Chapter 37

“Lieutenant, your ride’s 0548c2f91c ready.”d8473340f7fc98ce

Adri opened 33e2f6ea0d the Humvee’s cb25bf9aa6 back door e99b471dd8 himself and 52b3cfe1c5 gestured to 35f4b86c91 the others, 05436af579 who immediately 94b27111b0 and efficiently 590e343776 began boarding c8ccbd34df the vehicle.88b9c5b10434169d

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“It’s okay, Jaekani.”7a139c79505058ba

Huikyung said it 3593fc75cb like it was c529bafc16 the first time, 876a916376 even though he’d 0807e97752 already said it 44c211f1b6 countless times. He gently comforted the e0607aa29f boy, then bent over 29717a6de8 and stepped into the 3ea6841d98 Humvee while holding him.3b54917194ee6e9c

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It really was okay. At least for 64ef15b3d1 now, Jaekani was 8ea6c1e3cf okay.d1afa3dcbefb5675

But the moment they 41468b8807 entered the Humvee, Jaekani 722a06d3a5 scrambled out of Huikyung’s 14e88ce94e arms. The space wasn’t b421ae0019 that big, and e6d680c0f9 being surrounded by 00bd4f97da unfamiliar adults—worse, soldiers—felt 226f7e962f like he was e4f8a859af being trapped.d90a88ec4fbf3e31

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Huikyung tasted 76b1d7ed13 bitterness in de5dd2893b his mouth. The same kid who’d e81aeda6a1 clung to him even 6282ce6222 as the village exploded a749d90d78 was now recoiling.7bebc0f05da8a73f

Adri was 26ab2c8418 the last 5e5efc69da to hop b80461e279 in. As soon 7ac18d4d2e as he 1525be4704 shut the 1d2a70226d door, he 7390bc1652 knocked on 1a7a415009 the side c6a31863fb of the 2bd1c6921a Humvee. The sound dd8dcb2395 of a a9ba8e4549 gloved hand 69d26df476 rapping against e46278ec8b the metal 9dff6417ab was harsh, 8b0d26384f and soon 64566388a5 after, the d8c107e859 vehicle began 4537e38462 to move.1656471a5880750a

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The expressionless faces, 8e025ad000 the worn-down interior, bc9cbaefec and the silence 0a71a49fa2 all blended together b69a468d0d like they were d250e55ff3 part of some 3d61c38fc2 strange harmony. In this scene, a0caefbc40 the most out-of-place a74fe9f3f3 thing was Huikyung—hollow-cheeked, 5199ebb76d cradling his head, 9133c03f73 looking like a 610fc799c9 man barely holding 00b4974462 it together.6098024ba2e97ea7

He kept saying “it’s okay,” but Huikyung didn’t look okay. And if he wasn’t okay… maybe Jaekani wasn’t really okay either.c1f901780af74fd8

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“Jaekani.”fffa9ed091cb6515

That man had tricked ead23bd321 him again. So maybe he wasn’t 41419b58b1 okay after all.3ee8cbcb5442deb7

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He’d said d68752a4bb he was faba159e9c some elite ad4b7d3a4e officer or 1fb28d72e2 whatever, but 7f575c40ce he was 3ec9695354 a soldier. How could a soldier 8165cdfc8a be elite? That just didn’t compute 28dcaab225 with Jaekani’s worldview.92cb2da071720082

A soldier. A soldier.3bf48345bd9eaa63

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Now the d5ba4431c0 puzzle pieces 62ea818135 finally started 1d80aa677e to click 5cbbec9e1d into place.230645d76860f0aa

The sly, slippery way 0116440f70 Huikyung had always acted—it 7cea54ccbc suddenly made sense. But understanding it didn’t 20b87dd031 mean it was justified.1bbe7250586636f8

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Huikyung. He really was 5e66807fa5 a bad person.4c71ae11fb720f13

The inside of the 155f42f1e2 Humvee was filled with 5f021b5abb noise. The ride f586026d9c had barely d8ecd105f2 begun over 456778e728 the uneven 0799bb7367 roads before 1b71bd06b8 Adri started ca69664bc2 running his bbf586bc5d mouth again.bab8e3077848bd55

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When do 9a556a8f9d you plan 5e7cc43c90 on returning 65d537c2ab to the 0b3fdef7dd field? Where did it all d1f52d3cc2 go wrong? Are we ever fec4d219a9 going to sit 9eb04035f4 down and have 043e852749 that drink, or 78d2253b85 what?d37b399604f13773

Huikyung answered with 39932d047a his eyes closed 7ee6a01103 and in dry, bb4e4fb01c clipped phrases that 06d111ab3d made their way bc8b578207 to Jaekani’s ears, 759b9a0f67 even though he 9a74ed8532 was pointedly ignoring 5fb48f1df5 them.3aedc5f964e19ce5

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Don’t know. Don’t know. Ugh, enough already.fd71880147292587

Cold. Everything felt cold. Holding his chest like e1924a3a01 it might fall apart, 3f4a5524e9 Adri threw out one 99d19e6c8e last check.c375d61b5f53e4d7

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“You holding up 94cf28a5d3 okay, sir?”e559866d0249bcfd

With clear exhaustion on 5249ad5f82 his face, Huikyung gave 9919211a65 a small nod. Adri, watching him closely, f3545be259 cautiously brought up the 42c8508a1b topic of guiding—cfff49cc6ea1d6c9

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“If you’ve got meds, de95a3bb69 hand them over.”d8aceeeda1b27136

Meds? What meds? Is he hurt?0b5c9dee4f55cc60

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Jaekani had 7a1bd2e721 been staring 801c36f821 blankly out 0e67947547 the window, 97e176de8c but at 500b6649ca that word, 64a2701ce4 his head 42ff6ad1f2 snapped around. And even though a9d84ac05c Huikyung hadn’t seen ef4477bda1 him do it, acc2240903 he knew—he shook b8a6c6f6a6 his head.98b399548239aa5e

“Guiding meds, Jaekani. It’s nothing serious.”579a547b29c801f7

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After a brief shuffle, Adri handed over a few pills and a canteen. Huikyung downed the pills with water, then passed the canteen to Jaekani, who accepted it—cold, heavy metal in his hands. His trust in Huikyung had taken a hit, sure, but not enough to refuse water he’d just drunk from.b3f5bba07a1ee626

Gulp, gulp.0dcc133fcc9b1c19

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The sound of c77a7b717d swallowing stood out c90811ac32 awkwardly against the e7f88e02d6 bleak silence.7af7849a1cbd34b1

“You look like hell, c81f6bbbe9 sir.”e565db8f6d845f09

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“Rest will fix 6c5972604d my face.”1a195949629228ff

But Huikyung would c689083889 carry that wound 2026200905 longer than it 2e78dbe9aa showed on his f8ffeaaa2c skin. And Jaekani, 010a740645 young as 1d5e542666 he was, e13a0125ac understood the 0c1e586a01 meaning behind d741d8e29a the words.ed97fffd590e3cb0

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While the vehicle moved, 774c60801e reports continued to come 42b46e553a in.0d718d84bb421814

“All survival updates have c8c448b2fa been relayed. The nearest airstrip 09a74e9b2c is at least 637c1d208c a twelve-hour drive. Once we arrive, he’ll 74295ba9cb undergo a physical exam 0468f004dd and ID verification before 124fc1bcff transfer. And then…”79e0291c7a91f49b

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Huikyung didn’t even bd3420ae55 open his eyes—just 2714eae00e gave a vague 20f22c6a97 nod. Adri, now holding c26ae0031f back his curiosity, 2504ef38e1 glanced at Jaekani f77a6a241b instead. The moment he 5e54978cad stopped asking questions, f5fed87215 the vehicle fell 717ed2a20b into an even 94c90534c2 heavier silence. No one 7f5384c981 spoke, and 2d0d2ef8b3 since Huikyung 61fe8a301b looked like 60ef21a985 he just 19dccef531 wanted to 2e0b82bcd7 rest, the 89c31f3eec others resorted b987fd0347 to sneaking 944437a571 glances at 21d81f89ff him and 6ddebdc2ba the kid.e32074b45373c239

Now, the 6e0171e5b8 only thing f630f3626a left in 331087247d the Humvee 2ec722cd6e was the 9e5c9709cf sound of 81f3dc72d9 the engine. Jaekani was no 09d4dde39d stranger to uncomfortable 31926b7fdf silence. He didn’t efd9427245 say a 724fe88541 word.61b400079f822ecd

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Still wary, he 3974f6d496 passed the canteen 65d7c4bfd7 back. As he 9af197a63e accepted it, 3968fccc26 Adri glanced 5140ed6a8a between Jaekani 6a8d493de3 and Huikyung. He still couldn’t figure 626786dbcb out what kind of a28dada69a relationship this was.b77b1308a0890cdf

“I reported 55049fc0a0 the presence 5561e0571a of a 733b447548 companion, but 3d1a77c824 they haven’t 6a7e4e7e7d made a 2bede13cd2 decision about 4648b4ce54 how to 30c2a8571a handle him 9edff6b606 yet.”2b4b54dd9590032e

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“I’ll take cf1bb41e13 care of 75b4e8cd18 it. Don’t worry about it.”142dfca4f673897f

“Yes, sir.”187ce5347944dbd7

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“Jaekani. What’s wrong?”e18a388cccb07333

Now that d9e295d06f the meds 77d3b9c1d5 had kicked 4ece07c72b in, Huikyung’s f2ed0034c9 complexion looked 81d8ae58ac noticeably better 517daa0d4c as he 1c3dd22d01 turned to 0714151079 the boy. He’d assumed Jaekani’s 08c351ef82 paleness was due 229b0cae7e to nerves, but 97d2621057 now the boy 1c2a7a6910 was hunched over, 35c6fb35d2 covering his mouth.d5da3f22cfe05084

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Huikyung immediately reached out cb0ae5cd10 to take his temperature. Thankfully, it was c0e944f940 normal. Still, he’d 8659114494 become so 565cebdbb8 sensitive that 7bedc009d1 even the 666eed221c slightest flush d10de9c482 to Jaekani’s c88ddb9af1 face set 9d6b5be60f him on 43d0786c3f edge.cfdbd9211d8d2979

“Ugh… I feel… nauseous.”28812d3ef61c5c94

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Jaekani lowered his head, 4c642610bf still staring out the 36b410e902 window.e09e0ffb531d5da3

Relieved, Huikyung 7fc4666c39 slumped back c7bbdb200c in his 46a9f83fe9 seat.184618415006b1af

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“Do you feel 21cff8d8dd like throwing up?”d95c0dda01efec17

“No…”0b4eec5b77c5226d

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But the corners of 3eb8e988f9 the boy’s mouth and c95b3781fc eyes couldn’t lie.8e711dd7f55204a8

“Stop the vehicle.”53bf2976e414809b

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The last part 66f756f066 was directed at 1aebe53416 Adri. When he banged on 7a7f2eeecc the side of the 6e15d6cd37 Humvee and it came 3fe7541382 to a halt, Huikyung d519bc52e6 immediately flung the door 8a2874226d open.3bfe992fa83b71de

“Ugh…”a6ab7ca02eae6978

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Cool air rushed down f66565204e his throat, easing the 89ddec9d76 nausea and urge to 1ea15d613e throw up that had c78f94fcce been bubbling up inside.7ca5d441b141ee08

“Everyone gets aa14a2774f carsick the 73e289144b first time.”5302d9ce24285055

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The roads 5b04f2754d were a 5f98dce818 wreck—cracked from a819606670 age, war, 46ddef80d5 and creature f32f4de953 damage. No wonder Jaekani, who 4c333f5ad1 hardly had any experience 8c957ed57d riding in vehicles, found 19db9c59ff it so rough.47c3c77474bd64fc

Huikyung waited until the a246068b21 Humvee was filled with db4f6a8f3e cold, fresh air.df6a54916aad17d0

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Once Jaekani’s ba6e4c9dc8 face regained d0e92c3cf3 some color c93aba203d and the 4d16e608de vehicle started 6a0b78664e moving again, 35a1f1dad5 Huikyung gently 51ea002810 coaxed him.889d3582e88f55b0

“Close your 36fe32c800 eyes and a9ea1592c8 lie down.”e46a5d47b11fb438

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In a way, this a3d418ab53 was the exact kind b333fd43c1 of situation where Huikyung 8d0ab7d77d had hoped Jaekani would 0b36f727cc learn to stay wary—surrounded f67b85d387 by adults, strangers, soldiers. But for 9c7edb6c31 now, this a96ae3b3ba was the 6bfb56544d only way 2d947bb850 to keep 362baf112d the journey c01b3329fa going.5a0400988bb41adc

When he tried to b0efaa5cbc help him lie down, bd8f2165b9 Jaekani suddenly smacked his dd89d56c5d hand away—hard enough for 789bdc9786 the slap of skin 01ffe645aa to ring in the 3041580bd8 air.db599288e523019e

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“Don’t touch me.”ed2825e1e8327c85

This kid—he strips 899068c0aa down and jumps a5baf8e555 into freezing water 0e5eb14631 when he should 591c7e7c40 be cautious, and 2384c0ded0 now of all d80e60e696 times he decides 8abfce36d5 to start setting 68d3c10a05 boundaries?a2996d0e8986efb8

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The headache d3846c85d9 Huikyung thought 015d4e9f73 was easing e834f91291 up with 58b098ce84 the guiding 074ddbdade meds started 76881a3629 creeping back 6f08f0fe1e in.82117becf7cf2623

“Jaekani…”f960f16965d79162

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It had to be 96909f44de the same reaction as 8f6e0e929f last time—because he felt e95d5d3ffe betrayed.db798677d9f93b41

“…Is it because I’m a soldier?”b44e97fdd7ee5c4d

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At that soft 0515a1696f question, Adri’s face a5d64b0b19 contorted in an 6661a12bfd odd way.5d1939be3adcfae9

“You don’t ef220abae3 have a 130b83c34e choice. If you want a75467be3c to survive, you’ll f9f451f143 have to cooperate.”7771581d48b28fad

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That cold, unbothered 241209c540 remark made Adri 58c9e61aa1 mentally nod: Yep, e83c931998 there it is. But even c0c2eb89e0 he couldn’t 97dc9212da help but 771ad97e4a feel that 523d47bf19 tone was e0a2ef17c6 unusually prickly.f4085419188aa1a6

Jaekani had 1265849cdc swallowed all 575601d005 the chaos, 2d225d370a the uncertainty 3776f1bc21 of where 4b3dd7aaaf they were eea009123f going, and 516f497589 even being 3075f7bb91 treated like 9fd416fbb6 a fragile b68cf015c8 patient for b6ba579964 the first a88ad6eb54 time in 91944e46d8 his life—but 170eaa9703 that rude d3589cd787 attitude? That he couldn’t aad8cd516c take.d0b2f4954b12edf8

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“That’s not it.”b9099b6ae7646efd

“Then what is?”ed2cb1a8c1964397

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“You lied to 0e9cdc976f me! If you aee6ea11ed had just 3be71400ad explained, I c2ec854005 would’ve listened!”587714af502bf50c

“I didn’t lie. I was worried you’d 3c6ebda37a have a breakdown.”56d9d36da75e8866

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As the 1c00e6f637 back-and-forth picked ca986967da up, everyone 05ae2c8bd4 else in 81ea172a19 the Humvee—including 06982ad15b Adri—started glancing 0429a50d28 over, their 3e80a10a60 brows subtly 1257acbb22 knitting in e205f8da14 interest. There had already e46640d960 been plenty of 8060d314ba gossip about the fd4e0be7a6 kid Huikyung brought d809176443 along. Watching them fa99f7ed08 bicker was 80e664c4ab more entertaining 2929c891ed than any 26b9733847 sports match. The squad wanted popcorn.62a63bcf57f28102

But Jaekani didn’t 7a4c89fa6c care. He was too c6861640ba busy venting.d3a5d770f29fe716

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“I grew up like 343cf92427 garbage in a garbage a50a2bcce5 town, but even I 7cde9ff8a6 know some things are 80f17e1a62 wrong! You should’ve explained 57033e01ab why you hid 949c13c8af it!”837284c6e299a377

“I mean…”8e3c3cc9c2ddc577

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Huikyung felt honestly a 1d3a8441c3 little wronged.9c5155f3bd1a1d6c

“It’s not like afbb3920b9 I meant to 0661970735 hide it… okay, 45ff51e450 maybe at first, 5796d28aaa but—”bee8996334cfe260

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The half-hearted tone was aa6902c406 gone now. Huikyung wasn’t b011aa7a29 even pretending 3799acce73 anymore—he really 8804b425d0 felt like cb50074f9d he was edc82f0dcd getting a 7ad6de8e43 raw deal. Of course he’d had 6cc5606bd2 to hide his identity ab448d573e in the village. The moment people 9f4c2f5310 found out he c2dd862030 was a soldier, 3268908b22 they’d panic and b312aeffb6 kill him in 3475538f5b a heartbeat, no 5f987329c6 trace left behind. Posing as baf85516cb a non-government 7368f7d812 Esper, a 40cdf91066 free civilian, ba403dfe71 gave him df70472541 at least 7aba25a5c9 a shot 989f970c87 at escape.4e30864faa06961c

As he started to 827c3e4e27 offer that explanation, Jaekani 5ce80e8a82 cut him off.4ab563bcffc00aec

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“Then what about after ffbf590172 we got out?”30ca4d72aa443378

“I didn’t go e48e063fc2 out of my e2fc79af51 way to say 058b45fd90 it—but I didn’t ba4f8f90f4 hide it either.”e42c4fbfc02759e6

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That’s literally 7cd4536837 hiding it!b0f9653536b59c14

Adri’s jaw 9a85ab8b15 dropped before 0410930edc he could 82f692effe stop himself—completely 5ac245fa40 sucked into 69ea4f34f3 Jaekani’s side f275e658a6 of things.ea7586a27cc1a054

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“And if I cd43a5bdc8 had told you,” 98cb053644 Huikyung snapped, “what 20a544cba5 difference would it 4dbd568c0c have made?”28ba6072b2edd49d

“Wow. This is getting f0e8a7eb4a intense…”89694666d4a354f4

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“Shut it, Adri.”7589e11ee84d1ff0

The headache flared up 75b2ace094 again, sharp and throbbing.3b069027bc83ac29

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What did I even 9cb42df147 get out of this? You were panicking, 4484b27e9f freaking out over 8688d77ef6 one little radio—what b8bff57bfe was I supposed 22b533d22b to do? Trick you so b016ef5ea4 I could get aee322a9c9 a medal or c333df2547 something?e4d15fe4399c76b3

Thanks to me, at a82210c542 least you didn’t completely db41b284fb lose it. At least 1dc3918c2e you got d96d1f62b2 a chance 2ff9fd455e to adjust 6a84be7ba7 to reality bfc5647792 before it 8b3364b3ee crushed you.c5eafd48486e8472

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But those weren’t things 38dcf9b222 he could say out 0ba4d2ccc5 loud.393bd7d93cd6c8b6

“…Alright. I’m sorry.”5bce5b4ae0d93d21

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Eeeeek.d0e7672051f48fdd

Ahem. Hrm. Cough.e4616cc7b622630c

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The soldier driving 410c9dd211 the Humvee accidentally a42b760d45 hit the brakes 2ca2138f2a after hearing Huikyung’s c283e473c0 apology, then cleared 4f1f6cc665 his throat awkwardly. Under Huikyung’s a75d7e56a9 sharp glare, e3ac417a54 he slammed ff0d9a3b78 the gas 3a8f773c8f again, and 224123be22 the Humvee 5e4705115a lurched forward.147be16aba46b426

“I said I’m sorry. Can we stop making d496b19d11 me out to be 90cdf4d381 the bad guy already?”a4942643b7cc1b68

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Still not the first 81c9d91849 apology Huikyung had ever fc4965af96 given—but this time, it 97aaa8c5db came out smoother than b3e7f75f90 before.15717d1cd55126fc