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      Vol 3 Ch 10

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      by chef My father’s shouting rang out again. ‘…What a stubborn woman!’ He soon emerged from the storage room, shoving something into his chest pocket. Then he froze when he saw me standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at him. ‘…Yeowon.’ I quietly uttered, ‘Father.’  The sound of it sent a chill down my spine, even to my own ears. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been slapped for speaking to him like that. But strangely, Father avoided my gaze as I stared intently…
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      Vol 3 Ch 9

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      by chef Had anyone else said that, I might have taken it as a joke. But coming from him, it wasn’t. I etched every word he said deep into my bones. Now, I was completely certain. CEO Jang would be able to find my mother. After opening and closing my mouth a few times like a fish gasping for air, I finally spoke,  "…This is. What I mean is, I’ve done this to myself after being pushed to the edge." In a quiet voice, he repeated my words. Pushed to the edge.  "What drove you…
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      Vol 3 Ch 8

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      by chef When I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the dark gray ceiling. ...Where is this place? Still groggy and half-asleep, I started piecing together fragments of memory. "…Ah!" I suddenly bolted upright from the mattress. Shaking my head as if searching for something, I scanned the room quickly. Despite its large size, the room held only a few pieces of furniture—just a bed and a wardrobe—scattered sparsely. The structure was similar to the golf course penthouse where the man had…
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      Vol 3 Ch 7

      Vol 3 Ch 7 Cover
      by chef Clack, clack. His footsteps echoed as he entered, the sharp sound of his shoes filling the silence. He shrugged his shoulders—broader than most—and removed his jacket. “Take it off.” “…….” I stood and undid the belt that had been tightly cinched around my waist, pulling my pants down all at once. My trousers and underwear coiled at my ankles like a serpent. I bent over to remove them completely, the jumper I wore slightly covering my lower half. He climbed on top of me. The…
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      Vol 3 Ch 6

      Vol 3 Ch 6 Cover
      by chef A gaze grazed the nape of my neck. The moment I became aware of it, my hair stood on end. ‘Could it be...?’ I couldn't even bring myself to turn my head. Instead, I observed the situation behind me out of the corner of my eye. My vision, obscured by the brim of my hat, caught sight of only a pair of shoes. Even at a glance, the feet of the person standing behind me were considerably large—at least 20mm longer than my own, which were of average size for a man. Those feet, encased in unadorned…
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      Vol 3 Ch 5

      Vol 3 Ch 5 Cover
      by chef I caught a taxi again in front of the hospital.  After telling the driver my destination, I turned my head to look out the window. My racing heart gradually returned to its original tempo. Deciding to confront it head-on instead of avoiding it seemed to calm me down. With serene eyes, I took in the scenery passing outside the window. About an hour later, I saw the familiar gray stairs in the distance.  “Please stop up ahead.” After paying, I stepped out from the back seat. The taxi drove…
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      Vol 3 Ch 4

      Vol 3 Ch 4 Cover
      by chef When I got home, I couldn’t sit still. I paced around the same spot over and over, chewing on my thumb through the glove. I traced every corner of the room, aimlessly wandering. My uncle was a man who cared for no one but himself. He was selfish and heartless. Blood ties or not, he wasn’t someone who’d go through the trouble of moving someone who couldn’t even move or regain consciousness. …So did he run away? From what?  Debt? To be precise, that was my father’s debt.  If…
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      Vol 3 Ch 3

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      by chef It’s suffocating. It feels like something heavy is crushing me from above. Like being pinned under a mass of rebar. …Rebar? Now that I think about it, I had a similar dream a few days ago. …Ah! As I struggled to make sense of it, something suddenly dawned on me. No, it was more accurate to say that the scenes flashed before my eyes like a slideshow. I realized I was dreaming, but even so, fear swallowed me whole. It was a situation I never wanted to relive, not even in a dream. It was horrific,…
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      Vol 3 Ch 2

      Vol 3 Ch 2 Cover
      by chef The faint consciousness that had drifted far away rose hazily to the surface. The first sensation I felt was... …Suffocating. Yes, it was suffocating. My body felt as heavy as if a boulder had been placed on my chest. I wondered if I was still in the middle of the construction site. It felt like the rebar that fell during the day had finally crashed onto my body, pressing down on my chest even now. I had to open my eyes to confirm reality. My eyelids, heavy as lead, lifted with effort, and the…
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      Vol 3 Ch 1

      Vol 3 Ch 1 Cover
      by chef It felt like just yesterday when I stepped off at the pier. Before I knew it, December's winter had arrived. The biting cold wind, sharp as a blade, nipped at my fingertips in this freezing spell. Today, too, the worksite was bustling with construction. Workers, covered head to toe in dust, moved their hands busily. The morning news had said it was several degrees below zero today, yet sweat beaded on their foreheads and necks. I was no different, blending into the crowd without any noticeable…
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