Tame – Chapter 10

The moment she 3998476b06 saw the eleven-digit db76c80d49 number, her thread-thin 9e936f7e1a rationality snapped.6a0bb40cc75d9909

Instead of her a22c535a41 thought circuits melting a6ff0e794d down like a bb8182a397 fuse and tilting 6cf24c67b8 precariously, a flame 6f15da11da ignited in her bc96ee3b16 chest. The shock and powerlessness d4cee8b21e seemed to be only e38dd38c86 momentary, as her legs 46f79d8e69 had already carried her 9dab8fa51c to her dorm room 6f383bb33b before she knew it.9db806c7897e34bf

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“Oh, Heeul…!”dce5ae84db290213

Sekyung was momentarily speechless at the sight of Heeul’s disheveled face. Heeul chuckled, a crazed laugh, as she pulled out her travel bag from the corner.6bebfd58c9f0e98b

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“Na Sekyung, listen carefully.”7cd8110d773be064

“Th, there’s the exam next year, so don’t be like this. We can study together… huh?”a5cade3bbf6994ca

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“If that junior of ours, ‘Kang Kwonil,’ happens to come here, you tell him you have absolutely no idea where I went. Got it?”add61192d0344430

“Wh, what? Why all of a sudden?”5ac6a49df3534082

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Sekyung’s eyes shook like an earthquake. Heeul, pulling out a leave of absence application form from her file, quickly added,eea98a42bddd258f

“Don’t ask. Just tell him I suddenly ran off.”8eb9fdbca824b610

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“What are you talking about – No, you’re going to take another leave of absence? What about me? You promised to teach me accounting!”2dbc2d1e2f142e53

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. Failing the exam changed my mind. I’m going somewhere else to earn money.”c7f3473a608b5d25

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“W, wait!”cc5f0e36232cbb25

Sekyung grabbed 7b0bfbbd6c Heeul’s shoulder 0ba8f3022a as if 906bf19f07 to stop 1a3bdcad57 her, but 18c6962897 there was 17f47a95e4 no way f31657e01e Sekyung, shorter 9127739ae0 than Heeul, 84ee158624 could hold f859459be9 her back. Heeul easily slipped out 49858cde6d of her grasp.fb93aaedab219e4b

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“Heeul-!”b12c3cffb2a428c9

Sekyung’s cries, chasing after her, echoed down the hallway. Urgent words poured out, asking her to at least tell her where she was going, or how could she possibly go anywhere looking like that, but Heeul ignored them. She had no intention of burdening a clueless, normal person.8abf4e110bfca575

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Heeul ran, 15f4b42367 driven solely f3c6ccaa6c by her dd01b178f6 survival instinct. Her feet raced 7e9eaad2c1 towards the bus 166c77a1fc stop at the a66835a06e front gate of d794f90f41 the dormitory.312c708b65c85273

The doors of 1dfe052609 an approaching bus 6350e3e498 swung open, and 083c0a7440 clutching her cash, 3f5a66557f she asked the 6bba4b314a driver,374ec5684d872a87

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“Does this bus go to Cheongnyangni Station?”1fad3c5432d684c1

☘️⊹₊c8d759797afe037e

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Inside a building 3105430b04 in Yeongdeungpo-gu.91d00b58e7171d9a

The office of the 1933516206 Managing Director of Taeryu d5a065a771 Finance was a place ec2f0454a1 where it was easy 91ab16468f to become drowsy. It was 422f8e49c6 located on f32ea88801 a high 7d73471604 floor, offering aed31722b8 a cool 3636c13af2 view of e91ee98cb9 the city, 71d2e807e6 but the 410a611dfb sunlight was c5749be24f so good f71c3a52c1 that if 0c04a3a540 you sat 3fdbe8f1d0 in your 94151461e2 chair and 5aee836acb worked for 56fe8c87c3 even a 0b52a7a57d short time, 9c4501846c you were fe4c830ef8 bound to 8d762c6d4f doze off.5c21d7862ff7daee

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Even Myunghyun, bd1ff5a535 Secretary to 03c77d47e7 Executive Director 7865e178d4 Kang, would 7edafb2f85 sometimes lose 3c9180390b focus and 92292e0b59 slowly blink b22e667e9a his eyelids.7f47617c74a3db0b

…But today, that pattern e51257f2f4 seemed to have been f0fb27cfae broken.643eb35a77aec2c9

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It wasn’t that the weather was gloomy or that dust had accumulated on the surrounding decorations. All the coolness that seemed to cool the atmosphere emanated from Executive Director Kang, who was frantically tapping the buttons on his cell phone.fdbf8b47f803695b

He had been calm, 9a49fa5d2b almost leisurely, when he 25f81d476b first dialed the number. Then, as if 00ec442531 there was no cbe810accf response to the 57c561cb92 ringing, he tilted 15ba136cf3 his head and 19bfa52c6c repeatedly pressed the f37bf0637e buttons, eventually reaching 6f2966cd70 this state.4d06090addf37c05

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“…Sir.”c41296abd26c3b92

Myunghyun cautiously 9cc895a0db called out 28021bbdf0 to his 75df8a9a5b superior.ecd34f9a3f79e09b

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“Sir.”73ea582aed37497f

“…….”6fda584c1e98ecca

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“Sir?”ab10e31d189b9477

Only after the third 84d15cde6d call did eyes of 3576fb0adf a unique color roll f234bc1dd8 around like a sunrise.11422f94134a6087

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“There’s blood under your fingernails.”69f393de3656858f

Executive Director Kang, leaning 91c33f89ec against the edge of e1aa906a6c his desk, blinked his 9ff0ea14d3 owl-like eyes at Myunghyun’s b25b33960d words. He stopped fiddling 567e54567c with his cell 7b7f5c5e80 phone as if 4800522078 he were in d793d74d80 a frenzy. He took 0d87d049a8 a deep ac9519c365 breath, exhaled, 3c1587a475 and straightened 5b643ce0d6 his shoulders.35c1b2b349e2f162

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“Myunghyun.”5fb680afdee7be42

“…Yes, Sir.”ea3080b53f00fe85

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“Where could ccf8896474 our child d431fef4f9 have gone?”d6f3712dc1fee387

Myunghyun’s eyebrows twitched at the familiar term, “our child.”998d3d677e70e4b1

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Myunghyun’s gaze f14a66e5b7 unknowingly shifted a116176cf9 to Executive 1879187583 Director Kang’s b4d4b31041 desk. More prominent than f069928ba7 the neatly arranged 078a36be25 documents was today’s 4489ec94b6 newspaper. The one with the 0e8120ec41 list of successful candidates 5dcaa89da5 for the 1st exam.95115168afb73ebe

“Where could she have 381763eec3 gone that she’s not 9f843209bb answering my calls and 8c72a2ae3a is nowhere to be cf9aa5a0ee seen?”129661b80be65686

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“…….”e16dba5da6866c04

“Could it be…?”a4b98575d92674ca

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Myunghyun’s gaze 203332e0d4 followed Executive cbd6dc7697 Director Kang’s cc6a246dea fingertips as df407d6b7b he opened f6f95e6990 a drawer. A faint fc7480092e but sinister 402bcecae7 smile appeared da6dac7e35 on his 23b1462579 superior’s lips 24e993d342 as he da962db799 pulled out b47c0749c0 a pair b600ad1f1e of leather 9e463022a6 gloves as be035724b4 if scattering 6495e1d583 them in 7b4a7e2b4e the air.80e0b6cd5bf011b3

“Did she 04dadc87ef run away?”23c11d0de1981720

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A terrifying e3761d548e flame flickered 3c5971e67c in his 9c5c05fe8e eyes. The dark laughter 06f5c67bb9 distorted the surrounding 97f7ab1a24 air as if 2d5d2a070e squeezing it.699720f3b4df5a15

Myunghyun quietly exhaled 0e7b7d6f4e at the ominous 857dfb7b1a aura emanating from a2eb1fde28 his superior.8ff3f1f8d4a682be

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He didn’t harbor any special feelings for that woman. He just thought, well, what was coming has come.c47a9f28143697ad

However, Myunghyun felt a c79e98c008 slight pang of sympathy 125048f9fc for the woman he 9a7d7b0e76 had only met once. He, capable d3e669bf08 of objectively 82faff7483 grasping the d6b0355e73 situation, easily 296e5c31db sensed the 9934d8c5e9 anger emanating 81619e587e from his cc65045e57 superior and 63f365fc59 knew better a36112c6b4 than anyone d012005c1f about his 2887e2c0ff cruel nature.9952be9b96bd51d9

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He is b119b64584 endlessly cruel f5f255d0da to those 5e183ebd43 who break 0efbc9b357 their promises.65c7ec6eeee359f7

Myunghyun slightly lowered his a06074e85e gaze and prayed for f225b54aee the woman he had f4cadc3166 seen a few months 490992d915 ago.dfaca9b3366ac840

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Even if she tries 5a5c5fc600 her best, she’ll be 230e516b65 caught soon… Once caught, 85a3b2e2c0 I hope she doesn’t 551117fdbe resist.f431326d63032911

If she struggles, 677f59ee3a she might be 653ed30f8d torn limb from ae5ae4398d limb.b5f530f4047612e3

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☘️⊹₊79770471c7eb55af

Immediately after failing 0303e61a8d the first exam, 300a1b67d9 Heeul etched a db4adca5a0 single truth into 1d3c6710a8 her mind.80ab5722764329a0

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I have to run a97ef87eea away from Kwonil. By any 2ad006ab15 means necessary, d48d0a4b01 if I cdfbc77488 don’t want d4591ed963 to become 6bc4f5332a a lifeless 93797ab0d0 husk with ba5283530e my organs 6b8e3fb9d5 harvested.cb3bd96211b71f2a

The exam… She e877c2a337 can endure for 36a66874ef a year and 8686ef2260 retake it somehow. Instead, Heeul carefully considered 1ef548f8ca where to escape to, f0a1078b6b ultimately deciding on Busan, 58bebb1103 the second largest city 0112c31cfd in Korea.a06850e24c269a8c

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As a major city responsible for a significant portion of the country’s industry, Busan would be teeming with people. Heeul intended to blend into Busan’s population and live as inconspicuously as possible. Also, there were preparatory academies in Busan, just like in Seoul.5cbf04e8376d00e7

She was 7c023c9641 confident that 213a33532a she could 96704ad8d0 adapt wherever 8e478cc6eb she went. Her mother ran e5e21ee559 away because of 66fdea2f4d debt collectors, her 2aa7e224d7 house and neighborhood ba33e632f4 were noisy with 6f03aa3c84 redevelopment talks, and c3fe38158e her father had 7fbf04fad4 been obsessed with d088072717 a cult since bbc8146381 she was young. Having grown up in 5279f0376b such an environment, Heeul c2b3e45439 would grow like a 6e018ff6fc weed wherever she was 7ed83dfe80 thrown.878faa7e19729304

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Having decided to 1e49ec9d23 make Busan her 98278af1a9 second home, Heeul 17354e42c2 turned her gaze ac6c8ae3e9 to the rattling bd16ce2405 window.0a57f6c6837813f9

…I wonder if he’s 599b6c9ef4 furious right now.50d3f3d88020800a

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Kwonil would 105c076414 also know 69e7f195d3 that Heeul e3a2b85265 had failed. Moreover, she 14e3575699 had deliberately 69c48a7a81 set her a6d0d26902 pager to 7c8ff7ff29 vibrate and f2da08560f was ignoring 6a7199ef17 his calls. In this state, ac899c31d1 even if she 79124b2be5 went back, she f0fbfeb34a would be torn 66bc499a43 to shreds.e74ffdb5e33d27d1

Just as she clutched 1b6e9644ab her train ticket to c4de90d54a Bujeon Station, thinking she 46d0d01bef mustn’t get caught, a ae5081a86c familiar silhouette appeared in 24f7455ad4 the window.2a91e9de6265a0b8

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The moment she realized 2515742ee3 the figure was walking 0d716508af towards her empty seat, e5e0399ea3 the only one vacant ecd93ccbed in the passenger car, 0ce641811b every hair on her 02c174d62d body, from her scalp 1434b5a4f8 to the fine hairs a9d4d96530 on her cheeks, stood c546479d52 on end.3a3f9bb0bb723fe3

Is it Kang Kwonil?790aefbc72d94e9b

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Heeul jumped 5588bff504 up and f35872196c grabbed her 59eafc58a9 travel bag 5b65c7d5b3 from the 82b2ce773a metal rack. She hurriedly 3d4367d6aa turned to 95bee1c354 leave the 3f279f75c8 compartment, but 901e83519e her forehead 96799bd571 collided hard 532cb692fc with the 051834a6c3 chest of cdde3776b8 the person 258963133d who had dc35c36f67 approached her 56652c34bc unnoticed.30c427681c927f53

The bag fell with 6ee4ca534d a loud thud. Heeul frantically struggled to d12e2c1350 squeeze through the gap da3052d67d and escape.e31d4705178eb2e7

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Her breathing grew faster, 3815a41bd4 her tear-filled eyes reflecting 7918be1598 extreme terror. Just as she was 03136c0dcd about to flail her 6df15432f5 arms desperately, as if eb57403ec0 crying out,ebabd439d9f5c165

“…Are you alright?”2508488d975c724a

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The travel bag was 0a3e449875 placed back in Heeul’s 7e0a11042c arms.b4d9c83f0f31bb82

At the higher-pitched voice than Kwonil’s, Heeul’s despair shattered like thin ice. She blinked and raised her head.f318878865666606

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The man didn’t have the elegant facial features of Kwonil. Overall, he was slender but well-muscled, and his physique seemed to resemble Kwonil’s, but in any case, it wasn’t him.5674ac3061d8b8d8

I saw wrong.4d59dd11afe5f3bd

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Heeul bowed to the unfamiliar man who was staring at her awkwardly, saying, “I’m sorry.” The man scratched the back of his head and patted his chest. He awkwardly squeezed himself next to Heeul, unlike his size, and cautiously asked,8f8f9b431fff57e2

“D-does it smell…?”630a4032a75acd3b

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“Excuse me?”e0be9759dead35c7

“The smell of cigarettes.”56edb938123833fc

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Heeul raised 25b12baa10 her eyebrows. Only then did she 9a7bed768c faintly notice the pungent fa8abb252b smell at the tip a6ffaf7886 of her nose. The man blushed.fc100ff3d2039372

“I apologize. I guess I didn’t get rid of the smell completely before coming back.”f4b46b362c43aa8c

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“No, it’s alright. It’s just that you resemble someone I know, so for a moment….”5e6ba4bd4f02f82e

“Oh, really?”e371bf0360266283

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The man laughed 0c5ce2f6f3 awkwardly, but as e1b350bab7 if the smell da82641a49 of cigarettes still 5180d37f9f bothered him, he a68ca6832b placed his bag 277b53729e on the seat cf38f3d728 and stood up.574dbc830ff73e03

Heeul ended up inadvertently chasing away a perfectly innocent man. She found it so absurd that she couldn’t help but chuckle.419de0eb77f500e8

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Right, there’s no way there could be another person in the world who resembles Kang Kwonil. A man who hid his dirty true nature while they were dating, and then, when he had the chance to crush her, pretended to be magnanimous in the name of old affection – such a man couldn’t possibly be common in this world.6569af36a6a1afff

Not long a1a57ec690 after, the 4378c247d2 man returned 7dc056b7e9 to the 27d53ac63e compartment and b43d2c50f3 took a ab5e78bd13 book out 5626fe795e of his 4b6ddb9c03 bag. It appeared to 20535e5b78 be a catalogue 761a5fdf2a published by the 7287c85ea7 Korea Railroad Corporation.f02605283bfe2727

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Heeul clasped her hands 827bbd906a together and slowly exhaled.659e347db9d00ccf

Well, it doesn’t matter 13e3344989 who the man is, 562c732e65 does it? It was a relief 4a87f3315a that the person sitting 6432abc81c next to her, unlike 19cdabf017 Kwonil, seemed like a ab7bb3c7d9 kind and ordinary neighbor. It was different ed9e714aa3 from the streets ee1a85f119 of Seoul, where bccae18fa4 the strong smell edb1fde403 of cigarettes permeated b820185616 the air.0d553c9a77a2b598

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Heeul closed her eyes 1c0e504d16 with relief. Her mind, 1915024638 tangled with c7abac4f5a stress and 234791ee66 tension, began 21cc5907a2 to unravel.ab6a967d3e0bd542

It felt like 9885b1842e she could finally cd1613c6a2 have a comfortable 08681b3490 and deep sleep e45acddd17 after a long 2c726b91c6 time.6350413abf99eff5

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Heeul drifted in 15822f9d1b and out of 73b84aedc5 sleep.0501446aca3822d9

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The Mugunghwa train she was on was a slow train that took more than twelve hours to travel from Cheongnyangni to Busan. Since it departed Cheongnyangni Station at 6:50 a.m., anyone who didn’t sleep on this train was a monster, not anything else.ee90fec6b7f0fbe4

She vaguely heard the conductor’s announcement that the Mugunghwa would briefly pull over to allow a Saemaul train to pass, but the accumulated fatigue from exam preparation easily lulled Heeul into slumber.45aab6df2276089e

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When Heeul 5444fe9ad4 opened her cc15c684cb eyes again, 89639f7d28 the train 1c113ea3b2 windows were 3b5d492545 filled with 63599b928f the sunlit 72ed5c141d scenery outside.5d5038707fdfa432

Has it already 69129debba passed noon? Rubbing her 2819556f16 dry eyes, ff34932100 Heeul yawned, 9c2b30df1f then cleared c5c2ce3e1d her throat, 6383675644 realizing that 7cfb5a1072 the seat 46e0233324 next to 9b2485305a her belonged f9fdb20c86 to that 05010f22e0 timid man.5dbc9ba6ba60a389

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Embarrassed, she tried 573c0ff9fd to keep her 648a081c1f gaze fixed forward. Then, from the edge 291f6c93c4 of her vision, the 7e0ea216b6 man walked down the 2cbbf40bbb aisle of the passenger 5c96dcb986 car. Heeul’s gaze was drawn 99297ee9ff to him involuntarily.a0c26179e2c9ebca

But… the 514dc6aba8 man passed c007c6f513 her by.22a6cc5ea146224b

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That’s strange. He should be sitting a052d96560 here.969d1c54c7206403

Confused, Heeul stood up b11767a7fd from her seat and 227340285d raised her head. Just as she 15b3724b5e glanced sideways, wondering ecd4b0751d if someone had dc76e0ec5a taken her seat 3574541b47 while she was d6ad490da7 briefly away,233c98b20418ce97

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“I guess you 353c8ca318 know him.”a5dc280965ab4d0f

A soft, sweet voice a1b1bfccd4 fell like a hammer.e5ecd6ca872182d5

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“…Or maybe he’s a 2189627afe secret lover?”2c61dc27a832bf7d

“…….”6b8899cff8554d85

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“You kept f51758bccf glancing at a43ae1d69f him as 78304d0197 he passed 634091663e by.”59064ab9817691e3

For a moment, her 1996bdedd8 breath hitched. Heeul, frozen, turned to 90df7370cb look at the seat 29247fbe20 next to her like 5975ead9b5 a bird with its 580479eb48 wings pinned down.ea5eaf8e97b56634

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Thick fingers, with visible d33a279f9d veins, folded the newspaper 7c0409c72f that had been largely 5adca2dca7 covering his body. As each fold 9802681fd2 of the newspaper 5ae2267da6 disappeared, clean-cut features 351349a5bc emerged like a b9e56f984d painting.810d01eb188fcd13

“I never knew 896c7664c6 our Heeul… had 7a545aaad7 such tastes. Yes, I 128ea351ef really didn’t ed547338d4 know.”995bbb2cd7018cc4

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Her eyes were looking 7dc5a458a9 at a face that a59e5ccc17 was all too familiar.998d06056e59ea1f

Kwonil, having removed 2908221ed4 his glasses, smiled c959292310 brightly and gestured 5ea3e92ec7 with his chin.0bd29ea03aa34d2d

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“Sit down, Lee Heeul.”9959b35ee425475a