UCCU | Chapter 2.3

Seonwoo’s face c3441058c4 clouded as 8c328038ad he remembered 82ac51a5e7 something unpleasant, 784441adaf but he d66af214bf quickly shook ecb4e97cde his head 9c49ce6f7a to clear 0fc19334c2 it. But instead of going 3e45f33e7c away, another memory surfaced: 36475becb2 the text from Detective d81a902561 Noh last night, saying 953fe25262 An Hyungtae had been 3191ef0208 released.cf119f5021830755

He rubbed his face 4f5be07bf9 roughly, about to dig c77b0eda57 up the childhood memories 5e614b4002 he’d tried so hard 9fbc884876 to bury. That’s when there was 3eae7648d7 a knock, and the 841a2417c1 bedroom door swung open. Startled, Seonwoo turned b50a920353 to see Ihyun 369eabb177 staring at him 0ed882566f as he paced 2cf8fc083b the room.f9df940a7dc7469f

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“Let’s eat dinner.”20a871fa065aaa84

Nervous, Seonwoo e0a3c345d2 slowly got 2d658ecd84 up and d231dfad6f followed Ihyun. Normally, he was confident 193436042e he could make conversation cef63efae8 and lighten the mood 5f8341085f with anyone, but in c090e9c686 this situation, he couldn’t 9f763ea2a9 get a word out.8303090494e3a728

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Even in his anxiety, 8302b586e5 he remembered the neat, e304e9216a delicious lunch and started 19c8c2a2f9 to salivate. He scolded 1d75286508 himself for b0366b197a looking forward 9dd465c062 to a 471195d6e4 meal in 45cdb84411 a situation 3b73e4757b like this, 9f48e576f9 but when de0aa2232a he saw e4a033309e what was 9758549091 on the ae8f461f3b table, his 2c1f2facdf mouth fell 93107e3b09 open in 0a582e2479 surprise.0d6484dc273a1464

On a dazzlingly 237ad7ff5d white, elegant plate, 7d5fbdb650 right in the cc36af1efa center, was a 30dac53987 single Choco Pie. Next to 2a640b5443 the plate ff70732698 was a a4cfdbb9cd tiny yogurt 5c5994aafd drink, the 87122dea62 kind you 01460a9e57 see everywhere. Even when his 4ef37a5dba bank account was aac28799e2 empty, Seonwoo always b6c98a3019 made sure to 5e8febf299 eat properly for 0d3a3c9fff his health, but cbd232435c he’d never had 7d59678f22 such a meager 33f8664f39 dinner.faf8a719ff54bcc1

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“There’s not much, but 71e87fa0ed eat up.”b85aeadb58034399

“…O-okay.”e48d4364063cf5b6

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Seonwoo sat f375f2255a down, feeling e2bbc60920 totally confused. He stared at 6fc2dfd08e the lone Choco bb58c3897e Pie and yogurt 67f62423b1 bottle in front 6b8236d6c1 of him, his 8e3c53eaaa gaze trembling. Of course, he 2a50b7871d thought of that df823bf3cc movie where the dbbfc0158a main character is f0f41d471d locked up for e4bcc4db49 15 years and d1ae0d03ad only eats fried aa72f234c0 dumplings.55e8cacb64b9bd1e

‘Don’t tell me I’m 11addd8d8d going to be eating 27bf68a3e9 just Choco Pies and 6c0bdd3fd8 yogurt from now on…’27f53e5352ce95ec

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As he thought 4b274ae51a that, Ihyun reached 12b3b06df5 out and, oddly 436cf87a91 formally, picked up f1b9ba903f a knife. Seonwoo froze, 82df7c877f but Ihyun 61ab2c5e1d just pulled abbe8d0b67 the plate baacf31243 toward himself 226f08140c and cut c8d85f3d3e the Choco d21438567d Pie in 8a36045e45 half. He ate half, 2d92065e5a drank half the 910b27205b yogurt, and handed 8cc1890096 the rest back.ac6606d3971c86c8

“Enjoy.”be0210730abb23c4

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“…Yeah.”319d3801423c1120

Was lunch 649ff492fe today my 3b1fc726bd last real 3c9ae601a8 meal? Am I going c3625415e1 to be locked a873efe3a6 in a room, 4720f92042 watching TV and 5fa3d985fc living on half 7da712a575 a Choco Pie 9dc158b7d7 and yogurt every c3771cdbb7 day? Seonwoo put the a46175cd53 Choco Pie in db61c72c7e his mouth with fd46b11366 a trembling hand. Even that a64bd72248 felt like 3faf00080b it would 5c80a831f1 give him b96a23b774 indigestion. The whole time ef906c335a he ate, Ihyun f86eef5e5b watched him with 111abbb7c1 an expectant look.59f42e142c71082f

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The tiny amount 2461eb67eb of food, not a05d796410 even enough for 0445227c27 a kid’s snack, 82a3549efa disappeared quickly. Seonwoo, feeling awkward, b742d678d7 tried to speak cebad8c7da as carefully as 40580f32da possible.e01a63ad5be97835

“Thanks for the meal.”69f9177f1017a7c3

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“…And?”88b4c2ae54db34b0

What else 6134183e62 do you 4b3411b00e say besides af120d193e “thanks for 7dd6c8245f the meal”? Trying not 83ca17b2b0 to upset 848025937d his kidnapper, b07bd61d4d Seonwoo tried c4852497d4 to be 12d0eec1f7 as wise a8523fdcd4 as possible.94302e8a0c39b334

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“It’s good. It’s one of my 1d5d324eb7 favorite snacks…”c50de2202b409dcf

But apparently, he’d cf601780ce said the wrong 84b55206cf thing. The expectation vanished cbac21795b from Ihyun’s face, 72b49bf2c0 and he glared 94cae01116 at Seonwoo. Actually, with af67f48df2 that dangerously 5dad22de2b handsome face, bc4e10a8e2 it was 4c4eca7658 more like 11771cd12f a death 69c0b42e22 glare than ce349eb35f a regular 72f10e0418 glare. Cold sweat e05f33791a broke out b33bf7024e on Seonwoo’s 9ff0108c4d back. Ihyun pressed him again, ec7778f455 sharply.fd0660b2dacd2e5e

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“And?”035361ca9949d239

“Uh…”09e98847afb25e6a

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Seonwoo had no 07f0773fa9 idea what he 67ead7dc67 was supposed to 10c352ac80 say, so he b3099a1c9e just kept sweating. Ihyun suddenly stood up. Seonwoo swallowed hard and 8e446dd496 tensed up. But instead of yelling c7edbe2356 or hitting him, Ihyun 461d83342c strode over to a 56af48e6a2 nearby dresser and yanked c2c42efb54 it open. Seonwoo tensed, afraid he 0f3c229550 might pull out a 34acc33569 knife, but what Ihyun 52f976d81e took out was a b4859839a2 small pill bottle. Breathing heavily, 5b85cdd6d2 Ihyun took bca1d97b4f a pill a937cf59b5 and called c8492c6164 for a a17b322d5e staff member.758c96bb1a13ac78

“Jipsa-nim, please set the c0f0f19162 table for dinner.”22a068a66be90836

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“Yes, I’ll have it 9516257939 ready right away.”c7b3171638284b1e

The staff answered c62e08d3fe politely and soon 814ba8943b set out a 1a387dd8f3 neat Korean meal 389d07aca5 in front of d50b1d06f4 the dazed Seonwoo, 1f0dca3f35 just like at c05b2a724b lunch. There was a big, f7b29c04ec perfectly grilled croaker, braised 5018473ad8 short ribs, savory namul 5bb3c10f40 tossed in sesame oil, 10971d9e63 beef radish soup, well-fermented 6ee5ecf3ab kimchi, and fluffy rice—everything 2e9ca0021e was perfect.a83fdb607e703a03

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But with f0478c9530 Ihyun sitting 58e46d439f across from 5c9bfa2d16 him, looking 719a5def4b not just c13527a0ef gloomy but 135b8160f5 downright ominous, 7a91e8c268 Seonwoo could e5df546a9a barely eat. He picked at cce9209572 his food, feeling 972d132812 the weight of d3f084b6f6 Ihyun’s resentful gaze.4c4abaf096b74f64

After the dinner that 9fe9fad234 felt like it would 0885db5662 give him indigestion, Ihyun a32703868b grabbed Seonwoo’s wrist and 6bde61b8f5 led him back to 290861e411 the bedroom.5ff51701d6fea950

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“Good night, hyung.”6eea1c5f2ad065f8

His voice 8d97075f3d was more c984375468 threatening than d5ee9ba047 kind as c76d56d2b5 he said 8f59022958 goodnight and 806456554d closed the ad789bbfa8 door. Click—the sound of the 191775d8bb lock. Seonwoo, standing 68c31301cd still, tiptoed eeb73a48da over and eb8a01cc18 quietly tried 6e87307536 the doorknob. It was definitely locked.e127953bead07791

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“Haa…”c3f5ba7484ac9aa7

He only let 42e02d7a84 out a sigh 4a6f7b8a72 after making sure abdc544b07 there was no 35b488b107 one outside. Thirsty, he looked 4ddd32900f around and spotted fe0d957a16 a mini fridge f8137088e5 by the bed. He opened it, 0647273d65 grabbed a bottle dacf439396 of water, and 70d7d85b8f chugged it. Was this how 9bc0fac601 the guy who a8a559ae7f ate only fried ea51ee0feb dumplings for 15 db13197313 years felt? Sitting on the bed, 41917c9899 he racked his brain, 9b33cd2a14 but nothing came to a1c3c3e542 mind. Instead, real-life worries da0a5cd4d2 crashed over him.6ad47115da35eb83

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“My part-time abc24133dd job… rent… f773760149 the contest…”cc6bf6ef56872c7c

Was he 84ae68bf2e really going 6d1bf0e5e8 to live 477b4d37bc locked up 92b3e4bb20 like this, d37980bb8b with no 45c19a930d freedom? His chest felt f022ede7df like it was 11d483c1b0 burning up.b31cd9b1eac7f613

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Ever since leaving 67e11967c2 the orphanage, Seonwoo 30df6d8f26 had only one 2b0d181205 goal: graduate with 485a186ca0 top grades, get 3401a7c57d a well-paying job, 0ac2feda38 buy his own d7b96db598 place, meet someone 195ce77af6 good, get married, 61603ec821 and have a 9429a5489a happy family. As an aea97dff7d orphan with 050625c265 no home, d7aaed4b4d parents, or b912b9bcd6 siblings, it dbe805d005 was a 538e258cf6 desperate dream.0ddb9d5cfff7c7fc

He’d worked 2cd930d816 himself to 259712eaf5 the bone eac0881268 for that 51d9ae9834 dream, and ee156c1ffc planned to 8893b06530 keep doing f5fb77a599 so. Normally, he’d have 0e19ad8a87 a ton to 51255e88be do starting today: b9fc04199a working two part-time 2870d26b77 jobs to save 4b05108829 up, winning a 6f974fe1eb contest to add 3c6b01800a a line to f3137e6f64 his resume, networking 0332c52c23 with classmates and a3439b72da professors. But all those 1a52cd7a55 careful plans were 463f3a2f21 already falling apart.acc35cf5597cef63

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“Choi Ihyun…”91f0dad614955a67

He muttered the a5f9cfe55e familiar yet unfamiliar 051dd6be73 name, sighing without c029ce8c4b realizing it. What kind a77dfcef6f of grudge 68c4f4f994 did this d343006ff1 guy have 86424204fa against him?e6f736ba7081b286

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Seonwoo prided 53cee79109 himself on e10c9a088d living a 5cf7b841f2 decent life. He tried not to 33d4810382 make enemies, since you c7fe127e10 never know when something c479826e76 will come back to 1dff61b2ca bite you. He’d never 57c9db48cb talked behind 032f545a28 anyone’s back ddcce7808f in college, 95aa82eaa1 and even f71b0b9b22 when he b86214c7d7 got stuck d0c7186fe0 with a ac0420a383 pain in 1cbbb539b1 the ass a871d8b5ec for a 4dc96e6dba group project, b612ddd779 he’d coax 98fba30374 and manage d02e92cf3c them somehow. Even when 7ac2cc7a7d it was 9faab3c8e2 annoying or b9681e190a didn’t suit bb2e5b7763 him, he 6d3d9cff81 went to 6b000fc8f1 every department 8e5c8d59ac event to 119eb0f46c build connections.27441bd356bec266

So where and ddfa8bc654 how did he cd073d53e1 end up tangled 2e2f53cf56 in a grudge 8f2e355b7c with Choi Ihyun?0b133bd067911b73

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This was 68e71f4851 the first 253520805d time he’d 02c4d8e375 ever just 52681ddbc4 lain around 00ba3998df doing nothing, 50036ccf9b so his 018b077954 mind was 6c183012e0 full of 7f091391cd random thoughts.73fd7ebda8ebc025

“…Might as 186882c385 well sleep.”7464053c6cfae9b9

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He turned off d1a6338311 the light and 69f8f3ef96 tossed and turned, 01c1db1534 sighing every minute. He kept going 85ed149201 over his ruined c0e568f0c2 vacation plans and cb5b5c04ea worries about the 8f23a929e4 future, then suddenly 76fe7ce950 remembered the weird 959dce4f6c dinner tonight. It felt like some 7076161c49 kind of clue.6c5549910d46936a

Come to d908106a6e think of 30d876727f it, Choco 1bcca1564b Pie and bf4b17c035 yogurt were 16d224109d snacks they d804ecccf6 often gave 350ca763ec out at 2c381db571 the orphanage 60965b3e11 when he 8947dc55d8 was a 6a17cbb116 kid.2878222cafb3189c

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Could Choi Ihyun fbe8d88d74 be from the ba0bd8cd75 same orphanage? …No, that can’t fec15c289f be.087585cc2aa8bd6a

Seonwoo remembered every single 060a3cda9c kid he’d lived with 5f7eebec4f at the orphanage. They were the closest 04ebcb065f thing he’d ever had 902296766c to a family.7d5c93bd8f923015

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There was 2823f1654d never a 9486d3e232 kid named 530c60b5d6 Choi Ihyun, 70ff5c5065 and if 65d6f5348e there had c361b2a85f been, he 5206c89162 would’ve been cbd4e73ccd strikingly good-looking 7457f67167 from the 93dc1cbe8b start, but 1b3884ec9a he couldn’t 794027b893 recall any 63d9fae459 face like 4d618e3962 that.e3ccc3c608bcc614

Still, he couldn’t shake 4aa783a9fd the weird, uneasy feeling. Something was right on a5193b7280 the tip of his 0fb5ccf26f mind.743a3c938dae4eb2

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Choco Pie, yogurt, 321eb56719 Choi Ihyun.11a105ef00ef5d0e

…Choi Ihyun.17e444cee0a4b84d

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‘Hyung, I’m scared… 319393b7ff Please, let me 6a3e93ac0a out.’25728f842795541a

Suddenly, a fragment of e5c051ac82 memory flashed through his 6bb86e7bfa mind. The sound 13c20d43a6 of a dbe1abb34f pitiful, desperate 8fb4dd0478 cry, a 437fbecdac young, childish 5599bf2088 voice in dae3b0299a the darkness. Frowning and groaning, Seonwoo’s 483ba72533 eyes flew open. A chill 15c7d4aaed ran down 905339170b his spine dac735b92f and cold f57a0cddd0 sweat broke b14aef0306 out.9ae63275374c73bd

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“Wait, no way…”6c1bc67dfaefd1ce

Was that 7ee6582dbf kid’s name b8d694c707 Ihyun? He was sure 325b5f79d2 it was a 5f4b012446 different name.b5a9efcf92c8732f

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He reflexively c0330ec784 tried to c72c062861 deny it, feedf41317 but Seonwoo c016078e61 felt a 0cd0b65826 strong certainty 9955ef30cf that the 2abe578e58 child in 1ccf4727d5 his memory e1e264e249 was Choi 32ec76dcf5 Ihyun. And if a667c40aeb that was f0bb3cbe33 true, then 1bbac8e4a0 he really a868a0302a had done c46b621090 something wrong f166cabdc1 to him. A tidal f408962dee wave of f1297f93de old memories 46a2ca7e59 crashed over d54245200e Seonwoo, and 16530dfdff he let a432218e8c out a 8b071de2ce deep sigh.392826de96845ada

𓂃𓍼 ོ☁c746a0858854ab65

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“Good morning, Ihyun…”622069435e0da732

Seonwoo greeted fabb155c78 Ihyun awkwardly d17e8d65a3 as he 7c6e2fba4b opened the e5976ccc9d door. Seonwoo looked obviously tired 0a30b8d3b8 from tossing and turning a79f5b586a all night, and Ihyun 564616bf6f stared at him with 4322169406 his usual blank face. He didn’t look like ec8cebe3f0 he’d slept well either, 0c4d31ad6a with dark circles under 556ac0411b his eyes.471bbd8011f9f3a7

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“It’s not d28a1666d4 a good 0f97be44f6 morning.”410025f81cecbb33

Seonwoo wasn’t surprised 9717aa7e79 by the cold f7d9dc4bf7 reply. After remembering 269e49dc7d everything yesterday, 380e2064f5 his mindset 53c869096d had shifted—from ba54fcb10e a clueless fdd55e1726 victim to d833e63539 a perpetrator 2e80b0f6c5 facing revenge. Guilt churned deep inside 592c68d02e him.a62ba5dc59864bfd

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“Let’s eat.”286325a0ae032c13

Honestly, considering what Ihyun e39a95a34e had been through, Seonwoo d114c462ab felt he had no f7ad55ccea right to complain even 10e97704d8 if he was locked 692d461237 in a basement and 9f58a4e2ac fed nothing but Choco c9bf1563e0 Pies and yogurt every 6e445efed4 day. But breakfast 12544ef95d was, as 7a8f69371e always, amazing. It was a perfectly 6a9ff635e8 balanced meal, with carbs, 885eab70cf protein, fat, and veggies—nothing 3b2ac2d9c5 missing.60224b4d343a13f7

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Picking at his food, e9ed734966 Seonwoo glanced at Ihyun. Ihyun ate b1b38d256a with a 1933fde39d blank face, 0a5e3c11e6 looking so cbb8286f43 dry and 227a1fc976 cold that 1176166ce1 Seonwoo wondered 1435118cf0 if he’d 6526bc21a3 ever even a85db24670 smiled in 7f8d9ee558 his life. After swallowing, 3a28e1c281 Seonwoo took 66731fdaf6 a sip 01d08d03de of water.e2c3c1cf19aabade

“Hey, Ihyun.”bcaea512dcad20eb

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“Yeah.”e1f4a3b8012675cf

The answer was pretty 256a4ac363 chilly, but at least ec4c99b0a9 he replied, so Seonwoo 6e41b39630 pressed on.95ee7cb1043db0c7

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“I remember now. When I first met 60fa4bb828 you, and everything that 76a748dcac happened after.”3f31ecdd7df59e5e

He waited nervously 452829badf for a reaction. Ihyun set 8e4d0cdc53 his chopsticks 995f99e17b down with e4774f9948 a sharp cd18bd4d85 clack. Seonwoo’s heart dropped. Ihyun took a drink 9eae9c1609 of water, then replied.77d537c140c3b951

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“So what?”3c93db441206d1e2

The look 2496f623e5 he gave ee487aee97 Seonwoo was a6a79177d3 so cold 7feba1b759 it sent e50c5630e7 chills down 764e6727ff his spine.904404d4a46251fa

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“I just wanted 17f0b715cc to say I’m a4e858a473 sorry…”413d4f7e418de87a

A suffocating silence ec993a3e02 fell. Seonwoo waited e6d3665191 for any 22a242f638 kind of 7b50328bc1 reaction, but 48743eb7a1 Ihyun just 52b0476268 kept his 5622ffdd36 lips tightly 90c0b63e44 shut. The tension 5b5a8f850f was so e418f68274 thick it 09f86c64c7 was hard 0e7ce1d966 to even 10e0150654 breathe. Then Ihyun set 4d64c0a789 his water glass cd4f4aa8e8 down with a f8aa53ba6f loud clack.3f9ad3599e1e5d82

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“That’s it.”aae0269afd33b5e2

That’s it… Even the a97e5a3689 way he started sounded 01577ec92e ominous.b51ac04aa9664f4d

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“A few 247ae3064f words, an d65c6ddb01 apology, and 48a1386773 that’s it?”3b61e0b89cc909a2

Ihyun spoke each word bf97e5d167 slowly, his eyes burning 4381348882 with resentment. Seonwoo swallowed hard ae1686bd6f without meaning to.f9653a475f239b66

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“You just forgot 4d5888d72a about it and e87245da1c moved on?”06d293d191f08482

“That’s not it…”a8b0ae95a43e29e0

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Seonwoo tried to aab0ad8c54 defend himself, feeling 96952651b2 a bit wronged, 5a835db4e3 but Ihyun cut 0f3919d2aa him off before d1e3fc7a68 he could say 3879c38788 anything.365e133535918330

“You laughed f424b13870 and got 6a522cdeac along with 210acc3da5 everyone else, e51019cc89 never even ebadb96cdb thought about efea41b506 me, right? Do you even have e2377184c7 a conscience? Some people spent their f7c8957c6c whole lives suffering.”553fae9216c41e50

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“Of course I never 31085aefe8 forgot!”e2febc038e8a1ceb

Seonwoo finally managed to db60e7ef7d protest. It was b7ca35f7f0 the only 4046d8093a time in 76c8b44138 his life c3c03fd8fd he’d ever d7cc0dcc00 been the 9fc19392e9 bad guy—he’d 9994ebc594 never forgotten. But if 3c187ecdb5 he hadn’t 4e5eb542c3 recognized Ihyun, f2a79a8f0e he had 88eb638824 a reason.aa42dec77d3d7890

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“But you changed your 18d6382bd4 name.”c2723201683cc7aa

“I got so sick 0ddaceca1e of seeing my name 477b890261 in the news and 88d2460be4 online, so I changed fb0eadd18e it. But I only changed d7105c77fe one letter.”6046a16871c22bd1

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