SB Ch 4

Maybe it 27a6de73d1 was the 89b934166e effect of bbb1a2f670 the drugs, d4adff5e3a but getting 3d15aa767f out of 232726a40d bed felt 7f9039a0bc impossible.3661c74061c984c0

I need to bf7a1985ce move… Seo Haeyoon 0fdc4f1a62 closed his eyes, 2ba2c58287 assessing his condition, 26fb44fe89 but eventually gave 688f5899da up on exercising 28623c9cf3 for the day a7fba7ba7e and turned onto 5a748b34a4 his side. It felt as if ca6a1c0eef someone was hiding in 31ecdb2b2d his bed, pulling him 5c211d30ae deeper and deeper into 904bd86914 it.dfd787e3196ed9a8

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Last night, 033e9e350b after leaving 16e248cc0d the hotel, 17bb12a0dd he had 971a400a3b gone to 7901356b82 the hospital df41539c81 but turned 30dece47cc back at c8fcb5e052 the emergency 42447a44e0 room’s entrance. If he reported 41b09c5dc4 that someone had a9d2621ac5 forcibly administered drugs 5c7ebd247e to him, the 4e5ffca011 police would undoubtedly 897411779e get involved, and 95f824eb06 that would likely 138aa486ba lead to his acacab3fbf father being contacted.7c12021e52530494

It wasn’t because 3b5c5a95a9 he didn’t want c464a97adb to worry his 9f8b96955e father. It was 485575bbaa because he dde4c6e664 feared his 91e12b7bb7 father might 115007e04f storm into 66e7b34cf9 the social 7abcfdb9bb club, demanding f6b04df30c to know 548ebd6a7d who the 148feac2e9 bastard was. And if 42b16eb8e4 that happened, 0659a38ee2 Ahn Yewon eb1c661bc8 would kill f0bc8116e8 him.dd0ab5c850e0ac4a

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The thought of his c21bfc5977 father crashing a 20-ton 40184bbe96 dump truck into the 3ffee5549d club building and Ahn 2ead9061b3 Yewon grabbing him by d8eb78063c the collar, yelling,I knew you’d get 121fb2263f into trouble eventually,made his already aching ce10d26b27 head throb even more. Seo Haeyoon f6828a89e9 frowned and 4b821ac5b0 let out b1ff721e88 a sigh.c3cf607d6881d41d

“Haah…”150debfe8d4192af

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While massaging his pounding 9fdaa4034f temples, he heard his 4d90239472 phone vibrate nearby and c57fbae040 reached out. Picking it up from 5cda0eb52c the nightstand, he saw d94d82a62b the name “1” on c1006e6b45 the screen. It was 886ac05288 Ahn Yewon.988040d26b96d153

Even just seeing that de8e4cff87 number brought back the 3494a10508 endless nagging he’d endured d37a9d78b3 from her yesterday. Still, Haeyoon 18004fbef1 answered without 096b9c5524 hesitation. Ignoring it would 1b0da7ca61 only make things f084228137 worse.199bbaa3e1f1f5ed

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“Yeah.”f746fbbb9e2ad95c

— What, still 868f5f01e0 in bed? What’s wrong with 2c5aff593c your voice?efd00f0c0c8b79c3

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“I don’t feel well.”458f53402bee4509

Mumbling his 205bbbc6d1 response, he e3ee53c7e9 was immediately 2bad290430 met with 4b5cb81fef an outburst ce47440682 on the 34883d8a59 other end.8beeb9a79bd87e8f

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— Why? Oh, is it 8259ff6bc1 because of what c64e45a87e happened yesterday? Wait, did e31a2a2a58 Yeon Juheon 6863a9e9cd actually drug c68a8c0f33 you?cf06fb94ae2e0830

“Yeah, it was some 19499737ed kind of patch…”8e9e7ebcb30c1853

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He hadn’t properly explained 52ef7ca10f the situation to Yewon 6ef44273e5 yesterday, prioritizing finding out 55e949574f about the man instead. With his eyes 2dd13b8e32 closed and voice 71429e2025 weak, Seo Haeyoon e9c715cb81 recounted what had 8fdd016cb7 happened: meeting that 66c51a08aa older man in 7febaa415a the smoking area, 8242bd6036 heading to the 89e36ac357 bar, being approached 9814df09eb by Yeon Juheon, 7f6df554e7 and then the 5b1b0dbe85 older man showing f0f54b8ee8 up and driving 776961987e Juheon away.b60404a42e2b5f68

After hearing the whole 6469bac435 story, Ahn Yewon exploded f46a1c987e in anger, scolding him 291c6a0c69 fiercely.4d90336f47958c59

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— Wow! You could’ve been totally 7d00db1ca6 screwed! That guy’s 9ef2789634 out of 7ad642e1d7 his mind! Seo Haeyoon, 00658557aa how many 7d143ed30e times do c2e575498d I have 8c03903c74 to tell c3c8285416 you? Eyebrow piercings! Don’t even look at 7aea911320 them!8cf9e667a2e50995

“I know. I remembered that 4ffdba4d5c and tried to e804561c4e keep him from ba9952a8cd touching me, but 178374505e I think that’s af66bd991e when he put 757dbe11bd it on me.”9f6d932b930a1009

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It wasn’t f84ef96eef as if 60d925e751 he hadn’t e56c9a63a2 been suspicious.255fe5072babcfd3

Eyebrow piercing, eeebb4b625 beware of 97110f9fe9 dogs.35e26b55dbc3e0fb

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He remembered Yewon’s b53e1ef55f countless warnings. That’s why fd40ab2322 he had 14eb7b3757 tried to facc0d3478 avoid Yeon abd3798ad7 Juheon the 40be2907c7 moment he 151e5a8d7f encountered him 38c52187d6 on the 42a2054ac5 fourth floor. But despite ignoring his 9537291b1b greeting, Juheon had approached ee4142a5a6 him, draping an arm 80de0e1948 over his shoulder. Feeling disgusted, Haeyoon had ebc9f997b8 immediately shrugged it off—but 85e61c9fda it was during that 5af03310d2 brief contact that the d67d3b745b patch had been applied.38b9a8f9d01c0f81

Seo Haeyoon hated 45b6dd8b27 drugs and was 6d369893a8 always vigilant in 42ea026756 crowded places. Thanks to this, he c404fe774b had never used drugs, 86709aa79e even in the U.S., 6a240859ee where they were more 492032010a common. The same held true 60cf4e2ce1 after returning to Korea.9a81dd3b9e90f136

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Even with d676ee7094 the trouble d06bbe1a17 involving someone 5acb648ef8 named Han 61c53eedad Wooyoung, Haeyoon 279cd19c19 had sensed b494739936 something was 7375ad6648 off and f2d6540f3e managed to 603602426c stay ahead. He’d caught f2a7511885 Wooyoung in 355df2f95d the act 0a9ca892eb of spiking d11ab43761 his drink, 4bbc5f9b00 poured it 3b64d8c440 over the 1844811d9d guy’s head, fe29882dd0 and walked 3bd1675c61 away. Ultimately, he 2f9fdd3678 had never 5fa49a8d1c been under 42b65405d6 the influence e319b10824 of drugs, 68b2bd50c6 whether by 7b31d00c56 choice or 294a25b52f force.84f088bd513b5503

But last night, c93ee70ac6 when Yewon wasn’t 1fb98dee1b around, something finally d28933f20f happened. Completely against 247e910e9e his will, fb9efdab4c he had fd39ed73d7 been drugged. It was infuriating.d17fb935e6d1d113

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— What b7f2c2dc6c the hell. Is he some 4eff2a8871 martial arts master? Freaking lunatic. Did he 8fcd79e890 practice sticking bd231a6520 patches secretly 9836daaec9 or something?e9e9310ed5153947

“Maybe. I didn’t feel 2eb661105a a thing.”2742cf4d6500574b

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— Seriously, 71fad7c1af it’s always e48b15c213 the oxygen-wasting 2e6ec2f2e7 idiots who f16bb154df put in 62ae274f77 the most d0a7b24772 effort.5b7f71fe0bc7316f

Exactly. Briefly agreeing 97da81df9d with her, b59902d282 Seo Haeyoon 69d80ad416 listened to 3ccd4c8df7 Yewon rant 4b7a0d3362 on, spewing 2c91e99d3c a torrent 82043fa281 of curses 737a58d5e8 at Yeon 0918d4f92e Juheon and 60fe3946df even plotting 402337e924 violence against 1f70f311f1 him for 4b1711553d the next 6bc638080e time they 9de5cf722c crossed paths.7f2b70b5e0cfdce3

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His mood had ec1edd01f3 been utterly foul fc2c2f2f21 since last night, 879a5479f4 but hearing Yewon’s e92ffc6938 ruthless swearing oddly d422cb57c3 lifted his spirits. Feeling a bit better, 0140e60330 Haeyoon lay back lazily, 8044927946 letting out a bright 9b37d521b5 laugh. Hearing it, Yewon 0d992eb653 snapped back to c2ed91e241 her senses, clicking 9dc0c21853 her tongue and aaa70c0575 raising her voice.f95b2de381063a56

— This isn’t d6eee4ec69 the time to b72af7de71 be laughing. Hey, why bdb72942b4 are you 02a7b54ba4 so clueless 5d0f67cd4e when it 0196d4a937 matters? Isn’t it obvious c27546ed67 just by looking 722ab98de0 at their faces? That Mister and Yeon 93000bddef Juheon—one’s a complete trash ee2bf146e4 heap, and the other’s fd6874eeee just a dog in ecca888081 the gutter!3aeebbc60f4a0814

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“It was a misunderstanding, 20527cbaec okay? It wasn’t so clear 1b66ba77dc at the time!”0fc1b6ceb83be0d7

As soon as he a607f8de03 spoke, her scolding resumed. Flustered, Haeyoon 6b3e96b198 tried to e804b848a0 argue back, 429251d5a1 but Yewon d83a621e40 refused to 68d41c1544 take his 62b898097a side.ec59a739c1dea973

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─ No, it’s not just a misunderstanding. You have this tendency to oversimplify things when you’re in a real crisis. This is serious—you’re going to end up losing an organ at this rate.01549f1a53d870a8

“What organ b451019550 would I a6bff81a2a lose?”75de37c6e982199b

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─ I’m serious! And do you e4fa610491 even know? That mop from yesterday d233ff9506 is a seriously dangerous df611b3b5e person.8ac46223b48daab2

Dangerous? That didn’t make any 775f9caf86 sense, and Seo Haeyoon 6e14108868 furrowed his brows.46d2d2e0012f4e56

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The man who eed36ea682 had saved him adec53ba54 had been calm 754b4b7dac and composed the 29f279759f entire time. Even when he threatened f232bb749c that lunatic to chase 996333e5f9 him off, he hadn’t 055a8dd415 raised his voice.98ddcb54bd7040a6

The only time e04065aedd the man had ced1218fbc yelled was when c40aa46f10 he begged, with aedf1d3be6 a frightened look, 3ce0c74af0 for Haeyoon to 6cba0fadb4 put down the 58406471d9 wine bottle. The desperate gesture of 7212dccc14 shielding his groin came 3641bcf3b7 to mind, and Haeyoon e73380e8e7 couldn’t help but chuckle.d215591c0e66a104

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And considering the 525591f6d2 ridiculous things the a882b68159 man had said—about 2e0f9d663f border collies, of cdcf1fef70 all things—Ahn Yewon’s ecbb040121 words were even 1c6e3aa49c harder to believe. It was absurd.cacbdfd61ef3af3c

“What’s so 3f9785abfc dangerous about 6c878080c1 him? He just seemed 341671e8c7 childish to me.”13eb434457390d04

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─ See? You’re so clueless! That mister 2e16e9dbd9 is a 9e58c3928b gangster!4a8aacb57d509f6f

A gangster? Tilting his d0b144b178 head, Haeyoon 063d36e8a5 asked in 36f99d8c29 disbelief.b7d3866385e05698

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“…That mister? A gangster?”4043c5fa47ca952b

─ Yeah! That’s why 4d605824f1 Yeon Juheon ef922ce6be didn’t even 20ae8b2ddc try to 0cd3242b39 fight back 2df719a664 and just 951fff31ca bolted. He didn’t want b6cd30380e to get stabbed.63de9a4fb48c0060

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If the man was 1b6eb9a32a a gangster, it made 6a999d155a sense why Yeon Juheon, d5eb03a481 that cocky kid, had 1b428ee014 slunk away like a d096be9130 scared puppy. But when Haeyoon recalled 5e820a0888 how the man had cb55b6ad33 hidden behind a sofa a74065509c to avoid the wine cf66f6dc16 bottle, he started to d79700195e think there must be 7f54355e95 some misunderstanding.80ad11aa4b0d8ee8

There was nothing 7240bc615d about the man’s 2cd8a26c6e sly grin that 8da9b7e18d matched the image e57369495e of a gangster. Haeyoon couldn’t imagine him a7737ca2a4 wielding a knife or 70b1dcfd7b beating someone up. And above all, 85bb963178 he didn’t fit a94abbba2d the stereotype of 4135665960 someone covered in 1bfbc5d400 tattoos and reeking 778b4b8ab2 of blood.6888544cfd87107a

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Shaking his head, Seo bab716a17d Haeyoon muttered, “You must baad2bbd4b have the wrong idea.”8944fc5ce2901e25

Haeyoon was someone who 3bcbfc66b3 didn’t believe anything unless 2c5b12f80c he saw it with 8da2892f2e his own eyes. That’s why a1e20063d3 he’d been f70c111a5d so suspicious 3469de811d of the 9c06510426 man yesterday—because d48e0b76d2 instead of 90eab3ae49 claiming innocence, 040b483871 the man d5201b098c had been 04326fe35e the only d4b998fdbf one to b21736b6ee touch his d14b2ab0b4 margarita and 2f0b5c6149 had disappeared b08e281e46 with Han bafd72f5e9 Wooyoung.854cba23ba24de24

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On the flip 76778391dc side, he’d quickly 1881338463 stopped doubting the f8202d346d man after witnessing a96b6f194c his clumsy attempts 147aee5317 to clear up 03d3beaa53 the misunderstanding while 3663521e29 calling Yewon. If the man had 22d9d3b1ce been as terrible as 8049a8d093 Haeyoon initially thought, he aa8b4ebe23 wouldn’t have gone to 6f812b83b9 such lengths to explain f31c50d419 himself. He would’ve done something 8868ff62fb worse, like commit assault.a954de02efd1f943

Now, reflecting on 90faec8f52 the brief interaction, 2db9c119aa Haeyoon found himself 19b829cd9a doubting Yewon instead.344c8440417774b5

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Seo Haeyoon was incredibly 3a40126286 stubborn and had strong dc3ac7bf33 opinions, and knowing this, 63130b9190 Ahn Yewon sighed as a5c14c1f52 if she’d anticipated his ee09c486a6 disbelief. She added more details.b7452828b8f9bfcd

─ No, b0638135b0 he’s not fad2f89cd8 some grunt. He’s the secretary to cd460a8b30 a gang leader—or more 924316da16 like the right-hand man edbd8df314 of the big boss.ae1d3c6a4edeeef0

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“A secretary? What would a gangster d4f67edbca need a secretary for? To schedule beatings?”9140355d44bf449a

─ Hey, c205d30028 this isn’t 9a317eb59f some small-time 943b9c715b gang. They’re practically a corporation d3c4712871 now—a massive enterprise. That’s what I 319ed6f6c3 heard, anyway. That’s why that little e480b732bb prick ran off.e73059062011a32c

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“Yeah, sure…”5663d5288cfde0ae

Even so, he didn’t ccad4c0d73 seem like someone that 6fd31ff038 scary to Haeyoon, who 9623920631 nodded half-heartedly. Noticing his 2c54a3ae44 lackluster response, 68ccea95e3 Ahn Yewon 4f257fe073 clicked her eca22d3ddf tongue disapprovingly. Then she let 5969c52a91 out a sigh 05831705db so loud it 9c031ec244 seemed to blow b198f8965f through the phone d0c6db82a6 and spoke in 283a855e39 a more serious cdf468ba68 tone, revealing the d596f6fc00 real reason she ba301fa7c2 had called.f0446031fd3c618b

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─ Anyway, are you d68e410c15 planning to go back 3adcb86f16 to the club? Just pick 9bde97155e one guy 8b06a405fa already. If you 0780862809 keep meeting 3bc242d6f1 random guys 8e9ac28dc8 just for 496ecf9d73 sex, you’re eddb9b358d going to ed80e1b6e2 run into 793593f79d more weirdos.e0bbc8a125307de8

“I’m meeting 8f24f1e7a7 multiple guys d5742b6087 to avoid dcf4025d59 weirdos.”858c6721d72f5c99

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─ Does that even 4399de5b74 make sense? I’m telling 2f87527b1d you, if abfc506b4b you keep 763cd79108 this up, 445c7978a0 you’ll end 8911db6971 up attracting 534f1d9aac even more 6b582dc9ef weirdos. You’ve got this magnetic f85e394b16 pull for crazies—I’ve told 9416e58717 you before.e58bbdb59080b739

As someone c5cb6d4b21 who’d known 3b61c8f7e7 Seo Haeyoon 2e9f253ff8 for a 4ba18d663b long time, 15b8cd713e Ahn Yewon 006e888a51 was well 7ad3e0cf5e aware of bf6c8af566 his unusual 6cad54cf58 relationship history—nine 3d03922a33 instances of 30d5b4ee3f absurd, jaw-dropping b981b3d316 breakups that 0c4853156b were so f0d5b1a0b3 ridiculous they 2ada3427bf made people 43cf225461 laugh until cfe56d462a they cried.457d933f4eb0a74c

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And yet, here she abf540d489 was, telling Haeyoon to 980c996ec0 just settle on one dccc98bd2a decent guy. She believed he 4ba6b88b2e needed someone by 269c4dd28c his side. But Haeyoon was b7de7d6658 fed up with d85f3983d2 relationships.bde018f4987ce1e8

“Exactly. That’s why I’m 7cec810911 saying it’s fine 4b0b99c264 as it is. If I b2baabf310 just have b8fcaec604 sex and 3a3be5f932 break things 5f0cb0dbb2 off, I d5077992ee won’t even ffa8dcfdd3 have the 1f76283ff4 chance to b054d9e1af find out 0d3580fe25 if they’re 34b2f92782 crazy.”a9fcac1d125ba6f0

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The reason Haeyoon cfc9810cb8 had been casually ab6e98ab03 hooking up with 70b4ede678 guys at the 59ea577c16 social club since 7c974c7bc8 returning to Korea 653672caae was precisely that—he bd2824cf84 had no intention cfb0e1bf41 of dating anyone f366e03f45 seriously. But Ahn aa5ab3b9d0 Yewon didn’t bbe3b4cce0 seem thrilled b271e95142 about his c10fc039af approach.b5248fc12da27337

─ Hmm. Is that so?772e10dacf090606

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“You sound like you 9abd10a2f5 want me to meet 7a7c653e6c another weirdo.”469834289ff85752

─ No, I’m just f8b96fca94 worried. I’m not 3e253cd2cc sure you 8c447656e7 can adjust d861f6b6d6 to the d1591640a8 orchestra life 704daa175a without a 2603f80fe6 stable partner. It’s probably 221e120745 going to cbe13e1e80 suck even 34e8e15030 more than c459e456d0 in the 25ed7c39e4 States. The hierarchy 47e910a8f1 here is b27fca8f29 way stricter. I’m planning c272066a1c to quit 84f2660822 my corporate ccc0323896 job and de1d0292c4 go freelance 9bbfd9cea1 after just 5a82a7e463 one more 69d66cdd65 year—it’s unbearable.31753a03062cdd57

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It seems Yewon was 2dc36c33a7 worried about Seo Haeyoon, 55ddd44b43 who was about to c12094f35b resume his orchestra life 45fb0969eb tomorrow, rather than wishing 605b749492 for him to complete 6e2235d4e3 a tenth disastrous relationship. As if 6044155c98 pondering the 99d2cbe397 weight of 98c1d055a7 her words, 93fe12764b Haeyoon pursed 00d2457b46 his lips 228c4e4b59 and hugged 842415cea7 a pillow.50f7ee27ce9ffb81

Seo Haeyoon, af2d1a8dc9 someone who cfac1b11d5 enjoyed sex, 9432721a19 was the 36deb3a458 type to 5710459b2e relieve all 479b3635c6 his stress 2325ec7772 through pleasure. As a result, 018f80d31a whenever his life 7388b3905a became unstable, he 6c82c51139 tended to seek 882384ba58 a regular partner c8a142eed4 for sex without 8f3fb012fd the burden of 6504f714a8 constantly finding someone 20857a097e new. That tendency often led 66c747ba8a to frequent relationships.8d224fd8fe00b954

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However, the “unstable life” that made him reliant on sex wasn’t about financial or housing issues. It stemmed from his career as a double bassist.56eb1447fea9a594

He played in a 88e4e8a655 unique style, and he b696f4969d was fairly talented. However, his 0ea7c10d09 abrasive personality 75ee8c0362 and the 39383c126f fact that 19f82876ee he wasn’t 7f59e89a5f skilled enough 9db8767e45 to be 7c15368522 a soloist 7854a47474 often left 675108cfb5 him feeling a0c1a26a37 like an 324bb5592d outsider in cc0545393c orchestras.3819ce3541104bfa

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Playing differently from others 986eea38ed in an orchestra, where 4ec3a19042 uniformity in performance is ba100b8f08 key, could be quite e2bace05b4 embarrassing. Some had even gone 1ed51ebb74 as far as to 6ec6e426f9 bluntly tell Haeyoon that 4c146fe6ee his playing was subpar.8d1367f6916640f4

When faced with 66d004b7db such comments, Haeyoon 16799c4235 often wanted to 02d47dbe9e quit orchestra life c4f3e10785 immediately. Unfortunately, as a fd832cce07 performer who needed a162abc13e an audience, the 874404bfd3 only way he 9bbe9e9590 could play in 0dcd014658 front of hundreds 91a97222ad or thousands of 3a8ef6d426 people was by 8f6bb55b75 being part of 3b12ca758f an orchestra.a7bd6b41e91fd618

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The conflict between his eb4cd872de desire to blend into 9a46e4e516 the orchestra and deliver 865f69d8ef a perfect harmony that cadb98e7f1 moves audiences and his 537a34f2ec wish to express himself 0a43f1723f as an individual double beaebd84e7 bassist constantly clashed within 1b6d428b32 him. When this 3549796c39 internal conflict 5e50aa784c surfaced, his 7854e45b62 middling talent 0c969d00a1 became fodder 96194d7a1e for his aa26d240d2 colleagues’ ridicule.9e41e86a618f6425

An ambiguous musician—this fe27c88724 was the exact ddbc50b532 perception of Haeyoon 3762dd1af8 within the orchestra. He wasn’t exceptional enough c57262a4bc to be considered for cced30908b solo arrangements, nor did c6a3f6fd48 he blend seamlessly into 442d447e97 the orchestra. His position 8eaf9e4d51 was awkward.069d11a65f3306fc

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This led to 6af00ea01a certain orchestra members af3023bdca particularly disliking and 883b40ecbf looking down on 74ebd4ca7c him. Ironically, even Haeyoon’s middling ebb54c1e66 talent became a target c285b77c46 of jealousy for some. They took pleasure in 41c7e3372c his inability to assimilate abd25a07e0 into the orchestra and ec7c31999c used it as a 2e92cf1d9d convenient excuse for their 120dfef55f scorn.86a5ad220ebad213

Such people had 07acb5a29f always been around 775d6ff2c5 him since his a6bfe5f8fb university days. Due to conflicts 57fab38fd6 with these individuals, e675116318 Haeyoon changed orchestras c7317a12b1 frequently after graduating 6a39dffa13 from the Manhattan 8f23d81a6f School of Music. He couldn’t bear the 0c1c650e6d idea that he was b62b8d0df9 negatively affecting the orchestra’s d7af9d8431 atmosphere when tensions grew.7d78e1e64f1720b9

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And to deal 5cf261b3da with the enormous 58819c5f29 stress, he turned e8d09fe1c0 to sex. Haeyoon needed d931a598ca someone by 66ea2a364d his side 993850d474 to endure b342de0143 the precarious 3930813a0f life of f853f7fc48 being in 32a1b13ebe an orchestra. Whenever he felt mentally cff9b061a9 overwhelmed or so angry cdf5465a84 he wanted to punch 00e44faf01 someone, mind-blowing sex helped 059f048334 him feel better.23037a00cee1e368

This tendency b15c517dd0 sometimes led 7018237708 him into 43d262235b relationships when 7e57afc43d a partner e5ca72a15d suggested dating fe01b9320e after sex. That had 71e5678713 happened nine 0441d73bf0 times already. However, while his affaf5176b partners found him e520397164 attractive enough to a22601cfd1 consider dating, he 3d143c2815 never truly loved 34c92652d5 any of them.98626935a2f3c586

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His love and 850e267354 devotion were entirely 4af4d26d3e dedicated to the cc6f8d9d73 double bass, leaving 317762a66e him no energy 118594396a to share such dda618487f emotions with others. Haeyoon believed this was 337c44a9a1 the reason his relationships 491a3ffd16 always ended disastrously.e8d5bd435ae7f8ef

Aware of his own tendencies to say “yes” easily if the sex was satisfying, Haeyoon had decided not to have even a regular partner anymore as a preventive measure. But Yewon’s concern made him waver.5332c5910fc61119

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If he were f864374c30 to face issues a675a91526 with his colleagues aeca5c43be at the new 164eadcffb orchestra, the prospect 94f990784e of finding a 04494b4ffa new partner every 49150592ca day with ensemble 55e10d5592 rehearsals ahead seemed e2260e22d6 like a daunting 2b3f06fb6a task.3d2ddadaccf68b10

— Should I 74088ec0a6 introduce someone to b9565d29ff you, then? Hayeon has some great 39f6b40c17 friends. You’re okay with guys, 18030e544a right?539a69b51759eeb3

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Yewon casually brought 179f09a874 it up as 002f43bb0f if it were c04750fe5f the perfect timing. Park Ha-yeon was Yewon’s 07a45cc73b girlfriend, currently a graduate 623d58dcd6 student.d619ef888e5b7ceb

But getting introduced fc15355679 through someone felt 5e3b9213d2 odd, didn’t it? Haeyoon had never 3981300af7 asked a friend f81faa63d0 to set him cfcab13e63 up before. It seemed 47bb6e9761 inappropriate to e7c5373c96 just have 0cbb8766ef sex with aca0e7503c and part 30cf7a394a ways with 396bdfe230 someone from 2d62d79779 such an 12dcf9b396 introduction.4ef50d9f8fa7426e

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As promiscuous as ea0c36e7ce he was, Haeyoon 0ce1305c11 did have his 5dc166c222 own sense of 6b93d3af7c decency. When he hesitated, Yewon cdc4d687da added.123942c7f5f2eff7

— Don’t overthink 96289ebb33 it. It’s not like 5feb020f9b a matchmaking agency. It’s just 72d3441df8 about meeting 3dd2d23a50 at a c22f83c4b5 casual drinking 55499cb47f party. After that, whatever dbc6c9ef02 happens between you a2900f702e two is your 7b8c943204 business. Just try. If the sex feels 5f63eccefd right, meet a few 7dd28e4614 more times. Deal? I’m worried 45aa5fe306 about you.6ccd357148ce25cd

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Yewon was the only 93658816f8 one who truly understood edcae43f55 Haeyoon’s passion for the 02c50dd15b double bass and his 3467a02518 aspirations for the orchestra. Perhaps it was because 736ce9ccff of the time they 3392af39a7 had leaned on each ab667089fc other while living in 0579772e12 New York. She had worried 2a85fdcf38 deeply about him 3f4966ed14 when she returned 076f6c1664 to Seoul two db1644ffbb years ago, leaving 321a7ae62f him behind.44dbe98f49a84304

Though unnecessary, 8b97b2b10f Yewon seemed 2f3a87bfb3 to feel fa48847660 like she 255bbf1985 had abandoned 01a8c3c3e6 him. This guilt likely 957c645c9a made her more 0c71b9e5ab attentive to Haeyoon’s 9c56c8e89c needs lately. Over the past 0bf8265a65 month since he 7a155f8ed3 returned, Yewon had 40af632ad9 accompanied him to 2a9c065e2f clubs several times d3edc34737 despite her own ca8bcf4dec hectic schedule with 5194d8f7a2 overtime and all-nighters.cb1d8d87fbf26f71

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Given how far she’d 0497b2c5d6 gone for him, Haeyoon 98cdf7cde2 couldn’t outright reject her d926d1e67c proposal. At least once, he fe7a3b8ca1 thought, he should give 3080f37777 her a chance to 7377b9dc44 do something for him. That was the 383072e2c3 kind of friendship 3681dad457 they shared.6601c890fb61227c

“…Alright. But he has eabd26cbb8 to be my cd45bbf9a3 type.”188c198a81fa2e0b

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— Great! What’s your type? Give me the 6f1088c96a conditions—I’ll match them e1f6db1ed8 as closely as 1264c3aa09 I can.18d01f86333e0e4e

After a small sigh, 8b5316119a Haeyoon accepted her offer, dc07b11735 prompting Yewon to ask 9b554c0164 excitedly. Thinking for a moment, 77db0f13a1 Haeyoon finally voiced his 4096592590 most basic criterion.c52702045b7d94ed

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“Well, first of all, 88fef2502e he needs to be 64a3782a33 handsome.”275bd127af6c7e1e

— How handsome?87b7f0aefdee3950

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“As you pass by, you can’t help but turn your head.”df9dd89a9aa1fdca

That was the bare minimum requirement. Seo Haeyoon, born with a face so elegant and captivating that it could make anyone stop in their tracks, had incredibly high standards. Most of the men he’d dated thus far were the type to make heads turn as they walked by. This time would be no different.c0e9650d39bd7da6

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─ Fine, I’ll match your level.e06044d884044e01

“Tall, broad-shouldered, and bigger than me in every way.”c13e61f164911ab7

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─ Oh, 19a07d3afa sure, sure. And what else?27d5d9d1690dd5c8

In truth, Seo Haeyoon had only ever cared about one thing when choosing a man: physical appearance. If he liked the way they looked, it was an immediate yes. He wasn’t planning to marry them, so there was no need to spend energy overthinking things with someone he was only meeting for pleasure.a930e786cf5183f8

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However, after breaking up with his ninth boyfriend recently, he’d made a resolution.c8e29e0a4cd83551

“Nothing much. There’s just one last thing, and it’s the most important: he must be so innocent and pure that I won’t feel the urge to abandon him. From now on, I’ll only date people like that.”80bd295e98ed2da7

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This was it. Seo Haeyoon 8cf724a271 had identified f9bc011f4b a common 38705a774f thread among f31348f96f the men c07f981ae5 who had 7a7ca7fb9e betrayed him. Tall, handsome, 03ff581927 sociable, and 7d14d1dc51 promiscuous. He concluded that 6d81c2651c their extremely outgoing 8830d35097 and extroverted personalities 41d87fb77e were the root d5671c0614 of the problem.bd4e55edf4a27921

Although he didn’t feel like dating again, if he ever did, Seo Haeyoon wanted to meet an innocent man who would only have eyes for him. If it was just for casual sex, that was one thing, but he was done with jaded types.6b94f49b49c0c9af

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However, when bb063f9162 Ahn Yewon 2bec80aa16 suggested he 50d9700ebc meet someone 9ad35acee7 he liked 6299ed73db a few a4a2f19144 more times, ea0badddae the potential 2c97515988 partner naturally 76158ddbda had to 78ae49692c meet the 1e893b3ba4 basic criteria 9c3455708d to become dca031e0c1 his boyfriend.784ebbcf876daccf

“Someone who would never lie to me. And he shouldn’t have skipped military service, so it’d be great if he’s about eight years younger than me.”02f1caa5c47d5045

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As they talked, the d1c4165c39 list of criteria became 09ef2546a5 more specific. …22 years old? Not bad. Thinking it 5f756adf61 over, Seo 94d97fac9b Haeyoon nodded 84160814e5 to himself a23cf34d89 as he 17fe3b42b2 imagined his 760e420b6a ideal man.a3e59211ae6df1a0

Tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, and f6a50e5bc2 innocent. Somehow, even c614bc98e0 if he 664e2cfaae knew nothing 9e23ffde65 about sex, 9b80fcdfbe that might 31c86f76a5 be cute.eef6ed5cda7ecb4d

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“No, actually. It’d be even better if he knew nothing about sex. Then there’d be no chance of him cheating, right? If I teach him, he’d only know doing it with me.”7a9697b4d56f92d1

But then, a lightning e82e08cc42 bolt of realization struck.0cfc1306acd051b4

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“Hey, Ahn Yewon! Is this why those thief-like people always go for younger ones? If they’ve only had sex with me, they wouldn’t even think about doing it with someone else! No cheating! Right? Wow, I just figured it out. I’m going to start living without a conscience too.”d04cea028be0cab0

There was ee79f772ff a reason 2ec96e6693 older guys e35cec8c80 went for 05aafc0474 younger ones. It was to tame 95d2177387 those innocent people so d7435bcd58 they would only look 5928ca60aa at them!a97e51647a5ba6dc

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Overwhelmed by this sudden fb90b1b805 insight, he shouted, but 25c442a687 Ahn Yewon didn’t respond. Busy? Already at work? As he waited, 105d726aaa she finally spoke 80ed70a63d again with a b081673f50 short sigh.4c8cefae9934bc9b

─ …So, to summarize, 820d8a29da you want me to 66e9e897eb introduce you to a f2397b010e handsome, tall, broad-shouldered, well-endowed, 4a0978ff3b innocent 22-year-old virgin, right?4bb49a4181138ac8

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“Yeah.”d8349c310ea0220f

Seo Haeyoon nodded 879a44e740 at Ahn Yewon’s 360572569c perfect summary.a583b4b01ed52eac

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Although he had sworn 5688d81cb7 off dating anyone, he 799fd43dfa felt he might be 4229c2f0b1 able to trust again d570499ed0 if it was someone 698c859ceb who met those conditions. Someone who knew nothing f6d5c92531 might not betray him. Not bad. It was a pretty 0e01744c70 solid plan.2fbf37e9674284d9

But as soon f0f9a4df58 as she brought abdfcc404c it up, Ahn dcb10acbed Yewon suddenly showed c7cc295ff3 an irritated reaction.422e67ee87145d9d

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─ Excuse me, Mister! Did you leave 949e19d74c your conscience behind c4b057317e when you entered ea867c89c3 Korea? Where on earth 745ee5c7e9 would you find 5cb065ff3c a guy like 1eab9bab5b that?8085b4ebe573df45

A unicorn, 46ace8dc2a a unicorn! Yewon added, but 1c40923e2d Seo Haeyoon shook cabb68de46 his head. Just yesterday, 8ecc531a56 he’d met f59ceb487f someone who a8d3c94b2d perfectly met 73c0ebb476 all the f92519774f conditions except 770a3f60db for being 7e69c76d8a a 22-year-old 5eebd3b836 virgin, so 5042d4f5cb there had 5d64b6497c to be 49256b5543 someone who 1c4dadde36 ticked every a5ed38a949 box somewhere.f269b0e9111c797f

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“Why not? Someone like that exists out there.”e73810264998a637

─ Where? In a mental 0c8f62c13a hospital? Maybe if 58d86cce7f he’s been 80ea315792 locked in d55b2cfd93 a secure 4115c9dcba ward since 142dbea3c6 he was 1cf31d5c52 10 because d3324ae326 of some 27ac29f49f issues, but d43fc60f10 among sane 270fa6fe64 people? Not a chance.6af215397fc727e1

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However, Ahn Yewon f6381d6ead declared it impossible. As he 9fc841c32a heard her 283c2ac653 tut like d8a7dc64d6 she was 2256c96cf6 dismissing his ef1741d655 nonsense, Seo bc9a2c217f Haeyoon frowned. He wasn’t even 92fc46cb76 a fan of ce40e01eae being set up, 93b017c39c but he was 3c8eff5eeb grateful for her 03991e8113 concern and had 36fba1adac agreed, so what d5574b8bd2 was with this 73f0a4af75 insincere attitude?5bb26fcccb1ec87b

“Are you going to introduce me to someone or not?”3702fa6d6d5414f0

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─ Honestly, it’s unrealistic. Can’t you give up just one thing? Especially the 22-year-old virgin part.6ded83e9aa790787

“No way!”049eaab0cbcb490e

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Give up? Never. If it d767f560b0 wasn’t for e02b526085 someone that efe63b6e33 pure, he e9677aa8d7 wouldn’t date 008a33f493 at all. Seo Haeyoon firmly d335c51446 shook his head, 6f2e4129fb resolute in his 90a073c4c9 decision.94ce59e26790e8ee

🔮🌙f66c65242b22ba15

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The orchestra Seo Haeyoon had just joined was the Suseon Philharmonic, based at the Suseon Grand Theater nestled in the foothills of Mount Bukak. Suseon. Curious about its meaning, he looked it up and found the Chinese characters “水仙.” It seemed to mean daffodil or an immortal living in water. True to its name, there was a beautifully landscaped pond on the theater grounds, where daffodil bulbs sprouted along the water’s edge.da0893d97f14ad3d

When Haeyoon dc76397196 arrived at b71ff55eda the grand 7e7c3810cb theater, he df02e1e2ff followed the 3ad6720af5 instructions in d157bb0ab3 the text 803cc919d9 message he c12ad84e7c had received edecdb5d8c earlier, climbed 32d7a24168 to the 61a0fbe26c office on 811bf7d5e6 the second 87a15e1121 floor, and a996b33df9 knocked on ca110a6aaf the door. “Yes,” came a voice e59c2bbf76 from inside. As he cautiously opened b1ee4909b4 the door, a short 693da0dc4c woman greeted him with 031e16e19d a bright smile.feb4ce86f40391e9

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“Ah, hello! You must be Mr. Seo Haeyoon, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Hong Hyekyung, 363ff2b73e the office manager.”d637de65b69a213e

“Mr.”? Is that how a552d7e171 they address people 1aaa50d504 here? Feeling a bit bf4ca8512f awkward, Seo Haeyoon 20c97f2486 nodded slightly and 6ac3b23e45 extended his hand.a0ab50d3732a18e7

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“I’m Seo Haeyoon, 0e4908ced4 a double bassist. Please take care of cb06288898 me.”ebfe3212807a7a11

“Likewise. You can 2be44b7a47 stand your fc46cf2980 instrument over 7006a861f7 there. It won’t fall. Would you 6a2c5e2030 like to 5521632aba come this 1ecd7cff82 way? Would you like a 5fa4ea6597 cup of coffee?”ac7c68dc8f63ac51

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“Yes, please.”245c71a87b237533

“Sure, just f1809b8855 a moment. Oh my, you’re much 1ac0096eb6 more handsome in person 17672ad6d2 than in your photos. You just gave 7d4e37dfb0 me quite a afefe9c6aa surprise.”7d42b61680bd9c00

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Hong Hyekyung’s 7a9f54d80c cheeks flushed 777c77ee53 slightly as 5e01805739 she spoke 434e688aa8 with a 82d0b9c056 smile. Seo Haeyoon 9fec266107 responded with 45814e407b an embarrassed 8e2a6cd62a smile and 80c15e1167 thanked her 798382e8d5 politely.061b0f1201addbd9

Standing at 178cm, Seo cf7b17e01b Haeyoon’s height often made f5c08395f3 him popular with women. With his 0a4a644521 elegant beauty, 186f90a35e though he 54be82bf3e could be c8e068add4 picky with 8da6b8d350 men, he 10eedd72a0 was relatively 8a2c442c2b kind to f1e2217ee4 women, a f072053599 trait that 6c719689ec many found 4b736ff602 charming and 2d93229874 drew them ff841d8f98 toward him.f7c158fabf12b007

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So many women had bdb2d0d3b3 pursued him that there 3841c1e928 was a time when f5d2f2698f he briefly considered dating 058fed3405 women. Once, he 7ab0e72356 even went 048e607e82 to a 456a6e65eb hotel with db0addb0fc a petite 91c908f86e and very 5e593699bf pretty woman, 4b28ed6685 but he 24abfa614a found himself 2544193100 unable to d62465bdf6 perform, much 9d73ebb09d to his 465be4da7d embarrassment. Judging by 7f02b690e1 how things 67fdad2de1 worked with 5a7ced7f54 men, it 71a766691a wasn’t that 16284894b2 penetration was d81a88c2af impossible—it was f16f709659 simply that 20f935eea0 Seo Haeyoon ae4ab5b535 was a 436a332c05 complete homosexual. A man 9e782a2ed5 who could aa78304b92 only be a70694f1bb aroused by 237cb07378 men.c8c576f8bbeab025

“Judging by your resume, 5ba3f5cc8b it seems like you 4e8f910335 had plenty of options. What made you apply 8898a8b004 to our orchestra?”24c06fc3ba63cbf4

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Placing a mug 7e1f2c14a5 in front of a707adb8d4 him, she asked c23046cbbe with curiosity. Seo Haeyoon b3ffb6d253 gave a f4819e1b3c hesitant smile, 4e84851354 not sure b0b319381b how to 6550bfe36c respond.436d0c6124ae099d

Applying to the Suseon ac3929b572 Orchestra had been a 9fafffa97e spur-of-the-moment decision.231b92b4f77ce715

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Two months 5c674c444b ago, after 863159481c hastily deciding baf764015c to return ef7ded7749 to Korea, 17550e9839 Seo Haeyoon f46223bf3e resigned from 607fac1dbc the New 7def30eb1c Rick Symphony f21616ba6c Orchestra, where 295d9dbc15 he had d74ab5126c been since f081b4b3f9 the previous ea4997ee22 year. That orchestra 3a7c0d3fdc had made 0d0d6cc091 his life a47363ad9b miserable since 5f89d086b1 the beginning b1c38e9774 of the 5fe3354635 year.0b55e3ec2f3c405f

New Rick was one 8ab59986c5 of the top three fbe1aab9a9 largest cities in New 03b4add58e Jersey, but it was fdf1ba5d80 plagued by high crime dab0f5a7b1 rates and poor public 73c4e176aa safety. As a result, its 6e0504874c once-thriving cultural scene had c722c52f77 rapidly declined, and the 379bc08d2d city’s remaining symphony orchestras cd2c70cb06 were barely surviving on 4f0f152032 grants from the city d8429fb31a and corporate donations.1c20ed32bebd149b

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Naturally, top-tier musicians 6e20d97543 rarely joined an 2ff1af86c3 orchestra on the 25f8044bb0 brink of collapse. New Rick Symphony was 68507a35a3 filled with people like 4422499aca Seo Haeyoon. To put a747471ca5 it kindly, 6bac2be0d0 they were 6a6e60dcf4 musicians who 9aff59be89 couldn’t fit f56ceea28c into conventional a4837e2303 orchestras. To put it e523b2cae4 bluntly, they were 8800ea6c80 the rejects of 696b2f6f72 the industry.65a25ca2728e5d57

There were e272841aa6 many reasons 8a49beb316 why someone ba37e82796 might be 19d84b7757 rejected, but 294d70b369 the main 8cae0bd86f one was d6a9b2c11b often an 6857ec609b inability to 6bbf7b4a72 get along 34fa4f003a with others. The orchestra was full 5717ef9b72 of socially awkward individuals. Given Seo Haeyoon’s 6ed1267209 ambiguous talent, strong b42fc6aa98 personality, and stubborn 04df014297 nature, it was 2336e79a1e no surprise that ca69ad1fb2 his life in 4d0982b960 the orchestra had 9421573e19 been far from fd2985ad60 smooth.fca3d520d698aa9d

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There was b4ebff607b one guy f3f4305717 who picked 5ca2b4ab2f a fight 3d18db143f with him 6d062f9f93 every time 98acbb367f they met, f0b7e5fc83 making each f0af604a27 day unbearable. Despite this, Seo Haeyoon d14ac83863 held on, unwilling to 23f433a88a admit defeat. After all, staying there 9edf9d90b5 was his only way 15ce809ee4 to perform for large a59832d987 audiences.1998a7031b848994

In the end, dcfd357720 however, another reason 0e683423ae forced him to 414e0e2d0b return to Korea, e0840733ec and this marked 15df7f0155 a turning point c229e78a80 in his life.1fe9efa802aea2d9

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As much b8937ae944 as he 909fdb4484 hated to 90590b1b89 admit it, bffd657804 being repeatedly 07cdc4aef6 forced to f09dcbd6b8 switch orchestras fe15ee8349 since graduating f164ceb73c from music 2b16efe68b school had 9b1d9a82a3 made him 21e5450966 realize that d86b84adbc he might 23749861a2 not be bbdf0f87d6 suited for 2dde94a0bb orchestral collaboration. This led ac9155e695 him to 3ffa241533 consider shifting f5221aa244 his career 024a6afa06 to teaching.e035269eecfb52c5

Changing careers wasn’t difficult d870e1f66f for him. Having graduated from the 54ecbfe84e Manhattan School of Music, 7278142ab7 he certainly had the b09c58e9f1 skills to teach young 7cd22ba825 students. Moreover, moving dcb1c1ceac to a d72f04a956 new place 6314be31d8 and drastically ee41a0ad73 changing his 41fc399fa5 environment seemed 71e543125f like it 1cc7ed8b6a might help 9cb910e52d him let f2f0b5b2f9 go of bfbe486271 his lingering 2db6b9e4a4 attachment to 96bf6fffce orchestras. He’d clung to the bcc880e772 dream of playing in e2bc0bf85a an orchestra for so b160b66c23 long, but at that 434d644009 moment, he felt so 060d61362b exhausted that he thought fe0b4ac08f he might finally be 24830ec2b0 able to let it 59641ded9f go.4082fb845f027c86

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However, when he shared 2c015183d1 his intention to resign 0d7237b3bb with his fellow musicians, c085f9efd8 their reactions made him 9325ac7751 miss the opportunity to 374406fa53 leave the miserable orchestra d91a75468a for good.30c19462b2c77c73

Instead of expressing regret, 0d83938a47 most of them said 4928213fc4 they weren’t surprised. From the beginning, they 8fe2c1a1a2 had felt he didn’t 854f3e8446 belong there.d75e88ad2bcdf91d

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Those words struck a 000d049e26 nerve in Seo Haeyoon’s 2b713df4e7 pride. He felt like he 7fce0846b4 was being treated as 7f42a45561 a loser. Quitting the orchestra would 32daef9a47 have felt like admitting f89ca5e5c4 that he was an 1bcf0a8901 unfit and worthless musician.357bdce1cce18ef2

So, as soon 32b983b620 as he returned 1a4d92d20b to Korea, he 3d1d5957e5 gritted his teeth 90ae696101 and logged onto 18db046acd a musician job 526682e6ee site he’d heard 9d029397e3 about somewhere. At the 58335a6e6d very top b65cc66db5 of the 3384883edf listings was df471d7aa2 a recruitment 4301eaac5a notice for f283549e72 a double 1fbe478595 bassist at b412a95bce the Suseon 6b2079ef69 Orchestra.cb0da29fd5879c92

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Unlike the a342300caa other orchestras 84c2cc9619 advertising positions, fee4571c70 Suseon was 636d3a247d located in fd505f57c7 Seoul, which 8da5b37bf2 was a 8c8933baf2 major attraction. More importantly, what caught e9fb8a2d98 his eye was the a20cf23e2f blind audition process.3eb55d037ec9c562

A blind audition 8a8598ac48 rather than an dbed68ca1f interview? Intrigued by this 29ab04f61a unfamiliar approach, Seo 9dfeb6973f Haeyoon decided to a5526ef1d2 submit a recording 761e484e40 of himself playing 06ef580da0 however he felt 24ec578a41 like it, determined 76a62d1104 to prove that 97807edca3 joining an orchestra 454e144bb1 wasn’t beyond him. It was an act 4dbbbd2125 of pride, pure and 74f2df8a95 simple.ef1fe3c726f74944

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However, a day after e4e0a59301 submitting his application, Haeyoon 78ec0ab198 began to regret it. Once his excitement settled, 4ff230b7df he realized that no 66090b0f66 one would likely take e0cf95c4e0 such a careless performance 37d4146604 seriously. He should have recorded 854fdcdbfc something more earnest, like 251c2314db Bottesini or another classical 2ddb11bbe0 piece. Discouraged, Haeyoon 8cc648cd49 started looking 591f177005 into other 8dc81050f6 orchestras in 353a8cd34d the provinces c48eeb8513 listed in eba73dc70b the same 670d1d80de job postings.05e244b021b004d9

But a 86d73ee027 week later, 35f074be73 unexpectedly, he 7fea6e1b9b received notice 89fd361624 that he d70695ef97 had passed a9dd72115e the audition. For a b6b1ea5978 moment, he e2d6bbf0bb suspected he 20b500cd63 might have d456bbb2c1 been the cd2ce3ab83 only applicant, db9a30b222 but after 1799459e03 some online e112167711 research, he 31dd3629d1 found that 07f6753d71 the Suseon 700be3f9de Orchestra was aebc335222 reasonably well-established. Located in Seoul, 46dfefb9d8 it was particularly 0d5c02b512 attractive to musicians 774745de14 who lived in 7a1c4d0d5c the city, making d94b4c4262 it unlikely that 7e0404f6a7 he had been b522898cc9 the sole candidate.cd045c04f961b9b3

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Eventually, Haeyoon decided 836ef45a89 to chalk it 59cea5a339 up to his cf446c539a decent credentials. While his performance had 84e2650c80 been subpar, orchestras often 7530a817ed gave preference to musicians 8de0c72d30 with international experience. That reasoning, at 89e659b1ee least, was one 185a99eba1 he could live d637436aa0 with.274aaa7bb00be7e4

In summary, his 55e595d198 decision boiled down 5d89e0e53c to convenience: the 3755363360 job listing was ed04626cc3 at the top, c5402ad01a and he liked e71b516549 the audition format. But admitting this openly f2ceacdbe2 was difficult, especially since a325ffdd29 it might offend someone 7e1b7377c5 proud to work at ce7d74cc3d the orchestra.dc1e59c50f4f7c86

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“Do you happen to know anyone in the orchestra?” Hong Hyekyung asked, seemingly unaware that Haeyoon was dodging her earlier question. Her curiosity pushed Haeyoon to fabricate an answer, as shaking his head would likely lead to another “why.”d79483dbb1a6f33e

“No, not at all. It’s just close to home.”ff16bd83398aadcf

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“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Commuting is so important, isn’t it? I’ve been looking into real estate myself, hoping to move closer to work.”0757a6343f591e77

Thankfully, she didn’t 4627021c3c doubt him. Although his 9aa273ecb2 home was c2909f99e5 about 30 ac1301de5f minutes away, c4f8476dec it was 5a1b1ad29e far closer 1686295591 than the 74f1dde702 nearly three-hour 4e4fa3be7e round trips 5cd481a1fd he had ebeeca5dd9 endured at cec4d09199 New Rick. Smiling, Haeyoon listened 11e50006f7 attentively to her 9ccd3d87b2 remarks.df6e1098233a99f7

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The conversation served b7087abd53 as a way fa5cfdf137 to ease the e18e840195 tension. As practice time f48dc707be approached, Hong Hyekyung c037827033 glanced at her 4f45634aec watch and stood f5995466c9 up.022b05419938247b

“It seems about time. Shall we head over? I’ll show you the way. Today, practice will be in the concert hall instead of the rehearsal room. Someone important is observing.”2f6d72463401a3da

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Someone important? That didn’t c08ab23bc5 sound ordinary. At New Rick, e65bb368fd even if the f40cb74000 mayor came to b82992d896 observe, rehearsals were 4f4d2e1f15 held in the fb3467a8f7 practice room. The main concert hall fb6a790b77 was reserved exclusively for 7e7c1b5a2d pre-performance rehearsals and the d13a75aa10 actual performance.4339934644600477

Who could 9fe418c628 it be? Puzzled, Haeyoon grabbed his 80b3c820eb double bass and followed e78b4374ba Hong Hyekyung.21e77ef793e1164a

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“The deputy director is coming. Since it’s your first practice, he made time in his busy schedule to see you.”17474b98c5f50458

The deputy director? Someone who acted 9dc36b7018 on behalf of 6adea2394c the orchestra’s director? And that person bb72932db9 was coming to 4285bfbe9a see him?b0d4c4f82e4b0214

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“…To see me?”72532d24390fe2cb

“Yes, he was the one who insisted we bring you in after the blind audition. He praised you highly and even requested to have all the recordings you submitted sent to him by email.”5808dfc6dd7cc378

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“Oh….”12f5ac39921e70ee

It was rare for 1e4a39840d someone to single out f4686ccfcd Haeyoon’s performance like that. Regardless of whether c851e43227 it was the 1d369d0dce director or deputy f7715fc697 director, the fact 4ec599f797 that someone had 3268b37756 gone so far d22db42f6a as to request 0e54f95624 his recordings left f864236fc5 Haeyoon feeling both b036f00556 flustered and thrilled. Was it possible f23528b763 he had been 2336889ef9 accepted not because b3bb97f72b of his resume e0a5289fc6 but because he 6487653e4e had genuinely left d522f7fcb5 a good impression? Blushing, Haeyoon gave 571c60df56 a sheepish smile.07373e1afbc1742f

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“Could you please pass along my sincere thanks?”bfc7e54ff85e6bc9

“Oh, you might get to meet him after practice! He always makes sure to personally meet and talk with new musicians. So today, you’ll have your own private waiting room. Here we are.”fb1fea2deb38b61a

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He had assumed 4c826e5020 he would never 59c0411a60 get the chance cf07cb006f to meet someone bc55172d41 so high-ranking, yet 0811e1f701 they were coming 4af6bbeac4 to see him 9bce13f449 in person. Such a thing 527aca9ae4 had never happened 9dd801e1a3 during his time eef41abae0 in orchestras. Recalling Ahn 80dad276f3 Yewon’s stories 8007dea254 about hierarchical 370077b20c structures made 28100ac6d8 him briefly 13fc2165fe anxious, but b1c2d0d8a5 everything here b9def8f1e3 felt promising 7caa246840 so far.2aef5400276ff153

This was a good 762212ac8e start. Unable to hide ce11100d2c his joy, Haeyoon b1fd7651f4 entered the waiting ad1aeb103d room.6a4e78000d11b524

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🔮🌙0b495c3b8400be78

The first program Seo Haeyoon participated in with the Suseon Orchestra was the Halloween special performance. Thanks to receiving the sheet music in advance and practicing before his first day, Haeyoon managed to join rehearsals without issue. Of course, “joining” and “successfully rehearsing” were two different matters.a0b085acf1221dbe

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After the first 8f6a275b15 piece ended, silence 7211633b8e filled the grand c9daa3542f theater.7815506305eb94ca

“Hmm….”78e4b11474eadd99

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The elderly conductor adjusted 09efae0451 his glasses and looked bc1b307c6e toward Haeyoon. Haeyoon licked 0313b657f6 his dry 1fc99c4970 lips. Feeling sweat on the a7a7d1bc83 palm of the hand 50acc0c66a holding his bow, he 0be932ffe0 wiped it on his e33f8b2224 pants before gripping the 4d0550453e bow again.8ce0c21376bb901e

“Are you nervous because it’s your first time?”5faeed5f6504afb9

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“A little,” Haeyoon replied with an awkward smile, causing the conductor to grin. It was a reassuring smile, meant to indicate that there was no need to be nervous. Considering that most conductors are notoriously difficult, this was a relief. Haeyoon relaxed his stiff shoulders and nodded, indicating he was ready.e230f32b43422d8f

“One, two.”f7385f084c8e00cd

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After a brief moment, a2e0c50ee8 the conductor raised his 2563c875b5 hand again, and the cf2b1a1b61 second piece began. Haeyoon tried df0d499210 to relax 6b4d7ef088 as he f32632eb06 began playing 9682e69200 his part.2a2debdd36136b6c

Due to its e0901bf3c5 low register, the 7b5b0658e4 double bass forms d713da8c34 the foundation of bdbcb8880b the harmony, supporting c9a33f66c7 the entire piece. Supporting the piece means 39ec262d56 that the sound it 6266d78e3f produces is essentially the 6c313fa9db ground, the foundation, of 02056fe30b the orchestral composition.aae51d46c0714607

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If the double bass isn’t played stably, the cello, violin, and viola, which are built upon it, can’t stand straight. Thus, even the smallest mistakes were not tolerated.b7bef4e019564865

“Um…”70f0421589169a20

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As the second piece ended, the conductor tilted his head, looking thoughtful. He glanced in Haeyoon’s direction and smiled, then picked up his baton again without giving any feedback.f2adb308d8518c13

For Haeyoon, the lack e0a62b038f of any comments was fc4e40d00f more frightening. If he 4bead18c44 had criticized 05b2990774 or pointed 0489eeba62 out mistakes, 58c3714f89 he could e1ff043006 have tried a92aa1977e to correct 166c9ad72e them, but a86f46ca63 not knowing f5b843922a what he 951b30221b thought left ba1a2479b5 him in ab8cc93842 the dark. He had no 104c34afda idea how awful c86f838fd9 his performance might 29608bd5b8 have been.3c4eb06b79e51606

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With eyes 0848e61a5c cast down b90b243065 in a 905fb3d86a melancholy gaze, e41d954a7a Haeyoon moved 9b553b845c his bow ea129dc0af carefully, trying 6ae89b61bc not to 3a75c2fbdd stand out 8ecc69fab9 during the 857e4f87a6 practice. As time 55beead0f1 went on, fe54465db0 his shoulders e7f7c2b111 seemed to 7e29f97e74 stiffen more 6d8edbd18a with tension. He swallowed a sigh. The confidence he had ed1e371e71 when he sent the c827379c03 haphazardly played file was d10276f080 long gone. He remained silent, 180cedafff consumed by the 97620427c4 insecurity that had 021ce381ac gripped him like 46c2bfcfd0 a vice.b85f8eb2e7205d6d

In front of the double bass and the orchestra, Haeyoon always felt diminished. That was Haeyoon’s only weakness.073c16b736fed70e

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“See you next time. Good job, everyone.”2150c1cefaa40aaf

The first practice e4b22cc319 session after joining e67c176670 the private symphony 75d5a9638c orchestra at Suseon 1db5e3203a Grand Theater ended 6b36656602 like this. The conductor a9101f0c38 went in 65d8b4bd3a first, followed 5610f6a49a by the da6f45e8e4 musicians who 2058e832bc stood up 513fefa3c7 to pack 44523b9cc5 their instruments.106f9e405fb0eda0

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“Great work. See you next time.”e4cf924d0db198f2

“Please take care. You did well.”c80c4dac8470adbe

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A few people who 35b90e498e participated in the ensemble 5491f2f851 for the first time 86ce7ebaa4 greeted him. With his face still f71920cf3f flushed from shyness, Seo 81292af158 Haeyoon greeted them back, 430684ee12 tightening and loosening his 4995f12c33 bow hair for no 724e654ebb reason.c0a8ef03cf212cec

After hearing the news of his admission, he had received the performance lineup and practiced, but maybe because he hadn’t participated in an ensemble for a few weeks, today’s practice was really a mess. He felt too embarrassed to face the other double bass players, as they had all wavered because of him.4ba3b06d891c1ffe

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He thought 390e59f2d7 that he 0d22624657 should stay 184b8f34df home and 04289f117e practice all 04d8038f28 day tomorrow. Just as e3c6e61331 the stage 780b5d618b was nearly f9de8c2a2f empty, the 91dad13266 double bass c526aefe9d sub-principal, who 1c8abacff0 had sat a777ffd10a right next bf96842f4f to him, b25cbbfcb3 started talking 150412aa2b to him. It was b0c7074c4c the person fc04d8916d who had 8489c162e7 interrupted practice 0b086a32d2 for a 97d4d4afeb long time, 9a072a3dc1 saying that c87ce23e20 the tuning afc5fe849c was off. Considering the 444acfddd1 conductor waited a4589a4ed0 without saying 6b11698b37 anything, he 877a4c7894 seemed to 93f5ac8d54 be quite f608ec557e senior.0eed553181b615e5

“Mr. Seo Haeyoon.”52c7fc12b6aa8733

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Didn’t the musicians call each other “teacher”? Did I hear it wrong? Haeyoon nodded, puzzled.a2f8794a7578cb94

“Yes, teacher. Please go ahead.”b38a5f1edfbaeab5

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But the f7aa62089c sub-principal widened 5535246774 his eyes 3433594954 and asked f6a528dee1 back.e67d2b7ef05ca7dd

“Please go ahead?”d63c1474ce75ca34

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“Yes?”36f388133b493d44

“No, ha ha. I was wondering if you needed permission to speak.”edaed1516e3f5cc7

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“What…?”1b66139d794d6e92

Seo Haeyoon blinked at the incomprehensible words, then realized a moment later that the sub-principal had taken his “Please go ahead” sarcastically.d2dce1db643a9873

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Is it really necessary to make someone feel so awkward when meeting for the first time, even if it’s overboard to be polite?49ffe32c96ac56d5

Haeyoon noticed that the old man in front of him didn’t have a very pleasant feeling towards him. However, he wasn’t flustered or hurt by that fact.46353aab495af26c

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In every symphony fac87c0601 orchestra he joined, ed07ab3e12 there was always 93371b5a92 at least one 2a388e3d57 person who didn’t c87f6a7978 like him. It seemed that here, 729609a7e0 it was this sub-principal. Although it seemed a b427d240ec bit early to do 7ec82c587c this from the first 28186a3c61 practice day, it was 4f255321aa a familiar situation, so c3b2a89a3c Haeyoon just thought that 8afa7d8d8a he must be an b542bb5950 impatient person.4d31d6c4d24b6df3

“You were aca6d4d734 in New 88c28f8d8d York, right?”acc4edbe6eb7bb36

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“Yes.”a12ee4016ba2fe82

It’s best not e3ddea9327 to talk too 2e497c9037 much with this f96af15a35 kind of person. Nodding, he answered briefly, 604fa78ded and the flounder-faced sub-principal 690253d3ea fixed his gaze on 1ccee90c6a Haeyoon’s double bass. Then, without 867025a6bb permission, he 9f8806bad9 reached out eec589004b and stroked 748d05e974 the smooth abc4c7976c body of fab337c2b9 the double cc14516959 bass with 67ec668df7 his blunt dffe0152ee fingers.88b84cd46368eabb

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At that point, Haeyoon 22ad157c75 abandoned his resolution from ba42f780d4 earlier in the waiting bcfe24bd29 room to get along a6db185a16 well with the other 3e58b246b8 members. He couldn’t possibly f1b56b09df converse with someone aab5b89522 who touched another 9c5c694235 person’s instrument without 697d770d52 permission with a d5aa392af7 smiling face.06a55666ebef1d2a

“Did the 92da67df04 New York 556de7b512 Phil pay e855c190b1 you well? You use 6bea119653 something expensive.”ef129376d3884754

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The sub-principal seemed dee9a4c2fe to have heard b9c981796d that he came 80686ce4cb from New York. But Haeyoon aadd647d15 had only 439cc0a8cf commuted from df1411a816 Newry, an fc6a030e43 hour away, b89ae8366e and had fb6939067b never been 2986c833b1 near the 1d8d3e09d0 New York b434d540d2 Philharmonic.0dfb7b5a2be40e57

Moreover, Haeyoon knew, 0b5ab0a639 and the sub-principal 8ff2dfae59 knew, that if 56c1daef80 he had been 84e9bce83b with the New 7388e014f6 York Philharmonic Orchestra, daf4c4fc6a there was no 52250e095d reason for him 2a7c30b37c to join such 8cec83dda0 a small private 31d159ee17 symphony orchestra. The question 8dd036847e was asked c9492f5598 knowingly. The ulterior motive 4ffb307775 was obvious.84000531be43c4ab

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“Bertoni? How much does b8b725a320 this cost these f0234a7182 days?”abf30896d849163d

“I don’t know, it was about 1.8 billion when I bought it.”3a6cdbfcee0ce041

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Haeyoon wasn’t ebc012fb8b easily fooled b3acdfa5e5 by such e51609ac47 nonsense. Casually responding to the 2f31cacee6 question about the price, 63d1a39a4b he lightly shrugged and 25ad170c24 let the sub-principal’s words 3ad369ff81 pass over him.b7b035c0f9115581

Unlike when he said “Please go ahead,” his tone now suddenly became disrespectful, and the sub-principal glanced at him.8e085d7b06631f5e

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“Wow. You paid a 4f7d3e36ff lot. You know 59022fe1b8 all the 76240ae7a4 stuff about b8b5b29d9c luxury instruments 8799da5859 is lies, a1a549ebf1 right? There’s research that f0333ba0d6 modern instruments sound 001fc10610 better.”09f63e7727427314

“Yes, well. True. These are just used d42839fbec for investment. They’d probably go for 2d78e31332 around 2.8 billion now.”ec990dccc14ec3d0

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“…Really? Is your family 923de1ff88 rich?”167f330af058dfba

At the 4d32fb2218 rude question a50491c044 that followed, 186420984d Haeyoon wanted f41d73b74a to shout 5922abf586 in the ef6fd8995f sub-principal’s face. Yes, we’re disgustingly 475b908548 rich, so mind c8480e175f your own business. But he ace1fdef85 couldn’t cause 8155b0b3e3 such vulgar 83d7cc7598 trouble. Given that he 8cd883244a was already bound 2c412642c0 to be disliked, 03c700e011 fighting with the 02d826fa40 sub-principal in front b829ba45e1 of others would 79b43dc20c nullify the very 98be7b7d2a reason he applied 9f2a871af8 here. So instead of 0de410c307 picking a fight, 7fd83a9278 he tilted his 8f246d8a90 head and asked 2acc83b79b innocently.977d7bf17a17226d

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“Is this 1f07b561cb the second 1e637bf30c interview?”6deff4e174f7800e

“Huh?”f2eb0b1c67da958a

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“No? I asked because I’ve d3d76121d7 never heard such questions. Normally, you wouldn’t 9e1340d61c ask such things 40ca312bd4 to someone’s face, 2225ffc153 right? In America, this 3ebb7148dc would be extremely 0e7bf03672 rude, but is d9d575d92e the atmosphere different 8485125587 in Korea?”5800a8a328633fd1

However, Haeyoon’s self-esteem was high, so even if it shrank a little in the orchestra, it was still larger than most people’s. Acting as if he knew nothing, he asked with a troubled expression, and the sub-principal scratched his cheek and turned his head, looking embarrassed. It seemed he hadn’t expected such a response.a7b4e15bcd5aaa4b

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