WW | Chapter 35

“I’m not scared of Yoonjo at all.”

Yul responded calmly, trying to hold back her emotions.

“What?”

“I don’t really care if Yoonjo did it or not, but if he did, he must’ve had a reason. At least someone like Kang Yoonjo would.”

Overwhelmed, Yul paused for a moment.

“Unlike a thug like you.”

“You little…!”

Park Geonju, clearly losing his patience, raised his hand. Yul quickly closed her eyes and flinched. She knew this was how it would end, so her fear faded away. She only thought about keeping her head up and staying conscious, no matter what. But as time passed, the blow she anticipated never came. When she slowly opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Yoonjo gripping Geonju’s wrist tightly.

“Yoonjo!”

In disbelief, she called out his name.

“Want me to get rid of him? So you never have to see him again?”

Holding Geonju’s arm, Yoonjo asked her, calm as ever.

“You crazy bastard, let go!”

Geonju tried to pull his arm away, gritting his teeth, but Yoonjo didn’t budge, standing firm and steady like an old tree, meeting his gaze as if waiting for her signal. Though his face, eyes, and tone showed no dramatic change, Yul knew he was even angrier because of it. She glanced inside the convenience store. The terrified owner was watching them anxiously from inside, too afraid to come out.

“Don’t. You shouldn’t fight here.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to take the hits.”

At her words, Yoonjo mumbled something incomprehensible. Releasing Geonju with a shove, he bent down and whispered into her ear.

“There’s CCTV here too, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Yul didn’t understand why he was asking, but it felt wrong to check around, so she answered quietly. The convenience store had cameras both inside and outside the entrance.

“Park Geonju.”

After hearing her response, Yoonjo turned to face Geonju.

“As you said, I’ve killed someone before. Do you think I wouldn’t do it again?”

“What did you just say, you psycho?”

Geonju scoffed, trying to act unfazed, but his hesitation was clear. He looked ready to charge, yet something held him back.

“After all the times you’ve been hit, why haven’t you learned your lesson yet? Want me to make your parents beg me on their knees again?”

“You bastard!”

Mentioning his parents was the final straw. Geonju, who seemed undecided about causing a scene, lost his temper and threw a punch. Yoonjo staggered back as Geonju’s fist landed on his face with a thud.

“Yoonjo!”

Shocked, Yul tried to rush to him, but Yoonjo raised his hand, stopping her. Trembling, she held back, feeling tears well up at the sight of Yoonjo in such a state because of her. Geonju, looking triumphant after hitting Yoonjo, yelled with newfound confidence.

“See that, you piece of crap? Last time, you just caught me off guard. If I want, crushing you is no big deal.”

Geonju clenched his fists again, ready for more. Yoonjo, who had been tilting his head, straightened up, pressing his knuckles to his cheek. Then, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, he smirked.

“Thanks for being born so stupid.”

“What?”

Geonju frowned, confused. Just then, the sound of police sirens started blaring in the distance. As Geonju looked ready to bolt, Yoonjo took a step forward and said,

“If you run now, it’s really over for you.”

“… Damn it.”

Geonju cursed under his breath, staring in shock as Yoonjo nodded toward the CCTV.

“Go home. It’s over.”

Yoonjo spoke to the frozen Yul. Soon, a police car arrived and stopped in front of them.

***

Even after returning home, Yul couldn’t calm down. She sat next to her sleeping grandmother, a book open in front of her, but she couldn’t focus. She was going crazy, wondering what happened to Yoonjo and Geonju. If Yoonjo ended up in trouble because of this, she’d never forgive herself.

It was already well past 1 a.m. Was the investigation still ongoing? Or maybe it had ended, and Yoonjo, ever so indifferent, just didn’t think to update her. Or maybe it hadn’t even occurred to him to let her know.

Sighing, Yul closed the book and slumped over her desk. As she tried to calm her racing heart, her phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming message. She hurriedly checked it.

“Everything’s fine, so stop worrying and get some sleep.”

At least Yoonjo had some basic decency.

“You…”

Yul started to type “…are you okay?” but deleted it and pressed the call button instead. She needed to hear the details directly. Texts wouldn’t do it justice, and she knew he wouldn’t explain much if she just texted him back.

Despite calling right after getting his message, Yoonjo took a long time to answer. Yul started to regret calling. She realized he might find her annoying—always clinging to him at school and now causing trouble and calling him late at night. He was probably already bothered from dealing with the police because of her.

Just as she was about to hang up, his voice came through.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, I thought you weren’t going to answer.”

“Why?”

“Uh, I was just worried… if everything was resolved.”

She replied in a small voice. She didn’t expect him to answer kindly, but the blunt “why” left her feeling embarrassed.

“It’s handled. He won’t bother you anymore.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Handled it.”

That was all he said. Since he wasn’t going to explain further, Yul gave up and changed the topic.

“Are you sure I didn’t cause you any trouble?”

“Not at all.”

“Okay then. I’ll… I’ll hang up now. And, uh, thanks for today. And sorry.”

Awkwardly, she tried to express her gratitude. He’d come to help her, and she felt both grateful and moved. But she also felt guilty for burdening him. She understood why he might be cold toward her.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

She thought he was about to hang up, but he asked her a question first.

“Ask what?”

“If I really killed someone or not.”

Yoonjo’s voice was low. Only now did she realize he must’ve overheard her conversation with Geonju and felt hurt. Although she’d stood by him, he seemed uncertain if she genuinely trusted him.

“Yeah. I’m not asking.”

“….”

“Whatever you did in the past doesn’t matter to me.”

Yul spoke calmly, sharing her true feelings. Sure, she was curious if the rumors were true. Murder wasn’t a trivial matter; it was terrifying and intense. But it was in the past. If he had done it, he must’ve had his reasons.

“I did kill someone.”

Yoonjo admitted, his tone even. She had expected it, but hearing it directly from him left her stunned. She wanted to say something, to avoid hurting his feelings, but she could only open and close her mouth in silence.

“It was a situation where I had no choice. But if that bothers you, even now…”

“It doesn’t.”

Thanks to Yoonjo giving her something to respond to, Yul quickly replied.

“You said it was unavoidable. That means it must’ve been hardest for you.”

She had tried convincing herself it didn’t matter, but she couldn’t help being a little shaken. Yet, as soon as Yoonjo told her the truth, her worries melted away. She understood life often throws people into situations beyond their control. No matter how innocent you are, society can still judge you harshly.

“So go get some rest. Maybe that’s why you keep sleeping all the time?”

The hardest part was probably bearing the wounds you couldn’t overcome on your own. For someone like Yoonjo, his trauma wasn’t something time could simply heal. Those harsh events would continue to haunt him. Prolonged suffering leads to resignation, even self-destruction. She knew that firsthand.

Maybe that’s why Yoonjo always seemed to sleep so much—to escape. Instead of fearing or avoiding him, she realized she should feel sorry for him.

“See you tomorrow.”

She tried to sound cheerful.

“Seomun Yul.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not the only one by my side. I’m by your side too.”

“Huh?”

“Just so you know.”

With that, Yoonjo ended the call. Yul, still bewildered, lay down, feeling a mix of comfort and anxiety. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Yoonjo was becoming entangled in her unstable life.

***

December had already begun. School life was becoming bearable, but it was still a challenging season in other ways. The gas and electricity bills were rising, the cold limited her movement, and working in the cold felt even tougher. While Yul grumbled about the chill, Kyeong Ja approached her cheerfully.

“Heading to school?”

“Yeah. I’ll be home a bit early today. I have an interview at the convenience store.”

Yul pulled on her coat over her uniform. She even wore the beige velvet headband she’d saved from a past gift, wanting to look as neat as possible for the interview.

“Those scumbags! If they were going to fire you, they should’ve done it earlier, not throw you out in the dead of winter.”