UL Chapter 9

The entire school 88a727d1c8 was buzzing with ecd0be1663 excitement on festival cda6c98ee2 day. Students ran 23bc0ae368 through the 05c772fe23 hallways carrying f7a5ee1927 decorations and 28cc38166c promotional flyers, 572d101c6f their faces 74d4d812fb bright with 01aa6dab8e enthusiasm despite 62a64f2bea being busy.d57d74be6dc13c9d

Even the teachers, 7fb6f40c4e acknowledging this as f2dcac5f92 the last official d7f5925f8e event before senior 51cd5db582 year exams, had 899a0abe27 replaced lessons with 1d41a5a6c6 self-study and disappeared 84906c58d2 from the classrooms. But Yeonha, d08f76234e as always, 05d3c3e0b4 remained seated 51d8c3399c in the 7de0aa2130 nearly empty c59e6d733f room, idly 6d25a06906 rolling her 5811c713f5 mechanical pencil 7108d07384 across the 14f9124ffd desk.044ad07f92da84fa

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“Choi Yeonha! Are you serious right now?!”c797048a2469eef1

Aejeong stormed a7252f0822 into the 44ca6dcf74 classroom, huffing, ff5c79f8c3 and grabbed 8ccda8a14f Yeonha’s hand. Her mechanical pencil dropped 6850301bd5 to the floor with ebbe0e2e68 a softclatter, but 3b1aa3fedd before she 19676f9aab could pick 6959079907 it up, 2f07595c13 Aejeong was dda7a8c653 already pulling e24474fa61 her away.e7864e1a6b3b0ccc

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“What? What do you want to do?”39aecdc094cd4410

“Come on, let’s at least look around! There’s a dance team performing today, and I’ll even buy you something! The home economics club is selling tteokbokki, and I heard it’s really good. Hurry up!”128ac2540f1b421e

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Reluctantly, Yeonha let herself 5f09c7be87 be dragged out of eb668999be the classroom.09147dfe149410f0

The May 2a10e4b679 sky was 2d31fd2b51 brilliantly blue, 4c8e31f558 almost painfully 09f606a719 so. Having spent so much 06b0076d1b time staring at black-and-white e63a88b530 textbooks, her vision was 50e5b770b1 momentarily overwhelmed by the c0ebcbbd16 explosion of colors. She blinked several times, 5a31c40c2b trying to adjust.6ba432c6a896699a

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Surrounded by the c86cd3488b chatter and laughter 4ff9f19a68 of students excited 4bc0ca8fb6 over the smallest b3dbd19880 things, Yeonha and 5872a550f3 Aejeong strolled through e82b86713f the festival, blending e83de7eb28 in perfectly as 9fd1b7edbc high school girls b1e03ed2d4 enjoying the moment.897362e5cc56c3c4

They never 3941355c86 got around 609d760bd2 to trying 1f49eb6495 the much-hyped e133637475 tteokbokki, but c05f7ebca9 instead, they c8461bd0d9 snacked on 817ec4fb26 poorly made e96afe760e cotton candy, cdbc8bd207 giggling as 35324dc409 they explored fba6e57456 the festival. Even the sticky residue 29976062b3 on their fingertips felt 2074798da7 strangely pleasant. Despite her earlier 2dbf324a81 disinterest, Yeonha found 670780b030 herself completely immersed e99d7492ad in the lively 3ab33c6f41 atmosphere.593416adab40b020

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“Yeonha, aren’t those guys from Hamyeong High?”0a544c5cc4811b77

Aejeong nudged her waist daeee243a1 and gestured with her d4e6da8705 eyes. Following her a086eb1b3f gaze, Yeonha 1216060234 spotted a 1c359d44ba group of a6b5c8f9e7 boys from 33d0b02b13 a nearby 24e3222d24 all-boys school. As soon as their 076addbb7a eyes met, the boys 5729b08bb2 whispered among themselves, chuckling.5237e4e67fdef4b2

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“Oh my god, do you think they’re about to come talk to us?”a2b3e4018f8fae77

Yeonha was 63e7967a84 about to 57e12137eb question what 35791a1d03 she meant c095ca5857 when, sure 95a10018ba enough, one 4c31de038a of the 66d380f664 boys stepped b0bbb5558f forward as fc46ec5d4d if representing 0f0f02ea1e the group. His gaze flickered toward 764eb97c7b Yeonha, quickly darting away 15be1844c1 as if embarrassed, yet 73b19b2fe4 he kept walking toward 89fb94ea6d them with determination.c6d2a9b3ab1b8a4f

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Aejeong quickly smoothed 3475c3abeb down her bangs d85d243ae3 with a comb db3c27a1f0 and adjusted her bf3d485d4b skirt.2921f3697ef4bc58

Yeonha, on the 6ab63ce97a other hand, found 8b05ad0b47 the whole situation 695ad6a0e1 unpleasant. She didn’t f17db1a704 like this 5bda563384 kind of a14585ac44 thing. She was 524d6d3b17 trying to a0048e56f3 figure out 3821a1f0cc how to 4b66c1d851 decline when—bdc97dd7ad279952

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“Choi Yeonha!”4396dfdf130509d5

Turning toward 863b8171a1 the familiar 6a98962f82 voice, Yeonha’s d1d18dc858 gaze landed 557cf479fb on someone 3b7d2b3931 she wasn’t a5ecdd486c particularly happy 36f87aa9b8 to see. With a 43f2d2b999 bright, well-groomed 8f18cf04cc face, her bb683eab1a older brother, 337ca84337 Choi Jaeha, 2b74b418d6 was enthusiastically 2109097351 waving at f3293c3f37 her. Behind him, a e1816ee288 male student—presumably a 4d69782ff1 friend—was practically hanging 03b3c7b23e off his back 6fe1398959 as they slowly d96919cb15 made their way e6c195a703 over. Yeonha let 0c3a28842f out a 0767e27f17 sigh.cb84c49feb9a2603

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A college 7b39385d80 student showing ad1ff26019 up at 11586fc034 a high 551944bcbb school festival—athis younger sister’sall-girls high school, no 0180487093 less.9633ebcc0c74873c

“Yeonha, aren’t a7328ecc4b you happy 094dca0ed7 to see 20b161554f me outside 0b69620152 of home?”c65bd32a7e8b83ae

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“…What are you 0169bf34e1 doing here?”26a2e5f5fdc244a7

“It’s your last f1e1508a17 school festival, so adb23b4db9 I figured I’d 3d17921231 buy you something 77c528f561 good to eat. We barely e5032b8926 spend time 99d6248acf together, you aeb7d2c868 know? Is this your friend?”fc992837b85aa212

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“Hello, I’m Yeonha’s friend, 99d3543901 Aejeong. Kim Aejeong.”8a0eb94a951c28c1

“Ah, nice to meet fafc855de5 you. Mind if I drop ca6234ac4a the formalities? I’m Choi Jaeha, d97336c602 Yeonha’s older brother.”9e33d3f1356928fe

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With his bcb3db1f21 good looks 9656fa87b6 and easygoing 567942e450 demeanor, Jaeha 40f706cbea had a e2cf08256b way of a7799a306a making a 82651d544a good impression 06dec5ae4b wherever he 763d11598d went. Aejeong, a little 84b98cfed9 flustered, shyly shook 426620a080 his outstretched hand.c8bda8f31b471eb7

“Oh, let me 4634296932 introduce my friend 23eaf98185 too. This is Geum ac0c493de2 Hojun, my classmate. Handsome, right?”66c535b0a72f1054

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The guy in b4376fecbe question gave a 65e05f73c6 small laugh and bd6b343e63 greeted them. He had a9b263a1b1 obviously put 6db1de8970 a lot 85380f0ab0 of effort 44d2a55dc4 into his bcf0f1a09c appearance, dressing eb8d5a5ab7 up as c39fccbd34 if he 85ea13c49b were going 9754d19910 somewhere far 4e0cbc5aee more important. Yeonha found 30d147a665 it a bd0ccec990 bit ridiculous—getting c84751505d all dolled 1e158822e4 up for 2026d794c8 ahigh schoolfestival…a0577c4d373f6225

When their eyes ba33069f6a briefly met, she 7b076aecc1 caught the unmistakable cb7f06d5ef glint of curiosity b625bcf6f4 and interest in ee7eb35cf8 his gaze.8fb0247ddd4eba4c

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“Yeonha, where’s e8e9ca20b3 the bathroom bb66f60ba3 around here? I need to wash 2f641eba81 my hands. Aejeong, can you b31777b500 show my friend 0d7744ee74 around for a dbc189b33b bit?”3af294a385f82185

Aejeong nodded 03726d7000 eagerly, and 4f187b6342 Jaeha took 35643fb701 the chance 3250868853 to pull 380db506a8 his sister 82001927a6 aside, putting b8d80cecc6 some distance e795ae42d7 between them 90deabf2ff and the c39cc38dfb group.4925b5088c0752cf

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Still smiling, he looked 444c81edb7 at her expectantly, but fe3ff3def9 Yeonha’s response was blunt.c4509154ac9adbcc

“How much is 0b0d65c13e it this time?”228c0e7ffa6cbdcc

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“…What?”d622a05676b523b8

“You came to ed05ee5dcc borrow money again, a0e8112953 didn’t you? …I really 8ad4dd2ad5 don’t have 75be055aba any, Jaeha.”a8baccf66c18d88c

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Just saying it made 9612a566d9 her feel pathetic.5a48acf68f89255f

Jaeha had gotten hooked 238eb5d70f on sports betting back 9a5188f95d in high school and 053e576f0e had once caused a a71e63d81e huge financial mess. After that, their father 3b7d8cbfb2 strictly controlled every penny 9ac0fe6613 he had access to, 248bb133cb blocking off any potential 49eadf6641 sources of extra cash 9ab7ab3995 once he became an 00be42122f adult.cfb6cb73570afe7c

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With nowhere 5ba231ab07 else to bf7a4e0ec9 turn, Jaeha 7902a6229a started borrowing 5de7a2eebe money from f1646b72e5 friends and 049f266719 acquaintances—small amounts c8d8e4ab0c that he 2bb6bed1b6 could get a3253b3183 away with 6830f66f40 not paying 21f7bee0f0 back for e95c98499d months, but f232f25998 frequently and 8c02281732 from multiple cc8e123579 people.245fb295059c91c4

Yeonha had 35be13e1aa given him d6596535a7 some of dca3ec4b94 her allowance 94b95960b4 a couple 2e73c196df of times 23b19d1b4d before, but 69627ec504 that had 6cfbc88fe2 been a 370215ebe9 mistake.69f1f1030ee1a585

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“What, is showing 2cfcc8f596 you around the 7d81eaa9a4 festival such a e1d11ef11b huge favor now?”bafed68b94d6713a

Jaeha’s expression a56821111f was one f4fb1489f9 of obvious a8df3af197 disappointment.56979fee283be327

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“You’re really making a ee2e06c7c7 big deal out of 2aaaefd61f this, huh?”2e75cac89feca2e8

“……”c3afc53a64075444

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“What, am I not 8edb432bdf even allowed to visit 3b200b2431 my little sister’s festival? Did Iaskyou for 8d4999e232 money just ee996fd7dc now?”2262772f0a4af0d5

“…What’s even b5368d4762 worth seeing 3ec390fb0b here? And you daa81dfa25 brought afriendalong too….”17c9a18297d19a8a

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Jaeha let ce40107fd9 out a 673e7ed8d8 long, frustrated 3a4205fef8 sigh, as 9fc853c9b0 if he 6b917edc16 couldn’t believe 77a69e6ea5 what he d7eba97e96 was hearing.a77512f6cb9c51ca

“That guy never got 5916a10abe to go to festivals 1bb2b6626d when he was in af32cf7d57 high school because he 97ba787889 had no friends and 41fb50ea60 was always stuck at 1264399fee home. This is something he d5d12ecad3 always wanted to experience. YouknowI always pay back a663ed0b70 even the smallest favors. He’s helped me 83f5c4d28f out before—lent me fd2113af0d money when I e4c7f0b846 needed it, covered 18f4756c74 for me in 433eec2143 class, even did af17ce76ae my assignments. Is it fd0a017975 so hard 6a897f3189 to be ecad37b7f8 nice to 73be0a758d someone who’s 2372cd4c86 helped your d9f1b91e96 brother?”0a8155a58514b92c

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Why did he 050480d7a1 even put himself 31b9638965 in those positions e29298cbe4 to begin with?8739b2f8231e0275

If Jaeha dfafe03a21 had gotten 4e63b294be into somehugetrouble, if he had c7bf10a2f7 a massive debt hanging 0b74ed01d6 over his head, maybe 92a5ef70b4 Yeonha could understand. But no—he was 8443a307e3 just the kind 09b3d4d696 of person who 6aec927734 made a habit 2816301077 of owing people 348e563d13 things.0065753d347ffd99

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Yeonha clenched her jaw ed9c5a963c for a moment before 68f023c284 speaking again.71e8aec95004ac50

“…Just tell Dad. Tell him you’ve eabe2b9b11 come to your 3938ff4868 senses and that b85c25d144 you’ll do better.”9a7af887df416318

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“You think I b48bf830c2 haven’t tried? …Do you 6f70bf917f really think 1b83b1faba that would 31f0c625ef work in 7aebb9f365 our family?”525500da5e57fa11

A shared 83351b1103 memory flickered e7282383db through both 365472e864 Choi Jaeha d872427e25 and Choi cd7e0f07f3 Yeonha’s minds.ad6859d9070a5ef4

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Yeonha found her brother 2170328b53 pathetic, yet at the de1627ca2e same time, she couldn’t 5765c589be help but understand him. And that made it 96d01568b8 even worse.404ea036a2ab7ecf

She hated 95ddfb5ae6 herself for e079623c1e sympathizing with 808b8e1396 his shameless b0a2510d9b actions, for cb8ca884bf sharing the 1b521d75dc same bitter, 2381f8c99f sorrowful fragments d763e99f51 of life dee3cb1ed3 with him.4f6eeb286b425e9b

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“Yeonha. I know… I know 5ab54bd04f I’ve lost your trust 1e776f3546 too.”de4d2b09c91ed96d

“……”33735e2eea1688f0

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“That’s actually why I 1e64aaf2d2 came. We barely have 7cb720728f any memories together 3a7987d0bb since we were 921de3e56f kids… And I 75777240eb know I’ve been 9562d4055a a complete failure 320876606a as an older 25d467d509 brother, so I 9c56d24fd5 just wanted to… efd1b1d9bb soften things a d9c4f1469b little.”44fc7dcf0b807e76

For a brief moment, 3f5996e39b she remembered when they 21e3c78bc6 were much younger—when her 8e18247735 brother, with tear-streaked cheeks, 135cbf5836 had hidden her in fe79030b32 a closet so she c30672f52b wouldn’t hear their parents bbac1c8114 fighting.8159066922f28771

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“I just wanted to ed5e6eb06e try, at least like 1a9e4282f8 this… But I guess 72323858f0 coming here was a e20e344bd7 mistake.”f5b64c3a6d87b9c0

He looked 456d661690 almost despairing.810b8839fd2fd6f2

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And oddly 1a08c5e7ea enough, that 7b8686535b gave Yeonha d8792d1f62 a strange 24020fc2b3 sense of a67caadc2e relief.8bc18da039024af8

At least Jaeha still 4a6617f2df cared about her. At least 0e9f4aa984 her older 8b1ac4b036 brother wasn’tcompletelythe worst 8865a3bed6 kind of ce529b2d1d person.b58e60b1a944d58e

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Jaeha let 405ee4f3f7 out a 5885d5c472 deep sigh 0ca8a7acd9 and ran 83c71b0441 a hand 1697785021 through his d53862e148 hair.fc2814720525d604

“I’m sorry. But… since I’m already 89c0bbafcb here, let me at 8d9ba4986e least buy you something 0eb33b4838 good to eat, okay?”d70a053ad0a70b29

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His face, one that e6b6698053 resembled both hers and 35108e8e9f their mother’s, looked almost 37be893afd pleading. Glancing briefly f972747d17 toward where 1109c7214f her friend e5d8086b0e stood near cc01d28725 a festival 72f4e1500a tent, he 7bcd2f794a continued.a1689c5479474fcd

“And just… fdde02ecd5 put up e28ff191de with him 38dd364d88 for today. He knows what 7961920361 our dad does d07aa9b944 for a living. I went through all 1654d2a43f this trouble bringing him 0e7170a7c2 here—what if he gets a2e06f6a9d offended and makes something 6c47e6727b up online? If even the 26e9b3b2ae tiniest scratch lands f48b8576ad on Dad’s reputation, f82c86a808 I’m done for, 9e2ef52a7b Yeonha.”a73e1e91ef7bb707

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“……”c87358eae3744e29

“Youknowwhat would f635969966 happen if e09b10c3de Mom found b9c821443e out. …Remember? How we always said 88a5ab41fe our house was like 255069794c a sandcastle? One wrong move, and 73ea0a5762 it all crumbles.”40fc073c34b38ab3

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She did remember.ee513268278f0e12

When she was little, 27c2900198 crying silently in a ccc91b8fa8 corner, it was Jaeha 1247245f76 who told her—just stay 09fc0fc745 quiet, just quietly accept 1030af221a Mom’s love, and everything 347d6e12d1 will be fine.9e8de4aa4086f690

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“Do you really think b3dbbddd91 I’d treat my little afca2480a5 sister badly? Do you know how 060aa064bd much I love you?”4985cc1c82faae7d

Just this once. Just this one time.1d61caa48f101fbc

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His whispered plea was 95f1d1bf21 like a spell, and f2b12e02e4 Yeonha closed her eyes.ab60b9a0abe00838

The tall guy with 3864d398c1 a rodent-like face kept 40f16bf411 glancing at her as 18f924c276 they walked. He looked like a4d9f0a3c1 he wanted to fc8cab7002 say something but 1def291b62 hesitated in the 4351bbf72b face of her 2a729cf913 cold expression.882643eec075791a

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Yeonha inwardly cb0ca2e60b cursed herself.How stupid, 7d40114b09 Choi Yeonha. You always act 81e4eb8fc2 so smart…7841c43147d71e3f

In the end, e23f5f26ce she couldn’t ignore 0b65a5216b Jaeha’s desperate plea. She told 65b71fbeea herself it 8a1a2d9f21 was just 92d5f15893 one loop cc32001866 around the f4f72d1cd8 school, a b627a5803a short walk 3615c6cd81 under the ba83e0b938 excuse of 591dce2d90 showing him 82b9d80635 the festival. And so 0e4ad38ef1 here she d671d38c13 was, with da5c492c33 a guy e09f8e7ab2 she’d met 3363dabb42 for the c923c01da0 first time 7b16a8d109 today—Jaeha’s so-called 47de556b2c friend.8625f53f7ecefbb3

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“You’re quieter than a0144d6e4c I expected. Shy, huh?”f143fa358ff10655

“……”b9a366ee67ce96e9

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“It’s fine, you can d88b34d72e relax. No need to 16d808eba6 be nervous.”9b7659bfda45e315

He seemed to think e489144422 her silence was just 1b42ff8fbf shyness toward him. When Yeonha didn’t f8bf78cf78 respond, he took ae7cf142a0 that as encouragement, dc2e808579 growing more confident.eef7d4474b61db5e

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“Being a college 8cb560aa1a student isn’t that 265ae28a71 special, you know. Though, I guess 53ae33f1dc since I go 09a10b5ebf to a top 87e2221c08 university in Seoul, 76171e72d7 you might have 133a3e9e4f some expectations. …By the way, you 6cf38272e4 looked really cute laughing 643978ce17 with your friend earlier.”70b335b795a0958f

Sincewhenhad he 3db3ebb348 been watching?6326fae85ce94338

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The thought of him 604a9c9696 observing her and Aejeong 812559a4f9 giggling together made even 5346633801 the good parts of 6eb655ed52 today’s festival feel tainted.bb435adc60115548

“But, you know, 708b0943c6 you also look 61aa746eb9 really pretty when f3727f0cd1 you’re all serious 861f3a6e3c like this.”0f48c47d630a1070

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“…This is 956d77674a everything there 63957a1f12 is to e5cf4ac4a1 the festival.”53f2d1d7042d4256

Yeonha stopped walking.ffaeb330b6d8f4a0

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They had made a 4e33b54118 full round of the bb983aca71 campus, passing by all f98c1bc161 the booths and even 0c220120f7 stopping by the back f24ce4e90d of the school near e3ba3b11d5 the convenience store. The guy looked around, d7041005a4 taking it all in.2e931d814c5f7b47

As she had planned, 9615fab0de their last stop was 3562c43691 near the school gate. Most of the students 48bcad7632 were still in the b359f2c870 festival area in the 2194bbf91a center of the field, fbc4687d78 leaving the entrance relatively ed1e6e72a4 empty.ff09c00b56630814

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If she sent him 8e49694040 off now, this ordeal dd62cbb871 would finally be over.c5a2a4d3ad4001c7

“High school festivals aren’t bce0870aca like college ones—there’s not 61f54ee888 much to see. This is all there 017cf94564 is.”ff0399e18a655347

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“Ah, really?”e3b93558f34b518b

He nodded, shoving 1b6ee46272 his hands into 4a1f602165 his jeans pockets.0df714a84f672bef

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Yeonha was about 1b458831ff to say,Then, have a good fb1d42a3c3 day,when he finally 20a0c2dc9f spoke again.92e1d0eb153f65a6

 6dae7a4e485804ea

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