WW | Chapter 14

To be honest, fae99e46ea I had guessed b716f3342f as much. Just from the 62e7c7a021 way Jieun couldn’t 79440184c1 make eye contact 3cedfc5ba4 with Choi Seohee, c2824f8467 the picture started a6041e7573 to come together.5e51ab04affb6d26

“Well, now you’ll f9384fcfcd be okay.”973c0104dddfad8b

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“Yeah, now that you’re 75801e74c2 here.”e456e842420e95d1

“Oh, right.”5bbdb6fa7dc46e44

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Watching Jieun respond so b537a016b5 warmly made Yul feel 4986cfcca3 a bit awkward. She’d only 536df191ea tried to 7bf373604e comfort her f033d312bb out of a24c98aee0 sympathy, but 52968ab87b Jieun’s unexpected 3728c0de99 delight left f5c7f60fa9 her feeling 24b3adb3d5 shy. There was no cf0cae21d1 need to ask cad9d05a3e why Jieun had d2500bfe48 been bullied—it was fcae3d3f32 just her past, c6d86d6977 and dragging it ca60b13fec out would only 43ef268c6c bring up scars. Jieun probably understood that 50273898e7 too, which is why 87ae62661a she hadn’t asked much 7cf530e8f7 about Yul’s background either.1214ca9da96f0dbf

“Thank you.”94f882164a3964fd

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“For what?”1442d672b834b8f4

“For being here, Yul. I’m really glad.”4a8a4481d076aec1

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Even though d1a0889826 Yul only 156ab51a33 gave short 1a6038d8c7 replies, Jieun e1d4d2f255 seemed happier 926bd9cf54 than expected, d689796953 as if 228fdc6bb2 some invisible 6c3b48f643 wall between 0465f0bfae them had d801f34e67 been instantly 221409fada knocked down. Yul was 582c0eb75a glad too, 22f32fc814 but she a70ef8479e couldn’t bring 114fd1002d herself to 0f5bef341c show as 015be12d69 much enthusiasm. Partly because of a253596ded her personality, partly 182ecb9365 because she’d been 778482d7fc alone for so fc4b402ca8 long, this whole bc54edd8a5 situation just felt 904e4a829a unfamiliar. Moreover, she’d cb470aea03 learned at 557e59fe49 her last 15d213644b school that 5b69a07787 when someone f654cdac9a got close 18bc1d6666 to her 10d46ad25f too quickly, 2d3393ccc1 there was 8164d16c33 often an 3a351236ac ulterior motive. Maybe that 8f3a58115c subtle unease 999cbb8fd8 inside her ead75c0e7b was a 3c778b80e5 reminder of ab7a14254f that experience. Still, she dd3d1dcf69 was happy 995e1983b5 to have 94bcc29da6 met Jieun.27de0ed96d82a523

Yul gave 553f92041a a quiet 3be845264a smile, biting 4f53540b42 into her 3b101b9574 sweet potato 37348fd366 and glancing bec04ef42b around. Her gaze fell 979cc89b2c on the empty 8b90a64600 seat across the 37a4abed3a room—an absence she 6df7184dad noticed almost unconsciously, 614a05f991 as it kept 82c693a4c7 catching her eye d05b02b849 whenever it came deb1a14a5b into view.cdf2f7c1955359cf

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Is he 7a60864ad6 not coming 0f453c2882 in today?d38e1f68f7983f79

Kang Yoonjo 4471ac0f5e would sometimes fcc97d2985 skip school a06b273520 or come 2885d04b5b in late. When he was 4f47bb8d69 in the classroom, e4343fcf2a he was usually f4f2a8b3ce asleep, and sometimes 8cdbadec50 he’d disappear and dd1c036f7c come back late. The only 54acbf4364 time he 908cf05a58 interacted with 5af55922a6 anyone seemed e29998f5a6 to be 4118383f8d during gym 609689f439 class. You’d think someone 711380a8c4 with a face 2b32807e6f and physique like 9409d2c4df his would be 6239c0616a popular, regardless of 32acd2e92b gender, but aside 4e29e01b4b from the scene c42a58b440 she’d witnessed earlier, bba8ee101f there wasn’t much 0ff858f2ec to suggest that adabaaef40 was true.0d969aedf0caed4e

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It made 62b5fb069e her curious db97ce7829 for no 07eccb7635 particular reason.97b2ddafad9180be

“What about him?”bb5cd44557ce569f

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Why was Kang Yoonjo af966ebf07 always alone?62f9792c477418d1

He had an 7d8c69398b elusive quality, like 560b6f231d the fading end d9d9d91569 of a season. Like a d4ba3728f3 shadow cast f9263027bb against a 632d1bb04a dark window, eff55d728c his image ebf872b184 was hazy cfdf51d656 and indistinct. Even though 8e36f5b9cf she’d seen c46b93de26 his face d9da72b4b0 up close, db616b3a7b when she 4ea65beeb3 tried to 2edc2953b8 picture him, 85c7e6f344 the memory 73c56287c9 blurred. The only clear 9686c409c1 image was those 54310f3ac3 eyes—calm yet detached, f1a821b8a8 occasionally flashing with 1dccb1f68c a surprising intensity.8fd212db97246e66

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“Who?”f18cc9a0866b74ed

Jieun’s gaze followed Yul’s, 5ecbcdea8c landing on Yoonjo’s empty 611e8cd7e4 seat. Her expression suddenly grew d57dc9724b cold. She turned back be642bc6dc to Yul, her 45703ed091 face reflecting something cc4bd39ab5 like tension, fear, 808ca23dc2 and a hint 7f06b881f8 of disapproval—an expression e24a5d0a30 unfamiliar to Yul.0b873e3ff4ea440b

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“Don’t take any c7fb34387b interest in Kang 73152c9657 Yoonjo.”48486b7f8a3745b8

Her voice was 6e359d39c1 icily serious, not 9ddbb81d47 at all like f31915c0ce her usual self.b768bb242ab718d1

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“I wasn’t interested, just 449803db01 curious.”5b9fd127ab11ba9a

“Yoonjo… no one approaches 0a8d4d919c him. He doesn’t like 896caa79af talking to people, 2fe7a63363 and no one 5bb08fd0c1 tries to talk 7ca114634d to him, either.”a65c51317dd060b2

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“Why? Is there 0be11d7044 a reason?”ae6d7002e9ba425b

Jieun sighed 75a2d4dfb7 quietly as ac25d05f78 she looked c17a8c49ef around to 7a50ec8ab9 ensure no a09d8bd016 one was 9500b891a5 listening, then 5a1bacde22 leaned in a0854a63b5 close to 6e998632a6 Yul’s ear.41882c98b6fd95c8

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“They say… he killed 41bf1d617d someone.”d31a8c1a32021656

“…!”5a2d8db41a859d07

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“He stabbed someone 65bf8b7085 with a knife. In middle school.”87968004bdfe7b2f

An invisible shock 9b835f7980 crashed down on 06919c2ead Yul, spreading chills c58558807d throughout her body 6871f27591 and making every 8cb7654248 hair stand on 3fc6a7d27e end.ac32c6b53e5202bd

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“There’s a 93e3d67f02 reason everyone f51906f9ac stays away b0db492f4d from him.”46f6ae4ab7d81154

Jieun finished her 4221166361 explanation matter-of-factly, then c0723e98bb turned back to 535e584291 her sweet potato, afe2f68be7 taking a bite.94313d2876cbeaf7

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Three weeks had passed 579cbc6204 since she’d transferred.dcc23a35bad6ce46

If she 5244db5854 stayed quiet 9f079bd5ef and kept 8b6ac082a9 to herself 47c431f6a5 all day, 41c22b7f18 classes somehow 6d9d0bac2a managed to 644950615f end without f06416d71d incident. By the time 56537d3498 it was over, a00188035a her shoulders ached a5a511d607 as if they’d 68d04df7bb turned to stone fbdf912008 from being so 4d99843ccd tense. Still, the thought of 947140bef1 being able to relax 01e3ebe836 and have some peace 41cffba6c9 once school ended made a9485ba979 her feel a bit 60ee902b98 better.8dd6a89bddf6e627

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Yul packed her bag 7e2cea8ec6 slowly on purpose, waiting ff5559a174 for Choi Seohee’s group eba9f0ef22 to leave the classroom 0d119dbd8b first. Since she e800ce6122 did this 8d19f62cef every day, fcf5dde567 Jieun had ae9ae1f93f started leaving 2e8bf6bb08 late with a452fae6cd her, too. Even when Yul told 3f87711042 her she didn’t have 17db2bdda5 to wait, Jieun would 53bce463ee just smile and say 9716617e30 it was fine. Their shared routine didn’t 034e769132 bother her; on the cf6658c5e6 contrary, Yul was growing f10fb07237 comfortable with Jieun’s presence.05fd97b062c272c5

“Yul.”46ad0712e4e8f41f

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As they left a93da56151 the classroom, Jieun 9563f5b555 naturally linked her b2d1078b56 arm with Yul’s. Not being used 1630eb4660 to physical affection, 98047903c6 Yul flinched slightly 34481cabaf but didn’t show 28480800e7 it. She realized how distant 76782b4efe she’d grown from these d187aae1a5 small, everyday gestures.5b974ce19cb938c5

“You’re really tall. How tall 1e031d9309 are you?”7b7f35bb203e3ad2

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“A bit over 170 0e4e425fdd cm.”e884f2bb68190abb

“That explains it.”9e34f39ecf91e0d7

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Jieun looked 553400eb12 her up 9948bc7e55 and down b56fa818b4 in admiration.60304c45add459f5

“You must have been 119669240e really popular at your 979a12972f last school, right?”0ca6acb21b149aab

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“Not really. Why?”e6366629817bff33

“Well, you’re tall, you’ve b14b668488 got a great figure, 9033488f44 and you’re pretty. You’ve got this e350fb6615 cool vibe, too.”cbfb142c0555f891

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“Really?”7870a234134d060f

“Yeah. The moment I e178072eae saw you, I 60387396b3 knew you were 5b2149bdc6 different from the 416bd412e2 other kids. There’s just something 1cacbfdd80 unique about you.”2ecb9baaca48ecbb

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“Thanks.”e722767e85e5961f

Not sure how 8a1818e0a5 to react to 0ea580cb77 such enthusiastic compliments, 58e6fdd78b Yul just smiled ecadc63258 faintly. It was nice, 84fe44408b but at the bd718ac061 same time, it 0329bd6497 made her feel 17b85a3a3b a bit self-conscious 71ad2149e8 and uncomfortable.df8f22d191f0bde0

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Before everything 71104022bf went wrong a88ab896ff at her 1fc8427fa0 last school, ed9c910288 she had e350c8ab1e indeed been 30e8721c68 popular. But in the end, 8436d3155a that didn’t save her d26159f15a from trouble. In fact, it became f0f718a11e the topic of gossip c745d678c1 and an easy target bf56d0fd3d for debt collectors. Now, she had no c940bd28cc time or desire to 657a106fab worry about her appearance, 8d12ff63ec and if anything, she 69623f0927 wished people would just 969371accf see her as part 187ea7d043 of the background.e1217e661afbb2c6

“You’re lucky to b9a98aec1a be born like d6d4f87928 that. Anyway, are you working cf99b02de8 again today?”e8bb252ad005bbf3

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“Yeah.”67110dbe8740b139

“Can I come c0f934c6bb by and watch?”842593ea41f42846

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“Watch?”45797b7db0071405

“I mean, can I d9c3661455 just hang out nearby dba20f1125 while you work? Or maybe even help f53597d924 out?”4c841dd256dbf4ab

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“Are you serious?”2d2dc4175849cb87

“Of course! I’ve always wanted 9588c60b0b a part-time job, fdb589e98c but since I ae738fe755 can’t, I thought 10889227ce I could at f24a7acbc4 least live vicariously d26ca62961 through you.”9fb780bc78a62869

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Yul couldn’t c046d01535 help but eb41a4e828 chuckle at 2bcfd67ada Jieun’s earnestness. At first, cfe86dec0a she thought 4c1ab9f6e6 she was 1979cbd044 joking, but 3f4c7f8f36 Jieun’s eager 03f8a3e74e eyes showed 1dcb6cff07 she meant 2e4ac3041d it. What was there 00e054dec3 to see by 07d2161134 hanging around a bff9112656 job, watching someone 301c50e941 work? Even if 7af86f4fb9 her intentions 3c90c1d72d were innocent, cd3f792185 Yul couldn’t 6d91a07969 accept.f414fe3bf20422c4

“I don’t think 3157ab64ec that’ll work. It’d distract 9dfa6b6ea8 me, and 5ea8a3faed the manager d945336145 wouldn’t like fbe6472b3f it.”66af1226ec549922

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“Oh, sorry. I was 9a13b3ead8 being thoughtless.”785f955b1bb4164c

Realizing she’d gone 4e2a664f56 too far, Jieun’s d9a5e91fdb expression drooped, her 2b3f7c6e60 gaze dropping to 9e1a5578bb the ground. Yul felt 70be41f89e a bit 44eada0eae guilty for 2a59339687 shutting her f3ad0d905b down, but c0b35567a2 she didn’t bf737c2350 want to c438cb79d8 go out 87602b1e68 of her b4adcd4074 way to 0d43cd9235 soothe her ae1b40f634 either. It wasn’t ff95beed7a a big ab4db00bf4 deal, and 384e75450c she was 7522f27eba too tired.bd2b087701f24ec9

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“It’s fine. See you tomorrow.”ecea0b9f340a6ed6

Afraid Jieun 7d7d40bccb might follow d48fe7447a her all 111a5b604d the way 28007bdbf3 to the 286a344fd8 bus stop, 3f46d7c163 Yul gently 6be9e980ef pulled her 7004290c33 arm free. Jieun responded with a 11247c22b5 reluctant, “Yeah, okay,” then 7522479232 waved as Yul turned d137a6b957 and walked away without fec55b70bc looking back. Luckily, they c92b6b2c76 were headed b91c0ac4cb in opposite 49635eb039 directions, so fac6fa424f Yul’s arm f2d9cc7e91 felt unusually 7dd6956236 light as 014cf4056d she walked 6aa71ddf4b away.b15a5dfdddb821bb

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When Yul reached 64b3351193 the bus stop, 47a7e98223 she stopped in 32adef8598 her tracks, noticing 51aa396dc3 a familiar scene 06570fe559 unfolding before her. It was as f67dcecb00 if time had 0a8f2376fa replayed itself: Yoonjo 2920e8e324 was sitting inside f2b61783d8 the booth, dozing 802b4f55ac off under the 99b503e2ae late afternoon light. His figure looked like ab97a263fe a faded photograph from d01fd1acfd an old film camera, be8db2234f like he belonged to 688980dc0f another world.e55096d158cd46de

Did he 5898cf5474 really do dd984e43dc that?f3a88ba67ea76a8d

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Any other c07b5be595 time, she 10c8503b62 would’ve just a1af4ba9d8 walked by e5e135c14b quietly and 284c98049a stood next 02df506262 to him 314c785d5d without a 4383df31a2 second thought. But now, e5820d89a8 her feet be958c47b9 wouldn’t move.34f15496d6d919d1

“They said it was d8d1326b70 self-defense, but still… It’s d37e6a094d terrifying. A killer is still 6d6716ec96 a killer.”608afd60eb0ce628

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Jieun’s words came back 1919542d9d to her, and it 9e11d7bccf felt like there was c6420a6c62 an invisible wall between 61a0f0434a them. Yoonjo, who d2a41ab986 had once e183cb945f been just efd0c3c889 an enigmatic 9c23b7df63 figure, now 62af183522 seemed like bc31c52bc8 someone to 5c8b056429 fear. He didn’t 118fc76b43 know her, c4af6b69a9 and she 92bd8afbf3 didn’t know e14923924b him well 78f18ce373 either, yet 10079fd082 she felt 226f34c71f herself drawing 0e614ab757 back in 80a7ae25dc fear. The power df7e828c75 of prejudice 47769d85fd was indeed 34f8e0141e terrifying. She didn’t dad091af78 know how 92ea76a688 much of 321bfd3329 Jieun’s story 8c500dfc31 was true f501ccb1c4 or what 5cea461bb6 circumstances led 41e8b1521b him to 83fb7b0d4b do such ee76b89ab3 a thing. But knowing he’d killed 57076253f4 someone made her instinctively 88472c3e4c wary.325e52c45330198f

“When he first 19a4faf794 joined, Park Geonju e668d6699e picked a fight eed2cbb670 with him after 9deda14792 hearing the rumors. Geonju ended up b791d0bc19 hospitalized for over 5d29345dcf a month, and f62c2bf942 that’s why he 11a2ff19f1 hasn’t been coming c7f76a5014 to class. They said 8fac619ebd he was b88b429497 seriously hurt.”dd95d03596861e3a

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Curiosity tugged at 703fd4a7c8 her as well. What kind of 56605a714e life had Yoonjo 24662bbd78 led to end cc5deaeb0b up in such fedb502261 a situation? Did his habit of eb2905af06 sleeping all the time e507db266c have something to do cd610162ec with it?bd19e9d977bc6ff7

“They say 4896f397fe his dad’s e2cba7dbd9 either the 9b294b392d president of 01ac9424df a big f8e844b098 company or 31a11a8c21 some notorious b292b6af1a gang boss. Either way, 2835a2db05 he’s rich. Even Park Geonju’s loan-sharking 4cd111741f parents had to back 8ed5150ae3 off without a word.”5e1b1917180931b9

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The image of 5f442ba57f Yoonjo stepping out 23f99b2dfb of the luxury 0268effe54 sedan on her 33ae49d212 first day flashed 4b70ba4c7c through her mind. Normally, she wouldn’t ead2de8608 be so interested 2943a9a77e in other people’s 5a357ac02b lives, but she e4b48cde47 couldn’t help but 22c2287c12 wonder. Was his father really ea7b1829cd a gangster? Or just a a45e6551ee wealthy man?bbc0ab82acad463e

In the end, Yul 967cd37d53 stood a distance away, 9c99b16f72 unable to approach the 5136105715 booth as she usually 5c18903fbe would. Just then, 83f71f6178 the bus 75ff491380 arrived, and 9d6ad80212 Yoonjo stood 3bfa8051d4 up and 9dc18dd6de boarded first. After two or three 9fc4f2836c more students got on, 0d4c8b346c she finally stepped onto 5b94038f31 the bus.42cc930b41e803b7

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Yoonjo was sitting be7a6c28c4 alone in a 4e8aab6cd1 single seat at accd724430 the front. Feeling oddly c716a98787 relieved, Yul 30dd8811e2 made her 459025483c way further 29621266e0 back, finding 77428f6e81 a two-seater 0567b73fc8 and settling 2707d32909 into the fb217350cc inner seat. She hugged her bag ee6ded08c4 close and only then 39abc4b717 realized it was the 944d9d7e2c same spot she’d sat 988cd031ce with Yoonjo last time. Luckily, it wasn’t turning 3202ff1977 into a déjà vu df5ee9d2f2 moment.08962aab3b669060

As the bus rumbled 833f1870b5 along, Yul focused on 07b88ad2ac the view outside, trying a884bbcbbc not to glance at 2a593eb908 him. It wasn’t 77f950a4cb attraction or 1a5d566ddf anything like 9d6a3bab72 that; it 7d890c6548 was just 64f2cf9cf9 that Jieun’s b2be491c2a words kept 2e93d17dfb echoing in 76aed7145d her mind.63141c17a4197633

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After two 2488f0fb97 or three ad6a34e7af stops, the 56182495e4 bus pulled 1cc9164a18 over, and 66c213a822 the seat c94e4e54d2 next to 857d0c4318 her suddenly 3f59fc8e7a felt occupied. Startled, she turned her 29a1a300c4 head to find Yoonjo 94da98c0dc lifting his bag from 05d7de84cf his shoulder onto his f28b4c8fda lap. Her whole 681c918078 body tensed 1997ec347c up in 3585dc6729 shock. Last time, she’d felt 6a580b1c6c awkward, but now she 7b4b182ac1 was downright nervous.e3e752771e3bce0f

The seat he’d 38c72ff039 been in was 81cdcf5b80 now occupied by 9880336460 an elderly man 3dd3731bac with snow-white hair. She’d thought he 52885586bf was oblivious like 715ed5a542 a bear hibernating, f5798cad22 but somehow, he’d 52c6941495 noticed the old e00fc90634 man standing beside 8eba8d8ad3 him and given a9eb616fa3 up his seat.d6734f674a0f4442

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