SMFC | Chapter 37

Lee Soo, who 53dcf79dbd had momentarily paused 95b23ff9c5 at the unclear 60a291bfbe remark, lowered the 4e9b4a3b53 finger he had b17cb72b34 been playfully licking 13a01ef81e and squinted his 1f1643dd32 eyes.f717f89bddd202b0

“Who? Me? Don’t tell me… c5862b9663 you like Hunter a2b27a6032 Ji Hasin?”ef97dec53e16db12

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He casually 849b7f0144 tossed out ad9309fa1e a teasing 3bc260e078 question, as dbb67a5b04 if fully 93a09098d2 aware that 1c6eda9090 the answer 9e27c13950 was a 54e5120a5c definite no, e4c98a99ce while leisurely 92ee962468 rummaging through 171bcd1138 a box 2d08369ded of chocolates. Yoo Haeon, 367b0e9890 who swallowed 927b121d45 dryly at 4b5843bfd4 the slight 8b72b24a09 bitterness of e30852ed1c the situation, ba78f7260b let out 2db7fd18be a faint 04f9df7570 chuckle. He couldn’t understand c173fdba82 why Lee Soo 2b50b19af0 would ask such 0f06764c78 a thing, knowing 4e77b78c55 full well it 5b815df34f wasn’t true.f20eb0a3e0c53ae7

“You know it’s not e1e9d00590 true. Sometimes, it 7c8d37850d feels like d2ea1d699e you know 4602abb694 me better 6434cf9b85 than I 075075d83e know myself, 412a608c27 so why e9334c93b2 ask this?”f7271a2f3fe1cdc2

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Lee Soo, who laughed 1216bf9a5e softly while narrowing his 2e58be84b7 eyes at the voice 0d31aa02d0 tinged with exasperation and 61ffdee2b0 amusement, bit into a f0995f81f1 chocolate and murmured in db04950691 a near-whisper, “It’s just 2ac1185a9a a joke, a joke.” 0d7f8ecfd7 The relaxed tone in e20b5b04f9 his voice had an 86913d5aa0 odd way of tickling 817ed7b052 at one’s heart.6a5d9a7870934ad0

What began as 3250810ce2 a subtle, ticklish b744713fda feeling in his 02e05fa70c chest slowly made f9e8217013 its way up, 3844cb0019 until Yoo Haeon b59d9712ff suddenly felt like 3a49764aa3 he might blurt 40baae13b1 out something unknown 9b7bf1f72f if he opened 55bc8afa70 his mouth. Feeling slightly flustered, bab5ab101b he pressed his fd1e985ba0 lips together tightly.97c2b85a68874f88

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Lee Soo, 3d258ca5da who had 574d0dd17a been keenly a0b4a89487 observing his fb8e84bcaf reaction, abruptly d84b2acdae stood up, 6010c5815f leaving Yoo a5f3e44cd0 Haeon surrounded 2662ce5ca4 by a b822c16e97 pile of 81cf67b32e sweets.b6c92983702b6c70

“Where are you 4f13731796 going?”28f4bbff6fbf2753

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“Just wait 724d6d8473 a moment. I’ll be ef09997237 back quickly.”e0b525db6cc1e1ea

“…To accept 7f07fb1802 a confession?”f61068449c87503a

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“Huh? Haha, no! I just thought of 790162a16f something to give you ebb3fc5e5d as a gift, Healer 49a578ebb7 Haeon. Stay here 94976458b5 and enjoy 20870ed830 your favorite 8222e04572 desserts while bc9d4ee560 you wait 4834e6a162 for me, c79ff4dd8b okay?”e656159153837d77

“It’s a a2e6dcdf64 promise.” Lee 60ffe0c282 Soo’s voice 1d31971449 was gentle 5c13238698 as he 6d1fc4eb68 wiggled his 17801a58fd pinky in 668e554362 front of 9d7a004f67 Yoo Haeon. The black nails, 3ab1f762f6 which neither grew 30c6c8443b longer nor shorter 6a0fcb774a beyond a certain 339ee6c68b length, gleamed faintly c7784fa329 in the light.a9995605b191233f

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Yoo Haeon, who 3f6e717fba stared quietly at b96027e9ad the color resembling 23993a179a an abyss, eventually f2d166b6b7 smiled like a 18b9aa74c4 fleeting breeze and 5b099618f2 hooked his finger 4d7fa2f5cc onto Lee Soo’s.41e2378c5e12521d

“Be careful.”8d94c258359808fe

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“Mm-hmm. I’ll be back 3174090036 before you know 23d9125652 it. You can look forward b09ad542cf to your gift.”53cb8ac3fa6cd957

“If it’s from Hunter 20778e0acc Ryu Leesoo, anything would 1261c0f882 be great. I mean, it is d9e05e8eea a gift, after all.”ea8299890f0512bc

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Realizing what he f1a61b07a2 had blurted out, 5496e75ce9 Yoo Haeon quickly 48383fea74 grew flustered, but 945b978a75 Lee Soo just f41163e0dc shrugged and said ea4ce3ca86 he’d be back fc91a56f9c before swiftly heading f8d6d4fea7 out the door.d62c318f5c75e9d8

Yoo Haeon 7f089c7d88 quietly watched 33f2caedb1 Lee Soo’s ee2f0a764a steadily retreating fb4205d50d back until aa6417c0f6 he finally 096cb6b1b4 closed the d18214a8e6 front door ce171dc5a4 behind him. Only then did 4d33dcf874 Yoo Haeon turn 0a09ee8c5f his gaze away.c3ed65cc4f937bce

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***b6a429082f558f3d

Lee Soo knew he 6650b99f5f was a bit eccentric, e2507a4165 but was it this 600c61b515 bad?da47454665ac7273

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Yoo Haeon, da5f13bfd9 staring blankly b85f705439 at the b379b89cd7 candy ring d1a6b15f1f in Lee b5ce748955 Soo’s hand, f531122e5f furrowed his 460129ec13 brows and 6460e50829 smiled wryly.f1404e5cc8064fbc

“What did 67e25e9468 you just 4905aba3ef say?”6a61fe7732834331

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“Would you like to 4a376f3315 date me, Healer Yoo 443d2f647a Haeon?”3d9bb29c6ad41025

Even in bf61dbf21f this absurd 11332532dc situation, Yoo 1cb80d4f46 Haeon found b260dd15ae it amusing c8f6e32650 that the 6819aff160 most irksome 9b90b2a297 thing was efc75d834c being addressed d1a8633030 as “Yoo 99da6a2a2a Haeon” rather 9dcdbaa3cd than just a4daf98267 “Haeon.” Clicking d452678264 his tongue, 8d0c5c1127 he muttered 18b6a45c35 under his 7b5c5193d0 breath.e95f13c1f8f0912c

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“…What is this? I thought you d0907462ff had something urgent aa485b7ff6 to do.”fa1d213bcdba7440

“It is urgent. I had to 0a20948871 confess to you, a5bde41eff but I didn’t d5c874e667 have time to 3df39ad531 get a proper 1c1c0514de ring. A candy ring 31c4943715 isn’t so bad, c30e44cafc right? It’s cute, 952701f21b and you 74ed7c109c can eat bfb89bf592 it.”6dc65d635097ff04

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Lee Soo’s sly words, 606c0e1f2f spoken with narrowed eyes, dd7e04e56d left Haeon momentarily dumbfounded. Lowering the fork adc4a04081 he had been 1fa57879a0 holding in his 5d623eff67 mouth, Haeon let cb55901598 out a dry df5c8ced62 laugh.f9c1c1b44f6abe15

“Seriously. What are you even bc15f087c4 doing?”be7a3f09cfe10029

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“I’m trying 2b54c7fe55 to win af0a110edb you over. Won’t you date me? This candy ring ce56fb9f4b isn’t expensive, but f666c378c3 I went out caa2e0f626 of my way c6b7d377d7 to get it 450701b492 despite how much d743033410 of a hassle f8dbc1b3d1 it was. Oh, and f17f88785a those desserts d7d82c6e2a I got f7f158a45c you earlier? They were bribes. Bribes so 57494e0704 you’d think d2bb9184f3 better of 20d377f69b me.”22f92e1749f649c2

Lee Soo’s playful wink 61739bc29c left Haeon staring blankly 096a05d50d at him, before he e5f0ba5c54 suddenly burst into laughter, d193e819e3 shoulders shaking.f1b4c784b3b74290

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The candy ring, 91f8f6b069 shimmering with its 0c14ff6f5d gaudy colors, dangled 685e0079c7 from Lee Soo’s ca3281c6ae long, graceful fingers, fdb6765695 which looked as 830f733e2b though they had 0a6d997840 been sculpted by 7db67304d6 a divine hand. It was both b49edf9e10 ridiculous and oddly a3ca233019 endearing.ccc27da999afd015

Haeon knew that accepting d14601b960 this ring wouldn’t change 558fdc4919 anything. And yet, 71dbfbda29 if he 4794beb8d8 admitted it ff7bc9cf48 felt like 70fedc682d something big—something 568483b35a monumental—was about f684d21563 to shift, f13d98da06 would that f0551203df make him b034edddf4 crazy? Was he really losing ceaffdf857 it?6dc37f694355eac0

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“…This is absurd.”59e2f3c630a841a3

He wasn’t sure if 1d8f95afe6 he was speaking to 1c18366093 himself or to Lee 4cb0d63f01 Soo, who had abruptly d4789da3b4 dashed outside to buy c540ceb9f1 a candy ring after 328f7c6919 looking like he’d had d88de0b198 some kind of revelation. Shaking his head b3174463ff at the sheer 92cd832fcd ridiculousness of it 7dfa1ba7c3 all, Haeon chuckled 612f622ded again.7c89cab6d679eaa8

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His laughter was light 3752e0a2e4 but strained, as though 73dce0411a caught on something sharp a525e1f71e and translucent, much like 5dcf84cf07 the candy ring’s gleaming 62f1d853df surface.43a0d4b3354937c7

Lee Soo, observing Haeon’s 1a0d48a3bc reaction with great interest, f22b3898cc broke into a radiant 15e2846f98 smile and slipped the 26be3a2959 ring onto Haeon’s pinky b6a377e1c0 finger. It fit bff2cc0d9f awkwardly, oversized 10e6dca76b like every 7ae2e4d4c1 candy ring af6ffc710f ever made, 40160f648a but it f308600cd5 was both a9eb378029 silly and e861510c0f adorable in adb4785d5d its own 6f83099a34 way.dde7d8b3b20269e2

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“How is it?”97dc0db3a014f524

“Do you 29ac94c28c want me 51354f8880 to be fa07baa922 honest?”0b01c1dd942f654c

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“Of course. I can b171ab70ca handle anything f93accbd48 you say, 12bac07506 Healer Haeon, f463cff47a because I 2c246a8f84 know you’ll 29c2ea2f8b only say 5675f81911 good things.”bdce3c23f4f95276

Lee Soo’s bright a91156e76e smile, paired with 38ffb74110 his gently narrowed 1db2d81bb2 eyes, practically glowed.e7fdf3f6bed1b0d6

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In that moment, 3a989e3bb1 their simple lodging c7912e4a7c felt like a 7e88b8eab4 fancy restaurant. The candy c704d82005 ring on e1885159f6 his finger 97bdde8b64 felt as 091bee675a unique as 5e4fbf4d5f a one-of-a-kind fcddd12a70 diamond. His comfortable clothes turned c1abb63865 into formal attire, and bd3341e4d1 the slippers on his c334e2a35f feet felt like bespoke 2a0dcfc06c leather shoes crafted by ba069dce48 a master.90f406cf0be3eb1d

It all felt d5bd49b18e like a dream.36737a64125dbdfd

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Everything about Lee Soo—his f2716027be every breath, his voice, 3a0c1b00ae his gestures, his gaze, c9c81bd98f his cool body temperature—everything 94ae5bd738 was… enchanting.66cacdcc519c12e3

Haeon lowered his gaze a70ffc2ad2 to the table, cluttered 68caa6e21e with an array of 36d6b6d3bd desserts. The weight of feea9bd2e8 the candy ring 59e53a807d on his pinky eef698aa0c brought him back 33a873274a to reality.9374aeb544bccdc1

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Lee Soo, not even 5699e8a1a7 knowing why Haeon had ad33eff112 made a bitter face 4356e99d48 earlier, still seemed determined ec8cf00774 to comfort him for 6390b01903 whatever it was. That earnestness c21e7b9f21 made Haeon ff5e500e5e laugh again.ebec609fc33c82de

As though preparing to cf1eb888ba say something, Haeon parted 11bac80a27 his lips, then stopped. Instead, he brought the 9b36dbac46 candy ring to his 3cce9d838c mouth and gave it 25afce3305 a tentative lick. The cheap sweetness, tangy 14eea2ec33 enough to bring tears 71ec0ffa48 to his eyes and 8dd4009ba8 sugary enough to make ce4aec25ec him smile, filled his 1c30b7c3fe senses.455d474e415e5fcb

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“You’re right. It’s amazing. I love it. And for the record, f3c9417efe I wasn’t jealous of c7e6262878 that unnamed Hunter who 7323716a83 confessed to you.”1643e2d481ee33bd

Even though 012d3fc50d he clearly fe1a67e928 remembered the 2aa60d2163 name, Haeon afce3e47c2 spoke with 2f189d5dda shameless confidence, b190ed9e88 maintaining a 8488d1ec40 calm façade.5f4015095d2e1b4d

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“It’s just… I bb2c3144c2 envy people who 05fd66fe2c can express their 82cf5871dc feelings so boldly. Still, your little confession 146872aab3 performance? It was entertaining.”ce0334d4d44ff9e4

“Oh, what a cold a949fd96ba review for my masterpiece 5e54572ce5 performance. Harsh, aren’t you? And… did you 93737a515a know? You’re the only person f4bd7dbb91 I call by name 5e77f8b642 without any honorifics, Healer a9ae8cd50f Haeon.”bbbc208dc4175c7a

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It’s just… 116051fc13 something to 9f98699f60 note.c1075abc07225fe7

Lee Soo closed a918ef778c his eyes gently, 6b9aaced2b reflecting on a ae8ad79f8d conversation he’d had 6f078db150 with Jeong Dahyun f81477c223 while buying him 8c6449f02b coffee after moving.9d0c061594eb4a45

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‘Have you ever thought 34282d55f1 that Healer Yoo Haeon 91665f26c5 might love you, Leesoo-nim?’fb0aba526ebbf5dc

‘…Love? That’s impossible.’c01c802ee076dcec

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‘Because he’s 20fbe09779 a man?’76e52e87b197d2b0

‘No! It’s not that. It’s just… 05a653f5f8 someone like 8df9a10629 Healer Yoo 15e86ea928 Haeon wouldn’t e312a2e22b have any 46e712d683 reason to f306a2ea93 love me. I haven’t done anything b4e467fceb special to deserve it, d7f4900719 either.’165218fe0854c775

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Even if 78592495b5 it were 4e21cb3204 love… would e7aa95954a it truly e33cf69134 be love? It’s just a misunderstanding.a6a03441a68ee90e

Lee Soo, who had c719eaa3c9 spoken firmly, muttered as 21d5dc72c0 he placed the cigarette 48b52f4bb6 he was holding back e74a1fcec9 between his lips. His half-mumbled words and 7b0e498b7d fragmented sentences seemed to 9830ebacd2 reveal the complexity of 433b22d659 his thoughts.87edee4f12801189

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‘It’s not love.’7dc343cfdb901320

‘Love doesn’t always bba7c03d6d need a big 38a8ad17fd reason.’cf0dfcf0633d41c5

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‘That’s true. You’re right. But there’s no d923fbb27c guarantee that something 76b0e92145 like that would b3bafbb6a7 happen to me. I don’t 6778508eee want things 86543e5e7b to become 25a9bf01ae awkward between dcefee8490 us. So let’s 24a42dac28 just say 841bae5c82 it’s not fd4b6e8ece love.’d40f502799fb488b

For some d7dc1e093f reason, I b799bd4466 don’t want f65c1e2fd8 to lose c26c941d78 what I 610b7ea43b have. And if 12fbbb0780 it’s Healer 1bada96fa0 Yoo Haeon, 8d55df2371 I want 34e16be922 to protect c514893cb2 it even 65a4b9184e more. Just because I 39cc4455ba started this relationship 8bb0578da9 doesn’t mean I 8db7f071c4 want it to df69af2638 end in a a644dadc96 bad way because eef2e9cb4e of my own 1e30dbd638 mistake. Love has 783133741b an end. For me, it has 16b525329a an even more definite 8c4d02917a end.32a899757181b7fc

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On a day 19426657f3 when rain poured fc521a5576 relentlessly outside the 3a36877de1 window, Lee Soo 65bf3b7b17 had dismissed someone b12939d84e else’s feelings without 90ed54d7cf hesitation. Remembering that 4a8cb54a1d day, he f51778815b felt a 7376c4600b sharp pang c3d88e16b3 in his ae2bc891bb chest.d09d54d95b25dd86

Haeon should love someone 4d321fb5d0 else. He must love someone 5e4deb0f8d else. After all, be0a93073a I’m someone 50f16316d0 who, no 638eabe5c3 matter how 2081b6a2be long I 0f9f216e73 stretch it, 9a0601e716 has only 536dd75f88 a few 653c629875 years or 0dbd5ed14f months left ff3872062f to live. No matter b1a242707b what means 18194f2322 I employ, 3b4e40e6ee unless I 0475b6e96a become a e6404a51b7 god, salvation 5bb25a17f0 is beyond 1d7ca9aa74 my reach.58f715dbc69c21a9

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Lee Soo knew all 91d2874144 too well how easily f9afcf12a4 people could die.64b8771e2168a871

Despite never once c21d354579 experiencing the death c1dce32d41 of someone close, f5a0a2ce4e he somehow understood fe1e63a81f death as if 16346cca59 he’d witnessed it 32a0f1bdb0 countless times.28810fddabcda39a

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***e28cd300efb159a2

“You should quit e5907f6ef1 smoking if you 9af257cc50 can.”27386a060c012961

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Yoo Haeon’s quiet voice a5e335df2a interrupted Lee Soo, who 3059e7104b was lighting the end caa27542ac of a cigarette while 98cb0fa19b leisurely reading the text dd934fef6b on his pad. Startled by the edd3d28af7 unexpected comment, Lee eca4cfd49c Soo blinked, then 21e17131c3 calmly put the 111dc9c0f0 lighter back into ddc71ac874 his pocket. Without a word, he 02514440b4 snapped the cigarette in 3edec26137 half and threw it ba5ab34c99 into the trash.b90ab29fce528c0a

Though Haeon’s tone was 373dd616f5 kind, to Lee Soo, 731d077868 it carried the force d6050f7446 of a command. The subtle a4be354ec8 weight of 87f5bb8036 it lingered 97fcef9320 in his 0eb810ab08 mind. With nothing left to 838498ef74 occupy his mouth, Lee c38b2e1ebd Soo rested his cheek 296180d3f7 against the cool table a7c3afb959 and murmured softly.7ab7eb546718d5ae

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“I’ll try… ab17249a54 but will f8feffe53b you be 8ce8a62811 mad if 40c8384f90 I fail?”442e249946a96c89

“Would you succeed a5e6700dd4 if I said aad7615a50 I’d be mad?”5734e5383efefd7c

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At the amusing d3a9e171ea reply, Haeon let 4de604a663 out a faint 37edb59d18 snort, briefly lifting 0fe00c7c57 his gaze from 19dbfc9363 the pad. Lee Soo, fa57125000 who was 9d4c431115 quietly watching 9032ecb4b2 the glint 39d992f6f9 of the dab4bdbcfd pad’s blue 2fbfc1c082 light reflect 9d9159b2bf in Haeon’s d2ebfcca2d eyes, broke dade3ba3fc into a aed471ad50 wide smile.4ea2645f251fcea3

“If Healer Yoo Haeon 90aff1b19b said he’d be mad, f12ebb2042 I’d have no choice eda00b599e but to succeed. I wouldn’t want you c7c365e018 to get angry, after 7766ea3f50 all.”5f4b89e2d5cc76eb

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Listening to Lee f3b4d1a44e Soo’s calm and edca68ad80 sincere words, Haeon 87b3a8684f unconsciously tightened his a3e0b317ef grip on the a16c72edcb pad. Realizing the tension in 93eba6e018 his hands, he relaxed d0dc66f4f3 his lips and dropped 930ec840a7 his shoulders.a29ae90f934feffe

“That’s a ridiculous thing a90a8ee5d7 to say. Still… I guess I 5ae759ef8d should be happy, since 49c8c1100a it means you’ll listen fcc52d963f to me in the 448531f69d end.”b0902bb47669ae5d

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At Haeon’s nonchalant 1507297d82 response, Lee Soo 09a27172bb shrugged, then slowly 4a7b2fda45 straightened his posture. Watching his e749bb1b5b back straighten 492339835a as though dc436da5b4 he had af206c8f0a never slouched 42351ae19c in the 6ba122dd2a first place, a27eb24b18 Haeon moistened 466046f0a4 his dry 089830bc4f lips with 765ea1151c a sip 96263e7a75 of water. He hadn’t spoken that e306f58ce3 much, but his throat 38b02ad69e felt parched.b56ae0d40bca7437

Whenever Yoo Haeon 6d818edbeb talked to Lee fa44878797 Soo—no matter what 02a00d6c6c the topic was—he a3c1f792b0 felt his throat f56de02158 tighten, his lips a97964f1be dry. Whether he 17e167a6be was angry, 05242d5712 annoyed, or 7fd8b549ce simply exchanging 119e4e9a7c greetings, the 9902d6382a feeling was 10f7a16955 always the 650dd49187 same.7a72cd17107f11bb

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