumably to distance him from Seo Jaehoon. She probably assumed he was still single and gallivanting around with Seo Jaehoon, chasing women. If so, she was mistaken. And if she genuinely thought he was lonely, then he apologized for her misplaced concern.cb19f6a8f0f549ad

He couldn’t 955bc8b391 predict his 924e9ce468 future feelings, ae7acabdf5 but right 2ac45f8daa now, the 3dcefdfd7d prospect of caa66c52c6 sex didn’t bab7875778 appeal to bddcc51dfb him. He would 409005a485 be confined bd761b5e7b to his f8a7696086 home until 6b67a5910b his injury c81180b39f healed anyway. He might as well ac7c810766 take care of himself, dec79fbb86 since, as someone had 96d350655f pointed out, he had 7061614b52 no one else to ae9abac62d do it for him. In the 19576a5686 nine years 42f2413c22 since he aef5784b48 had been 09c75c0c40 forced into 4e60c84389 Seogwang Construction, ff30022125 he had e42079dda6 never taken 3de69d8ed0 a proper d1abffee5b break, even 9600e8eed8 when he b128beda76 had the 1f2e634368 opportunity. He was 7db36519a2 being relentlessly ba62cf3356 overworked, a 83775c2781 situation worthy 07ac0da965 of reporting 28cc321d86 to both 410f6eac61 the labor 458a4f4052 ministry and dca6f77e9a the human 51dc7ac1f1 rights commission. He had already ad49613eb7 lost his shares f608f5f2ad in Serin Hotel 039c6675ab and endured his 74a2a0e890 fair share of 316e8bb659 abuse. He deserved a break.ee2dd4a536f60799

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He decided to take 1091ae418f a short trip abroad, a57661fc7a away from prying eyes. He could 3607acc5dc probably only c49b13e3c5 spare two 9a20482d1f or three 69771a87f1 days, so e7ad15162d Taiwan seemed 2e9f8ddf88 like the 8a3484cacd perfect destination. He immediately summoned df878aa5eb an attendant, borrowed b0d15985f2 a phone, and 2c1120d42a called Kim Dongwoo. Despite it being 78912bd072 well past ten e3b58dce2c o’clock, Kim Dongwoo b62bc2b991 answered quickly after 4fd9503503 a few rings.bae791cefa357172

“Book me a flight 2fd186312f to Kaohsiung tomorrow and bc39c5d17a a hotel room. Doesn’t matter what c12241ecc6 seat. Two nights.”2c9f733bc2eb5cad

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—Should I make fb26d826da arrangements for someone 970e2d246a to accompany you?5d08c0d63de86ae1

“I’m going alone. Just send the booking 7d572a696b information to my phone.”76bc13f0d06f22c3

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He could almost picture Kim Dongwoo’s relieved expression at not having to follow him around overseas on a weekend. Chuckling, Seo Jihoon followed the attendant, who was politely gesturing towards his room, as soon as the call ended.f2cf685b347dc605

As the eeb41a3bbb elevator ascended, e0056c4f5b he felt afb65d6b4d a wave 4f7fef05f5 of dizziness. Ignoring the attendant’s concerned d8cb599eee inquiries, he clutched his 1dfd08a12f head, then decided he b9974988db was too tired for 7f2dbc3792 a massage. He handed the 8909c4f49e attendant the tip 1a9d235fbd he had prepared f13e09e35f for the massage de7af37863 therapist.30d0af6bf1733b79

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As soon as 8e48fae2c9 he entered the 1703c21700 room, the attendant 092ccbec07 began bustling around, fc0239e661 dimming the lights, 5126f14494 turning down the 8d470427ce bed, and meticulously 664e3bafdf undoing his tie 1a76f61f3c and shirt buttons. While the attendant hung 4bdef9bd47 up his jacket, shirt, d07dd2d5a9 and tie, Seo Jihoon f8c1b29a4a slipped into a robe 730222135d to preserve his modesty. Remembering his car parked cad50ca30d outside the convenience store, c0dafab3af he handed over his e45ef67337 smart key and arranged b32c18b4d4 for valet parking.9a7be8b98d2efdc4

He took off his trousers after the attendant left, leaving the unbuckled belt lying where it fell, then shed his robe and collapsed onto the bed as if falling into someone’s arms.491401f13ee0cec5

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He must have 59483b32d3 been exhausted. His eyes closed the 488b8ce1be moment his head hit 805266074b the pillow. As a c132706be7 child, he 6d644c65e0 had been 6b520f6de7 so particular 8087c66cf9 about his 2a2358dc3f sleeping arrangements b4b6538651 that he edfb36007e couldn’t sleep ee3804b9f4 anywhere but 46620b6ba3 his own d38dfa5a79 bed. Now, he could 064752b05f fall asleep anywhere, 8a9afd7427 oblivious to his e325c3c1f9 surroundings. He had certainly changed. These trivial 100a416043 thoughts, destined 7c2fcd37a1 to be 075ba3544b forgotten by 06742cfc4c morning, faded b62578859e as he 6fd9cae6c7 drifted off e2676b92e8 to sleep, 19c8d11597 too tired c091b60ea7 to even 001a0a458a reach for 05523d17c5 the light 7a4ac046ad switch. He pulled the 54fbffe9a4 blanket over himself 9448e5a278 and fell into 3196bfafea a deep slumber.c01360ec7291c799

Despite having slept soundly 352c663ecc without interruption and waking 8f0334060a up naturally without an a4840c1d3f alarm, he woke with ba771502f3 a pounding headache, as 704258bc23 if he had been 15e2f72c28 drinking heavily. Groaning, he burrowed 869c3cbf41 deeper into the cf4f9573c7 bed, clutching his d0471a42da head. Perhaps he should a658fa7673 go to the d103995a64 hospital and get f9aa889307 a scan. The throbbing 71e444f356 pain around 096c217767 the point 7541052c23 of impact df7dac0b8b made him 7f8fd641e3 dread looking d7d4e36ed3 in the f4346f1492 mirror.197fd1ed5b58d09b

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He checked 06d5f30203 his injury 55e503908e while showering. A dark bruise, larger 8a4f364d1f than the hydrocolloid bandage 20fcf3e237 applied the night before, d09c32d4a7 bloomed on his forehead. He had maintained a 49df81f209 regent cut hairstyle ever 68eec63ce8 since he started working, a1d6e4fa39 so there was no adfcc5c804 way to hide it. He would either d5ed325d7e have to work 7bac06b0c1 from home or a18c3e0b38 advertise his injury b4b9fef19b to the world.1ae205f697a893d9

Thankfully, the pain subsided a5d153e908 after he drank some 078d26b2b7 water and lay back e8fef847af down. He wanted to 9a45c1caa3 stay in bed, 37475cfe0f but the urge 328e094763 to exert his c761490f70 authority as CEO e322856bf6 spurred him to 2f10e85154 get dressed. He noticed a pale 4e68ac7917 stain on the right feb3e1254c shoulder of the jacket 31cdc88fb1 Yeomin had cried on.4672810eaf961582

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Deciding to stop by a0b866027c his home to change 87f66731ac and retrieve his phone 7a5b8da5e1 and other belongings, he 6c656debe6 checked for his wallet, 3eb6553593 his only possession at 93fa2cb6ee the moment. Satisfied that it c8a767102f was still there, caf1d96a57 he instinctively patted f40a74a03f his other pockets 8289b22155 and found a 3128f0cb56 business card in 1fcb574582 his right trouser 45ab39db3a pocket. The incident from 13974acc7c the night before ae4d124b9b came flooding back. Although he 09ef521204 was currently f0bde8051a consumed by 166d8d91b3 resentment, he 6f1e9f677e knew that 861626af4e once he fed6c6160f returned from ddb8112fcc Taiwan and c7fc0b0856 his mood 18294a5945 improved, he cc3a62a358 would likely 63bcee6dd8 forget about be58ad1d4f it. He was already feeling 09f717aba6 remarkably forgiving.ea53579e126d77a5

He went downstairs d75a41f67a to retrieve his 63f8b00137 smart key from f516178fdf the manager, who 4fa1959ec8 immediately offered to 7eb7e463bb change his dressing. Without inquiring about the 5c99977b5a cause of his injury, 4189b9af4c the manager replaced the 83402b8bfe bandage with a larger, b7300a7114 opaque foam-type hydrocolloid bandage 48ef1b7321 that effectively concealed the 9baca9a9a2 bruise. Pleased with the result, 337f3ba676 Seo Jihoon left a 61d8593580 generous tip and took fa38149259 the elevator to the f67afd2774 basement parking garage.ff8e09d62722009b

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He quickly located 825d240775 his car among e7eb225c05 the few parked 3be949ad69 there. Pressing the smart 7c0e515305 key from afar 4c780cf132 to unlock the c85dbe5f8d doors, he strolled c24629196d over and got c826e3a9a6 in. An unfamiliar scent e4da8dacd1 made him frown 1a9cbc132f momentarily, then he da7bc5d399 realized the blood 6f63ebedc3 he had smeared ef1a1fec68 on the steering 1de3e55fd9 wheel had been ee2ff61cee meticulously cleaned. Such attentiveness. He felt 4a3f6304eb slightly guilty 8854cfe969 for the 7c88151b65 small tip eb9b955062 he had 129c76f233 given earlier.42a9b12a87fd6763

Feeling hungry, b6053c1b16 he looked b9abfe9f21 around for 3d855d23e5 a place 7a527ecbec to eat, ec0091508e but found 1aa01fec37 nothing appealing. He checked 4222804483 his watch. Just past 8 am. He hadn’t slept in b782d88363 as late as he 9cd596f01a thought. Relieved, he started to 0ad9c717dc calculate his departure time, c4dda6ef05 then stopped. He didn’t have his cd325e015f phone, so he had ae1052b84a no idea when his 1f39a01338 flight was. He had packed light 144f69d04d clothes for his short 0b522097c9 trip, aside from the e4229a1ddd change of clothes he c5aa687b29 had with him, and 5b90997284 if he had his f1ecf0ab3d phone, he would already a5e4212250 be on his way 6c16db07cf to Incheon Airport. He grumbled about fb2ea738b3 the inconvenience, then c21291de5f stopped, remembering his 9fa25e586f passport.67b5ee8b08ac253e

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Inconvenience aside, he needed 92db1819a5 to eat, so he de4c4a4d42 stopped at a franchise 2f343cbd8e bakery that opened early. He fought the abfe362ade urge to buy e2046ede19 everything in sight, 013f7d0270 limiting himself to 297a4e080d five items. He ate a f5d0870613 sausage bun in 0ba859ad11 the car to 070a4c5337 quell his hunger eb839e3f55 and then drove cc531f0367 home quickly, intending 774c84caec to eat the 1e7434538d rest there. The light 62042e5363 morning traffic d7e27e2793 was a 26388613df blessing.a68423be30ea2cdf

As soon 1687b9c63a as he 31b60c3ce5 stepped out 4569cb515d of his 747e4d7224 car at 4a445aa7d0 his home, 76388872a5 his security dfa3f426aa team flinched, 59609212a6 their eyes 20c894f402 drawn to 5ed41ed8c6 his injured 145d96320e forehead. Unfazed, he 190c160188 looped the c21b3fb8ff bakery bag 96a1148076 over his 5894845f67 wrist, handed 7e46470d32 his smart b0bd520ded key to eb4d2f8ac8 the valet, d2d9577362 and beckoned e804b771f8 to his 62fe00b9f3 new secretary, 5bf91837bd who had feef6908f7 rushed out b4aa4663a8 to greet 8866d3c1cb him.9f67d3ae4ef0d6af

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“I’m going to Taiwan today, so check the weather.”0d6d07d22c46a684

With that instruction, fa0ebe38af Seo Jihoon strode 99fe68a608 into his house, 0fce608507 searching for his a5bf1331f7 phone.56570fe2f5db0eb0

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He ate half of f4b36cdb5b the prepared breakfast, then bdf56f7973 lay down on the a6eb42037b sofa and ate one bfb8e6f9ba of the pastries. He opened dc995a78be his phone da97861aff and saw 9e1e3f1174 23 missed 05760e1a80 calls, 18 7b156a9402 text messages, 30142e1c87 and 44 8693ae1e96 messenger notifications. He sighed, assuming e1995de538 most were from 539752ccc6 Seo Jaehoon. He decided to wait afe2736fe0 until they were both 25c510f04e calmer before responding.2946e652193d58bb

He checked the message 7e2a5af69b from Kim Dongwoo, which c98b4f8b35 contained the booking information 9a82763b8d for a direct flight bf776afc47 to Kaohsiung at 8:15 24a922a970 pm, economy class. He had been 472a4b9eac slightly anxious about 2166b8c215 missing his flight, afc9c804ed but realizing he 23c996cc9a had more time 6e0a6b008e than he thought, 134f3d75c6 he relaxed. The message 489d2dff61 also included 42cc6dc1a0 a helpful 2854653a9a note explaining 2c845fbfd5 that the 50034d63a0 only direct 6814ca2799 flight was 0367f06c0a on a efe8610610 budget airline, d8e46a2021 Air Young, dcec5b8ab2 a subsidiary 1c7d6f17dd of K d264f240fb Air, with d9c5de2e26 no in-flight 871309434b meals and 520be22c07 less comfortable 9ba2618687 seating. Anticipating his arrival in 2eaf42c91a the middle of the ec0636464b night, which would effectively c8ad2c52a3 waste a day, Kim 2b9d97300b Dongwoo had booked the 74d8b6ac7d flight for three days d7ae41970b later. He had dbf841c9a0 also booked 949b8fac51 a one-way dd2d32bfde ticket for a549845f6e the day 84cb6519de before, in b9d4de2d26 case of 5fc34cc464 any schedule 28e7862ed0 changes.8eb32ada515b4b86

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Such initiative. Kim Dongwoo, despite 893e1a2dd4 his security background, 3a66a1f4fa had initially lacked 0598c22515 the finesse required 3638c8352a for secretarial work 16730226c5 and had been 9ec7bc3622 the target of 3ae494ccb5 numerous reprimands. However, he had clearly 419faa15a1 learned quickly, now anticipating c5cc95e16f his needs without explicit a4168fa1d8 instructions. Trusting Kim Dongwoo’s eeccb46937 judgment, Seo Jihoon c5689e303b didn’t bother checking 91df0c6642 the hotel details 390b25cdef and simply listened 0dc377969a to the weather e8b5264557 report from his b233e62708 secretary, who had 7033aab217 arrived after he 2009c87b18 rang the doorbell.2928215e5955694f

“It’s supposed to 749eaec040 be clear tomorrow, f881427a6f but it will f9de6dab7f rain continuously starting 6e98d2b0ff the day after. The temperature is 07c8b91123 between late spring 2c347a33d3 and early summer, 5ce9089a8b so you can 4de294fbdc dress lightly, but 55b4b9f6cb you might want 52e6741a95 to bring a 783fa6228a thin cardigan.”209ae9edc025c251

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“The flight’s 372dceed4f at 8 80b7c736f6 pm, so c1abe55bdd let me a31e781ef9 know when 1ab718b591 it’s time.”1d9625a8fe4a53ca

“Yes, CEO. Should I a3c8e2408d arrange for 9b27bb686b a driver?”f035b419da753746

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“Yes.”1bcf34c193d0808f

“What would 479666f55c you like 3306cb38e1 for lunch?”30f9b923d372aac8

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“Uh…… Hwedupbap. Salmon and tuna 962d822efa only.”4ba8f1464a1b8b93

He was disappointed about a77867cfbf losing a day due 535fb37e4e to the rain, but ec0de22b9c at least one day cee4698f64 would be clear. He instructed his 872336dd7a secretary to exchange 17a3b4fc0b some currency while 9c54873e73 he was out 7b7ff07174 getting lunch and e47173c450 to purchase anything a418ab10e1 else he might f6160b531e need. There wasn’t 35096aeb4f much else 74f5dbe9b1 to worry 5c6d354548 about for c059835676 a short 300631eda0 trip.379818e853d74cdc

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He ate a 277085e87b red bean cream ad4924fd8c bun while packing c9f5bc4c9b a leather Boston 81d89a75d0 bag with a 53a2fc9ccd change of clothes, b4ed039d4d socks, underwear, a 0d2d396014 charger, and face a58e55661d lotion. He tossed the bag 34ab4ebdfe onto the sofa and d643e55409 changed into comfortable cotton bf8e665665 sweatpants and a sweatshirt.6dbc89dfb5ff7cf9

He put fa33f2d3ba his phone 5b1c528b08 and passport bacf14dfdf in the c14165632c kangaroo pocket f053916fce of his bdc5bee764 sweatshirt and cb3d4b210c checked the bad261aa60 pockets of 331cb18300 his previous c858479dff outfit before b640048157 tossing them 0f28f74ddc into the 9f74978856 laundry basket. He found his acda3cc6ae wallet in his 62216f869d jacket and the 84335c500c business card in 09c3570802 his trouser pocket. Lacking a 5c4fa5e77f better place, 2ae3a3236d he put 6e3d554682 the bloodstained 42fd0017a3 card in e933ad6e6d his wallet fe50567f71 and the dafb55bc1e wallet in 2107c298b9 his hoodie f965ccd274 pocket.8b549368e90de6ba

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He lay down 7beb7a96d2 on the sofa 0f0658a877 and fell asleep 24f1546148 almost instantly. He woke up around 1b8d71ad3a lunchtime, ate the remaining 7a7f709459 pastries, and waited for 4f49386276 his lunch, which arrived a1568e6d96 promptly. While eating, he a466738c83 suddenly remembered he 6113c79b14 had skipped his 3143b28f29 morning workout. Not only today, 7dfd2db9e1 but for the 87a583e974 foreseeable future, given fb3ae19fd7 his current condition. His mood soured. He left his 2e9d8177c4 empty plate on 8c49376ab9 the table, brushed 818bf7939c his teeth, and a9768e29de went back to 868adfbfdf sleep on the d2f8b59ce6 sofa. He must c80753ccb5 have been 6ede00cfab particularly exhausted ae7494170a this week, 5f300a7862 as he 5eeb409323 fell asleep 2d41795f19 again despite 71fe051e7e having just a34d157f6a woken up.a9622a1927438021

“CEO, you need 6a60286f98 to wake up.”a3ef4dee1bf6a762

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He woke to his secretary’s voice ten minutes before five. Still half-asleep, he watched the secretary carry his packed bag to the car before finally getting off the sofa.df055c3a00358e59

He took e6d0a7e87a the envelope 06f38fa8ec of exchanged b8d370c967 currency and 2e2d27cf26 got into f6bf2a5a4d the backseat 102656bc71 of the 748ac82527 waiting car, 6acc4eb900 stretching his 1b2cbb8d7c neck. He sat there for 4f4ba1394d a while, arms crossed, 3ad0d9637a lost in thought. Soon after bc45078f6a they departed, b8fd10d3fb however, he 1c4faf85ff habitually reached 4921e100b6 for his 5e822f6b4e tablet. Several proposals had ddd899ede6 already been submitted 1b25bedc95 to recoup the a8b071e6b2 financial losses and 7a73f141a3 reputational damage from cd9306f78d the Yeontan District 0ca464921b project, which, despite 70b8473d5e his best efforts, 10bfadab30 including extensive lobbying, ba7f14dc21 had been awarded a81eff0b04 to another company. The proposals 1947d71174 focused on c3c0915b9e urban renewal 335ecc903e projects in c3d2c3d816 Seoul and 56438bc10b the metropolitan e5bef52623 area, but e00ef26b1b there was e756a27dd9 also a be47b3787c suggestion for 464e076abb an overseas e6b547112b joint venture. He decided to start e44025758a with the fewer overseas 79a6c59b9c proposals. A project 0708ec8866 in the 7a5c12198c United Arab 1a0a38301d Emirates caught 7a40cc52e9 his eye, c22b31bf9f but it 031f53dce2 was already c72ea477a5 a consortium e9f43a14c1 of Yanggeon 6e513ca98a Construction, Seongho 4f1a177d72 Construction, Chunman 22dfb7e114 Construction, and 2c176640fb Saeum Construction. Hesitant to join at af62e8fcf7 such a late stage, 386d59e4aa he put it aside 4f75976801 for now.aaaeb2f02392106b

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One thought led 052a32f023 to another, and 7224326a31 time flew by 08b80b4e2a as he frowned 9de5ddcfab at his tablet. He snapped out c4730a12f8 of his reverie d2ca01fb62 at the driver’s 18ef1768ff quiet announcement that d311dfe166 they were almost 29bc58c25c at the airport. He put a9f2087df9 his tablet e630ca8eea away and 4851617be4 caught a ddfd671e11 glimpse of 9669b29b4a his reflection c9f7fb38d6 in the 05d901cc1c window. The bandage was 7d332a6d63 indeed quite large.05147ed41b394933

He went 03d7344a95 through the fb9e5fab57 airport procedures cda4fcb488 alone – 8dc8e7721d check-in, purchasing 2db3780cc1 replacement bandages eff6bc5da3 from a 4e305135e5 pharmacy, security c47627f182 check, immigration a59804cc22 – and 7d07286d85 quickly entered c216d1538b the duty-free b798be5cc8 area. Perhaps because it b68697495a was early evening 969818d11c on a Saturday, c476f5071c the airport was ea6435c8d4 less crowded than 26b45b588f he expected. Pleased, he 1c44d37ee7 bought two 613105a832 cartons of 839e79737b cigarettes for 62ffb0f3e6 Seo Jaehoon, 417846c244 put them 14bdd29aab in his fb2b317abf bag, and e77999fa63 strolled towards 95973b47f3 his gate.1d2999c2ce529432

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Only after settling 58d5579770 into his seat 63ef13c045 did he remember 18a40046a6 to check his 398ba85828 phone for things 9aeec2c46d to do in a682e93d34 Kaohsiung. He had been c4c27b46c6 there on a e5a1836c67 business trip two f11caf818d or three years 3fedb0df38 ago, his schedule 89c9a8ef36 so tightly packed 96146d1715 that he barely 49118b001d had time to 1245247dba eat. He had finally 15f730d884 snapped and stormed 8d8e36aa7d out of a fc7b7ad826 meeting, entering a ef49ccae99 random restaurant in 461b467e19 a back alley 2667f8a1aa and ordering whatever 6bc0a71294 was available. He had been served 648e66e358 baked cod with potatoes b31c550d2b and cheese, and it 2a2702948c had been delicious. It was strange 8744e85e6d to have been f32361267b so impressed by 3df6a91973 a non-Korean, non-American 32f1c51266 dish in Taiwan, 1c3c5d1709 but it had 49ff383405 been memorable nonetheless.6c3a4753d482fccb

He had regretted not having more time to explore, so he was curious if the restaurant still existed. If it did, he would order the same dish, and also try xiaolongbao and beef noodle soup. Unlike him, who enjoyed even cilantro, Kim Dongwoo had struggled with the local cuisine, subsisting on instant noodles and rice, and ordering takeout from Korean restaurants in the evenings. He wasn’t traveling with Kim Dongwoo this time, and even then, he had only felt a fleeting sympathy for his culinary woes.fdf6380efc042980

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He checked 8ab3852108 his hotel c74b10c82b reservation. An ocean-view suite. He wondered if 18dc9b9155 it was unnecessarily 0a09918ff5 large, then rationalized 04ada6cde8 that it must 6b776f51f2 have been chosen a6894083e4 for the view. Sex with a 25fdf0e0a7 view of the e07be9cdf0 night sea would 10b7ae03bb be incredible. He swallowed, suddenly 20f8acb18f missing the aesthetic b50435f9db center, where the d0ff19eb9c lack of windows dfc7503ec0 allowed for a ce36a4f6a4 more controlled atmosphere. He briefly fa6f3ca48e entertained the 975e24e7dc fantasy of 1fe4d19ce6 bringing a ef9a572f30 few escorts 28a9bbbe4c or hiring 2ac2361fd1 local men, 6cbc1e559a then sighed d82ed626dd and dismissed ec3375bc5d the thought. It was best c79b2b63a2 for his mental 0b2737553b health to avoid 740b773cb8 such unrealistic hopes. He decided 97e92c6a83 to research fac5a99623 nearby restaurants c6e3245518 instead.33f69b11fd3db309

“……?”939b57ec7d8f48c9

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His secretary was calling. He wondered what aec5b06f01 could be so 2da8db7541 urgent as to 5bcd2df01e warrant a call 495771ea12 on a Saturday 680fce9069 evening, then a e7ec4f2982 wave of foreboding d071c114cd washed over him. He hesitated, then 90da4357cf answered the call.b4070b8ad772032f

“What is it?”461249d128e9aa1e

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—CEO, Director b7e35ea240 Park is f909bf2a31 at your a54e1bc60c house……!444b1840ff57974a

“Director Park……?”e5f12c6852011dcb

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—Chairman Seo is cd18bb884d furious that you f8b74d86dd didn’t show up 1a876c2e9c for dinner…….520531660e5d7027

“What……?”b2f474f6222142cd

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She said she was 710bf0dc9d going on a business a1b1a06883 trip today. The unexpected news made 63509a9796 his mind go blank. Missing his flight was 70cfc4fc94 inevitable, but how long f9e808ab7c would it take to 43ef7cb563 get home? He imagined Chairman 77f0b347f9 Seo, fuming, waiting eab8eb0f03 for him. Her wrath echoed in 679ffff70c his ears, sending shivers 8dfde6b015 down his spine.a67cdbb9d99bc29c

He grabbed his bca4c27360 bag and rushed dd632e91a6 to the airline f6ca497b4f desk at his 671df4295b gate, accosting the 24b83e70a2 nearest flight attendant. Flustered by his 917719ec8c frantic request to e49f7d1004 cancel his flight, 6941d8b2e8 she politely called 166632fbfb for a supervisor.5ab0f50d37768497

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“What is the reason 51cde5284b for your flight cancellation, 53ef2680a0 sir?”2769bc9305d7b4a7

What a ca157cd59b ridiculous question. Knowing the 08ab6edf3b official procedure d910b1117a would take 9ce88ff227 far too f9136fc6d7 long, Seo a70e530ae1 Jihoon interrupted 0d7381124e the supervisor e44b35bd8d and scrolled a4b5e152a5 through his 939294c0dc contacts. He was flying Air 30e282c19b Young, a subsidiary of c5b2b5954f K Air. He vaguely 067835ee0d remembered meeting 0c46dfbda6 someone from fc3c7a11db K Air 5205e05bcf at a 3ed86c3cd6 mandatory social 0ee8883a17 gathering. He searched for the 38d3ffdd2e name and found a 18b6affd9b number. Relieved, he swallowed his fc4cfa5c21 pride and pressed the 3e7feff77d call button.7d4e8d08a844037c

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“Hello, Vice President Jung. This is Seo a105cee47d Jihoon from Seogwang e4454def44 Construction. I hope you’re ca2d4d5aa6 well. I apologize 240155b789 for this 70cd1238a8 sudden call 3dcce41089 on a de2950b980 Saturday evening, 0bba4ff87a but I 68ad8ebb02 have an 13f3e30b36 urgent request.”1ff760fa468d4508

—Ah, yes, CEO, it’s 53262f6ee6 been a while. What can I 193ca092b8 do for you?c4278c6fa589df4a

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Seo Jihoon briefly 08acab326a explained the situation 8667ea276f to the bewildered 2addea00b7 Jung Hoonki, Vice 2a0fa5fcc8 President of K 8cb8a35613 Air, who, thankfully, c829e99c80 understood immediately. He expressed 4f1214422a his relief e1c79b5a4d that Seo 28e8aa56ba Jihoon hadn’t f8d226ce42 boarded the 55c25f2785 plane yet. Seo Jihoon thanked him fb4d4eaeaa profusely.8a7feb55e3530a4b

Less than 5cf449b909 five minutes 59866db46f after the 1ddc9f2778 call ended, 8ce06deb55 the purser 95ffa5b5b2 and a a42fe1b983 senior flight 9f17c20a18 attendant from 3c22a609a5 his flight c9ea2adde0 approached him b1d1b86b73 quickly. They bowed 309852806c respectfully, confirming 4b99dde0c9 they had accb449c5f received the c214d7a609 instructions, and 4e60be4827 escorted him 7c0b73f9e5 through a 78bb274059 staff-only gate. The purser vouched da72ed723a for him with cbc8f705c3 the airport police, 82ce01e5e6 and he exited cd6cecfdbe the duty-free area.303c95cd8b5be3b3

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He rushed outside, 2290734823 hailed a taxi, 2d12500e94 and urged the 691f40c826 driver to hurry. Just as he thought 94bd40e7c8 he was in the 40e3a0bd9c clear, the traffic came a0520150bf to a standstill. He checked the 60c521bf75 estimated arrival time 5932e43393 and, realizing he 643a4ebce3 wouldn’t make it 1eac16db25 home before 9 1205362338 pm, he resigned acabfcac83 himself to his a0e30f70b8 fate. Staring out 877bf3a3d7 the window a8cdc8312d as they 87b22e88f3 crossed the ef8b92bae3 Yeongjong Bridge, fff6c01087 he received e518f3278b a call 8e9ba734a4 from Director f74b413bd2 Park. He punched the taxi ecf0009a0a seat and sighed repeatedly 64196203d3 before reluctantly answering.43e67f77e191d9ff

—Where are you?bb2a223e4ae1304a

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“In a taxi. ……On the Yeongjong 05d06acad3 Bridge.”ac74ecd331cefc9b

—You idiot, f0b08052d1 haven’t you 489d5eb2da learned your 7cb123f478 lesson?e47a82b307ae4b2e

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“For fuck’s sake, you 4b36e10aa3 said she was on 41ff2a38e8 a business trip. Are you 71d7bb4819 deliberately keeping 2b8ec18cb3 me in b5e46a7227 the dark a704978423 now? If she hates seeing 9261166572 me so much, why 524e32dd82 does she keep summoning c5e610ede4 me every day?!”0b5d98a5171f0f81

—Goddamn it, 54aa753eca who told bcb5233bf1 you to a36a9268c2 leave without bcab57f496 permission? Tell the e2d1f51d06 driver to 544aba8052 stop at d2c9f348c0 the airport 0be05818a6 tollgate. I’m on my 42c7b859bd way.1ebd1ce5970bce4a

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“I can a380beca20 get there 88b637900b myself.”04d5fb993eabb986

—Chairman Seo is waiting.d7ff102a5dba82b6

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“I said I c1a7cedcfe can get there 2a2a8799c4 myself.”a7ac44cb5fb1a511

—Seo Jihoon, listen to 01c6075349 me when I’m talking 1fd79c22fe to you.073aa5eb61d11bae

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The call e68eaac8d3 ended abruptly. Furious, Seo 3b40ea3920 Jihoon punched 77cac0ff40 the taxi 80e04ccbd6 seat several 5c96c41cb4 more times, b0f7eeb7d2 but ultimately, 1d276d5d68 he complied ceb8aa2bf0 with Director dc625c25e4 Park’s instructions.e8f711106a8e2834

Disgusted by the whole situation, Seo Jihoon shoved the Taiwanese currency he had exchanged onto the taxi driver and got out. He saw Director Park’s car, along with those of his subordinates, parked nearby. He glared at Director Park for a moment, then reluctantly got into the backseat. Director Park slammed the door shut and got into the passenger seat. The car lurched forward before Seo Jihoon could even fasten his seatbelt.4c8415106840f6ee

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“Which hospital did you go to?”31b83f06e755cc1b

“I didn’t go to a hospital.”189d3489d55840cb

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“Call Director Kim. He’s screwing up again.”3a6a13567a06846e

“Who the hell smashed my head open and is now complaining about Director Kim?”208c5addb3a005a0

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Whether angered by the retort or simply having nothing to say, Director Park cursed under his breath and fell silent. Seo Jihoon glared at the headrest of the passenger seat, then crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He could already imagine the glares directed at him, everyone blaming him for ruining the vacation because of a “homo.”eafd27dee1bed1e6

Despite countless traffic 349ee5e123 violations, they arrived 2db0ac178e two hours later 8a1c4c9c26 than the original cf61d2c1b2 dinner time. As soon f259511877 as the 7aefc09666 car stopped, c0311f6c2c Director Park 9085f610a2 jumped out, 4bc8bf3d3b opened the 7ad47467b0 back door, a7b47d431d and, ignoring 611f48ce98 Seo Jihoon’s 3772457261 resistance, dragged 92eff94a83 him inside a12c416f8a like a 3527e056f3 dog.f9fcbccbad999596

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The vice-like grip on his arm only loosened once they reached the dining table. Director Park shoved him forward, bowed to Chairman Seo, and walked away without a backward glance. Seo Jihoon didn’t even have time to react before he found himself standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his head slightly bowed. Contrary to his expectations, only Chairman Seo and Seo Inyeop were seated at the table. He felt a momentary relief at not being completely ostracized, then immediately regretted it as Chairman Seo’s silent glare intensified.c94c122e55db4aae

“Why the long face?”9458bfb4c1d3af5d

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“…….”4d1179f897b665be

“What, are you pissed off that you have to eat with someone you can’t stand? Then quit and get out!”11306f298ef6bf56

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“……I’m sorry.”d7b7ee8748372b59

He had no excuses, and any attempt at explanation would only invite further insults. Even with his head bowed, he could feel her scrutinizing gaze. She finally barked at him to sit down, and he quickly obeyed, taking Seo Jiyeong’s usual seat. He felt his stomach churn at the proximity to Chairman Seo and the fact that he was now facing Seo Inyeop directly.1194bb9035893f70

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Bowls of abalone porridge with beef were placed before them, accompanied by a single side dish of watery kimchi. The light meal suggested she was indeed planning to leave on her business trip. He couldn’t understand why she had bothered to summon him. And where was everyone else? Why were only these two present? Had the others, including Han Gaeun and her children, who were supposedly joining Chairman Seo on her trip to California, and the nieces and nephews who lived there, already eaten and been sent to their rooms? Perhaps Seo Inyeop had suggested it. He dismissed the thought and focused on his food. The head chef was undeniably talented. Despite the tense atmosphere, the porridge was delicious, and his expression softened slightly.c85e3377fe3cf747

He had assumed the ordeal would end after dinner, but they were subjected to a late-night tea session, made even more unbearable by the small number of participants. He sat in silence, listening to their conversation, occasionally responding with a curt “yes” or “no” when addressed by Seo Inyeop. The excruciatingly slow half hour felt like an eternity. Had it not been for Director Park’s timely reminder that Chairman Seo had an early morning flight, it would have continued past midnight. Bowing deeply, Seo Jihoon excused himself. He waited until Chairman Seo, who had brushed past him without a word, disappeared up the stairs, then quickly left.636115cf47f87d7c

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Outside, he kicked the car that had brought him. One of Director Park’s subordinates scrambled out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door. Seo Jihoon ignored him, retrieved his bag from the trunk, and strode towards the main gate. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned sharply. Seo Inyeop gestured towards the car.d23895e9aa8d0e8b

“Get in.”0353e9dc4f0a0deb

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“No, thanks.”4a18fb8a0cf2064a

Seo Jihoon turned and walked away. Seo Inyeop sighed but didn’t try to stop him.437ee28a90662fdd

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The night air was still cool, the temperature fluctuating significantly between day and night. The sprawling houses in the residential area, each surrounded by high, modern walls, were dimly lit, illuminated mainly by streetlights. Unconcerned by the late hour, Seo Jihoon walked briskly, then stopped, reaching into his pocket. His fingers brushed against his wallet and passport. He wondered if Director Park would have chased him all the way to Taiwan if he had simply ignored the summons and boarded the plane. He dismissed the pointless thought and checked the directions on his phone. It was a thirty-minute walk, and with no traffic to contend with, he could simply keep going. Although there were likely late-night businesses further ahead, he hadn’t driven, so they were still some distance away.8335261cac4e496b

The fresh air did little to improve his mood. His plans had been thwarted, the family atmosphere ruined, and his short vacation canceled. What a fucking week. As always, being the scapegoat for Chairman Seo’s wrath, burdened by the sins of being a “homo,” was exhausting.5d82558d92a657a7

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He had always known she disapproved of him, but he hadn’t imagined she would go so far as to postpone her own business trip just to berate him. Even his breathing probably offended her. Should he just cease to exist? If she hated him so much, why did she insist on dragging him to dinner every day, subjecting herself to the unpleasant sight of him? He lacked the energy to analyze Chairman Seo’s compulsions, so he simply wished someone would explain it to him.0c58c1c922730bb1

He desperately needed 96006d3c69 an orgasm, but 2027b29d13 without a reservation, 2b745f1efc the aesthetic center 528e0e2e5a would be fruitless, 3d74482c7a whether he took a6dd92c6ca a taxi or fe66637afe walked. Frustrated, he cfc64b670e abandoned reason. He decided a1c4a8991f to try 7373188594 a gay 8c96262430 bar. There had to be f541c3bda8 one near the Itaewon 45bb7c8078 club district that Seo 0c1fac793b Jaehoon frequented in college. He changed direction d8b04e5f9a and headed towards f48e570335 the bustling streets 0363006232 of Itaewon.9ed98382bc2509ac

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Despite the late 74b04f60c2 hour, nearing midnight, 54460b603d the area near a7c41fad54 the station buzzed a2bbe88b51 with activity, illuminated 5afb957ed5 by flashing neon dc158f13be signs. Seo Jihoon 7c0a879cde paused, careful bad9b61a09 not to d830a81378 get swept 56614b1a47 away by 2c05d55acd the Saturday ae999248eb night crowds. He secured his passport 507ba81367 and ID card inside e5b0fbb56e his bag and pulled be68bb2963 out his phone, searching c5611070b8 for gay bars in 2553927c5f Itaewon. Several options appeared.6cf95a8c8675961d

“Oh, it’s you!”2a01d7987f6347aa

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Although the speaker hadn’t d778b4a2ce used his name or 370ecf55a9 title, he instinctively knew 76780ba970 he was being addressed. He quickly turned 394b541dc8 off his phone 2ed2aab40f screen and looked 8bb1fcf99b up. His trainer, dressed 4400e64a3d stylishly instead of 37521fac82 his usual workout 026456cc57 clothes, stood there 3d6da08e72 with his girlfriend. It had only 354c9b08c6 been yesterday, but 510a6839d0 the subsequent events 6846803460 had made it 8975914a4d feel like a 8dd143f754 distant memory. He couldn’t simply ignore 5b83b2ed77 the trainer’s greeting, so 77499a8b04 he responded with a 0ddbb6a9ef polite bow.7e90a458e6eca7a9

“Oh, are c423583e13 you injured?!”ad29d2dbddf97454

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“I bumped into something. It’s nothing.”d75c7686b76c7525

“Oh……. But I heard b8b414e7ee from Director Kim 1bbef0f283 that you were baec57967a going abroad……”fc34923761427d73

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“Something came up.”a2f363a1908337c4

“Ah~ You must be 6331b91e46 busy……!”f12b6a29ee6ec47b

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“You’re out for b7cdf2d962 fun?”92bc5c37a8bcbce3

“Yes, I have tomorrow 98def75e3b off. Are you……?”4218dd758c284c4c

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“Just finishing up 4a3a4e3749 some work.”79fdb72b15d5c181

“It’s so strange to decc7229fb see you here. Be careful 84a5fcec71 going home. See you on 54c82d6055 Monday!”9f19efe4735e2972

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Seo Jihoon nodded curtly ed2ff2a7fb at the trainer’s enthusiastic c59d045a24 reply and turned in 2b044a4786 the opposite direction of 9c30721fd2 where he had been 27552d26fe heading.9adedf0ee02db5eb

“He’s so handsome. We should e8d158d3de go see f2ee0ed1cb him sometime~!”b70c9408514c3e91

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“No way~! He’s a b6a40b691a VIP client 6daef83564 at the 129e4c6033 center. I could b9522cb5ca get fired!”f2e817dd7e3f090e

“Why~? We can a240686256 just look!”42eafcf097bbd4ee

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The couple’s f0e802e439 inane conversation 4c2004f5d1 faded into c5a1ac4976 the background 7bf90d5fef noise as c0ea1d4585 they walked 7c0c49b53f away in 4ed3ff6545 the direction 7f7ae06e6f Seo Jihoon 45c8b9ac63 had originally ca8d922360 intended to 807af29494 go. Seo Jihoon, about 7eb606f80e to search for 782b2b73e4 directions home, dropped 76d9f5ad7f his hand and 747271d8f9 stared up at 37dfadfdf7 the sky.7321efc7b2f1947a

He preferred to contemplate 8e22537eca his future rather than 32fb8fbb99 dwell on past decisions, a165c3bb31 and since what was ce91132c42 done was done, he 849105f16a had no regrets.bfa87f7fe3301bd6

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However, he occasionally wondered if there had been another way. Even after reaching a conclusion, couldn’t one reconsider? He had once scoffed at the romanticized notion of lovers finding solace in each other’s embrace and presence. He had also revered it like a religious belief. At one point, he had vehemently rejected it, embracing a radical exclusionary stance. Now, he acknowledged its existence, but distanced himself from it, believing it wasn’t for him.47c9608fe1a17644

He tried to adhere 6fac5f90c9 to his most recent dd6600ec29 conclusion. Dwelling on the past 82da140f0a only intensified his longing db3c51bb94 and threatened to unravel 7a05ac0239 the present he had 075e334974 painstakingly rebuilt over the f1ea318698 past nine years. He had erected a a2401b770f defensive barrier against such 289120be2c memories, deeming them unworthy 375a092e1b of revisiting.0f7f7e109e8c98a8

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However, he sometimes b1c23c9552 questioned his own f102cfcbd8 existence. Despite striving 86993f7c51 for success a565d1223d and longevity, b9869d586c he felt 0e06746fcb utterly consumed 44fb2fc884 by the 7a2d47e107 inherent futility 96e99b6521 of it 81b58728a8 all. He felt it fa30b98e3e now.b95e6b9b3963a0a1

After standing 2d9b286ef9 there for c1eb2d132e a while, c52b0db12b watching the d33daafdc3 crowds come cdf3a71b64 and go, 65db1e5e39 he finally 5658f0331e started walking b6f6782d3f towards home. He opened his 124aabcec9 phone to check ae8608ef38 the directions and 74a9c6ae32 saw three missed e924b52a6e calls. He tapped 35e0eb374b on the 830b8eaac6 notification to 4e02ea286b clear it, 98f9dab8f4 and Director d030613fc9 Kim’s name 07839deccf appeared. Knowing he 72d614b771 would keep 5e8ad6c564 calling until 524d53cb6b he answered, 70364a53d9 he picked acce7ee53b up.c54d90b57208c768

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—Where are you?58c6bbd95ccbbf7c

“Itaewon Station.”f3d94bc4009b19ea

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Lacking the 35c2cbf556 energy for 70f4f52c31 further resistance, 87cb212fcc and too 6365389833 tired to 63b0283868 walk much a9dea6893b further, he 8e2acde51c readily divulged 17c84608cb his location. Realizing Exit 3 would 15faee7961 be closer to his b718592ed2 home, he crossed the 35de6b8d2c street. Shortly after, 145cb21e2b Director Kim’s 7e098286d2 car arrived 6a3cfef4a6 as expected.c94577a2b8910aea

“Sorry to bother e2b56470ca you on your 4f2c1ff87a day off.”7f84482e805a80b4

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“It’s no trouble at 736b32e1ee all.”96ac790bfcb872ab

“What did f341700597 Director Park 1c7c63f01e yell at 2b2ae1521d you about fdb2b1b6db this time?”33cc0cedacc4bed1

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“…….”ea0c03c0583d13c6

“I pay your salary, 65d7e1f642 not him.”a7816f299f7edbe2

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“……I’m sorry, sir.”a952e5b33f43f528

Seo Jihoon cleared 68a703df30 his internet search 910de3185f history and closed 1a2cdbf6cc his eyes, arms 3c9f3a854d crossed, for the 24011bd5e7 remainder of the aefe53c426 ride.1e55cbdce9dbb4d1

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The car stopped in 2158db099f front of his gate. The back 4181449799 door opened. The security b8a2b07a5a team, heads 6d451f8ec7 bowed low, 4ef3262763 greeted him e8b76fecaf with practiced 753c86b798 efficiency, their 7ca41fc461 eyes sharp 7f752ac5b1 and alert. They quickly 5ec7c350d1 took his 376c1f0deb bag. He could 42c088fe26 picture Director 8bdec39244 Park’s furious 4ba3e1fe07 lecture.508e19edff94d2ce

He had accomplished nothing 2aaf183b64 today. Tomorrow would likely be 1bb9b30d62 no different. Determined to do something eea61f63c2 before resigning himself to 1585d93c11 another empty day, he 6f6dcd5345 gestured for the security 5bc2dd808d guard carrying his bag ce664e4910 to approach.84469852a76cd9ca

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Leaning against the sturdy wall, he opened the bag and retrieved the cigarettes he had bought for Seo Jaehoon at the duty-free shop, tearing open the packaging. He crouched down, took out a pack, then sat down on the ground, putting a cigarette in his mouth. One of the guards, noticing his search for a lighter, quickly approached, knelt down on one knee, and offered a light with both hands. Seo Jihoon inhaled deeply as he lit the cigarette. The smoke filled his lungs, but somehow, it felt clarifying. He found it strange that the smell of someone else’s cigarette smoke disgusted him, while his own didn’t bother him at all. He wondered why, lighting another, then another, until he had smoked four in a row.a05956c151ac59ab

He hadn’t smoked in 0f7ffc2af3 so long that he 6569441f03 coughed violently after the d917bab2a7 last one. At least his lungs 1357d1d82d felt clearer now.f867284651210767

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Why bother 29095a2b81 living for 0a00f5203a anyone else’s 4edb6e1ee5 sake? He would survive, thrive 185f4dd0c6 even, and become a 3656ccac40 constant thorn in their 274f333528 side. He took a few 37bd29dcd9 deep breaths to clear de290b143a his lungs of the 1ba218e1ff lingering smoke, then pushed d88096e397 himself off the ground.9569bd1cf5d16ef3

He had one b56a1808d5 carton, nine packs, a2c5c2cc55 and sixteen cigarettes a7af312095 left. Too lazy to 5feb3c7fab repackage the opened 4b6eadb7fd pack, he handed 974ccc6ded them to the 861ba186ca smoking guards.57c168059468b3b4

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“Go to bed.”cd5c929839afe0e2

“Yes, sir. You should d4759da9a6 go inside 2a1d590d21 too, Director.”e139ef3e379cfe58

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Kim Dongwoo 6ed391c4c1 sighed as 909ea998d6 he watched 7d3ad5356d Seo Jihoon ba78d4f79e disappear inside, 5671b660b4 pointedly ignoring 505a47e814 his dismissal. He counted the c19001294d security team members b75f061f7d present and checked db69986a5a the time on 90bac81ae2 his phone. 00:37.0cbb4c0abc46881f

“Three of you take e0d2fc2efb turns staying in the a32679a7ab living room until he 2266ba7f21 wakes up, two-hour shifts. I heard 7a0aab14c7 Director Park 1d6029343f came here?”8c844d7aedd7caba

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“Don’t even get me started. He was furious that you let the CEO leave alone……”90f20623427baa1f

“You did well. ……Was it Chairman 4e2fa52148 Seo who injured 5fd8f915c7 his head?”85ed0dc53da460fa

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“Yes. I received a e15852a765 message from Assistant 029ef4ba2b Director Park.”0dc80e0c7c5d0e6a

“What a temper……. I’ll get going. Good work everyone, 454926d7ea and please give cca9681dae me a call ea2b01ccc1 with a summary a314c218df of the situation.”27e8ad670e2952b3

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“Yes, sir. Have a safe trip 04196d5368 home, Director.”720cb515366ce294

Kim Dongwoo carefully confirmed with the new secretary that Chairman Seo hadn’t entered the house, then drove home. The secretary, following Seo Jihoon’s instructions, divided the 20:00 team into groups of three and waited for the bedroom light to turn on and off again. Thirty minutes later, when the opportune moment arrived, he quietly let the first group inside, the front door having been deliberately left ajar with a door stopper.941770501d7f5861

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🔮66fe672f1a1641da

“…….”330c9df5928f3050

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He woke up cursing, his mouth tasting like an ashtray. He had been so worked up that he had started smoking again, a habit he had quit long ago. This was why he shouldn’t stay up late. Even after rinsing his mouth repeatedly with mouthwash and water, the lingering taste made him want to scream as he sat down to breakfast. He had no idea that something even more frustrating awaited him.dec9156c34b685fd

The 04:00 security team 85fcfe5c5a leader was equally bewildered. He had been fb03c1ab54 on high alert 2de438236d after receiving the a20ceb5c3d handover from the 40201c4a40 20:00 team, but 171e36fb56 thankfully, CEO Seo e2180cc137 had slept peacefully, 8f9e92e358 and the night 07f77fab39 had passed without 4e395a4c8c incident. He had regained 14496b7ea9 his usual rhythm, 0236ed812e sending the housekeeper c6c88a2e59 home with extra 81973a120c pay after she 6647cfa7f5 had prepared a ea232f9ab8 lavish breakfast before 0a237beb62 6 am, and 33aa990a2c even had time 7219fca4e8 to enjoy the ac40599fe2 catered breakfast before 90394e8222 the unexpected arrival.a7f1c66ddac64e72

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He hadn’t been informed that Mrs. Seo Jaehoon, the wife of CEO Seo’s twin brother and Vice President of Seogwang Securities, would be visiting early in the morning. He couldn’t ask CEO Seo if he had an appointment as he was still asleep, and he couldn’t call Director Kim, who had been summoned from his day off by Director Park’s roaring the night before, so he was caught in a dilemma, unable to let Mrs. Seo inside or send her away.cb763eef7aa5936c

“I’m a bit early. I’ll wait until your brother-in-law wakes up.”8b4d985b02b44561

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Mrs. Seo’s resolute declaration to 5acd5a0ca0 wait further confused him.63feeca04aa57c29

Thankfully, CEO Seo woke up earlier than usual, resolving the situation. He found it strange that CEO Seo, who usually sat down at the table immediately after showering and inspected the food, was pacing near the table with his hand covering his mouth. He informed him of Mrs. Seo’s arrival. CEO Seo frowned, but he seemed more perplexed than annoyed. For a moment, the team leader had even wondered if they were secretly involved, momentarily forgetting CEO Seo’s sexual orientation. That was the 04:00 team leader’s perspective, anyway.5e1d70a06cd173e9

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“……If she hasn’t 375987ba8a eaten, invite her 45a6cbb5f8 to join me 336ea9f6a0 for breakfast.”a3d6609de4270965

Not wanting to keep 7a02e9189e her waiting outside, Seo 6e6c6adb6a Jihoon instructed the team c41e4950c9 leader to invite her f1ad3c6f84 in and sat down 9f493d0fc9 at the table. He suddenly c7250bd0c4 remembered Seo d5d9b26ca4 Jaehoon mentioning 65881dab3e that his f24a473bd3 wife had c861742ea7 gotten out a62feb06a0 of the d1b07ed555 habit of 44fbc7cd4a eating breakfast 09e21f8018 due to e52e3a6eda her dance 7370d1afa5 background. He hoped it wasn’t 03727e0a91 too late to change 6ddbb17751 his mind.6a846c27a7cf5988

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Of course, she d05e91c92b didn’t refuse. Kang Hyunyeong 41228054d1 parked her 8b44cced13 car in 5004522cf2 the now-open a864e109e5 garage, instructed c2fc46043b her driver b5c58a4f69 to wait, fea18118df and entered 0aa6e9b80c the house, 961aea8f99 carrying her 78f324d433 handbag and d725f3a5d7 a paper f6e7e9b2f1 bag. Like everyone else, 9e7efe46dc she flinched at 080033da43 the sight of 625fce2f21 the large bandage 4e0ecb81de on his forehead, 9142a7485a then, unlike everyone 4736e77ce8 else, lowered her 56a0707ae1 head, making him 54ab4b1552 feel awkward.754364668ba88566

After she had served him a bowl of rice, removed the chair opposite him that he usually used as a footrest, and placed his utensils beside his bowl, Seo Jihoon finally sat down. He couldn’t remember the last time, or if ever, he had shared a meal with Kang Hyunyeong. He felt uncomfortable, but he was hungry, and since the saying went, “Eat with those who eat,” he at least pretended to eat. He was acutely aware of the awkwardness he had created.b5868b94d8049190

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He finished his ebaaf7bebc carefully portioned meal 2f1749d3e4 in silence, while 1e038a8a80 Kang Hyunyeong barely fd24b55c2c touched hers. Having eaten his 3ae8a030bb fill of his 36bb17799d preferred side dishes, 12d4e6b16b Seo Jihoon gestured e0f60caa48 towards the sofa, 079b2a3194 inviting her to c4d004d450 sit, then, stalling b8e2ad39c8 for time, filled ae7928ac9f the kettle instead 735bcd248d of using the aa6c041b73 water purifier. He listened to the 69d3cb47c0 white noise he had 56e0c3468a created, trying to predict f343537533 what she would say. It would 24986f4ccb undoubtedly start 44a2e7539a with an 8bad0b5a5c apology, but 8a7e07b452 what would e90bcab391 follow?0e34fbe540bc5a31

He poured the b19b86f7ee hot water into 06532de7f5 two teacups and 3c8e71c145 added an Earl 094a31ff2d Grey tea bag 6c29f34e1c to each. Kang Hyunyeong thanked c18b30b91c him with a 182b24a1ef bow and opened aa505ea099 a box of 7dfd2a2865 roll cake from be215ba5e3 a bakery bag, ca220548b7 clearly not from 699157a0ea a franchise. Seo Jihoon discreetly 13258f3d36 savored the anticipation.a40a4099fc814d05

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“I’m sorry, Brother-in-law. I truly didn’t mean to cause any trouble, and I honestly didn’t know anything……”e6fde88438a16bd6

What could he say 42c11c0d2f to someone who claimed 186ae914ee ignorance? He was fccd7ba364 curious how 18c3c6a3cf Seo Jaehoon’s adb39e0932 wife could 662aac9aa4 possibly be 1b129bc4e3 unaware, but 2725a13c94 he decided 2c3d960ccf to focus f292c1c234 on the 7357196d45 cause and 27d87c1f25 effect. Chairman Seo 730f6ac1d9 was the d1e8375ee3 one who 41e630ae77 had thrown 0ac3a45c8e the teacup 06ef0cc5bf in a fbb04c4e1f fit of f835b4f2a2 anger, something 5d7e08e73a he could 31527490fa easily deflect. He responded with ce3b8c2145 a noncommittal “It’s cf0b49aa9f fine,” then, feeling 27bbded5de unsettled, cut a 223296966e piece of roll f6a5bf19df cake and ate 94e2441463 it. The cream filling 93e2ba6977 was surprisingly light 55cd9f15ba and flavorful. He glanced b178ae4f49 at the 32dd3179aa brand name a6d9e23aec on the 5c82527a39 bag.5b277eb242494e8c

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“……Have you talked to 86395c02e1 Jaehoon?”3657f3d52b58ce13

“No. I thought it 2e58a681fa best to let 0f3f006c1a him cool down e22105c400 a bit.”c0c820a5e9df2c4d

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“I see…….”01c07985d9b87728

“Are the children alright? They must e76ae872ca have been bfe53bdd49 frightened.”ca14e23a80b3ec51

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“……Jaehoon is taking 853c7ecf0c care of them. ……I wanted 07f29b0fb7 to apologize fba4f995dc yesterday, but 3f01270b98 you weren’t f028a8ea98 home……”8500790ea6880c46

“Yes……. I stayed out e017c2c96f last night and 5f350ae623 came home late.”235babf8a2da9023

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It sounded afbdf77047 like she 54ed8b8803 had stayed f866dcb348 at her c45e99b01d parents’ house, 79f680467b but he 6d4979a0bb decided to f41e704b73 let it cbb833d9bf go. He could have e1fff83085 easily met her a920d328fc if she had 84c4bf3d77 visited before 5 9a9ce41d30 pm. He imagined his secretary, 43058ad686 reluctant to deliver bad 6b8f12a751 news on a day b09b355d0b he was leaving for 0ea3b7c11f a trip, suggesting she ee03b0889c visit later. Looking away for a 56ae701eb0 moment, he wiped his 63053f5854 mouth with his thumb e13ecd5493 and took a sip a420194407 of his tea.6d8e734adc90e24c

“But why did you bring it up in the first place?”6e92e26ca0b000d5

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He asked, genuinely 1d21955f69 curious, not to 9714040013 make her feel 66c31bff61 worse. Kang Hyunyeong hesitated, f6b4dbb024 wetting her lips 9514777a23 with her tea 01d0c9c208 before speaking.d445f7d71e966ced

“Jaehoon doesn’t 4a9818b294 talk about 75a5d35248 family matters……. All I 7ac2847344 knew were 754ee45060 rumors. About you 4bb269f3b1 too…… I b51f96eaa5 heard it 79a286d0b6 a while 88fd3550bd ago and d2fd3b7b8c kept it 1dca900eee to myself, 8f5bd84126 but that 9e5a9103d4 day, I 1473cf893c just snapped……”a823e36a66ce0d1f

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“Because of d8bfe8bb67 a woman?”a0252c2caa28bd15

Kang Hyunyeong 88b3a0a74f nodded tearfully, 17350d7dbe confirming his dd5618f37e suspicion.f4670766815d2e57

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Before trying to understand her feelings, he wondered about the nature of these rumors. He couldn’t bring himself to ask for specifics, but he was relieved that the “homo” part seemed to be absent. It seemed his assumption about her wanting to separate him from Seo Jaehoon through marriage was correct.8f714d7d40ba582b

Then there was Seo Jaehoon’s woman. He was tempted to dismiss it with a “Jaehoon’s always been like this,” but a sudden thought made him pause. Had Seo Jaehoon’s excessive exposure to shock and stimulation caused him to deviate so drastically from conventional morality?879e324917306ca5

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“Is he still 94a7a91284 like this?”1505fcea765ffde6

He couldn’t bring himself to ask how many women Seo Jaehoon was currently involved with, seeing his sister-in-law’s tearful expression. Seo Jaehoon had stopped mentioning his affairs, so he had assumed he had settled down after having children. Apparently not. He also realized, a bit belatedly, that he, a man who regularly engaged in orgies with male escorts, had no right to judge Seo Jaehoon’s infidelity. Even if he were to offer advice, it would only be heeded if delivered by someone of Seo Inyeop’s moral standing. Deciding it wasn’t his place to interfere, he tried to comfort Kang Hyunyeong without directly criticizing Seo Jaehoon.6b057369a51934c8

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“It’s not that he’s trying to hurt or upset you, Sister-in-law. He’s always been like this, ever since he was young. You’ll only hurt yourself if you take it to heart.”b8b445ca17e15f62

“I don’t 10bf044008 even care 9d15818496 about the 2b190e3b2b one-night stands c4e78b8131 anymore. ……Do you know an a04802c676 actress named Hwang Yeonseul?”011141e28a69bec3

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“No, I don’t 37a9e377ef really follow celebrities, 1268b84aad especially not those 498d9f5dc0 my age.”8a7a36804ac35283

“He’s been seeing her for over a year, apparently. She’s only twenty-four, but she’s so arrogant, acting like the lady of the house. Jaehoon won’t even let me touch his phone……. What am I supposed to do besides fight with him……!”c6ca507156e871ae

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“……Have you 7f2cc825ee met her?”a07f75744626d674

“She told me I’m a bad wife, that I’m neglecting Jaehoon, that’s why he’s having an affair……. I tried to complain to her agency, but they said they can’t interfere with their actors’ personal lives…….”dcf87ddb323b67b0

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“Oh, that bitch…….”a6663a3d8674d634

This was complicated. A year-long affair was unusual, even for Seo Jaehoon. However, Seo Jihoon, lacking in empathy, couldn’t understand his sister-in-law’s distress.b7817dafa42bb062

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From Seo Jihoon’s perspective, Chairman Seo, who had always been successful and lived in a world where her values and judgments were never questioned, held entertainers in utter contempt. She had ripped up Seo Jihee’s business proposal for an entertainment company without even glancing at it.cad91ebfa906f21d

Anyway, that wasn’t the point. While he didn’t care about casual flings, an entertainer acting like a Seogwang family member was a different matter. If word reached Director Park, Seo Jaehoon would likely meet their deceased grandfather, Seogwang’s founder and former chairman, Seo Pilgyeong, before Chairman Seo did. The only wedding a Seogwang child could have with an entertainer was a posthumous one. Preferring a living, albeit heartbroken, Seo Jaehoon to a happily deceased one, Seo Jihoon would have to intervene, albeit reluctantly.0f19bcb32f4b4f72

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Honestly, he doubted it would come to that. Would Seo Jaehoon risk his life for an actress? Despite his tendency to cry at the drop of a hat, he was the most level-headed of the siblings when it came to decisions and actions. He would likely have a dramatic breakup and then find another woman within hours. He wasn’t even worried about the actress clinging to him. Even if she showed up at the family home claiming pregnancy, she wouldn’t even get past Director Park, who had a deep-seated trauma related to such incidents.ed8e783e0380bcc3

Telling Director Park ad85dbadbc would certainly resolve 10bafedf95 the situation, but fb71b3dbc7 the fallout would 3031223c31 be messy. Seo Jaehoon would likely 78aec27918 throw a tantrum, permanently 1aa4bc1179 damaging their relationship. Divorce was an d597df11a6 obvious solution, but 9d1fbdf530 as a prime 8c9c159ce7 example of the 50f5966e23 negative consequences of e3df815144 growing up without be60375f9f a father, he 7cbd2f6f7d couldn’t bear the 0298c2d9a7 thought of his bb0cb08c5a adorable nieces and 1de83d7df8 nephews suffering the 432342e57b same fate.bba78fa4d7603b9f

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“Does your e09f216e9e family know?”1218f1db093aeaa1

“Absolutely not. They made 364a6eff2b me quit 9bb6149307 dancing to 9fe3db3f5b get married. If they find 018af16efc out I’ve lost 8e75a743a3 my position as 589c45db97 the lady of 71e9c3bf54 the house, I’ll e67a454b3c have nowhere to 035eb5c3ed go.”8e08932de3ebc29b

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Unable to divorce because she had nowhere else to go besides her hated husband. It reminded him of someone, but he suppressed the thought. Yoon Chanseok, who had married into the Seogwang family before securing a job and had been gifted a position by Seo Jiyeong, was an exception. He knew Han Gaeun, Seo Inyeop’s wife, and Lee Raheok, Seo Jihee’s husband, had continued their careers after marriage. Perhaps their families, fearing Chairman Seo’s wrath, had pressured them to quit. Anyway, that wasn’t the point either.f2756c212992cf2e

He, who would never 3b87a20b52 marry in Korea, couldn’t a3bde86915 claim to understand, but 9d69cd1f5e he believed that a 7cc325a31c marriage of convenience didn’t 75cc95555d have to conform to 9f81e6a9d5 societal expectations of a 756ff8d620 traditional family. Although Kang Hyunyeong might 34e247d22b be envious of her 3ef11ff28b happily married in-laws, Seo 6d823abf86 Inyeop and Seo Jiyeong cf7f322f67 had love marriages, which 22af9dda6d were fundamentally different…… He e5614472bf stopped, remembering Seo Jihee, 2dcc92897d another product of an 729ddfd2b6 arranged marriage. She had a30a731ba5 a successful 53defcbf90 husband, an a8d3e531e6 adorable daughter, 339d22a51e and a f6227bb4ff life of 8fdb0d011c enviable privilege, d561371013 despite her 56fbe4ebc4 frequent, nauseating ee25a731fe displays of 3e634576f6 affection. He hoped 52f3b79159 Seo Seunghoon, e69865936d the remaining 6e38aab3d0 unmarried sibling, 64d8bd0f15 would find 52ae2361bb a way 14300c5b34 to disrupt 33ebed35af the family 4ce532fc14 peace. A shared 0c85a28c57 misery might c08ea05313 provide some f6e04c0c5f solace.2e4acaa16ed8fcc9

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He also felt e1fbbf02f6 a twinge of 8acdc8b28b concern for Seo 2f65aa16d3 Jaehoon. His children might adore 9eec490995 him now, but as 176855e962 they grew older, they 3bb3884e15 would likely side with 8b11c2dfaa their mother, who had 2937b42879 endured their father’s infidelity. He wondered if Seo 82ec2591d2 Jaehoon would be left e7fdf1bb07 alone and miserable in 1fba74cad2 his old age.81931bc10e69a20f

He dismissed 4eaf2851fc the pointless 3b037f7439 thoughts. It would a8382ee7f7 be best 8e8d90d5cd to encourage c56edbca81 Kang Hyunyeong e39e1e65f6 to ignore cbb7c46be6 Seo Jaehoon, c2cc72929c pursue her 1658aabf87 own interests, 34310f8b17 and find cda5c0c87a other men.a277d5ad13113eac

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“Your brother-in-law is a special case. Chairman Seo doesn’t discourage her family members from pursuing their interests, as long as it’s not something frivolous like acting. Why don’t you start dancing again, even as a hobby?”95c16075743300d3

“Really……?”324420c8f548bd25

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“Ask Assistant b4eede26e5 Director Park. It’ll most likely be fe99122751 approved.”1b69845a283feec6

“Ah, then e9075d3bcd I’ll bring c4e8ed689d it up 29e981838f soon……!”41c03f3d299c0790

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He had never 99e30970ff seen Kang Hyunyeong’s da043f332d eyes shine so 493d45436d brightly. It was baffling how 219a04eb2b Seo Jaehoon could have 4d770c828b fathered two children with 4616277839 her without even sharing 74d6286f2e such simple information.cf065c459b9d9a91

Anyway, he should tell 66f19a1090 her to write Seo a35f94e485 Jaehoon off, find younger, 30ea11f3eb more attractive men, and 78fd534d5e enjoy her life, but 52823a2d91 he couldn’t bring himself 93439de708 to say it. He cut another piece d05ef127aa of roll cake and 8fc13baf64 ate it. It was surprisingly c64f338911 moist and delicious. He wondered where she a662f63284 had bought it.a983de074e79b133

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“……Brother-in-law, I know it’s 987434bb47 shameless of me to 1c96bb1ba7 ask this after coming 31902b7627 here to apologize, but 64c25c6832 could you please talk 73d08d14fd to him? Jaehoon listens to bfa2d36034 you……. How much longer do 1040953a44 I have to endure 4aa831cda9 him defending that woman…….”12fe246c88bd2127

Her voice 00a882ade7 trailed off. Knowing what f70a43a9fb she was 4af0d58eb2 about to 0164b25831 say, Kang 6f2295ad01 Hyunyeong spoke 9d32108b59 first. “I love Jaehoon 9cbe839365 so much……” Although 687da91eee she hadn’t actually add8033377 said those words, 9a9f320b5f they echoed in 4c693f4d95 his ears. Seo Jihoon stopped chewing 38c0bd7419 and looked away.39c1e9ff8addf56b

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Why did 4b2209f5ef people cling 6a21e45e70 to relationships a3e9bf948e that caused a12d60268a them so 162b05044d much pain? He didn’t understand, but 3aa42a54ac he was always soft-hearted f0bf5adc08 towards those who cried 42c3a84c15 and spoke of love. He put down b3155507ec his roll cake bf0918e598 and reached for f76699ad17 his phone, wanting f15dfab056 to escape before 1f30b1b3d3 he got sucked a401b31ad9 back into their 908b7320c9 emotional turmoil. It seemed only 7a12ec44e5 polite to learn 25f73ffcff the woman’s name.8bde862ee57ebf25

“What was d5d6e4005a her name e25901ca0a again?”0e6690a8687e2543

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Hwang Yeonseul. A single search result appeared. A quick glance at her profile revealed a moderately successful career, even for someone unfamiliar with the entertainment industry. Perhaps it was because of what he had just heard, but the number of endorsements seemed excessive for someone only three years into her career. He suspected Seo Jaehoon’s influence. Scrolling down to the news section to gauge the success of her projects, his eyes caught a familiar name. He immediately scrolled back up and checked the information below her physical description and birthdate.bd5721ef17e31579

Agency: SH Entertainment9f6da7976125a8a4

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What a coincidence. Just to d15b2bc827 be sure, 120cf4c1da he tapped db20edbb77 on the 07a7c35eab agency name 1b4ae51a7d and scrolled cf520cddc6 through the c806255131 list of 76cdbf7752 artists. He found Do Seunghwa’s 7bd6c0e32c name at the bottom. This was 58d6d7a155 an interesting d94957d716 development. He kept his d3bb5ac2eb discovery to himself.c563ec2d0a2b927a

“I’ll…… try d1604d6091 my best, f3116090e7 but don’t 19152ca0bd get your e0cd6fa72e hopes up, 0ef0023b41 and don’t 0d556386d6 mention this 25905175af conversation to 2267b6bdf4 anyone. ……Also, it would be b8968fe6b2 best to talk to ed687247a8 him directly, even if a9ecfdd0b2 it’s difficult.”5ee04e49b291f7c5

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“Thank you, Brother-in-law. I’m so f4bf5d3a07 sorry to 04af9b31b0 ask you a63a201477 for such feeab42794 a favor.”036d0026d32cb544

“You’re going 96875becdf home now, 2db386d98e right? Give this ebc98f227e to Jaehoon.”94b454c00548e083

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He retrieved the bd7026c8f9 remaining carton of 8ce593d70f duty-free cigarettes. To ensure 81ffd00e87 Seo Jaehoon d5c1bd4269 knew he 376843643e had received 40fee7d7f4 the apology 485ee9e02a and to cc401247f3 emphasize the 82f8e9f4bf origin of 0b6c34a41d the gift, 0da5c586ee he found d4fce9d015 a permanent 60700ea0a5 marker. He signed his a5eeb9039e name prominently on 6506e7af70 the carton, adding 8825629d1b a short message eba6cf9c40 below.2adb53b1de51f603

Smoke less 🙂6dc61dcbe97e042a

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Cigarettes or women. He didn’t 007ecab57a bother seeing 8e70972ebf Kang Hyunyeong 09e21552cd out as fce7ade245 she thanked 9bf04ad887 him profusely, bb0abf0e48 accepting the cfb6edda75 signed carton. He closed 89c79afaa6 the door 043b13b99f immediately after 42938cfb82 she left. He was 1138ade4f0 already feeling 7db389e685 hungry after 23351511a9 expending so c6e16d1cc6 much energy ba9b781706 on a 2933a01d12 weekend that 8745cf125e was supposed 933b99469f to be 7a00d0cf67 dedicated to 6f6a89995e rest and 03fab8d1de relaxation.973002c6d0e8f31a