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"Alright, Khráp, everyone. We have a matter we must settle."
During the evening inside the Akramethakorn house, the youngest son who had just returned to Thailand that morning, and who had also gone to threaten a friend of his Phôo to borrow a luxury car, was now standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the home's dining room. The older persons from both sides, whom he himself had invited, were sitting on opposite sides. As for Âi'Dear, who did not want to become the target of anyone's gaze, he stood shrinking in a corner of the room.
You (Mueng) could not not come. This is your (Mueng) matter.
Âi'Lex had told him that. But Dear did not dare make eye contact with anyone. He did not want to know how the older persons were looking at him.
"What kind of madness is this, Hâ, Âi'Lexus!? My friend called to complain that you (Mueng) blackmailed him and took a car from the showroom to drive for fun. Tell me (Kuu), what kind of joke is this of yours (Mueng)!" The person who was his Phôo asked, his voice strong. But how could Lexus be afraid, because the person in question widened his eyes, then spoke as if it was funny.
"Who blackmailed? There was none, let-me-die, Phôo. Lex just said he wanted to borrow the car to drive for a bit. If he did not give it, he would go tell your (Mueng) Miia that before going to stay with Lex in 'Merica, you (Mueng) brought a foreigner to sleep with. That is all."
"Âi'Lexus!!!"
"Do not get angry, Ná, Phôo. You will age fast. Crow's feet will appear, Ná, I (Kuu) warn you." That Âi'Lex waved his hands about, in a way that Dear was not surprised at all why Senior Phîi Porsche was the favorite son. Just look at this person. Where had he ever obeyed his parents?
"Alright, alright. Let us forget about the car matter first, Thòe. Lex already told you (Mueng), later Phôo will go pay the ransom money for Lex... The reason Lex has invited both Phôo and Mâe, and all the aunts and uncles, is because of that zombie over there." Lexus raised his thumb to point behind him until he saw the person who was bowing his head, silent, lips pressed tight, not daring to say a single word.
Dear's thin, haggard, and gloomy demeanor made the older persons who knew the reason well fall silent immediately. And it made the person who was speaking continue.
"Let us speak frankly, Ná. Considering that now everyone is trying to keep Âi'Dear and Âi'Phîi, the idiot of Lex, apart... Lex wants Âi'Dear to go back to live at the condo..."
"No way!" It was Yut who spoke up, his voice strong. But Lexus merely smiled at him, before stating his own proposal.
"There is a way, Khráp, Uncle... How about this. You (Khâa) do not want Âi'Dear to be with Senior Phîi Porsche, right? I'm just about to propose that Âi'Dear go live at the condo, and then Senior Phîi Porsche moves back to sleep at the house. I will go stay as his companion myself...
"Âi'Lexus!" Khun Sak called out, his voice strong, angry at that son who raised his hand making an ear-picking gesture, and then made a hand signal saying calm down first, Khráp.
"Phôo, stop roaring for a moment, let-me-die. I still have jet lag, you know. Listening makes my brain almost spin..." Having said that, the person who was acting playful spoke with a more serious tone. He knew his childhood friend was almost about to swallow himself into the room's mirror. Since entering, he had not dared to look anyone in the eye, even though he was a clingy person. He could tell that every older person here was pressuring him until he was almost going crazy.
"Phôo, Yut... Do you (Thâan) both see what condition Âi'Dear is in? I do not know what happened before this. Since you (Thâan) two Phôos want to separate the youths, I am helping here. Yut, look at your (Thâan) nephew well, Ná. It is impressive enough that he can just stand here. And you (Khâa) still want him to try driving a car back and forth, Rǒoe? Are you (Khâa) not worried he might ram the car into the expressway and die, or crash into someone's rear because of stress, Nîi... It is better to let me go stay with him at the condo. Another thing, Âi'Dear is about to take exams. I do not think staying in a house where older persons are trying to pressure him will help him concentrate, Ná."
"Lex speaks as if I (dì-chǎn) am hurting my own son."
"Or is it not true, Khráp?" Lex pressured.
Gulp.
Of course, a person like Âi'Phasakorn never feared anyone. So he retorted immediately, making the listener clench his fist tightly, displeased that a youth of the son's generation was scolding him like this. Dear shifted uncomfortably. The words of his Phôo, who wanted his Phîi to marry Porsche, echoed in his head.
Thump.
"Enough, Thòe, Âi'Lex. I (Kuu) can handle..."
"Handle what, bloody hell! Have you (Mueng) looked in a mirror at your own face yet, Rǒoe, Âi'Dear? You (Mueng) are not like the Âi'Dear I (Kuu) know. You (Mueng) act like you are about to die like this, and you want me (Kuu) to just stand by and watch, Rǒoe? Âi'Sun said you (Mueng) barely eat anything at all. I (Kuu) do not want to go to my friend's funeral at eighteen or nineteen, you know!!!" Lexus complained immediately, making his close friend sigh, still not daring to make eye contact with any of the older persons.
"Dying would be good."
"Dear!!! Do not say that, Ná, my baby!" Khun Dara sprang up immediately upon hearing the muttering, and that made her troublesome son just look down at his toes.
"Dear has to study. Dear's exams are soon. Dear is going home, Ná... Enough, Thòe, Âi'Lex. No one is listening. Right now, I (Kuu) am just like a bizarre creature among normal people, Nîi." At the end of the sentence, Dear's voice trembled as if about to cry, before brushing his friend's hand off his shoulder and quickly stepping out of the room, making his Mâe almost rush after him.
"Uncle, let him go, Thòe... Let us continue negotiating, it is better." However, Lexus quickly said, before turning to tell his Phôo.
"Agree, Thòe, Phôo. Did not Phôo say he sees Âi'Dear as his own child, his own nephew? Have some sympathy for him, Thòe. I will follow to take care of him myself. And I swear I will not let him meet Senior Phîi Porsche at all. Because right now, if that Âi'Damn-Phîi of mine shows his face, I (Kuu) will ask to punch him several times!" Lexus said irritably. Well, since things were like this, where the hell had his Âi'Phîi disappeared to!
His demeanor made Khun Sak narrow his eyes.
"It is not that you and Jae Dear..." The Phôo's suspicious expression made the person looking at him smile slightly at the corner of his mouth.
"Does Phôo think I am gay, or what?"
"I (dì-chǎn) have to ask to be sure. Look at your Phîi. Did not think he would be, but he ended up doing what to Jae Dear!" A question that made the listener cross his arms and nod in understanding of why his Phôo thought that, before saying calmly.
"Phôo does not need to worry. I guarantee I will not bring a man to be your daughter-in-law for sure..."
"How would you know!!!" The roar of the person who did not believe anything easily anymore made Lexus smile widely, then say with words that made the older persons fall completely silent.
In a low voice, "I know, that is all." A demeanor that was as if saying... I have tried it, until the Phôo cleared his throat.
"So you want Dear to go live at the condo."
"Khráp-phǒm." The youngest son nodded vigorously. And that made Khun Sak turn to make eye contact with his friend, who looked quite worried about his youngest son.
"You (Mueng) decide."
"Up to you (Mueng), Thòe. That is your (Mueng) room. His money, not my (Kuu) money. But anyway, the moment Dear returns from Japan, Dara will take Dear to follow me (Kuu) to England." The person who had already decided his son's future said calmly, then stood up, making Lexus's face tense. He really wanted to punch his Âi'Phîi, asking where the hell he had disappeared to!?
"Okay, then it is settled like this, Khráp. Lex is leaving now. I will go find my friend..." When the older persons did not object, the person who had come to help his friend to the fullest turned to leave the room, if not for acting as if he remembered something.
"By the way... Bpǎa, do not forget to go pay for the Lamborghini for Lex, Ná. With that car, picking up girls is easy. Goodbye,"
"Âi'Lexus!!!" The Phôo shouted loudly, his face red with anger. The eldest son, whom he had hoped to entrust everything to, had to go and fall for a young man. This Âi'-youngest-son just played around, treating life as fun. And like this, how could he not be distressed!
The call made Lexus merely whistle as he walked out of the house, while in his mind he was finding a way to help his friend. If Dear had to go study in England, would it not be better to fight for him to go live with him in California?
"We have to talk."
Gulp.
But then, at the moment he was about to jump into the brand-new car, Lexus had to turn back at the abrupt voice that sounded from behind. And then he saw the person he respected as an Phîi. However, right now, he still did not really want to look at her.
"Hello, Khráp, Jae. Lex is busy. Lex has things to do. If you want to talk, go talk with my Âi'Idiot-Phîi instead." An answer that made Darinphan step close to the tall youth's frame, and then... smiled.
Thump.
"You have to talk with me (dì-chǎn), Âi'character-out-of-script!!!" Lexus cried out loudly when the woman in front of him did not come to nicely pull him, but instead grabbed thump at his stylish hair and yanked with full force, also dragging him along the way. Moreover, her tone was extremely fierce, as if bearing a grudge from a past life.
Of course, because everything Darinphan had planned was crumbling because of the hand of this Âi'character-out-of-script who had returned to Thailand at the wrong time!
***
"You (Mueng) eat it. Otherwise, you will not have anything to take the exam with later."
"I (Kuu) just realized that eating pizza makes me (Kuu) able to do exams better."
After Lexus went to negotiate with the older persons, Dear had moved back to live at the condo once again. And do not think that coming back to live here would make him remember the images of memories of being with Senior Phîi Porsche for almost a year. Because his childhood friend never let him think about anything alone. Every time he sat gloomily, it would drag him out to find something to eat outside the room. When he was about to space out, it would tell him stories about this and that. Right now, when he had no concentration to study, it played by throwing a pizza tray down onto the middle of the table.
"Come on, Ná. Eat it to feed your brain. You (Mueng) are too thin already." The person who ordered dinner said like that, making Dear sigh, then grab some to eat. His eyes glanced at his close friend.
"And tonight, will you (Mueng) go out prowling again?"
"Nah. Bored. Lazy to go out." Another thing Dear was not surprised about at all, why before this Porsche was so worried about him. Well, he bloody went out to have fun every night. Especially when teaming up with Âi'Sun, they went together until he was afraid Âi'Sun would bloody get an F, that would be a problem.
"You (Mueng). I (Kuu) ask seriously. Since you (Mueng) came to be my (Kuu) companion like this, what about your (Mueng) university matters?" A question that made the person who was sitting stuffing food into his mouth laugh.
"I (Kuu) dropped out."
"Hey!!! Are you (Mueng) joking?"
"Speaking seriously. Good that the thing with you (Mueng) happened first, so Phôo did not beat me (Kuu) up, Nîi... Never mind, Ná. Do not make a worried face like that. I (Kuu) just studied and realized business administration was not suitable for me (Kuu). So I (Kuu) bloody dropped out right away. Studying further would be useless." Âi'Lexus was this kind of person. Anything he realized was not suitable for him, he was ready to leave behind at any time. And in a way that did not care what his parents would say.
"Hahaha, do not worry about me (Kuu). I (Kuu) submitted applications to other universities, and they have already accepted me (Kuu) too. Actual classes start around September, Nîi. So I (Kuu) am free for almost another half a year." The person who was nonchalant about life said easily.
"And you (Mueng) are sure, Rǒoe, that this time it is the right fit?" A question that made Lexus meet his friend's eyes, then smile widely.
"I (Kuu) will tell you (Mueng) something. You (Mueng) will never know what suits you (Mueng) until you (Mueng) go and experience it. I (Kuu) am not confident that what I (Kuu) choose now is right. But I (Kuu) am ready to charge into it head-on, try my best. If I think it is not right, then I will look for another way later... And even if my (Kuu) Phôo does not like it, I (Kuu) do not care, as long as I (Kuu) think this is what I (Kuu) want... See, that is why my (Kuu) Phôo sees Senior Phîi Porsche as his favorite son, because he is ready to do everything my (Kuu) Phôo wants."
"That is right."
The speaker barely closed his mouth in time when he saw the person who seemed to have cheered up a bit fall silent, and also forced a smile upon hearing his Phîi's name, until he really wanted to slap his own head hard.
"Senior Phîi Porsche must do what Khun Sak wants, then."
"I (Kuu) think you (Mueng) should hurry up and eat and then go study, Thòe. Âi'Sun said you (Mueng) are a god in that subject. Do not ruin his reputation, Ná." Lexus quickly spoke to change the subject when Âi'Little-Friend started looking gloomy again. He also grabbed the pizza tray back, then acted as if he would walk out of the room.
"Hey, you said to let me (Kuu) rest."
"You (Mueng) eating one piece is enough. Your body is only this big. Eating too much will make your stomach work hard." The speaker said while chewing chomp chomp, walking out of the room, though his face tensed up for a brief moment.
"Yes, that I (Kuu) am now the favorite son. But right now, the favorite son is about to stage a rebellion that even I (Kuu) could not have imagined, you know!"
The final exams had concluded. Even though Âi'Dranphat felt dazed and confused throughout all ten days, in the end, he was now sitting on a flight heading to Kansai Airport, while also turning to look at the person playing a game beside him.
"Why did you (Mueng) follow me (Kuu) here!"
"I (Kuu) already told you (Mueng) I (Kuu) am free... Another thing, my (Kuu) Phôo found out about me (Kuu) changing my field of study. It bloody almost tore the house apart. So I (Kuu) ran away with you (Mueng), Nîi." Âi'Lexus, who had just returned to Thailand for three weeks, said easily, and also leaned his face toward the half-blood with a wide smile.
"You (Mueng) do not mind, right? I (Kuu) am easy to feed, easy about sleeping. Let me (Kuu) stay with you (Mueng) for half a month, Sí.
"For Âi'Dear, Nîi, free lodging. But with you (Mueng), I will confiscate your card as collateral then."
"Aw, Âi'handsome heartless-person!" The two friends who had just gotten to know each other before boarding the plane were talking over the head of the Shorty in the middle, acting close as if they had known each other for over a lifetime, making Âi'Dear twist his mouth, then proceed to put headphones over his ears and pay attention to the games available on the plane instead.
The demeanor of the person who seemed a bit more cheerful because he got to go somewhere far made the two people who were bantering over his head glance at each other for a moment, before Lexus smiled at him, then moved his lips saying... thank you.
Truly, Lexus had learned everything from Âi'Sun. So he had gone to beg this half-blood friend to let him come along. At the very least, he did not want to leave Âi'Dear alone. It had nothing to do with wanting to check out Japanese girls at all (actually, it did, you know). Therefore, at this time, all three were flying to land on the eastern land of Japan for different reasons.
One brought a confused heart that did not know how to decide. One brought a heart bruised by repeated, mistaken love. And the last one who came with some kind of grand mission...
***
"Âi'Oat, you (Mueng) have had enough! Are you (Mueng) going to drink yourself to death on one side, or what, Rǒoe!"
Inside a restaurant-bar hybrid, Sai-fah was sitting, trying to restrain his close friend who, as soon as he arrived, had ordered liquor and was now pouring it into his mouth like a person who had not drunk water for three days. His condition had been poor enough before; it was good enough that he had kept himself together until exams finished. But now, what the hell was this? Asking anything, he would not speak.
"You (Mueng) do not interfere. I (Kuu) will drink." Oat brushed his friend's hand away, and also grabbed his glass and tossed it back, in a way that made Sai-fah's mouth drop open.
Where had Âi'Oat, the person who always had his senses, disappeared to?
Thump.
"That is enough, Ná, you (Mueng). You (Mueng) have to ride your bike home, Rǒoe."
"Who bloody cares? I (Kuu) can stay over at your (Mueng) house."
"No way, Rǒoe! Âi'Payu is working on his final project submission. If we make loud noises, he will kill both me (Kuu) and you (Mueng) and dump us in the trash bin for sure... Seriously, what is the matter, Rǒoe? Does it have anything to do with Âi'Shin, or not..."
Gulp.
"No."
It definitely does.
Sai-fah told himself in his heart. Because merely mentioning the half-blood youth, Âi'Oat paused and said no with his mouth. But he was sure it was because of Âi'Shin that made the former Head wáak, the rule-enforcer, be in this condition. Bloody hell, he did not even shave his beard, almost returning to look like the Phîi wáak from last year.
At the same time, Oat himself knew that drinking liquor did not help solve problems. When he had tried to give up on Dear, he had also invited friends to drink liquor. But it was just drinking to get a bit tipsy, yet still thinking about safety when riding home. Now, the more he tried to use reason to tell himself, the more he thought about what happened after that.
That day he drank liquor, and he accepted Âi'Max's challenge. In the end... Shin came to help him.
Thump.
Oat clenched the liquor glass in his hand tightly, bowing his head low. Because just thinking of that junior, his eyeballs felt searing hot. His heart wanted to go find him, wanted to say, can you not choose me instead of that youth? But Shin's demeanor that day was clear enough...
Our matter is over. But why does his heart not stop hurting even once?
"I (Kuu) love him..."
"Hâ? What did you (Mueng) say?!" Sai-fah asked in surprise. And that made Oat lift his head, even though his dry eyes were reddened both from alcohol and heartbreak.
"I (Kuu) love Shin, Âi'Sai-fah. I (Kuu) love him." Sai-fah could guess it already. But for his friend to say it with such a tortured demeanor was not something he had imagined at all, until he had to ask without understanding.
"You (Mueng) love him, then go find him, Sí. Exactly what problem do you (Mueng) have with him? Before this, I still saw him hovering around you (Mueng)." A question that made Oat clench his fist tightly, then turn to pour more liquor into his glass, in a way that made his friend quickly grab it, saying with a heavy voice.
"Have some sense, you (Mueng) bloody Âi'Oat!"
"Right. I (Kuu) have no sense. Do not want to have any sense. The more I can not think of anything, the better. I (Kuu) do not want to think of him!!!" Oat snatched the glass back, and also spoke louder, until other tables started turning to look, making Sai-fah look around and then bow his head to apologize. Then he turned his attention to his damn friend whose condition looked terrible.
"You (Mueng) are drunk. Let us go back, Thòe."
"I (Kuu) am not drunk!!! I (Kuu) will drink until I (Kuu) forget this bloody miserable matter!" Sai-fah wanted to punch Âi'Oat once. Every other time, he was a reasonable person to the point of being annoying. But when he was about to lose his senses, he caused trouble like this.
Their demeanor, which looked like people quarreling, made a certain person turn to look. Then his eyes widened, hesitating for just a moment, before deciding to run over.
"Phîii, Khráp. Uh, Phîi Oat..."
Gulp.
Oat turned abruptly to look, then froze stiff when he saw who was standing not far away. In contrast, Sai-fah remembered immediately.
"The youth who went to find Âi'Shin, right?"
Screech.
"I (Kuu) am going back!" But then, the person who had insisted on drinking said with a heavy voice, supporting his swaying body up from the table and acting as if to step out of the restaurant, making Focus widen his eyes and quickly grab that hand.
"Let go!"
"No, Khráp. You, Phîi, have to listen to me first." The little-one who today was wearing casual clothes said with a trembling voice. His heart also thought to fear the threatening demeanor of the person in front, but he still tried to speak and explain.
"About Shin..."
Thump.
"Do not say that name again!!!"
Focus was startled to his core, and also winced in pain when the drunk person grabbed his shoulders and squeezed tightly. A deep growl rang out, making the person on stage startled and quickly put the microphone down, then rushed straight over here.
"Hey! What are you (Mueng) doing with my (Kuu) romantic partner, Rǒoe!" The dark-skinned man who was the singer today asked gruffly, and also pulled Focus away from Oat immediately, then pushed him behind him. His face said 'what business do you have with my romantic partner,' not to mention the words that came out. Because the drunk person was also stunned.
"Romantic partner..."
"Yeah. I (Kuu) am this youth's romantic partner. What business do you (Mueng) have with my (Kuu) romantic partner!!!" Bas asked with a strong voice, making Focus try to restrain himself, then explain rapidly.
"No, Khráp, Phîi Bas. This Phîi is Phîi Shin's romantic partner."
"Hâ! Âi'Shin's romantic partner?" The listener turned abruptly to look immediately, asking incredulously, before turning back to look at the man as big as a buffalo, and also thick, and with a beard, finding no cuteness whatsoever, until he did not want to believe that this was Âi'Shin's romantic partner. However, Oat did not care about those expressions as much as another matter.
"Why are you (Mueng) this guy's romantic partner? And what about Shin!!! Were you (Mueng) not his romantic partner, or what?"
"Who, who is Âi'Shin's romantic partner? Focus is my (Kuu) romantic partner!!!" Bas retorted angrily. He knew he was wrong for stealing his friend's romantic partner. But every time he heard that Focus was Âi'Shin's romantic partner, he was bloody angry, bloody resentful. Their demeanor, which was a huge misunderstanding, made the high school youth quickly step between the two men and say rapidly.
"I am not Phîi Shin's romantic partner, Khráp. Phîi has misunderstood. This Phîi is my romantic partner. I broke up with Phîi Shin since last June, and have never gotten back together." Words that made Oat almost fall over standing. His pair of sharp eyes widened, making Sai-fah, who was starting to piece the story together, pull his friend's shoulder to make him sit down.
"Junior, Phîi thinks you should sit first, Thòe. Looks like it will be long. So we will not disturb other tables either."
"I (Kuu) do not understand. Shin said he went back to his old romantic partner. And that day, you hugged in front of the house..."
"What do you mean, Focus?" Even Bas, who heard the voice spoken as if in extreme shock, turned abruptly to look at his small romantic partner, making the attractive-faced youth quickly explain before the situation became more chaotic.
"You, Phîi, saw me when I went to thank Phîi Shin, Khráp. There was nothing at all. I just went to thank him for making us get back together..." Having said that, the person who had come to encourage his romantic partner who worked singing at restaurants quickly turned to Oat and explained what Phîi Shin had ordered him to keep quiet about before.
In a low voice, "I and Phîi Shin did not get back together as Phîi thought, Khráp. I just intended to apologize to Shin for what I did to him, that is all. I almost broke up with Phîi Bas, but you Phîi Shin still agreed to come in to help..." Focus did not tell the details of what really happened when he thought Phîi Bas did not care about him.
He almost broke up with this romantic partner, if it was not for you Phîi Shin coming in as a mediator, until he learned the truth that the reason you (Phîi) Bas kept working and did not pay attention to him was because Phîi Bas was trying every way to make himself equal to his ex-romantic partner. Phîi Bas took every job, and also studied at the same time because he wanted to be able to take care of him as well as you (Phîi) Shin had taken care of him. It was he himself who thought-deeply until he thought the other party did not care.
And it was Shin who came in. Even though the two of us had done many wrongs to Phîi Shin, Phîi Shin still agreed to help, making us understand each other again. And even though Phîi said to consider it charity, Focus himself thought Phîi had forgiven it all. The reason was probably because Phîi Shin had someone else in his heart.
And that person was the man in front who was tremendously mistaken.
"I and Phîi Bas just had a misunderstanding, and Phîi Shin came in to help. That day I went to Phîi Shin's house just to thank him for not holding the past against us. And then you, Phîi, showed up... You, Phîi, misunderstood you (Phîi) Shin, Khráp. I and you (Phîi) Shin really have nothing anymore."
The entire explanation made Oat dumbfounded. But he still did not understand why Shin broke up with him, if he did not choose this youth.
A demeanor that made Bas remember something.
"Speaking of which, I remember. Âi'Shin said he had a new romantic partner. A million times better than Focus..." Bas glanced at the large man in front, not seeing how he was better than Focus in any way. But who would know Âi'Shin's thoughts?
"... It said he was a stable person. And also said, as if to taunt me (Kuu), that he had been stable with that one person all along, never turned to look at anyone else... That person is you, Phîi, is it not?"
Oat could only stay still. Something told him it was not right. Shin mentioned him in this light, but he felt something was wrong. Shin had said he liked a stable person like him. But that was because no matter what happened, he still only liked Dear.
Had been stable with one person all along...
Bang!
"Bloody hell!!!" The person who had just become intelligent slammed the table with full force. Since the person Shin thought he had loved all along, even now—Dear. Shin still thought he loved Dear.
You, Phîi, can do whatever you want, and I can do whatever I want too.
Back then, Shin did not mean that he himself would go reconcile with his ex-romantic partner. But Shin thought that he would go back to messing with Dear instead. Why could he not figure it out? Why did he only see it now? Why, Rǒoe!!!
The thought made Oat spring up immediately, until Sai-fah quickly grabbed his shoulder.
"Where are you (Mueng) going!!!"
"I (Kuu) am going to find Shin. I am going to talk to him and get things straight."
I (Kuu) will not let myself lose Shin. Will never let everything end right here.
However, Oat froze stiff when Focus interjected in a confused voice.
"But I heard from Phîi Shin's Mâe that this break, Phîi Shin would return to Japan... Right now, he should be in Japan already." Focus paused, thinking what date it was today, before saying in a faint voice.
An answer that made Oat feel as if he had fallen over standing.
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