EMP Chapter 23

“Mom, can’t you come eea82cce7a with me?”3bd6d9b7cb67af44

“No, I can’t.”11324fb2f3e05c34

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why not?”8f6f78d68773a50f

His reddish lips f1d414794c pouted, and his 8e6986bb50 young face quickly 0e503d9e34 filled with dissatisfaction. The woman found ea5e9a5a62 her son’s sulky 0692ecfce2 expression endearing and c3c4d0ee7d struggled to suppress da81c3c429 a smile.9a3e80dd77b60c04

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Mom has eea3436442 a lot 4a0b5a5ace of work b42ffb5b68 to do c24f1f8117 right now. Besides, the middle school 30bbe0992d is right next door, 82fb3d79e1 and your friends will cf0cbec798 all be there too. You’ll adjust ef8ad4b880 just fine, 416a35fad7 right?”8bdbe30b7167893b

“But still, ad4b3c9d69 it’s orientation.”e3caf826fa772597

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’ll definitely go a776d7ff80 with you on 6fdb75364c the first day 0273e9fba4 of school, Juyeon.”79104c8594256eab

Her gentle reply was 7d0a7257b9 accompanied by a warm 371685bdb8 pat on her son’s 8a9b60f400 head. “Come here, sweetheart. Give Mom a kiss.” 5e78f134ae She crouched down, and 46a34053b7 Park Juyeon, abandoning his 3ba344e179 pouty attitude, scurried over 05f5031a09 to press a kiss d07f0cc8a6 to her cheek. In return, she f29bb3821c planted a quick 8be504df7c kiss on his aee77b538d round cheek.c446da0cf321e0f9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Off you go now. Don’t forget to 4480e2db81 bring home any 01c9cb8fae handouts they give a8d813762b you.”f9c91b56d9749903

“Okay.”01904f4f64ed656d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“And Mom’s heading 0d87b2ab2e out too.”056826088b2f6f0d

“Have a 2feea4f90a good day!” 91627ddd36 said Park 1e1ec3eda7 Juyeon, his 82d2676779 still-unchanged voice 31be27dae4 clear and 9670e8a17e bright, as 990efefad3 he gave 1bf0b52479 a small ac33a6c966 bow. Though he ce3b933f5e was disappointed, ee74ac109c he tried ce60dc7090 his best a0aa5b258d to smile a53b9e326e wide so 49ae1cfb12 his mom b6ea11d81e wouldn’t feel 02a46f84de bad as c62560dcb0 she left 76b912047f for work. It was c3d2e77594 a mature 155813720b gesture, true e8310ec5bb to the 48f96d23ae thoughtful nature 7b00805c50 of the 3c5d1198db 14-year-old Park ffa7a69b83 Juyeon.5416590446fbfbdf

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was now 8 f2367ba029 a.m. The new student 022701c8ed orientation was scheduled e57c34651b for 1 p.m.cf096463b832b6d3

As soon 3b8bfc2609 as the 6093fcf7e6 front door 0059bba990 closed, Juyeon 4ed8ae0648 grabbed his c56b9621e9 brand-new backpack 1f326e9053 and padded 0566dc5b41 jacket, bought 912753a5fa especially to 93a87f644b mark the c44a320cf7 occasion. Although there b529517ac3 were still 436cfdc311 several hours 1d9c026fcb left, his c976a90341 excitement had 7f1ce7f13d him ready a1cea6193b to leave 690780d7dc in no fd674cf063 time.c5c08376567da499

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Just as his mom c728a9c574 had said, Juyeon had f9415eaf48 been assigned to the 96e2881813 middle school right next 33cf7f9a26 to his elementary school. Most of ea22850563 the incoming 76fe44eecc students were cc057eba71 his elementary be8586fc89 school classmates, 3869038864 so the 2e0b816465 prospect of 8c4e6b6ef6 attending orientation 933cba9aa9 without a e39fb6bc22 parent didn’t c696f9e716 feel daunting. He was confident he’d 50655ccf83 adjust well.22f7c89f40285620

With his ea5061fec7 bag on 70dcfd5a31 his back, 0b79e1c439 he stepped b2b8e2cd17 outside to 1ef2c1f725 find that 3fdead67a7 the overcast c435abbb0d skies of ae2564aef0 recent days f945369443 had cleared. The bright 9fe6b41c76 blue sky a244dfd85f seemed to 6110bd08da celebrate his 649bdc5424 14th birthday e1e5511692 with him. Smiling at his fanciful 9a0cb0ea33 thought, he carefully avoided 03914179d0 patches of ice that 2028ba82be had melted and refrozen.b448bd7542b6bad1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It felt strange 0327e53513 how the simple 1b03d1c604 fact of becoming 19712ff596 a middle schooler 88a16519cb could make him 0f2b336fb4 so energized. Technically, it was just af9bdc770d another day, not all a41dc0c6c1 that different from any b649eae9a9 other. Yet his shoulders 05c7cceb13 couldn’t help but 33fb788f4d lift with excitement.a2308a3ba8b27e3d

However, as he approached 465598038a the school, the unfamiliar 025fde89f6 building and atmosphere began 3160824155 to unnerve him. The path a3e06720f2 leading there 7ee4c8e1dd had felt 7f8ea042df so similar 86be8abb9c to elementary ab5e92a339 school that 27c75dc692 he hadn’t 7d3abcc924 given it 44526824e3 much thought, 750c000d64 but the 99ab5a5edc middle school 2782030f8a exuded a 6f0c08307f different aura a951f3c778 altogether. Looking around with ecda891498 a tense expression, 78f264a534 Juyeon took in 4cbcbd4840 his surroundings.40efe8e133dab926

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Some kids 8ea36ca375 arrived in ba7d64e8ce their parents’ bca85a60d2 cars, while 6c713c46f1 others clung df0d35b2f0 tightly to 0d3c5e5915 their mothers’ 4c92f3e4e2 hands, staying b49341639e close by 4275c19438 their side. He couldn’t help but 3920eb36ff feel a pang of 0b70c3ab57 envy. Juyeon swallowed nervously, 591f37d22a trying to shake 60603308db off the unease 3fb9aefee4 as he made 56f5902dfe his way to c80ac3c324 the auditorium.bf6fc5bb0487cf1b

When he 6d54ab1bfb pushed open 03bce13d0d the auditorium be4bdd0693 doors, a 291bd09163 few kids 238d02ecf5 he vaguely f2ad653ec8 recognized from 84b7cb0d69 elementary school f21343f7e9 noticed him e464585de1 and gave 72f3833927 him a e21a3b8e8d nod of 904d4f0a81 acknowledgment. When Juyeon waved back 0cd9e527fa with a cheerful smile, 85d2074e58 they scurried off, flustered 03deb93477 and bashful. He found their reactions 4279265410 amusing and couldn’t help ffd35d4208 but chuckle to himself.b02f16563bfa9963

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

As Park Juyeon 91c4ad5fac looked around for 5a80bb9efc a seat, he 43a26ae25a felt the front 947cceadd5 rows were too 850fbbd436 intimidating. Moving toward 4c1aa37540 the back, d7132ea26c he was ace318217d soon greeted 59a0bfa999 by a d9dac198fe group of 7034902a39 friends he 6a380b0f82 used to d41016ebb0 hang out b9caa42237 with, who 9d9d0eeba3 swarmed over 73e4d642e5 to welcome 5b7c4f285a him.3c7f6d9caf820c1d

“Park Juyeon, you’re 30621bfaa0 here?”43109a1df4001702

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, you 65cad99cd1 guys came fc23e596af early?”74ec281771eddc8f

“We live 0fd363a487 super close, 2b827c0f5b how could 3b431fe502 we be d72f714db3 late?”81a1c7aaee0ce3df

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“But Juyeon says 0d7b89ae39 he’s late.”c1718dd8f357e229

Living close a69844aaeb to the d9979461e9 school didn’t 990f11918e stop them 80673a5d53 from teasing df10bde32d him as a39cf7cce6 they burst 583105e1b8 into laughter. Their voices varied—some had fc64e7c5c6 already started to deepen, 0c1c70cc5b while others still had 8b4c38642b the clear, bell-like tones 92e4f61d8e of childhood.cfc509f32f4801ce

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Juyeon grinned, his eyes 140b4c2210 crinkling, and scratched the 1a753ba5f7 back of his neck. Familiarity was d1ddd9d73d the best. He felt the 1a69f0ae83 tension that had 8cba31059c unconsciously built up 526596d474 melt away, and 194b004765 he let out 5d9f030b73 a small sigh eae22bbb32 of relief. It was c20fac1ab1 a great 65e82fe87a way to 41a23876c5 start.66107724441948e9

As the lively 9ef8f1c2c8 chatter continued, it 0190281ce6 seemed the orientation 408abdabe6 was about to bc0015e4ca begin. Teachers’ voices fe202679b0 could be 479a89a751 heard directing 98d67feeab students and b8574dfb30 parents to 6d3f76d6ec their seats, 169f7386d2 along with 009359eb23 the sound 8053137497 of someone 04881323a1 adjusting the fd104726f3 microphone. “We will now 585b0825c4 begin the new b05261d026 student orientation. Please take your seats,” 402e3f0355 came the announcement.3fdf8fac00253a40

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was still 87a88f0962 just orientation, but e6a9783f15 now it felt fdf7479884 real—he was officially cbbae06d12 becoming a middle 115acf2205 schooler. Soon, he’d be wearing 193071b739 a uniform. Even though dd4272bba6 the entrance a9b501f26a ceremony was d0067a6b3c two months 2bd863625b away, he 345bb1aa9c couldn’t help c16ed0e1d0 but feel 40dfb6438a excited. His hands fidgeted 2017ca113b nervously as he dfea26e59a clasped them together, 96c3c7c540 trying to contain a7d586cf18 his joy.5390afce71c309f7

By the 94807df392 end of 674658a6c5 the session, 11eb1f0860 they handed 7190d7bb85 out flyers 819d2bbae3 and promotional fc265a7b00 materials, which a82a14f0c9 Juyeon carefully 845dec7af7 folded and 09d726185a tucked into f392b6dcd6 his bag. He made cca909e9d6 a mental 1943a6d458 note of 1d3ce0ac7d important details 4d8b414d00 like the 0028db65fb date and 84232b1d71 time of 0afa06e9e9 the entrance f547be92e8 ceremony, committing beeb721eb0 them to 83144242ca memory even aaf61c400b though it 4bbb499d09 was all 3fd96c81f1 written in 79fcc7e6cb the booklet. He read over ae8a5c4ae7 the information again e56e02ac45 just to be bf548760c6 sure.30a256e3fd8864a7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh man, a61ff502b7 I should’ve c3a853bf05 told Mom 302e36dbd5 not to 3a7de3621b come,” one 61815e5329 of the c4b83dac2d kids said.86c3813728dbe36d

“Why?”1efbc19d471f06d7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I could’ve gone to 80b0ce558d the PC bang or dd956b4469 something.”6cae240449d1fc63

“Then why afdd2f1f3f don’t you f3a6026824 just go b7cca88be4 home with 91f0ac5988 your mom? Hey, Park Juyeon, f692a66696 you’re coming with 1e05df71d8 us, right?”e7e4821fe7180755

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Juyeon blinked 415a7a4107 at the 1c09e787ac noisy group 2a89f733b4 sitting beside 0f021afa60 him. Maybe it was better a3e9f3be6c that his mom hadn’t 39f2a209be come after all—she wasn’t 4d3a9e0ee5 a fan of places 4d1a58225d like PC bangs or 661b02182e karaoke rooms. No matter 021f137eb1 how much 39368b3f9c he tried e60bc0c956 to convince 1f83f4d2f5 her they 354141a5a0 weren’t bad, 1953299c66 it never c9a69d0603 worked.3d12d00eb71b4be3

Thinking, When else would fc4ef70b64 I get a 3135872254 chance to hang 43a88dd36d out like this? Juyeon nodded quickly.ca2176facd4b0784

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, I’ll 27f9486994 come too.”2a4d379ebe4b5e67

“Wait, Park bd063b6948 Juyeon, do 570e101421 you even 1ac6adae53 play games?”026ac80e969e1826

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Of course.”5d523b58f7d677e8

Granted, he’d 594de2d805 get scolded 2afbede85d if he 7ab37249b7 went over 6ad640fcee his allotted 8a85eec968 gaming time e2fd0cc44a at home.096627c113e8ea4f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What? Really?”77729ab4df7ad0ef

“That’s crazy! You don’t look like 9e68c327f5 the type to go 754550c93d to a PC bang.”b553c13b36bc12a1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s that supposed to 8cd67b8573 mean?”5fbd44f301016369

Feeling slightly embarrassed but ae2c7eff05 also a little proud, 22d37d882a Juyeon gave a shy b29d9b7d48 smile. Though he b6da02849a wasn’t allowed c0b2c73f4d to play 8571839ba0 for more befc3a94ab than an 84e4a6b6d9 hour at 1c4dddab18 home, he 9e17bba628 made the b5a03af90d most of 64f7f44b0b it by 21a658f611 leveling up fe4428607c and boosting 7f7106978a his rankings 1ffce95f81 in record 3795f14274 time.cebc5cad016fb885

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Now was the a4b84a4cc7 time to show f7ed9511c2 off his skills. As soon as 3ae0c9cd2f the event wrapped 7f8a2f4056 up and it 1581429e1b was clear everyone 537f1e0bda was ready to 75a55f7b2c leave, Juyeon eagerly 08fd18cd4b led the group ecbfaa37b6 toward the PC fca8001ebb bang.b40cd63600bd9b95

It was dc35e98b5c nearly 1 7d5d533df5 PM when 9e5a71be9a Park Juyeon e4db544660 left home, 7fa63fa52c and only 5fa17e0362 two hours 0fd08bd04c had passed 631b4a43cd since. With curfew b83f3a6ce6 set at e62e0566ea 5 PM, dfbcc0f32e there was 411199840f still plenty af7f9cd6d0 of time. He quickly prepaid c08d062f41 2,000 won and 5b689e265e launched a popular 23b16666cd FPS game. That’s when it happened.d1e0e3fd5a7777b3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…?”84bf1cf6132ba129

The PC bang, fb0ff3915c which had been f43ec31c55 relatively quiet save b9e36e44b5 for Park Juyeon 66fe72827e and a few adda52af45 other soon-to-be middle f9c9ce3352 schoolers (they hadn’t f9a83ebbf1 even had their df4cdaeec6 entrance ceremony yet), 905ade508e suddenly became noisy. Curiosity sparked, and 64a6c94e7c Juyeon blinked his 9a24a48b0c big eyes as 281e7d7530 he glanced around.c209663a2f834ece

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

From the entrance, f182b6a306 a group of 709577e27f burly middle schoolers f9ed7bbd4b walked in together. Their intimidating demeanor c3c1370e42 gave the impression 191ce79358 they’d start throwing 24359208d7 punches if anyone 026fccbb19 so much as 3df01ccba4 made eye contact. Juyeon, nervous, 1b31c01d78 snuck glances 977168f448 at them 4fcec36471 from the 8d284f65a3 corner of 18f3f570f8 his eye, 93ae4bf2a5 watching their 023bc0037a behavior.22d8711f8137b0c0

“Ah, that bitch’s 327ea8da5d acting up again.”c09876176311d7e5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Why can’t you a4b322b3be just sleep with 72c0e316ce her once and c5910af227 move on?”4df516ea86844f44

“It’s been ages since we screwed, and she’s still clinging. Even though I said I deleted the video, she doesn’t believe me. What a crazy bitch.”72953f4a22d7e8a3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

…Whoa. Their language was absolutely filthy. Especially the tall guy leading the group. Juyeon, already on edge, slowly shifted his gaze back to his monitor. Those delinquent thugs he’d seen in media? They were exactly like this. Juyeon realized the best course of action was to stay as unnoticed as possible, so he quietly hit the game’s start button.32001399e85ab130

The other kids were 1ace27e862 in the same boat. As fresh graduates 8dfa130e45 from elementary school, e49a7e3d6f they couldn’t possibly 1be7ba7a70 withstand the overwhelming 510fd0702c presence of these b01780a36e obviously older and c9d9acfad6 rougher teens. Even kids who c886a3d9ff fancied themselves the 250c019981 “bosses” of their 08bafb81ce own elementary school c2cc3e7648 clammed up, focusing 377edc0bc4 intently on the 0b44e10439 in-game chat instead f6dbadcf55 of their real 8fd3fadd6e surroundings.2b1122b0afbe9b1a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Ugh…”1874b253224226ce

To be 35c1d7d5e2 honest, the 82b831ea69 oppressive atmosphere 970c5854cc didn’t bother 478f414585 Juyeon all cb6a8db8b6 that much. Compared to 77a914f7da awkward family 95a22f2e66 gatherings at 72ffb752f6 his maternal f9190a02c9 grandparents’ house 4f20ee5e36 where some b93c42b83a of his 38350fdd7e relatives subtly cde26c26e5 criticized his 429117a4a6 mother, this e3d9d30634 was way bf85dd6f36 better.9287c98bd2b0b63c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

No, the real 5ef4ac727c issue was the e20a79b5bd thick, gray haze 4521859831 of cigarette smoke 344e4cb7d1 that filled the 7f9c74b8d7 room.fbb9630307e708a8

This is insane. Not only d70498d0a9 were they 7f082783cf loudly swearing 600d2bf34a for everyone 0489e40fb6 to hear, 3e9e206305 but they c633a23a44 were also 10906faeb7 smoking. Within minutes, Juyeon’s head 71d679ce5b began to spin, and 6dbbf7550a he felt lightheaded. It seemed ebcfbb4878 especially bad 69e4cf4360 around his 2e1919774e seat. He tried to figure 7ef83cb790 out where the smoke e21babbbaf was coming from, and, 2a8545c094 sure enough, cigarette smoke 6fd4a59143 was wafting up from fad55ed2fa the seat directly in 64122de48d front of him.d481f73126a83b29

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Juyeon hated the smell a76b883648 of cigarettes and couldn’t 58fbfe7e09 hide his discomfort. Lowering his head, he ae52d383f1 sniffled slightly, unable to 48ed2438ca mask his expression.a65e186e5368935a

“Stop texting me about 800e967cfc gaming, you stupid bitch,” 873e6faaf6 someone said.7a53611f11a710a2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Just beat the 0d6d08c046 crap out of bfb798b975 her. Slap her face hard, 79183408a8 and she’ll listen.”a18ce0378173cc2c

“This must be because aa60e1df43 I’m so good at 9cd084f98b screwing. She’s totally ebefc707f5 obsessed now.”d702a429e85c6ff9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Their loud, 05b995ba77 crude voices 70f426ba9b carried easily 2e69dd1e3d over the 563173a20f partition, reaching 06c376560e Juyeon’s ears. Should I have just 9bdc3bfd22 stayed home? Getting rid of the 67fd2533d3 cigarette smell before going cabf4d9fa0 back was going to a72a641160 be a pain. He put on 440cd1dd64 his headset, trying fc643854e6 to block out e85e43600c the noise.199e953ac8b7c30f

Even the kids 44f9340fa4 who claimed to f435b10fb7 be close with a9a02371eb the “cool” older be4c8614c0 boys at school d8db9fde01 didn’t swear this f255b623b3 much in front 6d85811fa3 of Juyeon. The constant stream of b1553cc4e1 profanity, especially from the 3776503e1e boy sitting directly ahead 0db0a692ea of him, was a bbe6e889a7 cultural shock. Juyeon felt uneasy at 3cc3cba8f0 the barrage of offensive ac7ba8c147 words but kept his 974ce9c1cb reaction to himself.81a51e619a171f82

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…”a2c5beb87150b3dd

As time 6e07debe1e passed and ce694e4322 Juyeon got 065d2971ad more absorbed 3f1ead31d2 in his ef96991096 game, the e571d251d6 swearing faded 261013e1de into the 4402865b4b background, drowned f2ff65e35d out by ab289914fb the game 5ca70c150a sounds. But the persistent cigarette 92bfaf3c9d smoke was another matter. It annoyed f4a668aba7 him to 47a8aea98c no end.ea411ca78a911a99

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Staring at the 08f78ff3f4 steady stream of 159781f81b smoke with growing d32f586850 irritation, Juyeon decided b56fe014e5 he needed to 01d8766073 take a break f894420e3d and get some bbd1d16895 fresh air. If he stayed here 22a6982720 any longer, it felt d52218a134 like his lungs wouldn’t f1610df98e survive. At least, c95b5947e8 that’s how d542369851 it felt a5bdf444ad to him.b901fef307d0a232

[Guys, hang on a sec,] he typed to his friends.

After typing cbf597dfd7 that into 810413a569 the chat, 6bd5fe9646 Park Juyeon c3b1b6ef55 removed his d05c145f98 headset. He wanted to step 2ddaa33168 out to the restroom b483043f18 and breathe some fresh 1f5af35fa0 air. As he stood up, db4fdc1ca8 he unconsciously took a 4404ac494f deep breath. That was a mistake.a1a82874e61e429d

“…! Ack, cough, cough…”6fa684563f93ff86

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The smoke 6e1f862519 made him 4186fc1256 choke violently, 655309221b as if 9c20faeb40 he’d inhaled 01227d6751 something wrong. Can you even c4925ac20d choke on smoke f3bacf5d11 like this? He kept coughing, 04cfc2cd6b his throat tickling 13d7c7f71c unbearably. His face flushed 2f76caad61 red as he e0ba4670bf tried to expel 861738808e the irritation in f245b58434 his throat. It was only a43ce54174 then that he e6c6f55ee7 realized his coughing 750464427b had been loud b947de4160 enough to echo 73089759cb through the entire 9f3f09cfcb PC bang.b930790b272daab9

“…”76377b99132f6749

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…”c3a71fa07bbb32c0

In other 88ed914ed7 words, it 0d64a82aad might’ve sounded f7062db26a like a 174b5ff28e direct complaint 4dc77f8f8a to the fe4a146dd1 smokers.473fb1b9e20aa9ef

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As proof, b331f286ae the person 86c64db69f sitting directly 6c35e0124f across from f0dc427df8 Juyeon froze 3fdca8b162 mid-movement. Though the 81da589cfe partition blocked 4a76677aca most of a63f80281c him, Juyeon 235f2be981 could see df324d9c1e the guy’s 5ea0c91461 eyes and 3bba6dc0c0 nose. He paused his conversation, 0a9c5b1659 cigarette still dangling from 54477095ba his lips, and stared 8b489400d9 at Juyeon with sharp, 2ed9e451f7 cold eyes.192e65a452f57073

Unfortunately, this ea430da509 wasn’t just 872e9b37e7 anyone—it was 6f8b4f7d85 the very 391fdd066e same guy e15b8001bd who had 9b7af21778 been hurling 7441b771f6 the nastiest 6d56569e77 profanities earlier. Crap. Juyeon rarely swore, 16030ce01d but that single ab05dca96e word raced through 0b2ae1eda7 his mind.1c88e86e17005597

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Avoiding the intimidating 70ebf9d42b stare of the b54cc8ca43 delinquent, Juyeon quickly 25ffdd8453 darted out of 2eb1d3e98a the PC bang d1c4469afa and into the 4713c3f3b4 restroom. There was no way f50d9b3b82 he could stay there 398d807403 any longer.334166fcbd317a18

“…Cough, ugh…”7b4473f2e5c6d132

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

No matter b3cbc680e7 how much 8f05383c28 he tried 116b2c348a to calm 13f2985cc6 himself or 6a949586c6 paced around 65b85ed6dc the restroom, 6b7197810c the tense c20c351c92 atmosphere still 39643b6c39 clung to b88e19b20d him. Surely it’s fine now. They wouldn’t follow me out here just to extort me… would they?457526a95b9ba2f9

Judging by the fd2c993c8a guy’s school uniform, 5e133517d0 he was undoubtedly bbc001c9e9 a sunbae from the same a82ea61b72 middle school Juyeon c9befb03ae was about to e28cf4f804 attend. And judging by his 99c4aeec19 demeanor and presence, Juyeon decef92a47 feared he might get bea66a8df2 targeted for the next 5a9c5555e9 three years. Gnawing on his fingernails, 72b90f4d2c Juyeon agonized over what e2665fb57c to do before reluctantly 8a1e044ba2 returning to the PC f845220b12 bang. What else can 5170dcd4ef I do?834d3dc63a5edaa6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Other boys seated nearby e52012e77e glanced at Juyeon out f2c7ec0019 of the corner of e7c65918a4 their eyes. They seemed to 593edb8abc be trying to 381524d2ff appease the boy 545b7ab590 at the front 6211cefe2c by tossing crude 01269fdda1 jokes and playful 207b8f1b7d banter in his a25bba935f direction. Meanwhile, Juyeon’s friends ac8a12fe4a were still pretending e40aaa5f94 to focus intently a6f468622f on their games, 82c9bcbee8 their heads buried 0d95a49d8f in their monitors.3dbcbb3e24042db0

Sorry, guys… At that moment, 7cdd9d88d0 Juyeon felt like f4eacfd67b some kind of 3a9023aa96 traitor. As he 9caf6b64fc timidly approached 9fdb16974c his seat, 56ea21200e he finally 65746e42f4 got a cd6f0f5d56 good look 07c5ac7e54 at the aef0280251 boy’s face.14fb22371f71a017

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…Oh…”47af0bd31502583e

He knew it wasn’t the right time to think this. He knew it didn’t match the boy’s rough demeanor at all, but… Wow, he’s really bc6377287e handsome. Juyeon had thought b3e3975584 the guy’s eyes 04473f3d6f were striking before, 6fc4c91fe4 but now, seeing 1e057a29f0 his entire face bfbec348a5 unobstructed, it was 9718c7209c like looking at ce41573fca a child actor 4abec4be40 on TV. No—he might even be 71cd573a45 better looking than that.d622267aa04c021e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…”2d3dc4d3d8dc0971

“…Hmm.”70f7f2680998dcd2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Could he 10bd4a9d01 really be 3611146069 a child 9ac096887e actor? No, that couldn’t be 30a5034aa5 right. If an actor went 1ec975fbd7 around dressed like this, 8f670c7da1 acting like a delinquent, 2c8d53c536 it would’ve been all ef91b4a579 over the news with 9b43e9e9ca school bullying scandals or 5d68080838 something.ef350cdd514e0704

Juyeon slid his 00478e0332 chair back up e94bd407f2 to the desk ee724cb227 and sat down, df7472d409 covering his face 7eb8cd3ab1 with both hands. Is it because dcd5eb9e68 I washed my c1d4dbd712 hands in cold bd1200acc1 water? Why does my 2db5e3adf2 face feel so d6c70f791c hot?a8fe347428e0174e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even so, he 66fad9f565 hadn’t stared directly 2949e445bc at the boy; 3bebad571c it had only 0668668034 been a brief, 87a6678f24 nervous glance. And yet, the sharp 39c10c865e gaze he had received ef7f35777e lingered in his memory.cfd22f85dacb0fba

Unable to shake 9d5517c2b8 his curiosity, Juyeon 3627697e83 glanced over the 841fb0f8a4 partition, sneaking another 3c4e74dfb2 peek. He wanted 3d2b1b9f10 to take 3210b1ae9f a closer 1f61548430 look—just once.3ef7cb75c62270be

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When their 6a6ecbcd8e eyes met, b890915718 the boy fed12dc088 couldn’t seem b4271e89f6 to tear b27c9a65f2 his gaze ed0de92d4b away from d4dccead5d Park Juyeon 17d4febf57 either. Juyeon couldn’t cd6dbb68c4 tell if 67548fe43f it was 1a858330e2 the look 0c694042b0 of someone d12ba02165 preparing to cd39f17c77 confront him 86aa5c36f5 or simply c605c66d07 a casual, 7a583b7b78 meaningless glance.46db9224e762f428

“…Ah. I’m already in a foul mood today. Maybe I should just head home.”e9708380f6c6dda4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Huh? You’re really leaving?”69cf57d1aed3abd4

“Yeah, what, you think I’m joking? Get up.”10f5d9ffdf282658

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The sound of chairs scraping and rustling movements from the front row signaled that they were getting ready to leave. When Juyeon hesitantly raised his head, the boy who could easily be called the “leader” of the group was standing right in front of him, silently looking down at him. Startled, Juyeon shrank back.cd092795af769586

“…”a65f14b7936f79c0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The boy stared at 45c3c2867d Juyeon for a moment, 58f0264378 then turned abruptly and b2553d3b5d walked out without a 61253e79a1 word.1eca528882c9d2d0

It wasn’t cf09ddfd7a until the d457dc16ba group of c7c3ddecb1 delinquents had 6c2980077e left that e42808b091 the other 5467aa6a44 kids, including 167fd5f5b4 Juyeon’s soon-to-be 9cfc19131f middle school ba4c31319f peers, could 5e7d81cbd0 finally breathe 7d98580a4a again.af8ebe6772d77966

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Whoa, did you see that guy? He was terrifying,” they laughed, finally finding their voices after only speaking through game chat earlier.d222a38885e09ea1

“Park Juyeon, you’re so gutsy! How did you cough like that in that situation?”c270793b3537232e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I wasn’t trying to—it just happened…”aafe7581f34807c3

“Hey, but did you see the guy at the front? He looked scary as hell,” one of them remarked.b219f11a1057d892

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Huh? No, not at all,” Juyeon retorted immediately.dab6454948c06ee0

The others gave d7f9f9b89b him puzzled looks, 5867f0dce8 curious about what 4319e5e1d8 he meant. Juyeon, now slightly dd6517ef38 flustered, answered with 0a2f1161d9 an oddly flushed d17ec69aee face and a 95ebaa1371 serious tone.9ec8455ef2e0b7fb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“He wasn’t scary. He was… really handsome.”b6cb2ab9bc2c4af3

* * *28d44ee6f1e3d49d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

School, cram school, home. School, home, cram school, 12cbeb5a78 home. Park Juyeon’s life b3c27e6f16 was a repetitive ad4852b0d5 cycle of the 3a93204e34 same pattern, day 6f9755f4d3 in and day 77167ef1df out, unless it e48a9c5dba was a particularly 8a77dc5c64 special occasion. Even a hamster running f5029b1eed on a wheel might 0040e34282 have a more varied d6270df069 routine than he did.b21981cdc50b816d

Living so 7b1fa4ff0c close to 01c35d4794 school, he a2e33b61cf would head 46514a057e straight home c41d554f4b as soon 06e778d50b as classes 1c960846c9 ended, avoiding 300f14ebcb any encounters 511ed1ef96 with troublesome 44b89158b6 groups entirely. Because of f8d031f3e6 this, Juyeon fbaf0f90e5 had no 4564015fda idea who eb5a9abdf0 these people 3b36176eab were, what f14572a9c6 they were a32c41ead2 like, or 381606a5c3 how much 64a9d26e21 influence they a415260ce9 wielded in fae19af1bd the area. His focus was ca28a6a1b0 entirely on his 528e8ae843 school life.6cd38de29e285724

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It wasn’t until about af935626b5 a month into the 3d82117bc6 new school term that 5805ce18fc he learned about their f6e3821872 identities through his classmates. Based on the descriptions, 37465a0748 they were clearly people a1b5242cf0 to avoid at all b855d4f1e5 costs. Yet, deep down, Juyeon 160d074dec had an inexplicable streak 5ee6ee2412 of defiance. While everyone else tried 0670eac49b their hardest to steer 65c5f7ad5c clear of them, Juyeon f672f68028 found himself quietly hoping e720a52e2e for an encounter.82788c2089a0d79f

He began wandering places he thought they might frequent—up the stairwell to the rooftop, behind the school near the trash area, or the dark, secluded parking lot. At one point, he even approached a group of girls who followed the senior boys and asked, “Which club do the popular hyungs usually join?” He learned that it was supposedly the band club, though later he found out they had lazily signed up for the literature club to avoid actual participation.a1d608a96ba7c53e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The thought of something bad happening if they met never crossed his mind. Juyeon had lived such a sheltered life that the most “trouble” he had experienced was being scolded by his mother. He couldn’t even imagine what might go wrong. Instead, he entertained the idea of running into them with an unspoken anticipation.adb268f9a6604b64

It seemed 3082f60b8c that his 42fd6e741d subtle yet 9bfe69b02e persistent efforts d181376434 didn’t go 8e0c7ae8c5 to waste.ad4b1ad952db71bd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

One breezy 530f730588 spring afternoon f76e6c6e8a during lunch, 98a0537a2a Juyeon noticed 7a889520e5 something different 2bf22f412c as he f80400d331 cautiously pushed 34773d993d open the 8e42493db1 rooftop door—it ab4612642d wasn’t locked. He took it 06c34791fc as a sign ea3dfe31df of good fortune. Though the 9108f1a1f7 idea crossed b753d339f3 his mind, 7970bf9051 he didn’t 2bb5dc73c8 let himself 57c6c9380b hope too 3d94712f2a much for 48fb679eca a meeting, 5639cecb7b as he’d 89ceded4a8 missed them 06d81df24d so many d261a21519 times before. Instead, he was 7a3fc49bbe simply excited to 2cf893bcef explore a new 9e6dbb6d2e space.6803521df05d7e36

He momentarily forgot 21319a4e38 that sneaking onto 623e813a3b the rooftop could 52c8718b40 land him in 345265790e hot water with 635527ec0c the school’s disciplinary bd4cc0b1eb office. Approaching the fe7cbd27dd railing, he a991c21000 looked down 724305df06 at the 609a2f68c2 schoolyard from 4abf27bb3a above. So this is ed791c9cf7 what our field aa2c01100c looks like from 3adc50d459 here. The spring breeze was 9ad3e07a99 still chilly, but it 6c47c2f087 felt refreshing nonetheless.ed25c59f3af22a6f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Park Juyeon had 718b5e1210 been staring down c1540859a2 at the wide c310f4b9a8 sports field for d9f2a05f89 a while, holding 1da0a75398 onto the railing, 9289a2a00a when suddenly, someone bb3a1cdf66 tapped him on 6be0eb645e the shoulder from 4470a1e66c behind.aee53f2fc3cb3587

“Hey.”7eafcd5e4804001d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“!”a5a7590d81d63598

It was 4ea50950cf a voice 0cad4c4b02 he had 129550c94e heard before. Startled, Park 562585631a Juyeon’s body 2d72a1537d swayed violently, 7d4b3c4a07 and he 0a7139ca32 almost fell 38edd28c8e forward. The railing was aaf4b1e767 there, so he 59c0ae544f wouldn’t fall, but 95ee456c33 just losing his dd2b3484f9 balance made his 2a10e01029 heart skip a f54de41dd1 beat. At that moment, 457ea20c9a the person behind fef7e116b4 him grabbed his ffd864b409 waist and yanked 1ccd0c8471 him back.f0cac65eebf1f9fc

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…”9ca44ca2cfe9a869

Before he realized c26833541f what happened, Juyeon 1eaac23173 found himself leaning 956da60b71 against the person’s 005b36ab1f chest. He quickly blinked, 4e24093b49 still trying to 085ca03be4 process what was ce1908f8e1 going on. As he tried to baf3995068 calm his racing heart, 610c05f7a9 he heard a tongue fc39800f5f click from above.28982255c6760e91

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“What are you doing here? Are you an idiot?”a91d467e20f483df

“Ah, no…”c8b7158be581cb2b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Or are you just some loner? Why are you sneaking in here alone trying to fall?”658b2888d4d813b8

Park Juyeon slowly raised a05c46bc33 his head to see d692201353 the person holding him. The familiar, yet unfamiliar, a6ccedcb42 scent of cigarettes hit f4c3610512 him immediately. The boy, looking dccddf4de1 effortlessly handsome, furrowed 61a8dd148d his brow as 8de5d133b1 he looked down 5e57b051a4 at Juyeon. For a f50b89da40 moment, Park e5eab76239 Juyeon’s eyes e48344a885 widened.35a1833d90c1732d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…? Wait. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”7a6b3c5598cfe9bc

Juyeon’s heart 3c9a20dc10 skipped again, 2b692fb429 dropping slightly db57902061 at first, e65bbdd2b3 then spreading f644b2401f warmth and 0deee9f530 a subtle 0688f15bc9 vibration through c2f2ed11be his body. It felt like c59089eede his ears were e4fa4fef36 burning for no 221c5b5a96 reason. It was a 5888d7c847 physical reaction he 4af9931d68 wasn’t even fully a035fc71c7 aware of.6038f7f25e8bad1f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…”efbd391efc570094

Embarrassed, Juyeon 975c22aa8d struggled to 4458d0d554 speak. He kept bbf8cfab98 his mouth abbf0f24d3 tightly shut 87b1e1d8f8 and just d832b5e8bc stared at 9c084bec4b the boy’s 640cc3e042 face.8596238f17019d41

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The boy bc12ffa640 seemed just e6e273de5e as confused. He continued to 96a573a5c8 scowl, looking at 6dbc493a28 Juyeon, who was 00d9f6a1a3 still leaning against cb76cd3b2d him. Damn, this kid’s really pretty. The boy 859b1c5407 muttered to f7f87e5dc0 himself. He wasn’t great at e97109fca0 remembering faces, but one c980c6b56a like this would be 1aed216c5d hard to forget.4b15e1de06146c55

“Ah, I remember now. Hey, we’ve met before.”378eb0d2896b3fd0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Huh?”2d2356bca85e1afb

“Stop pretending you don’t know, damn it. You were sitting in front of me at the PC bang. Don’t you remember?”787e6b9843355524

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Ah, yeah, yeah. You’re right.”78ad67e08254bc79

So he remembered. He remembered me. Park Juyeon forgot the a56d60ffb6 tense atmosphere from back 2524aea366 then and smiled softly, c8b9bf0562 his eyes narrowing. It was then that 7d76eb3566 the boy’s face, which 0128aace86 had been scowling the a5e20f14ab whole time, showed a b7f4d4d533 brief hint of confusion. The boy, as if 3c5452826a to snap out of 5f4a3ca15d it, pushed Juyeon away.61efe865c9ab13d3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Hey, hey. Get lost.”573451eaaec91c0f

“Huh?”7e697d6a4512f497

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Get lost. I’m gonna smoke now.”5bd4c3e5f4b2084d

Usually, when someone acted 24b152c72a so rough like this, 1ec6abfda1 others would back off, ec5355106e but this small kid 2060debb25 didn’t budge, not even c8f67dabce averting his gaze from 070476a854 the boy’s face. The boy 0048536e9a felt oddly 1f40aaa795 irritated.744777ac1fad258e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Fuck. I was gonna let you go nicely since you’re kinda cute, but why aren’t you leaving…?”b9da3585bc98890c

“Could you tell me your name?”6561da331d586bc9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What?”4371a76ae6bf8364

“I’m Park Juyeon.”0f7cd4c5ac6860b5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The delicate face, 6f187358ee which had probably 82c8d88ce5 never experienced anything 2dcfcb8e82 harsh in life, 481f3c8fb9 once again broke 686f36278e into a bright 260240aff4 smile. The boy, forgetting even d0135b8983 to light the cigarette 882b2f7e04 in his mouth, stared 2b08dea780 at Park Juyeon blankly, 74e5616d62 just like how the 88c75a4fbf kid had looked at 25b3dc9c67 him.c1ac03183b973d1f

“Heh…”36bd88d4be3dbce1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

What kind of 4e8baadd47 kid is this? To the boy, Park 12ad045f1b Juyeon seemed like a ee50326637 rather interesting person.794b47831f638c13

First, it bdf5f76bf9 was funny 9bd4f1b1f5 how he 2d211a4e54 still acted 44cc10ed91 like he c72d211353 didn’t know 01a7efc870 the boy, a48f98f1c9 even though b568c6c55e he had 37ef34dd01 been at 660f79886f the school c0b313066d first. Then there was f13a1f18c3 his bright and c47ebf9cb8 untroubled expression and d08fcb496b behavior, which was e9c58d67b8 curious. Wow, damn. This kid 8ba1b9b116 must’ve been 6513e9ef6e raised in 5143469478 a really 267c3ffaa1 fancy way. Is he from a dbced20bf0 rich family? The boy thought to f505b58202 himself as he lit 2a04629eba the cigarette. After a deep f9435048d6 drag, he exhaled 166b7a569b and answered casually.d5519d5d9083d7e8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Kwon Jiwook.”4853bf325f81d1a6

“Can I call you Hyung?”4486252826dbc1cb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What? Hyung?”d6fe440294af2390

“Yes, Jiwook Hyung.”0949e0f15a716d7f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Kwon Jiwook ccbc017f2b raised an f9ae690f36 eyebrow, as 870fa80550 if he 13c5c43ed3 had heard cc0da992d5 something unbelievable. Park Juyeon, b332047867 still smiling, 0fce92b821 nodded.611b61a7a76d3a8b

“I want to call you Hyung.”aa95ed93444059e3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…Sure.”7efe3eefcbb351a6

“Thank you.”2d631ab8435de5cb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

After speaking so boldly e699b1c7c7 up until now, it d2d3619d40 was a little amusing da5fdb12fd how Park Juyeon now b58d2a15c5 bowed politely, almost to 423b625c62 the point of being 1a2be98a33 too formal. Kwon Jiwook 3e7e2e5f37 chuckled and 55be529254 gestured for c3ae196006 him to 7fbfcedd77 leave. The bell 132ac25170 for the 7cfa267b94 5th period 7e71a1b4a0 had just 3d7edf0ad8 rung.85815eb81ed58421

Park Juyeon bowed again, 43481855f6 feeling proud, and opened f569b7880e the rooftop door. Just as he did, 158c10edb3 a group of boys, fe3e10346e presumably Kwon Jiwook’s friends, 1d575446dd walked in, bumping into 3e224cf86d him. Their gazes met in 196fe8d638 the air.dbbe17f1b4fb152e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There was a 376897a000 trace of confusion 11f8162eaa about the unfamiliar e73701ed51 presence in their 80bf4eb231 eyes. It lasted only a 13144b4afa moment, though. They passed by ccb607682e Park Juyeon nonchalantly, 683638c4d1 greeted Kwon Jiwook 25389c8208 like old friends, fc4e8af9f2 and gathered around 11b8561e96 him. Park Juyeon tilted his 16a656416c head in confusion and 05c8bc4b46 quickly descended the rooftop 9a550b75df stairs. From a 780eb59cf5 distance, he 175486595d could hear 9bdc3047a0 their usual 38d9668eab noisy chatter, 6d6cbbb9b1 laced with c5d9c60b1b curses.ecd2f6400f468683

“…”06bd842536e935f4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It wasn’t until e70ca40fc2 he entered the 134a33abe4 classroom that Park 864ed37748 Juyeon realized why f0604a5070 his heart was 01a28fcbd8 pounding. He had been ignoring 44b2859379 it until now, but 97873f621f as soon as he 5bdcfa04ce saw him, his face fc4d6e6125 flushed, and it was df5bfc3827 impossible not to notice. Every time he recalled 5e0f1f1ab6 that brief moment they e99b46cc96 crossed paths, his chest 14252b76a0 fluttered. Park Juyeon couldn’t c1540fb504 help but cover 5adef85b0d his mouth. Really, he’s so handsome.eb89e2a5b65b439a

Living a life 90d2dc3f91 with no failures, 63b0a105f0 the well-kept boy, 1566d13a86 Park Juyeon, became e9e3f84d0d quite proactive in f84e6091e1 seeking out Kwon 36761c1644 Jiwook after that 7fd7eff14b day. Finding him f4c29ef046 wasn’t easy. It was obvious. It was hard b4c5de5ae9 to search the 75e479ce2f entire school in 59b068a210 just a 10-minute c8519476c3 break, and skipping da38c1c8d4 classes wasn’t an f1229f17e3 option either. They only occasionally 444f4a42f3 met on the 88bdc26f21 rooftop, where they 395a770a6a had first encountered 240a093799 each other after 0e9e562e26 the school year 9f22ca52bd began.d1f37ece21f3d8ec

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The first meeting 6dbe1a5757 became a second, a994a97c5f then a third, e99fae8a6f and eventually it e92a821433 became a daily 0fa45355f7 routine. The rooftop during b9f47f2c6c lunch hours slowly 00d1c31d4d became an unspoken b79592039a meeting spot for 8ee8b92a64 them.c8d886f6f4fdc16a

At some point, 22b3219a78 Kwon Jiwook stopped 191948ce86 smoking in front 8dea5df528 of Park Juyeon. He started d9e52bbb50 matching Juyeon’s 017da9d13d rhythm, joining dab7a756ba in on 42ffa0b5ca his conversations 3e9c3c76ab and exchanging 1766423d0d casual jokes. Whenever Park Juyeon bd1dd45e41 smiled brightly, Kwon 1a3c2fc1c7 Jiwook would smile 9637b09202 back, a charming 2cc810c616 grin of his 2577216b18 own. One day, when 8870a3da73 Kwon Jiwook poked 89974e4c81 Park Juyeon’s cheek 6908ac330a with his finger, b521e979d3 Juyeon finally understood 5de4767b0c what it meant 8fa511b5d8 to feel like 2d01cdbca6 his heart might ca6a69609e explode. It happened even c54ba88969 more so when e6e9b27831 the boy ruffled bde8b920cd his hair. The excitement kept d616471887 building up, little 82121478cb by little. When they were alone 6a2cca59e0 together, Park Juyeon never f443a61b4d found Kwon Jiwook scary.a962fb07ccf14978

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

If he had to ec00acfa28 point out something unusual, d0c5bdd3ab it would be that 32a6e38636 Kwon Jiwook completely ignores 816680fc9c Park Juyeon when he’s b5610eceb4 with his group. Toward the end fe1e3b3a61 of lunch, when 7194a088e0 his friends show 7cb8bd629c up, or sometimes cb5a16aa13 when they run 50a3112bd5 into each other 1f1b9a5b08 in the hallway, 175a34a727 Kwon Jiwook walks cb0a4eef14 right past Park 4d5cb41090 Juyeon coldly. There was one time 4b37473482 when Park Juyeon tried 43f4abc50c talking to him, but b15ae21772 Kwon Jiwook glared at 4c77069b4b him so fiercely that 1165d8bd29 he flinched.5925e33dd21f3a90

Still, Park Juyeon was ad354fd87d fine with it. He knew Kwon 5508ab95b4 Jiwook’s kind side, cce5d2883b something only he d7a677cd5f had witnessed. If anyone else bde01c1b7b had been in dc199f769d his place, it 2747cb9788 was clear that 84e5254c87 Kwon Jiwook would 3c426b9ff2 have shown a 09daefc96a rougher attitude, even 10bfbcdc96 when they were 013c3ee28f alone.9a6a92bcff5ef237

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“But why 4d66ceb5eb does he 6ffb3d2c53 say things e34d1ff6b3 to me 7654a1de1f when there db008a0521 are other a50c81019e people around?”48229de87c34bc64

“…Did someone 66f13c9fff curse at d9dc924e3a you?”4fa5002a8580c7f4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The woman, who had been quietly chewing her food while listening to her son’s chatter, widened her eyes in surprise.65ad7e054642757a

“Yes. Um. But I 7aa1efedef think that’s 1cd7c9ac76 just the 9807f3dc98 way Hyung eac31916f1 is. It’s his personality, 3ecaad9ccc I guess.”9524550d62c62ab2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Still, cursing… that’s a bit…”d1211bf028f7d3cf

She immediately put d8bd41a0ca down her chopsticks, cfed66c617 unable to hide ada74be15b her discomfort. Park Juyeon’s mother, 9c66380e1e Park Yewon, who 54d0ae01eb looked so much 379ce73628 like her son dd27275b79 that it was bc14de7a56 almost uncanny, covered 62465b9ad3 her mouth with 4153ba24b9 a serious expression e499c7ca0e as she mumbled af63fb82a0 to herself.5ab23578017d941a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Is this the 9aaca4d8e3 issue when you 575f822ff9 start middle school? Friendships, I mean?”eb2942e284bea07a

“Huh?”e0bbfe07c4d13549

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Never mind. Eat your food.”d7a4baf6e4c1fc77

Even without her a8ac143f3b saying it, Park 1a4ee714bc Juyeon was calmly d898c05d9d eating without any 9ac224a0ad problem. What should she 65fdc42c05 say about this? Should she say d426efb996 something, or should 35654f21a4 she stay quiet? Park Yewon’s instincts told b5fcbeea7a her that this was 58e6c12a4d the turning point in 33db61c491 her son’s school life. Whether he would 44c4634d8f make good friends 269972dbe2 or bad ones 417c68631b would likely be f7713ccfd2 decided now, at dd57f8643b this moment. After a 8b527876f9 brief moment 9bc4c77682 of hesitation, cafdd596a9 she added 08c5b29882 more.d87844066cc27dd9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Juyeon, if you’re around 8538a54c5d friends like that, your 5de3b5fd58 personality might get a f6cc593fa8 little brighter, since you’re f285e821c6 usually so shy… but…”af06a8ff2d7ee4b3

“I have e5539db2f4 a lot 047662e424 of fun ad643e679b with my 95ba3a4dd1 friends outside.”cab8605beab5df60

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, let’s say that. But I 9fda23b38f don’t think db17df24ea that Hyung 002187c1b1 is a c14ef58619 good influence bc92581bfb on you.”fa57518161e58275

“Why?”877e6bff99590e1f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“He’s the type who a025b509f6 just messes around. He curses 06c10472e6 at you a94072fca8 too.”477d051c18a16f5c

It was 7fd9b26ea3 Park Yewon’s a46685f8bb honest opinion. From the way 65bb51b42b her son talked bd2f3e6e91 about him, that af38f2d1ae boy didn’t just 9355526643 mess around; he f7a1774df8 was what you’d 80f9f41494 call a troublemaker. Putting her ef22548983 precious son 878406e03f in a 62ceda5e89 situation like 34ecf0d98a that? It was absolutely 557fc1cb78 not a good b5cc000988 idea. The saying don’t go where ee27626549 the crows play wasn’t made up 182f53efd5 for nothing.f3940a7d333272e2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“He’s nice 08a45fd713 to me, b40787a462 though.”ffffb7093013cb38

“But doesn’t he 202327170d say stuff when d82324c94f other people are c6c3c8b634 around? Is that really cc6c876d66 being nice?”94f8b45cd847b1e8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…”d8e233d739d78d3d

“When cursing escalates, 940ff414a3 it turns into eafbbf787f violence, and when 1db9be09fa violence escalates, it 48c9209883 turns into murder. Think carefully. Is that 8d10cb686b really a a03f7f2e65 good kid?”76f5aba4a98ce37f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Park Juyeon put his f5ae443ab7 spoon down with a 87c2d11fda sulky expression, and his 66743b6611 mother’s heart softened as 482c38d68c she saw him like a7f6b28318 that. She couldn’t e8d59a1798 help but 56eb540e43 feel her 91cb8df0f4 heart melt 8226c5c57d as a 1c13dea6be mother, so 2d76c404ab she tried 4a39adec23 to comfort ed17499e10 him with e5e835982e a more 1c537f231c gentle expression.0f7fb38da894d812

“Sweetheart, I’m not 21f86c071e scolding you right d39a40dfdb now. You know b35a36d3af that, right?”07f7210a4adfb388

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I know.”712a8db9064d16ca

“Juyeon, do you really like that Hyung?”d5bf9aa1e3c7c789

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I do.”6744509e2e337ad2

“…”ff40cc9bb73cfbf0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was rare 2a3751c2fa for her son f93380b9c2 to express his 17e1b792cc likes and dislikes ad9b8a1184 so clearly. Unsure whether 7d4c2629dd this was 82903791d7 a good 9c390a0ee9 sign or 699d3c5d2c not, Park 05cf6952e1 Ye-won tried db39c2bc77 to hide 353b73ad47 her uneasy f8ab84a39b feelings and 16281d0dfc forced a a40dcfa012 smile.085b92c3183ed013

“Alright, if something happens, you have to tell me right away.”92e7e740092e4f27

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I’m fine. Nothing’s going to happen.”4b38e5622186f165

Park Juyeon vaguely sensed his mother’s anxiety. He roughly knew what she was worried about. But he believed it was just an overreaction. Even from an objective perspective, his relationship with Kwon Jiwook wasn’t bad at all, so there was no reason to worry.1fcd939e5cfe3f63

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

* * *b8eb1c8b0eca49a3

As time passed, a15603c420 it became more e6b51df580 common for Park 961e4aec93 Juyeon to show 262f7afe2b up in the 68ef42ba89 eyes of the 41ac319926 bullies. It was inevitable. Sometimes, it was e1441287e2 difficult to avoid afd328b31f crossing paths with 12e8afee3e Kwon Jiwook and 63cebc20be his friends. At first, Kwon Jiwook 69d7c9e103 was hesitant to meet 3511990191 Park Juyeon when he 9698523554 was with someone else, 7901fa6a4c but over time, he 21f0819a7a got used to it. Eventually, he even a93b963e0e began to laugh 2a67767336 and play along 9fd9f11439 when Park Juyeon c9f1d1a604 would joke around bc5e24b52f with him in f20bf25b88 front of his 222338f13d group. The days when c696a1ef9c Kwon Jiwook would 8f49481f9f tell him to 28c9bbd654 get lost were fecdd28e05 long gone. Park Juyeon, who d66241d24b had been making d8b9ef0c58 his presence known f4b52428d4 everywhere, had become 33cf061019 a part of 64ae3f8eed their group.8481d2d68e681d26

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He’d even convinced his mother to tailor his uniform to fit his growing frame, had tried smoking once, and visited someone’s house to drink or watch explicit videos. The only real difference between Park Juyeon and Kwon Jiwook’s third-year group was how much they paid attention in class.55649be52129010c

At home, he f76b6dd33f was a well-behaved 3566e34a5b model student who aebe4bf15f listened to his 255acbc9ba mother. Among his classmates, everyone 01ff94c60d knew who he hung 0174f44179 out with, and no f5be1cf314 one dared to mess 3fa8ea0d5f with him. It meant there was 7c31f747c3 no one around to f6f68812f5 warn him about anything c2ffc1a1de strange. So, Park Juyeon b13a2639d6 just went along 05f25890b6 and had fun. Everything he 073011b22e did with cdbf327d36 Kwon Jiwook f54f8e50ae was exciting.d96dad4a26e2a347

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sometimes, when people teased them, asking if they were dating, Park Juyeon would notice Kwon Jiwook’s stiff expression, but even then, imagining such a scenario felt so sweet that he didn’t care. This was what it meant to truly like someone. Even if they did bad things, the person still shone brightly in his eyes. He could tell that he had completely fallen for Kwon Jiwook.d747ae11acb163a9

It was such an embarrassing thought that he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, but the truth was, Park Juyeon had imagined dating Kwon Jiwook. After all, the person Kwon Jiwook had been most considerate of, at least in the first year, was Park Juyeon. So it wasn’t strange for him to have hopes.1dd1ef67940ce065

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

However, not everything about school life could be so satisfying. As Park Juyeon spent more time with Kwon Jiwook’s group, he naturally grew distant from his first-year peers. He had become distant from the classmates he had gotten along with at the start of the semester, and even friends from elementary school had become distant, with only a brief greeting when they passed by. Whenever Park Juyeon approached them, they would either avert their eyes or avoid him completely.1eb1b7d9252f1e15

“…”fe09a4b8f71356ec

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…?”e7501944b4c7015d

He hated that. No matter 3cdb81f9c7 how rough a32276f83c the people 4e65ce83a7 around him db6736d8f3 were, Park b5bc17e4f1 Juyeon’s true 9a170b8845 nature wasn’t c3e642842a like that. He didn’t 8b132d05bf want to 821686d27d become someone 187a013fcc others would 25744e7fed avoid, and b9ba7969b0 he always daf3fb2a88 longed for 1249bdb85b affection from 63fe93e8c9 everyone. Yet, Kwon d6e9bad94a Jiwook seemed 2d1477154f to enjoy cff6368410 that mix ace5ad3943 of awe 18c175d033 and fear 96299acbfd from others, 51f24b52dc which was a25a891a10 fascinating to 8b88f9a46e him.8d0cab008edfc9db

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Hey. What are you thinking about?”a7b44480cf33f5e7

Kwon Jiwook, who 43da765f1c had been noisily 6142dc5395 talking with swear c8fa8926e5 words, noticed Park 57aaa9937c Juyeon lost in 97bc0486da thought. He bent down to 94ffc73e90 match his height and 36f97f7049 met Park Juyeon’s gaze. Park Juyeon’s c12d562028 eyelashes fluttered e311014265 rapidly, as 93ead0165c if startled.dfe0f6e2520ba9ba

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Huh? I wasn’t thinking about anything.”4646aa271e98e468

“You’re lying. Did you hear what I just said or not?”70e51ac7f1d68307

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…….”20c66226c87162a8

“I knew it.”efb4e127fd465139

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Kwon Jiwook, who had been teasing him, poked Park Juyeon’s small head with his finger. Park Juyeon pouted his lips, feeling Kwon Jiwook’s gaze just below his eyes, but he didn’t take it too seriously.8b5057347604f07c

“Hey. Say it again. He didn’t hear you.”bff57f8e7b25718b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Ugh, Park Juyeon is so annoying.”0bb97864dbfaca0c

“I’m sorry.”f808f344a9c04ed8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Park Juyeon ad1589ef2e apologized with 011949a7a9 a sweet, 31b1e9ce32 cheeky smile. This was 2e88d651e9 usually enough 4d890428cf for them 6dc2c1b48f to let ecdf65bbf7 it slide. The boy who had d0e74f3afb been chatting quickly cleared ca7ff09917 his throat and repeated 775e7d6925 himself.3655b7a950a0d2ce

“No, let’s drink at my house tonight.”8435f4286cdea478

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You guys drank just a few days ago, right?”b6a75e29a81ba043

“Tonight, we’re staying up and drinking. No one’s home at my place.”e3822c1c6db9817b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Huh? Ah….”a44c9492e8691f77

“Don’t back out. Don’t back out, Park Juyeon. Jiwook, you keep him close. Got it?!”1a49a5ddfc7737c6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Uh….”2e5b3df3bc67c1c9

An overnight stay wasn’t ff98c158ed something Park Juyeon had 63b6f9ecdf expected. It sounded absurd. The Hyungs had a8ddfa2920 always let him c7b40124ca come home early 9de357180d before. Stuck in a dilemma, 6f82469a3d Park Juyeon cautiously spoke 4115751723 up, not knowing what be18067d97 to do.51a6dc01d0d82a7e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“My mom’s definitely not going to let me stay out overnight….”f84b5c826bd0d02c

“Hey, idiot, did your mom let you smoke or drink all those times?”b3eddff61864af3a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Well, even so….”9fbf6576f31db7ff

He already smelled like cigarettes from hanging out with them, and his mother had started to grow suspicious, even though he didn’t actually smoke. Park Juyeon furrowed his brows in frustration. Kwon Jiwook, who had been silently watching, shrugged his shoulders and casually spoke.1021f8808a305376

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“If you say you don’t want to, what can we do? If you don’t come, you’re just going to be out of the group. You’ll get a beating.”79f160d93eed36ea

“Hyung!”fbfe3ca548e01278

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I’m joking.”db4d670a3975b787

“Getting a beating, huh?” Park Juyeon looked at Kwon Jiwook, feeling irritated. Kwon Jiwook immediately answered with a grin, then playfully grabbed Park Juyeon’s cheek, stretching it until it hurt, making him wince. Tears almost welled up in his eyes.6e4af8ac52f3e793

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m just kidding. Are you mad?”f3962ac8de5f3da5

Park Juyeon couldn’t bring himself to say anything and just rubbed his cheek sulkily. Kwon Jiwook’s handsome face twisted into a mischievous expression, and his playful smile made him look so carefree and refreshing.54e20f8d6bba42e3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

That was Kwon Jiwook. Even though he acted tough, he occasionally showed a vulnerable side in front of Park Juyeon. For the other kids, who had spent at least two more years than Park Juyeon, it was easy to see that, and it made them think of the word “homo.” But thinking back to the time he’d joked about it and got beaten up on a rainy day by a different friend (who was still undergoing treatment), Park Juyeon awkwardly laughed instead of saying anything.52ea33edced0c3c3