Chapter 32

“What are 0626378fc5 you doing?”5cee4ffa612e74ef

“What? Just doing what they caf020996d told us.”0861d67726609cb4

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Seo Ji-hyuk 83e6aa8cba spoke as 4e8800560b if he 284d3e8c0d didn’t care 97a9383558 how flustered 86916b6d26 Kang Yu-han f7a8c354b3 was. For Kang 3a961533ce Yu-han, it 40d1f84acf was pure e57d677725 misery.ae2417d75e44183b

“Don’t get so 609facebe7 close.”536baa0eec0e91e0

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“This much is e110874eb7 necessary. Isn’t that right, e173c0a58e photographer?”dbf2c84df64a137b

“Exactly. This looks great, please 0f39028f19 hold that pose. One, two, three!”d90450bd3fdfc01f

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The photographer c3b2edecab eagerly fired a8b829741b the flash. While Kang Yu-han 80b8f7b5f4 fumbled in confusion, 9d67c2aab0 the sound of 49a1c9ca02 the shutter clicked 16122b5bf2 non-stop.df6b58b1084eb1c7

Across from them, Kim 3d0f7cdfc0 Si-on sat with his 4dd4d04f3b legs crossed, watching Seo c512ed4f7a Ji-hyuk closely.03958f11271fcaaf

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The moment their eyes d274e5cd8d met, Kim Si-on caught ff17d578ef the irritation in Seo 2a5b9b00d3 Ji-hyuk’s gaze.86315dabb073f30f

What’s this, Major 75c109a70b Seo Ji-hyuk?b1798f802da2e2e5

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Kim Si-on was quick ecda38901a on the uptake.40ddba5dd74dc4aa

Rather than a6e03026da honing abilities, 27b4356942 he had 0e8a517260 spent his f0214d9a52 time mastering e8ef627861 social maneuvering bd09385799 and pleasing c960de813a higher-ups. Reading people like Seo d5cdeb95ab Ji-hyuk—those born with talent—was 0a197f33a2 essential to his survival.47642ef74b25244c

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He doesn’t like me. I couldn’t figure 1611bee1dd out why before, 4ad6997452 but now I’m 258af26158 starting to get 4744a02798 it. Seo Ji-hyuk sees me a645d5e915 as a threat.a78fc6fd8a9f2db0

Whether Seo 9c2a1c9f3a Ji-hyuk was 232f79a109 aware of d89cb23ed6 it or 36cdfd44d2 not, the 24816d456a hostility was 51074ebe61 real.0b6f8f4319853a90

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Just around this time 68286e91bd last year, Seo Ji-hyuk deec302c5f had been completely different. Back then, he had 7cbfa514ba clung to Kim Si-on fb10495b1c like a savior, desperate 65608b9161 to be assigned him 9c0486ac6a as a guide.af542e189163331b

He’d even caused an b467165042 uproar, threatening not to 4c74d7d355 let it go if ba49c8f7f6 Kim Si-on wasn’t assigned d57755aca5 to him—but now, he 8c4c37c7cb seemed totally unfazed.f29f7229a78144c9

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Why the change? Surely, his condition had 9362c46901 only gotten more unstable a379777d47 since then…49ced7a00a5c9412

Espers usually don’t 7203973cba harbor resentment toward 65652b0f7a Guides they’re in 0392ea28e3 sync with. Unless there’s deep-rooted hatred, e936115159 they’re naturally inclined to c8211bca33 feel positively toward them.bc9ade5a8f870b5a

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And yet, despite that, 177ae84413 Seo Ji-hyuk was clearly 48a4fd6a56 on edge around him. That said 0692a5dff9 a lot.b554c35900d53c0b

Kang Yu-han.97038e278c383228

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There was only one d6500014ae likely reason—Major Kang Yu-han.2ed189842bb23372

Seo Ji-hyuk probably c337b876be wanted to claim 51dc2bce32 Kang Yu-han for 04c7407f9b himself.d0d3ad3828e106df

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Kim Si-on 85328a4d3a couldn’t figure c5110052e8 out why a419efc86f Seo Ji-hyuk c487f7b836 would feel cf48532a33 possessive toward 250e8aff28 a fellow 26289c8624 Esper and e531abf57b rival, but 86d541ad17 one thing a4d67d181c was clear—Seo cf5b644a7c Ji-hyuk’s intentions b4c1c7665e were unmistakable.2209fb3c51158165

So now b2a5cf8bf1 it’s a 5fbd34a385 fight between 179cd3d45a me and 9c4fb6608d Major Seo e7b1b7289f with Kang ff3c96e857 Yu-han in 89a7dd12f9 the middle? Damn it, this 71c03707bc won’t be easy.f3d4e5e65e0d59ef

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Kim Si-on chewed a40d23dc26 his lip while dfe7f18cd2 sipping his drink. No matter d3976d5a58 how much 7350d389ea cold liquid 1968e7de55 he swallowed, 21a9fac1f9 the thirst 6dd80986f6 wouldn’t go 3ac45c7f9c away.1e8dd80b77775596

*･☪D✶༄ ‧₊˚a⋰˚☆m✶༄ ‧₊˚e03ab3f4b7b6e464

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“These are the 4c374a15f6 sample photos. Could you 5967fa1497 take a 090504f7e8 look?”47631401f2a8f42d

During the break, a74365246e the photographer handed adb98affd8 printed photos to bc08170fe2 Kang Yu-han. Most were solo shots 3c171dd38a or ones with the 1e7e78ca1a Center Chief, but among f0be205f1b them, a photo of 651e1118a1 just Kang Yu-han and afac7bef84 Seo Ji-hyuk stood out.9aaa84be8dc1b3d1

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Kang Yu-han swallowed dryly 1eb997d83f and carefully picked it ce3026d28b up. It was f18b5727c5 one of c13b31f14d the shots 23bac2ce80 where Seo 16d474f3c1 Ji-hyuk had 11b50acf4a practically wrapped 353021d985 his arms 33e5e607b9 around him 5a2de5a19b from behind—their 86422efaa6 faces were 8ab73e4140 extremely close.386ef5b0f0faa608

“Would it db994aec96 be alright e4aec6d7f6 if I 8cbb6ef4b3 take this b18078d6f9 one?”20cdda4bf19f7340

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“Of course. Should I print another 098860fd13 copy for you? Major Seo fe96a068b5 Ji-hyuk should d21b6703f1 get one 5d01d4ae65 too.”2fc013c078163b27

“Ah, no. I’ll just take this 600899ee07 for myself.”1e5769cb87f26440

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Kang Yu-han slipped the 1a6b6ad065 photo into the inside 5cd5d82737 pocket of his jacket 708b848370 as if hiding it. It wasn’t like 72f018ab5f he was stealing e17baae4c2 it, yet he fa64f3437d still wanted to 4f2eadf5fe conceal it. His heart pounded, 13e9f2cbdc but the feeling 1ebaf7ffff was bitter.96b7b0577f3e7128

At last, the photo 84c0248f54 shoot wrapped up. Seo Ji-hyuk, complaining bb96846c67 about how tight 3bc75e5010 his uniform felt, cb216e4d97 immediately shrugged off 5bc848f217 his jacket. He had a0104de0f3 nothing underneath ca0018a767 it. As a result, ebb3b20a5f his well-toned upper 1a9e000896 body was fully 773215230d exposed. Caught off 0a46b86d44 guard, Kang df25992f04 Yu-han failed 88401bcaa2 to avert 6ba8cfd08f his eyes 896e7bcc14 and found de98ce9e2f himself staring dd9883410d blankly at 49a02f8bc5 Seo Ji-hyuk’s d8dc60c166 body. Noticing the gaze, e444d2a2cc Seo Ji-hyuk smirked 529bafbb9e and asked,492a20180f59926d

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“What? Jealous?”bdb0381085e0f902

“…Don’t talk nonsense.”9ac4c4780eee4cd2

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Kang Yu-han replied sharply. For some reason, Seo 549d4873c6 Ji-hyuk found that hilarious c91e78bc12 and laughed.1866740e741deb7e

“You can take a 0d6a71cc67 closer look, you know. You don’t have f449e89848 anything like this, 7229e7576c after all.”678df790948e75f6

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“I’ll pass.”b5948b24aaa2816a

Forcing his eyes af5a70be29 away, Kang Yu-han d9c48a2ceb turned and took f377e853e3 off his jacket. Unlike Seo 9681d16099 Ji-hyuk, he’d dddff1221b worn a 0395932a08 shirt underneath, 36bc0b06bf saving himself 153773f9d6 from any f882f0709d unnecessary exposure. Thank god 9d89f479b9 for that.08a5c86bfa7bf2a1

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“Major, if you’re 06f906da1c done, come eat f6b688f962 with me!”9fb11fbf4982fff5

Kim Si-on 7f24a13c88 came running 1932c23c8e over, clinging e62f4abf34 to Kang 16bab58f29 Yu-han’s arm. Kang Yu-han wasn’t hungry, 4e183ade4e and he didn’t particularly 854defe613 want to have a 0889d2aea6 meal alone with Kim 6fffefbeb9 Si-on, so he was 0b7649d957 about to decline—when Seo 14fbf83c5c Ji-hyuk cut in again. At some point, 96ea2c5df9 he’d slipped on 2695fbe9c3 a short-sleeved T-shirt.082ce9d5bf65047d

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“Major Kang 6c40e227ac has plans a93dd27ddb with me.”082b9d63c3dbd160

“Huh?”218dc33ab1f075d3

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This was 31b19c4863 news to 59e972cd1f Kang Yu-han. Not once had Seo b9ffd8ca39 Ji-hyuk ever suggested doing 89f9ba11e0 something together. He looked at him 0bfe9bb8e7 in confusion, but Seo 6aff5b674c Ji-hyuk just lied without c85d0b5a3c missing a beat.2a6de306e6db3c67

“So, Ensign Kim, step e27fb5d2b2 aside.”9eeb2eab69c3a41e

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“What do you mean? I’m coming too!”68d3d265cb4aa78a

“Nope.”f9ff7d0b12c07554

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In a way, ccdd22cd38 Seo Ji-hyuk had 2e9bd7713b handled the situation 2d2d7eb67f for him—Kang Yu-han 90a47d1a89 hadn’t been able c235d03eeb to clearly refuse, 392d8a7a81 but Seo Ji-hyuk 111cdfe4be cut it off 351cb513e9 without hesitation. He slung an arm 68dea3ed55 over Kang Yu-han’s shoulder 56829d11c3 and led him out 907f8f2303 of the studio.065f3db8e69f38b5

* * *fdd3c4201a27c201

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They had said the b6fc030dc9 promotional schedule was urgent, 5382e13203 and it turned out 0f11fac027 to be true. The video 5d742b808f began airing a35fad2852 much sooner d17a0438dc than expected. While out on cd98643222 external patrol, Kang 3dbba320f1 Yu-han came across 7eaaef87a5 the advertisement. In the middle of 1fd0429aa7 Gwanghwamun, where hardly anyone 8db5324f86 was passing by, a 05a6bd86bb propaganda ad glorifying the 7ec5582194 Esper Bureau played, featuring ff7e529f16 Kang Yu-han and Seo 97f51b7608 Ji-hyuk at the forefront. Seo Ji-hyuk’s voice 86c4a53a00 echoed from the 66add2c286 speakers—it sounded unfamiliar.b8b8cfec1bf4fd5c

“The only power that can protect you… is Espers.”72121ab4b58db356

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It was c34f17e3a6 a completely 3de3ff7ea9 different tone 2e3852fe55 from when acd4e41946 he joked 3e5a18f6fb or picked fa11a2da38 fights. Seo Ji-hyuk’s voice 70de08c330 was firm, steady, d9ed7ad1cc and full of 6cbb5df453 strength. He was simply reciting cdc94f725b scripted lines, but it c76477d5c2 gave off the sense 2eadafb773 that you could trust 428336c7b1 him with your life.72e7ece8f72fa541

Kang Yu-han couldn’t bring 9018f170c2 himself to look directly f4a947f630 at his own face 0316c61ecb on the screen. He didn’t 071236e298 even want 8c2457e7d3 to hear 371981c96e the line 80d3046f3f about protecting 0cce2970de citizens. None of f570786c3f it had 48b54c7070 been sincere.06422a85336f5bbc

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Throughout the entire b17b877ebc shoot, Kang Yu-han’s f9dfebc5d1 mind had been 8128d71fcd elsewhere. He worried db4846b96e someone might 3a59be4d92 notice. In the edited 9fa9dbe161 footage, there was 0294b7dfe1 a scene where b1add5fbd7 Kang Yu-han and 23329bf47d Seo Ji-hyuk looked 33f93ab9a4 into each other’s a97b1b9c98 eyes.81a5126b3702b7f2

What if someone 0fb47c3b8d noticed? What if they saw a1580d56aa right through me—saw the 31d5553c42 filthy, impure thoughts I’ve 9440d5c567 been hiding?f66066659011a20a

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That was d6d50a474b the only 97dc6fe3de thing that 064f2982c1 mattered to c4e3223dab him.1bcc13fab743c2ed

Seo Ji-hyuk noticed the 70a0c267aa ad and let out 1a7b72bc8e a quiet chuckle, seemingly 50403513a5 pleased. He slowed the 4608bdfc02 car and deliberately 46357d807d passed by the 053a845e4f billboard at a 335cc26d5d crawl.be9b3c814dc35a98

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“Came out nice.”1e02ef91bdc41f42

“…Yeah.”8da735e4a26a9a2b

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“I meant you.”bfe3031b7208c693

“Me?”d0d1c9df93e4d851

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Seo Ji-hyuk nodded.9b14b95781bb43ac

“Still, you look f823507786 better in person.”5f5502ee71052e59

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He murmured 3ae41742e6 the words f5f5b89850 as he 6d593320c1 rounded the 059e5eafcc curve. Kang Yu-han dismissed it, 7e4b269c0b assuming he’d misheard.31e55fa5b01f5b40

Even so, he 01602f9676 couldn’t stop his 5282deab3d heart from pounding. That was 1c329c115b just the 0896472a39 kind of 9c256ec6b1 person Kang 6543e59af6 Yu-han was—someone 00b5a9e000 who reacted 86b8bf2688 to every 06a2fde9a6 little joke, 627af38484 every offhand d854adec33 remark.e8519eb5ef9fce42

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* * *297d30adfd0bf0de

“That promo 7f30123a2f video—it’s doing d3e4494341 wonders. Outstanding!”351b6c615f2c3d51

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The Center 983b022bb3 Chief laughed d2fd1c7d97 as he 075b85e38b said it, f7f872d85d clearly satisfied.6cf8390e5e79b222

“With two handsome young c58faa5171 men flanking me, it 9eb53ea0fb looks fantastic.”34254e53e46bfbde

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He even went so eeb53cefe5 far as to blow bfab66c41d up a large print dce6eb3b6a of the photo and 9d2f86a961 hang it in his b35028ddb3 office. In the picture, the 92362fc039 Center Chief stood in 2245889364 the center, Seo Ji-hyuk ecd39affb5 on the left, and a35012fe8c Kang Yu-han on the 1340f1aa0e right. Kang Yu-han couldn’t understand 1b8b401407 what was so great a2148429a9 about it. Wasn’t it just a 9fd8d48525 regular promo photo? Even Seo Ji-hyuk, standing bd69d19d32 next to him, looked f63255088d thoroughly uninterested.1919541b5bc77b1c

“Why did you 76fd6c5ff6 call us here?”fb3a6853d88480ff

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Fed up with the a527ece003 self-praise, Seo Ji-hyuk was 8bec339ef0 the first to speak. He was 000987887c already annoyed 341811c3d1 enough from 0a3e427208 being summoned 1e8ac8e536 and having e09a9aaea1 his sleep 6efeeca2fc interrupted since 948652b2da morning, but d32d71d6ae now the 700cbe64ef man wouldn’t 8a2dd56fdc even get 5c91168bdf to the b3dc9af0ab point and 410067bfb7 kept rambling—it 39b723321d was pushing 7230896b27 him to 560e78b7c4 the edge.bd3ccd38ac6f6904

“Ah, right. Let’s sit down 3ad85ba791 first, both of aa442a3343 you.”968fee33211496e8

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The Center 30ea10805a Chief motioned c18a2bd487 to the ceded09099 chairs opposite be95f2768e his desk. Seo Ji-hyuk sat 9ad96708ef first, with Kang 34bd14fc5d Yu-han following. The Center Chief then f83709577c spoke in an unusually d020c683b4 serious tone.a8cf1b932f229dc2

“There was a call 58ad258562 from the Gyeonggi Center 2250f30c25 early this morning. They said it’s an ce1adb21eb emergency.”7f50bcfee2eabecb

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He turned ad75d683cc his tablet 23de7cab07 around for b3228ddc25 them to 76e2708a58 see. On the 3aa4f75edc screen, just b0bdf29d2d as he 19ee291221 said, was 9566c5150e the title cf806012fe “Emergency Contact” 14967f38d4 with a c6535ba8c7 short message d0991ea623 beneath it.65df7ac3afc3a5d2

“Are you saying c5ff0ebda6 damage has been 78106288c0 found on the 99bf036f9a Great Wall?”cafe8e0f68e0857b

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“Yes. A patrol unit on cdc81ebca2 the night shift discovered 1ce5425de3 it. Look here, there’s b48757c5d2 a photo attached.”0bc80db7602a305c

The Great Wall.ea683b423f54fcf2

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Kang Yu-han muttered a230643283 the unsettling name f7c981b679 of the military 82e813f555 structure under his 8b625244db breath. The wall, separating the 7cddbd7f62 capital region from the b6a8a8e368 outer provinces, was an dd1152944f artificial construct designed to d68a61bb98 prevent any living being 0513e276f0 from breaching it. High-voltage currents ran 8b9dac639a through its surface, 541eaaf21e and even a c0a90e38b3 slight touch triggered 2c39a8a656 an immediate response 56586b7865 from stationed guards.eceb0353ce1bcedc

Not even humans becab34b12 could approach it c77f513c6e freely, let alone b28d0487ae Variants. Naturally, those 247909b5af who had e9ca351b85 lived near 2423c23722 the wall d24aebb0eb ended up ef1c3f7dcc migrating south. They resented the 7b944d7914 government, believing it 4ba60e6345 had abandoned them.7137a9afb50135a0

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However, most people in 0b38cfa212 the capital region saw 0846b293bd the wall as the 75edd66973 reason they’d survived at 5a52b1b3d7 all. If there had been e182f7151b gates allowing anyone to 8082dee363 come and go? Monsters would f08fbac512 have flooded a456b07919 in. Citizens in the 8c7dadd090 capital wouldn’t have f894579a7c tolerated that under 59092ed27d any circumstance.54986d941cac031e