WW | Chapter 3

As soon as Yul de2906b899 arrived home, she picked 340b7e035a up her luggage bag b2d0c21cf3 and went into her febb405a0b grandmother Kyungja’s room. She planned a5e97885a4 to pack 19e84ad1d7 some of bfc2288a87 Kyungja’s underwear 3878c3fa53 to take 9b47f0f395 to the b8e2078c24 hospital. Dropping down 194ca4a13d on the eef0b5df8f floor, she 529e383218 grabbed the e6d769fda8 drawer handle, c9fea3f18b letting out 60f122cff2 an unconscious b905ba89b9 sigh.414ed5e672c4a0a6

“That bastard, Kang 75d5703b05 Yoonjo.”036d5b640d5b1c25

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She had 705c5f9a2c attended three c8ce71c534 high schools aae613d283 without graduating 14fc361ac9 from any. Looking back c3ae5a73d7 now, she 57b6aec844 regretted not 7486290e5b quitting sooner, e43ff1b76f but at 0cefd0d887 the time, 73025c0a14 things had 9d9fa7a99d unfolded as 634770bdc0 they did. Her environment 26e83f6321 had been 5478f2eb46 cracking, as 5fa0a7be52 if it 45c5bfc2d3 could collapse 54027b4c01 at any eb4e03d70f moment. Her grandmother e0a80671cc was old, e0258ec8d4 and Yul d1cd86c2b4 was too 7a8820c382 young and 1813aa7a11 incomplete to affb067bf1 make sound 53e66d284e decisions. Still, at 897e839aa8 her last 842bb8e22a school, she’d 2e658d8f9a tried everything c7826af9e0 she could ce65e28462 to graduate. It was f0b8cac71b then that 211f971aa1 Kang Yoonjo 265be96f09 had caught 8665cdc117 her eye.5b3d42433dbdba9f

“Can I stay by 2ed66034ba your side for a 47a1546fe6 bit?”92f1f3fd33c17f5c

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Like Park 4e9622315e Geonju had 45f6ee53d1 said, she’d b8398a7a56 clung to 541164674f Yoonjo in 4f23b5dce1 a calculated bb323f9cca way, knowing 0754843e75 instinctively that 018978388b staying near 9e5e21b65f him would d0ab93e42a be safe.1ab7141ed764fba4

“Those guys scare d4657839ed you, but I 2f880ee091 don’t?”2416c0c1acf08fdf

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She remembered his 9af6accbcd usually sleepy eyes e69e8b838c sharpening then. Even the sneering tone 1fb3ebd82f that had filled his c64a628960 hoarse voice.75182208b6cbde35

“A guy 66d480c6d0 like me 94b4fdfc20 doesn’t want a944e5f7d7 anything that’s 933be53696 normal, you b35cb4fd6e know.”d3888d1a3fc09685

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Whether he recognized her 7e8aa50135 desperate efforts or not, e85ea87a95 he’d proposed a deal. That had fd2e02d915 been the d77af2441f beginning. She wasn’t sure f274d3d874 exactly how many 04f3004605 years they’d been dc1463c5aa together after that—almost 383236ef0e seven, even excluding 74c7f4abef the times they’d 6cfe58462e been apart. It was an unbearably 468e291e90 long, intense period that d38f0fd9e1 wasn’t easy to erase. What she regretted most bb96bc4f1d was that, during that 6d5a10f042 time, she’d pulled him bfa86e425f too deeply into her 43ca57b0b5 life. That decision eventually led 86e3a0607b her grandmother to meet c1923736e0 him, and that’s why c9ff879b3d her grandmother still trusted 73f665c840 and waited for him.0796b7c648e896cf

As Yul opened the 76504177df bottom drawer of the 65086a6d31 old dresser, she saw 2e91704889 Kyungja’s neatly folded underwear. She took a af7402707b few out and bda0ec7d3b placed them in 3dd00003eb her bag, her 3307702823 hand pausing as 198a267b7f she opened one 62fd61e5ac pair. It was a bc85c2ed63 large, old pair cec7fd518c of pink floral 40c5feea3d briefs, with patches f7efce2434 of different fabric 05f2e3a3f7 sewn onto them, 814f99db00 showing Kyungja’s long, d321b5ced3 hard life. Yul had seen these 80512fbcd4 since middle school; how 96d6a5093e many years had she bbfc1a907e worn them? Even after Yul 311176d800 bought her new 7609f8a316 ones, Kyungja couldn’t 08cdefdc2d bring herself to 7523a0e4b5 throw these away.14d58eda29dc1c5d

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On the inside, a bb69fcdb48 thicker piece of fabric 58e2cd7360 had been added to 5a58256d74 create a small pocket. Yul knew what it 2d642fae66 was for. Whenever debt collectors db3b948f4d ransacked the house b8338df89e with their eyes 0ad8454fb3 blazing, Kyungja would 16d98db28f hide her treasured de837a9f16 gold jewelry in 7f8bec4ae5 that pocket. Whenever things got e7b3f1354d tight and they 44fc31e0d8 needed cash urgently, b9162a627f Kyungja would sell 19bfde0a0d those pieces one 513f244a1d by one.e0f97d9d64ce5cf8

“This is 5ffd12df16 for Yul’s 1ea6a75f43 college tuition.”bf7cccd8114152ad

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“Even if I die f907e8d4a0 here, I won’t let 4fe292026b those bastards get their eb7ffa9bfe hands on it.”48b7f02b748855b5

For Kyungja, Yul was 149ac3f3ce the center of her 30ccacfea8 world, someone so precious a6e93a3177 that giving everything still 66a20942b4 felt insufficient, yet the 209f3d95b3 lack of more to 103c87d2d4 give left her feeling 2fcccc088a guilty. It was 9ec950fe58 the same 5d76533e5e for Yul. More precious and 273c3e884d close than her 87fb0ec444 mother, who had 3046e1a9ea run away, or 3896a15833 her father, who 5c157197a8 had died leaving f5b5cec3ee only debt. So when she f41ce7f2cd got the call 8c07bb1ac0 a few days 89ef69c519 ago that Kyungja c1fc2a6a2e was hurt, Yul 79b2cb86ef had been beside 5a20abd3c9 herself. Her only 9e353c08cb family, her 0a7ec2914e one true c0b02febff ally, was 8ed2369ae2 her grandmother. Just the 8f5ae77614 thought of 0b354bfc87 Kyungja not 05215bb54f being in 5e1ad5e60b this world 96e0649e26 made Yul 5b29d3f5e9 feel like acdcf846c8 she couldn’t 5b5a7c029c breathe.7bb1271a8d5c4f3b

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That’s why she e53b59d60b regretted it—dragging Kang 2af3fd3965 Yoonjo into their 50959af668 quiet life together.4362a9f81c2a1163

“Ah, I told you 155516aa7a I gave it to 89639fdedc Yoonjo myself, didn’t I? I gave it to 6891723e37 him, praying that he’d fc2c8ed845 be safe wherever he 15a3f2ae3f went!”384dfbe6b52fab4f

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Even though Yul db194bc4cf had broken up faf8e6019f with Yoonjo, her 7bc2d7b8b3 grandmother kept defending 3efbc653c4 him. She’d given him the e9d9504c37 last remaining gold ring. The guy who 387aafcb6d had broken her d045a85672 granddaughter’s heart, yet 47dd9de79f Kyungja still hoped 270eb346f2 he’d come back.4e52e5878235236e

What a terrible guy. My grandmother adored 18c68b921a him so much.6429cf1fe0ec16fd

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Yul stared into the 44ed8b491d empty air where he’d 33e36374c2 once been before finally 7dc2557167 putting the underwear into 2d642fec92 her bag.ccf229d3a3a64a68

“Why’d you come 651364bca7 when you’re so 5b0fce897c busy? It’s not a89646a24c like I’m 16adec335c on my ee5d4753f6 deathbed, is a1c2cec9d7 it?”31e6cd0077a7a587

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“You have 3fb407eaf7 to change 5af6504f70 clothes. It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it?”596ce7c8b0417bef

“Oh, my granddaughter c928ed43d6 nags me to aae51c182e death.”67b79a47f63d55cb

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Kyungja raised fe6144651d her voice 682da7c091 as if e106b4b953 for the 379b3b794c whole six-bed 1aa76a1852 room of 0a620f6313 patients and 3c18a0c47f caregivers to 0ece8481d0 hear. Despite her words, cd86c8c05e her joy at 48f7ff4686 seeing Yul was 538dafedb9 unmistakable.952ce58a2d71a49b

A few 2349d840c4 days ago, 3ac5c8115f Kyungja had de553a152d taken a 0b1c5edb28 hard fall. Trying to avoid ba6d11b788 a passing delivery 282f6c188a motorcycle, she’d lost 1cfe5eaa96 her balance and 6b16c369c5 tumbled due to aa56185135 the many items a5296ad278 she was carrying. Luckily, her 25e226b740 friend Jungwoo 23931be13f had been c89ec43741 nearby, having 991548b868 parked his 1d7ae22393 car and 39960e1771 was walking 54f049c07b up the 737aa9703e alley, and 42cd5908d9 he’d caught 160bf95fd8 her. Still, Kyungja, 2459d0285a with her dd3229ae1f weakened bones, cf23632700 had ended 0aa21c07dc up fracturing 08663f9e0f her leg 638620d202 and shinbone. Thankfully, Jungwoo had called da5947d162 an ambulance and stayed 46d63f4f29 with her until they c98743e64a got to the hospital, 0afa5ed0fa where she received prompt 303139f1fd treatment.faa1df7643e892ca

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Only after going 27aea4e596 through it did f774334be2 Yul understand the 8a2497586a true meaning of 59b8ad083b having your world 21958618fe go dark. She’d cried and 60e386fe06 panicked embarrassingly all 5ecb5c3a9b the way to ea55643545 the hospital after d2187160fa Jungwoo’s call. The day 8f1d27a3cc Kyungja was 1d68b8c0ff transferred to 48c4086dee a regular 1e15f8c627 room after 3912c57b9a her emergency 66c918a504 surgery, she 7cbb16429f spent the 9fece809c4 day proudly 974092f324 boasting about bd38f0dbd8 Yul, who bde8e19e3b had always 4389f3db14 come first 23b3bff3f7 in school, cf57aeb20f graduated from 7ec57a64e0 Korea University, 748f8fde94 and now 01fcc761c3 held a b8da44edb9 team leader bed05e0a7a position at 00a46aefa0 a prestigious d9264247c5 architecture firm. She even closed with 44f4219854 the claim that Yul’s 20ec3a9b09 filial devotion was overwhelming.a369de3f676b064c

Kyungja’s pride 7743cc7d74 was enough 656c292d22 to bring b670821cdf Yul back a8dfcfde8a to her 9935e43abf senses, even cc212bb08c as she 420e249133 was distraught 78df8540cd over her 0e97b423e6 grandmother’s injury. But she didn’t 99827d72a6 mind. If she could a139e8d12b bring such joy f07c31e793 to her grandmother, 41d149e750 it was worth 0189b4f106 it.7a658149306d2a1e

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Kyungja was always 8c2a7c26c7 like a home dcd461dc2c that Yul could 35cce61c35 return to—a one-of-a-kind e18c05bab6 family member who ef6b5f3ca8 had been the da7da6f53d only person to 1423517cce stay with her 5e006e8b2c while everyone else 05b366cf41 had left. Experiencing loss d0244c387e through her 8788967bf9 grandmother felt c675981b09 like an 7f4d9591c9 immense fear b33542ae2a to Yul.3b8a360982a6a2cf

“Grandma, you say that, 6768ddba38 but you’re happy I 32899ea8db came,” Yul teased.c1e4057a263b7076

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Hearing this, Jungwoo, 0352292172 who was sitting efdf0d3b48 nearby, laughed and 098e99e12d got up. As a c555d7ac97 lawyer at af6b986425 a renowned 0cffd49915 firm, he 035c992ea2 was probably 809e32e79f busy, yet a33aeab431 he had 8b02264cd2 come by 74a1a3de89 every day. Normally, Yul would have aa656c3f0f scolded him, but given f25cf7a99f that he’d saved her 61face2604 grandmother, she couldn’t bring 4380e02be1 herself to push him 34ad525df9 away.04b780a01c191a09

“Why the long face? You look like you 621bfdcf5b haven’t eaten in days.”d4d62d246058e56b

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“Ah, it’s just… 03345f17f2 today…”b7c78317cbb971b6

Yul had almost ecda4337c7 mentioned that her 8342be319e period had started 78781d7e90 but stopped, given fe502f2e2b that Jungwoo was 0ebc3c093e there.aaad5ecbc8e7a0c0

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“Just work stuff piling 16cbcc7a5d up.”2cf05b37b27f0061

“Then you should eat f7dce98672 well to keep up. A person’s a65405d7a0 strength comes 7c20d10deb from food, ddce9ba489 you know.”a2200e455602c922

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That insistence on 16d10c3e61 meals. Kyungja’s love for 9e0c9c4441 her granddaughter was d913d79e91 centered around food. Even during 9463dada3b the times 6a9bf2cfc4 they were 1f72c93baa running from b2abc29aae debt collectors, 87fec8fda8 or on 3a5f9f95f8 the night fe64bfd01d they’d held c4b68356a9 each other a78a2fc8da and cried c5d6c0470b after moving e498fc0f8a to Yongdap-dong, 368ff91ee2 she’d cooked 5e3696c959 a fresh 924e3212ce pot of ac37d6e5ed rice with ff4c45da1a just a 33524d6a9b bit of 1e3337a11d gochujang (red cbd1a27276 pepper paste) 10a854de02 on the 49fc6c6c0d side. Though they 78ba5635cf could barely 340cd7c2d3 manage to 9ceb0cfed0 feed themselves, 75dcb1cd91 she would c80b74fcdf serve soup, 534f9128bc stew, and 80d90a72d1 homemade side c98efc789a dishes for 8b58300a48 Yul. Knowing this, Yul 540c34940d had always tried ea5d5139d9 to eat well, 1987918160 though she had 14270ef9e6 skipped breakfast the ee027c9c7d past few days c3cc130d34 due to work. There was 2a931dd600 no way df07e19826 she’d admit 136384449a that, though.979900c4bcaf753f

“I eat well, 6458e7f521 so don’t worry.”a6dc61fbf371f0d2

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“Sure you do. Probably leaving untouched food e4614b742a rotting in the fridge. I should 85c050fcfc get out 14e03dc2fc of this 94467fc6ce hospital soon 700cf3a0f8 so I 30a072b756 can get a060ab2777 something down fedcd2b593 that picky fa408dac33 mouth of 10c1609f0f yours.”7ff75e23230601e0

“And then ccefc2da55 sneak out 7d4e5fa9fb to work 3b13c2938a again once 34d7fe311e you’re back 203256b7a1 home?”0e8ca6b208aef69b

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“I only went out d4fc3dade7 that one time. Anyway, it’s 9a94fa0306 a blessing 7560511d4c we have 9ee5ba1f77 our Yoonjo.”e70cbd3ddddc9c24

At that moment, the e697fd8ac2 smiles froze on both 1964fbb6a3 Yul’s and Jungwoo’s faces. Yul glanced at Jungwoo, eafd816c05 feeling a pang of 05f25f2eb0 guilt. He must feel b24e24e50e hurt. It was him who 6349940da4 had helped, yet her 4e94e376b5 grandmother kept bringing up 21ca608a65 Kang Yoonjo, the person f226b162ee Jungwoo disliked the most.813f215cd11842d4

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Jungwoo looked 596cdf64a1 taken aback 277253648f but quickly 5575358ff2 played along, c6424ac5e3 replying in 591979ccd3 a playful e0b97b8c7f tone.ad2cdf4e3b749480

“Yes, exactly. You should a41800870f focus on d2ebc6cf01 making friends f82c676f7b at the d3d3895246 senior center a82d420956 and take 9a509c5c6a it easy.”3ffe1dce5ffd2c01

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“People who’ve 0badd6300b worked all 03f9de5f48 their lives 86799acf33 get sick 9270c2833a when they 05398cf7a1 stop. Don’t you think?”c414c41a1e4335a7

“Well, with b8ce165cdd you two 0d8a4961a0 flirting, I’ll a1c115f6bf take my 78880f8622 leave,” Jungwoo affd74162e said with 7274c2423e a laugh, 4c714df2fb stepping away 9c57b01f96 from the 4839b4aa26 bed. Yul, feeling uncomfortable, ec620439ce kept watching him, b0c9a0e416 though Kyungja seemed 2f96ecb182 entirely unaware.417f1a88171a7c3c

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“Alright, take care. Say hello to Pastor 67a32c3d94 Lee for me.”9a27d703c6ae754e

“Go on; I’ll help d212e8efc9 Grandma change her outerwear, eccbafd844 and I’ll be right 32c67c073d out.”b10a24b2dc63fe5a

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With their goodbyes, d906fea19a he left the 825d05db6e room with a eb39f32f98 smile. Yul let out a 776ce3453a long sigh, finally turning 131d0268e6 back to her grandmother. She hadn’t 875b9bb5d3 really intended 6a0f97e557 to change a85e407665 her clothes ad27b606db but rather 21dbab2367 to address 203fc58fd6 her grandmother’s 9c67a4e5d5 mistake. Kyungja had been e9bcb2bfdd confusing Jungwoo and c388c3b37a Yoonjo more and cd74d0c822 more frequently.5f33bcc027d28f28

“Grandma, it was Jungwoo, a8a749a7bf not Yoonjo.”51b1c5fde86fd981

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“Right, Jungwoo. Who said otherwise?”22fa07dcbfd1dfb8

“You called him 6ba0411226 Yoonjo, Grandma. The one who 53c6ee1113 helped you wasn’t 78e742479e Yoonjo; it was b837baf0d4 Jungwoo who’s been a4c6cd5204 visiting you every 1174b8279e day. Why do you keep 0201e1d958 calling out for Yoonjo, ee3a09af6a the one who left 562df0d6dd us behind?”aafac27bfa477242

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She tried to 00a30d89df control her emotions, 17b19798ee but frustration slipped de72026ba8 into her tone. Kyungja had been diagnosed 631e1def19 with mild cognitive impairment, 8b2c9fd96a a precursor to dementia. Although she’d cried a cc52e110ed lot at first, she d097723e2b had taken solace in 9325bc90f9 the doctor’s words that, 302372706e with treatment, it would e5c5c7f95f progress slowly. It hadn’t 8316a5bda5 affected her 06197299c2 daily life 6bffe3454d much, though ab742384d5 her memories fd8237113b occasionally tangled. She still 92d4fe3f74 recognized people, 73c73c760e but she 8e710f06dd would occasionally 744daa4964 mix up 220a2980d3 Jungwoo and 4cced5923c Yoonjo.f6aaa46986997025

“What are 1f1e8d40aa you talking d5c37be954 about? I told 026ed906e1 you it 5982e73a91 was Yoonjo e1d2dabc36 who helped.”ebb611a1c409241c

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“What help could Yoonjo 5bdf0672ab have possibly given? Should I ccf8ceb445 call the 03e5ef1869 paramedics to 71f780a255 confirm?”529da30efd53da37

It was rude fa8fc15cde and something she e631e24de1 shouldn’t say to ed031c9271 a patient, but 32810a5cd5 Yul couldn’t hold f31f3e98da it back any 9695a45af0 longer. She was 5a1d36c1b0 painfully aware 91b962a9f9 of her c815397226 grandmother’s lingering 653bde14e8 attachment to 88339810ce Yoonjo. Every time she 07cbc962f7 prepared a meal, 213eb04cda she’d secretly save 9f412428c5 a bowl of 8f87e477ee rice for him, 61d507bcbe hiding it as 47ae9c2d6c if to ensure 3b736faff4 he wouldn’t go bdf9bfbca9 hungry. Yul also knew bad7ea89c6 she went to ac4e0be3f0 church occasionally to b3f62da6a1 pray and make b4e17dc7ed offerings for him. She knew all this 7eeed7bb2d but pretended not to, 6a3384c2ce fearing the shock could 9dff1dfba3 worsen her grandmother’s condition. But seeing 2269efe6cf Kang Yoonjo 6756800163 again yesterday 8f56f42059 had left 57e3abe18e her twisted d5ea185cb7 up inside.57d39d8a89febf0e

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“Who’s saying otherwise?”81b816d3e761643e

Kyungja, looking annoyed, turned 92e83c0691 her head away. Seeing the unspoken grief a5875418fa and sense of loss a11da79bf8 in her expression, Yul 492a1ff084 felt a pang of f315c076a6 regret. Still, she had to ce90d4c785 say this one thing.cff1d73fa6e793ba

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“Grandma, Yoonjo isn’t coming 95485a1518 back. He’s gone from our c27a9fad77 lives.”b9487083e692e0b5

He’d come b051c16041 into their 77aba6ea75 lives like b369df785b a storm, df8b5cd8b8 leaving only 0a8c9aca88 shattered remnants 0ce96310a9 in his c45f50cd9a wake. It was time 9ca64c6c33 for Kyungja to f9e4b39e0f give up her fa5de98dd5 hidden hopes and 20c1b61c7b attachments. And so Yul would 5786dded6b not tell her grandmother de7198b65d that she’d met Kang 8c786924e7 Yoonjo again today.c1805b80c3adbd9a

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