WW | Chapter 31

With a face that showed no excitement, and a voice so dry it almost seemed bored, he spoke. It was a relief he wasn’t being overly sentimental, but something about it still made her feel ticklish. Was it her toes? Or maybe her fingertips? Her back? Her neck? Who knew. Just the mention of being his “girlfriend” — even if it was fake — was enough to stir these odd sensations.

Yul opened her English book, trying to focus, but she couldn’t. His persistent and obvious gaze felt like it was glued to her cheek and wouldn’t let go. Hah! She slapped her book with her palm and threw him a sharp look.

“Why do you keep staring?”

Even though she was clearly annoyed, Yoonjo didn’t seem bothered. Instead, he boldly started scanning her face, taking in every detail. His gaze trailed over her forehead, her neatly shaped eyebrows, her fluttering lashes, and finally, her wavering pupils, and he let out a little laugh.

And that wasn’t all. His eyes then traced the bridge of her nose, lingering on her full lips, then caressed both her cheeks.

“So, this is what my girlfriend looks like?”

Yoonjo tilted his head, sounding genuinely curious. They’d faced each other closely several times before, but this was the first time they held each other’s gaze for so long. It felt… strange. There wasn’t the slightest hint of nervousness or excitement in his gaze; it was like he was observing a bug. And yet, her face was heating up. When she swallowed nervously, he chuckled, as if he’d caught her.

“Nervous?”

“As if.”

His teasing tone made her bristle. She felt like a mouse backed into a corner, helplessly at the mercy of this nosy Yoonjo, who found her interesting enough to pull close, tap, and observe like a curious cat.

“Why do you keep frowning? Are you regretting coming over here?”

“…”

The sudden change of topic left her speechless. He usually saw her when she was half-asleep, so she assumed he wouldn’t notice such things, but it turned out he was surprisingly sharp. She’d tried her best to hide her discomfort, but somehow, he’d caught on. His face was smiling, but there was a cold edge in his eyes, making her feel cornered.

“It’s because I’m in pain.”

“Where?”

He let go of her face and straightened up, looking at her intently.

“Menstrual cramps.”

“…”

“It’s worse in the beginning.”

After debating internally, she decided to be honest. It was embarrassing, but she didn’t want to lie. Strangely, with Yoonjo, her guarded side naturally softened. Maybe it was because his indifferent attitude made her feel comfortable. Yul placed her English book on the desk and pulled a pen from her pencil case.

Just as she tried to ignore his lingering gaze and look away, her eyes met Jieun’s, who was watching them from beside her new, large-bodied seatmate. Jieun must’ve been hurt since Yul had moved seats without saying anything, but she didn’t come over to ask about it. Jieun — the old seatmate she still hadn’t completely settled things with.

“She probably confessed to me,” Yoonjo said out of nowhere.

“What?”

Yul turned to look at him, startled.

“Your former seatmate. The one with the nasal voice. I think it happened multiple times.”

“Liar.”

She couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. Jieun had said so many bad things about Yoonjo, even warning her not to get close to him. And yet, she had supposedly confessed to him?

“Seomun Yul.”

At his call, Yul blinked.

“I don’t like suckers.”

“Huh?”

“Just so you know.”

With that, he pushed the English book back toward her. Then, he leaned his face against the desk, closer to her side, and closed his eyes.

Yul stared at him blankly for a moment, then finally understood his meaning and let out a quiet laugh. Just staying by Yoonjo’s side wouldn’t solve everything. It wouldn’t do any good to cling helplessly, and he wasn’t the type to tolerate that, either. There was something she needed to deal with on her own. Yoonjo was simply there as a last defense, watching from behind.

Yul walked past the row of bookshelves, heading deeper into the library. She made her way to a secluded corner, where Jieun was waiting.

“What do you want?”

Jieun asked coldly, avoiding Yul’s gaze, though her sideways glances suggested she thought Yul had come to apologize or explain herself.

“Why did you do it?”

Yul looked at Jieun directly.

“What?”

“The sweet potato. If you didn’t want to eat it, you could’ve just said so. Why did you eat it and then turn around and complain to Seohee?”

Ignoring Jieun’s reaction, Yul continued calmly. Not long after transferring, she’d given Jieun a sweet potato her grandmother had packed for her. They’d eaten it when no one else was in the classroom, and by the time other students had returned, it was all gone. Only Yul and Jieun knew about it, so the fact that Seohee somehow knew was enough reason to suspect Jieun.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What’s the point of calling me here?”

“Why did you tell Seohee things I didn’t say? You were the one who spread rumors that she did drugs in America and that her mom works in a hostess bar. Why did you make it seem like I said those things?”

“Have you lost your mind, Seomun Yul?”

“Was it because of Yoonjo?”

“What?”

Jieun’s face hardened as her reaction of shock and anger turned icy. Her wavering gaze went cold and unyielding.

“You confessed to Yoonjo, didn’t you? Is that why you misunderstood and got jealous of me?”

“Jealous?”

Jieun let out a sudden laugh. The gentle, kind face she usually wore vanished, replaced by a venomous stranger. Yul had seen glimpses of this expression before, but it was so fleeting she’d thought it was her imagination. But the chilling truth was that it was no mistake. Maybe the kind facade Yul had seen was the mask, and this was the real Jieun.

“You’re funny, Seomun Yul. You get with Kang Yoonjo, and now you don’t see anyone else?”

“What?”

“You’re really annoying. How can someone like you be with Kang Yoonjo, you little beggar?”

Jieun twisted her lips as she spoke, her voice filled with contempt. Yul had suspected Jieun’s two-faced nature, but seeing her vicious side so clearly left her speechless.

“Yeah, I told Seohee. Because I can’t stand you.”

“…”

“At first, I thought you were decent, pretty and all, but you’re actually pathetic. Too poor to even go to the cafeteria. Wearing secondhand uniforms. Living off convenience store jobs for spare change. And yet, you have this fake pride.”

“Jieun.”

“So what are you gonna do about it? Gonna go tattle to Seohee?”

Jieun raised her chin, smirking arrogantly. Finally, Yul understood why Jieun had transferred schools. With this personality, she couldn’t have been bullied without reason. It was likely due to her manipulative tendencies and possessive streak. Yul realized she’d been foolishly strung along by Jieun’s cunning manipulation. The day Seohee had picked a fight with her at the gym was probably Jieun’s doing, too, all while she pretended to care. Disgusting.

Yul looked down, chuckling bitterly. When she looked back up, she met Jieun’s gaze with an even expression.

“I won’t tell. Jieun.”

“Oh? So you’re smart enough to know it’s pointless?”

“There’s no need.”

With that, Yul looked over to the end of the bookshelf.

“What are you doing?”

Sensing something, Jieun’s gaze followed Yul’s. Seohee and her group appeared from behind the shelf.

“Hey, Lee Jieun. It was you, you little snake?”

Seohee approached with a murderous look in her eyes, ready to confront Jieun. Jieun looked at Yul in shock, realizing she’d been set up, but her rage had to wait as Seohee’s fiery glare bore down on her.

Seohee’s anger, compounded with frustration from past grievances, seemed ready to explode, and Jieun was now the target of her wrath.

“Hold on. Let me speak first.”

Yul stepped between Seohee and Jieun, not because she felt any pity for Jieun, but because she wanted to leave. She didn’t want to be part of this group any longer.

“Don’t mess with me anymore. From now on, I won’t just stand by.”

Yul met Seohee’s eyes with a calm resolve.

“What did you say?”

“You know my past now, don’t you? It’s all true.”

Once you’re marked, it’s hard to erase. So sometimes, it’s better to use it.

“Are you proud of it?”

“No. But I kept it hidden. Since you revealed it, I don’t have to hold back anymore.”

Yul lifted her chin, her words dripping with sarcasm. Seohee, caught off guard the last time Yul had stood up to her, might not confront her as openly now that she knew Yul was dating Yoonjo, but she wasn’t going to let her off easily either. And Yoonjo wouldn’t intervene on her behalf. He’d let Yul handle things until she truly couldn’t. And she understood now — that was the right approach.

“What’s wrong with you? Just because you’re dating Kang Yoonjo, you think you’re untouchable?”

“Regardless of Yoonjo, from now on, my only target is you, Seohee.”