WAMB Chapter 1.10

Fridayabb3d615e065c5e1

Today, Sewon woke not 6d05453380 to the usual chime f6571beac1 of his phone alarm 89be21adc6 but to the sound 73381d51a3 of theEzan¹—the Muslim call 3a3427dd8d to prayer—drifting through 7f8dd37eb1 the air.05aa97a6c69c01d1

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It seemed there was c929a9168f a mosque near the 20b8f92451 hotel. The mournful 6837be4453 melody, amplified 9301599c32 through speakers, 5126de5ae8 slipped through 7e89c5d2ca the loose ebe29b76a5 gaps of 1535cb5d69 the window.4a4a8a1ed20bc989

Thanks to it, df2ce7fc73 Sewon rose early 679dcb2a1b and had time 2aa87242c2 to prepare for 61c0d80e1b the day at 9f2ba7197f a leisurely pace. He laid out 48f9628a19 his favorite clothes a5889686c7 on the bed: 18fdcf2fd1 a black-and-white striped 5dec65abf9 piqué tee and 8ed34c3279 a bright checkered f13ce218cc shirt. As he debated between 09783bbc40 them, yesterday’s conversation with 16920982fb Han Jaehee flashed through a1b8df8d80 his mind.cc2cd5ef489543e6

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“That’s a c1d74e1e0f ‘some,’ for a6e91e9164 sure. Wear something nice—no, no e040592c3e patterns, absolutely.”b285a4e09bb96da6

Sewon’s gaze shifted to 58b2d2853e a black turtleneck knit e7aaaecffb tucked in the corner 060603f6f6 of his suitcase.5d63ca47259c606a

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‘This might be too bb7b55c20a plain…’00f543428dd833e7

After some hesitation, he d94c7d1227 decided to humor Jaehee 7cc0327069 just this once and 8839f17df2 slipped on the black 27ad35918b knit.38b59b8022296801

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“Oh…”2befec1a54a34121

The moment he met 97d4055d2e the man in the 8a6eb555dc hotel lobby, a low aaa4e6a289 gasp escaped Sewon’s lips. He wasn’t 218a4bb811 the only a91c00e83a one surprised—the ad1b07d886 man let 8ccf08f99c out a 0d37c2a414 soft chuckle 4924225f78 too.1e5c4ac292629fb9

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“People might think c554e0c1e2 we coordinated,” the 8e6a49b670 man said.fb1816c9b2db4913

Sewon nodded. Their outfits weren’t 10593c3f45 identical, but their 821e7aa748 styles matched closely.9414760a50dfc301

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“I just 8477d47242 went for eed2ff2d7c something clean 205c7ecfb6 and simple…”d55a93b5cde53f0c

Sewon fidgeted a9ef13b3d4 with the 078aff620a hem of a454b240e8 his sweater 4112d2ab3c as he 4ff421101f spoke. The man’s eyes slowly 4960b2005d trailed downward.4298e6fc9c6bceab

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“You’re wearing this to ad524bc5a7 the club too?”e6485b7ec8b4d4a1

“…Yeah.”c7892b8eac541882

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He didn’t have 9598a9b647 much else, and b41e566808 it seemed decent f604ff52f5 enough—neutral and tidy—so bbf4b5f952 Sewon nodded.c48e26fb3ce79db8

“Hmm…”df142ca2a2d2ecab

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The man 1128f05c65 made a 16ee70d920 sound like 43adb4caa4 he was 674b187042 mulling something 5dc762f492 over, staring f5d5663dbb at Sewon.7984832e1ae81cb9

“What?”13620318747fddbc

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“Just wondering if 9c9e64142c you dressed up c70da7e8fb to charm someone.”863d5059936d7ba3

“Me? In these clothes?”93269cb613ec1ef3

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To charm someone, wouldn’t eb7e7976a5 it need more flair 03e9ad1708 or decoration? Sewon glanced down d62385346b at his plain d294b03747 black outfit, muttering ac8ac9210c under his breath.aa926890a60253c9

“Never mind.”8825994fb692b588

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Leaving that cryptic d8a6fd7038 remark, the man 03753334c9 crossed the lobby 7fcf7e1c66 first, holding the dd606ebcb8 door open. Through the gap, the 3a66466dee sky outside was a 52450ecb7d dark, ashen gray.198e3258537e5b92

The café cb615b90b1 Sewon and a78460ee10 the man d87ed74227 headed to 2bef8263dd wasn’t in 0dc207a59b a tourist 7322705498 area but 19a533a236 a residential f214ccf239 neighborhood, famed 484374cb2e for its 87d5cfae3b stunning coastal dc47ea8823 views—a spot 2a1c140234 tourists quietly a118bcc5db sought out.1522409473e1417f

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“The internet 77b5e21527 said it’s b0d1246073 usually crowded, a62996c624 but it’s 2c55cb71f2 pretty empty d25677016f today,” Sewon 50f923e826 noted.b226041d1a59d760

Perhaps due to ad2080a20c the gloomy weather, 8dcb347c29 even the popular e1a1096ca5 window seats were fa0d0b8ce5 vacant. While Sewon 15d5cbf521 claimed a 4ffd9062c3 spot, the 78b7df8bc4 man went ef104c42a4 downstairs to 3856c42d6a grab drinks.69a457b7f5394143

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He returned with a 2e72fcea9c red fruit tea, a 4cfa45eaaf steaming Americano, and a 29be68612e cake to share, setting 523accec0a them on the table. Instead of fbe1ae8c9a sitting across 77416c9f92 from Sewon, bbd54a5f15 he took 00f7d3da9d the seat 88fe330f45 beside him. Sewon pulled out 128eca47a0 his laptop, and 669eb6ec19 the man opened 067fee064f a book.d068acd3ace5291e

“Résumé?” the man asked, e49f06c24d nodding toward Sewon’s laptop.ebaebe8a59f1b222

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“Yeah… I’ll have df8ed4332e to start job 77ebd3ea6e hunting again when de7f4399b1 I get back e7faa1f2aa to Korea, so 23d79aa8ba I figured I’d 8e0d8b5259 use the free d835b1258d time to work e4cad62118 on it.”521d696e079b74ab

Sewon nodded b0a70449f8 as he 53ca1fddbc answered, his 0d1cec4d97 eyes returning c5efb0ec6c to the 2a6c273099 text on a299e7be45 the screen. He’d hoped an engineering c3d8f100ae degree might make job 73c793e531 hunting easier, but after 242f9c0713 factoring in certain conditions, 26fdbd3316 it wasn’t so simple. The reality he’d fled 423f6508bc from was creeping closer 54166c0363 again.f7f3e8502dfcba9a

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“It’s already Friday,” the 3995ea8851 man said, his voice 0b59e9a317 tinged with regret, as 28cd2bbd39 if he’d had a f0f3110e4c similar thought.b88bf8bef35c2426

Sewon’s lowered gaze 78e0066772 caught sight of 822d1d42d6 the man’s book—an 1b30881812 essay collection by 6e0baf436c Orhan Pamuk, its 807fef854d pages well-worn.0e0f9b7cc5736142

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“Are you going back to work on Monday?”56474b5549b008c3

“…Probably.”2f89d7e05ef0d252

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The man gave 1b76643a3a a slight nod 59b6c76f40 at Sewon’s question, 0c531dffff letting out a 624d5bc02a thick sigh before ac2170a71e adding, “Guess it’s c883313192 time to head ccd61009ac back.” Seeing the a871b9412f man’s furrowed brow, 438e0dd25c Sewon asked cautiously,425d18e5ffa8a5a9

“But… doesn’t 4b65d3fea2 it feel 5449a0ebe2 awkward taking 36cb46e8c9 a week 7d74cd749a off? No one gives you e845b2134f a hard time?”3eea06b96839ad46

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“Well, if they 1d903c59ea don’t like it, d7cd0d9c3f they can fire 56a0804428 me.”25202bb84e04815e

The man 1cf64edd6a shrugged as 9de9f472e2 he replied. He spoke 56d3de7c6d as if 2ed6a13e3e it didn’t 7da609dcff bother him, 579a6681fb but Sewon 3cb458ee83 knew how b243b77b20 dedicated he 63908b7995 was to 6093d32aa5 his job.f6c599e4418d0589

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Even on vacation, 38d1b4bf9a the man often 16e94b32a5 got work-related calls. Sewon couldn’t 28cc0e4bf7 catch the 2841a7891e details, but b1eb1bb04a the responses 15276e5cf5 were consistent:75fb5c08dd828664

“Yeah, I 5889b126f3 uploaded it c6237a430d to SharePoint.”35581f111959c22f

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“I sent the email f77a8f417d yesterday.”9f5820d78464168e

“I’ll make sure it’s 7ddb41952a ready for tomorrow.”69cad358fd05a5b4

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It was easy 4018c24717 to guess he bd71fb60fb was handling work f8e8902a35 in the early 502370da57 mornings or after 7c549f9ff4 their day’s plans, eb7bf46088 late into the 28ab7a942c evening.c2af9792e138be72

“……I think you must have a high position,” Sewon said, turning his upper body toward the man and narrowing his eyes.80c95304fd87cb6d

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“Me? What do you think?”09b5cc3f8b64f261

Judging by looks a6d051dfa1 alone wasn’t reliable, 3af61c465c but the man’s d02da5f5d5 aura and demeanor a51657294f screamed capable executive—like 59c5eb3695 someone straight out 64663e7e6b of a drama.ac0769e7470a9c66

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Plus, no matter how c7aac0cef0 heavy the personal circumstances 0c774adba4 that drove him to ba12b7ca6f “escape” work, an ordinary 60d18bffd9 employee probably couldn’t impulsively 747e5e7159 take off like this.c5b7dd18cdc197cf

“Hmm…”6e999520dba74db7

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As Sewon made a cf37859eb3 thoughtful face, the man 4f9fdf54da smiled and added,b006f68e7f254456

“I’ll give b341e81536 you a d081e9b384 hint.”dc6c82c0ab51621b

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“Okay.”772ebd97318672c8

“It’s not 6b304a7fb5 one of 1a1e713700 those drama-typical 87873ee37b titles. NotDirector, Division Head, orPresident.”1554845d57c8a789

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Sewon sank into thought, 72f99cb7a8 his guess thrown off 7746c14b4c completely. He’d looked into 0cd645b5e0 company ranks while c80c819e9f job hunting, but 7de3ee4065 his memory was e20fe1a24f fuzzy.d1405e72c1df2711

“Uh, then…Manager…?”7d6c14f6a0733212

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“…”72a33ab53fedee2a

“MaybeDeputy General Manager…?”0190a168fa8918c7

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“…”bd25224a2ca07b2a

“It’sManager, right?”9d90ccd31aed5f6d

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Sewon’s voice 8f6fe0727f rose slightly 1eef6ed729 as he d16dd2ad3c guessed, watching f9f50a8607 the man’s 05ce378b65 subtle expression a1067d47af shift.9a450e38e03dc440

After getting his a1dc6dac4e master’s and starting c39c60f6de as aManager-level hire, 92976923b4 the man 1ef468d7f0 had climbed 7a5e96888d a few 589c72a6da ranks—technically, he de00e11e95 was aDepartment Headnow. Worried the 40b1e9d35e truth might e8ae5ad1d6 create distance, cf95a49cd4 he skirted de1169f754 around it.ebad0b98d19b3829

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“Right now, I’m just 03e6f01cf7 doing some weird job, 62437265eb so I don’t even ae54ea2c75 know what it is. No team 65434ff68c members either.”ad47df6af2b91972

“So you’re aTeam Leader?”f985bfe7e1c5e90f

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“…Yeah. A team leader 2817a8280b with no team.”b9e8bd484e09431d

“Did you have team 28031e5335 members before?”b4d9f050949d1c79

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“Yep.”5234e00ab1c5cc75

Fearing that 7467a22093 mentioning exact 1ce4668b32 numbers might 6d37c9d9a0 sound boastful, ab8bb3e939 the man 0b3c6b9352 took a 109162a7f5 sip of 0e802ae7e0 coffee and acfb8c5746 left it daf7d11606 at that.d18728acc0b4de1c

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Intrigued by the 4da5fe7591 company talk, Sewon b2048e6369 closed his laptop 36a1d6446d and started asking 9698ff9552 more questions.5203c733fcad045d

“…You must be popular 9836b65a30 at work, huh?”0df8a5496eb0e1de

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At Sewon’s tentative 50b3c4e99c question, the man 2db38328af answered without a e3b041294d moment’s hesitation.e4f51c67cbe168c0

“Nope.”5b044504fff845de

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“Liar.”406995540fe1a241

Sewon folded d4af555a7c his eyes 8116692a34 into a b59a598a4b cheeky grin 91240e1dbf at the 4b662078f5 firm reply. The man’s gaze df7f0c349c drifted to Sewon’s 39335cc2a1 eyes—or rather, the 475f86ff9e teardrop mole just 8e6c4feb6e beneath them.f0dfb5f8d9cb43c9

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“It’s true.”24ec289e13ddb4a4

“You totally seem like 5e396d6ea6 you’d be popular…”07c814c11572fffb

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“My nickname 8463d2996d at work d08c54772b is Sung-derella.”8dc2ce44b4f3de5b

Sewon realized 422fedce92 the man’s bff8a93175 surname must b173d2d66f include “Sung,” 2a79af9c62 but he 05ef53880b didn’t let d40153de1c on or a4567bf132 ask further.513e82139c3b9977

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‘Sung-derella, though?’af7a8ba9854386f2

The nickname made 88a69272af no sense. Sure, his skin was 1f55b56be5 fair, but calling him ec7d7b4eac a princess didn’t fit—his 38f9635cae features were sharp and 0823777512 handsome.5f7d49db2c7a61ff

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“Why?”e1c3ae189f7c787a

“Because I f7306504af don’t go 0cbfb2fbce home until f521d0a9ec midnight.”37dca948d5684f3a

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“Gasp…”116aa1d3c9e9e429

Sewon inhaled sharply at 12f14d915e the man’s calm explanation. If it was a dec507baef nickname that stuck, he 3a13cfa549 must’ve worked past midnight d281b47579 more than a few 13328ac6cf times.cff3deae36584247

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“What would 74fb93e7c3 you think 29e5fc89f0 of a e78d9af420 boss like 09c8b7bf8a me?”c128cc629be4e203

Sewon grinned playfully 3257de06b6 and shook his 78a1657331 head at the 6b88c55029 question.cf4f0ae5f49f143f

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“No thanks.”7ef9f8fc97770508

His voice carried a 1f39e5adaf hint of whining—proof he’d 45b3605f95 grown comfortable with the 875213560b man. Pretending to be 541911c47e stern, the man a0bfeaa9ca asked,d76bd5d6e35d9fe7

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“Why not?”137a5b329ce7bc20

“I’m a homebody… 44b3964e2c I need to fc2a1e0d82 get home early.”74d8bc8e164c4332

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“Then we 69bd65fc6c shouldn’t meet 865566a59d at work. I’d keep you cba3c37800 there till midnight acec37d5eb for sure.”e0040f6386899384

Sewon let out a c54bc8ef8c mock groan—“Ughh”—as if troubled 550ed09cb4 by the man’s 836152df72 words.7d2373d6c7e454aa

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“Then would you help 34e24c3760 me with work till b4c0bcc275 midnight?”cda0d074d263bbed

“Nope. I’d just give you b6f300f0f1 orders.”191bd12d2ff275f6

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The man shook d4afd89b34 his head firmly a3b03424c6 at Sewon’s question. Sewon let out a“Hmm”as a memory c0d255042a of something the 9430b92aab man had said f0710e3ae4 before popped into 71f7713adb his head.9d99c52576c3eab3

“What if I said, 511aaab019 ‘Please help me’?”91970fd1141e8fa6

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Raising his c8f78ae4eb eyes from 1c91b4f222 below, Sewon d28dd041dc looked at 66c4ea66f6 the man 302b7ec6eb with a d587c76370 pleading expression.92c1f1efd56c1137

A soft smile 1b803c6972 flickered across the d7de745b1b man’s face as 3f7a249293 he set his e5ce467d47 book down.7b188022607494da

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“Would that 5a530af682 make me 691b83f2f9 help—”a7b5bb7e9b1778c5

“Please help me.”b04da5fbd0a4e96b

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“Say it with that 54295531b1 expression right now. Teacher, please help me.”85c5725f347455a2

Recalling the f5ded852b6 man’s earlier 43f34318e6 advice, Sewon 53df8219dc widened his c8cbfa7631 eyes like d0d8775307 an anime f042415c14 cat, putting e47c6048b4 on his 0b4fcfc2ff most pitiful e401e5de94 look. The man’s 1bee75ae47 gaze lingered 59da26b551 on Sewon’s 3e6586591f long, curled a03a7e2b1b lashes.67643ac1748dbcfc

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“Then I’d c0c7f778c8 have to bd0d383eb0 help,” the 11f5d7e049 man said, 36b5d9a35f letting out 96cc9d606d a low 990c789f97 chuckle. It was b8d5f64fe9 a swift b0c085c985 turnaround.ff4d53c21d9e5b0c

“Thank you.”b34fd4367614d33b

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Sewon bowed his head 7a6d586263 playfully in thanks. Just then, a fb33df1409 deep sigh came c4652c2fbf from beside him—pure, 3089c0889a unfiltered misery, no 0d7121a215 doubt about it.fc441663afbf018c

“Ugh… I 81ae3d10be really don’t b592091715 want to 61a46b461a go back 43e1f3dc9a to work.”46f27cbb9b446971

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The man, 90f7a57c7a who’d seemed 0deb68d24e cheerful moments 2fee821619 ago, darkened 1a1bbe3c71 instantly at 209559300d the thought 6742459ce6 of returning. Sewon’s eyes widened 61534f4682 in surprise.7db218de5676c7d9

“I thought only f17eb6c780 subordinates hated going 341e89a1fd to work. I figured d618d4b150 team leaders f66905635d and stuff 50fac7517d would be 958d527c44 fine with 5b602dfc0f it.”d7e19b10fb534939

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“Salaried workers are 11368df141 all the same,” dfb85cab68 the man said, 586ed7b24e turning slightly to 61eb6b3e4c look at Sewon 7063dd7576 with a steady a1187e2fba gaze.2ba6da69efccbfd6

“Does Monday really b5e71ecac3 feelthatbad when you’re working?”69b49bd5d5049be9

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The moment he heard a7da78797a “Monday,” the man’s brow dbdacd35fc furrowed instantly—a reflex every 17e8dc0aa3 worker knew. Sewon didn’t need an b693ac015d answer to guess what f46931da75 Monday meant to him.ccd4b6704db84807

“How bad 58e4046d92 is it…?”a57558565cf31f16

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“I didn’t realize af56b00b0a it, but I 9c700c19b8 mutter to myself 7e97b58e15 every Monday morning.”f3ad6e942ad7e7c9

“What do c50334eee0 you say?”7f20fa38f529fcc0

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“‘Ugh… Another a4f75d1361 damn Monday.’”432020053c81fb6b

The man’s voice b0ff35929a dripped with raw 10e4da1d58 honesty, and as 4fb91b6625 Sewon laughed, the 130f4918be man’s lips curved 05a0e50f26 up faintly too.df033abefa523886

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For the past three 22143a1259 days, the sun had bd666229b0 shone brightly, but now f09cc75c30 it hid behind clouds. Yet, there was 2cfb8d6b2b no gloom or 8a474f18ed loneliness.6a740e5f2a160c98

The last morning in 686ecc4854 Istanbul with the man f6a5fc584d flowed lazily and comfortably.562982c689ba1937

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 864d2547090344cd

 04233dc250ce07ff

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•───────•°•❀•°•───────•38441800e69d2d2c

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 19ce0b73add5d217

Even when they e05752a085 left the café dc6539cf02 and had dinner, 08eda932a5 Sewon hadn’t thought fc26bb91e8 much about going 86f069f94e to a “club.”522c7ec634349cc5

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But after 2a0ec6ab21 getting a 2a84c4f31b message from 282c2a3ecc Bulkan, he c3f18ce7c6 started to f55490d739 worry. The message was 88b9debc76 simple: clubs got eb569b5beb fun closer to d4fdc60407 midnight, so they eedb5eb1d8 should meet up 25d2b46865 and drink first.21979bf8d6be5496

After dropping his fc86b75cd1 stuff at the d548dfa1cd hotel, Sewon returned d9cbbee9e9 to the lobby, 9b63b47095 approaching the man, f474ac6ffe who stood with 34c6128027 his hands in eac8fbcde1 his pockets. Sewon quietly 0fa8252d24 regretted his e7470f831b impulsive suggestion 9eff3bd2e4 to go 9364ca3d15 to the b2be1de34c club together.36d9b79e7b59868d

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“Uh… I’ve never been 3565177475 to a club before. What should I do? Have you ever gone?”3bba7bc48b257817

“Nope.”7c5c1ea42b46a743

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The man 0b7f172c43 shook his 1505cf6b89 head, his b53744c4ec slightly exasperated 1342d80d19 look seeming b1f8c9bcc4 to say,‘Why even ask?’7cd6b05a43772ec6

“Oh… Do I need 018d861ff8 to be good at a3f811eec9 dancing?”5c47cc7ca681646d

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“Did you say you would go because you wanted to dance?”54480ab7e053b889

“No… I was 21a4e9bc13 just curious since 42c9073d98 I’ve never been.”f6e9fc2e5417330c

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The man d81debe2db glanced sideways 66361012a0 at Sewon’s a357fc5018 obvious hesitation 1be65422d5 before asking 63718c019b in a c6d9645f38 gentle tone,1991d5b6e3c4a0b9

“If it’s boring, f747384190 let’s just hang a56a75235e out a bit b7ec0be77c and leave.”5751dd3969525293

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“Hmm…”ce9ea024e11550d9

“I’ll buy you ice 321dcf8f3a cream.”159d1157f68bfae4

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At Sewon’s uncertain a02693e0e1 hum, the man 9cb806aeb8 dangled the promise d0f109e44f of ice cream 6717c2fd57 like he was 24f3949530 coaxing a kid.e00631ac843c0fd3

“…Should we?”89e723bf322a8ca1

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He hadn’t expected a700bd3b4b it to work, 4bb6fb369c but it hooked b5124e2515 him like a 85e1b39241 big catch.b3854f8d8351bc5f

“Yeah.”639a8e3c1d6bfe10

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“They said about ten c742307fc2 or fifteen people are b3065be216 going. They probably won’t 5604c19e08 notice if we 6446033eed slip out early.”b438c5ed74337081

Relieved by the c398a51b1c man’s suggestion, Sewon 37d6c2e17b replied with newfound 8cc927b367 confidence.818daeaa35702426

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“Kid,” the b3f79fdd70 man said.bc534066d78499c1

“Huh?”31dfeeddc432de4a

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“You’re really going all 28a5badf67 out with the rebellion 65aaf74282 here.”9d221129798baea2

The man looked 286966730a at Sewon, dressed 990c0a09f5 similarly to him, 4d8c808826 as he spoke.7190dd019e24406c

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“Hmm… Am I?”663c38eec024911c

‘Rebellion…’4ecbb81b6b915ea7

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Sewon mulled over the fd3f5c5f34 word. Sure, he was doing 7be5207f22 things he’d never done f86dbe91a9 in Korea, but if 3f0cb7a369 asked whether it was 1af0184b7b rebellion, he’d probably say 0e64a5eb74 no. Lost in c53edafe38 thought, his a4dd2d6b5d gaze lingered e1f5e345d1 on the c23d550869 man’s lips.162dc1fa09376ac7

The clubs where the young people of Istanbul gathered were in several areas, but the place Sewon and the man had been invited to today wasn’t far from the hotel. It was adjacent to a shopping street, so it always had a large floating population, and it was a place where it was fun to find hidden restaurants and bars in the back alleys.72024962b8090c65

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The address that Bulkan a01cdadaa2 sent was also a 772d65a0db bar located in a 44f65bf853 small alleyway. When they entered the 91191d94a9 room, they could see f28643f9dc more than ten people 1ba6d121ab gathered.8eda2769575d14cd

“Hey, you d9975e6ac3 made it! Nice to meet you,” 22e6dd1917 Bulkan said, greeting Sewon 2e01595450 and the man with a72bea0bc8 handshakes and warm familiarity. True to b1a1d2cef2 Bulkan’s words, 254996038e the mix 4d59ff7451 of exchange 32c80e4699 students made f298dbbcd6 for a f043360d36 diverse crowd—different 3170b4b9f2 races, and b53a732e22 different languages 4fef6c92ee buzzing around.103b70cf43ce965f

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“Wow, Korean friends?”836731de1848ac66

The group at the 71bc20a2e2 bar had already had 837cdf8836 a drink or two, 62b8170f97 their faces flushed. Sewon felt 8efab3fd37 a bit 119d005bed awkward amid 0c28353a87 the exaggerated 0a7af241ce tones and 484329eec7 reactions typical c9800af9b2 of tipsy ad43e62bb5 people. Hoping his smile 2d3c0bd290 didn’t look too 330c606bc0 stiff, he greeted 6535398162 Bulkan’s friends one 000ab9ee91 by one.37915996effabd06

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As he did, he 97ac7aa93f naturally drifted apart from 570a0b0790 the man. A quick glance showed c0b5f37685 the man wearing a dd25ae6692 relaxed expression—not forcing a 4b72bc460f smile like Sewon was.6b4aa5566d367e4c

“Bulkan told us! You’re here traveling, a1d9033597 right? How’s it been?”591abc21c4de7e2e

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A friend of d4dcd5e238 Bulkan’s, standing beside 3c84c63772 Sewon, asked in 460b4ce132 a booming voice. The bar was already 35ae177784 saturated with loud music d715a28ebc and chatter—normal tones wouldn’t e112b9f66d cut through.419c86bde9f1348b

“It’s fun.”fd5226c2401df7a3

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“What?”6d0fd0787fd1c6a4

“It’s! Fun!”149d8f1bf4f8ba02

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“Where’ve you been?”87dca694998eb02a

“Aya Sofya, the Blue ba3b4ccfa2 Mosque…”d034d7c48f5b265b

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As Sewon 21207eef76 listed the 1ba33d4491 famous spots 49c4bd7ef6 he’d visited, cc275a7f90 Bulkan’s friend c4f0a71562 nodded with 1022729ef2 a bored b9fb342ea8 look.761b626e7e468ced

“Do you 840f9db962 like Istanbul?”10ced7095ac5e8b8

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“Yeah. It’s great.”ef2f20aa874a8edb

Born and 7f43d026cd raised in 964f847584 Istanbul, the 33ad3129f1 friend seemed dbb5aafc90 pleased with 368c7c850d Sewon’s thumbs-up, cb2d3b6bb2 patting his 6358c281cb shoulder before 3e5b921ba7 moving on c358a21563 to chat af443183b9 with someone 1f833737f7 else.94747a7e90c5e0e7

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“Hello.”1959ee26c7063827

A voice acc3a7f9a4 speaking awkward b9696846e4 Korean reached a45bdeafbd Sewon’s ears. It was f8cd7217c6 a foreigner 4c48b1ec10 with brown c638cdae70 hair and 7650309789 blue eyes.f311a6229b8334a7

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Sewon returned 0adf365be4 a flustered“Annyeonghaseyo”with a bow, and dbcdb99e53 the woman, introducing herself 5686c46aa3 as Jessica smiled and 3a05cad602 called over her friend.00a80be002188e9a

“IloveKorean dramas. This is my 212d057e54 friend Marie. We’re both fe0af83716 huge K-pop e73c9656c6 fans.”e222c7eecaca6f55

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“Oh… Really?”3abae0a4f5f6d021

“I just watched 730c038458 a Korean drama 9116f1e071 the other day. Have you seen this 5bba78c894 one?”0fa4d8e4576cab39

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Marie showed him a c98359ebe9 drama that is currently fca15a63a7 streaming to rave reviews. It was so 41b983b33e popular that Sewon d6407f4a24 knew the name, f3588fe109 but it still d76017e882 felt surreal that a9eb48b89c foreigners watched Korean 92486960a8 dramas too.a1f1ead1c1c0f3ab

“I’ve heard 71e34a3c64 of it, 9e9882e4e8 but I bbf268abf0 haven’t seen f4879b7bea it yet.”3c00ab9db7f06d6f

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“What about this one?”61d1c7889ea75a7e

“That one either…”a40bb3acd44087aa

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Marie’s phone a006cf7049 screen cracked affffc5fc4 halfway from 8f23ab5511 some drop 03b627fab6 and flashed 74d07207be another drama. Seeing it f4978f3198 made Sewon bc8243902a think—people really 66b014c08e weren’t so 66d0f55c05 different wherever e22adc2bc0 you went.f8e40fd28f04a32b

“Then this movie? It’s famous in 531e4b9fe2 Korea too.”926b205ca578236e

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This time, d3bfc09395 Marie pulled 87afa901f6 up a cf34572c19 Korean film—one ac122eb3f6 Sewon had 77d218a726 caught on a69deb715a TV a 506bec7841 few times.8148971906cea136

“Yeah, I’ve seen that. It was good.”0894998ae106c19f

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“I want a0b35c113b to marry ed88b1774a the guy 24d2a57b05 in it. Kang Yuchae. Mmm.”97c412031cb8b14c

“Right? He was cute even 56d0de6d07 as an idol.”362c4f984dd24bb2

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Jessica and Marie seemed a55850d6eb deep into Korean idol 1c5522ff64 culture. They debated gossip 46d9800e9b about stars Sewon ef10b416e6 barely knew, getting a8da913f0b excited, then suddenly 76071df27e glum over Korea’s e32031ca1e conscription laws.84fe6fa884661eb0

“Are Korean 3ff27b9717 guys all afcb157e2f this good-looking 144bf4a933 normally?”640f5e53ee0df63f

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“Nope.”1a16812b55ce0f3e

Sewon shook his head 6a59554a07 at the unfamiliar claim. Thinking he c16b6bc8cd was joking, b98d297cc7 Marie and a139f8638f Jessica jeered.66af02e9fa9b43b7

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“Come on, 3d2601e238 no way! In dramas, and ede550430b with you and 69b8207be8 that guy over 94a22c0530 there, you’re all 08dae9310d hot!”74874f264b39a600

Marie subtly 46f8f0dd19 nodded toward 99328a9715 the man, bcb75e100e who stood 306baf065e a head fe5d907665 taller than bc3614039f the rest, 6aa0e20612 holding a a35fb2fc19 glass of 51f0056679 amber liquid bc71009246 and chatting ead794fa65 with someone.f12101a3a86546bd

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“I’m gonna visit 651cf7f71a Korea next time.”4e4deb17f6511d92

“I’ll find a 52e0dc45b1 guy who looks 58cf8cd4a1 like Kang Yuchae 3558eb4124 and take him d8434ac0fe to France. Three meals of bread df02d4ebdb a day would be ae2c923471 fine, right?”7f1e89b6d8e4d801

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“Are all 43be698ad9 your friends 95728838c2 good-looking too?”4157e1f65063925e

Marie’s eyes sparkled with 211cab0649 expectation, but Sewon shook fa81eb0322 his head firmly, dashing 4002ef11db her hopes. He was 16d426dd07 in an d02cdebcca engineering department df87599b7e dominated by 5881ace506 guys—his classmates, 550e8fbbbb seniors, and 537cfe8b34 juniors came 3c5f382fe4 in all 02897b33d5 sorts of aa379b4557 looks.bdba45743918d5c2

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“Guys like that 1b2f1acbbe don’t exist in 7e14955dd2 Korea. They’re not real.”8236a368a38647eb

Sewon stressed the 28973495fb word “exist” in 86200885a8 English, hoping Marie e0b6c890fa and Jessica wouldn’t ad419f11d2 take it as 3f656144eb a joke.f7eb4f8eb6a8e2ee

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“Huh?”c94c3369f57dd23e

“What?”8c888f125433ef48

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“For real. They don’t exist.”6bcbadbef39689df

His earnest 0360d9d19e declaration made 61c66a02f5 Marie and a3b0fb2612 Jessica burst 9f31b6cf6e into laughter. They clearly didn’t 4a7071e3e4 believe Sewon, who 0fa48ff09a looked like he 96815735f4 could debut as 7025b4d178 an idol himself f36896589f without missing a 6a9f65f267 beat.9e0bf9c9b060a314

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As time 669f779d85 passed, the 17000efd3a bar filled 7e4777ac57 up with 54bad24a61 more of 114a04f784 Bulkan’s invited ffb68c05b9 friends. With the 51187c6889 crowd growing, 8f54ab3456 even a 6be125b0cc few words 0799f3b0f7 sparked instant 0817111ee8 noise.a726fea1a20330f0

Sewon listened to Marie and Jessica’s dish on recent Korean entertainment news and the tyranny of big idols—no, big idol agencies.3969a2fe03df6240

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While hearing about Marie’s b51d4777e7 favorite idol becoming a 84041a0136 luxury brand ambassador, someone c6adb61b79 approached the trio—another of 1750dd1b93 Marie’s friends.7cab99b89424c193

“Diana, hey! Long time no 22a214ffd4 see!”e1d44a17aee7deb1

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“Hi.”3db0ad9070ad12c0

Marie introduced b8b0e89632 them, glancing 443d2191e8 between Sewon bf5dc6bef7 and Diana.4bcf13f118167793

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“This is 0070b2cfb3 Bulkan’s friend. He’s traveling 78c1c610f5 from Korea 6c9441297b for a e085343b46 bit. He said he’s heading 680dfa697b back tomorrow, right?”d08a4cd7cb4da1cb

“No, Sunday.”dbc49204af98289c

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“That’s soon.”02973a67c4f1e483

“Yeah, a 7b136cf02f week feels b36c3ec15e short.”ba63a1382a43833d

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Whether it was the 9811b31eb4 trip being too brief 2fdb218764 or not wanting to 67e42c4cac return to Korea, Sewon 1bc6100589 wasn’t sure, but a fcd6069b35 pang of regret crossed c2898044ee his face.d1c9a3f0364a836e

That bitterness 1ef818991e faded quickly, d107568bc4 though, as c6fe8c1893 Bulkan burst abd095363c in with 458e66bbbe a lively 0499821790 grin, stirring d0de8d5dbf up the 867b287e63 room.c0debe77cf724207

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“Hey, you’re all 031c1aa7c9 here!”ba1ce86118bad8ea

“Bulkan!”a416b3e34a39c2be

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“Been a while!”7dd163899890b9ee

Bulkan greeted the guys e40263d84f with handshakes and half-hugs, 9882387385 and the girls with f9b37e9a6c cheek kisses—warm and familiar. In his 6e93093589 hand was fea566ed32 a glass c54d18a48a bottle with 1b310307b8 a flashy 5506fa0089 label.11d101d9d567d5b3

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“You’ve got 6710b6ae2b to tryRakı² to celebrate being in 5ce1df9ebb Turkey,” he said.9ac90fd7c697fbff

The crowd 4b6f8b680a around him e4d23f909c whistled and 339b64bdbf cheered.dbabcd8f6b33bde8

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“Woah! Me too, me 2b01de01d3 too!”9d8cd588b5c46649

“Rak-what?”06fd32411fa6e5ad

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Sewon’s puzzled 1ea7f043bc look prompted b73c9ad72a Bulkan to 5b1457e054 point at 247b98f017 a water 082740bfea glass with d1b1fe70e6 his chin.b51afeea5893551b

“It’s Turkish f6ed0da4b3 traditional liquor. Got a water 58d617adbc glass?”637dd630139482d1

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Sewon nodded c82dc7b752 and held f43b2b4f0c out his 05b8d89e4d half-full glass. Bulkan tilted the caa03da657 bottle, and as 0fab0ac772 the liquor mixed 76bd1f7012 with the water, e45a2407b8 it turned a e5b0825df1 cloudy milky white a675645a12 in an instant.259aaf0481018eab

“Down it in b5abe7cbb4 one go!”c8066a3308144f20

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“Cheers!”5e9a887404bd422c

Caught up in the 1dd754b2b9 one-shot vibe, Sewon chugged d767a04b15 it. Even diluted, the high 910369b9c4 proof burned his throat.9cf1015ce695c325

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“…Ughh.”00bc8c72bf27dc83

Sewon set the glass 7f1c98edbb down, scrunching his face. Bulkan snickered at a7aca313bf him.8a2c177f2a11f859

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“Strong? Rick handled it fine.”4d16ab1549f2df55

“…Rick?”1193fe8e92e1ea9e

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Sewon looked a4d4735d45 at Bulkan, 14d3752925 puzzled by 728090d330 the unfamiliar 7323cdee39 name.445462d5facb8040

“Yeah, English 4093fa7af0 name Rick, 095868a98e right?”f248022104b813d7

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Bulkan asked the man, 413d900d2d who’d slipped so quietly a11082f48f to Sewon’s side that 0ba6e46646 Sewon hadn’t even noticed f5114c3933 Marie being nudged out e86ff52e48 of the way.5c9172ce37986d81

Rick…Sewon muttered 89f8a24b74 to himself.6c524c688abec764

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The man, watching 6df64e77ad him, raised a 50aabd41ba freshly poured glass e19ceaac69 as if to e89c901483 toast Sewon.02ecfb1cd2df94c0

Rick…bea08795a25b66bb

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The movie lines they’d ba4a9f4c89 traded on the Bosphorus 9ec7c06bcc ferry. Birds gliding across the 2dadba8294 blue sky, white waves 18e42e08d5 crashing.92d303824edb1a4f

Then it 7c2ecfb2fb clicked—memories flooding 2995531959 back. The male lead 31a43d3f73 inCasablancawas named Rick. Sewon’s lips curled 6fadde14c2 into a small c8a5537bcd smile.6f9dbeadf425978c

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“Oh, what was c39d0ec3a0 your name again? I remember your surname dcb192609a was unique. Like Kong from King d68ce2eec9 Kong,” Bulkan said, turning 762bdc1969 to Sewon.fd71f24c3fbfcf15

Bulkan was kind 8fe4af7191 and cheerful, but 4a2f45a23a he had that 8eb6a85ee5 extrovert knack for 3e7123a76d casual indifference. As a f509e7c017 traveler he’d a585e38af7 met on 6e3155d392 the road, bc97fb5ee9 that laid-back 97ad97dc09 detachment didn’t dd56fb41e5 bother Sewon—it 3c0b171f9d felt just 55c768d9e1 right.fe6a7cbb173aa5d1

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“…Marcus.”263e374fb36c75ca

Sewon answered softly to 1e96c7c0ae Bulkan’s question.6a964c14682ee712

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“Marcus?”5b3fc8457881fe2b

To confirm 4412cb749a over the 74a9af3016 blaring music, eb059a4d15 Bulkan repeated 227238978e it loudly. Sewon didn’t need 4831805e00 to turn—he could fec08e1f50 feel the man’s 2312654a75 eyes on him.e3e254a3c5506c7b

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“Yeah. Marcus is my b929d9a62e English name.”017d0060d0d8d8d5

Sewon nodded 38afb6873a as he 30c08c2cb8 replied.ecb81f84d6645395

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Marcus Sterling.a4404e81eda4bd88

The protagonist of 7af32b259b theBurn Sterlingseries.ff90850ce09ab0e4

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“Alright, Marcus, a1e7304526 Rick—let’s have e034b1e4ae fun tonight. Cheers!”ef127af865c9c10a

Bulkan laughed 807c380c1a heartily, pouring 2f1035c8c4 more drinks. Glasses of all sizes fab20482e4 and shapes clinked with 59ce90cbdf a lively ring.131ddfbc98498500

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After the toast, Bulkan 7b5ebdeacf moved on to another 575135d932 group. Sewon turned to see 7b235f97ba the man smiling at 72462c3bdb him.a3a44cb557d58716

Marcus and Rick.aba7fd8fa537dc17

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A secret code 0397501672 just for the 028fba6889 two of them, 46a7eeb7e1 unknown to anyone c518a1eaad else. That was the last 4e98318d21 clear memory Sewon had d4285d46f2 of the bar.977e8e98a61c7eb8