WW | Chapter 15

The bus began to a22a8afb7a speed up again, bumping b2d7b54b58 along the road roughly. Yul shifted closer e39d8a73f7 to the window, f10003796e but every time b57e666e32 the bus jolted, 2811e3323c her arm brushed 7a25938a12 against Yoonjo’s in 1301491add a precarious manner. At some point, 7ed8fd4377 his sleeping head a4a988b9dc tilted near her 1e8c74e673 ear, and with 61bbda2331 each small nod, 1aa642276c a faint breeze e476102453 stirred around them. Even though 2e2b9ba068 they were a3c3ffa58f clearly sitting 7020ff2bca apart, the 1a165c691f subtle movement abb80adbcb of the e8881ea006 air seemed b714d5494c to tie 4851c42b13 them together, 1920d68a30 softly tickling 80babe06ac as it 319b82a94f drifted back 055c059d1a and forth.d8489cedf5f72e77

She couldn’t ignore it; 2d9fee1d1b the sensation was impossible a4a6452e36 to endure.bdb9a01cc3aaae43

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sigh. Yul let 4adc78aea0 out a 8353367af3 quiet breath 915095c1b5 and pulled 500cb53dc4 a sheet 5ad34d1b21 of paper 1034b58fc3 and a 3bd7fdde2e pen from 64a00db0cf her bag. Nothing helped her concentrate 3db9aa38ab better and forget her 121ca79404 scattered thoughts than this. As she turned 451484ed3d the pages of dcff41f47a her notebook, one 4c79b3c6b4 by one, architectural 37a71f2383 drawings she had 46cc9a522d sketched began to c8296578c2 appear. It had started 9ca78d75f6 as a habit 8f68f95dc8 from copying designs dffc5be72a she saw lying 70dc7403ac around her dad’s da59e55162 study, and now 1e96411ff5 it had turned ecdaffd545 into her hobby, 2e0d0d7d93 something that anchored f87bc0e1a9 her.f7d2fa6ac4f86f4f

As she flipped through 649e39a59c a couple more pages, 449b904f4e an unfinished building design 63c8507c71 emerged. Placing her pencil 3db9e35d8d on the page, 73e504066d she continued drawing f1427133a6 from where she’d 682c953b4b left off.e0b48190b1f7a5b2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

With her focus deepening, bf6b40f96e all the surrounding noise 9dd94453c4 faded away. The only 39fd470367 things that 89f4d6765b existed were b92404fa2c the sound 460a42435e of her 7b3dd2d159 pencil moving bc0fad2978 across the 4c7027d6d6 paper and 3ed5942ebe the emerging 1d265f6906 shape of eb667362aa the building 80ddf82b72 on the e4e5e3b14c page.c281ce9e04bacbc8

But just as c9e7bfd870 she was getting 9033aa36fd fully absorbed, it bc430a2c4f wasn’t a person 430c3c5038 who interrupted her—it ecbf3c2fb0 was the sunlight. When the bus made 2bbbc284d8 a sharp turn, a e7544ea4f9 burst of intense sunlight 4b699c52a1 flooded in, blinding her.556f7014c5e3785e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Nothing ever goes smoothly.e4f121a1b15cb7ed

Yul folded the cc2a07dbfc notebook to block 09691655c0 the light from 91c4b58648 the window and c4cc781076 suddenly remembered the 971d2a16a4 day she had 12896e276e taken the bus 3b22d8d74c with Yoonjo. The situation d78b6738ac had been fe5d7af2b7 exactly like c93c680089 this. The only difference was 2b1f12e248 that their seats had e9b322b284 switched. She glanced dd30694523 sideways at a0a512f09b Yoonjo, noticing b8ccd93571 that a dc2d3e6b57 shadow fell 726d036432 across his afab19a8fa face. Unintentionally, she 2b280b34cc had once 2a38c3ed95 again created 45a1dba021 a shade 55be4a902f for him.94bc12dc75275c10

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Kang Yoonjo is like 9327c06285 a poison mushroom.”aa19be4f68602f14

Jieun’s words echoed in c12125532b her mind. Beautiful but b067415549 deadly; if 206bc4eb2a you touch 15430023c6 it, you’ll 7ef3560122 die. She had warned her 6e25e6f059 countless times to stay de7d3bc8b4 away.ed07ae534d583276

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Could that 610552686f really be 3452bfe2ee true? It was 1a8e32cb81 natural for 57d4e0a04d her to adc9d10792 feel a 4b646dc58f bit shaken 0a1e18e664 after hearing 588163ce52 it, as 2f44a427ea anyone would. But as b9b909b421 she sat 3f114897ad peacefully beside 96d514ab88 Yoonjo now, 22320b4700 she found 34ea970f9a herself reconsidering. After all, she 1455b77d6c too had once 87e3a8fadc been trapped in ef867d420b a frame crafted 3da42f0cfb by others. She had been 502030c11a judged harshly for 30f3ef44bd things she hadn’t a994e1eb14 done, for things 3b934f8deb she was forced bc7d811ed5 to do to 073b0b2415 protect herself, with 9d0565ec4e her actions branded b5f177e988 as severe faults. Only those who c9af58be0b have experienced such b5b5c99dca unfairness understand that daf4c055e0 pain. Maybe Jieun was 3638ce5b08 right—Yoonjo might be e2776fa5c4 dangerous. But something da7ff13b5e told her 3e3caaf3dd that simply d1a164a19b knowing what 0582e8e80b others said b47ff80278 didn’t make a264b7afb1 it the bd6bacf709 absolute truth.b2c6faf297b4f4a7

The bus, drenched 55e8618444 in light, continued b864fa7be9 down the road. Thanks to the autumn 427f1d4039 foliage reflected on the cd128756c6 windows, a bit of f69e1c3767 fall had entered the b92e33ea6c bus as well. Yoonjo slept 6e31e17db6 peacefully in acb68922f1 the afternoon 3b881059f0 light and 1e642ffba3 the shade 234910a295 she had 5a712db2f2 created. She had once been f6abb01f27 wary of Yoonjo, yet 14f8b89a98 here she was, feeling 93d3edfa8b sorry for ever being 097c0225a9 scared of him.d0a713a6e287fb85

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Guess you’re just as 13f8f11f33 much of a loner 2931306737 as me.93d4b4f8d8551c46

“Hey.” Feeling a faint 18dd3e4a9c sympathy and sense of 0ba376cf94 kinship, Yul lowered her ec75fb3f25 notebook.9655181d3cab6827

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Kang Yoonjo.”e79c077cef5f627c

Since he d6d17f2e34 didn’t wake, 4f3da74f26 Yul reached 4e3bc3eb5b over to 129c33b29b nudge him fde1e08a92 gently. His eyelashes quivered, d8fdca73f3 and he slowly cfee8b41bc opened his eyes. His still-drowsy gaze 3c9fc9fb78 shifted around, eventually 4d30c6646c settling on her. Those were pretty eyes. It was 2daf1c726b strange to e39d8b9a42 think she d6179de33b was reflected 827b13aae8 in them.ee9c235324feef15

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I need to get abcdbb0f46 off.”b2f4a8605310e68a

“Huh?”c9f3fe926764ce0f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Move, please.”20d68f12fd5ff89f

She prepared to stand 11d42264ae as she spoke to a60dc7e5e0 him. This time, it 7cd0bc761b was truly his 3dfdc66beb turn to move fcecb53ac9 aside, without worrying 2f57a3ea29 about staying to c01abcb420 the right. Finally seeming to come b85057cb04 to his senses, he dd5b1055b5 grabbed his bag and 71fd185c11 stood. After pressing adaef02e78 the stop 8db07e5584 button, she 616b630502 brushed past be2c1f6838 him to 6a90c6e474 the door. When the bus 05bceb990a halted and she d9028290fd stepped onto the 86795fd3da roadside, Yul hesitated, 721088f8d7 turning back briefly. Kang Yoonjo 07745b351c had taken 9a1e69b66f the seat 5b7cde6a8a she’d just 0dc0573772 vacated.af816d72dc84ac5b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That idiot. He’s sitting right 9d290b09c4 where the sunlight 7c5b0c4194 hits.23b38b555235e579

Jieun’s secretive c28897603f words echoed 80ddb736c1 in her 103d8b686e mind once 27ad29c7d1 more.5663aff568507fac

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, Kang b0a000d685 Yoonjo’s mom 293c9f97eb passed away.”7816daf45a3de01d

With no 7e6194fc2b one left 71d6a78732 to create eb2a785962 shade for bd08b4367d him, it 8c382719ea puzzled her 7906553e09 why he cacea38ea0 had chosen df0e49eb2f that seat.b0c49fb9c0d06764

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The painting was c80719e10a not in the 0ddd1cf03c Hyeum Museum of 041bb3c9aa Art but in cc4def7a70 a private room 3e1c7d49fc belonging to Director 44b6bbf88b Park Jaewoo. Since it was 80e6015f85 a space that bacc28c19c Director Park took de0e2a6d9e meticulous care of, 2e4ab5253e the temperature and 71e2e05e52 humidity were maintained 16ff887f49 year-round to preserve 26299204a3 the painting.adca123c926040a6

Yoonjo stood quietly, 37f8b0a266 gazing at the 571f1237bb large canvas. The swirling colors appeared eae4ad0a41 almost chaotic, as if 10a450eae7 they were blending together, adafb19cf6 creating a powerful, mesmerizing 608198be73 design. It resembled flickering 4739eeea6b flames, rushing waves, ae0d7cc688 or perhaps scattering e9b1d1ccbb petals. If one looked fbbe98b713 closely, the painting f36b7db126 was made of adfc458fa9 various circles, each 4e472fb096 circle a bubble c8fc0d0b0a containing shadows and 28e7a37653 light, which anyone 9990eeaa0d could see if 733d441e82 they looked closely 8e7ec9eb1a enough. The artist had 8860b6febf painstakingly drawn each 0a5cf33803 one, dedicating countless 7f193888a7 hours to complete 8fe01eed44 it.e7280c2c57ca1c38

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The title da094ac92e was Myo 74019fb069 Yu, representing 07ced5b832 the existence 2826dd5481 of something 361182723d intangible.0732fd71733eab9c

Yoonjo visited this 5fe70aec34 spot once or 8018667472 twice a month 72d4180870 to view the 4716c63e59 painting, increasing his a76f52a2c0 visits during periods 2940eac791 of sleeplessness. The bubbles 821aefed5d in the 20a535715d painting seemed e77d642957 to fill a1fd635f9c his mind, 43bde15b23 helping him 0dc224b0f2 sleep once 9bc6c406de more.dd3d135552fc6c2c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“It’s such d9bb354ca1 a shame 1ac5e0b852 every time b96e08099c I see d2f42fcd3d it—that the 74bfe89060 world can’t 242ad4d83b see this 9c1cb04bbc painting,” Director c38ce121c7 Park said, 928d10f879 standing beside 289032a2ae him, looking 0da455b024 at the e092fb1171 painting with 69f25c6d02 regret.4fd1f34e9613022c

“Then, why 2bfe46296f not display faeebf267f it?” Yoonjo e4084b4951 replied.770055715d89805e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“For real?”3327d0f7bf07a84f

“My father af7e8a0f69 would be cde920c631 on the cc9d491ede phone with 4e9aec6713 you instantly.”f23d2222ae2f35da

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, right, your e4642e167d father.”412717160f09aefd

Director Park closed 49f20c94d5 his eyes in 931f9fb945 resignation, disappointed, while 2a2262d095 Yoonjo secretly felt 52ab51a329 relieved. He had no 7bdf520a9b desire to share 7c2065285e this painting’s emotions 3c6d13f704 with anyone else.0462a2a444897e9c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The artist, who had be6fda4e1f passed away young, had 978a99f56e gained fame for her 8461cb3efc talent and was adored 689c3c1c0e by many. People still talked about e1fa16c30f her with embellished stories. But unfortunately, she hadn’t b7ee7e3828 left many pieces behind. If this painting, which 426b93a161 she had poured the e79a6984f7 most effort into and df12f6b750 which Director Park deemed dbd20e0bce her best, were to eb7a67bc45 become public, the reaction 42ceeaa080 would be overwhelming. As someone who 10743e4de9 had loved the bd0223a639 artist dearly, Director db258471ce Park would want 5e85a7ccdf to share her 636dd2656e final work with 74fd5319ee the world. But he couldn’t, 6bbbdb5a9d knowing Yoonjo’s father c02bbd7130 would claim ownership.5e7603b2239b23a3

“Why don’t you sell 0bae45f72e it to me instead?”01b2842559249c6d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Dream on.”dcebdf4be734ef26

“So cold-hearted.”6d1a325ab5214706

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Director Park gave fe38dbfeaa a resigned smile, 744cf4f365 then turned his 2801b89231 gaze back to e46db679da the painting.3a79c9a9757addfa

This piece had 47654e3bcc been created solely 9e4e53fad5 for Yoonjo, as 7387ecaff0 a gift from 4bd5481c4a the artist who 30144959c2 loved her son ec8285916c more than anything. In her deepest 78ea0a6269 melancholy, she dedicated 1d2df61a8d herself to finishing a2d6a95c29 this work, intending 2c4313b904 it as a 12d1cce713 keepsake for him.2eb1aa2c88a52a37

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Yoonjo could still c51ee2b655 remember the woman d85aa73ef5 painting this, with b7bdf4b42c paint smeared on 734f496689 her body, moving 44884fdb7e across the canvas 4e2e09b56e as if trapping 106d00c54c herself in the 7d19d74e7e bubbles she was 7f4965eec9 painting. It was as 5b9301a02e if she couldn’t 4c2abe2354 even recognize him 819de72f88 beside her until 29827cb2df the bubbles popped, 788b0748fc bringing her back cc36424485 to reality.9f67b586d97a8a96

Just like that girl.079982593e6e52df

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

For the first 0e3b39516a time, while looking 4f0a3096b5 at the painting, 622ba1c8f8 other thoughts entered 98e8130f94 his mind. Seomun Yul, a32c1d3bf4 that was d46df513a6 her name. He’d come 414d6d0ad4 to remember f11a3e2cba it because b06c5bdb02 her voice de01b955ee echoed in 9286c1aa9b his ears b8a5fed331 every time e3feceee95 he tried e1612ea53f to sleep.9226628b54af0f08

Yul-ah, let’s eat. Yul-ah, did you 98ed3c9525 bring your gym 4418f772e3 clothes? Yul-ah, do you 88fd272b05 want this? Yul-ah, Yul-ah, Yul-ah.9588cd68122bb6fb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That distinctly overfamiliar tone, be7ce3b25b echoing even in his 4273bd300d dreams. Her name piled 0ffe663f42 up, solidifying in a1e372943d his memory like a6aa97c442 limestone, etched there 18713a8e5c permanently.27cfbfe1a473e1c4

In truth, he had b55b85e969 been awake on the d8c8cc9391 bus too. The sound c62e920c64 of her ad2940e9e7 pencil scratching 6b8cbc1857 across the d77faa912e paper wasn’t d58045262f unpleasant, so 5294b6be8c he opened 3f15bbc4b5 his eyes cf7a21f5e5 briefly, catching 86fa3a663b sight of db946a3cc0 her sketching. It was 66c69348c4 a strange 467b45ca20 drawing of 806216ae38 a building. Each time 45c5fc5461 her hand e94330aa26 moved, columns 33df46c771 appeared, walls e34a36226e formed, and ee9e1212cb windows took 81d1c2d74c shape. She made c60c737c10 no effort 021014ed12 to hide 33c9ba9a45 her work, 7950a0780f and even a853b1f1a5 though he cf93c9272f openly watched, f120d78eb9 she remained f8618ec08f oblivious. As if blocking 115ce2c56c out the world, 90fca20c25 she had immersed 56faac06f9 herself in her 6984709689 own space, creating 72901e55b6 her building.879664166b34aade

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When he felt 984679a997 a warm light bcab757b1d within his closed a1b328212d eyes, she had 90b117a4c5 already folded the b595f6e53a notebook and cast 416ad33b17 a shade to 238693b8f4 block the sunlight. Once again, he found ff1acdca28 himself grateful for the 90a0d07726 shadow she provided, a eb716a43d9 thought that felt both 0b86429ff3 cool and comforting—like the f1bcb7e19e time the artist had 5e127624ff once shaded him.2988a742fd51c86b

“How’s school going?” Director bfbef023e7 Park asked.8a375ebce48543ee

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“It’s comfortable.”bfcc1a61ae01fc45

“That’s troubling.”8a0376b3d8c2599f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Director Park 1b97102c8e shook his 353e4309b7 head. “Comfortable” meant Yoonjo still 051ee5f5c5 hadn’t made any friends. Realizing isolation was 44207bc754 comfortable was far 9b45275218 from healthy. One couldn’t live alone 0947970d6b in this world. For now, it was 6d7c7ab80c okay, but if he 78ee642844 continued down this path, 8c93d8526d connecting with others would 0825d25abb become increasingly difficult. That worried Director fa381d87db Park.b02dc284a4d4c40d

“Why don’t you 930ca3620a try making friends? A girlfriend 372554d66c would be 8dba1619bd even better.”9884b3bda745fd43

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Not interested.”b8763f13250d198d

Friends? He barely 3cf90f0075 remembered what 2ab0776f2f that even 50eb601402 meant. A girlfriend? He couldn’t be 15bf58e37d bothered. He hated 2b78ce6e9d entanglements and c45c00b548 preferred to 0038dac656 keep people 6569f86253 at a 135fb90c6e distance. Besides, no 13c2dac789 one dared bf1d0ff9b8 approach him bd97f41872 easily. He was already 18ba6a04d6 aware that rumors cec6fb2341 had spread, suggesting 7f2f579611 he’d killed someone, cecfd8e4cf even if people 39850def90 were discreet about 9d9798c5c5 it. It didn’t 61c2b80d5c matter to 7f5f32ecaf him; he fa94efe2b4 had little e0a3cd70ef interest in a005b7d713 others, and fa6755df7d besides, what 71eaaaf027 people thought 9f470a8a30 wasn’t the feb2662de5 truth.c3d8d855165a07b3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Whenever he showed 40e75ddc4e even a hint 555c96ee47 of displeasure, people 4355018808 backed off, which ab0d0ebd95 was convenient. It meant 426a1edf37 he could 2b2de8fdc5 sleep undisturbed. But today, for the 1095d141c3 first time, that girl 9baf53e2d7 made him feel something 53d5143956 strange. At the bus stop da5af8443c outside school, when Seomun 6d6ac07cb8 Yul flinched and stepped 08aaf5eaa1 away after spotting him.7c2792b2b741f2d7

A girlfriend, huh?d52b5247172c4179

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The words echoed 5390f8576d in his mind, b3bb195ce7 and once again, c356244ba6 her face appeared. He knew 87e002ade5 instinctively, from 2338fc1778 the way dbe2be1ea7 she avoided 71551aa32a his gaze fd11b20b71 on the b308e6390c bus, that bf178da5e8 she’d finally 2b30b0a384 heard the aadc772baf rumors about afa4b2c5eb him. Until now, she’d 9afaaf7998 looked him dead 4772ff08c8 in the eyes, 9808bad03f but now she ab704ea29b lowered her gaze, 311271abee watching him nervously, 478f2354ad and for the e995c811ba first time, it fb1f1282f8 bothered him.8e80247b403ae517

“Well, who b88a8ecec7 could stop 4cf6a50af5 you? Do as e2ab13e49f you please. And in 16fd465a41 the future, 46666b063b feel free 7be384df11 to come c58fb63153 in and e028010d7d look whenever 5f6bf742e2 you want.”4675acd6b83e6bb1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Director Park’s tone held 16327492f2 an unusual grumpiness as 5bf4a531f4 he turned away. It was strange, 75fbc52886 given his usual 406169977d obsession with privacy. When Yoonjo looked c1fe4264df at him questioningly, 067ac4e706 he sighed and 0a8588890a gestured vaguely in 1666648b81 the air as 51a557f852 if he’d already a410cbc8d8 resigned himself to 67b15cd131 it.1383f7523f5e56f1