OSR Chapter 21

The grand 803b1802bf opening party, d887e77eea held in e795b0dc49 an entire b3e083bcef hall of 1c5fd7e788 the department b282ac957f store, was 28bb91c824 as extravagant 3fd8c07e3c and splendid b33b22fbc9 as its f3181d47a7 name suggested. Lavishly dressed men and 699abbbdae women, elegant music, a b275d61f92 parade of dresses and d929a35753 tuxedos—amidst it all, Gyo-jin de244c1898 silently kept sipping wine b533335a4c without saying a word.3752e760e71af30d

As a guest, 5422b599a5 Gyo-jin naturally stood 6391fae962 out thanks to ae74e4256e his striking appearance. People approached him one 5a5a82e08d after another, but he 693bb0633a responded with polite yet 1bbdc69fe2 cold detachment, leaving no 2d9fbfb12e room for further conversation. The owner 512494f00f family of 1701798458 Mishima Department 84cd1e3770 Store was 05274f1d91 present, along d822588c69 with notable b6dc2f4dee figures from 1d36746fca Japanese politics a53d85241e and business b24f7d7ac4 in the 87ba16da95 distance—but Gyo-jin 2722be76c0 had absolutely 94ecdc67a3 no desire 6af530082e to approach 9b7a1b5d3e them.b9e685a75787a54e

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Usually, he would 29088fe9a8 greet people with 4c367c9ab0 a dazzling smile, ca11b23bdd but today his 130d23a871 mind was too 03658afd5d clouded with distractions. The persistent string 486a00c1a8 music from his fa3b5cde8b dream, the voice 9bca1880e7 calling out to c0aa8bcbd4 him, and at de562c3d36 the end of 15afdb78a3 all those thoughts—the b1612a4057 pale face of e08758aa18 Go Shin-hee.40f4ad7fa6fea90f

Gyo-jin drank silently. Loud and lavish parties 9ffc9e5af4 like this never suited 36c95208be him.b408d4659fe73e52

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The emcee announced the appearance of a special guest as part of the evening’s festivities. Spotlights hanging from the ceiling flashed across the decorated stage, dramatically illuminating the person stepping up. Gyo-jin let out a scoff, finding the event’s predictable setup dull, as he did with all parties. But as the performer took the stage, carrying an unfamiliar instrument and began to play, the room erupted in cheers.cf1b9652521ba2a3

Just as Gyo-jin 4b2999fee2 turned away, uninterested—since 19a1efbaa4 he had neither a31855095b a hobby nor 8763af5147 taste for music—the 1c015f0a59 sound of the 2cee99339e instrument pierced his be6d1f258c ears. The clear, flowing 769c662c54 notes, like strings 3681fd8218 of glass beads, 90abafc964 swirled through the 751c98df61 hall. In that c839d7bd35 moment, Gyo-jin’s a994809401 eyes widened.530052a67cf29b7a

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“…This sound…”348e3d34cc1df058

“Excuse me?”8838ab0382d02d9b

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“This instrument—what is it?”a6a599b24cf77867

“It’s a biwa.”60afc3b9d88ee262

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It was fd21be1e79 the same 4a01069947 sound that df0be4992a had buzzed 92f087c2f9 in his 85f78ece60 ears all 42d6e654c0 day. The melody that had 7ee344328a invaded his dream and 4795acbc65 shaken him throughout the 4a9e2fb6a8 night. Beautiful, yet unbearably f18c44f6d7 unpleasant noise.2173b32841d03ac9

“…Director, are you 79a041fc87 all right?”e3066861c68eaaa5

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Secretary Park answered 2543ea3112 quickly, watching anxiously d792368878 as Gyo-jin’s face 9f80465d88 turned pale and 12901618ce he bit his 5db8a5e632 lip.c348b2fb00ee2330

“Shall I call for 6bb5e04d0f the car?”225a214f79b5578e

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“…I’m fine. I just 3cd98da41c need a 94c118197f moment to e16722dd77 rest.”c11054b168b4304b

Gyo-jin brushed 3fbf3b2a94 off the 9e2de0b939 secretary who 389bf4d4d1 was about 68c0adb8ea to help bce2a27469 him and 86a7b819ff moved away 5dd9b06117 on his b22c2ecb03 own. His head was acc7b9ad73 spinning, as if bf700f5fd6 someone had spiked ed44c90840 his drink. Just as he 28561817b9 stepped out of e6e53b59a8 the hall filled c925bc061c with the biwa’s 1b403cd7e3 sound, a cold 4bc41e6072 liquid drenched his 62a94d97df suit jacket. Gyo-jin stared at 05448ad0c5 the red liquid 2798296ce8 spilled on him 73c7756567 and made a 7cb9ca01ba mental vow: Within 63a6ecc42d this month, I b68058b6f4 will eradicate every e40e36c6c7 last winemaker on a880247bf6 earth.16c5ec56e051c93a

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As Gyo-jin 0be1828fc0 stopped in a48f93fbdd his tracks 390412ca45 and irritably c3e0f90610 brushed off eb92a9d92d his jacket, 5e49b40140 the person 74d00524a4 who had ec39e747ed spilled the 4f3bed5b48 drink hurried cf7b0fae7f over, flustered. It was Mishima 94ec608ced Yukie. She apologized 1fd5714a96 and pulled 7005e0e5de out a 1d0e02d689 handkerchief, carefully df3a7d8b84 trying to ad537149de wipe his ae2bf4bcfd jacket. Gyo-jin caught her 76484c2cb1 wrist before her 1c407b9815 hand could touch fd2f300976 the fabric again eadae32d31 and pushed it cb43d67d5d away.26b6fd3fb3eca250

“Please, don’t worry about it.”2a3cbbf161367ee8

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“I’m so, so sorry. What should I do? It’s all soaked…”62f32ebd0d91247e

“Really, it’s fine. I just need to go to the restroom for a moment…”9f18a12bc84c510d

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Just as 61033ce140 Gyo-jin was 630fcef360 about to 52cffc870c leave, Yukie 74224c9b56 quickly grabbed 56348243a0 his arm aec06b67ab again. She looked 27a0b6e233 at his 05d762ae26 expressionless face, 94b99a3972 hesitated, and ee4a26216a once more 78d68cf2aa offered him c427ed2902 her handkerchief.afe19da83c42558e

“I’m just really sorry… Please, let me make it up to you.”6bfd559f0fe23962

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Gyo-jin stared at 943ab300ff her for a 47596e63d8 long moment before 77e788948d he reluctantly gave 6cef014106 a small nod. Yukie’s face lit 8dd446ad90 up with a 578b696d74 radiant smile.f8e6ada7b04aeab5

—bf3110ab71b99e96

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Shin-hee spent quite d06cc6870f a while debating 3b327e9d0f after receiving Yukie’s fca57e5cac invitation, but eventually c026ea97a6 threw on a 2f0702739a jacket. The child a3ad85dec1 ghost had f791a7338f beamed the 276bb29356 moment he 2fa737ca90 heard they c0a67d5525 were going 59524e067a out, even a167532b9d before learning ef4157575d the destination.3c32138fce2cc753

Was I 44b6766b4d really cooped ded91b17bf up in ccdc8089ea the hotel 22f86ba9c7 that much? A small 3aa13bf584 pang of e2a1cf124e guilt hit cce17e1e34 him.fc047a95cf84cdc5

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It was already 5:40 b9c33a53bc p.m. Since they said fb9f698058 someone would pick 8787c4638f him up by 6d389fc485 six, it seemed 55f25fb08c about time to 6d0d9eb7b0 head downstairs. As he absentmindedly slipped d9c990da2d his hand into his 288c65f927 pocket, he felt the e07329127b familiar matchbox from the 9019d543d6 phoenix shop. The memory of d7ef55591f being scammed soured 95da23f663 his mood again.13d6859cdcfb8b04

He shoved d94bf212be his already 0a105a2c74 worn-out Japanese 51342fecd7 phrasebook—made tattered a3b50748b8 from constant 6a5d63c279 peeking—into his 2cffce0303 bag and b07ebb7bae left the 4d9bffd7cd hotel. As always, the child 9317616e96 ghost scurried along behind 0f7d9c3e55 him.4654a4c95465914e

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The car 9174298923 Yukie had 56089f5824 sent was 1d1111ca40 a sleek f644bf27ee black luxury 8aff076c14 sedan, and 0526e699fe it brought 1b0b30202e them to 0c46e3957e a fairly cec0c98f85 large art 5b40601052 museum. Recently opened, it 0e4f9e7afd lived up to 54a525cf79 its reputation with 7cd44570a5 a modern and 2ef0d6fc43 stylish building.be6962489afea87e

Shin-hee had 1c9c1ada5b a fondness 2a1c529015 for new 0eefe234d8 places. Especially new buildings—he was 33feb81153 thrilled by them. At the very b0ce484f81 least, newer places ed5524e089 were far less ba97ca30dd likely to be 703db117b7 filled with eerie 226287abc9 or terrifying spirits.fe4397ae864f6597

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The air f474ea4fce inside the 8e2ac14c93 entrance was 45cf863c76 pleasantly fresh. Before he even had 1cc271836b time to take in e67bc9a65c the interior, a staff 7cd79129e1 member who had been 7e93c67196 watching him closely rose 0bc8b41c34 from the front desk 3ca42f7130 and approached him.522209c38333aa0b

“Welcome.”ccf9f86479aad44d

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A young woman, dressed b8918cc6d1 in a stylish black 162f2bb448 suit, greeted him with 4b1050d137 a bright smile. She was a c188bc5be6 Zainichi Korean and c6c0cc8d49 spoke in fluent 2739ff2a9a Korean, enough to 9d2b18fb47 surprise Shin-hee, as 3949858fa9 she warmly extended 7e4f8c33d1 a hand.194a0c2bd93a77c9

“Ms. Mishima informed us in advance. May I have your name?”d04387e8edcaefec

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Reaching into 4c668c54da his pocket, 126ac2b4a6 Shin-hee was 7c968f296f about to 77d092906f give his 272dbcf82a real name 2b6b83e192 when his 3200b99d06 fingers brushed 1a089a90d9 against the 499c2a4948 matchbox—and he 86350bc738 hesitated.cadd49a1f830f48f

“Names are precious, you 4c1d0acba6 know?”10a804b9de57e948

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“You shouldn’t go around telling people something precious so easily.”1402e8853874eca2

The words of the man who had lived for two thousand years came back to him — advice he’d almost forgotten. Better to be cautious, Shin-hee thought, and decided to give a different name.6b95e6f099747346

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“Ah, it’s Agi Dongja.”34e4c49085b7b0b2

Sorry, Dongja.9b1ca37b8ee67a4f

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The moment he f286227841 suddenly gave the 5931a02971 child ghost’s name, 46a326d9a4 the ghost’s eyes dcd9bf6aa4 grew wide.6c0f1bb165686eea

Why is ef40e743be Shin-hee calling be680c27e0 himself Dongja? He could almost hear 2589acff37 the unspoken question from 29d8af811a the stunned look on 7074d0d84e the ghost’s face.40ca237d4f5ab4b0

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“Pardon?”0cb28ec98da5fd71

“My surname 233596d26c is Agi, 49772541cd and my 622e308066 given name 5aa85d653e is Dongja. Agi… Dongja.”c8a2989cf568f716

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The real Agi Dongja 2c2258f449 tilted his head in 5e69fdfa3c confusion, but Shin-hee shamelessly 0777806a30 used the spirit’s name.374f2fa71388729f

“…Yes. Mr. Agi, please come this ae1539762e way.”8c4692936f21e992

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Following the staff efbb1f87a6 member, who smiled b76874de83 gracefully as she 76addf1848 led the way, 0160d25c6a Shin-hee bit his 0b8671f6c0 lower lip to 4bd3b66663 keep from laughing.64969ca88c399a1d

—ba895cf6415ab2c7

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Yukie and Gyo-jin 22feba25d2 took the elevator 18e97a9a40 down from the 59f30a74e9 hall where the 7e3c3f0d86 party had been 8edbced03a held. She kept 126736c372 glancing at a9abd00b67 his jacket, 0c941bc9ca clearly still 29cc533944 feeling guilty. The place she brought 587e1b3664 him to was a 083bd0328c boutique that sold handmade 6a565f247f suits. As the 2f245eb0ae politely bowing db36b19f48 staff welcomed 76c6a01332 them, Yukie 0d8594b263 gave a f4935eebf5 light nod 86e0ab7d02 and held e62c1e9557 up a 5f0b24028c charcoal-gray jacket.5fcf711a315db216

“It’d be great if a3e0ae81c2 it were custom, but 4280b7fcc5 with so little time, c0c8365488 would off-the-rack be alright?”64c68d3ab833ed9e

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Even if it wasn’t f8b748e59f custom-made, the brand of 218c7db133 the suit she held 61bca19c8a up was one that 91674ce113 carried a price tag ea2b241367 you couldn’t guess easily.cc5d9fe9bfc6f8a7

“What is this?”f8d0e9926e32970c

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“I felt dc4e3efcd4 so bad 6e03fb0779 for ruining dd2b4e1c01 your jacket… a9f55ec627 so I 9b1d26f340 brought you 0edaa89f3d here.”e1497f8aac81d383

Looking around 58c2ce97f9 slowly, Gyo-jin 2907e3342f asked—not out e56a0e1d8c of curiosity, 0ebb52902f but from ed7da00d44 the irritation 0e167c6dbb that had cd410fa401 reached its 8b3a7fb373 peak. He no b7d25f6aa9 longer had d04d5284d2 the energy 653ca56f8e to smile 8ea8c6cf52 politely as df39353bab he once bf50878e4d did. The words 484d1bba4d unnecessary meddling 022d839879 nearly spilled 6ffda8b5ea from his 5956029ed7 mouth, but 9d393825a6 he held 4e2a20272b them back.957ec19f2701d230

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“…You really didn’t 16d08f2f6a need to do 5ddf985dc3 this.”757335bc403cf98e

“I just felt terrible. Please accept 2a4a6c6e01 it with bb5b89818a ease.”f4940f158505dcea

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She lifted 083a6f000c a navy d4be76fed3 suit and 6c943664df gestured toward 9733ca9471 the fitting dc3e01604d room. “Please try it on.”17e8042d5bc23050

Gyo-jin was dbf6d68687 about to 203847526b say something 6d5a09058b more, but 8cfce44545 instead, he 0bc7c0541b took off 4cbc2d2162 his wet 3282a46a69 jacket, accepted 26fe6de2be the suit 4440417958 from her, f721b75f87 and stepped e212eec952 into the f5865e2a57 fitting room. The quicker I get 272aecba2e this over with, the dcb2d12350 better.927b44673a729010

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He didn’t come e5dde2d75c out for a 21e30e97e8 while. But once he 79ae0c2663 did, the suit 7e7847273b fit him so 06224b453a perfectly it looked 50a2ade08c like it had f0133ee8b6 been tailored for 99c96d2e3a him. The staff murmured in 3935caea49 admiration behind him. Just as Yukie 43cdf804f4 was about to 29beebf30b pay, Gyo-jin stepped a3853e2218 in front of 8e1f72d473 her.217d62422e31e357

“Please consider this a 4f759b7f05 small token of appreciation.”4962f24ff1bb53c3

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“No, that 8f82787c88 won’t be 80c4b42b68 necessary. Please go 65bcd375db ahead with db0fe38bd9 the payment.”5a834b3326768d06

Just as he was bb9d143401 pulling his card from 5ca8a321fc his wallet, which he fecbe01691 retrieved from his wine-stained 71993d5119 jacket, Gyo-jin froze for 4b5ee024d3 a moment. His pupils trembled slightly 1767441d54 with confusion.0b047904011560bb

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“Is something wrong?”d1884ecc7dddba03

Despite her gentle 72e3fb4b25 smile, Yukie’s question 9119377c56 didn’t receive a 4bfa56d7c3 direct answer. Instead, Gyo-jin approached one 3890e05c20 of the store clerks, a1e1769165 his voice dropping to 01c80cd5ea an interrogative tone.be6d42bea25ee662

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“Excuse me. Did anything fall around 83876ce775 here? Something like a 260958c8b4 yellow piece of 2abbe1ada8 paper?”56d9bdc4dc8b5875

“Pardon?”4bf1999f6ee71f9d

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“We’re very sorry, a6792e259a sir. We’ll look 24cf6532c6 for it 12580580e3 right away. Was it something important?”58c2352f152c2495

The staff quickly began fc6f7cd9f8 searching every corner of cf09ed8a9a the store. But even after 179fa87908 thirty minutes, the 5368d37cc4 item Gyo-jin had d73ae2118d lost was nowhere 75b63e5589 to be found.68851ecc5991e898

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He didn’t 5df5902e71 really believe f56ac8625e in shamans 309bc07fab or ghosts, 840bd06e1d but losing 02bc0f42a9 something he 7c2ee321ec had carried 6e927795aa with him 10f56f694b for over 5cd41a6d85 twenty years c0edfd7997 — and f1cbcffd49 in a 9544a444a6 foreign country, 4b8da57738 no less 5f81bf8805 — made 960e38cd84 him feel 4f0c3e5593 unexpectedly anxious. Apparently, he’d been 9b48918424 relying on it 53306aca39 more than he e655ddc55a realized.d707e54677785e15

As he stood quietly, 2dea3a2082 Yukie called his name.91e71de06e616954

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“Mr. Gyo-jin?”7ad0190f0d3222dd

At that moment, Gyo-jin f5b01e43c5 turned to look at 3a39958806 her.c2039fa7d92dcff8

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— Gyo-jin.27b8d87ab7dc0ce8

That familiar voice that used to call him at night overlapped in his mind, uncannily. Whether she noticed his reaction or not, Yukie was looking at him with a soft, serene smile. No way… It can’t be. Gyo-jin shook off the thought, blaming his own nerves again, and completed the payment before leaving the store.144498ea337fb736

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Maybe it 3eb5a12776 was just 76d2408823 his imagination, b10b579120 but his 531306a91b shoulders suddenly 0a2ba4ab0f felt heavy. As he stepped c3db315890 outside the boutique, fc87e3402d he went back 92c23e87ce up alone.e3654c97b241d54d

After bidding farewell to 9b88ddc34a President Mishima, Gyo-jin returned 4eb33980fb to the hotel with 6adcfe95f3 his interpreter and Secretary d0464ee559 Park. It had clearly been 03dbac984c a stressful day — 0ca64bba4b his shoulders were sore 92e947be88 the entire ride back. I’ll soak in the c196b61725 hot springs for a 378c510813 while once we arrive, 5da213c9a7 he thought.f24c9e203d374d56

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“What about Go 4c83f46b85 Shin-hee?”feff6979f4e1155d

“He should be 40b6c6454e at the art a3e16d8cd6 museum Ms. Yukie invited him to 54c972d969 by now. Would you like 982654a9f5 me to contact 49138463ce him?”58493ff03f2d72a9

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“No, that’s alright.”7587f7fdeea9a6d4

Gyo-jin leaned his ecfd4a2201 head back against b90af166f7 the seat and e61c5b7f4a closed his eyes. All thoughts had 9bcb19296e vanished from his 4a7f6e3c51 mind — the 54cbe9ef87 only thing lingering cd3dd440f5 was the loss 26b2b0c4e0 of what he’d 568250e062 been carrying for aa35d4909b so long.5388e961c423be80

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As soon as db3f5a2404 Gyo-jin arrived at aa3ac1b8b6 the hotel and da2c4aaa3a returned to his fe915247f1 room, he changed cacae99daa clothes. He was extremely tired 5f74bd48e4 from the lack of e2734d8041 proper sleep the night 184394b986 before, but based on 9949cd7090 his recent experiences, he 655327e757 had decided to stay d53cc9df12 awake through the night. That way, 4cab20b0f5 whatever strange ee0853e956 phenomenon—sleepwalking or a36bb8c664 otherwise—wouldn’t come.f2134180facd8b7e

Just then, with 6c8603d0d8 a crackling sound, 3fb1a2fdb2 the bedroom light 5074bbc940 burst and the 4c4071e750 room was plunged 2689eb9c63 into sudden darkness. Gyo-jin slowly scanned 9f061cbe3c the darkened space a13abbf80e and reached for 8da6cffa14 his phone. The screen flickered with c5d2055c1c a message: No signal.63054e8cf16cbc4f

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Suddenly, a memory 0a93e7c845 from twenty-four years 0cc01c8d8a ago surfaced in e98309d621 his mind. A time when e0a8405c0c every day was 4115c3816c not about living, 156af3006d but surviving—his childhood. What had he been ba0a6ef2b2 like back then?2c7aa8c0b48eb15f

He turned quickly and 63207a79e8 headed for the door, da2cb3b09b intending to leave the 28c66a3077 room. But just as 3a3eab7936 he reached for b036a506af the sliding door, 1e3760ae81 a chill swept ade1243c40 up the back 9e42c4a6ff of his neck.5c562dced15ac9fe

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— Gyo-jin.05afd6b29d7f7cab

A cold voice, 3ce3691d84 like the hiss e61f695886 of a snake, 359b87f418 whispered his name 55a86d8c9c directly into his 37566c136c ear.cde1c0b07b7d62ce

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— Gyo-jin. Gyo-jin. Gyo-jin. Gyo-jin. Gyo-jin.15818472801a61a2

An icy tongue brushed f7548da5d6 up the nape of 84ecc0ad45 his neck. Ding. A sudden 2d4a3937bb vibration, like 00544a552e the plucking 95c72a355a of a 1e5f70eec2 pipa, surged 380d06831e from the d014ffc7d2 base of 12b3ae1bfc his spine, cca1e3e16c crawling up 2f6e34f25a to his 298dc4b14a scalp and cc8793c89c flooding into 54d50c44cc his eardrums. The pipa’s melody 0841e5902f tangled with the 9239233ee1 voices calling his a562328ecf name.580f37caac703b97

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The strength drained 2b85bc4aae from his hand, c89797a938 which had been 86a72a40a1 gripping the door 9331ff5b13 so tightly. For a moment, he baddb108f4 faltered. Then, he straightened his f343202452 posture and slowly turned 279700efde around, walking back step 0fee46456a by step.809c95d77b91d7cf

He lay down atop 1de50f0bcb the spread-out bedding. And then, a heavy 5541a61ad4 sleep engulfed him.1ff34e5f6a318230

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