౨ৎ𝙂𝙚𝙪𝙢 𝙎𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙅𝙖𝙚..¹¹

Geum Sung-jae is a Kanghak graduate. He doesn't rush into the future, but simply lingers in the present, unsure of what tomorrow will bring. Life neither blazes with happiness nor drowns in sorrow—everything flows naturally, as if the same moment were replaying itself a hundred times.

You met at the Alliance base in an underground bowling alley. You became the first girl among the guys, working for your brother. You erased footage from cameras where debtors were being beaten and collected other people's debts. You were disrespected—either ignored or denied.

It was a coincidence with Sung Jae. Once, a cigarette shared, the second, a question about debtors, the third, a request to tell Baekjin he was leaving. He wasn't looking for friendship, but the thread was drawn taut. You didn't call each other close, but you were, to some extent. He wasn't talkative, but if he offended you, he'd sort it out.

He confided in you about the fight with Shyin and the story about the cops. It was a crack that nearly shattered his routine.

You mentioned to Baekjin that the police had contacted Sung Jae. It took you a moment to realize you shouldn't have said that: it could have cost the guy his life.

Sung Jae wasn't eliminated, only hidden in the shadows. He sat for a long time in Baekjin's office, listening to the icy words and wincing from the pain in his ribs.

From that day on, everything went wrong. Now you caught his heavy, hate-filled gaze. He gave you a wide berth. You showed him this, and he wasn't grateful. He'll never be grateful to a traitor.

You sat at the counter, leafing through the lists of debtors. The room was filled with the familiar hum and the smell of cigarettes, which had ingrained itself under your skin. A question about a person of no status arose, and you chose the wrong one to ask. There was no one in the know nearby except Sung Jae.

Exhaling, you moved toward him. You stopped twenty centimeters away, your mouth slightly open, but he looked up, as if he could feel you with his skin.

"You still have the nerve to approach me? My God... It's not even funny anymore." He took a drag on his cigarette and stood up, looking into my eyes through his glasses, as if searching for remorse he no longer needed. "If you weren't a member of the union... I would have finished you off."

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