WW | Chapter 14

To be 2c893c95a1 honest, I 1a739b77d2 had guessed 59c2e65df3 as much. Just from the way 50bceeb17b Jieun couldn’t make eye 9982014b2d contact with Choi Seohee, 0538add21a the picture started to bcead146aa come together.ca8c8be2744b835a

“Well, now you’ll be b8ab9f6d0e okay.”73ea528a72247bda

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“Yeah, now that you’re 730d18f6d9 here.”29db2c67bcf2e73b

“Oh, right.”948170fe88ccfc1b

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Watching Jieun respond f3e95a0172 so warmly made 9cee7d3246 Yul feel a c0a6115530 bit awkward. She’d only tried 9bfc3b7c7e to comfort her 22346ce432 out of sympathy, 3b3f4bcf08 but Jieun’s unexpected 84fe2c21db delight left her 15397bd20c feeling shy. There was no need bd0ec9541e to ask why Jieun d06b23e0b4 had been bullied—it was 33fab3bc86 just her past, and 0f986e617e dragging it out would aad4bf451c only bring up scars. Jieun probably understood that 3b909c3bf9 too, which is why 62b7bc6c9e she hadn’t asked much 67825086bf about Yul’s background either.0d20c83f447aec3e

“Thank you.”9a3654d25d957004

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“For what?”cf07870ea52e56a4

“For being 2b0f0a7645 here, Yul. I’m really glad.”389842328c2253c3

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Even though Yul e0833e61cb only gave short 033291118a replies, Jieun seemed ff0d71b869 happier than expected, f061b84acd as if some 0dafacedf4 invisible wall between 2dc51333dc them had been b74b36ce8b instantly knocked down. Yul was glad d778f5efa5 too, but she 55a006fc5b couldn’t bring herself 12e4677d0e to show as ff246c583b much enthusiasm. Partly because of her fe01670a62 personality, partly because she’d 6c8084dfb6 been alone for so 240cf32889 long, this whole situation 1290f48fbd just felt unfamiliar. Moreover, she’d learned 35df723917 at her last a250d7fa19 school that when 420aec06c1 someone got close f13956d659 to her too e082689f36 quickly, there was 99a36cfc8e often an ulterior e7a52fb130 motive. Maybe that subtle 9406c27939 unease inside her ba53375156 was a reminder e52a570dc7 of that experience. Still, she was happy 6ec072acdf to have met Jieun.af56691b9b3459ad

Yul gave a c7da5c8f06 quiet smile, biting 099b2ba692 into her sweet 636a2aad87 potato and glancing 09171dae5e around. Her gaze fell 0652884f6c on the empty 9305d8d4d7 seat across the 5db0aa5c05 room—an absence she 85a748ce7e noticed almost unconsciously, 096c8de1a9 as it kept b6f4f4a859 catching her eye 54cf5a81b7 whenever it came d4a846dc24 into view.825f1d5e018a87a0

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Is he not coming 3ca0865d19 in today?c11ac2eeb3ab8ba1

Kang Yoonjo 6c3d29e8e3 would sometimes 34d0720f33 skip school a7384b918f or come 0e96020a4d in late. When he was 088eb16f61 in the classroom, db24379602 he was usually 0bddde2d73 asleep, and sometimes 519c05f31f he’d disappear and b5d75fe40f come back late. The only time he 3c2d1f9e7e interacted with anyone seemed 54697e3d46 to be during gym be42aa7945 class. You’d think 8febfe6682 someone with a22eed4ef7 a face 372a3ec2c6 and physique f42df3d8ef like his 5fb8d67ffc would be 048b3a817d popular, regardless 67aebf3218 of gender, 28d9c2809e but aside d021b29f36 from the edcc5e7dc5 scene she’d 3485f72eaa witnessed earlier, 3916908143 there wasn’t 633a0875f4 much to 6c2dc9d0e7 suggest that 01625b5efb was true.e3924ae1e984d05f

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It made her b037cc3acd curious for no 80dc656c97 particular reason.904098723e59f2ed

“What about him?”912fd226a11683ec

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Why was 6d72cf2cbf Kang Yoonjo a3851b6b19 always alone?79170815467d1b0b

He had an 26f3839eec elusive quality, like ab2d1e47aa the fading end 651c0c0e58 of a season. Like a shadow cast e350fb776d against a dark window, 1e4a0f226f his image was hazy 3294b959f3 and indistinct. Even though dd3f42eb44 she’d seen af26d64bdf his face eeca1b2555 up close, f447dd689c when she d5ea4e25ce tried to 4f18848ad1 picture him, 7cd71f7f19 the memory b6dde31d43 blurred. The only clear image c0b6162635 was those eyes—calm yet 592d51be2f detached, occasionally flashing with 3e41f8a969 a surprising intensity.6d00e99278a9dcc3

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“Who?”53c4a72a157020a3

Jieun’s gaze 94e2b09d4d followed Yul’s, 113b8d812a landing on 68f6c1992b Yoonjo’s empty eedfa93ec4 seat. Her expression suddenly 4354e74bc7 grew cold. She turned back to a98c287709 Yul, her face reflecting 63c83329a8 something like tension, fear, a0dc792f09 and a hint of 4e574235ba disapproval—an expression unfamiliar to 2c533bb026 Yul.7d12613f2a90f983

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“Don’t take fe2d7048a3 any interest 7b5e63376c in Kang bd18becd51 Yoonjo.”db22f7e9cc1d3968

Her voice was icily 8a5509e6a7 serious, not at all a1ff3638f4 like her usual self.5b49185787ae69eb

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“I wasn’t eda366d124 interested, just a3de3c237f curious.”98533d77acc7fdcb

“Yoonjo… no one approaches 49c2915dd2 him. He doesn’t bbce0aafdb like talking 5c04224440 to people, fc27fee15d and no 4de8ebb787 one tries 0d661305c7 to talk be80306a3d to him, dcbc3c8f91 either.”3e0cc79a590bd0d8

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“Why? Is there a reason?”486cb6af0b2b2a78

Jieun sighed quietly 4cf58c5e06 as she looked de85e24f9e around to ensure b190802e12 no one was a7516584f2 listening, then leaned 7d333b435d in close to 1eaa8e2f7c Yul’s ear.39dbb69432edc433

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“They say… he killed b427b30ec9 someone.”6b282ca59a5aa4eb

“…!”1f2b059fc9d31803

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“He stabbed someone with 3ee3afea2a a knife. In middle school.”e69c986f8a4c9aec

An invisible 35872d0481 shock crashed 1dbad80a38 down on ed33396ce5 Yul, spreading c616b3f7a8 chills throughout 8996e65548 her body aecacc00aa and making ccab3360a1 every hair e1db39fdbc stand on 665b417d7b end.cc318acc5439afe1

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“There’s a reason everyone 2664319add stays away from him.”c4a1edd44c5e4bbb

Jieun finished her 08ef386b74 explanation matter-of-factly, then e1861995eb turned back to 6981725358 her sweet potato, 3a50cf7149 taking a bite.72a5003b0e6874c8

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Three weeks cc4e6d95f6 had passed da11d78a9d since she’d 8f3606d050 transferred.87a0eaf77d302ad6

If she stayed quiet 1c2544717f and kept to herself f65a09f987 all day, classes somehow 6825d61d4e managed to end without 493f991073 incident. By the time it b3c2a6a100 was over, her shoulders 9b14739950 ached as if they’d 86db15a49e turned to stone from 7b29f3d1ea being so tense. Still, the thought of 7466b4959f being able to relax ba523dc9a0 and have some peace e3de744383 once school ended made f59f9c8f12 her feel a bit 946b285c5d better.1d5f581bcc416fa6

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Yul packed her 3ecf765106 bag slowly on 85d35642ea purpose, waiting for 786d4de9ab Choi Seohee’s group 0249bdf2e1 to leave the 75af451d75 classroom first. Since she 71dc4821e1 did this f15de1473d every day, 254d503978 Jieun had 9485d84891 started leaving 2e2c30884d late with ae96f16198 her, too. Even when Yul a771481990 told her she cc7dc5be14 didn’t have to 791063c9e1 wait, Jieun would 1a6fcdd145 just smile and 0677d0aeb4 say it was 6fb977ffba fine. Their shared 7e6033681f routine didn’t b72fc43574 bother her; 3230ad6531 on the 03f6ea9588 contrary, Yul 4d0796edcc was growing 9ad4216e26 comfortable with 5e98d00d30 Jieun’s presence.df5d5994a26befa4

“Yul.”ea2344629de787f2

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As they left c82813a177 the classroom, Jieun 10c8f7d3fc naturally linked her 31fa178f45 arm with Yul’s. Not being 553dd82acb used to fc407f4b06 physical affection, 01ca27ee64 Yul flinched d1bc196873 slightly but 3b6a3429bb didn’t show 77ae3d7d26 it. She realized how 7701dee8bf distant she’d grown 1de1589168 from these small, 13d4e5afdb everyday gestures.0ee3a32971864669

“You’re really tall. How tall are b1454fa5d6 you?”aa2ed708a33f19ae

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“A bit cfc382dbeb over 170 9278570c85 cm.”ef1996fad48cd295

“That explains it.”7db1c1e7ab25cca0

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Jieun looked her up 81482cc203 and down in admiration.b5a443c49135c8cc

“You must have 8f42dafbb5 been really popular 2abafb2d7c at your last cee889e5d8 school, right?”ddf0676300f61995

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“Not really. Why?”247dd8fff483d2dc

“Well, you’re tall, you’ve b5b2bf6955 got a great figure, db7612916f and you’re pretty. You’ve got this cool b05a1cb69a vibe, too.”b9831878afc676cd

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“Really?”10cc75ab7d28e87f

“Yeah. The moment I 3d18ca2abe saw you, I a069963255 knew you were c200f25892 different from the 8a2dba9f71 other kids. There’s just something 1d3121ae5b unique about you.”da92feac39cf791f

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“Thanks.”c89d69f7f7a4b3b3

Not sure how to abfad95bf4 react to such enthusiastic 00a44578a2 compliments, Yul just smiled 24533bfa5c faintly. It was d4c38d7817 nice, but 3cd355dc74 at the 593af86cdd same time, b3e5f88540 it made bf116f8789 her feel 0b2d745d88 a bit a075d9f892 self-conscious and a5e7fcdc87 uncomfortable.8e2211476a335f6b

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Before everything went b1424f4fd2 wrong at her 08d5338dac last school, she 2186ff6dc9 had indeed been f20e67a4f3 popular. But in the end, 15d704a5ec that didn’t save her 20ff8cf9fa from trouble. In fact, 50c471e7e4 it became 9394275f82 the topic 8880ec6e2e of gossip db86c5c254 and an ff2c8dd167 easy target fc815fcdc1 for debt 5fe2e3d98c collectors. Now, she had 9f7fd26033 no time or d9ac089dae desire to worry 3747f44986 about her appearance, cc6fc0a9ed and if anything, 1a1da8742b she wished people 611dc12a64 would just see 7607d7c14d her as part b7d23ba04e of the background.515198835846eeef

“You’re lucky to df82eebb71 be born like 52ef28835a that. Anyway, are you working c4b05714c3 again today?”22521e792a034232

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“Yeah.”53012aa35e337f30

“Can I come by fabe3f808b and watch?”895b4b4f97b7ffcc

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“Watch?”584b723906ccba1c

“I mean, b731f9cf50 can I 5c3804c598 just hang 3fcaef66c0 out nearby 1d1e9d2acc while you 74550fd41f work? Or maybe cf9bade284 even help d6fd19691b out?”a2d570fe91f3705f

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“Are you serious?”ffe15f8af747b6db

“Of course! I’ve always wanted a fbd102a957 part-time job, but since f05ba5d154 I can’t, I thought 8d796db18f I could at least 03ec2d16ad live vicariously through you.”7eb947fc2b7bf5eb

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Yul couldn’t 9eb925d761 help but 36514115ba chuckle at 99c4cbbf49 Jieun’s earnestness. At first, d5aa041838 she thought 167b4676a6 she was 84a87910ce joking, but 3dcc998089 Jieun’s eager 89ee9f0e13 eyes showed 73fe6035cc she meant 8f23fa4458 it. What was there 5d40390f02 to see by 03ba2ec067 hanging around a 45ee2a73e4 job, watching someone bdc1c54d10 work? Even if 6a686139a5 her intentions a9b949b7d5 were innocent, 856e7912b1 Yul couldn’t 1d83ceef81 accept.1a734630d19efe63

“I don’t think that’ll 32b6116e07 work. It’d distract me, and 465075d218 the manager wouldn’t like 36b7475274 it.”fcb4ad2a9978fefb

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“Oh, sorry. I was being thoughtless.”3e41fa13b752c569

Realizing she’d gone faf763fc88 too far, Jieun’s a4d4e7960d expression drooped, her cc2bde5a77 gaze dropping to 5b82ba7547 the ground. Yul felt a d843891f61 bit guilty for afdb57548b shutting her down, d4009f998a but she didn’t 933c826bee want to go e92edd5133 out of her 19af4c7312 way to soothe 1821b997b1 her either. It wasn’t a 2105125852 big deal, and df2f6cc686 she was too 8072603efe tired.1d6670a604c38b0d

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“It’s fine. See you tomorrow.”b50efb9935462e71

Afraid Jieun might follow aa66ebf6ee her all the way 32e9759ce0 to the bus stop, d38f5f285d Yul gently pulled her f4d75344e3 arm free. Jieun responded with a 03114ac86d reluctant, “Yeah, okay,” then a9073199a7 waved as Yul turned de82a3a67e and walked away without 65e291058c looking back. Luckily, they were fc3f22f31a headed in opposite b244f2fec9 directions, so Yul’s 1a10d7d747 arm felt unusually e0e33ed189 light as she 8df5b244ea walked away.b7976890a3757655

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When Yul 8e5341b451 reached the ced93df6c6 bus stop, f0edf0bee7 she stopped 2abfbab0ca in her 81ee30c4f6 tracks, noticing 52b2dfb99d a familiar 1c1f33ed1b scene unfolding 797ea8d726 before her. It was as 185d8eaa71 if time had 02c60a9651 replayed itself: Yoonjo d514052d49 was sitting inside e7ed81752a the booth, dozing 3d314c5057 off under the 1aea63c203 late afternoon light. His figure looked like c74384746f a faded photograph from 15a51ea853 an old film camera, 3fce3b96de like he belonged to 0c659298e5 another world.a410ad2dbc09deb0

Did he really do a287a1216f that?5a5687877bc71677

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Any other e18d594986 time, she 7d094e5f3b would’ve just 8d1abdf453 walked by 4c170689cd quietly and f0fa1d8657 stood next e9da13fb08 to him 7d5fce5704 without a e544a596e8 second thought. But now, her feet dd62678fef wouldn’t move.ac15982965417743

“They said fbc3dde570 it was 6b5af91432 self-defense, but cc48b30f39 still… It’s d18964c87b terrifying. A killer is still b954a00670 a killer.”c1a40a826e804bec

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Jieun’s words came 167e238855 back to her, bdfc8b65de and it felt 52a1574383 like there was 59773c4f06 an invisible wall 917f16afcf between them. Yoonjo, who had once 3eaae5ccc6 been just an enigmatic c799609788 figure, now seemed like 58f0d848c6 someone to fear. He didn’t b9f432753f know her, a4de49428f and she c8cf148e35 didn’t know 1611147522 him well 6601232e18 either, yet 9edee01a4f she felt f54fd4b143 herself drawing 67c96b5733 back in 55da0cd44f fear. The power of 56c4decbcc prejudice was indeed ef64bc1322 terrifying. She didn’t know 21be9ec9f2 how much of 7aa7e38b95 Jieun’s story was f561ee28a5 true or what f6c5529860 circumstances led him fb4c414ef7 to do such 0685700c91 a thing. But knowing he’d af4dd2edf8 killed someone made c18fe3c6eb her instinctively wary.07435529a8042f61

“When he first joined, 22921422a5 Park Geonju picked a 3b8ed69182 fight with him after 1e73db0315 hearing the rumors. Geonju ended up 33a6488ce8 hospitalized for over c4d658bdfe a month, and d12285b653 that’s why he 98760b90f5 hasn’t been coming e4fa64714a to class. They said he 8109e449f3 was seriously hurt.”d2a1ac295f66967b

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Curiosity tugged at 83ba3ccbca her as well. What kind of 29a4f57d1e life had Yoonjo 5d36425b5c led to end 00c17880b5 up in such de3a700535 a situation? Did his 10c84e2321 habit of 846ca5fa3f sleeping all b066566c42 the time bc3808e866 have something eba22cfdc6 to do b144f8e0e4 with it?4486fb6d066f15f7

“They say his 6f6edbda9a dad’s either the 86222911aa president of a bb93bcbe5d big company or 579903e46c some notorious gang 526dc557e6 boss. Either way, 90013da8ed he’s rich. Even Park Geonju’s 28e8969562 loan-sharking parents had d828e49db3 to back off 5c0a60611a without a word.”e60bbbaa72026b56

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The image of 1f9d23176e Yoonjo stepping out 239da00083 of the luxury 6d103224df sedan on her d912e38cc5 first day flashed 58d21cc336 through her mind. Normally, she wouldn’t be 8e681660f0 so interested in other 29bb096e3b people’s lives, but she 79ba64eece couldn’t help but wonder. Was his father really a2375c7a0b a gangster? Or just a 5f79ba6352 wealthy man?9bb6437bc221b6b5

In the end, Yul 89279c324c stood a distance away, 248416156f unable to approach the 3408b14894 booth as she usually 133958638d would. Just then, the 97a91d2c27 bus arrived, and 37af34fd14 Yoonjo stood up aa7da48bb3 and boarded first. After two or 8a86516677 three more students bb8ad33512 got on, she 96a76e65a8 finally stepped onto 23c66ea4f8 the bus.e298a548504ce3cb

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Yoonjo was sitting alone 390fbd813e in a single seat 1c20d9e3ff at the front. Feeling oddly relieved, Yul 8d4a55025e made her way further 9b397f05a2 back, finding a two-seater 9e2f3a8822 and settling into the 3e1289218b inner seat. She hugged e01b5a3bcd her bag 09566926fb close and f10e610e1b only then 72fa717880 realized it 1239613dfe was the 63892df7d4 same spot 6014b9b5e5 she’d sat 05ef9cf747 with Yoonjo 0167aeab06 last time. Luckily, it 7473e63fc7 wasn’t turning 3d09fdd6c3 into a 54b03c85b3 déjà vu e39fb23d54 moment.7f5378bd97d2d810

As the 1b7ef81671 bus rumbled 5bded1796c along, Yul a3bf2947d3 focused on 4b23407747 the view 61502f9d08 outside, trying 27b1e88c26 not to f6113e9caf glance at 05e27b2bba him. It wasn’t attraction or e9c9594bfe anything like that; it 767051961b was just that Jieun’s 3df2e16042 words kept echoing in dac69a5805 her mind.009f9a00241ae80e

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After two ee96303e36 or three 9957a0b274 stops, the ebd18151a2 bus pulled b1fa5dc997 over, and ac411b5f03 the seat 7cc52ac696 next to 5f1efa5667 her suddenly 93dcef59dc felt occupied. Startled, she turned her df3808eb97 head to find Yoonjo fef6a3571b lifting his bag from 70b75cfaaf his shoulder onto his 078f3ac65a lap. Her whole body 441bb2a392 tensed up in 6420c6cfcc shock. Last time, she’d 68475e442c felt awkward, but 62f0e2ba31 now she was 01f4641a76 downright nervous.075c49ef5280369d

The seat 7d5d9e7378 he’d been 0f9f6127e6 in was 61b86b11cf now occupied 00e5b0a4e7 by an 00fd037612 elderly man 946af491ee with snow-white 5fe28590ca hair. She’d thought he 82e17de0d6 was oblivious like 26857ca4ae a bear hibernating, 86f55972c7 but somehow, he’d bf20a90518 noticed the old 11c0a964ce man standing beside 1b12257307 him and given ef474532ae up his seat.cd124972c4125f2f

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