WW | Chapter 12

“I know it’s tough for you, my sweetie, but it won’t be much longer. Just hold on a little bit.”

“……”

“Nothing in this world flows in just one direction. When there are times you fall, there are also times you rise. Everything will work out, so don’t worry.”

“Yeah.”

With her face buried in her grandmother’s embrace, Yul replied. Honestly, she didn’t know. Could such a miserable world really change just by holding on? If there was at least a stepping stone to climb, she might have some hope, but they didn’t have a single thing. Still, she just nodded gently.

“Jung-woo called earlier. He said you weren’t picking up, so make sure to get back to him.”

“Okay.”

“And make sure to thank Pastor Choi!”

“I know, I got it.”

Her response came out a bit curtly at the end. It was true that they’d received help from the church, but the one who had truly supported her and her grandmother from beginning to end was the church’s administrative manager. There was little point in reaching out to Pastor Choi, who had long since stopped keeping in touch.

She knew she should treat Jung-woo differently, but she still didn’t want to reach out to him. She was well aware of how much he’d tried to help her and her grandmother. Even when debt collectors came storming into their home, it was Jung-woo who had protected them, cleaning up the mess afterward. She was grateful to him, but other circumstances diluted that gratitude, and since moving to Seoul, she hadn’t called or answered his calls. Neither he nor her grandmother knew the reason.

“Yul-ah, maybe you should start easing off with Jung-woo.”

Behind the kind smile of the church’s administrative manager was the firm intent of Pastor Choi. Jung-woo was no longer someone she could associate with on her level.

– Yul-ah, you’re so lucky. The Lord kept you safe, so you got this opportunity.

Once, she had managed to get through to Pastor Choi, and his voice still echoed in her ears. How lucky she was to have the Lord watching over her, even when she hit rock bottom. She had stifled a bitter laugh back then, thinking it would’ve been better not to hit rock bottom in the first place.

No, she told herself. Think of it as luck. She tried to suppress the sharp feeling that rose within her. Many people miss the last train entirely; at least she had managed to get on. Just having the luxury of these thoughts made her lucky, didn’t it? There was nothing worse that could happen now.

Feeling worse for comforting herself, she hugged her grandmother tightly.

Dropping a 100-won coin into the machine and pressing the red button, two sanitary pads clattered down into the slot below. Yul picked them up and slipped them into her pouch. Her cycle was irregular, so she always made sure to be prepared, but this time, she’d run out sooner than expected. She must’ve used more than she thought during those days when her stomach was aching on and off. Although it ultimately passed without incident, her nature demanded she restock to feel at ease.

Her recent overexertion had disrupted her cycle. She thought to herself that if only she had one less thing like this to worry about, her stress would be halved, and she got to her feet.

Just as she was about to leave the restroom, someone deliberately bumped into her.

“Ouch!”

Yul clutched her sore shoulder, letting out a soft cry as her pouch slipped from her grip. When she looked up with a grimace, she saw Seo-hee and her friends grinning.

“Oops, sorry.”

Seo-hee shrugged, her expression anything but apologetic. Yul lowered her hand from her still-tingling shoulder and bent down to retrieve her pouch, but Seo-hee grabbed it first.

“What’s in here? Making me curious.”

Without Yul’s permission, Seo-hee opened the zipper, peeking inside. Seeing that it only contained sanitary pads, she sneered, disappointed.

“Are you on your period?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t true, but she thought maybe they’d back off if she said yes.

“Ugh. I was wondering who gave it to me; turns out it was you.”

“You’re insane. You think periods are contagious?”

One of Seo-hee’s friends snickered.

“Don’t you know? Girls’ periods sync up when they’re around each other. Guess you’re next.”

“Oh, really?”

Seo-hee’s friend laughed and clapped, as if it suddenly seemed plausible. They started talking about their own cycles, joking about how Yul was a contagious disease. Yul wanted to return to class, but since Seo-hee still had her pouch, she could only stand there awkwardly. When they finally finished their conversation, Seo-hee turned to her with a smirk.

“How’s school life treating you?”

“What?”

“I asked if you’re enjoying it.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“She says she’s enjoying it. Idiot.”

Amused by her compliant answer, Seo-hee openly mocked her. Laughter erupted among the group, each sharp sound scratching at her nerves. She felt something twisting inside, but it quickly subsided. Yul knew how to suppress and kill parts of herself now. This was the best way to get by.

In the bathroom, other students came and went, pretending not to see them. It was a common occurrence, and they probably didn’t want to get tangled up with Seo-hee either. That meant she couldn’t expect any help here.

“Life isn’t always so rosy, you know.”

Seo-hee continued to pester her, as if she’d gained some profound wisdom about life.

“My mom says people’s experiences are important. But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“……”

Yul forced herself to look intimidated, letting Seo-hee’s pretentious words slide in one ear and out the other. Seo-hee seemed to think her life was something impressive, after having been forced to leave the country and return. But Yul found it laughable that a girl who’d hit rock bottom because of her own indulgences and pleasures had anything to say. She wondered if Seo-hee would still say such things if they swapped lives. It made her stomach churn.

“Still, try to get along. For now.”

With that, Seo-hee tossed Yul’s pouch onto the floor and walked further into the bathroom with her group. Yul picked up her crumpled pouch, shook it out, and tucked it under her arm as she exited the restroom. Her lips twitched in frustration, but she steadied herself.

At least it was over quickly.

For the past few days, this had been Seo-hee’s way of treating her. They didn’t go out of their way to bully her, but whenever she was around, they would sneer or make snide comments. Sometimes, they would even stop her just to pick a fight. If they were in a good mood, the teasing was bearable, but if not, it would drag on longer, and she’d have to endure more. Fortunately, they didn’t make a big scene in the classroom. Later on, Yul realized that this restraint was partly due to Kang Yoonjo.

He was a unique type of student. As she’d seen on her first day, he mostly just slept, and even when awake, he rarely spoke to anyone. He didn’t have any close friends nor did he cause any conflicts.

Other than his striking appearance, he seemed ordinary, but Yul noticed there was more to him. Despite his nonchalance, the other students seemed to be watching him carefully, paying attention in ways she couldn’t fully understand. It wasn’t simply admiration or attraction; there seemed to be something else at play that she couldn’t grasp.

In any case, Yul did her best not to provoke Seo-hee’s group. Not because she was afraid, but because she didn’t want to make any trouble by reacting unnecessarily. Fortunately, to Seo-hee, she was nothing more than a convenient punching bag to smack around on a whim—not someone to torment relentlessly.

She had only seen Park Geonju once in the hallway the day after their initial encounter, and he hadn’t appeared since. Relieved but still cautious, Yul watched out for him like a hidden landmine, glancing around like a meerkat every time she stepped out of the classroom to avoid running into anyone she’d rather not see.

After two school transfers, she’d developed resilience, and this level of harassment was something she could handle. If things continued this way, she thought she might just make it through high school without incident. She hoped for more days like this.

Just as she was dusting off her now-okay shoulder and climbing the stairs, she heard a girl’s voice a few steps away from the landing.

“I like you, Yoonjo.”

What’s this?

Curious about the familiar name, Yul gripped the railing and took the remaining steps up. Looking up from the stair’s turn, she saw two students facing each other. There was a girl who had just confessed and Kang Yoonjo, leaning against the wall, staring at her with indifferent eyes.

It was obvious what was happening. One of those things that happened anywhere boys and girls gathered. With his looks, it was only natural, really. His personality might be cold and he might spend the whole day sleeping, but it would be strange if girls didn’t gravitate toward him.

“I know you already turned me down, but I just can’t let go. I don’t think you’re dating Yoo Gahee, so…”

“And?”

“I’m not asking you to date me right now; can’t we at least keep in touch? I’m not one of those girls who’ll cling to you constantly.”

Her voice sounded desperate, despite her claim, coming across quite clingy. It seemed she’d already been rejected once. Why try again? From what she’d seen, Yoonjo didn’t seem to have anything particularly appealing aside from his looks. Poor attendance, poor attitude, no friends, and a chronic sleeping disorder. His bored eyes and lack of interest didn’t give the impression that he’d say yes, either.

Yul was about to turn away, already predicting the outcome, when she heard Yoonjo’s unexpected response.

“I like you too.”