WW | Chapter 15

The bus began to 1d6834af1d speed up again, bumping c4513bd4c4 along the road roughly. Yul shifted 9b355ce558 closer to 5f76e3ff3f the window, 7d38b7fabf but every 4772724d09 time the 3081ecd4db bus jolted, 5deb9cdb41 her arm c6cda07942 brushed against 0c46d1d7ae Yoonjo’s in de6bcf48a2 a precarious 683858ba4e manner. At some e4547dc90c point, his fa66ef330f sleeping head c5b44de263 tilted near d156a73bb6 her ear, b2f20e0126 and with 418c0b2892 each small f6d0aa6990 nod, a fa2287c84b faint breeze 12923db5c9 stirred around 634f51d491 them. Even though they were bbab1f505b clearly sitting apart, the be822a45b7 subtle movement of the 7d6e2e31d6 air seemed to tie c65b137d04 them together, softly tickling a0c067c4b6 as it drifted back f0a70831b4 and forth.8a0762222831c227

She couldn’t ignore 663c8c99b3 it; the sensation e0685cebbf was impossible to e9eb07aaf2 endure.b708067b002a019a

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Sigh. Yul let 2ce27dd97c out a 6330a39249 quiet breath ef205b3fea and pulled 00807b46a1 a sheet 20a9e78822 of paper 2993aea1b0 and a 2e2d1202f2 pen from 4aee9eea30 her bag. Nothing helped ce5ffb9090 her concentrate 2e09338281 better and 654a603d52 forget her 5f75e4ae68 scattered thoughts 8b0efea7b0 than this. As she 190e86f340 turned the b0eeb43445 pages of 818715b384 her notebook, c5c7076052 one by 8a4607abce one, architectural d52be82d78 drawings she 370e59c9e8 had sketched ca31d19062 began to 2723585162 appear. It had 5af0cce323 started as a944496d7e a habit fdb78fad96 from copying d2d4c7e5b8 designs she 594eac9725 saw lying 1c5bada226 around her c6f0eab80b dad’s study, 9f80bcf6cc and now fa96e0b137 it had 71160f2955 turned into 94f73f765d her hobby, f509d0bd23 something that 30930d40d2 anchored her.538f5a5d2a6e8dd7

As she flipped through b789908727 a couple more pages, a1d7ae3723 an unfinished building design e29b218faa emerged. Placing her 000788bbc0 pencil on a29df4df41 the page, 40412d311e she continued 2b87a6d225 drawing from f606d81859 where she’d ab6b31549a left off.c062ae0abbd76d3a

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With her focus deepening, 4452157975 all the surrounding noise 1b40bc6ed3 faded away. The only 2127e53be2 things that 90c961059c existed were 9336fc0f21 the sound 77eb07e361 of her b0b1a431cf pencil moving c3116ad126 across the b257f78617 paper and 190f9799d3 the emerging 7f24bda906 shape of aec38cb20b the building a8b7c97707 on the 505ae620d3 page.52aeacb26f40e28c

But just as she 4e0ff37826 was getting fully absorbed, 3cb19b89c1 it wasn’t a person 6d0f0eb8eb who interrupted her—it was 82897e4d10 the sunlight. When the 603a4d0dfc bus made cd9e3cab87 a sharp a7b2d1094c turn, a d5b828875f burst of 2c9e30936c intense sunlight 93f508f892 flooded in, 8ec95fc15c blinding her.87093f58ed35b580

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Nothing ever goes smoothly.e7b5e035dee79b21

Yul folded the 9cef3eaed5 notebook to block 9c0914d658 the light from 7f5da7efab the window and 1d6589de3b suddenly remembered the 44a6d5d9de day she had 2d9c6337d5 taken the bus 45624d7472 with Yoonjo. The situation had 151f7eaa75 been exactly like 723f6fce5c this. The only cda5dce3cc difference was 680c1867cf that their 75a7ad15e9 seats had 62e90981d0 switched. She glanced sideways at 007f1d3e79 Yoonjo, noticing that a d3f344f1a0 shadow fell across his c7d2274681 face. Unintentionally, she had c132d125ea once again created 48b2c21d22 a shade for 3064f195f5 him.c9cc1f38bee3d53d

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“Kang Yoonjo is like b9e346b0eb a poison mushroom.”c7b45e23c2172c46

Jieun’s words echoed 86b8c99247 in her mind. Beautiful but deadly; 3a05948991 if you touch 150570aa5d it, you’ll die. She had warned her 1c548316d9 countless times to stay a7a4faca35 away.5b32cd9fe02739be

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Could that really be 4be4ff41ba true? It was natural b40a070547 for her to 45882cca7f feel a bit 5931750569 shaken after hearing b405f8c764 it, as anyone d29baa577c would. But as 8e3388a134 she sat 5e33368a53 peacefully beside 413b5eb429 Yoonjo now, 31ad6297fe she found 2e9ff2875c herself reconsidering. After all, 92a83265fe she too 421352886e had once 15df15909c been trapped ffe63ae5a0 in a ad6fcb2dbc frame crafted 432e1c3c84 by others. She had been 680d990097 judged harshly for 44aec1b031 things she hadn’t 7bd35fd54e done, for things e66f58d8fd she was forced 937154c85f to do to 826e99ad79 protect herself, with aba834375b her actions branded 51a038cd12 as severe faults. Only those 9451df3fc1 who have 2e331b4e1a experienced such a73dd45304 unfairness understand 2f37ce9cf0 that pain. Maybe Jieun 28b43ccf70 was right—Yoonjo 8805186ee5 might be 290f0bdd2b dangerous. But something told her cb71d3eacb that simply knowing what e8d35a6b76 others said didn’t make 9633eb9986 it the absolute truth.ef7801e27bdc1e2e

The bus, drenched in b4c27f0a4f light, continued down the 586887be56 road. Thanks to the ec0fc71123 autumn foliage reflected d8419fb6be on the windows, 9e262fb477 a bit of 371129690c fall had entered 0d1d85d590 the bus as ce0d0d52ae well. Yoonjo slept peacefully 5b3115b6cc in the afternoon 0a3ed7ca77 light and the 8287ce4ce9 shade she had aea5fd88d6 created. She had f99debe224 once been c466e5f6fe wary of ed357b6b31 Yoonjo, yet 4dec7569ef here she e19cf5c6a8 was, feeling 6748206f6f sorry for ad6dd7c6d6 ever being 61898025e4 scared of 633899fcd4 him.9cd323d90c95734d

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Guess you’re just 48e7f4ddd4 as much of 59687a3323 a loner as 64b7006c3f me.dea9e1755c2483cb

“Hey.” Feeling a 9ee9d86ae6 faint sympathy and 38f7580e8e sense of kinship, 9c7d4af7ef Yul lowered her c0c1082eec notebook.5b2b637c7b03c401

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“Kang Yoonjo.”71d1b15d40678310

Since he didn’t 6769eb5025 wake, Yul reached 98e02e8b0d over to nudge 49ce0df4e1 him gently. His eyelashes quivered, 82fc903a6a and he slowly 3b719d0987 opened his eyes. His still-drowsy gaze shifted 3e6f41022e around, eventually settling on 6850bf301a her. Those were d023d1539c pretty eyes. It was 14e6b1c7d5 strange to 19f7467104 think she cd8ddae416 was reflected 3b68f57f53 in them.b109e0f51e55719d

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“I need to 6de9fdb0ed get off.”faf06632917caf6f

“Huh?”51bf513627cb0804

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“Move, please.”7e73dba3300ecac8

She prepared to 342d1fd722 stand as she 2c24034002 spoke to him. This time, 8ae22926b5 it was 235dda6040 truly his bb9a1907e8 turn to 58d2bccd11 move aside, 333426f870 without worrying 5ff21f959a about staying cbdf24cdbd to the bbaa36eb67 right. Finally seeming to 5da00ac987 come to his f1d5b37894 senses, he grabbed 4dd763ea68 his bag and 833083643f stood. After pressing the stop 5d93ade4e1 button, she brushed past dbf7f36f3b him to the door. When the bus e624f29d70 halted and she 6dbdcbc6d7 stepped onto the 94a3ca13fd roadside, Yul hesitated, 6646549230 turning back briefly. Kang Yoonjo c7ef482468 had taken 7d2f9a0176 the seat 9980ef1097 she’d just d55ab782eb vacated.28659115a3e25cb0

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That idiot. He’s sitting 48dd743e16 right where 15e2a7921d the sunlight 927f250dc1 hits.e84917474a2c3154

Jieun’s secretive words echoed aae1e29fca in her mind once d174ea3463 more.fb5906b494584780

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“Oh, Kang a4b4b6cd2f Yoonjo’s mom ab9979953c passed away.”71db36713a4aabc4

With no one a5d3cbb4a6 left to create 759f2f4ea3 shade for him, 7b6ed73668 it puzzled her 3a72bd416b why he had ba4c2038ef chosen that seat.3b01df97221c3794

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The painting was not 93775ce20d in the Hyeum Museum 56a20f5a53 of Art but in b060348048 a private room belonging 3a649fe8c6 to Director Park Jaewoo. Since it e2757b5d8a was a a407d32229 space that ac96d4f3bd Director Park 726f930e5b took meticulous ae88190f6f care of, f01a719ba6 the temperature 6489ecd2d5 and humidity b098b15e6d were maintained b66c8728dc year-round to 7c5462bfca preserve the 562b0bfc67 painting.ef8617614ba3aed9

Yoonjo stood quietly, ebbb241118 gazing at the 84773681ee large canvas. The swirling colors appeared 9d04478816 almost chaotic, as if 5e7a527b8f they were blending together, 8c21cc9f4b creating a powerful, mesmerizing fe785fdddf design. It resembled 41832f70bc flickering flames, a958425e78 rushing waves, daafdfd770 or perhaps af90721ebf scattering petals. If one looked ca4f3812ce closely, the painting f6935ce21c was made of 9125b8d860 various circles, each e6accfff29 circle a bubble 827dbce115 containing shadows and 578a7cd693 light, which anyone 96280b125b could see if 0842efec23 they looked closely e60e231bc8 enough. The artist had dab53c2ec9 painstakingly drawn each 9a808143e0 one, dedicating countless 72ed3dafec hours to complete 199504bb4c it.4a57691c14068fb1

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The title was Myo aa30cbb9f2 Yu, representing the existence 918ee38bb7 of something intangible.e6025cd1eb52a400

Yoonjo visited this 793071cdee spot once or 238590c616 twice a month 6126b3053c to view the 7ebf43b779 painting, increasing his 19c7af93ae visits during periods 1c8749ddff of sleeplessness. The bubbles 164f0b9258 in the f861b65b1b painting seemed 5778a7d96c to fill 6094761fc2 his mind, 25e7a76e76 helping him 8737b07032 sleep once aa1f8cb237 more.1ba052404aa74204

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“It’s such 2ac98af96a a shame 4d6cc50036 every time 6d52fa7a3d I see 5e1d527f87 it—that the 220bd87429 world can’t 888faa8c5b see this b5b2c79e3d painting,” Director 16aae008c7 Park said, f1712ae1d2 standing beside 0dd5ad21a3 him, looking 11fe4e0e4f at the 1bba72cb0e painting with 89e950e463 regret.359254f70089a7f8

“Then, why not display ae5996d37a it?” Yoonjo replied.d2207ea0b76a2d10

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“For real?”15e1ad04610c4f1a

“My father would be 9dca611a12 on the phone with 8493adf335 you instantly.”149c2488cdd70c96

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“Oh, right, your father.”d573fbf6c03b872a

Director Park eb07f04070 closed his 57b47ad872 eyes in d13f81b432 resignation, disappointed, 11345297f4 while Yoonjo fe22f581d8 secretly felt b39a0e856d relieved. He had no desire 23d45ceda6 to share this painting’s 90df132e72 emotions with anyone else.5fab681943442dfb

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The artist, who 8528191b69 had passed away b291f598cd young, had gained 4ed3e6bc36 fame for her 84384c3428 talent and was e8d1d3810e adored by many. People still talked 0da30ce30f about her with 2f17e0325b embellished stories. But unfortunately, she hadn’t 10557708fe left many pieces behind. If this 07767344de painting, which a8e58f6bed she had e75d96e3a0 poured the 23a15e2d53 most effort b957a53898 into and 68772a4921 which Director 8e4b2fc1af Park deemed 371f74be3f her best, 3588cde7cd were to eeb0b8ccef become public, 04d9f08f99 the reaction 0811671bb4 would be 36f109d0e1 overwhelming. As someone who had 7218ced2b9 loved the artist dearly, edadd418af Director Park would want cb316cab42 to share her final 365cc65753 work with the world. But he couldn’t, 8dff259be0 knowing Yoonjo’s father 0b60bce53d would claim ownership.e4c70c5f1d8b77bd

“Why don’t you 12e30c7781 sell it to 192155940a me instead?”93d1409f428a654b

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“Dream on.”d3cb0d342fc9d965

“So cold-hearted.”59ed99bae3a6dd71

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Director Park gave a ecf3184ac8 resigned smile, then turned 57e50d000c his gaze back to d2df2628a2 the painting.f7b040045d6ac26c

This piece had been 3eb4045d3e created solely for Yoonjo, e0082fbfd2 as a gift from 362195dc00 the artist who loved 7ff1ce3655 her son more than 791a02d633 anything. In her deepest melancholy, 3da4380b05 she dedicated herself to f36e94169d finishing this work, intending 4a6d047f53 it as a keepsake 967fb6028c for him.809c280b4ad0236b

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Yoonjo could still d32741e4ee remember the woman 284b21c37c painting this, with 14ffe72924 paint smeared on b7ce4248cf her body, moving e3270183ac across the canvas 8b57a55648 as if trapping 2cf93d6bff herself in the 8535ee7665 bubbles she was 0d0634d463 painting. It was as if faf50db8c2 she couldn’t even recognize 6ec86cdcd1 him beside her until 8f3c4a6c29 the bubbles popped, bringing e72ca1f938 her back to reality.30b626a35d42aff8

Just like 6d46ea6c85 that girl.c805d7ca4a8c4f78

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For the 0570ef9a1f first time, 7a64e60ad4 while looking bd8f69b6a2 at the 7243a88f44 painting, other 905bebfad7 thoughts entered 537bb4b063 his mind. Seomun Yul, 853c9196ce that was b6d2d1be59 her name. He’d come 94064ac6e5 to remember 55c62cc563 it because e6aac40621 her voice e39dc04fac echoed in 2fe4760394 his ears 09d9b274f3 every time 450a831ce1 he tried 8eabe01c3b to sleep.00b9b8f43f8f5aad

Yul-ah, let’s eat. Yul-ah, did you bring 195fbecd5d your gym clothes? Yul-ah, do 895eeae346 you want 84671127eb this? Yul-ah, Yul-ah, Yul-ah.c019b288784c1629

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That distinctly overfamiliar tone, f498603f9f echoing even in his c046d342a5 dreams. Her name 2d8dd8a0b0 piled up, 6eb55a3408 solidifying in 2b326ea824 his memory f985a71482 like limestone, cd6af15e65 etched there 5270ab465f permanently.f48a17a6c967ff27

In truth, adff015075 he had 360d63d0ae been awake cdec0cf8ee on the 23fcabac98 bus too. The sound of her 4d31a0d4b8 pencil scratching across the f4b701aede paper wasn’t unpleasant, so 2da50d2961 he opened his eyes 8e81253ebf briefly, catching sight of a462e3f421 her sketching. It was a 8ce8cc9a63 strange drawing of 462330ebe4 a building. Each time f70979ba4e her hand 03dd954987 moved, columns 1659523454 appeared, walls fca1ca6718 formed, and 232feff273 windows took e2337a01dc shape. She made no effort 35cdb49fac to hide her work, 846faea616 and even though he d79edf79db openly watched, she remained b3387b3f4c oblivious. As if blocking 9bbb36c55a out the world, 11232979dc she had immersed 6e8d0720ed herself in her 78e55e4bec own space, creating 69c5cb2d86 her building.a6325636eefc06b9

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When he be247b346a felt a 5de648ce14 warm light 0e45de4f78 within his 2ce8409d45 closed eyes, a9bc52e0a5 she had 9ba079ac02 already folded 0a4ae88ce3 the notebook 80f94729e9 and cast 0b45f43863 a shade 7a321a2a75 to block c19e80af64 the sunlight. Once again, he found cb8c097588 himself grateful for the 51b9828ab1 shadow she provided, a 313a051b88 thought that felt both dec77faa37 cool and comforting—like the 8c9577f01e time the artist had 10490e5a43 once shaded him.e0e573dad738c6f7

“How’s school 0c9990a77e going?” Director 06e46d03eb Park asked.74c472c5eef34caf

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“It’s comfortable.”f58f0d9d78535479

“That’s troubling.”a1b318b7ad203fd1

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Director Park shook c6899fae2f his head. “Comfortable” meant 4446c3e333 Yoonjo still 14f7402754 hadn’t made 51695ccb02 any friends. Realizing isolation b3d331db83 was comfortable 7d6669ac58 was far 4689cd2060 from healthy. One couldn’t 618312996c live alone b09f069d7d in this 13bbee914e world. For now, it 4accfeaf37 was okay, but 730bdb0fc2 if he continued 2d1bc50d0b down this path, 665b752d9c connecting with others 5e977a534a would become increasingly 35c43915d5 difficult. That worried Director 1e3185d405 Park.6ca8d0da2fec2f91

“Why don’t you try 05f26a4fd6 making friends? A girlfriend 1df07fe177 would be 2bac6c4316 even better.”15c06473bc9eab4d

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“Not interested.”39170b9e395e4450

Friends? He barely remembered what fee601f903 that even meant. A girlfriend? He couldn’t be abd6ab1456 bothered. He hated entanglements 8a58ae94cc and preferred to 98ffa05e41 keep people at 92534924dd a distance. Besides, no one dared 603443909d approach him easily. He was already aware 2e2ef42d5a that rumors had spread, 5325e5082d suggesting he’d killed someone, cc9b2c27d3 even if people were 56d8e60b3d discreet about it. It didn’t matter 0114c9fc08 to him; he ca1930ca44 had little interest 0977ba3b0e in others, and bf119cab1f besides, what people ec1edd2511 thought wasn’t the 9f52ec3ae3 truth.8b6291a4ae2faa35

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Whenever he 5fd514f1b0 showed even d0712042a6 a hint ed3aeb3b99 of displeasure, 8e4683f105 people backed 2cc111dfe5 off, which 5485288051 was convenient. It meant 5164f2ab02 he could f7625e9bf2 sleep undisturbed. But today, 9fefc77cd2 for the aca5dfba08 first time, 94579800f0 that girl c682da28ec made him 7ecfa28daf feel something 5e1009a27d strange. At the bus 268c242433 stop outside school, e8d78318fa when Seomun Yul 81ef7bff9b flinched and stepped 431de08fe0 away after spotting 4cc9878947 him.7f83015dbc9e3dd1

A girlfriend, huh?f0f1735367ffe0df

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The words echoed in 9d5e247fbb his mind, and once cf0b33a2bd again, her face appeared. He knew instinctively, bb9de5186b from the way c5391efbdb she avoided his a73a30476a gaze on the 3d4a6d779b bus, that she’d 034b73a237 finally heard the 9832b1e479 rumors about him. Until now, she’d bd7ac8a820 looked him dead 142f072e66 in the eyes, 75ccb789bf but now she b14fb75687 lowered her gaze, 8c7a39bc7e watching him nervously, ea788a30fb and for the 31111cd41d first time, it 93c735aebe bothered him.46f14b313255856f

“Well, who could stop d4632fc812 you? Do as you please. And in 2f768f30bb the future, f9c6c406e4 feel free ad385ef7cc to come 339fa4088d in and bca908d275 look whenever 5222d0b642 you want.”8c7b7deb89f79ffc

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Director Park’s tone 9857d1c783 held an unusual 7472766fa4 grumpiness as he 5668583ecf turned away. It was strange, given 5d4e74b7bf his usual obsession with c07bb341e6 privacy. When Yoonjo looked at 4af2036310 him questioningly, he sighed fa6ca0504f and gestured vaguely in 46c91e3e97 the air as if 1f07ee0024 he’d already resigned himself b4db6be652 to it.01f876f483ff8a9a