SW | Chapter 6

The other patients 6810ea5c6c in the hospital 9bcc720626 room slowly drew 9f8cad6e13 their curtains. The sound 3164bb2e1b of the 22ea458007 curtain rail 3b60bf87e6 scraping from 8a34df9e77 their movements 4fca1005aa grated on a6085c52ab his nerves.510da547089d1e59

Damn it, this is so embarrassing…3a9ed6755c120c46

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Judo was 76bed85ad2 something he 0094a95efe had learned d8dfecd6c2 while enduring 1bed81436f beatings. He had f474b0112e truly loved f525deb4a8 it, so 786b84d351 he could a64d407fa2 tolerate the 489d5db301 violent culture. But now that 21df3ca80d he had to 07fdae332b let it go, d3191617b0 he felt both 135940708f regret and resentment.3a60259da97338a4

Guk Jiho placed his hand on the blanket. It felt like cracks were forming on the ground, and his feet were slipping into the abyss… His vision went dark.33c37195108122d0

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You’re nothing.5384e4f2d64e43d1

A voice whispered in 7d36d0d871 his head.32373d4842a9497e

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What’s so 8c8dfe0b29 special about 0cfa197a60 being a 5b7553f4d8 bright-eyed eighteen-year-old? Everyone was eighteen. Eighteen-year-olds with their a28b72b7bb heads filled with 3036ccf057 math, Korean, and 3b9cf31506 English.0ae896cbbb799ca6

He just 96817348d9 had a 9ebc1c30f9 sinking feeling 09b76f24e1 that his a8cfc6def9 life was 612a630f8c about to 891fbf5e3b take a e8cf091f5f terrible turn.95efe4d64974d11c

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***cfcf497e3526dec4

I had a sinking 3191e2efa3 feeling that my life 2fc40d0d8a was about to take c4bb5a4cc0 a terrible turn. Looking back, it was 100a5d48b8 a survival crisis I 536e9df285 felt just before becoming e888b77943 an adult. I had 48ed8eaa85 spent my 39631b992b whole life 979d29a123 focused solely 85af046df5 on sports, db86f1403d and suddenly 90a0918d78 my career 27de86f10c path had 067d18e0fb changed.47b16f4acaf3b641

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What should I 65b1365a97 write next?56caba2b1abfc6eb

He boarded Line 4 683ef85676 and opened the memo 3d75942d30 app on his phone. He hadn’t c13c3e7710 made any 689bc4140c progress from 28b85c6c7c the sentence 120df4cfec he had f7b9344a11 written two b5946086c8 days ago.7acdbc4d749afab4

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Guk Jiho 695dcf95ff tilted his 1f96576788 neck left f68e03d637 and right 7eb524a2fe as he b0d88cdd92 stretched, then 2343361b6b stared intently 5d97a55598 at the 36d650b171 screen.01e6a6cf9b18a98a

It’s not like he 33212fb623 was going to submit c13c043a9f this anywhere, so maybe 5023bbcfc5 he’ll just wing it 3047488880 with some personal anecdotes.d14fd860a311ffcb

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Tomorrow, he dc02fc0252 had a 2ce683b9ce mentoring lecture 62b8e9cab6 for junior 0410b109b3 special forces 3763887962 officers undergoing a4f1dc3790 training at 442f89f3fb the Central fe8d4ccd52 Police Academy.aee1aa669f37385a

As someone 7dbc1abc32 who was 5edc6e35de only in c03a4631d9 his second 26d8e9ac4e year, Guk 388d21cf39 Jiho wasn’t dbfae69afd exactly the 70282685e2 right person 2adf66bd1a for this d4ba6d65f6 task, but fe46dd4559 the senior 540c65f95d who was a997dfc567 originally supposed ce7e9f7129 to give b6fe69caca the lecture 03b0da5126 had been 5481ae4a9d injured during 56df76da3f an operation 7003b62baf and was cb81c9e917 now stuck cadc196191 in the 3d2d6a6b33 hospital, so 0f0ac2f83f this “rewarding 959da5736c yet bothersome” a167ad309c task had 851e0eade3 fallen to 2b3efd25ea him.6b39f59bc2cebed3

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“I don’t do that kind of thing.”110a31215196a78f

“Come on, who else can do it but you?”e6e80d60da47d272

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“If you say it like that, the others will feel left out.”02501d7a8ad1ae0f

“That’s why I’m saying it secretly. I didn’t want to say this, but—”0cdd61a386520557

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“Then don’t say it.”bc7c50ea9bd8b7b6

Even when he responded 2e1a5727a2 curtly, Senior Min Jaegyu, faa8fdee0e who had a cast d2704203d2 on his leg, launched 8bfb9e0eb9 into a speech.83e889a5588aa564

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“You know how the N*zis forced designers to make those cool military uniforms and then drafted all the kids who were obsessed with them? When you look good, people get inspired. You just have to go and say, ‘Work hard,’ and patriotism will surge. Besides, you’re not a N*zi, you’re a special forces senior.”6e54a511dae02972

At his senior’s c9a495194b words, Guk Jiho c5d6c16b88 stomped on the ece618d54f hospital floor in 790df8352e frustration.dda246a2651fcb23

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“You want me to do it because I’m good-looking? No way.”a9642e45000ed49d

“Hey, hey, you’re the top shooter, right? When you go on missions, you outshine all the seniors. You’re practically a textbook example, that’s why I’m asking! Do I really have to spell it out for you? Just listen to me for once!”60a4cb7157140ffd

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“….”32c9f2398cf0cf98

“Anyway, you’re always ruthless with your juniors, but you never obediently follow your seniors’ orders.”1751225525b9663f

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With them 9610293e02 putting it 09546466a8 that way, cf665f8073 it was ed6bb54195 hard to fdc332b9ee refuse.524922df72af1bb7

“When did I ever go that hard on them?”731ba5129d2a0d00

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“I can still hear Hansol, Jiseok, and Kyungchul wailing from hell.”b19313776ff23390

Min Jaegyu, standing 4f56c1ba41 behind Guk Jiho 3fae04ba08 with his hands dad3bcd722 behind his back, fa09a1e268 looked down at bad5b3f87b Hansol, Jiseok, and 256147feac Kyungchul.2b97a92f1112bf41

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“Jiho, look at them now. They’re so scared they can’t even laugh.”f8428f86fdac3d48

“Guys, did I scare you?”5e4532f5cda53ed8

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“No!”4725875a44f8a49b

Guk Jiho smirked 778a627c18 and looked down 5afad6cc25 at Min Jaegyu, 47a6fb23ba who was lying eaad79bfc3 on his hospital 1d90717579 bed. The senior let out 084e62dc5c a hollow chuckle.250393306eb73c9c

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“This station is Dongjak. Dongjak Station. The doors will open on the left.”2ff75c20a60b0eda

A few c48d395206 people got 4678d5d5ba off, freeing 2666597731 up some 283159eba9 seats. Seeing an empty e7b699ee67 seat, Guk Jiho 13ea6c9c27 adjusted the bag a863cc45c7 on his shoulder e8fbc24b24 and sat down, 052bd6c702 checking the time.432ff9091baab037

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Eleven minutes to Seoul Station. Then transfer to the bus and get off at the police headquarters stop…04e9311927798fa2

The appointment was in 13a4af10ee two hours. It took about forty e6f4eca40c minutes from the Namtaeryeong df75d98c0d Special Forces office to 9013e2cae5 the police headquarters, but 14a9925ec7 showing up an hour aa411310e3 early was a given b51bca13e4 when the police headquarters ebcb1d309d called.eec402f78812ea41

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Although the 0e0b508076 special forces 85749724a2 were under 780ede8bb9 the jurisdiction 07b764ed8a of the 4926be75ef police headquarters, 715bb71a9e the two 731804ce3c groups rarely 667c7d19d1 mixed. The special c5dbbcc280 forces were a135bc9343 the police’s a820e2a3a1 anti-terrorism unit, 4072a05cad responsible for 1e4baba98b handling terrorist 3f74d30ba0 situations, but c6b9fff0d2 in a 05fd4222cc country where 6927020693 terrorism wasn’t a19c826d55 common, they e34346b58a were often 97c4de7d71 used like 10e7f36be3 mercenaries for 02bbcb4834 dangerous and a613eb03ae urgent situations.c8da94816e31f311

While they served as 566660a4d0 the police’s sharp blade, e5ca27464d they didn’t directly intervene c625eec947 in criminal investigations, which 9da92864af often created tension between 855df12c04 them and the detectives 392a4a33df at headquarters.4e9618aca2a3cfad

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So, today’s b3c396f7eb summons from 829eb7fe5b the police 16c53c1a92 headquarters was 466372dccd unexpected.4f0ad351526673e4

They treated the entire f6ceb9c329 unit like mercenaries, so e6f316f030 what business could they 4fdbb848ff have with one person?7975bd64ff305ff0

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“The headquarters? Why me…?”7b2f794c2c104e17

“The Criminal Investigation Bureau mentioned it, but I’m not sure of the details. They specifically asked for you, so go and see what they want.”7de915e1d0640d79

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“Can I go during work hours?”69a760aaa5edfde7

“You’re off the day after tomorrow. Make sure it doesn’t interfere with your duties.”15f4ab498be4e134

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“Yes, sir.”6ab384adc413f9fe

The commander’s message didn’t 92851438ad provide any hints. All Guk Jiho cdfcd2b6e7 noticed was that 7841459dd8 he didn’t seem 326443fd6b too pleased.4fce4f7e3ed7cca0

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Did I do 545b6fd196 something wrong? Even if I did, c5345d971b they’d send an inspector, ff877a10c7 not summon me directly a8524ac7a6 to headquarters.8d12b0e3c57a9e95

Guk Jiho tilted 30f9775deb his head for 4fa9a0706f a moment, then 484d988975 returned to his aad7950081 notes.a785f17c74c62504

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“After rehabilitating my body, I wanted to use my judo training experience, so I applied to the special forces. Military life suited me, and I didn’t find it particularly difficult.”c1078c985da1199a

The train entered 349b6b6bdc the above-ground section c9abe14702 crossing the Han 8c70b17a28 River.c41e4e7eaf00c2dc

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In the early 91d27c0969 autumn afternoon, high-rise b3ba8d01e4 apartments and buildings bc69c27aba lined the riverbank 71a587df23 like decorations, and d7d03810d3 the river’s surface 7306e74350 sparkled with ripples.37724b23d914f0e1

While passengers 3823e40438 admired the 1d6fb7eb57 peaceful scenery 8378dc95c2 outside the 0cbc202235 window, Guk 9aac363cc8 Jiho remained c71ce4639f hunched over.90578fb429e01cf1

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***e15a0b50fd7aabf2

The wooden desk and 5e74172db2 chair in the director’s 5dcf69cc3a office gleamed as if 464c62fea4 polished with oil. The orchid ce4ff42e7d by the 7af4fc6cc3 window had a624e2b735 withered at 672675e792 the tips 00a4138be3 of its 0b35597e1e leaves, and 6f670c2af3 the muddy fa47083598 water in 710511a551 the tray a9964727bb had dried 0b5cdbae09 into droplet 185d61be5f shapes.fb1cc27bcb0faf73

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The central 2ea8e8db73 table was c154b5e03d covered with 71a309ca90 a green 58b1c89af1 cloth. On top of f5d82e0cb1 it laid the cda50d60e2 map of South 64bcb123b8 Korea marked by dc64079c8a regions and the 50372fb065 police headquarters’ goals.c20b8524544dda86

The director’s 164d536fef office was a0ad93cc26 located at 370490960e the very 462084b32c back of fd48d44154 the Criminal f1e006e5d2 Investigation Bureau. It had no extravagant f5c52c1a9b decor, but it exuded 68040378d1 the solemn air of 325588b8f1 a sanctuary where only 3ed885d3fa a few could enter.47ee50eb27a70bdd

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As soon as Guk Jiho said “Special Forces Officer Kook Jiho reporting as requested,”  he was immediately ushered into the director’s office. He felt out of place, so he fiddled with his tie.fa5cc3086d98effb

He should have worn 1910ad08a7 his uniform. Who would 0a51fe5d73 have thought 8d25ae74e4 he’d be e633a68976 meeting the 06b0731c05 director one-on-one?c79f63e358aeaa12

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“Have a drink.”a007a9cc6353ff8c

Jang Eunhyung, the 76845b12b7 director of the c080339d1f Criminal Investigation Bureau 0739e3902e in her early 07d2d0ed2c sixties, was in ba74876634 full uniform. Her chest 06cb58bc10 was adorned 0e81ad1a44 with numerous 3247259626 medals, and f229b64b63 each side 0d36b08aa5 of her 3440aa6489 collar bore e5955d5bfb a taegeuk¹and a mugunghwa emblem.0b0f0bad68c7c4d2

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She took a 1b45b69653 can of orange 2628ad06f1 juice from the 1301bfbd02 mini-fridge and placed 1978b57e60 it in front 70dc44a99f of Guk Jiho.0a292eb4c8f49945

“Thank you.”458e103041b6ca36

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His hands 2d67275ed4 were clammy, 7379e67e9a so he 2a0b2f4b6d just held dd57f4080b the cold f268a9f7b8 can. Director Jang 81d57a1ffa urged him.b839b17733d65f49

“Why aren’t you drinking?”4a08550311cd79a2

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“Ah, I’ll drink it now.”09b9ea324bcb7b39

Director Jang Eunhyung 58c74f0b10 watched intently as be70bc2f84 the young man 7266d7a02a opened the can e78c6016a1 and took a f77d8d0544 sip.900a02db0b2c8745

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“Drink while you listen.”634fff85bf6c5033

There was no ed59e4e11d way he could 5c0ee95a02 drink while the 2be7de213f director was speaking, 1442757143 so Guk Jiho a0d044a4ec quickly set the 00d3442ff6 can down.03cb06ff2d0fc872

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“There’s an important operation. The police have been working on it for eight years now.”4abe8d4e71f14f91

She got 8a8753532a straight to 48b584d96e the point 3c0b19b710 without any 75a842ad47 small talk, b0a5e30bc8 her gaze 6dcc48036e unwavering.3aa35350e666a50e

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“Yes, Director.”3ee5923e1435519e

“The problem is, every time we send our detectives in, they end up dead.”b378f18bf44f7746

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“Is that so?”f91baf80b8fc3173

“Three have died. Of course, we questioned the person in charge of the deployment. And you know what they said? ‘Send someone who can handle themselves.’ He was blaming the dead officers.”fb76d57474164693

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The pace 7242b1abf1 was too e061b19cc4 fast. Even though 723c7b3f80 her tone e45e77c6ab was slow, 045f7a1b86 Guk Jiho 79ceb97499 felt like 510a7c1d10 he was 5b24d731d6 scrambling to 26e360154f keep up 0b527d972b with what a50354a16e she was c71489f6b0 saying. ce40265901ce16d7

“Yes…”5cc21a9de1e2bfc2

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First of all, 57046cc8e2 it didn’t make 58b3ef86df sense for the 6c1afae643 two of them c150f25174 to be meeting 9c55f6bb9b like this, and 4958380e3f sharing operational details 0227308b76 was way above 3358c6c291 his pay grade.5910a624d114ecbc

“Special forces officers are good with their bodies, right? And they make quick judgments.”e8e42cb0c786e80e

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The director dipped 87fa05c19f her tea bag 56a8be8ab8 into hot water. As the tea ab773c17d6 spread, her intentions 686ffc8a54 became clear.5851c37c25d79ad3

So, she wanted to 0e30639977 deploy a special forces d349bc026b officer for this operation.c749cb8a75e37b46

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Guk Jiho pushed b60c24d879 the juice can 483b974c5b aside and leaned 7fbc6d3a54 forward. He only drank this 9126fe7c2e stuff before workouts, he a933e77eca wouldn’t even touch it c649ebcaeb otherwise.a58749887afe8e40

“Does our commander know about this?”65b1835d748f382c

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“Hmm… Don’t worry about that. Of course, we’ve politely asked for your cooperation.”0f93a727a5e24cf1

That meant the 9254abc4be commander couldn’t protect a22622a9b0 him. Feeling his blood run fa282b1cb0 cold, Guk Jiho spoke af3b625a59 up hastily.a5252056e8507b58

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“Director, I still have a lot to learn. I’m not ready for such an important mission…”28b89e712b7e3400

“We’ve looked into everything. There are some areas where you’re lacking, but Officer Guk Jiho, you’re the most suitable person for what we need.”6bbf6b3cb98b11a8

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“Do I have the right to refuse?”7842c37c8c0f24d4

“I heard you’re quite skilled with firearms. You use them often, and you’ve even tend to overdo it sometimes, right?”9301b43441c5f396

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Director Jang 9336b75952 Eunhyung casually 30be8416cf remarked as 91653b68db she removed f5f08f4e91 the tea abc04630f2 bag and 7f92929ffd set it 8032103a78 aside.28ba64d3e1f1f0e5

“I’ve never fired without orders.”d2716ade22390eb9

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“This isn’t America. What situation in South Korea requires the police to use guns? We’d have to investigate whoever gave that order. The older you get, the more skeletons you have in your closet, so it’s easy to strip you of your rank².”bdcfc9d503756f70

Director Jang’s voice sounded like that of someone in their thirties or forties. Her speech was clear and smooth, almost as if she were deliberately modulating her tone. It felt like she was setting a trap, waiting for her prey to fall in…c77e984a9ba46911

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Either do as you’re 075a798802 told, or drag me f343943835 and many others into 5eb9d6799e despair.8b72ad499a351315

Guk Jiho realized he e0c1dcbd75 only had two choices. It was a tired 2cdd513080 old threat often used a8409e27e3 in hierarchical organizations.98c86c8f7cad3dd1

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“…If the mission succeeds, will I get a special promotion?”4cb2a022c98330a7

Guk Jiho 0e6fcac063 asked in 65867d5e63 a half-resigned dc1c71b7c9 tone.9adb52aa98870b64

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An operation 845bccdbd9 that had fdbb437dd3 been ongoing 089dc1e865 for over 5820b1ef9a eight years, e3f1a5bdbc a flagship d758849c16 project of fb0f5bb36c the police f1ddab62e6 headquarters. Only small, elite teams 94b44a08c8 were deployed, and it 65ea8dc69e was so dangerous and 0220863298 secretive that three detectives ce8d8d5a01 had died.29fe06d64974b2f2

If it were related to North Korea, it would fall under the National Intelligence Service’s jurisdiction… So what was it?6d51f26c41024fac

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“Officer Guk, you’re currently a police sergeant, right?”b13dbc0a24dd715e

“Yes, that’s correct.”93a5f1987b8330af

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“I’ll promise you a three-rank promotion.”0064d96ff3cfe595

A three-rank promotion… to police lieutenant. That’s a position that would normally take decades to achieve through standard procedures. Guk Jiho’s face stiffened at the director’s extraordinary offer.9fec6df0810fd9ec

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“Director…”c1c30d088274d55a

“Don’t get emotional yet.”d3afb0355d749fec

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“I’m not emotional yet.”38c0bf72ef649d83

“I see you’re not easily moved.”4ddba6d3ef0a74a3

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Director Jang tilted 5ec95bc02a her head and b29d320dbc looked at the b0d9e7be8b young man with b3fcd6e681 a bored expression. To her, this 6406362ea2 back-and-forth was just daa9e0bfd8 another nuisance.74622024ef10ddba

“Nothing good comes easy in this world.”d691bc27e74350bb

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“Yes, that’s true.”e4d80610ced7bd09

“…Is this an undercover operation in a gang?”58a2ccf06a961f3c

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The director took a 2996864d20 sip of her tea 2d38d6b7ad and smiled faintly.fd395fb5b5887fa5