I pointed to the empty space above her head and asked, "Mama! What's that?"
Mom's bewildered expression only added to my amusement as she tilted her head and replied, "That? That's my head."
I couldn't help but pout at her response, thinking, "My mama can be an airhead sometimes."
Undeterred, I sought answers from my dad, grandpa, and even grandma. Their responses were equally perplexing.
"A tree," my dad offered, completely missing the mark.
"I wasn't talking about your background, I was talking about above your head," I muttered in frustration.
"Air," grandpa chimed in, earning an eye roll from me. "Huff! People are so stupid," I grumbled to myself.
Then there was grandma, who simply said, "Magic." At that point, I couldn't help but throw in the towel.
Reflecting on those moments, I realized something peculiar—no one seemed to notice the small circle above their heads, each adorned with a different number indicating perceived danger level.
Of course, it wasn't until later that I understood what those numbers meant. Through careful analysis (yes, even five-year-olds can be astute), I observed that a toddler had a circle with a 0, a soldier had a 7, a regular man had a 5, and my mom, of all people, had an 8.
Yes, my mom is more dangerous than a soldier.
Don't ask me much—I sometimes think my mom is an devil too.
When I was just a wee tot, my mom was a college professor. Now, most moms might entertain their kids with coloring books, but not mine. Oh no, she handed me scantron sheets and let me loose with a box of crayons. Imagine the power!
She used to hand me the scantron sheet before she wrote the exam and let me colour whatever lettered bubble i wanted for each answer. if i coloured two by accident, she made an 'all of the above' option.
One time she gave me it and i coloured the 'a' bubble for each of the 130 questions except for the second last one and she just went with it
later on, she told me that it was the most entertaining exam she had ever watched her students take
Because of this ,I realise in future I might be able to outsmart everyone but not her
It's like she's the ultimate boss level in the game of life
I never asked or told anyone about my abilities to see a circle above people head with distinct numbers
You know , Even though I realised I was unique and weird in a way .I wasn't afraid of it instead curious
Because...The one I am truly afraid is my mom
But...
" Do you need help? " My 7 year old ass question the blond boy— Mikey
" What? " He looked at me confused" What help ? "
" Are you okay ? " My 7 year old ass asked again
" ....yes ? "
" Oh ...Okay ,Then "
As the near by girls continued their hushed conversation, I couldn't help but overhear from my desk, pretending to focus on the notes the teacher was discussing.
"What's going on?" I heard one of the girls inquire, her curiosity piqued.
"Mikey got busted reading a naughty book at school," the other girl divulged, barely able to contain her laughter.
"Seriously?" The first girl sounded genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, and guess what his punishment was?" The giggles in the girl's voice were unmistakable.
"He had to kneel on the floor, holding the book for everyone to see!" The revelation was met with a mixture of shock and amusement.
"Did he actually kneel?" someone interjected.
"Nah, he bunk the class like the typical Mikey," came the response.
"Yep, typical Mikey," another voice chimed in agreement.
Soon the whole class was silent, I looked at Teacher ,Who had stop talking for second
Uh Oh
The sudden silence that followed was broken by the stern voice of our science teacher, who had clearly overheard the girls' chatter. "Do you girls want to keep talking during the lesson, or do you want to keep your kneecaps?" she threatened, her eyes narrowing in disapproval.
Swish-!
Before anyone could respond, the classroom door swung open, and in walked the main protagonist of our story—MIKEY Swaggering into the room like he owned the place.
Well, considering he practically ran Tokyo, I wouldn't be surprised if he did own the school too.
As he strolled into the classroom, the atmosphere seemed to shift. With an air of nonchalance, he made his way to his desk, not bothering to acknowledge the teacher or the curious glances from his classmates.
Placing his bag on the desk with thud-! , he glanced around the room, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the door, as if he had somewhere more important to be.
I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief. Talk about disrespect.
" His features is beautiful right!! " A girl whisper
" I know ,he is kinda cool too " another respond
Is he ?
How can I talk about beauty, When I can't even gaze at beauty
Glancing at the clock, I realized that lunch would start in just five minutes.
Ah
That explained his sudden appearance. Always the opportunist, he probably just wanted to make a quick getaway before the lunch rush. Typical.
Everyone in school is cautious around him—out of respect and fear for his physical abilities.
Even though he seems to talk to his classmates normally if someone asks him a question, he's still surrounded by gangsters. Hardly anyone talks to him, except for students who are members of TOMAN—the rising gang in Tokyo.
But for me, he's more than just a feared man. He's a dragon, a lion, an elephant, a tiger—every dangerous thing in the world rolled into one.
I tiptoed around him as if he were a sleeping dragon, always maintaining my distance.
Because, you know, it's not every day you want to risk getting your lungs stop working .And I mean it literally
My lungs literally fucking - stop working in front of him
As long as I can remember, we've been studying in the same school, the same class, the same section, until I turned 7 years old.
When I was 7, I remember the number above Mikey's head was 5, the same as an adult man. That definitely caught my attention right away. Of course, I didn't talk to him much. I've always been more of an observer than a talker.
But then, one day, his number changed to 20. It was so out of the blue that I thought the circle above his head must be malfunctioning.
Or maybe I was wrong about the circle. Perhaps it didn't reflect someone's danger level.But no matter how I tried to rationalize it, I always came to the same conclusion—it showed the danger level.
And if that was true, why in the freaking world would a 7-year-old boy suddenly, in just one day, become the most dangerous person I had ever seen
?
Did Mikey suddenly become a secret agent overnight? Maybe he just started taking his superhero training seriously. Or perhaps he accidentally stumbled upon the recipe for world domination in his cereal box that morning. Who knows? The possibilities are endless.
So, I started to notice him more than ever. He was behaving just as he always did.
If not for sudden change in danger level — Everything about him was same
Except for one thing—his Tapping.
At that moment, I was really into Morse code stuff. So, while I was sitting in front of him, I noticed him lightly tapping his finger on the desk.
Being intrigued, I started decoding it using Morse code, and to my surprise, his tapping spelled out "HELP."
Suddenly, I wanted to say something, but my social anxiety got the best of me, and I ended up staying silent.
After that, I couldn't help but notice that he always did the same tapping since the day his number changed. Before the change, it was just random tapping, but after the change, it was always "HELP."
It made me frown every day.
As I listened to people talking about him, I learned that he was a boy living with his grandpa, sister, and older brother. His father and mother were dead, but he seemed to enjoy life like any other normal boy. There was nothing—absolutely nothing—in his life that seemed to set him apart from the crowd.
Because of the sudden change in his number, I started to wonder if his mental health was okay. I couldn't see any physical changes in him that would explain such a drastic shift.
I even convinced my mother to buy cakes from the shop near his house, hoping to overhear something that might explain his sudden change. Maybe he was being abused at home or his friends weren't treating him right.
But no, there was nothing.
In the end, after all my efforts yielded no results, I decided to question him directly.
"Do you need help?" I asked him outright.
My 7-year-old self asked him that question, not knowing what answer to expect from him, or if he indeed needed help. How could she help him even if he did?
But, Soon Something change ..Again
His circles was becoming darker day by day .
As his circles became darker day by day, something else changed too. Dark clouds seemed to gather around him, like his aura was becoming darker and darker. Strangely, there were no physical changes; he acted like any normal child.
As a student who used to sit in front of him, I began to feel suffocated. It became harder to breathe whenever I was near him, and I started sweating profusely. Each passing day, it became even more difficult to stand beside him. A shiver would always run down my spine, and I'd feel goosebumps rise up.
At just 7 years old, all these symptoms scared me. So, I filled out the form to change sections, not wanting to stay in the same class as him. Since then, I avoided any path he walked, any place he stayed. I avoided everything about him, and soon, that fear became a habit.
But this year, our paths crossed again, as we were placed in the same class. I was terrified of him. The dark clouds surrounded him so much that I couldn't even see his face. I only knew how he looked because of his school photo; there were no clouds in the pictures.
Standing beside him felt like being in a concentration camp, the air heavy with carbon dioxide. Every cell of my body quivered, crying out for me to run.
But as he was a delinquent, he rarely stayed in class other than during lunch.And I never visit cafeteria; Because of him
So, we rarely collided.
Yep, I forgot how he looked.
A girl with dark black hair reluctantly opened her black eyes as She heard that painful 6 am alarm ring.
Monday.
I quickly shut it off but still laid in bed.
Another day to get over with. Get get KIRAN the fuck up it's not that hard, you've done this shit before. Get up. I said; get, the fuck, up.
Kiran finally open her black eyes successfully , as she gazed at the wall .still lying at bed .Lost in her own world .Until her mother voice force her to wake up
Kiran stood in front of her school, donning the usual school uniform. With a lazy gaze, she stared at the building, contemplating how many years of prison she would face if she set the auspicious structure on fire.
Smack-!
A sharp smack landed on the back of her head, snapping her out of her sadistic thought
"Oi!" Kiran turned to face the culprit, finding her not-so-good friend Ayame standing there.
Ayame puffed out her chest triumphantly, mimicking the gesture of a sheriff in a movie after firing a gun. "Hey, Stupid-genius," she declared, grinning mischievously.
That's one contradictory nickname
Kiran rubbed the back of her head, still feeling the sting from Ayame's smack. "What was that?" she questioned, shooting Ayame a puzzled look.
"You were scaring the children, darling," Ayame replied nonchalantly.
Kiran surveyed her surroundings with a furrowed brow. Despite the usual hustle and bustle of students entering the school, there was an unusual gap in the crowd around her and Ayame. It was as if a force field had materialized, creating a perfect two-meter circle of empty space around them
Kiran turned to Ayame, her curiosity piqued. "Why is everyone avoiding us?" she asked, her tone a mixture of confusion and intrigue.
Ayame shrugged casually. "Well, if a girl with a lazy posture and a sadistic glint in her eyes were to glare at the school building without blinking for five minutes, with those god-damn owl-like black beads," she explained, "who wouldn't run away?"
"Am I the subject of fear?" Kiran inquired.
"Yep," Ayame confirmed without hesitation.
"Good," Kiran nodded, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I love it when people fear me." She let out a laugh that echoed eerily, akin to a Disney villain,
And prompting students to increase the diameter of the circle to three meters.
Ayme looked at Kiran with twitching eyes .
As Kiran was lost in her own fantasy, a sudden quiver ran through her cells, jolting her back to reality. She didn't even need to look up to know who was approaching. Her hands began to tremble, and her heart rate doubled.
He was here.
MIKEY.
He was near her.
Slowly, she turned her head in the direction her instincts told her to run from. There, she saw a boy parking his bike, his head shrouded in dark clouds.
The circle above his forehead flickered dangerously, displaying the ominous number 18 in red.
She noticed his body turning in their direction. Did they make eye contact? She couldn't be sure.
Turning back to Ayame, Kiran gripped her friend's hand tightly, attempting to smile. "Le- let's go," she managed to say, her voice stuttering from the shock of their sudden encounter with the devil himself.
Ayame nodded eagerly, her eyes wide with fear and excitement. "Yeah, let's get out of here before he starts raining fire and brimstone on us!" she joked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.
She ran towards their classroom, eager to put some distance between herself and the unsettling presence of Mikey.
Not knowing, You freedom to run aways from him was going to vanish soon
Kiran stared out of the window, lost in her own thoughts as the clouds drifted lazily across the sky. The voice of the chemistry teacher calling her name snapped her back to reality. "Kiran," he said, and then followed with another name, "—And Manjiro."
She turned her gaze to the teacher, her expression neutral, but underneath the table, her hands clenched into fists, whitening her knuckles. Gritting her teeth, she looked down, trying to compose herself.
The chemistry teacher was assigning a group project, pairing students together for the science exhibition model. To Kiran's dismay, she was paired with Manjiro.
The pairing was based on class performance, and Kiran was among the top students, consistently ranking in the top 15. Manjiro, on the other hand, was known for being a last-bencher, not a zero scorer, but just enough to scrape by.
Leading them to pair up, it had only been four weeks since she was in the same class as "the Devil" And now, she was paired up with him.
Damn it.
How was she supposed to work with him when she couldn't even look at him without feeling like she was going to burst into flames?
Why couldn't the universe just toss her into a nuclear plant and blast her to a million pieces? That would be much less awkward.
Walking towards the rooftop to soak up some vitamin D,
Kiran want peace from the rowdiness of the class, the hall, and the school
During breaks, she always found herself here_ in roof top her hiding place, looking at clouds lost in thought about topics ranging from the Bermuda Triangle to the monsters lurking beneath the ocean floor, or pondering the vastness of the universe and our insignificance within it. Useless stuff, perhaps, but it provided a welcome distraction.
As she ascended the stairs, she felt her breath hitching in her throat.
Looking up, she spotted a boy with a head shrouded in dark clouds, seemingly falling towards her in slow motion. Kiran's eyes widened in shock, the scene unfolding before her as if in a movie.
What the fuck! Where did this great evil star came from
THUD-!
IN next second, Kiran ft her chest cavity was in a spectacular mess
"Ughh!!" Kiran grunted, feeling the weight of the boy bearing down on her. Her forehead fseeping with cold sweat and her face was instantly void of blood . Her chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe— suffocating her and a metallic taste — blood filled her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes as pain shot through hee bones to brain .
It hurts
It hurts a lot
As she fluttered open her eyelashes at the sound of boy grunt heard , her eyes widened in shock-SHE COULD SEE HIS FACE
WHAT!?
The devil, with his soft pale face adorned by delicate blond hair, wore a small frown. His cheeks boasted a hint of baby fat, and a tiny mole graced the corner of his neck. His eyes, pitch black, seemed to hold nothing within them, yet at such close proximity, Where they are breathing eachother air .Kiran could see her own face reflecting in his black orbs.
For a moment.The world flip and stop moving .The pain which she was feeling faded at background
A faint blush crept across Mikey's face as he soon realized where his hand was placed—feeling the soft bump of flesh beneath his touch. He used all his strength to resist the urge to squeeze it.
Damn! He was touching a girl boobs .They are far more softer than he expected — Really soft
But then, a calmness washed over Mikey diverting his attention, enveloping him like a cool breeze on a hot day. For a moment, he felt like a desert wanderer, parched and thirsty, stumbling upon an oasis. The dazed feeling that had clouded his mind suddenly dissipated into thin air as he touched her.cooling the storm raging within him with her mere presence
His initial instinct was spot on.
She truly was a natural air conditioner,
He was just lying at roof top, where he soon reached the message from Emma ,To meet her .As he was walking by .In daze his ankle twisted as he was fall.In mid air ,He was about to use his martial arts training to land softly
But his moment stop in midair as his eyes notice the girl—Kiran Leading him to fall ungracefully above her
"I... I am sorry," Mikey whispered, his voice barely audible as he scrambled to stand up from atop her. He moved to the side, his frown deepening as he looked at the foreign girl whose face was now pale, devoid of color. Today morning, she had seemed fine, but now... was it because of him?
Pressing his lips together, he extended his hand, trying to help her up. But there was no response from her. Frowning again, he asked, "You okay?"
Eh?
SHE FAINTED
!!!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
She fainted!!!
With a sense of urgency, Mikey carefully lifted Kiran into a princess carry, ensuring her head was supported. He cradled her gently, making sure she was comfortable, and then swiftly made his way towards the school's medical ward
Navigating through the corridors, he avoided attracting too much attention, but a few curious stares followed them nonetheless.
" Nurse! Nurse ! She has fainted, Check on her" Mikey called out placing Kiran on first aid bed
The school nurse quickly approached, her expression filled with concern. "Fainted,how?" she asked, rushing to Kiran's side.
Mikey explained, his voice tinged with slight guilt "I think she hit her head when we fell."
Nurse looked at Mikey guilty face and asked" Mikey, ....Did you hit her "
" No, why would I "
" Then, .."
" I accidentally stumble and fall on top of her " looking away from nurse gaze he continue" Soon after she lost consciousness "
Sighing ,The nurse nodded knowing Mikey may be a problem child but he never bully people weaker than him or hit women.She know him long enough to realise his life rule
"okay",
Assessing Kiran's condition. "Thank you for bringing her here. Let's get her checked out."
Kiran's pale complexion and the possibility of a head injury raised her suspicions.
"I'll take care of her," the nurse assured Mikey with a nod, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer than necessary.
Mikey caught the nurse's scrutinizing look, feeling a twinge of guilt gnaw at him. Despite knowing he hadn't intentionally caused Kiran harm, he couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility for her current condition.
He shifted uncomfortably under the nurse's gaze
As the nurse tended to Kiran, She frown her head injury wasn't deep but Kiran heartbeat was fast, And was seeling cold sweat
After what felt like an eternity, the nurse finally turned to Mikey with a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine, Soon after " she said, her tone soothing. "I have given her medicine for her health, When she wake up ,Give her those tablets I prescribed " Nurse said , handing him the packet of medicine after taking it out from tablets place in above shelf
Slam-!
A kid enter the medical ward ,And said " Nurse, Principal sir is calling "
Mikey looked at the student , The boy who has enter just to inform the news ,Was meet with empty eyes of Mikey — Scared he smiled awkwardly at Mikey and Nurse and run off
God! He doesn't want to do anything with Mikey
Nurse shake her head at the scene , Whereas Mikey just shrug .He was used to it — And doesn't practically hated it
" Keep her company, Her body is showing sign of trauma " She said to Mikey
Mikey who was about to leave the room and meet Emma stop ,In his track .Looking around and then pointing at himself " I stay here ? "
" Of course — I don't talk to ghost"
" I don't know her "
" You injure her"
" It was an accident "
" Yep— You did "
Soon ,Mikey was left alone in ward, looking at his flip flop .He soon text Emma that he can't come ,To which Emma indeed get angry,So, He tell her that Draken will go instead of him .And she happily compelled
Looking thoughtfuly at the lying girl ,Mikey rubbed his fingers . Looking thoughtfully at the girl lying before him, Mikey rubbed his fingers.
He didn't know her well, but her face was familiar. They had been studying in the same school for more than a decade, and in primary classes, they had even been in the same section. However, they had never really talked much.
The girl wasn't much of a talker.
Meanwhile, Mikey had been going through a phase where he used to hate girls, so he never initiated a conversation.
Even though he never talk to her ,He remember the time she out of blue asked him " Do you need help ? "
He felt disbelief at her question and —hidden Anger too , Was she looking down on him .So, Even though he didn't say much When she change the class .He thought it was for better
Still, This question of her sometimes appear in his mind once in a while
Looking up at the ceiling, he remembered the feeling of calmness that washed over him when he touched her. His posture relaxed, and his usual guarded expression softened as he contemplated the unexpected tranquility
Especially after Shiniciro death, There wasn't a single day in his life where he wasn't having a nightmare or feeling restless— Being a leader figure of Toman and big brother Of Emma ,He was fast to hide that facade of weakness .And not let anyone saw through him — like a camelian
For, He is the leader whose back should be wide enough for Toman to follow him with utmost faith
Closing his eyes, he remembered how whenever he crossed paths with her, he felt a breath of fresh air inside his lungs. At first, he believed it to be just a sudden gust of wind, a mere coincidence. But it happened not just once, or twice, but countless times over the span of ten years. Every time they got closer, his heart would become calm. And today, when he touched her, that feeling was even more prominent.
Looking at the girl, he stretched his hand and touched her fingers. They were cold, really cold. Closing his eyes, he slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. Taking a deep breath, he felt it—the calmness spreading through him, soothing his racing heart and easing the tension in his body. It was as if his arteries were opening up, allowing the tranquil sensation to flow freely through his veins.
As Kiran lay unconscious on the bed, her mind drifted into a realm of unsettling dreams. In her nightmare, she found herself standing in a desolate landscape shrouded in darkness.
The air was heavy with an ominous presence, and a chill ran down her spine as she realized she was alone.
Suddenly, shadows began to emerge from the darkness, creeping closer with each passing moment
. Kiran tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy and sluggish, as if weighed down by an invisible force.
As the shadows closed in around her, Kiran felt a rising sense of panic. She tried to scream, but no sound escaped her lips. The darkness enveloped her completely, suffocating her with its oppressive grip.
In her nightmare, Kiran felt as though she was drowning in a sea of darkness, unable to escape its relentless grasp. She thrashed and struggled, but the shadows only tightened their hold, dragging her further into the abyss.
The nightmare seemed to stretch on endlessly, each moment filled with terror and dread. Kiran's heart raced as she fought to wake herself from the torment of her subconscious mind, desperate to escape the clutches of the darkness that threatened to consume her.
In the depths of her nightmare, Kiran's senses were assaulted by a chilling sight
Amidst the swirling shadows, she saw a man with dark hair and piercing eyes. Blood flowed from a wound on his head, staining his face as he staggered forward with an air of desperation.
His dark eyes bore into Kiran's soul, sending shivers down her spine as she recoiled in fear.
Beside the wounded man stood another figure, a middle-aged man with a beggar-like appearance.
His clothes were old and worn, his face lined with wrinkles that spoke of a lifetime of hardship. He muttered incomprehensible words under his breath, his voice a haunting echo in the darkness.
As Kiran watched in horror, the two figures drew closer, their presence casting a shadow over her already troubled mind.
The man with dark hair spoke with a voice that echoed through the darkness. "It's all your fault," he accused, his words carrying the weight of condemnation. "If you hadn't fallen, none of this would have happened. If you were never born, we wouldn't be in this mess. If you never wanted a bike.."
His voice trailed off into a chilling whisper, leaving Kiran trembling with fear and uncertainty.
Beside him, the middle-aged man continued to mutter incomprehensible words, his voice a sinister undertone to the dark symphony of the nightmare. Each word seemed to seep into Kiran's consciousness like poison, filling her mind with dread and despair.
Caught between the accusing gaze of the dark-haired man and the haunting whispers of the middle-aged figure, Kiran felt herself sinking deeper into the depths of her own personal hell. With each passing moment, the nightmare threatened to consume her entirely, leaving her lost in a sea of darkness and despair.
Swish-!
Abruptly sitting up, Kiran took in deep, ragged breaths, her chest rising and falling with each huff.
Huff-!
Huff-!
Huff-!
Her heavy breathing echoed in the empty ward, the sound filling the silence as she tried to calm her racing heart.
As she struggled to regain her composure, Kiran felt the warmth of another human's hand on hers. With a frown, she turned to see the source of the touch.
The evil great star was sleeping , putting his head on side of bed, Intertwined his finger with her
"Fuck-!" she muttered under her breath, realizing that the devil himself was by her side.
No wonder she had been plagued by those dreadful nightmares.
Clasping and unclasping her trembling hands in an effort to steady her rapid heartbeat, Kiran shot a glare at the serene expression on the devil's face— How dare he sleep so peacefully while she suffered?
As Kiran gazed at Mikey, she attempted to quell the storm raging within her.
Anger simmered beneath the surface, threatening to erupt like a volcano at any moment.
It seemed that every encounter with him turned her once-peaceful life into a twisted maze of chaos.
Making her felt more and more Annoyade with each passing second
Yet, deep down, she knew it wasn't entirely his fault. Despite the dark aura that seemed to surround him, she couldn't shake the feeling that he, too, was a victim in his own way.
Reflecting on the people she had encountered with similarly high danger levels, Kiran couldn't ignore the pattern. Each one seemed to carry a heavy burden, an unspoken past that weighed them down like an anchor.
The age-old saying that villains aren't born, but made, resonated with her more than anyone. Perhaps she, of all people, understood this concept best.
For him to have such higher level , Means he must have been suffering too
More than her mother has
Kiran's mind raced, trying to understand why Mikey's danger level was so high. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of tough times he had faced.
It made her think about her own mom's troubles, but Mikey's danger level was far higher than mom ,Does that mean he has suffered more than her mom ?
Even though she was scared of him, Kiran felt a twinge of pity. She figured Mikey must have gone through some really tough stuff to end up like this. It made her feel a mix of emotions—fear, curiosity, and a strange kind of empathy
Kiran glanced at the boy, his face visible but the ominous black circle above his head still gave her a sense of danger.
She hesitated for a moment before extending her hand toward it—a gesture she had been wanting to make for a while, but her anxiety always held her back.
Why? Because she was a prisoner to her own fears.
Slowly moving her finger to touch it, she felt an even more ominous energy than before, sending shivers down her spine. It wasn't just fear—it was pure terror.
As a child, she used to think it could only show the danger level. But the moment she touched the dark circle of her relatives, she realized she was far more special than she believed.
Her abilities couldn't just show danger levels, but also...
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