TIC 13

Her face froze, 0f10dc39ca as if buffering, d3645cba12 then relaxed again.63a2465383b6bc77

“I can’t this week, I’m in Jirisan. Yeah, for work. Sorry.”188a80c557f98c9a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He didn’t know what the other person was saying, but she looked incredibly apologetic. He wondered who made her feel so guilty.f4117c73c80ba51f

Had she called db7075d88e him Do-jun? Was it the insecticide 8784dafc67 that had come to 8de5c329f5 the hotel with her 43bde2ab7f trunk?e87a054d3b4ad241

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He had a 3053f2714f disarming smile that, 8f2a387b7d depending on your cd0066d766 perspective, could be 6d70fbe5f8 seen as charmingly a511188b10 friendly, uncomfortably suave, 3a8af87076 or even a c7cfa45083 little sleazy. This insecticide had claimed 5bf8369b2c to be her friend. But judging by f4216f5d78 her expression, it b3a37bde05 seemed to be 64ae81d625 something more than 61239147b9 friendship, which was 5c550c1f91 strange.16e05ccc6c2894b6

He felt like he 4634eebe8e was watching a female 78d828539b grasshopper responding to a 030792a5db courtship song.c0bad0a380fbc4e5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yeah, let’s meet when I get back. Mmm-hmm!”dc714b19b4c15f3c

Her last‘Mmm-hmm’ was so b6f6c9afa3 full of 48ab4ad8ec aegyo that 46cf67d76f it even 8d0f5abad6 had a 1bd0ad8504 nasal tone.abfb0eecf63a8bf4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Is that the friend from before?”96e28f15ce2b2333

He asked casually.82412d3ce18b9814

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She looked up as if she hadn’t heard him, still staring at her phone even though the call had ended.59d007de2f1e9e9d

“What?”9ae5f35fd4af8aba

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I said, is that the friend from before?”29402a9084fd0507

“Ah! Yes. The friend who was with me when we switched trunks.”32c49196711abaa1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She grinned, seemingly 45140ab610 happy just thinking 5918f6a6a6 about that friend, 327af0946f and took a e936ca3424 sip of her 389ea35e99 iced Americano. The way she 6e366f1a56 pursed her little e517383fca lips around the e03c0160e9 straw made him 9244a38b5b feel breathless.d63fde8140b278a3

“I actually fainted when I saw the trunk. I had never seen insects that big… It was shocking.”4b681e93b42c23c4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You fainted?”8f415ac33ee262ea

Min-hyun was 8b65990666 so surprised 52fd9ed3a8 that he 8b7f25cfd6 almost dropped 4b4e9a444a his fork 56c41a306b and knife.06b3f0e9d13b5e0a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I assumed it would be filled with blankets and pillows, I never imagined it would contain… that.”6f2add6f50ccfe0e

He felt both understanding and a pang of disappointment. He had assumed she didn’t like insects from the way she had reacted to his trunk in the hotel, as if it were a time bomb. He was also relieved that he hadn’t mentioned his entomological research, given her sensitive nature. It was all rather bittersweet.49e010a369e8f162

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I apologize. I didn’t realize it would make you faint.”4fb6af492abeda0b

“He’s the friend who came to my house and took me to the emergency room.”13363c80715c02ef

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Min-hyun was the 750426f360 one sitting next 4fbed7ef1a to her, and 59b343c0d0 that friend, Do-jun, 6621602b20 was in Seoul, de18fef4ca over 300 kilometers 7984a01b65 away. But the emotional distance 921dad1440 between Min-hyun and her f31d62d6c9 felt much greater.81e9728c834d89d8

It was as if 8f78ffe512 the insects he had cf2c32cec1 spent his life studying ad9a1ee533 were standing between them.96e51d1b7075fd37

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“He sounds like a good friend.”3088ab14f31f31c7

Then why did he 81706cab38 find this insecticide guy 45f5c1c5f4 so irritating?c3fcacb6f74d8d38

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Min-hyun chewed and 5216857cda swallowed his French e8d09974f5 toast slowly. He had been 6d204752f8 hungry a few 6782163343 moments ago, but ae047fe556 now the sweet c0b9b11d98 bread felt as 07b6053997 unappetizing as a fcc3352541 wet rag.d325f683c193d168

And then, 9b7124059e with impeccable 386ac893fb timing, he cd2cc1de6a received an 17c8690014 unpleasant phone a0e7938ac6 call.709934d176514088

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Mother.8b8f552390fb6c86

She has da48137cad been quiet 4da1be57c9 lately, so 109a075f4b this must 1fa4e7ed18 be the 037ba24f63 beginning of 6480a00198 a new 7e15d6e182 cycle.2bd1606659e0d245

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ll take this call.”00c4a4b1224253e2

“Sure, go ahead.”e2a636caf304bd70

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Min-hyun met her gaze briefly, a soft smile on her face, and went out to the cafe’s terrace to answer the call.e217bf4845190b9b

“Yes, Mother.”760b2a474b4c4aa8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

-How can you be so cold to your own mother and call me ‘Mother’? You never call to check on me. I made you a professor, and instead of filial piety…1c0f7f92c590dea2

He heard this all the time, but it never got old. It was a new torture every time. And it wasn’t even true that she had made him a professor.e219eadbec4cc7aa

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

-After what 59ca8f3a6f happened to 477da859be your brother, 94b524b6b1 who else f51ded6169 do I dd047879cd have but f9a8013410 you? You’re not being a 61dd59210b good son.65e280461760dead

“Yes.”7e4a8b92884ed545

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He replied curtly, glancing 57789b2971 at the café window. She was 1881fdc2c5 pecking at ad1b5da7fd her salad 39534bdc55 like a a81df6c2fd bird. Her stomach must d50089edc0 be upset from 475c2e4699 lack of sleep, f2c7d70ead but he admired 75fba08495 her effort to ee628af473 eat.bc5bcb881d8225e5

-You remember Mr. Choi, right? He’s opening a big bakery cafe in the new town. You know, he used to be a hotel chef. Invest in it. Okay? Make a big profit, then get married, give me grandchildren, that’s how you show filial piety.052aabb2e83b4e45

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He heard a man’s voice in the background, “Come on, Mrs. Jo, what an investment!” 1ed9623a861aa639

It was probably Mr. Choi. Since they were 8d17061c8c together at that 8724133561 hour, they must 6077192d12 have spent the eab444e5bb night together. It was c5735bce32 a familiar 3fd61e9fba scene from f737feeaa9 his childhood.8b2213391ae96b27

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He no longer felt disgust or hatred. He didn’t feel any resentment or pity for his mother who led such a life. Every time he received a call from her, Min-hyun thought of himself as an actor in a boring play.f569c8cb3b62040a

A son whose sense of self was numb, faithfully playing his role. Like someone who would have been the subject of Sartre’s research if he had been born in mid-20th century Europe.183c96eade85b6ec

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Mother.”c0b04652fa580c2d

Perhaps offended by d3c6313cc2 his cold, abrupt d61fda7600 tone, there was a56eba3354 silence on the 78b4114275 other end of 308e60e4c5 the line.514d222c5e59f1df

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I’m working. I’ll call you later.”40252446af74b208

-Ugh, the way a552579d8a you talk! Where are a2489e44e2 you working? At school? Should I come to ed1f067dc2 school?68fd77131e1a2e72

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His mother, who loved to brag about her professor son, would never dare to come to his university. She wouldn’t want to lose the substantial allowance he sent her.f2dfd9ad5236af36

Even though 18b3a718ee she talked 74f4985206 about investments de09127afe and big c97769e103 profits, she 63cc44529d never dared 2808ce8448 to ask a122dc2d2b for a eb06542efa lump sum. She was too 9fa07a84d4 cowardly, afraid of 9c93a7daf7 breaking off their a7e42ecc45 relationship completely.f33f4d329c32ef61

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

That was abb19fc39a why she 83ab1460e2 was an 09849ced36 incompetently bad 6447462303 person. She was unable fdb0e5323d to cut the 8ac8520f58 ties completely, which d9b6a97d98 made her even 8fda3b0b47 worse.ba79105bc2a8761d

“I’m not at school. I’m on a business trip.”ec7717b1156d687a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

-Are you abroad? Where this time? Did you go somewhere nice? Take me with you next time. You don’t even enjoy those places, you just sleep in hotels after work, isn’t that a waste?48e8deb97fef5afb

“I have to go back inside. I’m going to hang up now.”29b33e6eeb1d0250

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

-Min-hyun, I’m not just saying this, but can’t you really invest this time? I’m thinking of following Mr. Choi and baking bread there for fun.c5403085b1280880

“Do as you please.”acbf562b54c877ec

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Min-hyun hung up 02adcd4ff2 when he heard d6904a247c a sudden outburst 73d137144c of cursing. It seemed 992dd07bc7 that the 4b3ddc6948 man his 0f257f4bbe mother met 6aec2e5852 this time 119cdd1069 was greedy. Maybe he would not 026116fa94 give up until he cb26258ed2 got a share.9937082f9d04b81f

Maybe it was a c7dbb6ab7c fee for breaking the 27e2485697 tiresome bond between parent f5c857f2ec and child. How long would the 046f97bdb0 freedom he bought with 5570c5b4fe this hefty fee last? One year, two years?eee4696584983cac

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The quality of the 4250c5235b men his mother saw 4cdf37b2f4 deteriorated over time. When she was younger, bf54c81952 she had relationships that a8f90fafd6 resembled normal romances. But as 36fa8c7f05 she became 69333ef6b1 entangled in 9d36ab895e stalking, infidelity, d465b59c05 and deceit, c977ede675 the caliber 0e1e3ee5e6 of her 2fadcf16eb partners diminished.b4606d44f184e8ab

He sighed, but the 83180feb00 tightness in his chest c4f742580f remained. Min-hyun habitually reached into 9fed8f831f his pocket, then stopped. It had been years f3e63dc10b since he quit smoking, 0abee8c98b but he sometimes craved 4cd94553f0 a cigarette after talking 97399ab964 to his mother.4e0f2e3a383b12c3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Should I buy adba6a68de a pack at b76b755b40 the convenience store 98ef97e5c6 when I get 110bfe1374 back to the edeae79710 hotel?0d69f19766d27644

He didn’t ponder for long. He would be with her for five more days, and he didn’t want to smell like cigarettes around a non-smoker.cf083c8690918710

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

When he entered 0918b85b54 the cafe, she e1b8ddf817 was leaning the d0a3e34814 back of her 5cf242aa35 head against the 0fa4a78fd7 window, her eyes bc159b7d42 closed. She had 7dabfba96c eaten about 9c0574b0c4 half of 661708a579 her salad 1392c5c483 and sandwich 16ffff0c0c and seemed d1d3786591 to be 80aba1220b dozing off.3ff4e74ccdc426f9

Dozing with 15f16a9163 her back f1f317811b to the 6b54c38a28 sunlight, she b2aa9a0889 looked like f03db1fcfe a butterfly fb27674ab4 playing dead a67ef96c69 with its 047337dd57 wings folded. Sometimes when he tried 18834a979f to catch a butterfly, 4ff0e48147 it would freeze with 3e351a5a0b its wings tightly shut 8e213e2774 as a survival tactic. It was a last ebbb812e8e resort. Her nap must 31697cca6e be her last 7fedf8b82e resort to cope 6106c96916 with life.6747f314fc2217ce

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Min-hyun quietly went to 917cd5dd71 the counter and ordered 4752ed6c7f two more drinks and 8cd7276301 asked for a blanket. The friendly looking 73eb07cc93 owner smiled and ea82c9b923 gave him a 0c92539265 reproachful look.f0df3174b957b57c

“Your girlfriend looks sleep-deprived. She’s been dozing off since earlier.”bc24342cce3ea9f1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Normally he would have frowned at the suggestive joke, but Min-hyun just smiled. He didn’t want to deny the implication that she was his girlfriend.59bdc5b11ec4bf22

“Here’s a blanket. It’s freshly washed.”a66dc7d2c1b42b47

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It was a cute d632268e05 blanket with a picture 5b308b9e62 of a baby bunny b2129398d3 on it.218b8b9718105fa0

“Why did you order two more drinks? Just have one more.”425eaa0a905ab258

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Thank you.”c92ede35f463a0ba

Min-hyun returned to his 6562c5c6c5 seat with the warm 1b2c60abd7 herbal tea and the 6484c8b430 blanket. He gently draped the 08df8c28bd blanket over her, her eaa4f35de6 legs stretched out on 560d55cabc the bench. He was afraid c8847874da she would wake e89a341f5f up, but she 54dcaab0ac just purred softly 49914e0c0a and even started c45937bc1e to snore.eb72e6006840e4dc

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The owner opened the 2bc60ac84a cafe door to let 2e77325d62 in some fresh air. The wind chimes tinkled e6e8aac73d in the cool mountain 6e8a19c907 breeze.d0327c3be9686a1e

Checking the itinerary 73b2089c2c she had sent 32ff0019f9 him, he saw ec75b7c41e they had two 25bdd8be76 hours before their 267ec1fad8 next appointment. It was f20274652e fine to 9d769d6267 let her f3e0c356d8 sleep.4d9c255492a85b25

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Min-hyun sipped his herbal 8aca7fcf77 tea and watched her 321b2bfb1a sleep peacefully. The anxiety in 4238fc2097 his heart subsided, edaab711db though he doubted eab2cb46a7 it was because 984325eef2 of the tea. His gaze remained 3e908d859b on her.8e80d4cffd2efa00

Her neck hurt f7162a2bee and she opened 2f9b679973 her eyes. She must 040960fbde have dozed 732a6ed8a2 off for 9fdb7bd1cd a while, a4bfd1708e her neck 85beafd154 stiff from 076c59c364 leaning against 1e2e472f97 the window.e871f39b1140bf59

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Startled, Cho-yeon 9b769ec4a0 quickly grabbed 64cb8e4236 her phone d12d49319c from the eba2a25c19 table.a07a6fd23f212c39

“You slept for an hour. We still have an hour until our next appointment.”87ad076870f92f75

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Her heart pounded. The table 79850b45f4 was clean 97708edfdb and there d5dfb52e87 was a c74b81c164 teacup next 556a35cf10 to him. He was e0664d4797 looking down 37d643e218 at a dd41649929 magazine, his 7aa0d3a517 elbow on 4936187e92 the table.ac6b7e2103e80495

“What’s your sign?”dafd193062869eb5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Leo.”15fe03704ac595d1

“Leo… August or September?”9c956caae020e85d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He asked, dcb217f29d looking up.180c49ee1332598a

“August.”b61773fa0230dce4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“When in August?”239627b3817ae5da

He was oddly 0cac29e916 specific after just 46a36f2f77 asking for her bdd6634fc4 sign.15b9a8b25beac36f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“August 1st.”3773e611b5e69eea

Cho-yeon, still groggy from ff2b2abb63 her nap, mumbled her 8410debc43 birthday.10a97a3d23074e3a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Here, this month’s Leo horoscope. Your financial luck is excellent. It says you have unexpected luck. A chance meeting will bring you luck, and a repeated chance relationship will be your lucky charm, so don’t let it go. Lucky object: Something with a baby bunny. Lucky direction: South. Lucky number: 112.”a609d1259ba85b4f

“What?”2ffd0e1dda26aeeb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The repeated chance 8bc7606a14 relationship was with 2e9ad1f6a9 Kwon Min-hyun. The blanket she used 10571fe9cd had a baby bunny cc6a1aa251 pattern, this place was b84c720fb1 300 km south of be8461b34e Seoul, and the password 0b8e78912c of the switched suitcase 5daf93b6c6 was 112.ab84113d96706c2b

“Let me see that magazine.”62460c3b3bdc3be3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When Cho-yeon reached for 625f9fe96c it, he closed the af6651240b magazine and pressed it 39846d5f33 down with his elbow.6a0fe39655278c95

“Take it if you can.”c6192f9d812428c5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com