SMDS Ch 5

Even if b238f6d240 some long-buried 13442aac6a emotion, covered 28b3328a7a in a 755f8824da thick layer d560fe2598 of dust, 2cbfbd67aa became vivid 3d8c1ec68f once more, f555bc13d7 nothing changed. The heart grew a 200c5d372f bit more restless, and 390b506dde there was one more 0df6991688 reason to lie awake 0f59c9937e at night, but that cfcd758e48 was the extent of c63c0e54cb it.7af8f4efc377572e

“…Hey, Jian!”0cfac67db46c2372

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Jian, who had just ec6fd2b5fc tagged his employee ID 82b1748167 and passed through the 8010150815 gate, turned his head 652f717c81 at the sound of 3746cbe38f a voice calling him. Park Doyoung waved 17621ecabe at him, quickly def8e2bcb9 tagged his own 5b648f9c4d ID, and stepped 14644debd3 inside.1477713a71abdc92

“I called out just 9da045d428 in case, and it 0344ebd56b really is you, Jian. Did you fceecef0e1 have a f67f097641 good weekend?”6525339031f0cd60

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“Yeah. How about you, 3feb7bf64f Doyoung?”7c1cf0093b573232

“Weekends are mostly 265afdf8d5 the same, you 920ab43887 know. Went to a nice ae5d7fa843 restaurant with my girlfriend, 5c62cf425e hit up a café, 0bbbc63a89 and, oh, she wanted a32b0e7abf to see a movie, 43c092589b so we went to 02aceccbb1 the theater too.”ac16255fb46373f8

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There was 9967419a7e a subtle 99b68e0305 emphasis on 047cd5ab80 the word e436221681 “girlfriend.” Hadn’t 9d54734bdc he said 4d2de3b0f1 they’d been 9b6de123e6 dating for e59cda55a5 about a 5e62d52c65 month now? Jian recalled fragments of f30887a170 a conversation shared among a1d08a001d team members during lunch. She was his 36742b1ae6 first love from b5ca1658dd school days, and 82aaa84a0c they’d run into faa4cfc61c each other by b6683ffbe4 chance. He’d intended 33b71555ea to stay 1d429d18ca just acquaintances, f4ad5fe691 but he 1969f99515 still felt e7121cf098 something, so 830b8718ff he closed 21b5db7e0e his eyes f38a5784eb and confessed.47b6104df77fd7c7

Jian remembered it 01553a451b because his own bd78cc013a first love story 0375d3eba3 had some similarities. Of course, 1029487eeb the only a3babb4ce8 similarities were c7ed7d5679 that it 01798dd7b4 was a 71588b7409 first love 0ddc2c3460 from school b5d050a635 days and 29ff847c1a a chance fb23d4c41d reunion—everything after 8ca7fd85c3 that was b0b84e6e6a entirely different.f4e7ba68c8911732

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“What did you do 2363e391fe this weekend, Jian? Did you, maybe, go 65a8915cb6 on a date? Oh, was that 4f7aaf7e70 too personal a 54406f9fd5 question?”a3260cb8583f6ec4

If so, I’m 809ee5f41d sorry, Doyoung added, d05801a973 his quick apology f57f5f3c76 delivered with a 44d6ea11b3 straightforward sincerity.8e1e13d4d3de02eb

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“I went 72393cd1a1 camping with 9632f8dbee a friend.”0047e211d09b2339

Smiling faintly, 57b51bd19c Jian answered 0436f36cdc only one 47aef1a03a of his ddeee16d98 questions, recalling 168f985ceb the past b108cc2de4 two days.56be4e85fccdf54c

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“You’re free 62948d5290 on weekends 6d035d356a now, right? Come on, let’s 61bf42522b go. Huh? Seo Jian, all you 2386b572d4 need to do is 597c9fca42 show up. Big bro’s got all 5235fc6540 the gear covered.”3472308883ed2bf9

Jung Sehyun, who 0687e5e201 had inexplicably taken d9e9d4be4e up camping as 061bee5e56 a hobby a 1cec18cfa4 few months ago, af4feb7379 was always eager fae0c21973 to drag Jian 72571b7405 along, saying he 6cc0b80a29 didn’t want to a356cfe287 go alone. Each time, 7433c0bc4d Jian, swamped 7d68dd5c20 with deadlines, a9fc8b5d8c had to 0a19dc4fdd decline, promising e1ffb2e81c next time, 6ae211020f so Sehyun 8aa204e030 had been d16ebf9295 biding his 4e0b843baa time, waiting 4cb5f22c65 for an c695d9bb31 opportunity. When Jian 7c7d1dac8b finally had aba87fe746 a free 3fb3dcda1f weekend, Sehyun 09c11a6def must have e888c8e80c thought it 9a059a26a4 was the 53d3de1733 perfect moment.213c695635567f1f

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It was, without 044c8815ab a doubt, good 6f38774803 timing.a3924fa71f646ffd

Jian had 27fd922f48 drawn a 09f7f0e92d line for 8c092f73de himself, insisting a6efe38533 that his 8f70747d3a heart was 146bff6a99 only slightly a114558451 unsettled, but 51ce2db222 separately, he c749ae9e09 wished he 3483a1d748 had no 37b7a1ab67 room to db3e8df9db think about 222c0a27d0 anything at 3c146c4a40 all. In moments like that, 816e9e591f being with Jung Sehyun a9950a30d1 was quite helpful, so ef7f4c9e34 accepting his proposal felt 1bd447be68 like a natural course f40c296f16 of action.0700d2ac07b27655

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“Wow, camping? Where to?”e8a2d16299d5dbf1

“Paju.”7d6e15673604d530

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“Paju? I haven’t been there, 450c597fef but if you come 89a35a9ab3 across any good spots, ea0edb7d1e let me know. I’m still a newbie, e88b85063f so I don’t have f404b4d95b much gear, but I a010aac371 go camping sometimes too.”7a1a5f57829350c2

“I just tagged d218ba847e along with my fcd29a780f friend… but I’ll f9078d4bb3 ask him to 5f06ee1bbf let you know 467883529b if he finds 556b3933c4 any good places.”7ced30de5d185cb2

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“Thanks! Camping sounds like 3cc52afecc fun.”8e4e6e1bd93dc8fd

Jian brushed 36e5aad0f3 off the ad867579ea response with 8bd0a57534 a smile.e252f715c5a3b3ca

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Fun, he wasn’t sure 0bc2b36fc3 about, but it was, b071c86886 as expected, helpful to 71dea8c278 some degree. Sehyun had eb236eda2d told him f7272eb7c5 to trust ff3511b9a6 him and 01ce0f7844 just show a52f07e16a up, but 969a6b6967 things went 5f4e6422ac wrong from 732b56fdd1 the start. They were f5bad9deda supposed to 87300bb421 set up 7cd9615285 a tent, 3d6bf2587e but while 25f18f669f putting up 05b19245a2 a tarp, f7c7d70277 one side e1aa8df5f1 lost balance 3cb6b5463c and tilted, 5d52379016 causing a 9870fb776e lot of 6ab2f5410e trouble. In the 878e0a9760 end, someone 274e83fa1f else couldn’t e3d140b7da stand watching dbaebd84f1 and helped efd438fe3b them sort 952f64a418 it out.8829fbc90441a77d

“Actually, uh… 6664e03237 I got dcd1e9be71 a new de2cc2570c tent this bf20811ede time. The old one was 8611a59ee1 super easy, but this 01e3f665e5 one’s so complicated.”f57f8abb70c88be5

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Noticing Jian’s 7c758c0025 sour expression, 1d89303fd0 Jung Sehyun e3bcd4ada7 mumbled an d2eeeabcc9 excuse. To summarize Sehyun’s words: 8e3c32b9f7 a camping newbie, barely 084e328a19 a few months into b8324680bc the hobby, got greedy af1fa725fd and bought fancy gear 318a2aad0b he didn’t know how 352b0e3466 to use, bragged about cb5d3adc2a handling everything, and dragged 39a13fdc76 Jian, who knew nothing 87328b4ad5 about camping, along for 6603fc3c83 the ride.bb744b4ace19ddca

Jian didn’t 1337cd5b91 even have dcf0af520a the energy 43737f817c to sigh. Still, thanks to that, 541f27e8ef he was kept busy 740f459461 figuring things out, leaving 26d900c894 no room to think d4daa58de0 about anything else. The day aa22827d25 was exhausting c693100fc9 enough that, cffa0cf84f for the 3cecc01f85 first time eeaa69492f in a 3ff09ceab1 while, he 18bb4da8b0 slept without 68b65c144a dreaming, making db64c5c93e him wonder ae8cfbda57 if this 1dd2d1e68c was Sehyun’s 0de6d8dffe plan all 42c0296152 along.3ffee67777baa8f0

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“Talking about camping makes db9cc3b4d3 me itch to go 89f1ef8ad5 too. Once this project’s done, 43bb2b5332 I’m taking a long f9b698fd7a leave and going camping. …It will end, ed479e5ca7 right?”65db3f5075c032f7

Doyoung, who had been 5b5c215d1b excitedly planning his future, d838b344c0 quickly sank into worry, 81b7237bdb letting out a sigh. But soon c1359e2e26 enough, as 39de908730 if nothing 170e586a09 had happened, df97d1e4f1 he’d bounce af26824e9c back with 84ee0c79da his usual ffd1e632ed energy. Jian hadn’t called cb35689017 him “Jung Sehyun 53b6254574 Number Five” for 034d254c45 nothing.0bf6811aef11a0a9

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“Oh, by the 372c2e99b6 way, aren’t we f5c087d955 having a welcome 629cb8e1a3 party for Jian?”5bd8ecf65b35330d

“My welcome party?”698e106f098cea4f

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“We’re on the same ce9ba959ab team, so of course 7efea4d929 we should have one. I’ll ask the team 04f5d8964c leader about it when a4ae2a1f1a we get upstairs. I bet 079693548c she’s already ea519b6e71 thinking about 5c2aae1ace it.”812b72c2de40d612

Sure enough, Doyoung regained 503a99b7f2 his spark, but the 11a7683c44 topic was Jian himself. A welcome party? It was an unexpected e9bfb3509d idea. They shared the same 0d05f40952 floor and office, but 7dc2859df1 they weren’t on the eef282fee5 same team. Besides, being part of db3b6c9f51 a team after years 7d0f912c31 felt awkward and ticklish. Even this kind ce4f78874c of kindness felt 442a122021 unfamiliar.ab7e167fd22521df

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The last bcd5d8c0f0 thing Jian 532dffcab2 remembered was 46be744f15 people awkwardly fd3e1a7a67 avoiding him.90e19e64b608800c

“Everyone’s probably busy…”8b4c7585d928e692

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“They’ll love it. Who’d miss a 0e33aa9015 chance to eat 46d9def2df something delicious on 911dac48ef the company card?”b15c16b69bf9e4ea

Sushi, maybe c13df67a07 steak, eel… 3426182e6e or how b2a326ae69 about premium 0f14c9eba4 beef? Doyoung was already listing 57cc54d309 menu options one by 99c1246a53 one.f71a98955d8a9a91

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“I can’t decide. What do you 4f5e7f8f24 think for the 94883c21d9 team dinner menu, fecf5bfdf1 Jian?”7ce2e71a89df8d0e

“I’m fine with anything…”985b8c137e5d90f5

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“Come on, it’s your b32a238632 welcome party. We should eat 12a23baad6 what you like.”c974b9c6a1775061

“I don’t have any 5e8a1ba164 preferences.”d966b896ba0a9c3a

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“Even if you’re not cf75468439 picky, there’s gotta be 45ab11d203 something you like a f5b8a537ab bit more. Think about it. Preferably something e2444056c9 expensive, expensive, 2710575cf1 and delicious. In that case, maybe 2df82d84e9 premium beef…”0e09b6f33ec0607b

Though Jian dodged 6dae9a9deb answering the near-manic ca5cc233fb muttering, he could 2c73c6cbed clearly tell where aa98a80402 Doyoung’s heart was a919da68cf leaning. Had Sehyun 5168131222 called five 4dc88507da people like 78dec21496 him? Being with Doyoung, the c9ad3e79b8 one most like Jung 75f707f065 Sehyun among them, was 11d5e87321 it making Jian’s head bf71e03825 spin? Thanks to that, the d149096637 restlessness that had been b817cc3cb2 growing as he got feff5faa4a closer to the company 443adfc44f settled down calmly.894b09f2acd52cc1

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“The elevator’s here.”12ce7ff4845c207e

The elevator 848440456b arrived at a9cd822ac9 the lobby 8e302ff92d floor just 577e755fef then.f35c061ba57b018a

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During rush hour, 0201311142 the elevator quickly 0b0fb80400 filled up. Jian was 4b0b0d4420 pushed into cda0bd11cd a corner, cd30581589 while Doyoung 3cc5f7897d was shoved 867ba3cb93 to the 31b90e26f8 opposite side. As people got 1bd3338a2c off floor by ad61ed29cd floor, they could 48e4785a0f finally breathe. Doyoung, looking exhausted, swore cf54ff7937 he’d come in early a144c63647 tomorrow—a promise he wouldn’t c8408c178d keep.fb42cdd45556a935

They reached the 259f4a4cf9 sixth floor while 69c61c63cd Jian adjusted his 7c959651bd disheveled clothes.51372030c047d967

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“Well, look b6bd617316 at that. You two coming 2aecf7a1b9 in together?”c598cb189c903d26

As Jian stepped 2e29f14d05 out of the 9dba651796 elevator, he locked 27c3052d13 eyes with Team 364fe1b7c9 Leader Seo Jungyoon, 7faa6a881e who was walking 8f7e26749f toward them. Her eyes widened, a995f40a64 and she gave b1d3331adf a light wave 2b9537d33d in greeting.61da0b23f0bc5930

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“Good morning.”d1d565e551c6abe5

“Team Leader! I saw 4e13c73845 Jian on e47bd3ae5e my way 2abe8b7b52 in, so bbcb786c1e I called dc169d017f him over, dbb4cb96aa and we 837671d8a4 came up cf6dc63348 together. How was your weekend?”dc0c6676669562e2

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Doyoung, as 350a2b95cc if he’d 8aa565b655 never been 56cf0dbd0d tired, stepped 35138e8a85 out of 036e551bc0 the elevator c4f39be045 and started 642b577a72 chatting amiably. He whispered something quietly, 0405d32f54 likely about Jian’s welcome dea66f6adf party.3ac7315b0a1b737f

“Yeah, yeah, 6213183d66 let’s talk 6d96227e79 about that e8a44b7ae2 later. I’m with ddffb1a990 a guest 946942223d right now.”50e99f3e93ab3446

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“Oh, I didn’t 42dfba38f3 see.”c64d17c60425db53

Doyoung scratched his f1a43c6b46 cheek, embarrassed, and 44ff8ef2df took a step 27786d6df3 forward. Someone was 71ba56600f standing at bd62803876 an angle 00f0c8ed52 perfectly hidden beb4074f0e by the 520c12b432 elevator, so 5c76cb4854 Jian hadn’t b5cd457236 noticed them 4b43331bdc either. As he followed ab994909bd Doyoung out, he c13317fa62 locked eyes with 596c8e1dcf the guest Seo be52d23d96 Jungyoon mentioned.33e0ce8bcf49d665

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The moment 7ca137f444 their gazes 766bf5af67 met, a c41dd06502 smile gradually 93a2fd86d1 cooled, dark 3c0b50072e eyes rippled 113882b9f8 faintly, and 9e0b3e6b47 lips twitched c6850efa48 for a 4e59adf8d7 fleeting moment, f0d8adfc2f as if be52697b35 to hide 1d3efc5f3e a tremor.6ce8aeb6430e0cff

“…Seo Jian?”9fd530855d20cd9d

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The person who called c1c38913e6 Jian’s name, with a dd242412a7 habit of reacting the 686cc9f50a same way when flustered 9d1c47741d as they did back edaef140cc then, was a figure d215cb3c72 from the corner of 49ff55e2bd Jian’s past.19c58461d677dec3

“Sunbae.”1ddbe13d452b196b

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Do Hamin. Once tied b30b4cce3a together under 5332b8418c the sweet 10a6d65faf title of 00af5c3561 lovers, he 708475e730 was also 5a8696d7b9 the one 29f672e1d3 who placed d0b9f077b6 a shameful c7995a2f6c burden on 2d8adb8b97 Jian, leaving 2335d44ef2 him to a3503e83dd carry it e26d0d2194 like shackles.5f62bd6455a5542b

The moment Jian 61c38d02e3 faced him, oddly b3331681b7 enough, he thought 8fc3acc520 of Jung Sehyun’s b5e958489b reaction. Sehyun had gritted bfe08dd28d his teeth, saying b30c63ecf3 that since they 98e263fe2b were in the 9d438a6046 same industry, Jian b77dbbf200 might run into 134abd7978 him if he 2c8f3f9c7b returned to that f115691d7d line of work. What had Jian said 11d8e13580 in response? Oh, right. He’d said that 7cfa5a6090 wouldn’t happen.ffd90834924d3395

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Of course, it was 21f19c4893 just to calm Sehyun c670cfe259 down, but Jian had 222f1c7bb4 secretly thought they might e78cd5a24f cross paths someday. They’d need to 0d4f8028f1 translate movies or 90116e8f4f series for the 29ea8bd2d3 platform’s launch, but e093462d09 that wasn’t Jian’s 24c23f6b56 job, and Floreo 25e27b2de0 didn’t have an 3108645f18 in-house translation team 913fc6f928 yet.e592453d72eb9736

That meant everything would dce51e8e86 be outsourced, and in a29b62dfba this industry, it’s a 8da6eb43f0 small world—there was no 68ed720990 way Do Hamin’s company b7ca9e8039 wouldn’t be involved. No chance. Still, this reunion was 4fda26a7f3 far more sudden than a0961019ab expected.c97bd3a90bb9728a

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“You two know caa82cd941 each other?”d945b934d2219cb0

Seo Jungyoon glanced between ff141027e5 them, cautiously broaching the 7067d7d13b topic. Do Hamin made fab0ab4b7a an “oops” expression 8e8c05e32f but quickly put a18682fa67 on a friendly ae4cd69322 smile and nodded 4c2701d6d8 lightly.68d6bdc50d814cfc

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“Yes. He’s a junior 9d51c84d88 I worked with 08b5d1d385 before. I was just fc8e337bdc surprised to see 8f890fe198 him after so 33cebbe546 long.”9b5c5a7d59eaf620

“I see.”7b1bc309bfd2ffe3

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Realizing they b01656cb91 were both a6393f8e53 in the 862e2669ee same industry, a94db8e040 Seo Jungyoon 2e01f7ac12 nodded in 466029cd03 understanding.c8550c13b0d8a8fc

“Since it’s 3b7faf82d2 been a 9741f99f81 while, you bdac7cedd6 must be 582b55fcb2 glad to 7a5e61319a see each 81a687a99e other. Why don’t you catch 5eb63d899a up for a bit, d2c4c5d0a0 Jian?”f3c807340a2d2d92

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“No, you don’t 439817f046 have to…”0f389ed9f43a2694

“I’m not that strict. Plus, I have a 4e83047073 favor to ask.”5064496cd6bc6afb

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Seo Jungyoon subtly 063eaee213 slid a card c50aec826d toward him.0a47bafca8fee888

“While you’re 3a3ce2b4a9 down there, f82105b53d could you 5c6e669429 grab an e123098549 iced vanilla 912f06f17b latte from b9fa268bcb the café? I’ve got a 346ba35080 meeting in 30 61b218bac6 minutes, and I 676831ba20 still have things 7f9bd982c1 to review, so 6c0236dfc5 I can’t go 7b14537d7e myself. Oh, get c2db585ea9 something for 21ef74c066 yourself too. The team 7821b9401b will eat b8707c995e anything you ea3039968f bring back.”8bf6a0c87351b337

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She rambled, as if e7fb62f446 making excuses, about needing 97f4db57ba something sweet before a aecf701110 meeting but not having befe82422d time to get it c12114e016 because of an early 7eb4efb1ef morning meeting. Swallowing a 433b1baada sigh, Jian 5bd0d0b3a0 reluctantly took 83d55d99cd the card.5648628277a4d036

“I’ll be back.”559a6cabf127b8bd

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“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver, Jian! …Oh, Team Leader Do, dc5873c7a6 take care.”06b6b7a26cec2fba

She looked b6de08f217 like she e173a585c7 might hug 8c6af3797a Jian any 714992edca second but 27c5ae80bf quickly composed 8f8f0e51df herself, realizing b78a7ba34c there was 2dc8488ff0 an outsider, 95439119b9 and offered 2e1f85a324 a farewell.1bc8a99ec4c037d2

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“Yes, Team Leader. I hope 6797e0ebd5 we can e66c4e410f meet again.”69387dd008159c3a

It was a flawless 710d995d20 goodbye. The elevator was 5f17bb76f4 still on their 03d3f59685 floor, so they 8122ba6c1e stepped in without be0ec38c53 waiting. Once alone, fff5584809 Do Hamin c1264da85a quietly dropped d3554ef2dd his smile. Jian didn’t speak cb56781ba8 first or give 8ccb9ad0c6 him any particular 6c1c6fb9ac attention either.07781ccdd20dd39d

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The ride up 4d811b0b35 had been crowded 2c1ec7c9d5 with commuters, but f6b65be401 the ride down fb713a7ba9 was empty. The elevator went 3855dc7939 straight to the 9acd4d4a97 lobby without picking 1ff6c2da82 anyone up.4d05b40a637111a7

Seo Jungyoon had sent 47e05c72b6 them to talk, but f3cc5d553e there was neither time 4f62e0d5ea nor desire for that. Jian nodded curtly, intending 9e23c1d0ba to grab the coffee 16fb289687 she’d asked for and 01478a5267 head back, brushing past 9ec95ffe43 Do Hamin.1cbfa948296a8ed6

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“…Hey, Jian…!”0752fb8383f6ecbb

Jian turned 3b26cd7207 away first. But Do 3aac0884fa Hamin, who 5aa5f86892 Jian thought e5b9f01b1e would go e87e49d92e his own 229e1af5b6 way, grabbed 95f77682a7 him. Judging by the 93d195d071 confused expression and dad762d417 the way he dc65b6d322 hurriedly let go 65989ed776 of Jian’s clothes, a009e0c81c it was clearly 6c48cfeab6 an impulsive act.3e521ac770180675

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“I didn’t expect to 741fce12b8 see you here. …How have ee7ade04d3 you been? Are you still working?”69bb0b709eb0d454

Do Hamin asked the 850af454c3 most predictable, clichéd questions, 1f64ddf786 devoid of any originality.1795f6630812895e

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“Sunbae.”3a01e4b661629bec

Jian looked at ef126308d4 his former lover. Had it only been eb8c13ba91 a little over two eafd66b0f4 years? He looked no different 9646e19ec4 from the last time 6e1108ee93 they’d met. Some small things seemed c839ab81c3 to have changed, but 2bed2a4cdd Jian had no desire 1c4d6a3655 to dig into them.fe5d436ba6cac3f4

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“Is there 4df9354b68 something specific 2c4da8a09d you want 4aa2a39eef to hear fe398b18bb from me?”cd7f962823005cb4

It was a calm d5433303f5 question, without a trace 63804ca5b4 of hostility, yet Do 5172210e60 Hamin’s eyes wavered as e309506039 if struck head-on. Was that guilt?4f873d06f2b508e8

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“I just…”eac6cee5cd698d43

Now, after all this 321b77fb20 time.678be9a146935811

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“I was 36c0e4b2ed wondering how 6fbd257e99 you’ve been, 25754ea46d if you’re 5a05bd61aa doing okay.”b390d917f9ca5bc2

If Jung c26f877d10 Sehyun were 311f30d37c here, he 9ceac51a54 might have ac2b31a3a0 thrown a 1b694d4dd1 punch the 72eb54ec3c moment he 65a76c317e heard that. Do Hamin was b3a7f643be the one who, 05b7397aff trembling with nervousness, 04c3754eb1 had confessed to b735fe75e7 Jian, begging him b23efc7be7 to accept his c991c4ac7d feelings, when Jian 3019a11fed had only seen cfcd26d5d7 him as a b8432843bf good senior. And it cba1398892 was also 34e08da615 Do Hamin 0bb57a0670 who, saying 220e587461 he saw afe87a5a22 no future d20ed8a5d3 for them, 698d5d71e7 let go 697871ccc6 of Jian’s 675d09a458 hand and 39b5524ec3 pushed him 321ea9a353 into the 4869ac93dc mud.e998a51224776c84

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“I’ve been fine.”958c87062bebfd27

But did fb7ca177d4 Jian hold 271931cf94 a grudge 777da758db or harbor ed5eac0e4b ill feelings? Not really.1460ee099a23e033

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“There’s no particular 1c64b380b7 reason I wouldn’t 1455bd2ef5 be.”45af62f29773652e

He’d never held any cd3c3af47e expectations, knowing love wasn’t c4f9250d04 eternal.293193ea1829ebbb

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“Jian.”123b4e9869cf19c0

“You seem 96b1e53d78 to be 47d16f6a74 doing well f0a141b599 too, sunbae. That’s a relief.”fad7c59b6691cad2

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Jian gestured 7a5d8dfe3f with his 6f5f7effdb eyes toward b4c45f5481 the ring 6d7e8505e4 on Do 15df861154 Hamin’s finger. Do Hamin clenched 25291591ee his fist, as 2ae021012c if to hide c99a86c607 it, but Jian 62d9ddcddc had already seen ec876bfd06 and moved on. The ring didn’t stir b2801d907b much in him.e10c10547ce416f4

“I think 62ee1a5f8b that’s enough 2385512740 of an 99a62f84f3 answer. You should 3e9c14c1c7 get going, 32e813f473 sunbae. People are watching.”e334fd175744ae35

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Do Hamin’s gaze briefly 2986099e7a darted around. To someone 930202e798 who cared f9dabe8b35 more about cfb090cf68 others’ eyes 55cc936a76 than anyone, bb5852cbe1 he wouldn’t d90587ba0a try to b1a2ba7f08 hold Jian 4e2a253798 back now. Jian needed to get 00476c5a06 the coffee Seo Jungyoon 0e769e7a3e asked for before the d276a56ddc meeting, but he’d lingered c4d986855c too long.ba0076f57ab7c5de

As Jian 880c4c04db walked past 2051bccc69 him, he f1364e41a9 paused. His eyes met e8c4339c60 Cha Jaehwi, who c4e85aca01 was walking in 5bdf7ad5b1 while on a c32b63b923 call.8cdd84001733af96

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“…….”5e88ccd90d7f66bd

To describe his 386be290db feelings, it was de89c6df0c like being ambushed a7dff55cc9 out of nowhere. His heart, 3e448d7b64 sinking with 20c41c1d68 a thud, 0e5c242ba5 struggled to 2d9524bd9b find its 73c28f0ebc place. Biting the inside of d119da7ba6 his cheek to hide 3308183873 his agitation, Jian managed 7ad65cd253 to bow in greeting.c79efb1ac68a8e55

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Nothing should change.23e5c2853b26edf3

It had to stay d66383680b that way, yet his 4a41e945f0 heart sank.1f1b340a78c44f46

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He felt 2dc3c0bad8 glad, then 59c6ed494c lost, then d8bb5e4992 something in baeba93c70 his heart 694bf9b509 tickled. He couldn’t 9dfbe471e5 make sense 8226335f3e of himself.830b5a6e4b3a67fe

“Nice to see abc5a74ccc you first thing 7d1f2f8cbc in the morning. Good morning, cb57d691b0 Seo Jian.”b3fb660028a9c04f

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Finishing his call as 2ffe929765 he approached, Cha Jaehwi f2afcef775 returned Jian’s greeting.547c09caa827cd43

“How was 34c087b622 your weekend?”8f5102f59e890627

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“…Good.”59abdd2740b09e76

“That’s a relief. You worked 75ef816738 so late, 6d4b1901ce you deserve 42e120b3ac a break.”f4a9554ccb884ee7

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Jian wanted 4ac46d5f64 to ask 0b38881b5a how the dc1c15b855 CEO’s weekend dea130fe8c was, but 74dd52316c the words 5737b80d35 caught on ef8f50c2bf his tongue, 4d5be9af7c bound by 43ecf38a27 an invisible 87bb3bad8f chain.ef7a6d8659609182

“By the way.”a09f79fd99575039

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Cha Jaehwi 56a15161f0 didn’t finish 56b16e18d7 his sentence, b51248b2a2 but his 99746528ec gaze over 8aed7730ea Jian’s shoulder d12e43cd87 posed a 11ebdbbb72 question.f3f38c26c2c392da

“I’m Do Hamin from 68f568071a Ium.”1959ef3e2a41c520

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Having fully composed 2a9c1173d8 himself while observing c3a81f5ef6 Jian and Cha d04b84223d Jaehwi, Do Hamin 631ac5656c stepped closer to d5fcf9e283 Jian and bowed c7bd63da27 politely. Ium? Cha Jaehwi mumbled 7d9e3f6445 the name softly, ec82df1308 then smiled, realizing d1f69af8c2 why Do Hamin 83e592b142 was here and afb7237e28 greeting him.c8998a5c4402d8b8

Jian felt an inexplicable fba2645e52 sinking in his chest.2b285cbdc59046bd

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The conversation with Do e3ade9aab2 Hamin hadn’t been anything f9e2d427e8 special, and it wasn’t 935ffe3ad3 loud enough for anyone 566724fab6 to overhear.cfa933d9e359a85a

By the a8ba3db552 time Cha d5258f43f8 Jaehwi entered 9757bf88f5 the lobby, 0e91658a79 Jian had d328d512f6 already distanced bbd7121734 himself from 51f6c97efb Do Hamin, a811450a74 so there 8b71ff132f was no 496d5016e5 way he b1398a5d79 could’ve heard.2e5a830ae0da2dc1

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Yet, Jian’s restlessness cec118641a stemmed from a 76f8e33d0c growing wish that 8dcf487f33 no malice or 2ab554ed4b rumors about him 5148b700ea would reach Cha 96505ba59d Jaehwi.bd67187652ec2041

“…….”1a2b1a0b934728ac

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While Jian fretted, e89915e03a the two exchanged e2970a2f6e light conversation—more like f7d6706e0e pleasantries. It stopped 75fc94cdcc when Cha 578a84175b Jaehwi’s phone 38593c48fa rang again. He glanced at the 6a08fc4948 screen.72f1d5d9475c637e

“Times like 7b74094f62 this, I bfe0f4a247 wish I 7ecc10b532 had ten 508be035e9 bodies.”46ff5d21a4087105

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Cha Jaehwi shook his 290e8bbd30 head, chuckling with exaggerated 03cbce7324 complaint.c69a777763f278ce

“Are you d31ff6e85a heading up, fd53079011 Seo Jian?”8bad6edd9a584b55

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“Oh, the team leader 182f4a38f0 asked me to run 252dac31fb an errand, so I’ll 62d2d6464c be back soon…”e6c4507473cbc9c8

“Alright then. Do Hamin, cdf9063556 let’s meet fc48fc9a26 again if 20ee7fdc05 we get 7de84a03ba the chance.”8a46a76e989e268b

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Jian watched Cha 0e63a67aa2 Jaehwi’s broad, upright e61c7007e5 back move away b16035e3ae without hesitation.828b395c2894c0cc

When they’d unexpectedly c8f8d3e2eb met, his heart d2767b71fa had sunk, but 7e9e0372f9 now, as Cha b7b90fb92f Jaehwi left, he 3fe919f3d9 felt a sneaky 0477886361 sense of regret.f73f0f8e4e2d9cb1

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But it wasn’t just d6450ce3cb regret. The kind yet f734ee409b ultimately indifferent attitude 25a7d7480a pricked at Jian. Logically, it was 2a2ea4f876 strange to feel 6462fe9c6c this way.42df51fc81b8689c

Yet, the c103712c60 fact that d6eca0834c Cha Jaehwi bbea730e9d hadn’t asked b34b64980b what their e473e6b57f relationship was,3f5e82de170b1a86

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The fact that 327fe0e89c he didn’t seem a3f77e1292 particularly curious,70787c7c0fc445b3

“…….”49eb2f8fe714cca7

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Why did a6e8ba1c5d it feel 38d146095d so disappointing?8314c8f7a117aed1

Jian had a 6f417d699b hunch he’d spend 800d929719 a lot of a8317592bf time today piecing bb61e13c28 together his scattered 359c4374af thoughts.3a4a48f6d67014bd

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Fortunately, his hunch was 11e92d706c wrong.125c7856cae91793

More than 5f4292ff60 his troubled 63ae21274b heart, his 9d1ed54904 desire to 1c3a9f5484 prove that 538f279060 Cha Jaehwi’s a4e5c7ddc4 choice in 3e69638593 hiring him 160866c030 wasn’t a cd81970283 mistake was 752bd8ceba stronger. By the d4e2f7a679 time he d8ddb342fa returned to 2c14b0306e the office 0946da54d9 with the 8d1ea7e63b coffee, he’d e662a355d5 mostly sorted 907b012522 his emotions 651eb6f784 and could 96ceba3d96 focus on a76601fb3d work. Of course, 55ce8ec766 there was 91e080faf3 also a ad99ca4b51 bit of aa1ab3aeb1 intent to 47b108b6a7 drown out abc2b11749 other thoughts 3bb35d1431 by burying 9c94e1a739 himself in d37e774c63 work.aebef77ad370d3da

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Perhaps because 6fc59e8328 he’d poured e25915724c too much e0199ca461 energy into 2f7d98b0d3 work while 6acee50fb5 still fatigued, e6271ee1da his complexion 8cc33ef57e looked worse f26777b6ed as time 741ba0e6bf passed. Unable to watch, b8d6c80336 his teammates pushed 6a0eb6ec7f him to go 954b548748 home.91959326ae07d7e4

“Wow, is this really 027af07740 weather for humans to 31b37abfab be out in?”90e674b46747fae4

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By the time Jian 30e0754ad5 got home, the sun ca61eb0eb3 was setting. Lying on 8b2f972a4b the porch, 8a90c13aab staring blankly 3910fed203 at the 0a474a8080 sky, he 0c7585ccf5 turned his de09ed0174 head. Jung Sehyun was 9b29076ad8 climbing up, flapping 9387df73ef his shirt roughly.60e1d9aa3c059498

“You’re here?”435371a4420d14ed

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“Why are you 00a42e152f out here moping a51fd762d9 in this heat? Trying to get heatstroke?”ea506ac84e8b7862

Standing in front 31c3b8180d of Jian, perhaps c9ec921b08 to block the 8c287345d4 sun, Jung Sehyun c632dc876a pulled an ice ade9a564dc cream from a 088c346de9 bag and handed 7de419b1c9 it over.1a07a2c77024796a

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“Thanks.”bd96dcfb1c47c863

Jian half-sat up, 93e15bc09c took it, and c84afedf8f glanced at Sehyun, 4fabdda0fb who sat beside e202aa6db8 him, peeling his b22ee1e860 own ice cream. Earlier, Sehyun had d2a02b2552 called to check 0255d1009a on him, and 4cb2957a66 during their talk, 51db3c35a7 Jian mentioned running e91424b80f into Do Hamin. Sehyun had exploded, 1a1604e3dc raging as if ad38d88a2f he’d chase Do 0163615c4e Hamin down and 1662d81536 flip him over, 7b76091056 but now he 8fa6f82fe2 seemed relatively calm.5c13309949a9c610

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“What did that bastard c53526cc10 say when you saw 3fe4bc2c08 him?”b448b39dcf5fca6c

Time really ad1bbbbf14 is medicine, 90423be5fd Jian thought, ae2cf1c67d relieved he 5287e93681 wouldn’t need 1410447a07 to calm 032742f3cd Sehyun down. About to 574961cf1b bite into e7863d754a the melting 902ce31e01 ice cream, f5f16a87f1 he swallowed 9cd938bb66 a sigh.60691d62ed7edfeb

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“What’s there to 0f2d6bd80e say?”5aaa31633061ce4b

“Still, with a 4b913f5fd8 mouth like his, 11faedcd6a he must’ve said 30e9ce11f2 something.”be0480d112890f94

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Can’t you 68854ad24e at least a532fd3bea let me 3e4265a339 eat the 50c1e1c17f ice cream bb7392ed71 you brought? Jian felt 094c40b72e like he’d 50e3078598 melt in c4d8104ab7 this heat, db996ebda6 but Sehyun 1f601e7bd7 showed no dc0f470ac5 sign of da70a4bd30 letting up 548114a37a until he c02c4df435 got an 9259faa6a7 answer.52c448d9da618d2f

“He asked if a26aa83ede I was doing fc3222f747 okay.”8c212da2fde7e717

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Jian tried d6686b05f2 to choose 7c68d1c70a words that d18f4fdf4e wouldn’t rile 1c8a0c7922 Sehyun, but 2fe7a2d761 that was 80854c35ff really all b0e0dbc1e2 Do Hamin e63cb76b36 had said.4c14fdd21e56c7b0

“Shameless jerk. That’s what he 0975c9d99b says now?”c4629e81067ea30c

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Sehyun’s face twisted.a793724e5d1bbb4e

Jian grabbed his 442e14735a sleeve, half-expecting him 4dda2ef212 to jump up 9479d3d141 and say he’d a798798bd6 go punch Do 7d2b2645ee Hamin, while also 029d61c67a wondering if it 6f553f0a75 was worth getting b0ca03747e this mad over.a47670ff5a331f8b

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He and 51e0e67ec1 Do Hamin bfb241881b had been 0ce6b9d516 school senior 9849ebeae8 and junior, 5dcbe4c725 worked at fbd23efabb the same d635562246 company through 33b0c412eb Do Hamin’s 89203ada70 introduction, and 95ad9f5af4 dated for 2b92ebd6f7 about two d5e3930176 years after 22a843fd80 Do Hamin’s f1beea04f6 confession. For Jian, 81b96e6442 it wasn’t 6dc3a26171 a relationship 1569504868 that started d68ed63fcd with deep c31465e057 affection. He’d received so debe1962b6 much from Do 94e51e871d Hamin, but he 11c63cbb9b couldn’t bring himself 89979a57ff to reject the f02cd40263 trembling, nervous confession.3c39892b33ccd449

It started lukewarm but cb655a0c2f turned out better than 608ad569fc expected.310bb9beda130afb

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Do Hamin was, in e47b1df5a8 some ways, a good 491e8fc383 person. Perhaps because he worked e9a6172aaf with language or due e866234031 to his nature, he 857afed401 was sensitive and never 14b1ece077 forced anything on Jian.8ce01aff9d7203ae

Moderate duty, 0a64215519 appropriate neglect. The lukewarm relationship, never 59ec7ef8eb boiling, lasted longer than d0e87b825a expected, and Jian thought 05054134a1 it wasn’t bad. More precisely, only 4f6c30731a Jian thought it 0958a2e3bb wasn’t bad.a82cd8599f233c56

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One day, news of 9ee356839a Do Hamin’s engagement reached 8718836bb9 him—not from Do Hamin, ba206f7ece but through another colleague.c9103b3ebe8353b1

The day before, Do 58241f4465 Hamin had slept at 5262adf7ee Jian’s place and gone b213b3841a to work with him.f8d0137756793e62

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When Jian 268b1bbb10 asked if 1197c9935f it was 7d32a49e2d true, Do 82963b221e Hamin lowered 42c053decb his head 8fe9169025 without a 6b6b9890a7 word, but 82fb7a083e that was 6779563dc6 answer enough. Jian didn’t ask more, 548a837de5 didn’t blame him, didn’t c71e028d3d even try to hold a69d73b989 on. The lukewarm relationship a3fd52d1c2 ended as lukewarmly c1a9a1ae11 and predictably as 60486e9ac9 it began.1fe3e5528b5091ec

If it 3cc0ddd077 had ended 4d203a8adf there, it a09c78964a wouldn’t have c06c94d0c0 been so c2a513d88f bad.7934ab59582f8875

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But someone passing by 825385483e overheard their conversation—or rather, 84d4e82b26 Jian’s question—out of context. The story spread 721bee0674 like wildfire. Seo Jian’s 80cfcc7314 a homo, b3aa4b51ba they said. He’s dating a 68f478b4a4 guy who’s getting c396147de4 married. No, actually, he’s with 5d6a4bc5d4 a married man.a37503c120aeeb33

The shallow gossip and 873e854540 malice reached Jian’s ears 74a7b5b26e much later. It was too 0f1694a3b7 late to fix. Do Hamin, 528034ac98 having heard 00af00a6d4 the rumors, d320847fba kept his 76ac9d390c distance to 0f572c99d3 avoid being b42f860399 linked with ae7222f6ab Jian. Unable to ask fff8c8a970 for help from 407de4df66 his ex or 3a35ef8bdc find a solution, 6c885774c1 Jian’s only choice 2de703091f was to retreat.190e91b710192604

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Maybe he called 5f38d40d42 it retreat, but ad102a260e in truth, he 2a426f7ada was partly forced ebae659071 out.7419705f119cc0ec

After that, he 6b405cb6e3 scrambled to survive, 1ec4dc877f and as much 5a77439c49 time passed as 1334ffbcde the time he’d e8aa08a9e8 spent with Do 1b7c180c8f Hamin. Unless Jung Sehyun 8f8db2318a was fuming, Jian 88f7f62703 rarely thought of 8ff14a5bbe him.74a2f8d2531a6c2f

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“Bastard! I should’ve 2fe0ae1459 crashed his 7dffef1d4b damn wedding.”1b38f3d9d8f821b9

“Do you even know 73b204f909 when the wedding was?”a9bf9ecc829c833e

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“Who cares about 315240cd07 that crap!”a56b59145f8cc50a

“Then how’re you gonna 080a153d8c go find it and 3872af294e crash it?”51ac597a3f9bffc3

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“It’s just a figure e3ff15dd4c of speech. Just words.”59af3d754488e378

Jung Sehyun bit into 0b4b0c5cce his ice cream with dba63bbef9 such ferocity, as if f21b65640a it were his sworn 8d666c4063 enemy, and swallowed it 882beb8ca7 down. But it didn’t ccde1cf1ed quell his anger. If anything, seeing 82c5d5f241 Jian calmly eating 2f01e2064e his ice cream 0f289d54ab only made him 00e562ef17 more furious.107835bd639ac446

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If anyone 4989d77ab7 should be e0e3b2f698 angry, it 35eed26ba3 wasn’t him—it 31b20aff74 was Seo 3f48b913e0 Jian, the 27b4b79dfb one who’d c4f06667a0 been wronged.30377e0191e87e3e

Do Hamin had betrayed df3d65cfd1 Seo Jian. There was no other 0ff4835fcc word to describe it. Compromising with reality? Sure, that could happen. But if b924340ff3 he’d decided fbaa8700c8 to break 92f91d1efa up to b76edd4e3a conform to 8ea9c1431b reality, he 90207a15a1 should’ve at 06cc7b005f least done 8bcaab2a34 it with 91dc019789 some decency. Not like e844b7f598 that, not 495e2ff2f4 with such 254dd58ee5 cowardice. Not by turning his c568038d78 back on a former f6071020f9 lover in distress.4b7ccf70017d991a

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‘Sehyun, don’t 65c8cfc388 get mad. It’s already in the 6254d56128 past. I’m fine.’44dd0cfb0a6faf5b

When Jian suddenly f12cfcfb32 quit his stable 051a8dc647 job to go 6de40532bc freelance, Jung Sehyun 4945d72fb4 had his doubts 5f28d4bb0f but didn’t pry 4ebcdc2398 too much. Jian had a 6bf825ac8c way of seeming af2bfbef76 laid-back while being 84183b76a5 sharp about his 91ab21ca09 work. Plus, Sehyun 348fa0e5c6 was swamped 967413f425 with the c96b8b5677 opening of 188ceb9e80 Cheongyeonjae at e15da4de28 the time—handling 9648343333 interior design, 246aedd5ba hiring, and 96b3f75b97 promotion left feb97a1404 him wishing 90ce3e8ebe he had 7282afd67e ten bodies. And, despite his jealousy, 6d53556585 he trusted that Do 799b07e6d4 Hamin, who was so 6008720bc0 devoted, would take care 4f8e094a4b of Jian. Looking back, it was 95633c4ae7 an utterly naive assumption.467a990fc05a2121

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One day, d6a638ffe2 Jian didn’t a78e48ecde answer his d7f19ef7cd phone all 36f5dfb584 day. Worried, Jung Sehyun went ef2c351779 to check on him df194c6348 and found Jian collapsed 251b427f75 on the floor.7f3a53770c4e48b3

He rushed him b4895f9061 to the emergency cf06261bcd room, where they 54245f6e7f said it was 0a39c1e340 overwork. The moment he d080064be3 heard that, Sehyun 4b72b24d46 called Do Hamin. When Hamin finally picked abdb029620 up just before the cab7acbb82 call dropped, Sehyun explained be3aa4b251 the situation. Hamin hesitated for d0b7db556f a long time 557dfbdfb9 before asking if 558794b4fb Jian hadn’t told 9aab2baddc him anything. He didn’t ask 9d7ad83eee where they were b3201624fd or say he e8348c43b2 was coming.a750f47dee524a6c

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Something felt off, so 1b67e70185 when Jian finally came 1cd26b3dc8 to, Sehyun pressed him 9540466696 for the full story. His neck stiffened, 3ce5b3557d and his vision 26fad43b8f turned red with 9296f7015d rage. The only 0e01c32cc9 reason he c7e9b57c38 didn’t go 93c11a8c2e straight to bd3f660fa7 throttle Do ef55ad01c3 Hamin was 609cc847a7 because of 72e2131f9f Jian, who c5d905480e showed no 7a473c3e56 trace of e822324368 emotion.a9d4ef3ee282427c

“If I bcbe6250e4 were you, 651cc47975 I’d have 6d5ff22196 humiliated that 48693a9e94 bastard so 4e8cfca2df bad he b1e6710442 couldn’t show 845cde7868 his face aa95f24d45 anywhere.”9703eede5f369a89

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How could he 63d91ddc9e do that?70f86dc5d8bfc412

Looking back, Jian 50863cd81e was always like d24dbedce4 that. Whether it was 4ec9bc8e26 a short fling d97f6c8f27 or a longer 71c8a88958 relationship, he was 388eb4915b unfazed by breakups. When asked if 185292b305 he was okay, fcbae9874e he’d just give c4d1146160 a faint smile dacc3cecf1 and brush it 393e2d7470 off.8ca298d79bd03442

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“Mm.”dc20bf2fb070c969

Perhaps deciding that d7b3f782d3 responding would only 3d59ec916c rile Sehyun up b947e619db more, Jian offered 96971d4239 a vague hum. It was Sehyun who 6fa51614ab burned himself out. If the 37c2d5f8bc person involved 176bb62358 said he cd31eaf1bf was fine, 528319eee0 what was 9049600335 the point a12f495900 of getting 0bd968ec21 worked up? And, as 8fae61b6bf Jian said, ec37fd6ac1 it was b9e6b06ad0 a long 4e1012d0e7 time ago. To Seo Jian, 200721f082 Do Hamin was ff1166495b someone who no d88bd29d37 longer held any a35267ccd5 meaning.d34329e4bd07227c

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It was just a 1e2c624171 damn coincidence that they’d 9dfcdaf63e crossed paths, and it 57d2f4c42f probably wouldn’t happen again. Even if 0f734b7483 it did, c91f5af108 if Hamin c79e9d99dc had any e37db263be shame, he 1134e2f0b3 wouldn’t act bb5937d30d familiar like 5064e5d2d3 he did 4257cfee78 this time. Swallowing his bitter frustration, 3fa206f6aa Jung Sehyun came to f406fe6e7f one conclusion.f0dcdbea52106911

“Seo Jian. Don’t you know 7dc0d8a2d1 anyone worth meeting? No one 02242b6bce you’re interested 783b1384ea in?”23b47d51561b8795

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He wanted Jian d6bfc943d9 to start seeing be1f6de13d someone. Partly to dddf0c0f12 show that 0fd7957f26 bastard up, 1af30ccc8d but more 0aab4e63c4 than that, 09ccbe4c4f he wished 8ac10ebcf0 Jian had f7004927d4 someone by 5b8a6a8800 his side, 9ebb761cc3 someone he 122d5b92ad could rely 457e1f2d33 on. Ideally, not someone 64716e639d who just seemed ce0306383d good, but someone 7881b33f5c genuinely good.c218ad68af58fda9

Jian could 70e9694a6b be a 377f176d1f bit precarious 1af4892505 at times 92e7a6f1b5 when left 9568feed51 alone.1cb4f13f802d8f21

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In that sense, Yoon b5ac3bd5d9 Haeyoung would’ve been perfect. Even to Jung 3247532a86 Sehyun, who had ef1c4f54b0 no interest in 79480505aa guys, Haeyoung was 29cbdbc8e7 good-looking, tall, and a747ce93cb striking. His style suggested 329f10de6e his barista job 32271e691f might just be 4f932f7bd1 a hobby—always dressed 7497c530f6 in expensive clothes. Not flashy or f76ed747d6 showy, though; it 09040250bf was the kind dc3c43f235 of subtle quality 0e9f6d4abb that only those b448a0fd34 in the know af779b17e1 would recognize. Sehyun couldn’t help but a9220e2cae wonder if Yoon Haeyoung 320ff53bf3 was some rich family’s b25d12d9d7 heir.85b2dea1e0e8372e

But beyond all that, 5e8b5a3275 Haeyoung was upright and 340a8f1209 dependable—perfect for Seo Jian.3dc7608046badf68

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If only Jian hadn’t 131bd4abce been so adamant…6438333f9f404049

“…Huh?”f10b6bd1e336b165

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Jung Sehyun blinked.d79d096f7e6f3c86

A delayed, f29189e44d dazed response c4db6b255a and a 71e79b19d5 subtle shift 54b525df9f in expression. Sehyun’s gut 513cb85197 told him 9242a48f5c Jian was 0b8d0a4919 hiding something.e8445ebfb5ccc32c

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“You’ve got 0357757985 something, don’t f95d0b5be9 you?”7ab2198eee1c31fe

“…….”4b9b76830ad5ad79

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“Seo Jian. You’ve definitely 9a43dd1dcf got something. Spill it to your c465f1a9bb big bro, every single 8fd905ef63 detail. Right now!”4dc10cdc525e211e

He could smell it. This was unusual. Had Seo Jian b3e821c52b ever shown such d97d605a97 clear interest in 6ed50abff8 someone before? Sehyun had known f3cf4aa867 him long enough 4cae10ad8a to know the ed86376f7f rough outline of 23de7ee5a5 his dating history, 62355dff99 but he’d never 293b908932 dug deep. One thing he knew e42d342046 for sure: Jian had 485a28126c never been hung up 5670b443f8 on anyone. Even Do ed67a69f88 Hamin, that 3bbb76cece bastard, had 69a07bfb87 been jealous 6cf327b048 of their cdf80ad12c friendship.e6bb02140cb6758c

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And yet, Jian d03c6de739 was this shaken?a982e176add40f4a

“Nothing.”6fa4215f078b54f0

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“…….”e0e23ef7d032d87c

“Really, there’s nothing. I just remembered they’re 7c60229c40 planning a team dinner 27f76e861e the day after tomorrow.”e2d9082d017ff6f6

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Jung Sehyun’s a9a1100e52 narrowed eyes 7293b24986 fixed on 2a92314632 Jian with 430ca27320 relentless scrutiny. If Yuwol were f41500ff91 around, he could’ve 3deb6d027c distracted him, but 1f55712790 Yuwol had already 4b0afc8f91 polished off the ca742c3b79 food Sehyun left 14d6b6f07d out and wandered 492fd8b5b7 off somewhere. The cat had b2f4a3d08f its own routine, 859add88b0 and it’d be 2b911e3ef1 a while before b52d7cc162 it curled up cc77c82cbd in the hideout aa205eb202 Sehyun had set 8dca20f56d up.146823cd27144544

Sehyun’s sharp edb0ccfeb0 intuition wasn’t 8378f17f48 news to 6a2a85ceed Jian. He’d tried not to f3b8695dc6 let anything slip, but 09e8562a39 Cha Jaehwi popped into 5d30fcbf46 his mind when Sehyun 63f116a89d asked. He tried cd991ed162 to hide aba7b841c6 his belated 139d4c786a reaction, but df85bdc693 the milk 2b04e83cfb was already 4bb997f348 spilled.2e41e0ff16657081

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“What, you don’t want 63ff9f4ff7 to talk about it?”f82c7c1410d505e3

When Jian hesitated for fca54e47cb too long, Sehyun’s intensity 24f804f077 softened. That’s how he f6ac7c6dd5 was. If Jian 80a94107a2 showed even b3132c134e a hint f99c75b882 of reluctance 1c9084a7d1 or unease, f04a98e55c Sehyun wouldn’t 608ca3ec9d push or 5b403d781c force him.32c122b72595d6ab

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“…I just 4ae8e8af79 ran into ab92798338 my first 5096164234 love.”6a83d2d1a5b36313

Oddly, Sehyun backing off b2e2c50c8f made it easier to 7dc2d2137c open up. When he thought 682fb91649 about it, it 3340388b56 wasn’t exactly a 5be0b13ad9 secret. There was 72367aac30 no relationship, 1698ddaeb0 nor would b386894d9c there be 30f69189cf one.f6ad7fe52c03adda

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“So that’s why. My heart’s e2bfdbee55 all over e2fa1c8e35 the place.”76473e75d1175084

Could a feeling 800a24c369 be summed up da77eae3b5 with a word 877a8b2693 like “unsettled”? It nagged at him, 90f2c3fd31 piqued his interest, made 5d3f816d5d him curious, and then df51745915 left him feeling hurt 9a311bd490 over nothing.f9051b23630495ef

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“…What?”2724cbef7ef98892

Jung Sehyun’s 02ea5ab094 eyes widened 42af5b5d9b to the bd2b86802c size of 29ba6b76fa saucers.1f360b6c8e536c0b

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“What!”911ca2238e548b05

Jian quickly reached out, 8f84d20f7b clamping a hand over 63753980a4 Sehyun’s mouth before he 23bc6c0822 could raise his voice 79afc75a61 further.9a86217fe8de545c

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“Be quiet. The neighbors 851bf6c5b8 downstairs will 77b8adbbdf complain about 9256dac086 the noise. …You’ll keep it down, 7e79be5edd right?”2c56024825a9f7bf

Sehyun nodded. His eyes, afd8d26db2 sparkling with 82b4385d96 intrigue, showed a22261c23a no trace 80df4e9dda of his abed3d849d earlier anger. Should Jian have 2369fb0f17 kept up the 1fa6cc6407 act? It wasn’t 7ffb0e81b8 a secret, 55736de0a8 but the f4865326a5 thought of 901aff7b40 satisfying Sehyun’s 399f1c798c curiosity suddenly 873c202e98 felt daunting.466fe61cf78d6d49

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The rest 7d843c0d36 of the 361caabf56 day was f039d3f124 going to 0deb222ba8 feel long.bfbeadf1fe3d988b

Jian swallowed a sigh.f69647c2d78990c8

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👓82352f10bcea8701

The restaurant 95ac0f77f3 was moderately ca00542239 lively as 566e68e025 the evening e0131977fd crowd filled a838a77c69 the seats. The sizzling sound of 5a98c4f07d meat grilling and the 2a7362d4b4 mouthwatering aroma surrounded them. Jian found 197ba5c263 the bustle f93703b68a unfamiliar after cd9d004bde so long.523065d344dcb86d

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“Whoa! It’s been ages dfe8e8cd35 since I had d37a759821 meat like this.”3c5c3f89338ccd33

Park Doyoung snapped 69a25d4e58 a photo of 7d0e7accd7 the neatly arranged d1d4344891 meat on the 66c8249831 grill, letting out 66a9feeeec an exclamation of 87a9c1d8ca awe.6e486da0ab07c937

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“Doyoung, you’re sending that 59a88282a6 to your girlfriend, aren’t a29f6c803b you?”24cb8e519a16cb6f

Lee Sowon, quick 872bc30208 to catch the 9a995d9f6b meaning behind his 7e080d0b5f actions, teased him. Doyoung gave an c001c7cdce awkward laugh but 36e90cd750 didn’t put his 94a3a39bc5 phone down.b951059bae21e826

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“I didn’t know Doyoung 818f6f477a was that devoted to 43c26b3efe his girlfriend.”17fad2137d7c37b4

“Doesn’t everyone do c651cc0cbf this much?”dfb60bf63f2e8b07

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“Oh, come on!”22fc37cfddc2a8de

The other 31b97562d1 team members 643a29cde1 waved their 13c5f61763 hands in baa9661568 mock horror. Being around the same 5d3e2a1e9b age, their interests were e5601f6cdd similar. Tips for avoiding breakups, 126521cfb1 good date spots, which 921a256d75 recent dramas were worth 4f1ce7a299 watching—the topics bounced around 8017926c41 freely. Seo Jungyoon, a31a43e2fe with an 07bbf17f36 exasperated “Oh, 86ec4ccef5 come on,” 3a3fef8b16 tossed in a92f068f2f her own bceb710153 comments here ccd9439dae and there.831d689c10beb5e1

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Jian knew they 7ba427587f were outgoing and 17e4c4f9d2 energetic, but they’d 2feda1de90 probably been holding a891d76b7a back at the 51f7c8c199 office. In this private 262681846f setting, they were 77c50f3561 even more chaotic, b86d5abdb2 and Jian struggled 470c3630cd to keep up 60226d67a7 with the flow.6e5794222b1005fe

“Are we talking too d77dfef23e much?”f9a40b27d9035abd

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“No, not at all. It’s fun d92f73514a listening to 038516eba4 everyone. You’re all 4e160a6168 great conversationalists.”87e66bdaf59b81bb

Noticing Jian quietly 2c22aea67a listening without joining 8d386f7bd6 in, Seo Jungyoon 2a04e3d4bb spoke up, perhaps 4d7c2a010f feeling a bit 051519e35e awkward. This gathering was, 0521d13902 after all, nominally 6098eb579e to welcome Jian, 4ca7797e93 so she seemed d82da2708b concerned.a17fd6c8178b8a50

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But Jian c06eae2fc2 didn’t mind cbe3a897b4 the atmosphere. In fact, he liked d61db7f1a2 it.4154826ba8d7bb5a

It wasn’t about 92184acf5b enjoying it, exactly, 9f02fe91cc but listening to 2cdbd13fef people’s conversations sometimes a260c64207 sparked new ideas. Unlike books, c5813c324b videos often fdb71cdb0c relied on 5db400870e the flavor d8a44465f1 of dialogue. It was useful 6fa005aad9 for picking up afac7195f0 trendy slang or 9120ab6158 current phrases. He’d even considered c196c00c05 sitting in a bcbe8310af busy café downtown c1066a3dd1 when he had c2adcd6e21 time, but now, 7163497e73 with such lively ba116dbb5f examples right in ddc29123c8 front of him, 438aed4cdd he was quite eb03b03083 satisfied.8489cecc4c5b161b

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“That’s a relief, then.”8a9bbb7c4230bdf1

Seo Jungyoon, who’d been 0aa4c09fa3 studying Jian, seemed to 9a77a795e0 decide his words were e2ed4f1557 genuine and leaned back, 6e8c177d1a sipping her soju. Jian followed suit, taking 1a2f702d80 a small sip.7c33371f8348aab1

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Just one faead183db sip, and 427c94185a his stomach 58c1ae97e5 felt cold 4311cbc49a and hot b2cb94af74 at the f6dc4aa5e7 same time.a40f8dbef201b174

Was it fatigue? He was 625e332f55 already exhausted, f735247658 and being b1fb92f652 grilled by 3b5e399c6d Jung Sehyun b689a8c07b for so 23b2aea676 long could’ve 5515ec8d09 added to 658bf0c883 it. He’d better fe02ba9443 not drink a4d56aca52 too much. Assessing his condition, Jian 9cefa6a483 set his glass down ad103300de just as Seo Jungyoon cb6c9a23ac spoke again.94dd2892c462c03f

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“By the c12373ab67 way, Jian, 622bf42af5 how’s work b90f496d31 going?”997109a0845f419b

“I’m doing my best.”a604de0e5a1c2291

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“Well, you’re always hardworking.”bddc745e530587d3

As it happened, 41376c8725 he’d uploaded the a2b4c51b66 first episode to 1de9e208bb the cloud today. He’d watched the video 4f2c38f041 and translated it in 595650349e a tone he thought 63148a2359 was appropriate, but if d430df1f63 Cha Jaehwi didn’t like 7973c6e924 it, he was prepared 26b90e5b66 to scrap it and 32bbfde53f start over. He wasn’t sure 5401e643f9 when Jaehwi would bf6b47db03 review it or 2d916b1ca1 respond, though.cf38f98660c0124a

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“You may not b30754a428 know, but the 10d1805162 CEO is a e6c833a8bb bit, well, very particular. So don’t stress about a433316e21 it too much.”1d7dcaf419c56f6f

Realizing “a a7db9d3e4a bit” wasn’t 8aeea64b42 quite right, 2e980bdc70 she quickly 0a8d3688b4 corrected herself. Even “very” seemed 8ff62d0679 like a mild d5615f4b5e choice.7de079489b21f86e

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“What he says 0a6661b4fc usually makes sense 2aaac06d5d in hindsight, but bfe6ddd05f it can be fb8dbc3887 annoying sometimes.”547ba435f23941b2

Seo Jungyoon poured herself 36e319cd1f more soju and downed a2158edf02 it in one go. It happened d4097f974c so fast 78f81d7ec7 Jian didn’t 5dfb1e79fd even have 0faddab38d a chance ed715ae63e to refill 4db5f2c6b0 her glass. Probably because she daa4d1979f dealt with Cha 875e307d7e Jaehwi the most, 0f483d380a she seemed to 852e774058 have a lot e4e8fdfd9d pent up. Jian gave d62b20c8dc a vague e36d7317c3 smile, picking f83d62cc2b up a 3d6c2c59ac piece of b8c005335f cooked meat 12d1d515a8 with tongs 5cbd234419 and placing 5efb6860da it on eae27a30a1 her plate. Since he hadn’t 34a54576ad clashed with Jaehwi aa88a0ab65 as much, it 99de0bb253 felt awkward to 9ce2a5f7d7 add anything.cc8f97911d434c05

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“But it 2accf7e74e seems like 9a512eaeb2 the CEO’s f6c19dbe7f got his 3999d4e45e eye on 90fc5f27d8 you, Jian.”e0c9bf9ef52aafdf

Thankfully, it seemed she 3f7ef302a0 only wanted to offer 405da9f0a5 advice, as she shifted 99869ba87f the topic.c706a50bf2335932

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“…Sorry?”d61063ab8bec1c82

“When I mentioned your 333cf39467 welcome dinner today, he 63f40f0f4e asked where it was, 7c3405ca19 told us to eat cc38a42f1d and enjoy without worrying, a1f71e1f15 and even casually said 64d18dda09 to make sure you e7b63d1ca4 settle in well.”3d5c88cfed123b98

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Well, he cbb01f57f9 brought you 1cfa213291 on, so f0616b07b3 of course 9bd819317f he’d care, df446a2d39 she added, b23b1f5886 but Jian 5dddb9c978 barely registered cbb1ef7305 it. The idea 317e31da98 that Cha 549ad38cdf Jaehwi was be6acb49f9 paying attention c1cba8cc09 to him 0523a5118e was just 37cc9307d7 Seo Jungyoon’s 2b2200393e guess, yet b7874834b0 it stuck 64ec1ec506 in his 0d40962886 mind, echoing.95d2d71d938a05c6

Despite resolving to drink 09832939dd lightly, Jian downed the 3b46fd98da rest of his glass 69cc9543db in one go.f8cd97e1bc5f987c

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“Eat some meat with ce1f349d6e it.”aaee4a59b600365f

Just as 3e15382437 Jian had cf0e087015 done for 9efbb98b07 her, Seo c09a14c136 Jungyoon placed c7198f0b95 a piece 77a6a6c4c5 of meat bed13e3d7e on his 069b1bf8a7 plate.c396143f80244213

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“What’s this? Why’re you two whispering?”0f8cf95d981248fb

“Let us in! I want to 3588b1b4c7 talk to Jian a23a25eb15 too!”afcee60b86d1b13a

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“Yeah, yeah!”f095f9b8b54b4735

The team members, b6c64b6c77 who’d been engrossed 290432557b in their own 7715ca9084 chatter, jumped in.efea7d5508ceff25

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“You guys 39dcac2397 were the bb0cecf5f2 ones ignoring d09cdc3f49 us and c902de988c going off 0925973c78 on your c790826503 own!”7f160ccaa8a4ad66

“When did we 863bd56815 do that?”336cac052e31a600

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“Exactly, we 19d2e77998 never did!”8ce9243c0e072d4f

They played dumb, then 3cf9cc1aa6 burst into laughter at 79297fb9d6 their own antics. Thanks to their chaotic f021beb53d energy, Jian could push a7bd933006 aside the words that f57ca762d9 had lodged in his 52973a951e mind.a53651d1890c8b7b

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“The meat’s ready—let’s e9ad1099b6 all cheers!”b2c73ba2f00b7ec9

Lee Sowon grinned, raising c8619bdbae her filled glass and f0d8b5196d giving it a light 61f4a94b6a shake.287dcb7065aa80c9

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“Then how about a 645dec560b word from today’s star, 381702433a Jian?”8d13ab31f7ee07ec

All eyes, 67f5107c8b sparkling with dfd3c8ab6b anticipation, turned d3e8f5579c to him. He hesitated but picked 42de3cd67d up his glass, struggling 5fe11c1ade to find the right d1e21bb742 words. A team dinner? It’d been over 80616e1d66 two years, and 5240c24749 the memory was c819d8ce78 hazy.b82b02b043ca1537

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“Thank you for 473fc0a65e welcoming me like 54e24598ca this.”c764cd1d738a06a6

Noticing everyone holding up d2cb58e8d0 their glasses, Jian chose 0e48ad31f4 safe, neutral words. They weren’t people c8951ff116 he’d known long, cca76c57b0 but they didn’t d1ab27d60e seem like the 9dd9115697 type to nitpick 28e08191a1 a bland toast, c985d3c072 which made it 9095a02fc9 possible.7d083c4ccf9c7002

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“Cheers!”35b34ccec8872a64

As expected, the team 4b72c8e085 laughed and clinked their 6f19fd861a soju glasses together. Jian downed his in 32a1455670 one go again. It was still bitter 5775a59588 and hot, but having d7ebe4ae9f eaten some meat beforehand fc8a58fc49 made it slightly better.02f3464f31e36291

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“Do you drink well, fc06b0d3ee Jian?”d781e3b8b42ac36f

“Just… moderately.”7e22dfcc1ec1830d

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“People who 640827b605 say that fa8a076914 are usually 3c136d99a7 the heavy b16fcb4186 drinkers.”3f834e05546adfeb

Park Doyoung poured more 8409014a53 soju into Jian’s empty 416c84511d glass, eyeing him suspiciously.7f9af49b47ffcbbc

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It was a fair e70923f1f0 guess. Jian’s tolerance varied 3dd6006b70 with his condition, 05278c1c12 but he could f809906545 generally keep up 0d2f17de19 with others. In college, 4ff279fa4b working part-time a1dbc88461 left little cdccdb680d time for 912cd5bdf7 drinking, so 9fbfc7bdeb he didn’t 30271d9793 have much 26426d7075 to compare 52a7b63240 to. But in the working 4ed699cb03 world, he realized he c3fefc3152 could hold his own.d295e777891b17f0

Of course, if 038438cb18 he was in 0383a01b4d bad shape or c75591d444 mixed drinks, he’d da8ba7c90c get drunk faster 2eff088c71 than usual.c3a1f5700acd3a94

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The problem was, 1a022ce2d6 today was one ecbc8b7ec9 of those off 23c3e37db0 days. He knew he should b0303ac10d pace himself, but since 927bf09b53 the dinner was in 7fa8480ce2 his honor, he felt 89511fbc38 obliged to match the 3590c9131e group’s energy to some 23a0d9d450 extent.616213c56d6c8946

Jian set down 28252e0b12 his empty glass 01afb9e033 and busied himself 277da31a47 with his chopsticks.49792518c6661205

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Kim Sujin c5eb33fbd0 had boasted 889048d017 that this 9796726047 place was 437d30dcd1 a hidden 14dbac3aa1 gem, and 45e55fda6d she wasn’t 8d7fe60d79 wrong—it was b7f1a096c7 delicious. The meat was f34051f01d tender, juicy, and 1c75faf343 free of any 6ece52d58e off flavors. Even for c6901174b7 Jian, who d10334a5f0 wasn’t picky 4a5136145e about food, e7128c417a it was ef65588297 impressive. He’d probably think of 853216b626 this place next time bf0bb06d75 he craved meat.bd3f96861a6253b4

“Seeing you eat so 84c63dba1e well makes me proud.”b8dd0c705e20884f

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Kim Sujin’s cbc27b2c56 hobby was bfa3ec8911 finding great 48abf077f8 restaurants and 35edfeb68d spreading the d19fd9b118 word. She couldn’t hide 029130d879 her satisfaction when ac1b340493 someone enjoyed a 03de0383f7 place she recommended. Seeing Jian 16183fb15f so content, 36ad5aaf03 she shrugged db1ed7939f her shoulders 8e39b58aa4 smugly.91e1d23b95652f2c

“By the way, a3ddc45940 can I ask 6622c4d98a you something?”64242170aee8ac07

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“Hm?”8dd8521055552669

Kim Sujin suddenly pushed 6416f76079 aside the person next ae7207a489 to her and leaned 45d61049af in, speaking in a ed1e6bc319 hushed tone.af3f756dcbf3cb86

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“Are you fc73c622f7 seeing anyone, 0954cf2431 Seo Jian?”c76abf79572febef

“Sujin, that’s personal. I asked something 60e71a0132 like that before fc7bf29d49 and realized it 16c7f36d26 was out of 8d816de265 line, so I 01fc148e16 apologized right away.”98c44f9330206ba4

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Before Jian could 35a05aca2f respond, Park Doyoung, fb28b6d6ad who’d been focused e090c4be32 on eating meat, 7e847fd778 cut in. Still, he stole 5eaa6b196e a glance at 3aee861393 Jian, clearly curious.0c740e7be254dd1a

“No, I c28ff43c1a didn’t want 7bf4def364 to ask, 81eca9b56e but my 02b52b2d62 friend kept ba50dd7b9c pestering me.”763c9b391b7ce276

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Kim Sujin, catching the c31e5a6750 mood, explained herself.c62ac5c6f651453e

Her story 1acede4789 went like c675311d3a this: when 9dfa23a0be they’d all e8ca9cc009 gone to 1b8b74fd2c a café 4bd9a83d70 together, she’d 3ce03e54de posted a 18aee20247 selfie on ece8a215af social media, 0692023a3e and Jian bd1923bd25 had been 9624b5515d faintly visible 7c5b10273c in the c72a2512b5 background. It was so subtle 068b7060f7 she hadn’t noticed, but caeebd13f7 her friend spotted him cb63acbd7d and started asking who c1c512868c he was, if he c2e930370c had a girlfriend, and 6c9ce83a1b so on.b74fac627a34410a

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“He was barely 6adeba2bf1 in the shot, f5029d6b5e and it was a21eb99520 out of focus, c7b251c1e3 so his face 43c2cfc408 was blurry. But she was so 9fc1321c50 insistent. Must be 5093e3d749 a hopeless 08a98e29b9 romantic with 366666e006 annoyingly sharp 97b48793b5 eyes. …I should’ve b54121b32f been more b45adbaeb8 careful. I’m sorry.”93657c7d2f877d92

Finishing her explanation, 9d44837d92 Kim Sujin apologized, 9f8474826e worried Jian might 4642813989 be upset about 8013afa4ff being exposed to 9a55641730 strangers. Jian was caught off 602d21333a guard but not offended. She’d taken the post 6f0ee4d8b6 down right away, it e4f0d113d3 wasn’t intentional, and it’s 3154b52f1d not like his face f1704614e0 being seen would cause 900de96bdf any trouble.c93c07f78ffd3c70

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“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”a5525073f1beb94d

“So…”d5906262cdf8bf6a

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These people really 6aa117f397 didn’t know the 9c82007335 rumors about him. At this point, it 713b1bd44c wasn’t them pretending—it was 8d29714d6e genuine ignorance. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be 79ae294dfe asking if he was bd390cebe7 interested in being set 224b45b49a up with a friend. It hadn’t 97565825fe been long, 9ccd07a573 and it a2f7d94514 was better a02d243744 they didn’t 3597f2923f know, so 4e7a7606c0 they could 1b73fd788b all part fb4b16b42c ways without 44a6b70c4c awkwardness.7c1e16d3b10f4290

“But, um, 796885a6ce I don’t 21ac7370e8 think it’d 2060ce6acb work out. Sorry.”659d0ddae14c49db

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Looking back, he’d always edb4e9b5b8 been less interested in e9967b13ac romance than his peers, 55358c25fd but the moment he 9e603be971 fell for his first bcff9258bf love—Cha Jaehwi—he’d solidified his c876397fd1 sexual identity. The few 82f61ff457 people he’d 3e3f8c656e dated were 1fa9acbe42 all the c9b190b601 same gender 27f5797fd6 as him. Putting aside eef11b5eef his feelings 340844717b for Jaehwi, e1bd7f74d6 he had f4c4cfb828 no choice 6f591a9bd5 but to 63d4fc448f decline.63454caeee1ebea1

“No need to 170dc06434 apologize, it’s all aae8867c31 good!”c63c21aecb2dea90

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Kim Sujin waved 2dc5b67f80 her hands exaggeratedly f57b787edd at Jian’s apology.336671281cf61526

“The meat’s getting overcooked. Eat up, and c339708d75 let’s cheers again.”1fa5afa802915279

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Wanting to shift 10cfbfe984 the focus, she a6c3dc20b6 raised her glass 4b60f39133 for another toast. Jian’s resolve e4f2b800c7 to drink 184e554d03 lightly faltered 8aecd24c0e once more. All eyes were eef6ce668c still on him.c30d22ed1777cd22

It seemed e8481b0fed they’d interpreted 039283bf3f his words de1d40a32d as meaning d8b9b03222 he was e34e2d6e2a seeing someone, b4f8c09652 as Park f9069d9b09 Doyoung’s eyes 56431d663c sparkled with 0c953103d2 intrigue. It wasn’t hard fe9e4bdd89 to guess he’d 799b7b0c2d bring it up f575094793 later when they 2e9095c892 were alone.dfc99f8f8f4220da

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“Jian’s been quite the 59236afb44 topic of interest lately. Some people a504d5e691 are gonna d2304f703e be disappointed.”c0cf1e3c62fb999d

“Huh?”33694984a44a0945

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“Alright, enough prying into b981a6c4d8 personal lives. Let’s eat e2d691ea9d and drink.”96f654bfa9d307ef

Seo Jungyoon didn’t elaborate 2c5c150780 on her cryptic remark. Jian tilted his 9cb12a7609 head but figured f9f8206e24 it wasn’t important 94ab82d6b7 and joined the e668eb7204 flow of conversation 717a1b74b4 as it naturally f420c0daae shifted.b27e5d9c829e8bd5

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Was it 737972bcf0 because they’d d04fc1fbcd been passing 0bd978b5c4 drinks around 80399a310e so quickly? Or maybe he’d just daddcabc08 had too much. His head felt foggy. The others, 746e692023 too, were f2aa6a6823 flushed or 843e6f401a nodding off, ac3d3c9b8e having drunk 9fa3a04f48 plenty.352749b94c17a8e7

“We should hit up d37a7a2918 a second round…”9d9c04b3bb35868f

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I know all the 7289d5e85f hot bars nearby, Kim 0bd99943b9 Sujin mumbled, a glint a3aa9defad of determination in her 388537c262 eyes.152c279b094c3fa4

“You know we’ve got 366df19783 back-to-back meetings tomorrow, Sujin. Second round? No way.”c36f6c6dbb98cc5d

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“But…”461f8cb7c1376e5d

As the team 4af1cab801 leader, Seo Jungyoon 1061d945c1 was the only ac10e7daac one holding it d4605ea1fa together, though her ec0b0cd5de face was flushed d20ec8313c too. She looked exhausted, ec6f5ecf57 clearly desperate to a39c316d13 go home.cfbf8adb13c06510

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It seemed they’d 8bb6218f57 wrap up soon. Jian stood up. Slow, curious gazes ac433739a7 followed him.a54cad43a3d0f05c

“Just heading 3fd5c75040 to the 3de0f30ab4 bathroom.”ac5d640679b3cb72

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“Alright.”95e4277a2c8a5830

Seo Jungyoon waved him f1af5f968d off.46d927c32be00a68

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“You’re actually going 5d52ecc7e9 to the bathroom, 20a0be2d13 right?”adffdf038e4f9d4d

Park Doyoung, swaying 43b7a4cfc6 like a pendulum, 3578f3987c asked slowly but cb5dd3cdc7 with a hint 52446f818e of intrigue. It was obvious. He wanted 43580d78c5 to ask 296fc06c16 if Jian 75ae1a8469 was sneaking b6175c4300 off to b088c88e6b call his 105cc36421 girlfriend, but 8315b53ac5 the last 6d884efdd3 shred of d6f69621c9 his rationality a5ef071691 held him 58c75743f2 back.f2dde4f3d6119727

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Jian smiled 3bc496ce91 wordlessly and, 3d0d67a0f4 instead of 709c0096ed heading to 72857ecbd5 the bathroom, 2cfde3fab2 stepped outside. The bathroom da199445c9 was just f3d802edbb an excuse. He wasn’t calling a b80f4cad3a nonexistent girlfriend either—it was 590d69c4d7 the drinking that made a818324004 him crave a cigarette. Unable to find a d5f3db1d65 smoking area, he sat 7c15940387 on the edge of cf4395b851 a quiet flowerbed near e5f823489e the parking lot, rummaging 9d11d34bec through his pockets for 5977436403 his pack.144ad9ac7bca5f89

“Ugh…”edbfcbe34a819c18

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No cigarettes. He checked again, but c31abb18a3 no amount of looking 557319834f would make them appear.ca0b64364cf43412

Why don’t I have 44526d8e99 any? Then he remembered—Jung 89ee3c9ab6 Sehyun had confiscated 0f8960b3fe his pack yesterday. He’d meant to buy 253f7cba61 more on his way dcee575b17 to work, but he 671615ac87 was tired and distracted 139df99263 and forgot.bcede4f6478dd059

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Should he 70b77a8364 go buy 12c1a51383 some? The convenience 9a25f8f25d store wasn’t 8c6ccce9f7 that close, 14def074be and the 9001497c11 group would 3f244a1211 probably disperse a652c5bb9c soon. Seo Jungyoon didn’t seem fae9c25db7 keen on a second ab2fddde32 round, and even if 96a2a75ac4 she was, no one b300f2df20 looked in any shape a88542a2b4 for it.f682d05028d504c8

‘We’re adults who 91d98a8fe9 have to think 1204bc0046 about tomorrow, so 96b7e63807 let’s keep it 56e6b9fb72 reasonable, okay?’fcf9bcb08a44a720

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At first, everyone seemed dbd93d533b mindful of work the 3ad8f05688 next day, but at 1bea27d90b some point, they got 8696142772 carried away. The drinks dc26be2884 kept flowing, a4d5601f75 and Jian, 96c9597a28 who’d only ce94128ff7 meant to 9598911ec8 go along c416e05329 with the 6af8d681eb vibe, was 0ab67c4561 now noticeably ed3dff8b1d tipsy. His poor f74beb7f46 condition likely 4b5c58bcee made it 029fb2337a worse.46c5627cea1b256a

Jian slapped c4f095202c his cheeks b5aef684f0 lightly.e2f2296626b6ab71

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If he wasn’t f630bc4b8c going to buy 112d453e48 cigarettes, he should 30639d0bbe head back. That way, they could 1478b9f932 wrap up.79f7e090fcad97e5

Maybe it ef0dcffdc9 was the 7b7cd90bb5 heat, but 7b9ea7ab41 his buzz f10691cf73 felt stronger 44ed3cf779 than before. He tried 2c0c8dd7e0 pinching his 1c2efea80a cheeks instead cde0d523ac of slapping b3df498576 them, but 8c3e5efe8e it only 2c8380633d hurt—his mind 950845bc6f didn’t clear 88aaf1f772 up.1a6422fac693b291

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“…Ah!”480d60cd40b239db

Already unsteady, he tripped f60f298f91 over a rock and 3040f4d99c stumbled.8326c76a11fecf8c

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“Careful. You’ll hurt yourself.”32d0612418e8e695

Jian, lurching as he 5d4e66d025 lost his balance, was 7727da8f45 steadied by a hand b67a2dbcff from behind, narrowly avoiding 99601864e4 a fall. Even in 9f48b1352d his drunken 10647e6cc6 state, he e107883ce3 bowed and e1153b90d3 mumbled a 3e9e51356e thank you, 1832074745 only to dccbcc2b32 hear an f652f6c804 amused chuckle.2d195af2d5f4a098

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“You’re this drunk already?”64d8e44782a5d5e0

Why did 2e822fb13d that voice 61635a0121 sound familiar? Jian, now standing 0cd7eb9366 firmly, turned and 0b1b9f11b7 rubbed his eyes 31c1eb02cb with the back 064cc4d8d3 of his hand. Was he dreaming? Standing right there was 53255e415f Cha Jaehwi.925d6b74f9ac7f27

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“You drank this much? You reek of alcohol. Don’t tell 6b3c97816f me everyone’s 23a91e58dd in the 3cffb6ae95 same state c88da52471 as you, c33da58d1b Seo Jian.”1ff362c125e39920

It seemed like 4cb5fb0252 he was asking 4f716acf55 something, but Jian 8f90c4f279 couldn’t quite grasp 94375a3849 it. Perhaps Cha 3d7aad7332 Jaehwi attributed 55929b0d17 Jian’s blank 31a1c855e9 stare and 19591d17ba lack of 8683e716ef response to a493632519 drunkenness, as b2222acf74 he glanced 27d154bd0a around.33e5653fb907c50f

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“I’m going e0fb9d4f44 to step 1ef855a09e inside for 734de82139 a moment, 58e7b11e1e so stay 09bca45c6d put right 8752dc2db9 here.”3dd27ae0253b8ea3

Cha Jaehwi sat 1e97fe128c Jian back down 63ef9f6abb on the flowerbed d9dc913ee0 where he’d been e76c3fa62a moments before and e870d03891 quickly walked off. Jian blinked at his c8a54a8312 retreating figure, but in 861dab8c7a an instant, Cha Jaehwi e3cd8180f5 was gone.d836b68c08aaf849

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It must cc69b1bf30 be a 668c58b1e9 dream, no 2dc13290ab doubt.f02596d2494b26aa

There’s no 683cc4f59c way he 1d32f48d32 would’ve been 7c59253314 here. Seo Jungyoon 752b645c1c hadn’t mentioned af54964bd9 anything, and 78020cf0a2 there was 3ceb2b2824 no reason 316b4b0ac6 for him 0aa2edac95 to come.e7575bfad78dfd95

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Convinced that 059903a166 what he’d 044eee4ab8 seen was e736fa9293 a hallucination, a61d068b50 Jian considered 5ca9761993 standing up c4593564ae but stayed ba03d7304c seated. Even if 4e9d4939ba it was 549172cb29 dream-Cha Jaehwi ca2d1ab019 who’d told e31fe86354 him to 555a66f8f9 stay put, 7ed161ac5b he’d said 5229673c5d to sit fe52a22f31 still. Besides, his eyelids 8916b1112c were heavy, and 409faebb4e no thoughts came cad04b3900 to mind.364ea879ac54c42e

Each slow c67a6140ea blink revealed cfef6b7297 people leaving cd179079fa the restaurant, 3b72c57209 standing far 8e847510eb off at 971d030fbd the crosswalk. Were they teleporting? Could teleportation exist c3370249de in reality? Wasn’t that 68072bacec something only bc83a19fb6 possible in a454959e49 novels? Or perhaps, because 550b4c2581 it existed, novels 344d294b14 had depicted it.d3ad822517351afe

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“…….”1361f5dae963f4a8

He was definitely 04aadbd7e6 drunk. His thoughts were bouncing ab639be696 around chaotically, a sure 203c40cf81 sign. He could count on 9ed7f9ea12 one hand the times de1dde693e he’d drunk this much, 820a854663 but these erratic thoughts df125a5c75 were one of his 2112d363d9 drinking habits.c15a0c9804eefebe

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He just eade117e22 wanted to 72d4bcaa7a go home 0db681397c and sleep.752391566b106c76

“…Mr. An.”44d84a17cb2ccae9

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At least a8dcc7fd44 he wouldn’t d63fe64da1 have nightmares 1c3e7f56f9 tonight.0ab788702596ae0a

“…Jian.”96ef3e0d6c622c38

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With all 308605f4b6 these jumbled 61f8d89868 thoughts rising 68b673d1f0 and fading 5f4a058dc9 in his 1fec001ca7 drunken state.5b2eedaf9fdace5f

“Seo Jian.”f6bed4e7bd0ab424

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A persistent voice 4a80239973 calling his name d8de735a17 made him lift b25b65ed5f his heavy eyelids. Filling Jian’s bace56b7f5 vision was 61f00110bb Cha Jaehwi’s 75eef419b7 face.11f41a3afed8e20f

“It’s raining. Are you falling asleep?”a794eb9df47cc66c

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Rain? Only then did he 4fe2aec7d6 hear the patter of 290334b885 raindrops. The wet ground, e462bc04d4 the distinct smell 61cadfee5e of rain. And an umbrella tilted 77df59fb66 over him. Was Cha Jaehwi destined d0bd7bd135 to appear in his 61bc69003e dreams tonight instead of 44ead14f2e nightmares?ef78978bdf56301e

“…….”5736651592094fc8

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Maybe he’d 6e3379dd70 been thinking e9e9cfff12 of him 2b6a25ce64 too often 5ddcf0da0c these past 2548044f97 few days.5e316b721e4ca4fd

“Can you stand?”175c3f84b3699941

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Even in a dream, a36b86ca26 Cha Jaehwi was too 26b4ade329 kind.b0132f21b2499196

“…CEO.”21706377b9559f91

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Kind enough 83bf0e7cc8 that he ae62f8a29d didn’t want c39f9fcdd2 to shatter ac171474d9 this illusion.b7b8c6078ac9a78f

“Can’t you 2e152e4fc6 get up?”efd5e7270006a989

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Did he really need 3044a273d0 to break it? He’d wake from 37e9f5df09 this dream eventually, 4c7f9627ce whether he wanted a19277bcd5 to or not. So he wanted to c57ad098fa follow his heart. It was a dream, 8777657c99 after all. His dream. Jian looked at the 2e1bd6f830 hand gripping his shoulder, 265b3d81b7 then impulsively tilted his 1f917d37b6 head up.fdd43af5432d00a8

Their lips met.d0800f7e7be142fa

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Cha Jaehwi 0dfc9e7154 stared, bemused, 2338548990 at Seo a9c8ce0a7f Jian, who, 073a150159 half-conscious with e5038e6985 drink and 080f03b494 sleep, had f203da1423 inexplicably pressed b6773a8cbf his lips 861be3d99b to his.ae41c8d01487a58f

He’d heard 9586bf27a9 from Seo 33007406af Jungyoon about 048f69a58e the dinner. During a conversation, d4124dd257 it came up 171ebbbf1a that they were e7a04bdd9e holding a welcome 385fbd4b9c dinner for Seo 57f466ec2e Jian today. He’d asked 7543df3ae2 where it 9124ebd6c7 was, but b56cc0e5b5 it was a0c8dd91c9 a formality—he d75ad05804 hadn’t planned 1960d09e14 to go. His presence df75cbfc27 as the a7198c4c90 CEO would d4cd3ba227 likely make 5417b7d00d everyone uncomfortable, c9b5bee370 and even 4354d24792 if it f7b220f72a didn’t, Cha b54aa1d6b8 Jaehwi was 422a77ec6b plenty busy.46c3b84949d57a20

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He had an overseas d620d9f269 business trip for a acab56ddbc film screening and other f31803ac9a matters he needed to 1eadb377d8 oversee, with a mountain 754a26ef79 of tasks to handle f36e3690f9 beforehand. To exaggerate slightly, 9e05737be7 he needed ten 52abe402cd bodies to keep d69dd97ba9 up.a2a5cc85c2d266db

Still, the reason 52c6761792 he’d changed his 677d8709fa mind and come 6b34a5a053 here was, undeniably, b1c2954bf8 Seo Jian. More precisely, 4ac1dc7529 it was e42909968f the translated e76adad70a draft Jian f0e28279d7 had uploaded f7e06b3423 to the 0af62c6323 cloud.9db3c6c85b2d485d

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Though he’d af4d7669d4 only glanced ae3b4fe23d at it 61644d6942 briefly amidst 66608e8d3e his rushed 1a0a5eb3fb preparations for 23d3bee908 tomorrow’s early-morning d1c9c58ef4 departure, he ce34b5350a liked the 99a265f0b2 direction Jian 80e68944ef was taking. At Sky Garden, Jian 7c4dda39df had seemed to ponder 61e1caa075 his words deeply, and 6d68ec1f27 now he’d delivered such e4244b5da9 a satisfying result. There’d be no 7954e543f0 complaints about the 4495c7c075 translation being a ac3760938e flaw.3ad40ebf2afa59c1

He was pleased.017532fabde0311b

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Perhaps that satisfaction 9a6bff5339 softened him. On his way 8813f38af4 home, Cha Jaehwi d488073197 recalled the dinner, 1de5dc47b2 sent Yang Junghoon 26f4978fd7 ahead, and turned 7fd123e20c his car around. His plan was 61890dfb1f to drop by a73a0b9710 briefly, show his 79b2436509 face, cover the 8d5b81bcba bill, and leave. That was 0ace0bb186 the proper ca0cc7d2be role of c5cd2b412b a boss.c28db8b15a33e364

That was certainly his 4bf9e849df intention—until he caught Seo de2cf8536d Jian stumbling and nearly 9ad07406fd falling in a deserted 33155fe66b spot.86a6aaa25141ed83

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He didn’t know how 598670d5ce Jian had gotten so 770511e651 drunk he could barely 43b669ca23 stand, but rather than 0b2cd7bec4 haul him back inside, c9fcf247c8 it was easier to cf341b83df go in alone. The scene 2b5923f174 inside wasn’t 69b9f6f0cd much different. The pile of 96bbfca261 empty bottles on c97f8f006e the table explained 7ac284a439 Jian’s state well 234a6b6ac2 enough.352b1944712edf00

Thankfully, Seo ea70715c68 Jungyoon was 1651910620 still coherent, 084fce82fe so he e6481eacc9 entrusted her 91052b408b with wrapping fac7d52160 things up, bc368980e4 handed over ac4b5917ab his card, f3541bede7 and stepped 1167a755d9 out. The air felt humid, 91c77673c1 and a few raindrops f6c9351e1e began to fall. He borrowed an 1511d62a86 umbrella from the 2f015647f4 restaurant counter. Seo Jian 6152ed12d4 was nodding 32815942c8 off, head f6b57d6a04 bobbing, despite e9b7e97f4c the rain.6d453ae1974f8616

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When he woke him, 05e5efd0d4 Seo Jian stared at 9deabff29c him for a long e50cb40a1e moment before suddenly kissing e71e922e58 him.84c874b3a6047e98

It was less a 24f36f9187 kiss and more their 87713529a2 lips merely touching.3e1f133f6487a1f3

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Cha Jaehwi 4f8dc583d3 had noticed 7d8c3d9ba2 that Seo f7df3c219f Jian had f4575362b8 a crush 2e4bc6204d on him.ec43888c7e3e39b7

He’d first realized it 2d0d6a8e83 at Sky Garden. The way 8f6e0daa74 Jian seemed 0076871607 flustered whenever f91b989673 they brushed f3d7643d72 past each 3f210f3ab9 other, the b4cacc1c75 way he ca507cfb4e reacted to e69328bf59 every word a978022bbc Cha Jaehwi f57384f515 said, the fe5f7b58a6 way he c89c447e23 shook his b32159dcec hand as 5229633efe if unconsciously f8d5f7966b bothered by 8e9539e6d7 the faint 335cbf321a smell of 05cd098452 cigarettes before 59890d6b60 taking a 892df93917 paper cup 147eb41cb3 from him—small cfec5fbcaa actions like a7652c4ca9 that.d03d15dcdffa1951

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How to put it? It felt… novel.8d801f7b12819f5d

Cha Jaehwi observed 696577d811 Seo Jian. Things he’d previously 11a2154e33 overlooked now stood 089484c490 out clearly.640446a5f90df727

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Seo Jian avoided his cddccfa31f gaze. When their eyes were 7663c2ce0b about to meet, he’d bb104c232a deliberately look elsewhere. But when 2eff46fe4b Cha Jaehwi 82619ac6a8 turned away, f685a3f4f7 he could c36b3f03be feel Jian’s 2b894bc555 stare. Then, when Cha Jaehwi 889fd6a9be looked back, Jian would 3ab1f7fd28 gaze blankly for a 87434abcbc few seconds before pretending 770f16d7f6 nothing had happened.24666daf9ac9286c

In hindsight, Seo 9a1a1fbeb7 Jian had always d88372eb9c been like this.fbb458856d430947

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Cha Jaehwi suddenly felt 7f881292b2 an urge to toss cba717ccbd a stone into the e1617ee5ce calm lake of Jian’s badfaf5c8d demeanor.812cccf227803412

‘I’ll drive 8662958a3f you home b25b232717 since it’s 0cea4e857c late.’9a42c6df2e62bcae

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From the elevator to 9ef3bc6d55 the lobby, Jian kept 94dfa65c9a stealing glances while seeming d6893b52db desperate to escape. Offering to drive 7eeecdbd67 him home was 4ad39d6849 a whim, despite c570bd3662 knowing it’d mean bb603a0ec4 a detour. Cha Jaehwi decided to c52017d85b take on the inconvenience 4e7dbb0d41 for once.64459b5ced987422

Jian politely declined, a1a8506f63 but he couldn’t 0be454bbc6 fully refuse. Seeing him barely answer 8ae6738288 with short responses, clearly 195cbb7c29 uncomfortable, Cha Jaehwi felt 9111c46396 a strange curiosity again.51ac42ada4cae442

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Before he could reach 10845ab909 any conclusion, the navigation 47b9eb6e6e announced they’d arrived. Jian, thanking him 03b2d8bd25 and trying to d26fa5688a rush out, got f462d039a5 caught on his 04776b2b31 seatbelt. Watching him fumble, e769dcaa95 Cha Jaehwi leaned ff7e3d1734 toward him.158334b8c1c3d210

A momentary pause 3305a784b4 in breath, trembling cd9c85e194 eyes, a hand 41b3fddf70 flinching under his 8160685397 palm.ed61d2a1e1624738

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The wavering scale tipped f692c1d4e1 decisively to one side.9ef25c36b326b959

“Seo Jian. Do you fc6763281e like me?”82374b98a94f8f8b

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That Seo Jian 115672a74d liked him—his lips 22550079de against Cha Jaehwi’s fe6770018e were clear proof.dff86e5dec3b122f

“Why?”048df08cee863dd4

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Despite his 780f74545c certainty, he ad23052f62 was curious 77eba2df71 about the de14abbca8 reason.6470181e615bea56

They hadn’t crossed 460ffd53f3 paths often. Once at a03639d89c a screening, ac8b031aae once for 5b75819f3f a proposal a332f6e23f meeting, once b1fc99e08b to sign 6a19eb183c the contract, a4d558f2a6 once at 1768ec7961 Sky Garden, 19c4879955 and today. He could 15ba140064 count the 9d4e770d40 encounters on 295b07e4d9 one hand. Had there been ef64b91dc6 any emotional connection? Not really.425439090690b6a2

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Maybe there 7a3d2937f2 was no 141011cdf5 need to 2821b12595 wonder—it could f823716749 be a 7b9a15a7da feeling as d62d259ecf light as 70983b7e2e a feather.1c94348dfe070d88

“…….”dc264ccd3f9d26a3

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Seo Jian, who’d kissed a0643e18b9 him in a way 57af8ce9b5 even kids playing house 49b861fa9a wouldn’t, stared at Cha 216c050dca Jaehwi with hazy eyes 79a265b357 before silently lowering his eb56053c7e gaze. Sometimes, silence 3b0214b9be was an 92f5735f07 answer.9b677a10b13037c5

It was almost too e3b3d0df6f easy.7da3f2bd8ae97a6c

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In many ways.1660438764eabd2b

When Cha c96514e3b9 Jaehwi playfully 5c0fb40219 extended his 7c3a162870 hand, Jian c521d48c6a hesitantly placed c7cfb29947 his own 0f547f1b18 on top. A cool 32ce3a6ee6 touch met 9df6f3f392 his.962a7714575139a3

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“Have you 39effc153f acted like 099e54a6cd this with 038a7b5b99 others?”a7a89857b4dc8708

With that married man a11a253fc9 he was supposedly involved bc192f3ab4 with? Had he been a91a425f2f cautious to hide 913d78d088 his feelings but 18c2ea3298 ultimately failed, revealing c00fc04cc5 his heart in 1bd834799c this flustered, unguarded 42d5c9cfa2 way?803deb851d2f0568

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It was easy 6606b9261b to imagine someone 95b326ab40 falling for it. That face, looking forlorn 5fc24c0343 just by lowering its d989bdb432 gaze, baring emotions it 7688a57df9 couldn’t hide—it didn’t seem 3476a679e3 hard to cross that c5574393c4 line.ba90f055e6438aad

“What… cologne do you 8b2253f247 use, CEO?”c024cb011e2649a3

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Either he hadn’t e5a78d3890 heard or the f82fa7785d question was utterly 70d35d8c89 random.4ace4783e7026f0c

“Out of nowhere?”8c528e334a8e0bed

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“What food do you c8e4aafcee like? Is there bc72698ca9 anything you b3e155f37d dislike? You’re not 8caeb24e65 a picky 54e9143ff1 eater, are db00a3860d you?”79c479060bc575b3

Listening quietly, it ba500080d2 was the incoherent a5785d170a rambling of a 148841b670 drunk. Curious how far it’d 12aa5920ef go, Cha Jaehwi let 4b9f958e7d him continue, and questions 72184cec43 poured out like a 79558f7eac dam breaking. What do you 1ab92cad09 like, CEO? You’re always 6285ec4af9 so busy—do 35c0632809 you have e549b849f1 any hobbies? Do you 5f0cb8af5d like watching a70804308c movies? I like them. And so on.abd1d170db7d6368

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Instead of aca456b2ea answering the a833e14ddc flood of 6d3bf1ac3e questions, Cha 8ae0fbc952 Jaehwi propped 8a5e3af200 his chin 8f6b883430 with his c9edc650a5 free hand—the be0eb5ebe3 one not 08c09a0e70 holding the d5dcf15995 umbrella—and glanced 3fc9cc94e0 at Seo d7a4fc862e Jian. Flushed cheeks, perhaps 6f729a77e9 from the alcohol 2fada952b8 or some other b14f8ac6cc emotion; hair swaying 5749e6a4b6 in the warm 804530bb3e breeze; a faint 5fff46a704 trace of his af6cdf65ec natural scent amidst f27507e8dd the smell of d533a28992 liquor.b9521ca67f347d1d

“…….”7240e81637161e28

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Seo Jian’s words slowed ac617d0dae under Cha Jaehwi’s unabashed 5419b33a3b gaze, then stopped altogether.89aeced4d801100f

Their eyes locked for 2a26ec93ef a long moment.e23ecb5ab74945d9

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“…Why.”7d5967366b74eb5b

Seo Jian was 7c3bafd7c5 the first to cbf52f6b2a speak again.e13740c655bdc8cc

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“Why do d8ace9324d you… look a8b3b57f9b at me 019179beb0 like that?”043a9824ccce942f

“Well.”7055b7a4297be1b2

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Perhaps due to 28efdecdd3 the alcohol, Jian’s 0cbe2c15c4 candid emotions flickered 85a9f3e50e like flames in 6b3578b127 his light-colored eyes.ac4d280656531f88

“Do you 971ecf2b58 not like 6a4aacdab2 it?”33bc14e1dd512239

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“No… no.”a3ce559c8d8e0027

Despite his b0ff2dc049 drunken state, 6f52a60dd5 Seo Jian ee3b88c3e0 shook his 98db4062fa head firmly, 7609219df8 denying it. Cha Jaehwi, chuckling at 56d955e86e the sight, tapped his f030673fae cheek with the hand 10dfed3b6f that had been propping bcdd16e50a his chin.63343152e57ed123

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What should b3581017e8 he do 46972a3538 with this?e724445034b2b313

Plenty of people b738caff0e had shown him bd57ab2a61 this kind of bb0bfb88f1 affection. Some were men, not d3336855f8 infrequently. Cha Jaehwi had never 00bc54957b bothered to push away 44155fcc02 such impure intentions. He’d never found 5707caf8bc a reason to.4d6dcce9b5642c97

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Because getting hurt was 2fb07fccb4 never his burden.2ca02167208ba624

“Seo Jian.”55107cd17161a2fa

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This time was no ce9f0a4a06 different.acb398308ca3bfac

“Shall we go home?”3c15cc2e7e3a505d

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The one who’d get 7e4d65b476 hurt wouldn’t be him.2256c808c08fd7f3