WW | Chapter 13

Yul quickly turned around in surprise, looking at them. Yoonjo, who had been leaning against the wall, was now standing straight, gazing at the girl. His usually unfocused eyes, as if looking at a still life, suddenly showed a glimmer.

“Really?”

The girl, seemingly taken aback, asked Yoonjo with her fingers tightly interlocked. Her sparkling eyes, slightly parted lips, and the tense expression on her face revealed her happiness. Is she that thrilled? I don’t get what’s so great about Kang Yoonjo, but I guess I understand the joy of getting what you want.

Yet, what caught my attention was Yoonjo’s reaction, which felt oddly out of character. It was so unlike him that it made me feel strange, almost tense.

Yoonjo smirked and tilted his head slightly as he looked down at the girl.

“Just kidding.”

“…”

“Did your heart skip a beat, you idiot?”

“You… You!”

Realizing the situation a moment too late, the girl’s face turned pale as she glared at him. Yul also felt a sudden heat rise to her cheeks, as if she were the one confessing and being mocked. It felt strange, and now she knew why.

So he’s actually a truly nasty guy, huh? If he didn’t like her, couldn’t he just politely refuse? Liking someone isn’t a crime, and what’s he got going for him other than his looks anyway?

“I told you nicely; why didn’t you understand?”

“…”

“Got your answer?”

After driving a spike into her heart, he stuffed his hands into his pockets with a bored expression. The girl, tears brimming in her eyes, glared at him, then turned and ran up the stairs.

A heavy sigh escaped from the man, a sound mixed with irritation and boredom that kept anyone from approaching him.

Where should she go now? While Yul was still deciding, Yoonjo turned and began walking down toward her. She felt a sudden urge to run, but their eyes had already met. Worried that he might think she’d overheard them on purpose, she tried to act casual, walking up the stairs. They ended up face-to-face, one stair apart, midway up.

Why did she have to be standing below him? She had to crane her neck to glare up at him, as he loomed above her. His gaze, silent and unreadable, pinned her in place. Unlike her flustered heart, his expression was calm, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. It was somehow even more unnerving and made her heart race. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, it felt like his stare was grabbing her by the collar, demanding an explanation. Foolishly, she felt a twinge of guilt.

“I didn’t eavesdrop on purpose.”

“…”

“I’m not planning to tell anyone, either.”

She mumbled excuses, as if her guilty conscience compelled her to. It had started as an accident, but since she stayed without turning around, she couldn’t deny she’d ended up eavesdropping.

Yoonjo still didn’t show any reaction. He just kept staring at her with that mannequin-like, expressionless gaze, only intensifying the tension. What was he doing? Maybe he wanted an apology more than an excuse? Yul’s mind raced.

“Aren’t you going to move?”

Yoonjo’s dry voice cut through her thoughts.

“Move.”

Startled by his unexpected response, Yul was left speechless, so he repeated it, sounding irritated. Whether she’d eavesdropped, apologized, or made excuses, he didn’t seem to care at all. She couldn’t help but recall their first encounter at the school gate when he’d also looked down at her with that exact expression, telling her to move.

“Why don’t you move?”

Yul shot back, glaring at him with a delayed burst of defiance. What was with this guy, acting like everyone was beneath him, talking as if he was above it all? She knew it was childish, but something about him made her want to stand her ground.

Ha! Yoonjo laughed, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. He looked at her with a contemptuous expression, letting out a sigh as he replied.

“Pedestrians keep to the right. Didn’t you learn that?”

“…”

Yul, who’d been ready to argue, went blank as if she’d been slapped. What more could she say when he brought up a real rule rather than just nonsense? She quietly stepped aside, keeping her gaze downcast, and he disappeared smoothly into the space she’d cleared.

As if nothing had happened, Yul quickly climbed the stairs, a bitter taste lingering in her mouth, as if she’d gulped down a mouthful of coffee.

“Where did you go?”

As soon as she sat down, Jieun’s curious eyes fixed on her.

“Bathroom.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you ask me?”

“Huh?”

Today, something seemed off with her. Not understanding Jieun’s question right away was proof. Who usually asks someone else to go to the bathroom? Like Yoonjo’s answer from earlier, was there another response I should have expected?

“You should’ve asked if I wanted to go too.”

“Ah… Sorry.”

Yul chuckled awkwardly, apologizing. Perhaps she was the one acting strange, not Jieun. It occurred to her that maybe being without close friends for so long had made even simple things feel awkward. To make it up to Jieun, who looked a bit disappointed, Yul opened the lunchbox her grandmother had packed and spread it on her desk.

“Want some?”

Yul held out a sweet potato carefully. She’d skipped breakfast because she didn’t feel great, so her grandmother had insisted on packing it for her. Though it felt like a hassle, she’d reluctantly accepted it, but now, without having eaten, her stomach felt oddly empty.

“Ah…”

Jieun, seemingly flustered, blinked as she looked back and forth between Yul and the sweet potato. Did she not want it?

“If you don’t want it, it’s okay.”

“No, I like sweet potatoes. Thanks for the food.”

When Yul started to pull it back, Jieun hurriedly accepted the sweet potato she was offering. She looked at the sweet potato, then back at Yul, giving a small smile. Watching her, Yul thought that this gesture might have felt unfamiliar to Jieun. Since she was alone here, she probably hadn’t had many friends at her last school either, and thus fewer chances for these small exchanges. Wanting to accompany Yul to the bathroom might have been part of that desire, now that she thought about it.

After a few days of hanging out, they’d become fairly close. Although Jieun was timid and sensitive, she was kind and mild-mannered. Surprisingly, she also knew a lot about things happening at school, offering Yul just enough information within a respectful boundary.

“Park Geonju probably won’t be coming to school for a few days.”

“Why?”

“He’s under Probation Level 5. He got into an argument with some lady while he was out riding his bike, even though he’s supposed to have a curfew.”

Jieun slowly peeled the skin off the sweet potato as she spoke. Maybe she was in a good mood today, or perhaps she’d grown to trust Yul; whatever it was, she was talking about sensitive topics with ease.

“Probation Level 5?”

Yul asked in surprise. Level 5 probation meant he was just one step away from being sent to a facility, indicating that he’d been in some serious trouble. Although there were some rough kids at her last school, none of them had been that bad. If they had, they would’ve already been expelled and out in society by now. On her first day, Choi Seohee had mentioned something about ‘probation,’ so that must have been it. She’d temporarily forgotten, but this place was definitely far from ordinary.

“They say he hit the lady, so if that’s true, he’ll definitely be sent to a facility. But his dad’s a loan shark, so they’re filthy rich; he probably won’t be going anywhere. Last time, they hired a great lawyer to get him reduced to Level 5 when he should’ve been Level 6.”

“Ah…”

“There are a few kids like that here. Choi Seohee too; she caused trouble in Korea, then went abroad for school, but she got kicked out and ended up back here. She always boasts about her time in the U.S. Her mom runs a hostess club in Gangnam, and rumor has it she paid for the entire remodel of the school cafeteria to get Seohee admitted.”

“Wow…”

“The school’s funding mostly comes from the pockets of these kids’ parents. So, do yourself a favor and stay out of their way.”

“I’d love to.”

Yul replied, half-laughing at herself. She had no intention of stirring up trouble. Her goal here was to keep a low profile and disappear quietly. Yet, she knew better than anyone that life rarely followed her plans. Mom, Dad, debt collectors, the kids who used to torment her—they all came into her life uninvited. Just like Jieun said, no one wanted to avoid trouble more than she did.

“But…”

Jieun hesitated, glancing at Yul as if to gauge her reaction. Seeing Yul’s calm expression, she continued cautiously.

“How did you end up transferring here?”

“Ah, me… Well, I had a lot of complicated things going on.”

“Ah.”

Jieun accepted her vague answer without probing further. She seemed like someone who was easygoing and quick to trust, a type who easily warmed up to people. Either she didn’t doubt Yul’s words, or if she did, she was considerate enough not to press further.

Yul was somewhat relieved that Jieun was her seatmate. Without even this small refuge, surviving in this school would’ve been much harder.

“But you… Never mind.”

She’d almost asked why Jieun was here but stopped herself. She’d sometimes wondered why a gentle person like Jieun was in a jungle full of predators, but it was a fleeting, instinctive question. Surviving here was the issue, not how they’d gotten here. Just as she was about to let it go, Jieun surprised her by speaking up.

“I was bullied.”

“…”

“I tried to endure it, but eventually, I just couldn’t.”

Turning the sweet potato in her hand, Jieun finished her sentence and looked at Yul. Her eyes were misty, showing that she wasn’t unbothered, just pretending to be. Much like Yul was doing now.

Yul hadn’t been that curious, but having Jieun open up first caught her off guard. She didn’t know how to comfort her, nor did she feel entirely comfortable with her own half-truths.