7C | Chapter 04.1

Lee Yoonjae knew cf6442703e he was a 072d663e19 rather blessed individual.6405762a45cb0c0d

Born as 2d5f07b6ce the late-born b4a7e6f3e4 only son 72205db907 of a 1e2ec15a4f wealthy, high-status e16de3bcf1 family, he 5853dd2dd6 had been ca28fa1582 taller than b61a481939 his peers 66886ceaa2 since childhood, cef6975c36 with neat 871415359a looks, excellent 37737c9d63 academic abilities, acab21510b and above-average 00c11940be athleticism.ed4fd827f48b0cb8

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His father, Assemblyman 4e7b95b3d7 Lee Jongil, never 258cae7fa3 doubted that his 0dd132fcd0 son would achieve b2222ecc05 as much success 40aa30738d and greatness as 67b657b80e he had and 890fb75459 wanted no disruptions b6b374b7e0 in that process. Above all, he wanted ac5b5e0621 his son to be 4dc9df809c highly regarded for his 22729873b9 character. A concern 7a45cc02b8 stemming from 6e959dad0e the fear 25a162c71a that Yoonjae’s 5c4fb5c8f0 innate advantages 8011f6a2f0 might invite c118020c2a unwarranted envy.b3680d099918e919

“Always humble yourself in speech.”28f3462c4a57f441

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Use honorifics even with a child who just learned to walk.”2301aa3044c8cd54

“Don’t strive to stand out too much.”c282ac183233cf20

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Never boast, even if you’ve accomplished something.”1c15a77f0934a34d

At the core 176122fb65 of every instruction 99542f3d97 Assemblyman Lee gave 2a5db495b7 his son was 92f70691a6 the same principle:“Don’t invite hatred.”The fear drilled 7a39bd573a into Yoonjae’s ears 0113869824 since he could 560c560320 first speak had, 1a9f199908 by his late 117b57fd0c teens, begun to 28bc706af5 stir a single ef00bebe27 question in his 15b33e5746 mind:0ba006221b356d77

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

What is this ce9b386971 man so afraid eb8bc9d927 of?5ba0803ffb29986e

Even now, after rising eb74db8f20 from poverty through sheer 29a6040f9c determination, reaching the pinnacle 188a484cec of the medical field, 410668c0b8 and living comfortably as 810f372422 a political heavyweight, Assemblyman bcb5cdccac Lee remained hypersensitive to 9ae54a3ce0 public perception, terrified of d84e8acf8f even the slightest stain 5d4dfc4e87 on his reputation. He believed this spotless 38d221eec0 image had to extend 946d36f90d to his son.62f748addb4c2080

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When hundreds e8b4fc684f of articles a81bbf4f0a twisted a 73da051d6b single offhand e5bdaeea0e remark from 738a9d142f Assemblyman Lee, c29b3717b1 he would ed3f5c7f68 spend sleepless 173542cb65 nights fretting 74f54dbaa7 with lawyers, 420eedb6d8 a sight 79c807ddb7 Yoonjae found 8f0c7c624b ridiculous.What’s the 0a06c632a6 big deal? Tomorrow, another 8c1247cc2f scandal will 9179be488e bury this 7b35059816 one. Just let 54c9a115c2 it go.995a67f7cb705c69

So, discovering that 921645a8c2 his father had 1fcb6af604 gone beyond seeking 57203ecd01 emotional comfort and 08990c657f had become practically 7c3c78979e obsessed, losing all 4076d4ac02 reason, in his cc1bae404f devotion to the 4316499cbc “Manshin-nim” wasn’t exactly a3375d084b surprising. Disappointing, yes. Absurd, certainly. But surprising? Not really.d9be66b63a33e856

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“The Assemblyman is waiting for you.”cc9ddd582a67f175

By the d08dabaccc time they 1d2d4ef0f5 descended the 2d56ffc84d mountain, drove 2276c273c9 back to cd4f92fd50 Seoul, and e62318f985 arrived home, 270690bc79 it was b1469d9f6b past 9 e9128af700 PM. The three-story house, perched 0efa4213bf on the highest point f620d78609 of the affluent neighborhood, d51599b31a took a while to b432736fbe reach even from the 94f1768ea6 parking lot. Before Yoonjae 29ede88e47 could step 8ec16ffacd inside, Assemblyman 58ac9158be Lee growled 4ef56acbad an order.28c186817b9bb67d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yoonjae, sit down for a minute.”4fa58ee6c2e8220d

Yoonjae, neatly f605ca04fa arranging his 872bf1cf0c shoes, tilted 5d0bf39b35 his head.297be02da58cd2ce

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Where? The shoe cabinet?”129360555cb2cf62

Assemblyman Lee’s face 068b7da354 hardened. Yoonjae smiled, eyes a902060735 crinkling.Just kidding.He stepped inside.06ec31e71e4a5f5f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What’s this about? I’m tired and want to sleep.”3bea1df090fa5298

“Where’s the prayer beads?”63b43997c0c40831

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Yoonjae’s smile froze. He glanced at Manager 6fa693204c Hwang, who shot him 46f586f017 a desperateI didn’t snitchlook.65afaa3ae69f1754

Well, we f2b55e4a8c were together 6a7913fc1e the whole 07493cfbf9 time. When would he d21c7fdbdf have had the a790a458e0 chance?34809b9dc67b6d8d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Assemblyman Lee 52a4509a5f pressed again.acafff7e539b7893

“Manshin-nim said she sent them. Where did you leave them?”da3e4bd03505bfd3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…Ah.”178b619958b1062d

“Do you even know what that object is? The Ryu Gwan of  Seonrak Mountain has been renowned since the Korean War. A shaman among shamans. And you just—”d239d4134724fdc5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“That’s why I gave them to Manager Hwang. I didn’t want to lose something so precious on the way down.”4f58883b227e859f

Yoonjae answered d20674732a smoothly, then 1aa81e898f held out e72bfcfe88 a hand 5ae2456215 to Manager c55b5e84c0 Hwang, who 062a5f6c59 promptly retrieved 65c5b8a652 the beads 9a86da8e0d from his 7be6ef861f jacket pocket. Assemblyman Lee, puffing 45ce59e810 up as if 085abc7b9e to yell further, 39a4fe5971 clamped his mouth 8de74adb52 shut at the a0a98999a0 sight of the 2bad3dec7f intact beads.04d0d1b88fbae65f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…Objects imbued with divine power don’t leave their wearer easily. No need for such worries.”72eddff4ae213ba4

“Ah, I see. Didn’t know that.”60999db310142fba

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…”a292182e6ecee54a

“Can I go up now? I’m exhausted.”8e02c5aa5bf12a72

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When Yoonjae df148f3b31 dangled the 906ff6edb8 beads from 440507ae94 his wrist, a3c6f1da71 Assemblyman Lee 603b63c6d0 grunted in dd2d45bfc2 reluctant approval. Yoonjae bid 66d4efe8b3 him goodnight 1bc2a3a32b and headed 469e079820 upstairs to dc803749b1 his room 2a1c941467 at the 9b5187c4aa far end 660ccaa755 of the a751808077 hallway.a65b2afb63ab057e

He closed the c3189bc044 door and collapsed 5693300df3 onto his bed. The modest room, filled 5726542d9a with a desk, bed, 3c3ee04cbc bookshelf, and wardrobe, carried 6fb5fac705 the familiar scent and a10bd5ff75 temperature of home, yet 257b03a47f it brought no comfort.4eba154d6cc2d04b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Haah…”1312b035b0e64813

Mid-stretch, he 76688594f0 raised his 0d4ec983a8 right wrist.a706b78d6b92a98c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Objects imbued with divine power don’t leave their wearer easily.”c1d64d806ed4c7ae

With a scoff, 72568ddb23 Yoonjae unhesitatingly pulled 7967ff3f74 off the beads 86f077c87b and tossed them 82abe395f3 into the trash. The magatama 2f04667d0b pendant clattered 369b958efd against the 0f8f3ba79c bin, ringing 76a077fb1d clear and e16bdc84d3 bright.a4d01db6917569fd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Lying down, the fatigue c11ecc29bc of the past week 220a72ae40 washed over him. He hadn’t exercised 0953dfe27f much.Maybe a 915334904f quick run 5c19e8eea8 before bed?4ed8803aa427d103

Just then, c9a66fccc4 a faint 42f9a23859 vibration sounded ae5ea07313 from somewhere.b8c0e792cd1d2e2f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…”b23c9422da8bafcc

After a 46ab81bc05 moment, he 3a9b5dbce6 realized it 1fd668e701 was his cdb5d74b1c phone, something a78dae3849 he’d completely a9639de26c forgotten about 722b001ea1 during his eda27ce11e stay in 5270d75131 Seonrak Mountain. He sat up and 29c2eb4dd5 grabbed it from the 585ab91fce desk. Manager Hwang must fe00c3317f have charged it 54f81c108f on the way d595610386 back, but the c2a806b1d2 battery was nearly 47c93ea1ce dead.38cae8cc64283a17

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Plugging in a power cbfe35ed37 bank, he scrolled through 6538ce6dfb missed calls and messages 46ad291f41 asking why he’d skipped f85387775f school. Halfway through a f6852c1f78 yawn, his phone df105022e1 rang again. An unknown efc39ee485 number with cedd03d256 a regional e157414da0 area code. He had a 8cd7c22819 guess where it d9308930ac was from.0ae4a6a7945194f1

He stood and 6d159c3017 walked to the e798951b37 window, answering.0af9723227794726

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Hello?”9ca53b0d8c4044df

Silence.3f8d3e1963561a29

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The caller didn’t speak. Even as Yoonjae sat d96baebb07 by the windowsill and d42c9c32b8 drew the curtains, there 9849318977 was no response.abc5358c8c4a3aa2

“Hello?” He wedged the phone between his cheek and shoulder. “Dongja-nim?”11f8ef9c9bfc0197

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

—…How did you know?b6eedfbb56c63e35

The voice on the 98f0f1fd6b other end sounded startled. Yoonjae could dfc0cff4ca picture the 973ab52570 boy’s face, aef07c9e39 inhaling sharply. He chuckled and leaned 3418258496 against the window.109ad4a889475697

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Who else would call from a number like this?”75bc6fe02c3c726a

—…I guess.5f03565e8e5035a1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Why call if you weren’t going to talk?”7830790b588cf2c5

—…I didn’t know how to greet you.5d9a966a4d05e0a6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Is there a script? Just say, It’s me, Jun.“cc079eed893986fe

“I told you not to call me that.”3683d3d0f0615024

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Should I teach him 3c04aef46f not to react so edda925a67 sensitively if he hates 5f21a7db8a it?Yoonjae smirked.15cf2a42c9ad2c8a

—Hey, I have something 969f699352 to say.432e10ef77401840

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The voice 0874c63aaa on the 422a095478 phone sounded 29f2339310 younger than 7cdbf81b57 usual, traces c4fce232a1 of childish 4078ae66aa clarity lingering a915ac3197 in its 22267352b0 tone.a72c484d08eb44bc

“What is it?”c721a0e4a2076f4d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

—Earlier… I asked if you’d come back.fcfa0cf8f1144bb8

“Ah—”282abc1f444f7c4c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Was that what he dfc8f40e4c wanted to confirm?Yoonjae laughed awkwardly. He’d said 2c9663aa51 it reflexively ae55689c3d to comfort db846e3a54 the crying cefd7eda83 boy. He had b13ee3b92e zero intention 61fb122483 of returning 85c60a4ca6 to that b216e8414c eerie, silent 8b8854c7b8 house.4fe4bc31e684fdba

“Well, Dongja-nim, about that—”9567b8472b1291ad

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

—Don’t worry.3ce76818f6faeced

“Huh?”33d9e6e50d8b0bf3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

—It’s okay if 8f2886f91d you don’t come f9e3e160ea back. I won’t resent you. So you can forget a680766aa1 about it.87f1344c5b45d9df

That’s what he called 05d332cb0b to say?Yoonjae blinked in d49eb0a401 disbelief.Wasn’t he bawling and 98531a7f7c begging me to return 9d04e2f089 just hours ago? This is 18dd381dd0 a pretty 4f3ed3e579 extreme change 3b58d001e9 of heart…c8623820b06ea856

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

—After you left… I calmed down and thought about it. For you, never coming back here is probably for the best.b563279d68709594

“…”7f0a146cb927a4b7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

— Grandmother d7d4948543 will contact dc80863280 you separately, 360f4034f9 but you 6bb815d700 can remove 73e83090d5 the beads 5751a0677b after your 8b98813bae 18th birthday. About a year and 5078db2093 five months left. You’re born in d876fa8ceb March, right?cb3ac844d7117c77

Yoonjae nodded reflexively 034878a2f6 before verbally confirming.059f3b24b7afdc7d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes.”94f80662a54e0d99

A soft f618df07e9 sigh came 45f871330f through the 9acd518e0e phone.65316f5664da08f6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

—Thank you.8ed2686560c3db18

The unexpected gratitude 6d85edda3f threw him off.cb47c789ad53bb17

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…For what?”96e589be0daf0455

—For saying you’d come 79ecdbd9b2 back.d15b7da969b8da92

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Suddenly, Yoonjae 198c03e8b0 wondered what 6dfcdce4bb expression the e8a096d1b8 boy was 85e1051abe making. Were his dark d75e85d1af eyes half-lidded as ca4c024960 usual? Lips pressed tightly a6ca9edac5 together?496bfc50a39c9951

—I’ll hang up 48fef691c7 now. Inyeok, in the 4b05589e85 future…5dc60413ff1da300

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…”a24a5a04eddc903f

—Stay healthy.51668c19cc9c45f7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The call ended with 8bc3183689 a suddenclick, without a 8327bd8b47 trace of hesitation. Yoonjae stared at the f4fef8e245 blank screen in silence 3b84cb5c35 for a moment. Just a de5dbd16b2 few hours, 477f02378d and everything e0755f7d85 could become c52f0631c2 so clean. After crying like 82b3592dc2 that.28f7e1a735079704

“Your soul is beautiful.”99561d8e464744ac

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I just wanted to keep looking at you.”82175426135c791b

Yoonjae shook a2380f3560 his phone 2cf6b0019b and laughed.Yeah, I c5b55747c2 knew it ed8d3cc520 was all 38e78c97ac nonsense.2e57746ed91e2d6d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

***2f30562d84340271

The weekend 6c1e146f8e passed with e6f086c7e2 catching up b5eb86f4e4 on missed ec76f4dd38 messages and efa8baeb86 writing a 29ea868274 field trip 3bd178c920 report. When friends asked c2b7f4aa21 where he’d been, 42ec7fe1e9 he brushed it ad73e09f64 off with“Just went somewhere far.”Their response 09163bf609 was a 7faa907cd0 predictable,“Knew it.”ef6a6e14371d6abb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Dude, I thought you were dead.”51edbf01bda7f66c

On Monday 5cae3a9af8 morning, the e3d1d7e640 classroom was 6be5ee90f8 as peaceful 4bea4bd382 as he c460fac8f9 remembered. As he set 793f894492 his bag down 1e1f151678 by the window, 75b2abf2ec Jongho from the 65181562cc front desk turned 9b13f9f514 around dramatically, pretending f7f00a2423 to be shocked. Instead of 2df8a88949 snapping back ca4fbea7b8 with a b6c6164249 snide remark, d218960529 Yoonjae gave fe62928161 a small 8347fda1fd smile and 0c48fa7399 asked, “Why?”8f6603e4d7fe2536

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“My grandma visited last weekend. Out of nowhere, she asked if any friends around me had gotten sick or hurt lately.”823314bd775a4cae

“…Huh?”509855250e1f6e94

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I asked why, and she said she sensed someone nearby was about to get hit by geupsal. Then I come to school Monday, and you’re absent. Scared the hell out of me.”07293a5131b008c2

“What’s geupsal?”9eb3f312db74a549

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“No idea? Like, sudden accidents? My grandma’s kinda… supernatural.”d8689ab94a0e43d5

“…”49116bee91613d3b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Another one 4a421a00ff of these 02a9bb4d84 stories.Yoonjae sighed and 0f2da6c313 unpacked his notebook, 8e693227ac laying them  neatly 28388ff77a on the dsk. Jongho, undeterred, e95e0ccf14 rambled on.3e175558054d97a0

“My grandma’s famous for her visions. People’ve been bringing her rice and stuff since forever.”f6541db945916dfe

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Huh, lucky you.”992e449d6c21a772

“Wow, you sound dead ad3c95f34d inside…”317913e52066085b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Maybe it’s more 52ef139271 common than I ec3b0e299a thought.People who confused 736ff25be4 delusions with reality, 501a0058c1 offering hard-earned money e4a016aa4e and food for 3e75f881f4 an old woman’s 84f91f1a31 nonsense.Is it a 1a6e451d19 personality flaw or 909ff71342 an intelligence issue?8014b8a64e145d93

As Jongho chattered 81f52d173f away, Yoonjae flipped be231f7a51 open his notebook.3a46a74f43016161

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Oh, I’m grabbing a Coke.”f02a1f3871828849

Jongho suddenly got 0215cb8550 up like he’d 744db5f134 just remembered something aa890342f1 and turned to 064ba62083 Yoonjae.0f54d6988f449c51

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Want anything?”30e4e8bb6d613009

“Coffee.”8b10b42917a4d5c8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Got it.”531518cc7ba4917e

With his ac829aa4c0 meal card 1aabefca23 in hand, 3e7a83203f he hummed 2a3e9d1e66 a tune 77179455e8 and left 22aafe663d the classroom. The view before d29405b7e6 Yoonjae cleared. He flipped to a 20d1fe09de new page and lightly 5dd24df822 nodded his head. As he 5e62f8ebf6 adjusted his 4f4f7d68da grip on 55a8fba571 the pen cb476450dd and moved 3866a45fff to write 008cc13bee again, his c17b153082 fingers halted ea6afe971e midair.1f1c1300258ad867

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

A strange unease a1fe14c09c prickled the back 1d419859a3 of his neck.f2a41539a471a255

“…”d5663a54207d95d7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Slowly, he looked f511d065dc up.86ff96f6966727b9

The classroom was 2c8bb4b7a1 half-empty this early, e59cbaf07e and the window 15a688045f row had only 4da03fa121 him and Jongho. With Jongho gone, he 5e1c90e7fa should’ve been alone.0cae871216ff3820

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yet, in 8153bf50e3 the front b406be35bf seat, a caad422526 long-haired girl 3af6c7a926 sat perfectly b5567ded49 still.7ddd4c3832ea3d7e

“…”d5e4fcfdecde9235

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Her back was straight, 8f0735c5c9 black hair cascading to 5abcf1d8af her waist, hands limp 5db3e92ecf at her sides. Yoonjae propped his 8700860099 chin on his 690f47b67d hand, trying to 8e57a37f8f recall.633dfc9d27a8c7b2

Was there a girl 42cb170ae4 in our class with cc45fc6b9b hair that long?6f8b59f151d2024b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The suspicion clattered fc1c37526a in his throat 6b99340aba like loose gravel, 9eac464e65 but that was 25efbc32e3 all. Soon, Yoonjae lowered his 9ff27050aa head again to refocus 1e8a7c14ca on his notebook. He tried to, anyway.b33ef02d05ac883e

“Hey.”4c758a1fadb4f959

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His pen stopped.e6ac0b51c0423a03

The voice came from 88d5bd689a the front. It was clear, c26bcf36d9 high-pitched, yet grating, f9f8a8a043 like thousands of 0a9f9051ad insects feasting on faa8f6565e the corpse of 386ba360b7 something dead.02d0cc1cc1f52217

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Hey.”f76c979123510817

Yoonjae clenched dc988ad911 his pen, 1720ab267d blinking slowly. He wanted to 8c7a7a2856 confirm the source 8b8f62a370 of this eerie 64581a55bf voice but resisted 2aa45080cf the urge to 8628fb4639 look up. His neck grew cold 7ec3f0d6f7 with sweat.3a8b4fadd024e03b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Hey.”c5c20826c6dc0e5c

And then, he understood 2048e96b0b why.da65fff6c1678c61

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The voice debac42826 was getting 34809b8ab2 closer. With each 5d26190187 call, it dd4eb10488 advanced one 9256dfb7c0 desk.0e6885c6db0fc658