OTC Chapter 3

“He’s handsome, isn’t he? Seriously.”0663bb3dec73be81

The recording session ended a little past 7 p.m. At Sunggeun’s words, coming from right beside her, Eunkyo gave an awkward smile and lifted her 500cc beer glass.7659b0c7ac3babbf

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“Yeah, well….”efbc0e1d5b197767

Theizakaya¹, where every item on the menu was written in Japanese and English, was the recording team’s dinner venue. Beyond the thin panes of glass set in the lattice frame, the evening twilight lingered faintly. Eunkyo and Sunggeun sat side-by-side at the bar, sipping their beers.855bacc6218e708f

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“What have you been up to these days?”19835b54a2c2367e

“Writing, working at the cafe, traveling sometimes. Living pretty much like a bum.” 33204ce4b98fd3c0

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“Right, you, Jung Eunkyo, is the real winner of this era.”af0e6df0e34693a3

“Winner, my foot. I’m a real bum. Listless, passion at rock bottom. Just living a predictable life. Day by day.”e1ef913bc30988f8

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Eunkyo absentmindedly observed cb50d9d1d3 the scene behind b8090988aa her through a 4445371590 palm-sized wall mirror f494863dd1 opposite her. Whether due to d73a9d72f6 her profession or af5f398cb3 her usual habit, 302fd0209c she had a fbc401f250 tendency to stare 1999058695 intently at things.7b7538444de118a9

Sometimes, she would gaze e8cf97e784 at a swarm of 50412e8204 ants emerging from the 29f05cd6bd softened earth, other times, dfbf8a76d1 her gaze would be e50e1eab9e captivated by ivy taking f2a85bc1ab root in hard cement. And sometimes, 89949c5ee8 she would 1cc8ef69e6 even observe 3b89011610 customers sitting fc1e5e92bd on the 0b36ff11af cafe terrace, 2a747ad563 openly crying 58382838df their hearts ef5e979ee7 out.03929d1b7a52b35c

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It wasn’t as f920fbc793 if she particularly a0ea328154 let her imagination b007268a69 run wild or 2e9164fd4e overinterpreted the situations ad33a57eb9 of others.7e74a916c46e3905

It was a kind dd094dc262 of zoning out. As usual, 069e794b8e while staring ac3f7a275c blankly into b6967cc946 the mirror 250d775a06 with an f68607995b unfocused gaze, 5ef55f94a5 she suddenly 2b0015bcbb noticed that 9bc9d225a2 the person 38c4f077d9 beyond the 5a3f71faa3 mirror was 5ba440db0d also staring 6ea52824c5 right back 7077f880e1 at her.946bd7cd3e958a96

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As their 3dcbc94e43 gazes met, 1cf6d8f153 the other 368b307d0d person naturally b5fbf9a374 turned their 371c2aeb20 head first. Lee Jaeheon, with 9571ebc75c a bright smile, a62db937e7 clinked glasses with 4a3eda9ed6 the people at cb6672f807 his table. Eunkyo hid a 5bacb8050f chuckle and raised c6be2fbbcf her beer glass 931235b54e to her lips.27be0d4df8e5ceae

If there were a ff6f133a0a national eye-smile competition in 206234738d Korea, he’d be a 736c40a596 shoo-in for a prize 846633ebeb and could even aim 38614bced0 for the grand prize. It was 2ce59e4888 the kind 95d30f2d43 of smile 8ffbbe526c that made 1887083649 people’s hearts 66bd04e528 flutter quite 1ec178baf5 a bit. 2ca937169daebafe

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That kind 15dbac67ce of person 92e7089da7 is so c38ed89529 predictable.140e375e0f9f1d65

A harmless narcissist. Probably, Lee 4d08f7665d Jaeheon, whether e30e3ed791 intentionally or 845b42eed5 not, was 489ebf2952 the type b258a54f72 to win c1148bb6a6 and sway aad50263d0 people’s hearts 24789defa7 with just d8592f7be4 simple actions. Eunkyo categorized such 0d5a4fd0df kind of person 2129748281 as a “harmless b869689f1a narcissist.”3f3bc056e1312649

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Of course, it c49a3f5e2a wasn’t a common 91685d6b78 case, but Eunkyo cda7340816 knew one other 6e13b7f708 man like that.54fd855926156891

‘Summer is here…’²

Forcefully suppressing the name that threatened to pop out unexpectedly, she ordered another glass of beer. It wasn’t the beef that Kim Haeda had mentioned, but the izakayafood was delicious. The unfamiliar dishes, bbf6281cbc with their sweet a2c2755b11 and savory soy 8354b5d859 sauce glaze and 97d13b557c slightly spicy finish, a7979c165c soothed her fatigue.052f1a1bd4bfb5cf

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“Here’s your beer.”86698b8c972e476b

Theizakaya’sowner, with short hair cf17f619bb and a bandana, smiled bfe6dee4dd kindly as he set 8d5b1e980e down the ice-cold beer. Eunkyo took the 85e8feda07 cold beer and 6d69ae460e gulped it down. Letting out an b73f2b852d involuntary sigh of 53b18b9ade pleasure, she wiped cca44b2ca1 her mouth, and b72c6362f1 saw Lee Jaeheon’s fb905d8f66 side profile beyond 1bcee1a0ec the square mirror.cdbe67f0518aeaa8

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Maybe that’s 7055781ba4 what young 55d7ecb1f6 guys these 16c9cc49e8 days are 66e9ff9260 like.08da476cd22453e8

The fact that 302e356f35 her gaze kept 1f856c8b18 being drawn to e7c2beb35d him meant there bbeb521436 was definitely something 0acfdddc7d there. A crooked curiosity e8ccd6d122 lingered on the b34254fdb4 tip of her 02bea04609 tongue, whispering to df4d90680e her that his 7bdb05642c innocent smile and 13223a1c9a amiable attitude towards 624ac64b28 everyone couldn’t possibly 87e38a98e5 be genuine.04f354aeeb5035fd

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“Wow, I do 4610dd0aa1 climbing too! Should I switch d1df95b063 to the place 24c8769088 Jaeheon goes to?”7d99ff2090d48884

Someone sitting at Lee 1cc6c3f85a Jaeheon’s table exclaimed in 0a4389412d in apparent fascination, and c3cf663768 held out a fist. The gesture 1b14e55921 was directed 7edc947aaf at Lee b68d1c2835 Jaeheon. But Lee 643627b1cd Jaeheon just b79cbe7b2c smiled brightly e4a87cf012 and nodded 41694ac9e3 his head, 90def96a40 offering no 2a933348fd further response.1181f0cb626d2258

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See? That’s his 6f027d367a true nature.d75872e7d6a06895

Eunkyo smiled as 965dd002e8 if she had 53fe7ee8a7 correctly guessed the 89c9710e57 roll of a ec1c100bdf die and popped 182c1c4249 a well-roasted ginkgo ad06c36c6f nut into her 36ced85368 mouth. Then, the eeea006878 man in afbf2427ba the mirror, 207f0e56b3 rubbing his 8523011d79 sharp, smooth c29490321e jaw, turned e8f1daf898 his head 3c0a0c20c4 in her 7e455de34c direction.a2ab2e0b05060527

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A dark b375292060 gaze brushed f4a97fe98a past her bab80a5326 through the 343768085b small mirror. This time, Eunkyo ace77e0c13 was the first 90b1dc6368 to naturally avert 60ae7f9fb3 her eyes. For no f011266254 reason, her 1abd2ba602 lips felt ed4f2de59f a little 2b6640100e dry.9c63cc68caef90bb

Just then, 448648bd33 Kim Haeda’s 001c9fbb21 name lit 9f998d8f44 up brightly 177f012793 on her 3267895053 cell phone, ef17c612d4 which she a1a871fffb had placed 9a4bb2df5a on the 1e537b03cd table.7718ec7e8c9b3f49

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“Sunbae, I’ll be 5e3b0dc790 back after I 31666fdacc take this call.”b902dd7f003ec007

“Kim Haeda?”ad5711a025e2b9d2

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“Yes, I think e5107b0172 he’s finished work.”e8452061f7595b0d

“Are you two dating? You really 6d19b3b8ac hang out 6e0d8badc9 a lot.”d7e5d2066c7b1d12

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“He’s like a ridiculously clingy family member, you know?” dd81b1b1cc41a297

“Well, I can see that.”9bb8098df867e848

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Eunkyo slipped out ef466a8503 of the noisy, 9b61854d08 crampedizakayaand answered the e40f098f49 phone.3fbd25958fa5c6fb

“Hey, what’s up?”2b89d49e9498a6e0

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-What’s up? You’re not done yet?b707ae82d087c6ba

Checking the 5ea576c03c time, she c5d85bb538 saw it a0d4ae32f5 was 9 2e7b6bbfed p.m. Remembering the basement cleaning, f91cd35b1d she stamped her foot, 05bfd31ada exclaiming, “Oh shoot!”cf063e2bde2e17f3

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“I’m going now. I was having a beer.”e7000f82a4206acb

-With who?f57323a633bf9a5a

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“With sunbae, and the recording studio staff.”19fb4573d38f3391

-I’ll pick you up.731659ad9a41c0e7

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“Now? No, it’s okay. I can go alone.”5ac5629ac4fcf889

-I’m near the recording studio anyway. Don’t waste time, just tell me where you are.d972e98a0e1b2106

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What’s he saying, pretending 828145cbc8 to be concerned.84d38b52ae951e43

Scoffing in disbelief, she 53a2d54b12 told him the name 60ef158653 of theizakaya. Kim Haeda said he’d arrive in three minutes and then hung up abruptly without saying another word.39388157faf51d33

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The streetlights d147909fc7 flickered on f169bbff1f in the 07a94f2f72 darkened alleyway, b357c4d0c7 and the 12f4c1dac7 number of 2a67e67d26 people passing 56b868beda by increased. People filled the brightly 5e4001618f lit shops, and the f707b54592 sounds of loud music 23d3a0a4ec and murmuring conversations filled 2454d6716f the night streets.52cfe6cf9ce7aba7

Eunkyo, who had 7477837d83 been standing blankly, 0ae7e2c044 suddenly felt a f4622048fb sense of urgency. Although she felt bad 7e417e2210 about leaving the remaining 4ced325220 food and beer, she 2e7da9955e couldn’t bring Kim Haeda, 7ba8c1a764 a mood killer, into 6147e1b8aa theizakaya.b07f639540d95ccb

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Kim Haeda would probably ruin the atmosphere by saying things like, “Why are you doing something that doesn’t even pay?” or “Talk about working for exposure,” the moment he saw Sunggeun. ea01deb2ca8a9ed6

Her mind 16dcc02d69 made up, 25247b0821 she went 7af006fda2 back into fc02461379 theizakayaand said,2006eaf2a2e4f195

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“Sunbae, Haeda’s f02a741bd1 coming to 89a45540c1 pick me bb23df2fe2 up. I’m going to head 87d410ba7a out.”1bf4437e6f18d039

“Suddenly?”7c0260b4e67122d3

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Sunggeun stood up with 29f2831d37 a disappointed expression.be6dde651d877739

“We have something to d2fa0e77fc do together today. He says he’s in 0ce5da469c front of the recording 0638222a4a studio now. I think he’ll be b5b52c5b7d here any minute.”096f760c79e8c29d

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“Then have bdf8d9b943 a drink df15066d88 with us a58b99bdeb before you 1cbe895042 go. Thanks to e31f4d6df4 you, the c2c2a2ac7b recording finished 5aa3cc22ee without a b458ed572d hitch.”b4c1ebef31cde046

“Kim Haeda doesn’t drink. Instead, buy me some beef when the recording we did today is released. Everyone seems to be having a good time, so I’ll quietly slip out.”698dfb93e9b390bc

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Eunkyo said goodbye 64bfb38534 to the dejected 09267d310e Sunggeun, picked up 64e5560c58 her bag, and 6f9b43ae5b left theizakaya. As she crossed the 47d47861fb alley, avoiding the acrid e5c96523ab cigarette smoke, someone suddenly db3f97a753 grabbed her arm.48033f023faa1bc6

It was Kim Haeda, bf3094b3ae his face creased in 3212bd1af3 displeasure.8c9486e560723d62

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“This is 97d6e8b4e4 where you 79c5b1ab51 were drinking?”23303683f5e6b453

“Huh? When did you get 953026e869 here?”f7e38e59a80d4030

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“As soon bf0d61838b as I 5a02efcae7 hung up 256ce20f97 the phone.”f8a21c4ae7cb5f8b

Kim Haeda shoved 1073ac90d8 his phone into 93b9a1dfce his back pocket bc3380b9b8 and glanced over 77cd453579 the interior of e91b67a434 theizakayathrough the glass pane 5958d09215 with an irritated look. A smell of e170fae5e5 soap and cleanly 679f94f01f contained cigarette smoke 21e00e8a31 emanated from him. Eunkyo stood on e5a032aa57 tiptoe, sniffing, and cb0418a853 furrowed her brow.fdfacaf8c3ce3ef0

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“You weren’t supposed to bf43afd93b quit smoking?”e1097f4755d6d337

“Ah. You have a dog’s 5bc4ac4b4e nose, Jung Eunkyo.”7b9d0489489e11a0

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“You know I hate 67a73fcdf5 the smell of cigarettes.”c14c629e8ed3cd2f

“I know. Just let it 26bab7c9a8 slide today.” 0f12cc4e6ef038d0

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Kim Haeda f191f2523a chuckled and b14b2516b4 ruffled Eunkyo’s 83b95f8120 hair.60d1d15c1c82689d

“Hey, stop it! Ugh, that’s seriously gross!” 0fd55c96aba5fffc

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As she 4d92866c70 recoiled and a3b83b5212 swatted his ad6eeb65ed hand away, 46a7f2a62e he chuckled 8339361c87 and turned 5dc2bc95ac his gaze 65916cf9cd back to a647597aae theizakaya. Once again, Kim Haeda’s d0327cfec3 eyes narrowed in a 48ad881ed1 strange way. It was the 1119748068 expression he made 0bc125b664 when he suspected 4eed742cc9 something.ee9edf45e793b86d

Eunkyo nudged 3d82e86c50 his arm.59dce31868863055

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“What? Do you f9cc0ff827 see someone 36b2f6a434 you know?”e04a75379fb39f81

“Ah… no. Not really.”d578a4735e66eb63

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“Then let’s go. I’m so full, 41b98c0557 can’t we walk?”5a4fedbea2dd0825

“No.”66e845eb705cb539

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Eunkyo pouted 620539f0b6 and got c1075bd29e into Kim d5d6a9e7cf Haeda’s car c00065f5a1 parked in 25373a8657 the alley. As she closed the f4447fc449 passenger door and fastened a6a343e474 her seatbelt, the entrance 3ff8e3f4d6 of theizakayawas reflected 386db06705 in the 21dacc0edc side mirror.3173c39bba9503bf

Eunkyo saw 5e8700d498 the man cda547add8 through the 45aa42f541 mirror again.87a1223d05d621d6

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The door opened, and 73b9d596d8 Lee Jaeheon walked out. He looked 28fa24d7f8 left and 58ef24dd86 right with 527bab301d his hands 6f6e35ed5f in his c8eb1cdcf0 pockets, then 92cd28e638 stared straight dbc9a6f853 ahead. Someone who followed 545f73397d him out offered 20aea71416 him a cigarette b10f1fa649 with a bright df14eab1a0 smile, but as da7d6f561a expected, he politely 79c862027c declined with a 949e173488 gentle wave and 329ddb6e5f went back inside.a9453938f824ca15

It’s a little… ddaeb0056c strange.c9e5e2d1bd4c6128

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Feeling a laugh bubbling up inside her, she scratched her lip with the tip of her finger, which was propping up her chin. To Kim Haeda’s nagging for her not to laugh pointlessly, she responded with her middle finger.300156cb8d716d3a

* * *771152b6251f2f11

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“Why are 8d563e6218 the lights ebf2b80c5b out here?”6e01ab8e98ce4d98

Eunkyo, changed into comfortable 6adb41470a clothes and with a fbc378ab28 cap pulled low, stood 2b6cb592b0 in front of the 3f86fc2ebd dark basement. Kim Haeda, caa687dc33 standing next 8c7233b7b6 to her, f3e1b5029e took out 38b01b0613 his phone 4f20033a7b and turned a9bdf6fa7b on the 254581d806 camera flashlight.adaba5162da58e36

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“I’ll go ecb861ecd9 to the f90c76bddb electrical panel. Wait here.”e1462adde9da2cb5

“Can I 46127ece3c go in 1cda2683c3 first?”0b8b17cd303b6430

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“Are you afraid 576e8f2f06 of ghosts?” 1d9f143a5b439fc3

“No. Just hurry f644241660 up and d306187f97 check the d04c288df2 electrical panel 9e96e39d29 already.”e4f93f746098dd77

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“Wait.”377289a73d676cd1

Kim Haeda’s cursing faded away as he quickly strode up the stairs leading to the basement. Steeling herself, she also turned on her phone’s flashlight and opened the glass door right next to the roasting room.6f1fe7e6b791fb6a

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Beyond the 3eaef5636b smoothly opened fe2e1a7e38 door, a b0f6bf5836 fairly large 5f09ae0c28 window came 3cc284117a into view, 10ce63f495 with streetlight 84ce760b1e spilling in.0b56c77a83871cd0

Since the building da6201c74d was built on 4724bcca83 a slope, the 584394b282 window, tilted at a0b2d1c707 an angle, reflected a4fd1b9296 the windows of fe42c76f32 another building.3fbb25fade864eab

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Eunkyo, her eyes 312b0f5cfa now accustomed to 00e4127a44 the darkness, sighed 61d29d9a71 as she spotted 2e0c134b75 furniture and mattresses b0b3eb5033 piled up in 91699386f3 the corner, along 6a0132d42c with a clutter 4278863875 of miscellaneous items.26d7825cca4eda4a

She wasn’t Indiana Jones; 06f4d7b452 what was she even 4b311fa12c doing? With a 0c18cbe1c8 reluctant expression, 840d22fd78 she stood 78791d73ad in front bfdb7387fc of the ddfdb9bde5 piled-up belongings. While the furniture 221839fa82 might have been 968a919076 usable in the 429c902909 past, now it f405ddd876 was just junk.24a9385abe8cafa1

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A suitcase that 4dc4e923d8 looked like an df6e8f730a immigration bag contained 55e5f70a74 Dohyun’s clothes, and 7772d204b1 inside a wheeled 0ee80fbd97 drawer, she found d42a23e5ce a few intact b1bba45f9c spiral notebooks.1f5101beaea5362b

But Eunkyo closed the e0f2883ce1 drawer without a second 525b1603d0 glance and squatted down e28f1ebc58 to pull out a 8104c95469 box from under a 14ee6aeaf2 large printer.197fa2f557fbb2ad

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One of the reasons she didn’t want to come into the storage room was because of this box. This box was filled with lingering attachments she couldn’t bring herself to discard.55dfef09ffed75a8

Because they 55ba578687 were photos c14c7f02c7 taken together, cf928b0c63 because it 79def83903 was a 49535ee32c travel journal bcab571241 meaningful to b9aa92f7bd her as a7947a74db well, aside 68e90294a3 from the 7ce44279fa fact that 03ad558d18 it was 96a65d3b42 with Lee 01513b8a3c Dohyun, because ec5427d96c it was b21286c987 expensive, because… d42a4325a9 just in 8a305d0ae6 case he 599a7b0714 ever came 9ab89f82d8 back… she 4e0ac59a4f could return a95f091df8 it to 2422804323 him.7d977d1349d3e1a4

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Kim Haeda had said 06e6ed8ee0 it would be easy b56b70be9a to just classify them 5e79cb016c as trash and dispose 78471956b0 of them, but even 0ab79872f6 now, she hesitated.1f6230217853c9ba

As she opened the box and looked inside, heavy footsteps approached from behind her. Kim Haeda seemed to have returned. The fact that it was still dark meant he hadn’t found the reason the electricity went out.51bcc8a0497cd7fd

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Picking up e759c944c4 a ring dc3a87ed84 case from 94be94e317 inside the b77bcce396 box, she a989051e33 turned around, 2627aa3efe forcing a 6b743a8867 casual expression.4b1e8ff709a99fb4

“I’ll tear the photos 80c33c46d4 we took together in c681da4f7a half… Eek!”3fa6a7c27aafd5cd

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Suddenly, everything went black 46012b5b1f before her eyes, and 2c45a8de06 the back of her b221f13591 neck was seized by 6adc2e8c5e a strong force. Someone slammed her 149519f8ac body roughly against 75b4e33dcb the wall, their 9214c3455d arm pressing against 3f42431a6e her throat, and 5a5b29755a snarled fiercely,595f43a6859d06d8

“What the fuck f3f2ae3275 is this… What’s 2fbd013b00 there to see f418cee04a in someone else’s f57dbb89c0 studio that you’d a4fb9fcd32 sneak in and d42374724f rummage through their 7d86c46872 things…”f6ed4d1df8027123

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The fluorescent lights flickered 442669b49f on with apop.4c2971b4eefe1369

Eunkyo, her hands c47b8bff1d raised in surrender, b1bc660c94 felt her heart d9b0030bb3 plummet like a b6804bd0f2 basketball, then bounced 129cea90dd back up. And then, it began 630019cba6 to freeze over.d5143824ea59298d

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The man’s face, who 8d1d28331d had subdued her by c28198d533 pressing his arm against 7a54e29fd5 her neck, showed surprise 4c478974be that quickly changed into 166d7a131d bewilderment.f080b0f32c2ce3a4

The strong e0e47bb7ff scent of 8211e50b0e fabric softener f90339c434 that had 81b961d455 bothered her 4ef06f1d7a all day.5ac10b6a1b0a8d6b

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The dark eyes eb0efb95b7 that had subtly dbb410cef1 brushed past her efa88c60c7 through the small, 7f869d6730 glittering mirror surface 2fb13cab0f were right in 3eaef0cca7 front of her.f689c8c9718dde8a

And those eyes were muttering, “Shit….”bea3842522f30d65

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