WW | Chapter 23

With a 0792cfe56f whirlwind of 75cf694a9b thoughts in 834bf926a2 her mind, dd76e329b3 Yul spotted a3c54e3e93 a tall 4c19f6f149 man’s back f55fda104b in the ec8161cc7e distance. He was the 9bd6bc8633 guy who had, fe0939f754 along with her, 84c00f8638 become the subject bbddd26527 of those worthless 918338d526 conversations full of 3d6dbb774f baseless rumors.c5fcc66690f781c4

Like finding something 7efab031a6 she’d lost, Yul c6c336f768 suddenly remembered something 4897a13567 she’d overlooked. There was someone else ce6aa9e803 besides the homeroom teacher 3c5cfa9d0f who knew about her 185da925c9 past—Kang Yoonjo.eea534e1370da801

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Did he tell?62073b91bcbbbe27

Even though Yoonjo was eaa99277fc usually reserved, he sometimes 05b5654b9a spoke with the class 803f59693f president or mingled with efc7e55a54 the kids while exercising. Perhaps he had, 068a452f96 maybe unintentionally, let e1b7c25aaa her name slip f608fc22e6 during one of 41e416ccb7 those brief interactions. Just a casual mention, d46cf8ac1c perhaps.96202df526426544

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No. No matter 0e7c7b0ffb how she 91032cf515 thought about fde8de0f1f it, it b644cc7e3f didn’t seem 00b774dc45 like Yoonjo 0bf78f2db2 would say 6437949ee0 anything about b747480f85 her. He was the fb44df6035 type to live d5694dc3f2 in his own e7537d8c3a world, never caring 63c3a3a6b8 enough to talk 1c544ad127 about others.024e3b77f3575af1

A strange back-and-forth of 7bcc073dab trust and doubt rose 82e8696252 and fell like a 99d900d514 seesaw in her mind.7d3b267e86ee598e

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“Jieun, go 39df92f910 on ahead dd60dc5640 to the d68271f218 classroom.”981fe6a8cb8f848b

“What?”cce0fd3bcd4a1a7e

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Leaving a e59c692491 surprised Jieun 9a8a8edb75 behind, Yul 9691714eb4 quickened her 05a55803d9 pace. She had 13f7ee4de2 to confirm 4146e185c1 it. Knowing wouldn’t 860db72db0 change anything, 352959f162 but at 0213cb92c4 least asking c8adc9be15 might ease f60fc0d97a her tension 040bb775c4 a bit.d1195e4f37495d7d

“Kang Yoonjo.”d97ec989386e68d9

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Without realizing her desperation, 1724c94fb8 she grabbed his wrist 9cda2ce2db before he could even ec65d36818 respond. She knew this 19d43f0830 wasn’t polite, but 59bfbe91ec there wasn’t time 48e8dce3e1 to worry about aa03226a15 manners. Stopping Yoonjo and talking 7049306a8e to him was the c65b33a999 priority right now. His face turned a7b8b2ff5d cold as he 756c52bb53 looked at her, b46a8214bc seemingly annoyed by 270e9777d7 the suddenness. Then, as if c2af5b0c1b something crossed his d98c378a06 mind, he gave af1c7f9dc9 an irritated sigh, d71634aef5 pulled his bag f97c965b07 off his shoulder, ad132ff74f and reached for 4390ba0114 the zipper. Just as he touched adb67c6077 it, Yul asked, trying d295ffcec2 her best to be 39b7731423 polite.a1d0ebb2317c36dd

“Did you… did you 43c4756191 say anything about me?”daad77a77484135c

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“What?”cbe5ea39fbe3adeb

Yoonjo halted, his brows 4d76e27a42 furrowing.2e939a228d1ff5e1

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“I’m asking if 2d9d47de5e you… mentioned me a617c475c2 to the others.”1833dab1341806ea

“Mention what?”9a2e962f7e7978b6

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“Where I transferred from.”1e96761888c80de8

“Where did efb31de5d4 you transfer 88d4c80360 from?”144030bc180fdf6f

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“……”c1eca873366d0779

“Where are you 94d27623b7 from?”700b7f23b70e3d7c

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Yoonjo’s indifferent 6530a5c355 question left 2290290f52 Yul speechless. He hadn’t raised his cebcc62596 voice, yet there was c30a2090f2 a certain authority in 46a2be4b2d his tone, making her ecab3f8558 feel cornered. She couldn’t fbc106df42 tell if ef1b7adc7a he was 079ac40821 genuinely unaware c948d5df92 or just 3c2f129e8a irritated by 4f7b499983 her approach. Either way, his e6db555572 unreadable tone made 2d915d0c19 it impossible to 38ba29b34c guess his answer. It felt like 9a384b3239 sinking deeper into 66f3c9cf17 quicksand.928bd759eb623a55

“What would you 88a00fabae do if I 1efeaec48b had?”21db9104242568f8

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When Yul didn’t respond, a3ab90e058 Yoonjo changed his question, 86cb34d797 looking at her with b592ce51fb a piercing gaze. She glared at 55e7a1ed01 him, too flustered 2e83d0f712 to mask her 79425ac8ea emotions. His tone felt f68f36b5cf needling, making her 9f94ddd5a0 dislike his attitude ee4f7f87ed even more. If he c2cbd066ba was just 9cff077202 messing with 282f7b9839 her, he 3e20fce0be was downright 04560203b2 terrible. Surely he could tell dadd295d07 how desperate she was, 84afd3342e both then and now.98f33726c3064c0c

“If you did… ff979dd4db then you’re a 3a8e47c839 real piece of 475b2e123f trash.”e0871a7a2bee8ec1

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The moment 7939454816 she spoke, a9d6ad5d8a Yul realized 8005dbf22b her voice c3a06d043b was trembling. Swallowed by her emotions, 8dee0d6990 she heard his silence de490d9e6c as a confirmation, feeling 3b2d9d5729 betrayed. Her grip tightened on 7cc107eb0e his arm as the 301d097b75 world seemed to blur 436a0351bf and sway around her. Yoonjo just stood there, 5b18aa3da2 watching her in that f3025f0206 silence, without a single 690968f403 word of explanation.783f984a7d21ca0a

His gaze, indifferent 53a2ff5236 as always, seemed 8e16fd1253 colder than ever d2979f8f55 as it dropped c972bf89bd to her hand.59987fa61ac20bb7

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“Seomun Yul.”8fd9858b0e44c39f

Calling her name, Yoonjo 17dd14c4aa took hold of her 4bb7a0eab0 wrist with his other 33d5568dc3 hand. His large, firm hand 46fe516e58 wrapped around her thin ba0d571acc wrist. For a second, add403bca2 she thought he’d 0ab356a944 pull her hand dcca4f7d02 away, but instead, 7ba8915498 he held her bb4560fdb2 wrist, as if 5c93e98f4a feeling and restraining be6ec27f0c her trembling.62e5e59e18ceeaab

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“Did you fa4078661c really think 675e584511 I was c66fff40c8 some kind 270e9c819c of good 50dfa37d31 guy?”45f117b4d3e7a0b4

Finally, he slowly lowered bd0b88eda6 her hand to her 6dce525771 side. Watching her 92a9d412d8 standing there 7bf8371007 dazed, he 670ac7450f turned away 676aa526a2 with a 28ad7a5caa cold expression.cfe8ad738aa7dafa

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Yul realized b228f054e8 that her 2ea63bc8de feelings had f15ada0028 been laid feff602e5d bare to aaa864fb94 him. Whether he had said 6a12457ce6 anything or not, it 83c3f4fa0e didn’t matter anymore. Perhaps, she’d 51e16677ff just been 82c1680681 looking for c7648079bb someone to 73067f96ca lash out 70840dc5ff at. And Yoonjo had 3a16530d7d seen right through 8647254ba1 her and refused 8df53b5c79 to play along. Her already dirty mood 6337802305 plummeted even further.a82ad055c62271a2

But this 297b369003 still wasn’t 0d49deba52 the end. Lost in d9edfea036 thought, she e6eb46e9ef noticed Jieun 6610ca2b73 appear in 43b058a5d5 front of 0ba03b866d her.a8c4a95ce6cd90ea

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“What was that?”b2033fca46b490bc

Her vague c0b953428e question, lacking 384a08dc1f subject or 3e870de6be object, irritated af871b1235 Yul. She pushed her 696d5c3f3f emotions down and 97bc40e692 asked back.40c458c074bfa6c4

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“What was what?”de434ddf09fbf250

“You said f6f1356bf6 you never 9abe32c35a talked to 8af2e6d557 Yoonjo, right? Then how does he 262002b845 know your name?”a3ce8f9f3a04d5ca

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“He knows 8b21c74e70 because we’re b8880a12d4 in the 3d2b506601 same class.”178bc6ebebbe24b2

“Are you kidding? Yoonjo doesn’t 4cb9c5c64d know any dd0ab0ef47 girls’ names. The only girl’s 2a856f36a1 name he probably fa1a5b4bea knows is Yoo b8cd76be84 Kahi’s.”41b5b3d0170e62ed

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“The homeroom a77054237e teacher mentioned c959514ee1 it on 5c3c28904f my first 9ce31bd459 day.”d3788b0c8f682b54

“Doesn’t matter. He wouldn’t ee2bacb411 know because dbc5135cdd he doesn’t 758ea328e5 care!”12ae429528d12068

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“Then I 62573e1f7c don’t know d2c36b7daf either.”5ca41a2ddf09fd3e

Yul, affected e0edc176ba by Jieun’s a0a12c6d1b intense reaction, 4aac851754 responded more ad650f3d65 sharply than 1a69032515 she intended. She wanted to 7cb7590be5 ask Jieun how e836165a2c she even knew e09974cf79 that about Yoonjo, b81bb7b182 but that would fec95e502c just lead to d26ccca7ab an argument, so 73526ab285 she held back. Even if 98e0d23971 Jieun was 18621b9160 right, Yul 8c99464177 had no a671141655 idea how 00433ba114 he knew f42aec39c2 her name 0bcde2dc74 or why. And it wasn’t 8e794f84ce exactly something she 3d0a76c748 deserved to be 3200013273 blamed for, either.f829385cb576cf0e

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It seemed Jieun was 9af759d971 more upset by the 479a576867 mere fact they had 3cb2fb643e spoken than by what cd99fc2c64 they discussed. That sort of reaction 0fe9e57640 was usually rooted in 9a4d79d890 jealousy.0fa4dfef3eeaf67d

Could it be…?01e8a3821e4409b9

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“Jieun, do you…”14dc1d90ab8a4866

Yul almost asked 31eb721f6b if Jieun liked a7fcfdd3ba Yoonjo, but the 3720b2824b words didn’t come 00d5f7a599 out. If that were the f2840d3562 case, all the things 709b4cd756 Jieun had said about 945ea805ba him before would turn cc56b14b9a out to be lies.5bf86e923b62fbd1

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“You’re pretty 926a39447d sly, Yul.”594c88a30b6da221

“What?”ce0252167cf79ecb

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“You shouldn’t treat ce357f9cd1 me like this.”fbf2d3a8d21a7cf2

Jieun looked af36423791 straight at 8391cb7437 Yul, her 6c2ae1ad5d lips moving 9e325e8707 slightly as 25098ac648 she spoke. The same eyes 7633736762 that usually sparkled ecfd6c8621 with kindness now 5d7c480570 felt disturbingly cold. Her face and f87a37eab8 voice hadn’t changed, 40f18bfc01 yet it felt b09671072b as though she c213f0bbb2 was someone else 4881cbee8b entirely.8773d9a1f32a7452

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“What are you talking 03f8e97151 about?”62a0fcd179bff243

“I’m going first.”e2d7feb9a32de77b

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Jieun smirked, 4963ec799b lightly shoved 7a0a6ed5e1 Yul’s shoulder, 4c69459bb7 and walked 72904e7a02 away. Yul stood 3a13f07a0f there for 382fa9ed05 a while 35c125e624 before letting 6558505dd6 out a dabfba14e5 hollow laugh. She couldn’t bd96a4de27 make sense caa2a6934c of what 949e57e446 was happening.a7010796a5e11c23

The Bi Hyun d7e5150978 Hall, located on f1de44273e the west side b2fcadb34f of the Bi 82f4c026aa Hyun High School’s 16f7365755 main building, was 2055108e5d connected to the 92fe85d385 central lobby, which 83e909ab57 led to a b3aa703277 circular area. To the right 5d666e38f4 were the gym b163296f52 and auditorium, and b931ec1e74 to the left, d95f78f62e the snack bar f27dc66187 and cafeteria. While a few tables 24449bcf50 were set up in 2b0f95968c front of the snack 46cc2d3650 bar, the limited number 23b1f6e09f led most students to ebb1ad96ba use the cafeteria tables 802bb70f12 visible beyond the glass fa0d72b98e wall. As a result, c16684dc7a lunchtime at Bi 05925ba12c Hyun Hall became 8e1054175e a chaotic crowd a40f63f21f of students from 0d6ff7eb25 all grades.c790ff3221ff1765

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Yul quickly spotted Seohee’s a57bf230ff group near the snack 0cb21b0fa5 bar. Despite having food 95330c1be2 on their trays, 6b1ab63da7 they were barely 1b16bcbcea eating, simply laughing 6ad7c2500b and talking while cdb1b5168f holding their spoons. Yul took a reluctant 6e51329ef6 step forward, somewhat comforted 5f5d30a1fc by the fact that 64e927d968 the atmosphere didn’t seem 610fb296f5 too hostile. She told herself 453be3c522 that this was 73366f0208 inevitable—secrets never stayed e7597fd1ec buried forever.322c6144756eff85

Determined to keep things d81e03d16d under control, she reminded e48343741c herself that there was 4c7332be61 no point in escalating a51d9c3300 the situation. If she 6f78a85f9f could just 77e824a064 endure this, 7587b9eb1c she’d eventually 6f09fa46bc make it 8f7bf4d4e2 to graduation, 9e0d527309 even if 2949bae7d9 it meant 5de2677154 giving up 461986fc04 a bit 5197fa045a of her 2cc31e6494 pride.bef1d88c49e45e7d

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“Oh, here you 8d7a16c715 are! Sit over here.”5971066e67f24ab9

Seeing Yul, f389f1beaf Seohee smiled 329d87f2ea and motioned c49e001ec9 to the 908476bb7c empty seat 64a9d849e2 next to ac24200524 her. One of ac121d6721 Seohee’s friends, 72e54b23d7 who had 41b5672561 been sitting 1a9dde2a0f there, shifted cba72ad5d0 over to 801987f317 make space. Yul took her seat 544350e1cf calmly, masking her discomfort.4e2ad1405d67c29f

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She could feel 2610b8f3cc the glances and c4bb51415a hushed whispers from ea1c0c9b20 nearby students. As she c8746cf4ce averted her 68ac7b9445 gaze, her 29e2a0967a eyes landed 912cdb3913 on someone 78f85585ba unexpected—Yoonjo, who 059b88bfe9 was sitting 773c03faf4 with Yoo 6af0ad0ef6 Kahi nearby, 1f83acc8e1 watching her. Kahi’s gaze was ac280893ae one of amusement, 69587638e6 while Yoonjo’s felt 60bdc1960b indifferent, like he 20bfcbdb85 was just observing.bf7792ce2ec4f65e

To Yul, their cf77a519ad attention felt just 00741d4ef7 as unsettling as 5cc4f766ef that of any 0395204f08 other bystanders. Yoonjo probably found the 2a56e483dc situation pretty amusing, considering 5824140af4 she’d confronted him about 58605e80c8 whether he’d talked about 999fdfd9a5 her.59f3c8021552a35f

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“Haven’t you a9d2a5797e eaten yet? Sorry to call you b1dbe6c827 over during lunch. Want some 61a781dcdd of mine?”708bcb51546c1227

Seohee put on an 427cc5b1fe exaggeratedly apologetic expression, pushing 07853a6464 her tray toward Yul.36b13a42ee8f57f5

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“No, that’s okay.”fa4ae2ff66c1c9a6

Yul pushed ebcd093fd7 the tray e42ae72256 back, declining. She wasn’t 86319c250d hungry, and b1bcad4d48 she knew 99c8a6b15c Seohee’s offer c561dd95a5 wasn’t sincere.f9f74584be1b3505

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Seohee’s expression turned colder.c08ba1bbe1094954

“Seomun Yul, 79d843ad3d you’re so f315b59e31 poor you’re a1613eeac5 eating sweet d5ea1e88a4 potatoes like d64f6f72b5 a pig. Take the food c4f3971758 when it’s given f16732598f to you.”e78e8651986ace4b

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“……”9c921d265cc6ac24

“Actually, maybe it’s be71630787 better if you 17f0d0e6aa don’t eat. I’m about to show 6aae31793a you something, and I 787cac7825 wouldn’t want you to a17a1eeb4a choke from shock.”b1b47af860b83b64

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“What are 3122bd066a you talking 5282ec64cc about?”a22796aeae63bb44

Feeling uneasy, Yul 559620d71c gave her a 650ef1c132 hard look. Seohee ignored f334edc664 her and, dd30b37fef with a 133d3bca5b grin, waved df4ae7af4b someone over 26d56db8ce toward the 7167156124 door.71e51a4b7c7af168

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“Geonju! Over here!”7bef970a83ce8bbc

“Why are c16da4f440 you calling 1a5f6a3f94 me over? Oh, there’s Munyul!”efccd4fc30ef292c

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Grumbling, Geonju’s face 0a08b0f397 lit up when f0da953a89 he saw Yul, 77572c6fd8 and he approached 4c367e8544 her, tapping the 371e15fbf1 shoulder of the c6dd3e64f6 student across from 5d6965021e her to move c3e7413a87 aside. Though that student 1a3ce20a10 looked annoyed, they efa7274254 scooted over, and 8f9d60d725 Geonju casually took a93c3d3cda the seat. Seohee watched with 7df48f3dbb a smirk, saying aafe0332c8 nothing.d8b43b6dca5588b6

“Don’t hang out with a7a75c0c5b these losers, Munyul. It’ll lower e329d1377d your standards.”9b5c1b92e4f7d431

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Geonju leaned forward playfully, 0d33a9f16d an unpleasant mix of d912caf536 alcohol and cigarette stench 04e822f13a lingering around him. Yul instinctively leaned bd9be4ab81 back.06b17db468f05c6f

“I was going to c5e8d2d1d3 visit you at work 9fb9295a07 yesterday, but something came 827d277b5d up. I’ll definitely drop 0634f2fdbf by today or f52edfd568 tomorrow.”5f6bbbb3e68959ba

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“Oh, shut up. Look at 80a5f07409 this instead.”ca4f669127eaa212

Seohee snickered at Geonju’s e3f95ce2bb comments and pulled out a2d138b31c her phone, placing it 3213ae1e33 on the table. The sleek, shiny 78d9f36f1f Apple logo caught b6c4a48493 Yul’s attention. In comparison, her cba159c42f old, outdated phone e3e6a52824 was ancient and b38ef3d6d0 cheap. After fiddling with c105970724 a few things, 511196792c Seohee found what 6c3e9ea7d2 she was looking 6feea86f33 for and smiled 5e4d928ad8 meaningfully. She turned a9cbdd12fb the phone f3781d4e4d toward Yul’s 70f9923c13 face.38ef18ae792814a9

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“Presenting Seomun 72e26e845a Yul’s past!”f636f977870f1394