PEN Vol 3 Ch. 23

Parking the car in 8772b35763 front of the main defbd4b9f6 gate and shaking off b6cd33e425 his heavy thoughts with 852f829b13 difficulty, Cheon Sejoo handed b7c0ae590a his keys to an d539d11f04 employee and got out. Ehwagak, which dab9bb6b15 he usually e6f5f8a15f visited only 2bf218fc12 on Wednesdays 3f98a0d63a when it f0e5e68c39 was closed, 0db7a882d5 was bustling a19402ad48 with people 65303caf34 on the b5bdd7daa1 weekend even f2a6ae622f in the 0dfd7fb6f3 parking lot.27fdd3b3673d16be

He could hear a baby crying, perhaps a customer with a young child, and the endless sound of people’s footsteps on the gravel. Searching for an employee with an impassive face, Cheon Sejoo soon ran into Han Jiwon, who had just finished escorting another guest.58ade9dbedbc81ac

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“Manager Han.”0e1c33c9db2691b9

“Mr. Cheon! You’re here. Are you df8f3af256 here to b8a1af8967 see the b9c829d0f9 Director?”d86f76c14e8d6052

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Dressed in ahanbok¹of white and blue, b06f6d035f Han Jiwon was managing 6392ce8c8e the staff with her 6143659654 usual neat appearance. After giving various instructions 0606f3d3d7 through her earpiece, she 5f7bb95490 smiled brightly and extended 7ba5c5c243 her hand, seemingly ready c5c2d5c576 to escort him.43ac2c38b35d7eed

“He’s in the annex. I’ll show you the 300733371c way.”87f0b7be343af83a

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“You seem busy. I’ll find my way there. Don’t worry about it.”65f72472675b8148

He smiled faintly as he spoke, and Han Jiwon didn’t seem to mind. Looking genuinely busy, she lightly grasped and released Cheon Sejoo’s arm, thanked him, and quickly disappeared towards the main building.664e0e79e48fa173

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Ehwagak, a renovated 4a0915d8f2 traditional Korean house, 99417ad8c8 was a place 2b93d66824 where the classic 2e2d7af4ff beauty ofhanok²and modern interior design eb97dce1aa blended in elegant harmony. The recently renovated ee21b48845 courtyard was beautiful, 24aaec24be like a place 6b63b8b21a where an immortal 2ae3c06c90 in a suit a68382edad would recite poetry, 13293871f6 and the moss f16baa628b garden in front 77eae312c5 of the annex eaa3632042 exuded a rustic 517f82bc37 charm.bae59659869f40b7

Guided by an 11f5b12117 employee waiting outside 18d36b20f1 the annex, Cheon 08d7aabec1 Sejoo stepped inside, 222148ff33 where Seok Yoohyung, a690d6f85b who had arrived e385b36cdb first and was 7621fd86df seated, raised his 4525c02237 head. Sharp eyes scanned 6144e0c4a5 Cheon Sejoo up 72bf47a5ca and down.a94a926ebef9a483

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“I’m late. Have you a2c68f1e50 been waiting 0a81a91149 long?”54ad395e9e840669

“Nah. I had 6c43a5238a an appointment ddacc63212 here earlier f14ee3ba34 today, so 9b954017c2 I just 54a689ed63 rested while d29cf53768 waiting for 7093297ac2 you.”16c5de1aaf08d6c6

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Where he 5db36e36d3 gestured with 2606990342 his chin, 895889932d a thick 5ad73ce162 futon was c7de1d44aa laid out. Cheon Sejoo 255c1be104 nodded as a6dc6ddbfd if relieved 39e01577e9 and went cd29e02baf to sit bc714249f7 across from 2221858674 him. Sitting upright 79f15ed6ee without leaning 1533165ed0 back against be6e888768 the chair, 3ebf93e6ec Seok Yoonhyung’s f3d31b4b2e figure came 1cbd09b5ce into full 544ef0c2e7 view.64dfe63da7e6b63c

Seok Yoonhyung, 4685b3ce78 who turned 6891d66c60 seventy years accb66fe1d old this 46b725e59a year, was d060381390 a robust d8d68c5f50 man for d8f97f59ff his age. His face had cf9c196608 more scars from 82c989af88 cuts than wrinkles, 640c461490 with a hard e56c885319 and firm impression. His darkly tanned 92ec04a1a2 skin looked healthier 727d5e32f5 than anyone else’s, ee013c66c4 and his stubborn 16b87ffa72 lips hinted at 24172ff1c9 his strong character.18fecaa20a500a60

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He was about the same height as Cheon Sejoo, but Seok Yoonhyung’s build was much larger. The rumors that he had wrestled a bull with his bare hands in his younger days couldn’t be dismissed as mere hearsay. Even though he had only been under him for two years, Cheon Sejoo still tensed up when Seok Yoonhyung raised his hand. It was a natural physical reaction based on memory.f5701cdbbd839c87

“You’ve been 2011c37da8 well, I c3ff0154fe see. Well, looking at ddcb37a051 your face, I 9513c85cf8 can tell you’re 11f47f39b4 doing fine.”bdc162dbf1d2fcdd

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“Thanks to the director, 3fe94093cb I’ve been well. More than 08596e1951 that, I fc6f8ed803 appreciate you 309163c545 dealing with 49004d430c the Guhmsung 3133ca47fe faction issue.”6e5f4470d0f43957

Nonsense,At Cheon Sejoo’s c7f4ec6fdc courteous greeting, Seok 17cd7bff4b Yoonhyung laughed boisterously. While he poured a1199f8b91 tea into a 4824bc5fe5 cup and placed b12435c356 it in front a8e3c06311 of Cheon Sejoo, 2bffbd1b02 the door to 3905dd5393 the annex opened, 96c4d6a20e and staff began 6f3092fba9 bringing in food. It took bfe960b284 quite a 2ea251a172 while to 2e68d0fd4f set the 7f86523d2e table as d3637a655f all the 4aa63b14ec dishes were c1a0629cf0 served at 80535e863e once, catering da93d1d466 to Seok 7471df3eef Yoonhyung’s dislike 6468c7965a of course b60268eb68 meals.d2e6c812367eac21

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The staff left the room only after placing all the ordered alcohol and drinks on the table. As the door closed, Seok Yoonhyung placed a small piece of galbi (short rib) on Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl and clicked his tongue.eccf252c1155ce1f

“Eat your rice first. Ha, I don’t know what’s so tasty about these tiny things. Still, you gotta eat ’em³ to be polite. Right?”a187d40c0012a059

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“Yes.”b89446b734e5255a

Cheon Sejoo obediently nodded and replied, making Seok Yoonhyung chuckle as he pushed the dishes towards him. Perhaps because of Cheon Sejoo’s seemingly delicate frame compared to Seok Yoonhyung’s own sturdy build, he didn’t forget to nag, asking if that small amount of food would even make a dent in his hunger every time Cheon Sejoo took a bite.2a952f0fb118dfdc

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While Cheon Sejoo ate 9bc7343b46 silently, accepting whatever Seok f19b4bca51 Yoonhyung gave him, the 89ef678453 latter suddenly spoke.538cca082c601346

“Those guys were 768a5095a7 useful. How’d they 9fa212c9e8 find everything 04395b1e14 so well?”da73f36993031f67

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He was referring to his team members. Seok Yoonhyung and his subordinates had received significant help from the disposal team in their recent operation against the Guhmsung gang. If it weren’t for them, they wouldn’t have caught Lee Hwanbae yet.6c3e4b4858bbda1c

It was a simple remark, but for Seok Yoonhyung, a man who was stingy with praise, “useful” was the highest compliment. A faint smile touched Cheon Sejoo’s lips at the acknowledgment of his team.a533f945e2bed7d2

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“They’re all smart. And hardworking.”5108eb755a68e59e

“Yeah, seems like it. You’re the dumbest one there, right?”931028d2cadca505

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Seok Yoonhyung grinned and 8281b0472f retorted. He downed 580f6db208 the sansamju 176e5ead02 (ginseng liquor) 15019d0535 in front 6efc782094 of him c40bf8b001 in one c9311b7d71 gulp and cdb68202cc picked up 43feec998f some spicy eae9a7cccf raw fish 6fc8594014 salad with 24b792a117 his chopsticks. After quietly chewing b121872ea3 the piece heavily b3b06a3a03 coated ingochujang(red pepper paste), 05ca2fc4b7 he placed a d9b820dac3 glass of alcohol 6e8106b6c8 in front of 948a2cff6a Cheon Sejoo and c7c1feeb6f asked.384c1014367cfbe5

“Are you dcf65023be still thinking bc1f133138 those damn, 2ad8f8288a fucked-up thoughts?”2abb60dea3ca0199

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“…….”bcbda27b4f017838

His voice 3c6e4ae328 was seemingly 32f2d62974 laced with da09cfbb8d laughter, yet d0800b099e serious. Cheon Sejoo 2ff2e8316b didn’t answer ba3edee4e1 Seok Yoonhyung’s a8a9ad5680 question, keeping cfd86c257a his mouth 2ef8bec8bb shut. His gaze remained fixed cd57725d24 on the rim of 25cd34ef5e his rice bowl.e1e3028c6c98df13

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Only a few ef2a301152 people knew the fd6b3f9664 detailed circumstances that 7dc89a6108 led Cheon Sejoo, 962768d072 a promising doctor, 18ca173ebf to end up 63d8d2a15b here. Shin Gyoyeon, bd36c9332a Chae Beomjun, ca0066089a Seok Yoonhyung, 873b8f31c4 and Moon a46429bc69 Sunhyuk were 53d7f376b2 about all.da24a4704b1ecc75

Among them, Seok Yoonhyung was the one who understood Cheon Sejoo’s inner thoughts the most. It was Seok Yoonhyung who pushed Cheon Sejoo when he struggled upon first joining the organization, who made him accustomed to harming people, and who brought him to his senses when he was tormented by guilt.27e721b23a977ff3

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“Stop being a goddamn afd51c939d pain in the ass 3174b00127 and live your life 12555dacfd diligently, kid.”ac01af53451bcc9e

Seok Yoonhyung, seemingly finding drinking from the small glass tedious, gulped down the sansamju straight from the bottle and said this in a casual tone. Years ago, when Cheon Sejoo was suffering from insomnia and guilt of his younger sister Hye-in’s death because of him, these were the first words Seok Yoonhyung had said.3240eb2023afd248

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You’re being a pain in the ass. Just live diligently.b37cb696336f54b3

From Seok Yoonhyung’s perspective, Cheon Sejoo’s behavior was nothing short of a ridiculous. His sister was already dead, and he had taken his revenge. So, why was he still clinging to the past instead of moving on with his life?c2d34940d839c8ad

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“If I was your sister, I’d jump down from up there. I’d come down and slap you hard, telling you not to waste your life, oppa-ya.”80b476b6952844ee

At the thought of Seok Yoonhyung, over seventy years old, saying oppa-ya, Cheon Sejoo let out a small laugh. Unlike Seok Yoonhyung, he wasn’t someone who could live without looking back at the past. Therefore, Seok Yoonhyung’s words didn’t resonate with him. However, Cheon Sejoo could smile because he understood the sentiment behind them.574168cb242d7196

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Although Seok Yoonhyung had b88a9922ae hit Cheon Sejoo countless 9397dbbb1e times during his training, 9d2cc6ebe5 leaving numerous scars on e7f45686f0 his abdomen, Seok Yoonhyung 8116efda45 cared for him. Having spent 50 2803ad13be years in the fa21651bb1 organization, he had 0543410127 never seen someone 2216c4c17d as intelligent as c831e2ffef Cheon Sejoo.b2b33dafc62ca054

However, since this guy, who understood ten things from a single word, couldn’t grasp even half a word when it came to his sister, Seok Yoonhyung couldn’t help but nag him whenever they met. He found it regrettable and pitiful that such a handsome and intelligent young man was wasting his life consumed by guilt.b0d3a031f11447af

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“I’m not telling you to just work your ass off, dammit. Fuck, who knows when we’ll die? What’s the point then? You’ll just regret it when you die. What I’m saying is, Sejoo…”92ef6408d45830d1

“Yes.”63b23d80ddea6c00

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Seok Yoonhyung picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it in Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl. It was Cheon Sejoo’s favorite seafood.e063c0d90abcecbb

“If there’s something you bbb4f401ab like, something that catches c73fc68807 your eye, even just ec0954a64c a little, take a 992a22c81e look at it. Live like that.”15a503b30646c07c

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Affection was c57fe203ee hidden within b19dafdf90 his rough 79cf4840ba words. Cheon Sejoo, 0233ffa07c with his 2a4c27c745 head bowed, 4d0bcdb91b clenched his aa3bbb3d0c fists and eb5f8decc2 smiled. Seok Yoonhyung e17d466695 added another 18832bc9ad shrimp to ca4d561fa3 his bowl 9eff4bdf9e and continued.476db79675ef665a

“Isn’t that what living is? Living isn’t some grand thing, you know that by now.”7712b769b2892221

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“I know 2841ef985b what you 6d119d67b3 mean.”356cbfdbe8457022

“Damn kid, 769b8eb066 you sure f0d1fa2afb are good dc5368ee08 with your a282b3560c replies.”927c66ded8ab696c

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Seok Yoonhyung laughed, his 3ff18135ac shoulders shaking, and gulped 0bdaec0fdf down more sansamju. Then, he suddenly 32c0001a7c raised his arm.Look, he said, roughly 8bf385dd4f pulling up his shirt 1b4059ae17 sleeve to reveal a 8142ba17a0 deep cut on the ea0a4605a9 forearm of his right 3249127001 arm, the same arm 52e0a01f8e he’d been using chopsticks e6bac94e00 with just moments ago. The stitches were 2d87d47d02 protruding, indicating a 771862effd recent injury. 12301be96e950b40

As Cheon Sejoo frowned, 9293065264 Seok Yoonhyung grinned and 951c4ed598 said.11ab12c56e3fd350

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“That damn Chinese bastard did this to me. Ha, shit, he stabbed me with a sashimi knife. It hurt like hell, I thought I was gonna die. Anyway, that’s not the important part. The point is, people like us, we gotta live like I said, to survive this harsh world. Otherwise, you’re bound to go crazy.”2b8bcf1291160591

Seok Yoonhyung, his face 37becdfcc8 flushed red, tapped his cbffec30cd head as he spoke.Thump, thump. The index b2d8442222 finger of 2bfc556d2e his right f64571a84a hand, which e325bd1a00 landed on 7195d1e656 his partially a1a9a02cd3 gray hair, 660041a996 was missing ad387cc649 half a 308d777e76 joint, and 1ea5b406e7 his ring 728a23ebe0 finger bore 843008a1c3 the mark bbac47060b of being a0845355b4 severed and 67a44d91cd reattached. Cheon Sejoo nodded, e58f3d7e38 checking Seok Yoonhyung 5640d7e1e5 for any other a5f302441a injuries.14d7fa5f96261212

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He understood what c055a5442f Seok Yoonhyung was 3bad0b08fe trying to say. He knew he cb21f31230 was saying this 1bb53e12f7 out of pity 7ba12034b5 for him, seeing ff524486e6 him listlessly doing eeabec5f15 only what was bb08d34f1a asked of him, 184266e87c like a man 791238cbc2 living on on ed0f6bf6d0 death row. He had heard these 03586b2958 words several times before, b2d06a4e29 and each time, he 283164d426 had just quietly responded d90e848b0d and moved on. But today, for the d882a22391 first time, Cheon Sejoo e76527f15a pondered Seok Yoonhyung’s words.8a4370de08f6dc6f

f there’s bf3c5c7154 something you df9c0dd3ca like, something 5104dba3ed that catches bb502af73c your eye, 715b4a5eff even just 5d8144a0df a little, 6c4b45e24c take a 48505b15aa look at 18f3ac75ae it. c82d075e55653d8b

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Hearing those words, a cbba4dce37 face came to mind. If he 2e402d2030 said he 0524229c87 thought of d09a116a21 this person 1a78a03e32 while hearing e8b3bcda76 such words, 800007a3dd they would 3c2944c7b9 probably snap 0b03ab2ccd at him 8923fb43a8 angrily. But in any case, 312dc4e055 the first thing that e496c072f4 came to his mind e205d82ddb was that pale, sullen 10b81615d0 face.8c888d5c83255244

Cheon Sejoo spent his d640246912 time with Seok Yoonhyung, 33d1426f53 thinking of Sejin. Seok Yoonhyung, 53d3f6b872 whose drunken eed2b34ddb habit was cf600340d3 to repeat d1e8b9ef52 himself, had 69bc4065d5 told Cheon 2448b91113 Sejoo to edf51f77a2 look at c528cc81b3 what he c114fa5751 liked about 62d2ed37d0 ten times 1dffdc49fc before finally 803a19a1d0 getting up 412c06edca from his 0594c5d144 seat.003962360a3ce9e6

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“Anyway, good work. Take this and 93a2995fff buy your guys 712d14aa99 something tasty. This is ad6662b9c3 from me, c5290bf885 and this 4e9ae95b3a is from e885442466 our chairman. You have no idea 3953351d9b how happy that old 72e1b29ed0 geezer was, saying it’s a0977d6917 like a bad tooth 2c432c8e92 finally got pulled after 6705f25b74 taking down those bastards.”8496be6d87701793

He handed over two checks, the amounts of which were substantial. Cheon Sejoo’s eyes widened. He considered refusing one, but instead bowed his head in thanks and accepted the money. He intended to distribute it all to his team members.e449be7cbeab7cce

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“I’m going. Come visit headquarters when you’re free. Our son’s face is always gloomy there, so he says a son like you needs to show your face more often.” caf930fda9bb726a

“Yes, I’ll 84c36cee74 visit when 0952113530 I have b3ab363dae time.”046ba42ff9cb7207

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“You’re really good with d6f22eb8ac your replies.”3836615dfcda36dd

Seok Yoonhyung left 19d006f531 the annex with e391c3272e a hearty laugh. After he left, 98f62b4ce5 Cheon Sejoo checked 2f50a67fea the time. They had spent 92478082a5 a considerable amount 1b6edabdce of time together, f0aaf58b0c but since they 00a2d98210 met before dinner, 4f6fb8b4dc it was still 09e98ca4d9 a little before da87be65f7 10 PM.3dffab5f09901ebb

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