episode_0002

Alcohol that you don’t know what it’s made from, cigarettes made by rolling up strange herbs picked up somewhere, and drugs that only make you sick if you take them for a moment.

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Not just things. A drunkard who squeals all day and night. There are a variety of people, including an old man crouching in a strange place and laughing heartily.

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Contrary to the image where there seems to be nothing, the back alley is actually a place where there are more interesting and diverse objects than outside.

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But there was one thing that never existed.

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“···Ha. Fuck.”

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That is hope.

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***

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“Hey, hey, class!”

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“What.”

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“Did you miss anything today? I’m hungry!”

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This is the entrance to a back alley where noisy kids live.

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Back alleys are also where people live and each person has their own residence. The most unpopular place among them was the entrance to the back alley.

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It’s not that strange. People here have no desire to go outside. Like an earthworm struggling when exposed to sunlight, it avoids the sunny area and burrows into the shade.

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Of course, there was also a practical reason for hiding more closely because the closer you were to the edge of the back alley, the easier it was to get caught by inspection.

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So, at the entrance to the back alleys and on the outskirts, there were many cases where children without power or possessions lived together.

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It’s a bonus that sometimes there are adults (usually older women) who take pity on the children standing at the entrance and throw them something to eat.

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“I don’t know. It seems like women these days don’t have money.”

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“value. Then should I at least rob a vegetable store?”

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“Finn, did you forget that last time we got caught by Frank and almost ransacked him? If it weren’t for me, you’d really be dead.”

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“Ah, then what should I do! Starving to death?”

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Tsk. Ban clicked his tongue and took out a loaf of bread from his inside pocket and threw it away.

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“Yepda!”

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Finn didn’t answer, but snatched the bread and stuffed it into his mouth.

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“eup, class, geomaeo, but, oops, that.”

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“···Chew everything and chew it. Because there is no one who will open your mouth and take it away.”

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gulp! After hearing Van’s words, a loaf of bread fell from Finn’s neck.

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“What were you doing in the Nas gang?”

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“Scout.”

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“Oh, that’s right! scout! You scouted him. Why didn’t you accept that?”

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ha. Ban sighed deeply and tilted his head back.

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In fact, Van was quite famous in the back alleys. Probably the most famous among those under the age of 13 in the back alleys.

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Ban was intelligent for his age and was good at fighting. Thanks to this, I was able to gain something by participating in what was happening in the back alleys.

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The loaf of bread I immediately handed to Finn was a reward for participating in the fight with the Nas gang.

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“I don’t know, dude.”

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“Ah! Why are you hitting me?”

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Ban, who seemed to be thinking about the question for a moment, slapped Finn on the back of the head.

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In fact, I know half of it very well. It’s impossible to get out of here.

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In that case, it would be efficient to join the Nas gang, which is one of the well-known gangs, and make a name for yourself. Both Ban and Finn thought so. There was no way he wouldn’t know, especially in the class where his brain worked so well.

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“You know! Even if I want to go in, they don’t let me go in!”

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But half of them were holding off on answering an offer that would have made any back-alley brat turn their stomachs.

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“This bastard gave me bread at best, but he talks a lot today?”

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“No, you could have gone to the center right now, but I don’t-”

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“Shut up.”

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I pretended to be cheerful and avoided answering, but in truth, I knew half of it.

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“Come to work, you bastard-!”

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“Oh, I’m sorry! It’s because I’m worried about you!”

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“Who cares about whom?!”

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Half of me didn’t want to continue rotting in the back alley. It was obvious that if I joined Nas’ gang and became a member of that group, I would never be able to escape the back alleys.

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And it seemed like I would never be able to return if I left this place, which was located close to the outside world.

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Ban, who knew very well how absurd his dream was, suffered every day.

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To Ban, who hid his anger in his heart and waited at the entrance as usual.

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“Hello? Is this a back alley?”

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“···What are you?”

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Another change that had never occurred before occurred.

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***

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When he first encountered the girl, the first thing that caught Van’s eyes was her blonde hair.

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It seemed as if golden threads were fluttering and it was shiny. It couldn’t even be compared to the greasy, unpleasant grease of the guys in the back alleys who hadn’t washed their hands.

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And skin. Her skin was pale and white, unlike her own skin, which was tanned due to being often in places without roofs.

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In addition, there were clean clothes without a single stain, clean hands, and shoes without any scratches.

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“···Why do you answer so coldly? What did I do wrong?”

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A quiet, easy-to-listen voice, different from the chattering women in the back alleys, filled the class’s ears.

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And right after that, Van found out the most important thing about the girl.

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eye. Sometimes you can see it on days when the sky is clear. The blue sky that had made Ban’s heart dizzy filled her eyes.

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In those eyes, there was a sparkling light that could be found among the trash in the back alleys.

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“···?”

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“Ah, the introduction is late! Sorry!”

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When Ban looked at her with a questioning gaze, the girl covered her mouth with her palm as if she was startled, then gently grabbed the edge of her skirt and greeted her.

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“I’m Sonia Bismuth! Now, we have arrived here for adventure!”

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“···Adventure?”

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An adventure with a pretty girl. And the back alley.

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Words that seemed completely unrelated to each other filled Ban’s head.

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“What the fuck- no, what do you mean?”

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The class went through its own censorship before releasing the words. I felt like I didn’t want to be buried in the back alley by this girl.

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“Well, I live trapped in a mansion.”

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“I moved a lot since I was young, so I couldn’t go to the academy and I had no friends… My father always protected me!”

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“No matter what I say, my father always just laughs and pretends not to listen and leaves me at home!”

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“So! Today is my first step towards my world!”

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girl. Sonia talked about things that the class didn’t even ask about.

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Since she has a last name, she must be a girl from a wealthy family. I was a little embarrassed because Ban did not have this image of high-ranking people.

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But soon, Ban realized what the girl had said.

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“···So, you want to go in here?”

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That’s crazy.

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“Yes!”

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This is a crazy bitch.

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You’re trying to enter this place wearing those expensive things and without any security. It was like, “Just kill me, use me as a hostage, and give me my money.”

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Moreover, although Sonia was embarrassed to say it, she was the most beautiful person Van had ever seen in his life. It is incomparable to the prostitutes who open their crotches like the door of an inn in exchange for money.

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A girl like that goes to a back alley? It was clear that something bad was going to happen. I was lucky to have met Van.

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“Are you crazy?”

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“Hmph! Even those harsh words can’t stop me! Because they say that trials and tribulations always accompany adventure!”

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“Where did you see that?”

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“I saw it in the book! “The Adventures of Tom the Knight”! It’s my favorite book!”

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“What kind of thing-”

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After that, a fierce battle continued. Sonia shows no signs of backing down despite continued dissuasion from her class.

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“If you have parents, you would know! I get annoyed when people tell me not to continue!”

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“I have no parents.”

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“Uh… I’m sorry. I really didn’t know. I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

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While the fierce battle was going on, half a thought occurred to me.

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‘Why am I doing this?’

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It was a back alley where even though I desperately wanted to get out, I couldn’t even see an exit the size of a pinhole. However, even though you are an outsider, you want to go inside.

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Feeling a sudden surge of irritation and jealousy, Ban opened the path he had been blocking and stood next to the wall.

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“Then go. It looks like you have no intention of listening.”

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“Uh, huh?”

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When Ban, who had been stubbornly blocking her until a moment ago, got out of the way, Sonia stiffened as if she was confused.

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“···Yes! Thank you!”

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But not long after, Sonia clenched her fists as if making a promise and walked away with a brisk step.

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‘It’s my fault if I fall down like that.’

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The class that sent Sonia away stood in a crooked posture with their backs against the wall.

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‘You said you wanted to go in, so I let you in, right? I dried it enough. It’s not my responsibility.’

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Ban crossed his arms and recalled earlier. It won’t happen again. A unique exchange.

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How long was it like that?

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“Aaagh-!”

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“···!”

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A scream was heard from the direction the girl walked.

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“···The land has gone. It’s my fault.”

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Ban continued to persuade himself. I’ve done enough. Obviously I said something, but she didn’t listen. There is no obligation to save.

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“······.”

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But there was no peace in Ban’s mind. Tuk-tuk. Ban’s front heels continued to tap on the floor.

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“Ha.”

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In the end, the class ran towards the scream they heard.

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***

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“Aaaah!”

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Contrary to Ban’s expectations, Sonia was surrounded by four men.

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The good news was that they were not adults, but people who looked about two years older than their class.

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“Stop motion.”

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“Hang? What…”

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Among them, a relatively large man who appeared to be the leader turned his head to Ban.

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“What are you?”

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“Well, bro, listen for a moment…”

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Seeing Ban’s face, a skinny man suddenly opened his mouth and put his mouth to the big man’s ear and muttered something.

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And after the skinny guy finished speaking, the big guy opened his mouth.

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“So, are you the class?”

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It seemed like the skinny guy was explaining the class. As expected, fame was convenient in times like this.

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“Okay.”

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Ban answered briefly.

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“Yes, yes. half. You’re kind of famous these days. I heard you recently participated in a fight with the Nas gang?”

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“Yes. So what I’m saying-”

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“But that’s it. This bitch invaded our territory. Why do I have to free this woman? Oh, what are you trying to do?”

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The big man repeatedly put in and took away the circle with one hand and his index finger with the other.

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“Hahaha!”

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At that sight, three of the four large gang members all burst into laughter. Except for the skinny guy who explained who Ban was earlier.

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Well, it’s true that his attitude was shit, but there was nothing wrong with what the big man said. Therefore, it was easier to scare rather than persuade logically.

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“Hey you idiot.”

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“What? This bird-”

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“Just by looking at it like that, don’t you know that if you mess with kids from outside, the cleaners will come and shake it all off?”

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“Suction-”

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Cleaner. You all took a deep breath at those three words.

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The cleaners came in every time the back alley guys had an accident that affected the outside and ‘cleaned up’ the trash.

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“Well, then all you have to do is hide in the deep area! Anyway, you are close with the Nas gang-”

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“Why should I endure discomfort because of you? And you’re from the outskirts too, right? Do you have any way to buy something?”

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“Well, that is…”

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And the cleaning was brutally carried out everywhere except the deepest back alleys.

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Most of the children who had not yet reached adulthood were swept away.

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visor! Ban pulled a dagger from his belt.

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“So, that bitch- No, leave her behind. I’ll take you outside.”

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“Mr, fuck!”

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“Aren’t you already screwed, bro?”

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Unlike before, the large gang showed signs of being scared.

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“···If it’s an attempted kidnapping, the cleaner won’t come. So, quickly pass it on before it gets any bigger.”

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Van and Sonia. The big man who was looking at the two in turn turned his back and ran away.

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“Hey, guys! That’s it for today! You know you’re never scared, right?”

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“Yes, yes. Brother!”

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Slap! Just like that, the big gang quickly disappeared. As the gangsters got out of the way, Sonia was sitting in the corner of the wall.

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“······.”

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“···Huh, happy!”

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“Hey.”

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“Uh, huh?”

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And as I looked at Sonia, tears were flowing down her face.

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“I told you not to go, right?”

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“Mi, mi, sorry – Heuk, mi wife…”

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I pulled Sonia’s arms as she sat down, as if her legs were giving out.

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“Stand up.”

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“···All, my legs don’t move.”

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“If I don’t leave quickly, kids like those from before will come again?’

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“Hi, hey!”

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Actually, I was fortunate to have met some pure(?) people like before. Those guys who really went that far would have rushed at Sonia without even caring about the cleaners or anything.

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Sonia, who had no way of knowing such circumstances, trembled and moved her mouth.

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“Uh, uh.”

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“What, huh?”

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“Uh, give me a piggyback ride…”

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“What?”

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“But- Well, my legs really don’t move. I’m scared. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. Okay, I will listen to everything you say. I’m sorry.”

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ha. Ban sighed and sat down with his back to Sonia.

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“······.”

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“Black, my wife.”

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So Sonia put her arms around Van’s neck and carried him on his back. I did my best not to notice the strangely fragrant scent.

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And when I finally arrived at the entrance,

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“···Thank you.”

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Sonia, who was in better condition than before, greeted Van.

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“I will definitely repay this favor.”

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“What is grace?”

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Just like that, the class sent Sonia outside.

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ha. After solving the problem, Ban finally regained peace.

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This was probably the time in my life when I was most connected to the outside world.

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With that in mind, Ban headed back to his nest.

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***

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And the next day,

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“What are you?”

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“······Hehe.”

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The girl came to see the boy again.

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