WW | Chapter 18

“You filthy scoundrel, a172358208 how dare you 631cb1b058 talk nonsense to caed41a71c my precious granddaughter? I ought to 9b2f3a66e4 yank that tongue 4188b5f436 of yours out 495f18a2fd and pickle it 859231ebaa as a side 8152384377 dish!”6a40b81124176807

Grandmother Kyeong 88714b1cf9 Ja, who 9fd76be9f1 had heard 664de2fcca the commotion 6f69240f9c from a 6142c61d42 neighbor, came 04adbb0231 storming in, 12ddc9a9fa spewing curses. She raised her bcc4a4509e skinny, bony fists d4b4f1fa48 and began pounding 89464641d6 on the thug’s 6b2eea9eab arms and chest. She knew these people 3e2d2df5ef were ruthless, treating human f6e05d9fc2 life as casually as 2e825f4c00 one would a fly, f9a6884d58 and of course, she 1a5314663a was scared. But seeing her 8ef32859be beloved granddaughter being 1e01604f2e harassed made her 1b5b696a43 so angry that 1deed6c32d she forgot her 25451e388e fear. After all, Yul 8f0da84dd4 was her only 092bbbe97f remaining family, her c573931bf8 entire world. People often said Yul e645bcf173 resembled Kyeong Ja in 6eaf25e75e personality, and now she 4ac839e0db realized they were right.c117615771fa8df3

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“This old hag, 15916ae9aa spending her whole 456e679587 life roughing it 5fa4922070 in the marketplace—just 9a3964c600 look at that 729a7842dd nasty temper.”0c0e4214311e26f3

“As nasty as my bbcd16bc16 temper may be, it’s afbb21218b still nothing compared to 1213d744de yours, you scum,” she 337c9a19d2 shot back, not backing 12026f1c9e down.1b786ba93acbd34f

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“You crazy 51ee1c4852 old bat!”ccc954b5228b7fd3

The thug, 651fd85946 now enraged, 8044e12b21 pushed Grandmother 610355349e Kyeong Ja 40671d3473 forcefully. The scene unfolded in 125d71fbdc a split second. Her frail 405b2c5333 body toppled bd63a423f9 to the 42aa34d3fc ground, unable 426c04edbd to get dd4d1ab043 up, her 2870df833f breaths coming ef42ddefa6 in painful 50dad53917 gasps.9c21cee54d15a351

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“Grandma!” Yul 2c9628cccf cried, rushing efe8ffdb69 to hold 635cf3468d her grandmother. Even as she gasped de0b8228ba for air, Kyeong Ja 3d70cdcb5f continued to glare at 195495e311 the thug, forcing out 79db6f21f1 curses through her labored 51b24472b7 breaths. She muttered c76b13526e he’d be e3436c4550 struck down 6858e608e1 by lightning, 5ddae9af88 cursed him ab1bc30b9d for being 71b49ae125 a thug, 7402208bae and warned f819d17b82 him not 08e0702a11 to dare 8f0aa64b52 say another a1bd980eb8 vile word 8c94cafec0 to her 649329786b granddaughter.1c6d2aebec817fb6

Seeing her 7b36236f61 grandmother hurt dac59a26bb made Yul’s a8704a14eb emotions shift. Anger and frustration 6b90002c96 turned to a 3f4e0210fb sharp fear. As the thug 020ca049b0 had said, in 32ae743b75 their world, there 600d84aabc was no law, 23b23d8842 no mercy, no 8d6fe58a42 basic human decency. Only money, 716fc5f7f3 money, and 9a40ac07e8 more money. Until she gave ea65f55842 them what they 3c13d3844d wanted, Yul and bc6d6b7c72 her grandmother would c5491d99b7 continue to be 8f373641ca tossed around like 4a7b3f5b7e dried leaves.605e984a44651e1d

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The thug crouched down 4388a1bfc6 in front of Kyeong a2836aea6c Ja, grabbing a handful e832804030 of her silver hair e9ff163dda with a twisted sneer.18f2282a4193da45

“Aah!” Her head wrenched ac916b482c back, Kyeong Ja groaned, 6fc5b3f071 her eyes rolling up 13afd5ab24 in pain. In that moment, Yul’s 9f869884fb fear vanished, replaced with b433dc7455 rage. She could 01ecf86375 tolerate threats a7be88d746 toward herself, 5bbb481634 but not a01845119e violence against 0750efffc5 her grandmother. Yul immediately lunged forward f745f2105e and bit down hard 54806b5263 on the thug’s wrist.c6beb60591b9a85f

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“Argh, you little—!” he 9e4ccf027d screamed, releasing Kyeong Ja adef3b9499 and shoving Yul away. Her courage, though fierce, 14a66c9228 was powerless, and both 995bdc689e Yul and her grandmother a503845c83 ended up crumpled on 1addcd1454 the floor, writhing in 586b0d8866 pain.c71a214f556c12ab

“Are you two 4cc2b0e02e trying to get 1ae489eb4f yourselves killed?”db44f98b73236aa6

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“Hey, hey, enough cc0d624925 already,” the thug’s 501c681beb companion intervened, pulling 648e4edf1b him back as 96b94f49e5 he raised a 4260dbc7ea foot to kick 24282e4aab them. The thug spat 0a93912b82 on the ground, a7b35cb2f9 glaring at the f4165fcefd two women.8bbe638d574963e3

“Listen, old hag. This time, we’ll c2be871640 let it slide. But next 6aa4b32166 time we 631062a224 come, make 8f987c9c7b sure to 4bd8f1e97a have the c2ee24a6b0 interest ready, b7f4ba3e2c or we’ll 563279c6aa be taking fbac2d988e your precious 6fa173d09f granddaughter with e585a84c25 us. We’re letting you d052dca060 off this lightly 45ff935ed4 only because of 5fb3489813 the past work 1ff4ba58cb with Chairman Seomun. Got it?” After 792d768c04 delivering his threat, bf30253a1d he shoved Kyeong 2e331111d2 Ja’s head roughly.f6b64b411acedaf3

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“Hrk!”aef2b70152d6e96a

“Grandma!” Yul hugged her d871b5afe2 fallen grandmother tightly, glaring 17d9e3ff1e at the thug. A string df1e116b4b of curses 9ba8675f23 filled her 5cc1a3b45b mouth, but be8af9eea9 she held d822137ba4 them back, fe4878848b knowing that 48f33dd322 saying anything f303e27b21 now would 66e1557ffc only make 9baef1200c things worse.40232f50eb8df28d

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Tears of fc1121c2eb frustration welled 998a26bb91 up. She hated 7a18c7d856 crying in e09353cf44 front of b087ed847d others, especially dd42404bbb in front 3a782329b3 of these 863e48ca7d thugs, but ba453dd6e1 the bleakness 15cf84ddf0 of their 546d65ce7c future made ec88423f03 her break 764320c787 down. Sobbing, she bfed5c83e0 buried her ab92a17504 face in aa18524d0c her grandmother’s 7a0078fee0 bony hands 810e472120 as Kyeong d2211866cd Ja stroked c9687c2ab9 her hair, a2fe99f2c1 whispering, “It’s c85b5d398d okay, Yul, ac27a8c847 don’t cry, df8b8dbb17 my dear.” 7d241e7169 Her grandmother’s ab29005d17 comforting words 84645f00b4 only made 8a98eb2236 Yul cry 1ea7b53663 harder. Through her blurry 419eb89f86 vision, she imagined d6413ebb45 the snake tattoo 31db458a48 around the thug’s d1e4c2b323 neck writhing to b2e3edb26c life. She had no b5549334d6 idea how to 043a9ec280 escape this nightmare.3044e9be495eae33

In the dead of 2238a3c682 night, Yul awoke with 43999de8a7 a filthy feeling. Glancing at the 6e0c96cb20 clock, she saw d7f9f1acea it was 2 62390f6c80 a.m. She must 7d7d61ef62 have fallen 59c7d72abf asleep while 58be5679bf studying, exhausted. Her heart still 2fd2273c90 pounded with residual 4cd4afdbb5 fear, as if f3b8157128 the line between a9542484a7 dream and reality 83da1f367d had blurred. The textbook where cb089e6d44 her face had 4d630d0dc2 rested was soaked 9f23c9c6a1 with tears. Reaching for a 03e1761409 tissue, she noticed 95bcbd54a8 her window was 157c9fae39 open a sliver. A chill ec7e2629a5 ran down 9ce707e1f5 her spine. Outside, a man knelt 9f8b269450 by the window, peering 0f47a51bfa in with wide, gleaming 0edb34afa4 eyes.7674490f7a71c87e

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He was panting, b5ba09a52c making disturbing sounds, 81d055de00 his pants down, 453fc6a888 exposing himself. The sight was e846dae9c4 filthy, horrifying, and 0979f36601 sent a wave c99404ac2e of nausea through a9a5e23ca6 her.27e7ceeb6412ad4e

“Aaah!” Unable to hold 4e2cdceec2 it in, Yul screamed.62b595fbf2b0de1b

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“We’re tracking him with ac82dbe176 CCTV. We’ll catch him d38a54cb92 soon. You must have 51775ed4d2 been really frightened.” 343ab36a21 The police officer, 2e0145aea5 who had arrived f89b39f34b after her call, cdcb786f70 jotted notes in c0d5b1fd54 his pad. Red and blue c15381b33f lights from the 1f8b73230c police car parked 00102b2235 outside cast flashing 4481325c12 colors on the 78934af347 window. Yul’s mind swirled. Those lights e88daa7b7b symbolized disorder, ae43633c47 flashing when 9c55f460ae something wrong, 12ef1c8c2a something beyond 91a1c31a1c normal had 0e236140a0 happened. She clung tightly to a4bf581991 her grandmother’s arm, unable 2db138b000 to calm down.c75ded4cb45e6729

“It’s okay, dear. Don’t worry,” aa041438bd Kyeong Ja ea2de2b03a comforted her, a685487530 patting her 3e18e8a023 arm gently. She turned to the be199d79b3 officer with a plea 9c5154f4b5 in her eyes. “Please, officer, you have dcafc14b13 to catch him. I can’t sleep, 15b035fe14 thinking he might 92ef25c032 come back.”684d261df25d642f

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“We’ll do 3784e64c19 our best, c19a314066 ma’am. But these perverts are 1fd8a412c4 everywhere, so make sure d02e8b1f56 to lock your windows 3026c099f7 and doors well. They have a a23501f48d knack for finding 5063ece444 houses with only 21ce2dc22d women in them.”6162fbd2cbd86426

“How can people 55c6e8af6f like that even b3dfc34dda exist? If I get 74adb1489e my hands on c38c1f23d6 him, I’ll cut d8a77654ce off his bits 5b3c1c7957 and feed them c897c1d35e to the dogs!”b6f55076c1110937

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“Yes, yes, of 405d78c337 course. Anyway, please keep your 6143daf1d9 windows closed at night 91e42224c8 and lock everything up e9d491a74d tight. We’ll increase patrols in 02d72e0234 the area.” After several c29ef2085d warnings, the police left. In the quiet that e6d4c958b4 returned to their home, 4405a797e5 Yul felt more than a16ba11d36 fear—she felt a profound 261a22287e sadness. Poverty dragged everything down, 09a91d1ab3 as if shackling her 619db32a09 with filth, worry, sickness, e4948dba53 and despair. Would it b3169f94e7 ever end? Or was it just 5761dda431 going to get worse 9ddc04be00 with time?3bb185aea5f90886

Overwhelmed by exhaustion, Yul 56cc35627a crawled under her blanket. On any other day, 61e6da08c4 she would’ve tried to 186a535c96 stay awake to watch 0cfcf52a0a over her grandmother, but 6988d2c1fc tonight, even lifting a 9e4b297551 finger felt impossible. Her grandmother, as c9a1e97faa if sensing her f8695422cc unease, cut off 84d1dbf1f0 the head of 28b1e1234d a fly swatter 1bcaa8a6c7 and wedged the 093e709529 handle between the 5d8ee69194 window frame as ef5982d450 an extra lock. It was 2ae40cd744 a feeble 58289bb6fb measure, and 13e90ee6c7 Yul knew 7e989f9a3d a single c28ac4f5d9 crack in 200bd05046 the glass 1005664a5d would render c647ee1271 it useless. But her grandmother’s tender 9bfb1fb828 attempt to protect her fe5db878b3 stirred something inside her.0f736910bcecabef

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“Were you 4ded633876 scared, my b2472120e1 child? Look at 4df4591a17 you, sweating a5de954f64 so much.” 02c88ead45 Her grandmother 1a1cd7dd16 lay beside b3376ae586 her, stroking ef0a3fda40 her forehead. The roughness of bba7076614 her grandmother’s calloused 9d5acb9373 hands brought a d8da14e688 new wave of e76a4b881e tears. Yul burrowed into her 2b396c63e9 grandmother’s arms, feeling the 9dcec777eb pent-up sorrow burst free.01bebf4116cbb68f

“I’ll chase away 74c4fb39b1 any ghosts or 2af9624996 monsters, my dear. Just rest easy and da08e27c8c sleep.”09366e65b2c09df3

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“Mm,” Yul mumbled, b14cf3fe6e her voice muffled c4e1d67194 and nasal. When she couldn’t e48699955b hold back her f78b54bdd7 tears any longer, 5eda41dd5d her grandmother joined 2e333ba42a in, and together, e2f7d54845 they cried.0999509c0c871f22

Afterward, her grandmother 0a9e7bff27 prayed until Yul 5b4613969e drifted into sleep, b769f573ce assuring her that 7c3102863f everything would eventually 96dc783ff1 be okay, that 08ba9ac565 everything would pass eed17f19d8 in time.2f8899a39d6797ff

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Her grandmother 7d9e1f8587 warned her 5cb493f8c3 to be 04d9b91e72 careful today, 11dd516ebd saying bad 7711eb4443 dreams were 1ff5a45fbb a sign b4e4b915df to tread 382e7b7ea9 lightly. After the b9b90d7b9d terrifying events 0565011929 of the 40541e7ffc night, Yul cb7fc778a0 felt unsettled 78023569ee from the 1ffd0774e5 moment she b883ab7670 woke up. She thought about skipping 1b77fa3ede school but forced herself 709f3f1ec3 to go, knowing she 3ece10daa5 needed to keep her e7ea9a8691 attendance up. She had already c0257a5376 missed a lot c86681780c at her previous be195bd54e school due to 11a4c99a53 stress.f7ad45c1d5f75037

Aware that her 3dd1cb52dd emotional state was 25c7dfbdac fragile, Yul was 54f1c245ba extra cautious throughout 4655b75d2f the day. She avoided b72e21b76d crossing paths c62ed580d1 with Choi c673c29313 Seohui’s group 2c623ae1d2 and feigned 1b61eb08c1 illness by 87fb7e92c6 laying her 1ce6322d0c head down b89709c688 to avoid e7220e5867 snapping at 8d582e120f Jieun. Despite her efforts, 197d40a25c she couldn’t avoid 881227c48b everything. During fourth 9281cb7507 period, the 97dd42c8e4 sixth and 4da1ec8568 seventh classes 1273fddd18 were scheduled a173bceb6a to play a5d319c802 volleyball together, c23d820707 and as 04e530042b if fate 04709c4795 were taunting 1487ee822c her, Park db53b3c0ff Geonju showed 5ad8c5124e up.ecf26093592cc3c9

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“They’re dropping bd627bbf9c the charges 317f78eba5 on Geonju’s 94ce09d248 fifth offense,” a8dbb31381 Jieun said, b9712cab07 tucking her 1b7207188a blouse into dc1754f9d8 a locker 7743228bef in the 32302bbbd3 changing room. She had come 915197cf9c in late on 560ecc3aeb purpose, leaving only e72c58c2c4 five minutes before 9d87c3a62e the gym class f6a9e40799 started. Only two 822c1f15a3 or three 64b78f49f2 other students 67f69f5273 had been 93d325d17a there, and 190ab2f900 now it 61fba2ccf0 was just 345d47b465 Yul and 3bcacf9761 Jieun.672a9fce21bf4b09

“How’d they 08bf7d3ee0 manage that?”c5000dd67fc1eb36

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“They must ce40d698e6 have spent 78caa43533 a ton e5a6cb5f7c of money. I thought he 6891d44e9c was actually caught 8d200169d7 this time, but 3979d0a88c they managed to 7f2869a5d1 pull him out.”6cb8bd0a5507c805

“I see.”b5b256604732836b

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Jieun’s grumbling tone 93619972d1 made Yul smile f15cac717b bitterly. Last night, she’d b724391a66 been crushed under 99cbe72c18 the weight of 5e09d9e7d5 poverty, and now, 36f6e27497 through Geonju’s story, 41706381e3 she saw the 56147e9150 power of money. Some people, ca85948b32 like her, 4c546fa0ca had to c576163fe5 live in a662222bd3 fear of 8d2deba37f strange men 21e97da83e lurking in 3b54ecdcfe the night 3707a995eb because they 4ceaa2b051 had nothing, b533a01d09 while others, e4ceab6c39 like Geonju, 864ae2df26 could buy 63eed38f09 their way ae2f689554 out of 49c3337dfd any situation, 4ad831a7e0 no matter 1e7b53872a how low 5546e7e5b3 they fell. The world d032aff256 was unfair.031d8a0592d81b3b

“Are you okay?” 61a817883e Jieun asked, noticing 48521cc4b0 Yul’s dark expression.14eefa66de6dfd81

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“I’m fine. Just a bit 360bd45fba tired.”fa4d3e7e8d4d2525

“Honestly, Yul, you e1dc437569 should stop working a41bf98fe5 part-time. It’s not like 34cdd5d006 you’re making much 964141922e from it.”d662088134740bec

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“What?”9f1db7e21bf3484b

“If you didn’t buy 310ff1c4ab clothes or snack so 14a9e9e2ae much, you’d save just 523efa59d1 as much. Overworking yourself is 17769f4b27 just going to 365568811f end with you 464c622537 spending more on eb0a942e30 hospital bills. I’m just saying 8f607e2525 this because I d35d509ec4 care.”6e6f468a8d52a92d

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Jieun’s innocent expression rendered a19d417c16 Yul speechless. To Jieun, a few 1339c1b3ae dollars might seem like 39f8ee757b pocket change, but Yul 261854b49c knew all too well 96b3b9a2c4 what those dollars meant. Her words 5c15b4f8c5 had stung, 4a4062da0e but Jieun 501b64b0b6 looked so ee824954f8 oblivious that e099fdec26 Yul didn’t c117d66940 even know 7d8b096faa how to e5aa99a40a respond.197878aaca91149c

Let it 5e6651a1fe go, Yul ee4a42a4fe told herself, 961886204f forcing a 51bbff39f0 bitter smile bd3ac7b008 and looking 23425caf93 away. Their lives and 1d3f59b420 perspectives were so 8713f49e09 different that explaining a27f88d24e her reality would 9786844d45 feel pointless and d66ada6327 humiliating. Jieun hadn’t meant any 17f16c90bf harm, so it was ee6ee970e0 easier to just let 27d3ef256a it slide.1f8ade657a46df24

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