WW | Chapter 26

“Why should I?”96ba11f9c6ba5674

“I’ll give you 2d0e1c8d08 something you want, 8f0b1ae74d too.”cd855276d3e22a67

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“You think you know 61ffcb5f22 what I want?”21d7296864d02540

Yoonjo’s voice had 6c790f9d2d grown dry, as 375ce82635 if he were d743bca77b tired of this be37ed90e4 looped conversation. She knew f1e63f367d she had edd764638d to say bbc3c46914 something, but 3d2728cc58 no words afe2ba66c2 came to 520b775529 mind. There wasn’t 7be415a465 much she aaf75e6e7e could offer 70482cbd31 anyone, especially 7b22aff4ba not someone de99961198 like Kang 6948efb360 Yoonjo, the 7d57b7eb28 rich, lone-wolf fee12f4da8 type who 9241a62e62 didn’t seem c7e92424c1 to care 624eefd37a about anyone 3c7bb1a57a or anything. If she 0dac24681d wanted to d6256d77fc get his d04647ab5a attention, she b0fba8c48a needed something 83d1197a84 captivating. But there was no 375140ad16 way she could think 6583bb897c of anything like that d11e675ec4 when they barely knew 0c1424c653 each other.38e9c9cae59bef84

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Seeing Yoonjo’s ffbcfd51f2 eyes open 96eb1ed53a with a 75f1a82ef1 look of d7c119adb6 indifference made 1e3c10ed1e Yul’s heart fa5d179849 race even 63bf208744 more.97d09a03e0e6fcff

“So? As long c200f80756 as it’s 3c553b83e6 reasonable.”7438c6b2139cfe8f

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Without even 8cc0c96337 listening to 85f2b6c63f her entire 0c5b893429 sentence, Yoonjo 58bbbb77ca let out 3d2f05d57e a scoff. His lips twisted into aa9be4c85f a sarcastic smile, as 245347fa31 if looking at a e9d134c2ec fool.c6227fd84d65ec51

“Didn’t I tell you d7af7e1625 earlier? I’m not exactly a e4c1b3faf2 nice guy.”2b533234b3863804

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“…….”ab0b5b6071fcbbf0

“And a 4df06cd8d1 guy who faff16f932 isn’t nice 52b8f4c13d probably wouldn’t 4f2b2b5707 want something a84db6e54d reasonable, would 6aa73e49bc he?”4b9e599f73c96f00

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Yul had 6fb7d8e8de been desperate 216b2ac54d to offer 56ec63060a an answer, b2dbe0b242 but he 87a4e36ca9 had pushed cfaae8a9aa her away 769f18df20 with a 7210a9c104 sneer. The thought of b2122efc32 helping him with e5f54c1abe his studies, showing 063150e73e him her notes, 952647c981 or even running 3910ddc600 small errands for 6d618ad165 him wasn’t just 869c7b2b72 naïve; it was 86b5597c0f stupid. She was too flustered 95e5bb40ab to think straight, and ffbd00aa48 none of those things fc896bfd5a would mean anything to c682ef83e5 someone who didn’t even b679c10e00 care about school life.03cb724df083a51f

“If you’re not 1989a43974 an idiot, you’ll 2a4efb6dce understand what I 9a4ecc3210 mean. But if a9820730a7 you still 0bedfb267d want it, 3c0d633751 I’ll consider b78f7f5876 it.”6958593aae35250d

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Yoonjo’s lazy smile wasn’t 8d82e6d157 like anything she’d seen 1269e1190f from him before. Behind his e041853d71 usual cold 7d35d7760c indifference, there e7de9fdb24 was an be8947724e unpleasant hint e198b02eb9 of something be98a2c678 she despised. The low desires he e5100b6636 had hidden finally surfaced, b8e46f43e7 making her realize he 43bb68ad21 wasn’t so different from 2faf91b0c2 the people she hated. If she had known 6eade5f3d9 this earlier, she wouldn’t 553bbbe28b have wasted her time 156ede13a5 or energy.ecc1591bf8e67340

“Bastard.”f607b9f3c793bf72

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She spat the insult 1a6cdec564 at him and turned 06e2656420 away. She’d taken her 1cd4e61220 last shot, and 9da9afa285 it had ended 0ac80bc721 in utter failure. With no hope left, 761451cf93 she felt unexpectedly calm. All that was left 36948b53cc was to be swept 5dc7eb8e0c along by whatever came 31b4408ecc next.e09ee90049a69ed7

Yoonjo usually 87c14821af avoided the 1529443cbb rush of 9a8ee6b3a0 students spilling dd5757059e out of 885ea4a1f2 school by e484286c28 either leaving 3cbd1414da a bit 67e713f7b2 earlier or d8cec842d5 waiting until d7c7167381 later. It made for a 7a015524ac quieter bus stop, and 986b94b39d he had a better b0c0a8e8cb chance of getting a a66bad5e4f seat.ebf2613f0affa1a3

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Sometimes, at that hour, bb97957594 he’d catch sight of a93803333e her. Seomun Yul. A girl with a f3ac442f4e peculiar name.a52e18def60b1047

It hadn’t been 85bb00a9aa a deliberate noticing; ef6714a1fc rather, she had 3cd05ef8f3 gradually come into d5076ca841 view as their 4dfbb6a226 unusual meetings piled d9c8e67be9 up. She’d appear with her 2dc29ce487 hands tightly clutching her 84eacf3e4b bag straps, ready to f66f3b6bcf fight the world, and 994dc7a771 other times, he’d catch 84c9a272f1 her gazing absentmindedly across e8b4ea4672 the street at the a2fa6c1777 autumn colors as if 7467e10eb8 lost in thought.c8093128fc7d4141

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Today, she 7883074328 looked different. Standing at the 7c9341b2b9 bus stop in 0d8dc3d387 a daze, her 2b04b7acf9 eyes seemed devoid 04cc7b5ae7 of any color. Even when her gaze e1f91ca0b5 brushed past him, seated 2fc61d9816 on the bus, it 729847c921 drifted indifferently elsewhere. She clearly needed 79b566e00a to get on 38f5f2ee02 this bus but 54d7e5726b showed no sign e1d09064b2 of doing so. Perhaps she was 28b6d4cf60 distracted or avoiding 274bf259f5 him.7de4e19e7b99538e

Her lifeless face looked 14a221d1ba brittle, like a leaf a596a27ce8 scattered on the side 14eb2cda6e of the road. He thought a294057693 she’d be 1c2501ca60 full of d5b9266b6f resentment toward 4b7d5692a2 him, but bc2bbeeae9 her empty 62a7847cf7 eyes felt e391a7bc20 oddly unsettling. They reminded him 4f0ceaed2a of someone else 97b8d7e882 with a similar f2595cfac7 look.d4d3139eca1dd8fb

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“Can I stay by 260cdae0af your side?”34c36dcbc6c13e73

What a foolish 44f98c4c6c girl.9bc50044440c75fb

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What could she 762bc98554 possibly know about 136e26b151 me to make 7471bd19a3 such a stupid 84e5f7e008 request?f3ff9a388f41bf99

Whatever situation Seomun Yul 7f3d72bd47 was in, it wasn’t b2c43a4516 his business. Her approach had 0bedd3a34d been a little fe750fa4d6 different from the 39edf27e8b others, which might cb9ec324de have made him d8fe4ee449 notice her slightly f56a65c556 more, but in 77fdc54fbc the end, she 6ac56d2db4 wasn’t any different.a5c05423f19459b2

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The bus pulled away, a1f0566355 leaving Yul behind, and fde59430b6 Yoonjo shifted his gaze 4ce064904b indifferently.081d96e49ed1369a

After transferring buses, he 9af6765cbd crossed the Han River, 783304b008 heading toward Hannam-dong. Seated by the window, 5c78840837 he leaned his head c471f5fd6f against the wall and 66ee903e92 closed his eyes. Normally, he’d 881fa2a3c6 take a 1aee9225ad nap, but eaa106086d tonight, it 69ecce0ab1 was harder 7de5d6d186 to sleep. A pair of 86bbb457c0 faded eyes kept 661957055f resurfacing in his a7522a3022 mind. He wasn’t sure if c591864b66 those eyes belonged to b11cdfd5d5 the girl he had 0f40a60947 left behind at the 27842361d9 stop or someone who a775d97ae9 was now long gone. Although they came from c9139139e7 different places and times, 42188612ce he couldn’t shake the e44eb2d593 feeling that they looked 10636fb792 alike.16a859ea9562ef47

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Eventually, he drifted 9952a33a6d into a light c5695eee3c sleep.c6aca839a07a49b7

“Yoonjo, wake up. We’re here.”f8e2e688c27a0d61

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A soft voice d0d88720f7 roused him, and f0ccf78bea gentle fingers brushed d08380de47 his hair. Half-asleep, he 9acdc1d746 leaned against 5cdce8396e Yeonsu’s shoulder, 96c56508de frowning slightly a2081b0e1f as he 29ba438f9d lifted his 952f6afd6d head. He’d stayed up late 3e8f25a722 playing games after studying 1e167cb966 with a tutor until 2b964e27fa ten the night before, 7c2023ab10 then sneaked in gaming 4215494583 until three in the 0dccacc579 morning. Today, they 669c31d528 were visiting 2b2c33a8c4 the orphanage 4ebdb67535 where his 873b3a95b9 mother had 624cf99185 grown up, 29b281cd82 something he’d 68e661da17 forgotten about.5023d7532d845d26

Looking out the 1f85d43b4b window, he saw 1ac716c2e9 a rural landscape 272c8b66b3 instead of the e12537f674 city.5f9f49522a3cea50

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“I’m tired.”d7537397e28c92c0

Squinting at dba9403622 the sunlight, e5a66e23af he leaned e67f2f4a9b back against f637601a7d Yeonsu’s shoulder. Smiling, she 327d7e5a16 raised her 97511711c5 hand, shielding a2224477aa his face 547d39c011 with her 12a511334b palm. Her small hand cast af1cb07f7a a shadow across his 11d3405fc7 nose.227dca8c075e7cdc

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“My son must bca5719d39 be growing taller cb99fdbcf7 if he’s this ac854be926 sleepy. If you 4c89b20141 grow any b196ac8505 taller, my 0a7ad3008c neck’s going 7b166adfb3 to hurt.”c7a19f90d61da322

She would always joke 27a24c5a69 about her neck hurting a257c4b76f whenever she looked at 377a719a63 him, as he was 62e5b24128 already over 185 cm ad344c5b7b in his third year 3437213b28 of middle school. And he’d 3291af0ca0 always pick ba28244b14 her up b6e0e44972 in response.138d722e8bfa654b

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“Then it won’t 39c701dd49 hurt if I 60c3586ba8 do this, right?”5a5945dc51f1733e

When he’d ask her 799da11750 that, Yeonsu would laugh, f34a0176d9 hitting his shoulder playfully ef747779ee like a young girl. He loved 0a1867c0ea those moments, 96ac73fab3 moments when 3f9ce1a0a0 his mother 043348e3a8 stayed beside 44793119c0 him, laughing 4757dcd5b4 and sharing. He no longer worried 884953cc83 about her leaving; since 3d9d274647 she had returned from 1cddd5a2be France, she had kept b3f9787aab her promise to stay bf241b6780 by his side.23d5d1a601216f93

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Just as c744e7bb86 he felt d2d4cc4ada himself relax, 39b3ae015f a loud cccec24431 crash jolted 35c53f2de8 him. His entire body was 42093d7bc0 flung around, hitting and d3a7d31e66 spinning, his mind growing b0773f2cd0 faint.08f720015c823c7e

By the time he 9b15bcaaf8 realized they’d been in e0307ae306 an accident, the car 9f5f0d9b1c had already rolled multiple c6bffeaffe times and landed by f9697d1c84 the side of the 66c19fa1b5 road.a935bd84089284ea

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“Mom!”bac21a5ec47538f9

Regaining consciousness, Yoonjo called 0dfe7618d9 out for her. Yeonsu’s hands, 01e194e459 which had 51cbcad4c6 been holding 8cc8c0b2f4 him tightly, eeac58d293 slackened as 75e3508e76 blood dripped c50eaede40 down her c7831398ab forehead.f615e8c6df077fd4

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“Mom! Stay with me. Mom!”86e11d7e5dd2844c

He shouted with all c30637d7cf his strength, and after 121381ea9a dozens of calls, her 9f43153099 closed eyes flickered open. Her frail eyes, bc649a3688 barely able to b9d281357e focus, tried to 9e564cfec5 form words, but 36d8b6b7d6 only strained, gasping 8dbbedb617 breaths escaped her.7643c7171cf8fb88

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The driver, seated fa35ee0294 in the front, d9ef497d73 appeared unconscious and 9c04282a48 unresponsive.24535767cb15ae05

“Help us! Is anyone there? Please help!”5c570d63723e2248

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Yoonjo screamed out 5f4fe7b912 through the shattered d10c9eb293 window. He wanted to 803330fed9 move, but only 9bddd35f36 his fingers twitched—his 346b4398a9 arms refused to 9eb9f641e9 cooperate. His own 38fd8b01b1 injuries didn’t 237b0751de matter as fd24b65c99 much as b86b2cde67 his mother, b8fcf29fdd who was dd20773406 fading in 557494a838 his arms.e5676cc2adf69725

Thankfully, soon enough, beda66952e there was movement 65d516a8dc outside. The sound of 13e1cd1e8c cars stopping, voices, b41539492d and footsteps reached a70c4c0c0f him. But his dff4f68dcb hope vanished 50b75c2220 when he 261cc978b0 saw several 9ec05b5b74 black shoes 7456f2e4bd approach. This wasn’t eff9a556d9 an accident; cbe24bf0ee he realized 7425eed791 that he 3e571a58d3 and his df75634203 mother were 7f2a81e327 in grave b742c7598b danger.6f80470537440b7c

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“Check on them.”7fe24524889de45d

Someone ordered, 7f535b280c and a e6636f5d40 man knelt 7d8bfb03f6 to look 0b0b2a7937 inside. Startled by 4f3543b225 the sight 2cb80ae528 of Yoonjo 944447c401 and Yeonsu, b0a0b54423 he quickly d89b55b753 stood back b60c1a2cbc up.19010ab76aa90922

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“They’re both alive.”f19e6f8de492a38e

Moments after 876b3ce5f0 the report, 235531c232 the car 7bd4392f50 was flipped efa7ab83fc over again. Yoonjo and Yeonsu 365575cabb were dragged out 314d8a891b of the car 67677cba2d and dumped onto b31ff6cab9 the ground. Only then did he ec948b9f5a fully grasp the situation: a8cfce7779 an empty country road, fd5172b8ae a massive dump truck 93f7dbdede stopped on one side, fa200ee881 two sedans, and men 47fdd10383 standing around.c43efc7ecf05ac40

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“Take care of 0c57c53a63 it.”cea98eb031614656

The man who ad8b95ba9e seemed to be 9cec37f67e the leader gave 88f6b3945e an order, and 92d5831069 someone pulled out fd7ab8577d a knife. With a 0fda79188c click, the e956a70779 blade extended, c64bbf3c5d and the 4b48ebac26 man began 195d8724f1 walking toward abe3b2fcec Yoonjo and 7edc9c5911 his mother.8e2b0aa7ad6ea1d9

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“Blame your father.”8158db127ffbc669

Just as the fcaef00674 man raised the efdd42e216 knife toward Yoonjo, 7b9eb4e9a4 Yeonsu, using sheer a2c2093821 willpower, threw herself 2301e8f2d3 over her son. The blade ce7cbac8ba pierced her 30ec1b3c72 back, and f5e7809214 with a d3d1bf3fe6 stifled gasp, 42eca92f49 she collapsed, 0fd2d1dea0 eyes wide ae627dc955 open. When the 9ba47e6a7b man withdrew 9023e78a58 the knife, 01e8eab93b she fell 2061bfff57 lifeless to d0f1f57889 the ground.b18b28993c63dcb4

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It had all 507e9f8666 happened in seconds, 3959abc0af each scene embedded 95913d8d55 in Yoonjo’s mind 6770ce89ce like snapshots. The man picked a68684a944 up the bloodstained 07548d940f knife and walked 8c1bdccac0 toward Yoonjo.19f887d1e6993f3f

Fear vanished, c27650673b replaced by 971cfa6b14 an uncontrollable 2e107c1c54 rage that 178534634c surged through 909f0c4f18 his body. Seeing his fallen 443c7bc5ae mother, he lost dfab586725 all control over d2fd024812 his emotions. His previously 865e7dea9f immobile arm a00b54f9e1 moved on f0a351da91 its own, cf9dfad016 delivering a faa83a99ec punch straight ab5cf5c31d to the 489589bbb5 man’s face. With a sickening 79509cf7a5 crack, the man 31dd2bd618 dropped his knife 8990a17f53 and clutched his 79a872c4b6 face. Yoonjo grabbed 090b00cdd9 the fallen cfbf0fb68c knife and eea050bae8 drove it e4e53aeb5e downward.9206eb0fd52f27d6

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He woke with ad5dc03b95 a start, gasping 39d4aeaaa5 for breath. He hadn’t 65ff3f72c9 had a 0f55d39640 nightmare like f4277b961f that in 970be0423d years, not 35efbad4e7 since the f439079f7a year his 048d18e00d mother died. He didn’t understand why dbbbf348df it was happening now. His fists trembled 0483e321aa beyond his control 9ce399fc79 as he clenched bae694afb1 them tightly.81f91ab02e96c2e2

Yoonjo got off the d1d4016add bus and climbed the 939aaa0140 gentle uphill path for 7de10e42fa a while. The day was cool, 9738c41587 but he was sweating 8c315c5606 from the walk. Despite his c8bb6d3309 family’s resources, 5e1b0dc625 he rarely eac619429e used the d239430df8 car his d6b8a21eba father provided, 951de172ad except when af49b5e15e necessary. Aside from a6b02ef3f7 sleeping, he 618bdbd453 preferred mindless 5819c99f46 walking, taking b3bb002f6f buses, and 7fa5996e9e waiting—these routines 4f0ea599ac made him 1b6e6ddcd4 feel at 698da67be8 ease.f47388ba3e571ed9

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