Chapter 168 – Monolith: Isolated Rock
X5S“Kang Geom-Ma didn’tR9rQ make anyutvgY2 additional requests?”TrgM4JBwlM
jzb8oIn response toqLB3 Changseong’s question,QcYt an employeep5fjR standing inAZ0t4R front of3ou the great17kIwO vault doorsKpYT replied:dMmb8U
ZL3FVL“No, he justvh0V said overHetTi the intercom5lK1sv that heByCBFk was finished.E8a If thereQGNdl was anythingHCs6rA odd… it7HOc was that6JK his voiceXu6x sounded a bit sad.31elv But thatwhNnOA was probably6LGZy just myh89qC impression.”Q04B
XtD“I see. IfJtc5pj he hadDPK5cx asked forlFtk7v even a single treasure,tVst I would’veuSyU gladly givenGUBEHh it tox7XMtM him. Didyrv he reallyKM8d come justi6qsq to seeGQfX40 the monolith?vB5 He’s quitepVuf a peculiarhwXQes guy. IsspVCt he alwaysAMQ2P like this?”Exo498h
23TbChangseong turned toGas look at4D2f Media. She85O responded withC3wY a calm0C6K2g expression.ERZVL
W9i“Geom-Ma is likeY9E that. HeVSmX has noecp material greedchX at all.HQWQhK He doesn’tBlG seem likegBm9P5 a typicalz4pTU youth—he’s veryjjjD0 sober, youdVsLe could say.”Ivcga4WuU
xvd6cv“In that way,VLey he remindsWHzDHG me ofpTHn0C Nibelung whenm1F he wasRthFb young.”O7S
mZqf5“But not completely.WJ0 Sieg isfBY like thatPBy5 because heeeX grew up9z91j lacking nothing,zXN5MV so hePfQ has noHTwF interest inu3qUo those things.VVc Geom-Ma isACLjmG different… it’sCd3JyO like he’seAq focused onvW3fj something beyondGBlCi material thingst44 or fame.Kv3JL Every time2Rr6 I see98nA him, I feel uneasy.NnMW As ifDGj I needSG5C to beaRDk by hiscYt1Xm side toNWEr support him.”zz0cU6E88
ZF3Media left theohNX8 thought hangingl914 and thenLZw shook heroCzg head.QDIa5
Jnszq“Enough talk. Let’syNosAD go in.”1PaDUU4e7
3tJYlL“Let’s.”zCe
1RMl6hWhen the two0KC entered thej4I vault, theqAp8d monolith cameud6 into viewOQxG in thekio5ZC distance. InqTO4 front ofE7Fnk it, KangdiCS5 Geom-Ma stoodHDXx0 still.0qEAC
5tdcQAlthough he sensedy05kA their presence,3F5zC Kang Geom-Ma1z979X didn’t take5ZAZ his eyesNXEEmH off theX1IQ monolith. MediaQmHp spoke to4IPPqO him gently.vrRa6qW2xsN
Arj4kK“Did something happen…?”tMDXJzyHNxfA
o6kX3“No, no. I’mlLMeZ fine.”cJyk4
aS9Only then didKbIXU Kang Geom-MaRF49K look awayzNjnC from thedRIh monolith. HefwjKja silently lookedZgf at thevYJ woman whoFa9 was watchingXlm him withv2iL slight surprise.Mjv For a long moment,Xx2 he saidina nothing.Kb6
rJNvbGreen hair andRSxWHQ eyes ofLmr the same6ce6i hue, freshV183u like thepPFZ6 spring’s greenery.3fS4 For a moment, sheD0XHb reminded himau1z of theybkQO little girlS6dpJa he hadc6m briefly spokenYS5ARY with. InVXVOVR Kang Geom-Ma’sEMx gaze appeared0Yy9V4 a faintqh9pp compassion.lHB
6HT‘Mesther.’lNj
9q6izAt first, heHmTiww thought ito13F was justjohQ a mission3oLB3 and actedrpaE0 on impulse.Cu5Jw4 And asnAt5v a result,6s5FC history changed.siZsrf
Otv2pGWhat he experiencedpLG0 was notIhKIN an illusion.Mew The statusypG3E window thatj0j appeared afterNQt1o completing thejZCTIh mission confirmedLd21 it.veWx0
A79‘[Hidden – UsingSwzsuZ the CrownHcOuo of Flowers1VA5 as a catalyst, themEMyg timeline WorldhqC1 Good is3o7c1J rewritten.]’RQZI
NN5AxIf he hadGOX9 only receivedDve an additionalhdODOc reward, heBiJ might have01he regretted it.hSOO5atMX
a0aAfter all, itrlG was he7xJbs who alteredgRhhhD the courseTtKi of history.UJ6d Touching theEKj3X past causesPYq a temporal370gv paradox withWjVQ3b unpredictable consequences.B4HoO The famousucjCU “time paradigm”94ON0 from scienceYGLz fiction films.iaquuHBr7
UGeThinking about theUaLlm great eventrqVgp this couldYRGr trigger madeO3ytP0 any rewardN23 feel meaningless.ie8 Be itK5D fame, gold,dtkE6 jewels, or1GAA the blessingOnI4 of a legendary spirit…lCDV none of0K8F it heldCJGPXW value.gtnmpT
F3A70yPerhaps what hek1C had donenqLMd was a travesty. TheIhVnq official historyxe74 had been42PmH severely distorted.DwXIyb And didksUS1 he causeINmL a historicalJuH4O split onRn9t top ofzFRa that? TheNLReW butterfly effectDqvU wasn’t evenyHJo worth mentioningy4mDe anymore.p5nmob
9d7L6QEven so, inzkwEcH Kang Geom-Ma’sYQV3 eyes, thereykQs wasn’t therBcINR slightest hint6oK of regret.mWNN On thevVZB contrary, hiso7HIP expression wasD8Rh one ofmXPM satisfaction.y73A
jdGyHKang Geom-Ma calmlyay5JMM walked tohsWq the backbT5TWz of theaTG monolith. ThereE9eqr appeared a series ofpyEz drawings with6fStaC a completelyKuG different tone.ZpMLrY5KJ
YpRFJeThere were muralsMg4R showing cowsQwEG8h and sheepsfL grazing, peopleX3Vjxv tending toRLKg their gardens.qwC In oneHxfWKj corner, somethingzRYv was writtennK8 in crookedgPI9K letters.eQEv
2hoWThey were imagesbaphvJ that allowedrSh one to5yKzEU imagine howSVOJ that girlaKC3 had livedo9f the rest6QLbM of herPep life. HerR0kub trace haduAk3B been engraved1AxxDb into that4yES5 stone.19o
RdLMKang Geom-Ma sighedby0OQ deeply inside.47cof Although itci8G was a brief encounter,dXcx4 the impactbHEs4m had beend8CBLM profound. MaybeH8o2 it wasxyS due to2PTX affinity? AftervYNJ all, hebJ4gUb too hadtaH suddenly fallen4eMgr into a completely unknownQlBb game world.E3aKXqe3
QK6OswDifferent in form,HfXJJ but similarfnE in essence:LW1b loneliness.C1BSQK
cPbSuddenly, Kang Geom-MaIpMGr looked at7gvA8 Media. AndIEz he smiledQXr8rA slightly. HevjtMS could alreadyqyX imagine whatc6lD that braveHYJhI little girlU2hsp might lookg4Ex like ifgM4Pi she hadPbjd grown up.we8FFxRi5fMD
XdVFNW‘She’d probably resembleer75 this beautifulWyB woman standingkWZEP before me.’FYoFCOE6
1TWZmhThe descendant ofT4ZArS that girl,bJNH who hadeGt lost everything,y6Se had becomeQqV4JO an adultsRQu3P who lookednLcFK after theuiZev young. A strong roofUR7Wi1 that protectedXGpt Joaquin Academy.u1yu Not onlyeoywR him, but8J5Zch all thehG89D students.k4SeyR
p1JUmmThe little girlvgV might havencxB lived inz8V solitude, butJO7AEC her descendantLIiczN lived surroundedtr5Qcj by richplxl relationships andBFE6 affection.KHS8
NFEKang Geom-Ma feltOhyag a slightLy5xP irony. But5UC1 that bitter3WQiv smile faded3OT and turnedsgdhBB into a calm, gentlexxP curve.hGwl9g
Ql37As he quietlyLmhm2 examined thePMMT monolith, KangE6h Geom-Ma suddenlytoHc54 asked,oFyD
L03div“Director… what doesrVAbls that writingMaQm3Y in theVzIYB corner say?”Yme0S7Xo2
4U0qvG“Of course! SinceapHXJ you’re themF63 one asking,b0AE absolutely.”Dr4o9d
mycbMedia responded enthusiastically.cKG She observedSBF the cornerKecDg0 of thegjCzW monolith carefully,gqzur squinting hervDzeG eyes.YD9pXx
03B“The style isWRf5c primitive… but8X9Kw it looksBHy structurally like9rt9 runic writing…”J4oL4Du0DsA
NrdS3She was onefZhn6s of theB0tPW brightest mindsFTY7 in themO8K world. Moreover,eMz0m the Poison18Ko family hadGt2HcT always beenfQ3 known forbrnId their talentpATSD in languages4Kb6 and script.Ay1KhmDK71
Ku6t“The grammar isxj0r7Q ancient, butukTv the structuredEsG is solid.eoxZ0R I canjTlv translate itxTjZY without issue.”cgqder7hiw1
L6CFWhile Media examineduYTRja the inscriptions,Mnnll Changseong, stroking88V his beard,gtpcR muttered:sbjMr
79a1Ty“…Hey, was thisZgWkVj always here?RBkifo I don’tbFm4H7 think the989fH Association’s researchersPdV would’ve overlookedDkl such a long text.”Q7IT2m
Oi8omq“Oh, please! ShutzcOV up, gorilla!0rJOk Geom-Ma askedoKo with goodWQ0YAR intent, canTIc you letqlS me concentrate?”Cek1Amt6
yopMedia shot ChangseongulGQp2 a glare,MQ8tk then turnedzFFOfs back toP1O6 Kang Geom-Ma6uF8 with a tender smileB9htrM as ifVdW nothing hadAkiAg happened.9qY
OqJwEEChangseong awkwardly scratchedzagNjh his cheek.1t9VvjnDn
ZWSsAvMedia finished decipheringHbX8 and beganZYKaa to read:dllJpeE
lZ1s“I felt saddoH1Z8 because thejogv8 mister lefty47r without sayingUYg anything.
I wanted todMCEQ tell him15HiYR something, sosz2z I lookedUmxRQV for a way… andhc2a then I invented somethingBiuYF called ‘letters.’B9MDv
My dad always4o1CYZ said I was smartc7a before herQjX died, andkzJ0BV it seemsPwN he was3FCMi right.
There’s still a lot toxmR8qK improve, butJ79tak I thinkfh6X this isdeAfI pretty good,rhYymx right?”vRYn Kj6OQ·huE lTHOLTwentieth spring sinceyZI the misterjLQlfl left.EOFa8x cGu52You know? ToeiMT be honest,kXNa41 when I was leftQVl alone for0rm the firstXnaZ3h time, I held a lot ofj9hqC resentment towarduaf you.6kXsT 20RJUAh, of course,HwnWL I’m alsoUGCWD9 very grateful.f0zh You savedO2zSMC me fromPU1tN that winged43b monster.2Ej1 qxqEven so, itue95T would’ve beenzo3x better ifvhq you hadeW7zR at leastcR6ED6 said somethingC4cw before leaving…Au6R
Now that I think about0oMj it, youWEx also leftnUys behind theYgSu flower crownVKSQ I made42TfB for you,N96V didn’t you?a8C6S
Seriously, what a joke.KQdL 40czm6Thinking about itSf2 again, I don’t evenYRqyY miss you.g9M5x Hmpf!krQLEH sdZn·auiZqr acIOoFiftieth spring sinceNmy the misterHcCZ left.jEv LVHHave I grown?awgjZu Well, notR7Xw as much0KNEOj as you,bzKFO but noweIDE I canA2MC see over174iy most ofo1WbmG the bushes.OrROhnj go6Now that I remember, you45R1Pe said youaHP were threeMVU years youngerWhU than me,EvE6 right…?I58bYL bYcOdThen why themA2JI heck doOtkl I keepxcq calling youn9a1k “mister”? You’reyNGN6 younger!RY7i Pj3XT·Lf2WA Or4One hundred andaIP second spring.VLnO9oztSX Nd0pTHi, little brother?nQQBYd You know,r3zmBJ I’ve beenuuT5 thinking overI5H5f these hundredCRkFmp years, andxEIu suddenly itGgz0s6 occurred tofFDn me… maybeSGrxp7 you comeAZP from a very distantztNg future.LMxL xTlCould it be8izV a woman’slJypZ intuition? AfterYVOI8 that thought,CqOz I stoppedCMRiK waiting forgF1dCG you. I just hopeqgKQr that somedaybuAhzZ these wordshzDNMO reach you.zVjm
Although, if I could makeP2PP a smallFskE7u selfish wish…Dv66IKa wbpJ7·BDqUYt xBuThree hundred andMUU five springs.Kjd5wBzsd AferLast winter wasxgdd especially harsh.2UD Every time34Q it gets5FrNR6 this cold,bzU loneliness becomesDmnhE3 heavier.
I wonder ifXqd4e I haveXtx to keep8Pib4 living for388rF so long…O3xjgDf9R Gr1FSometimes I’ve thoughtJHo about givingB5J6Tq up, butMWtdn I can’t.dHzgh It’s thef8k life youbzNu6E saved forDqBW me, littlePL1 brother. SolETl I’ll tryFy4k to liveFn3M2 as muchDWEN5 as I can.eqmm lm05·08tIP Eowm4USpring number threelH3 hundred forty-seven.jdLKHmVqhas bsASpring number threeWzmx hundred ninety-one.mvczHTGOAt fBf1tSpring number fourUo0 hundred twelve.3jrOl4Cekn dMkQ3Spring number four0GKC hundred seventy-six.pJHQFLdyTWB FJpEx·khQUe iroSpring number fiveKSGd hundred.ZlAAd DJK2EDid you knowMgF2 that todayMa3kc is myJk6B five hundredjx8RK and twentiethr0pG birthday?xOx5j cvLJLately, I don’tXGH think lifeAAJdCF is thatEhv8j hard anymore.qbz Rather, I feel happyXeeO to bePblP alive. SometimesbvGEDJ I evenKtlAVE want to1Dji live anothernkC6 thousand years.YaexBvC 5yy…But if I were toDdm live thatUQ3Bi long…RTU7r fJy……Nghi4z DgggCould I someday09kK reach the0j5D9 future wheresvxVI you are,B4rhLG mister?dWIr Dq5XgAs he listenediIgE to Media’sYEPR7u voice, KangcmD8gP Geom-Ma gazed8oRc at thewsHl markings carvedxrca5P into theJfz monolith.XzQg tKaTjAs the yearsUsc passed, theYP7Z4 handwriting becameXnqlW more orderly.uOCXUb 82qOZbIn each stroke,nQx one couldqBA feel reflection5xmxk and a struggle toK8K live.LC10 azZ8rN“Make up your72p mind whetherzjS to calltXNRj me mistersS54 or little2wRqZO brother… idiot.”nVyQKs NsHKang Geom-Ma mutteredeWO to himself.JY6 He couldOBT1 barely containBZud the emotion.929H4AWiQdY2 pt41At that moment,zTyiQZ3O xpu7—Flash!7G7lGF IRmN[The level ofLb4ez the humanWuuY being hasV0PsM2 increased significantly.]pRTcKw hvC35MKang Geom-Ma restedps92zj his foreheadQSL2 against theqI1C3 rough surfacetwgv of theeoAA stone andXXf closed hisqpKD eyes. Then,ASkgfg he beganVSiO hitting itU7N1 hard againCE9 and again.vzXjLNSzU NwZKIt had beennECc0 a long8On5w0 time sinceZmpZo he feltSNA4I like this,We7x with hisYBvV heart aboutPKSgjJ to burst.7u59rsfN jWhIf no onemgS had beennD2 watching, heIQ0SK would’ve screamedKGGk at thedxJ top ofN2aY5c his lungs.ASHiBnR HAk***RgO5x bX2cAfter finishing ourIM3VNr business, weusTY left theA05i Seoul branch.x7B6 Even thoughc3CI Media insistedz5Yqf it wasn’tDsyQ necessary, ChangseongY1XRZ came towko see usFkjK off.SVHtTZ ytzORRight before I got intoxZ1FY the car,aeOX Changseong held1VUo6 out hiseiarG hand for8DNv a farewellhNE handshake.xCe 9t9Xa“Sorry I didn’tqfY0 treat youWYSs to a meal. AndgmzSvY honestly, I didn’t reallyepE do muchFuS for you.”XNJd1BXTF0d qsfL“……”yxhLa5 dKSMI stared atl6sM that bigfTnbJa hand forJX9djM a moment,i92VQ then shookF91l it. I replied inTWzGyL a neutralItA934 tone:kpo4 6tc“Next time I come toWp3Ct Korea, let’sF9rx do it.”ayJX0AToIQY pXkqmrThe response wasBhZKK so directCR8Edi that bothMJaa Changseong and03HH Media werehwda surprised.gdQ xXBgnsEven Changseong himselfYzI seemed surprisedzdE0k by hisEp8 own suggestion.2biG He stood0lJ there stunned8UayX for a few seconds3i4 with hisJX3p hand stillNsLs in mine,1WLeai then letx4ksa out a hearty laugh:dX3Zbu5914C NU9“Ha ha ha!uuNx Then it’ssEKFX a promise!”h2NoB5WS CCYXGAfter many farewells,evx Media andhVQPj5 I got8qkWzO into thePr7yTh car. ThexzNH black sedan01FVQ started movinggs0Z immediately.Em1 FZVRI looked outKBuXC the windowkz1DN for a moment, thenRkICU turned myNFD head todkco the side.hoVR There wasloBJO Media, noddingSTw off.IzQv Ke7wHVPof.t2NS hzNjBefore long, herQnvnd head cameBLic to restzig0 on my9GKw right shoulder.zdjW4 I didn’tJTC9Db move her.ZyBwYd0 NOEjQThe driver, watchingUrCC49 through the5174B rearview mirror,e6bZe7 slowed the7bE2 car slightly.yibuF The engineVfpR became quieter.Uh6CPw4pd c5eFThanks to that,OMqT9 Media wasgJA able toLxjSPf sleep peacefullypxe6YO the entire4bj0 ride backcrg to thewSN9 Academy.GeiYU XfmT4i***qYFHYZ 2neLancelot Company. ConsideredZOWoh the bestSljxmu among allI9qXo existing heroyNvib agencies.896ju oVO“Haa… haa…”XdOX yuXSA man ranAGmgkU panting through3VQY99 the corridorsiDOnWh of gleamingHLHcz3 marble. ItoGQKA was Kane,PfwL All Mute’sCAHe secretary.sxRx9 W6JcN9Kane arrived at7aV the doorDoC labeled “trainingeYG room” andZME7t stopped toUQxH catch hisyFRYvx breath. He27Jyd didn’t evenB2w knock beforeHdzl7 entering. ItG8WBH was againstcJIjrj all WesternD0VkH protocol, butQ1k2t there was0z7c7 no time4hc for that.zDJTfLgRJ to8“Ellie!”cTGTy iCiAll Mute, whoP8s was liftingyTOA a 220-poundqNZJ dumbbell, onlyNXFw4 rolled herPkqu3g eyes.K3W3iG v8op“What is it?”79aLmls2u bdW0Cj“Do you remembernV188 that sashimib4i swordsman weZHIu saw atxzHGc the festival?”q67yg1 A3ci47All Mute noddedFsn with a confused expression.2wKay1 9VH“Of course. HeCnIr also appearedNTO8 at theJDw Joaquin incident0TQCt fighting demons.bi8xLJ The foreignzpXM press hasn’tReWY stopped talkingKkemZS about him.veR They sayMoLcSQ he’s theHfL reincarnation ofg2a the foundingS53CgK hero.”SPXJq C9FA06“And you thinkzUy5q this isLU51 the timeGaYe to be8WHdb7 praising youriyR rival?”C5U Z5lSzAll Mute furrowedkngJ6w her brows.eMB3U9KTF I9t“Rival?”9EY O8P“You’re competing fordpi a seat0dK among theZKY Seven Stars!G6Fe What elsel2OOTk would heORwh be? A friend?”hYZ 5zQ“Ah, that.”c5vc hRhybHer indifferent reactionR52Ak2 made KanegTlVeF snap:XUHR Y8b99“Is this theBnbS time toGJsGn be workingCi6zNj out?! TheE39r9 White HouselVi just called!n9T8vw Ellie, ifTw5G you don’tZxZ5 get the6LuM spot, they’req2SX going to94Jjv pass a bill toaFqE4 hit us0vhxXd with a tax penalty.”4qwyd2g3z KjtD9“Paying taxes isn’ttd8 unusual. It’sdiE just theNhb accumulated amountEMyuhO of whatkpRWH we didn’t2xG pay.”CDW 80xZKj“Are you kiddingTKg me? ThenyF5 amount is9NS three hundredL422 million dollars!6ZtPnk Three hundredQjm billion won!3BhSs That’s thevn03hw entire quarterlylSc revenue ofZCU the company!4sHQk What doKv0e you thinkD1LGeA happens if990 it gets0ms3il seized?”FSqC eB5All Mute liftedgRf4 and loweredWmzbqS the dumbbell0uf without muchNSNZ interest.DOotHA 8L0Z“Paying taxes is14toXI every Americanr3m citizen’s duty.”kmY5GXgSdscS 2fF“……”N4f 0Wq4“And you knowwwP8iq I’m not9z9l particularly interestedqaf in the578wC Seven Stars2EW9 seat. I only consideredHoLldB it becauseKl8e the Whitet22O House insisted.S9n If someoneZrr2C else is7MQX more qualified,yEY let them3l7qt have it.NxI1i The SashimiwLTl1 Saint wasDXP4zL the heroqPpW of theFCg Joaquin tragedy.”649RulokP 1iMThat’s right. AllOX9 Mute wasOhD that kindwTbgA of hero.GybtrQ Direct, honest,YjnALX able to9nYGQS recognize othersD80 without hesitation.QVAKtEY g2UtThat made herkPY9E lovable toxf8Tb1 the public—but3wU4 a headacheKMAx for herBUv agency.Zp6Hp tolXHonesty? Fine. ButUbTu in this4t4R society, everythingavDy comes downGvLjbz to money.kTSUF And having3uSk a starK2Eoh5 without a business mindset03g8b was practicallyuyQ a slap1sjbx in theo55C face toXH7e American capitalism.5pSqk9fKU tNRkl‘If it’s comesd0 to this…’uPM222ipY n2HOPKane let hisznmDX9 shoulders dropVAeRKb in defeat.bjj He mutteredvpUt just loudtDU enough toKemsa be heard:EPu8VYzw Irq3vg“Well… if that’sdh7Ty your decision,2zD there’s nothingq7U we canLAlm do. ButoHMMmO the ‘citizens’O1Q who wereZfP0A hoping toUxne see the8ETR next Seven1VvZ Stars herodfCDv come fromjQPeBe our country…LTra they’re goingJArM to feel6cd pretty stupid,fMJCZ you know?”tkSHPao1WE CQ55mZ“……”iL4ur A5Pcl“And you think1q21I the companyNJq is doingCR6 this for1IWNs money? AllcdW of thisACz6b reflects thebHv will ofnslx3 the people.L5y9P They trulyHtC want you,w8G All Mute,hevLG to beUY65B7 one ofKzQ the SevenMP1q Stars.”fht lKw0Thump. The dullyVnR thud ofUj2pz the weightYvHCRc disc rolledXUERR until itQg3wLr hit Kane’sZT1 foot. Hew1n glanced sidewaysoPPBK1 at AllueDU7X Mute.TG5A otrxHer expression clearly9i8 showed whatfvkN6W she wasllVjA feeling. After1zN staying silentO1o for a while, sheYFpYv said:xDys Kjd“Book a flightFAu to JoaquinPCaohl Academy.”gwgL oChvKane suppressed a smile thatMWry2 almost escaped.l2wxgwzfyt6 dqtM“For when?”cUKMXe Wwnm1y“As soon asGN3FC5 possible.”EqhJ 84Y“Okay.”rvjZt gXNmKane immediately madep7c2UV the call8cOyZ to prepareXKw2 the privateOqhDr jet.7mG13i 0eMxc‘I’m sorry, Ellie.ae6 I knowBflhqU that was2mNxO low. ButGmJUw it wasaIcNo the only5cx way to9Flt save theAOG company.’uIe qaOTThe only weaknessDX7I that couldKbnrKK move theQiSALR noble heroUCaZF All Mute…RBkizu0sb6C nHnDDmWas her intenseXWk patriotism andPFyz nationalism.n38
I wanted todMCEQ tell him15HiYR something, sosz2z I lookedUmxRQV for a way… andhc2a then I invented somethingBiuYF called ‘letters.’B9MDv
My dad always4o1CYZ said I was smartc7a before herQjX died, andkzJ0BV it seemsPwN he was3FCMi right.
There’s still a lot toxmR8qK improve, butJ79tak I thinkfh6X this isdeAfI pretty good,rhYymx right?”vRYn Kj6OQ·huE lTHOLTwentieth spring sinceyZI the misterjLQlfl left.EOFa8x cGu52You know? ToeiMT be honest,kXNa41 when I was leftQVl alone for0rm the firstXnaZ3h time, I held a lot ofj9hqC resentment towarduaf you.6kXsT 20RJUAh, of course,HwnWL I’m alsoUGCWD9 very grateful.f0zh You savedO2zSMC me fromPU1tN that winged43b monster.2Ej1 qxqEven so, itue95T would’ve beenzo3x better ifvhq you hadeW7zR at leastcR6ED6 said somethingC4cw before leaving…Au6R
Now that I think about0oMj it, youWEx also leftnUys behind theYgSu flower crownVKSQ I made42TfB for you,N96V didn’t you?a8C6S
Seriously, what a joke.KQdL 40czm6Thinking about itSf2 again, I don’t evenYRqyY miss you.g9M5x Hmpf!krQLEH sdZn·auiZqr acIOoFiftieth spring sinceNmy the misterHcCZ left.jEv LVHHave I grown?awgjZu Well, notR7Xw as much0KNEOj as you,bzKFO but noweIDE I canA2MC see over174iy most ofo1WbmG the bushes.OrROhnj go6Now that I remember, you45R1Pe said youaHP were threeMVU years youngerWhU than me,EvE6 right…?I58bYL bYcOdThen why themA2JI heck doOtkl I keepxcq calling youn9a1k “mister”? You’reyNGN6 younger!RY7i Pj3XT·Lf2WA Or4One hundred andaIP second spring.VLnO9oztSX Nd0pTHi, little brother?nQQBYd You know,r3zmBJ I’ve beenuuT5 thinking overI5H5f these hundredCRkFmp years, andxEIu suddenly itGgz0s6 occurred tofFDn me… maybeSGrxp7 you comeAZP from a very distantztNg future.LMxL xTlCould it be8izV a woman’slJypZ intuition? AfterYVOI8 that thought,CqOz I stoppedCMRiK waiting forgF1dCG you. I just hopeqgKQr that somedaybuAhzZ these wordshzDNMO reach you.zVjm
Although, if I could makeP2PP a smallFskE7u selfish wish…Dv66IKa wbpJ7·BDqUYt xBuThree hundred andMUU five springs.Kjd5wBzsd AferLast winter wasxgdd especially harsh.2UD Every time34Q it gets5FrNR6 this cold,bzU loneliness becomesDmnhE3 heavier.
I wonder ifXqd4e I haveXtx to keep8Pib4 living for388rF so long…O3xjgDf9R Gr1FSometimes I’ve thoughtJHo about givingB5J6Tq up, butMWtdn I can’t.dHzgh It’s thef8k life youbzNu6E saved forDqBW me, littlePL1 brother. SolETl I’ll tryFy4k to liveFn3M2 as muchDWEN5 as I can.eqmm lm05·08tIP Eowm4USpring number threelH3 hundred forty-seven.jdLKHmVqhas bsASpring number threeWzmx hundred ninety-one.mvczHTGOAt fBf1tSpring number fourUo0 hundred twelve.3jrOl4Cekn dMkQ3Spring number four0GKC hundred seventy-six.pJHQFLdyTWB FJpEx·khQUe iroSpring number fiveKSGd hundred.ZlAAd DJK2EDid you knowMgF2 that todayMa3kc is myJk6B five hundredjx8RK and twentiethr0pG birthday?xOx5j cvLJLately, I don’tXGH think lifeAAJdCF is thatEhv8j hard anymore.qbz Rather, I feel happyXeeO to bePblP alive. SometimesbvGEDJ I evenKtlAVE want to1Dji live anothernkC6 thousand years.YaexBvC 5yy…But if I were toDdm live thatUQ3Bi long…RTU7r fJy……Nghi4z DgggCould I someday09kK reach the0j5D9 future wheresvxVI you are,B4rhLG mister?dWIr Dq5XgAs he listenediIgE to Media’sYEPR7u voice, KangcmD8gP Geom-Ma gazed8oRc at thewsHl markings carvedxrca5P into theJfz monolith.XzQg tKaTjAs the yearsUsc passed, theYP7Z4 handwriting becameXnqlW more orderly.uOCXUb 82qOZbIn each stroke,nQx one couldqBA feel reflection5xmxk and a struggle toK8K live.LC10 azZ8rN“Make up your72p mind whetherzjS to calltXNRj me mistersS54 or little2wRqZO brother… idiot.”nVyQKs NsHKang Geom-Ma mutteredeWO to himself.JY6 He couldOBT1 barely containBZud the emotion.929H4AWiQdY2 pt41At that moment,zTyiQZ3O xpu7—Flash!7G7lGF IRmN[The level ofLb4ez the humanWuuY being hasV0PsM2 increased significantly.]pRTcKw hvC35MKang Geom-Ma restedps92zj his foreheadQSL2 against theqI1C3 rough surfacetwgv of theeoAA stone andXXf closed hisqpKD eyes. Then,ASkgfg he beganVSiO hitting itU7N1 hard againCE9 and again.vzXjLNSzU NwZKIt had beennECc0 a long8On5w0 time sinceZmpZo he feltSNA4I like this,We7x with hisYBvV heart aboutPKSgjJ to burst.7u59rsfN jWhIf no onemgS had beennD2 watching, heIQ0SK would’ve screamedKGGk at thedxJ top ofN2aY5c his lungs.ASHiBnR HAk***RgO5x bX2cAfter finishing ourIM3VNr business, weusTY left theA05i Seoul branch.x7B6 Even thoughc3CI Media insistedz5Yqf it wasn’tDsyQ necessary, ChangseongY1XRZ came towko see usFkjK off.SVHtTZ ytzORRight before I got intoxZ1FY the car,aeOX Changseong held1VUo6 out hiseiarG hand for8DNv a farewellhNE handshake.xCe 9t9Xa“Sorry I didn’tqfY0 treat youWYSs to a meal. AndgmzSvY honestly, I didn’t reallyepE do muchFuS for you.”XNJd1BXTF0d qsfL“……”yxhLa5 dKSMI stared atl6sM that bigfTnbJa hand forJX9djM a moment,i92VQ then shookF91l it. I replied inTWzGyL a neutralItA934 tone:kpo4 6tc“Next time I come toWp3Ct Korea, let’sF9rx do it.”ayJX0AToIQY pXkqmrThe response wasBhZKK so directCR8Edi that bothMJaa Changseong and03HH Media werehwda surprised.gdQ xXBgnsEven Changseong himselfYzI seemed surprisedzdE0k by hisEp8 own suggestion.2biG He stood0lJ there stunned8UayX for a few seconds3i4 with hisJX3p hand stillNsLs in mine,1WLeai then letx4ksa out a hearty laugh:dX3Zbu5914C NU9“Ha ha ha!uuNx Then it’ssEKFX a promise!”h2NoB5WS CCYXGAfter many farewells,evx Media andhVQPj5 I got8qkWzO into thePr7yTh car. ThexzNH black sedan01FVQ started movinggs0Z immediately.Em1 FZVRI looked outKBuXC the windowkz1DN for a moment, thenRkICU turned myNFD head todkco the side.hoVR There wasloBJO Media, noddingSTw off.IzQv Ke7wHVPof.t2NS hzNjBefore long, herQnvnd head cameBLic to restzig0 on my9GKw right shoulder.zdjW4 I didn’tJTC9Db move her.ZyBwYd0 NOEjQThe driver, watchingUrCC49 through the5174B rearview mirror,e6bZe7 slowed the7bE2 car slightly.yibuF The engineVfpR became quieter.Uh6CPw4pd c5eFThanks to that,OMqT9 Media wasgJA able toLxjSPf sleep peacefullypxe6YO the entire4bj0 ride backcrg to thewSN9 Academy.GeiYU XfmT4i***qYFHYZ 2neLancelot Company. ConsideredZOWoh the bestSljxmu among allI9qXo existing heroyNvib agencies.896ju oVO“Haa… haa…”XdOX yuXSA man ranAGmgkU panting through3VQY99 the corridorsiDOnWh of gleamingHLHcz3 marble. ItoGQKA was Kane,PfwL All Mute’sCAHe secretary.sxRx9 W6JcN9Kane arrived at7aV the doorDoC labeled “trainingeYG room” andZME7t stopped toUQxH catch hisyFRYvx breath. He27Jyd didn’t evenB2w knock beforeHdzl7 entering. ItG8WBH was againstcJIjrj all WesternD0VkH protocol, butQ1k2t there was0z7c7 no time4hc for that.zDJTfLgRJ to8“Ellie!”cTGTy iCiAll Mute, whoP8s was liftingyTOA a 220-poundqNZJ dumbbell, onlyNXFw4 rolled herPkqu3g eyes.K3W3iG v8op“What is it?”79aLmls2u bdW0Cj“Do you remembernV188 that sashimib4i swordsman weZHIu saw atxzHGc the festival?”q67yg1 A3ci47All Mute noddedFsn with a confused expression.2wKay1 9VH“Of course. HeCnIr also appearedNTO8 at theJDw Joaquin incident0TQCt fighting demons.bi8xLJ The foreignzpXM press hasn’tReWY stopped talkingKkemZS about him.veR They sayMoLcSQ he’s theHfL reincarnation ofg2a the foundingS53CgK hero.”SPXJq C9FA06“And you thinkzUy5q this isLU51 the timeGaYe to be8WHdb7 praising youriyR rival?”C5U Z5lSzAll Mute furrowedkngJ6w her brows.eMB3U9KTF I9t“Rival?”9EY O8P“You’re competing fordpi a seat0dK among theZKY Seven Stars!G6Fe What elsel2OOTk would heORwh be? A friend?”hYZ 5zQ“Ah, that.”c5vc hRhybHer indifferent reactionR52Ak2 made KanegTlVeF snap:XUHR Y8b99“Is this theBnbS time toGJsGn be workingCi6zNj out?! TheE39r9 White HouselVi just called!n9T8vw Ellie, ifTw5G you don’tZxZ5 get the6LuM spot, they’req2SX going to94Jjv pass a bill toaFqE4 hit us0vhxXd with a tax penalty.”4qwyd2g3z KjtD9“Paying taxes isn’ttd8 unusual. It’sdiE just theNhb accumulated amountEMyuhO of whatkpRWH we didn’t2xG pay.”CDW 80xZKj“Are you kiddingTKg me? ThenyF5 amount is9NS three hundredL422 million dollars!6ZtPnk Three hundredQjm billion won!3BhSs That’s thevn03hw entire quarterlylSc revenue ofZCU the company!4sHQk What doKv0e you thinkD1LGeA happens if990 it gets0ms3il seized?”FSqC eB5All Mute liftedgRf4 and loweredWmzbqS the dumbbell0uf without muchNSNZ interest.DOotHA 8L0Z“Paying taxes is14toXI every Americanr3m citizen’s duty.”kmY5GXgSdscS 2fF“……”N4f 0Wq4“And you knowwwP8iq I’m not9z9l particularly interestedqaf in the578wC Seven Stars2EW9 seat. I only consideredHoLldB it becauseKl8e the Whitet22O House insisted.S9n If someoneZrr2C else is7MQX more qualified,yEY let them3l7qt have it.NxI1i The SashimiwLTl1 Saint wasDXP4zL the heroqPpW of theFCg Joaquin tragedy.”649RulokP 1iMThat’s right. AllOX9 Mute wasOhD that kindwTbgA of hero.GybtrQ Direct, honest,YjnALX able to9nYGQS recognize othersD80 without hesitation.QVAKtEY g2UtThat made herkPY9E lovable toxf8Tb1 the public—but3wU4 a headacheKMAx for herBUv agency.Zp6Hp tolXHonesty? Fine. ButUbTu in this4t4R society, everythingavDy comes downGvLjbz to money.kTSUF And having3uSk a starK2Eoh5 without a business mindset03g8b was practicallyuyQ a slap1sjbx in theo55C face toXH7e American capitalism.5pSqk9fKU tNRkl‘If it’s comesd0 to this…’uPM222ipY n2HOPKane let hisznmDX9 shoulders dropVAeRKb in defeat.bjj He mutteredvpUt just loudtDU enough toKemsa be heard:EPu8VYzw Irq3vg“Well… if that’sdh7Ty your decision,2zD there’s nothingq7U we canLAlm do. ButoHMMmO the ‘citizens’O1Q who wereZfP0A hoping toUxne see the8ETR next Seven1VvZ Stars herodfCDv come fromjQPeBe our country…LTra they’re goingJArM to feel6cd pretty stupid,fMJCZ you know?”tkSHPao1WE CQ55mZ“……”iL4ur A5Pcl“And you think1q21I the companyNJq is doingCR6 this for1IWNs money? AllcdW of thisACz6b reflects thebHv will ofnslx3 the people.L5y9P They trulyHtC want you,w8G All Mute,hevLG to beUY65B7 one ofKzQ the SevenMP1q Stars.”fht lKw0Thump. The dullyVnR thud ofUj2pz the weightYvHCRc disc rolledXUERR until itQg3wLr hit Kane’sZT1 foot. Hew1n glanced sidewaysoPPBK1 at AllueDU7X Mute.TG5A otrxHer expression clearly9i8 showed whatfvkN6W she wasllVjA feeling. After1zN staying silentO1o for a while, sheYFpYv said:xDys Kjd“Book a flightFAu to JoaquinPCaohl Academy.”gwgL oChvKane suppressed a smile thatMWry2 almost escaped.l2wxgwzfyt6 dqtM“For when?”cUKMXe Wwnm1y“As soon asGN3FC5 possible.”EqhJ 84Y“Okay.”rvjZt gXNmKane immediately madep7c2UV the call8cOyZ to prepareXKw2 the privateOqhDr jet.7mG13i 0eMxc‘I’m sorry, Ellie.ae6 I knowBflhqU that was2mNxO low. ButGmJUw it wasaIcNo the only5cx way to9Flt save theAOG company.’uIe qaOTThe only weaknessDX7I that couldKbnrKK move theQiSALR noble heroUCaZF All Mute…RBkizu0sb6C nHnDDmWas her intenseXWk patriotism andPFyz nationalism.n38
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaShe was still waiting for him that long its really heart touching story I was about cry while riding that lines. Thanks to her Kang got his humanity back. I will never forget you mesther.