WW | Chapter 42

“Grandma! I told you I’d clean it up!”

Yul yelled as she walked into the house and saw Kyeong Ja. Despite being told to rest, Kyeong Ja had gotten up and started tidying up the house, unable to stay still. She couldn’t even walk properly, crawling on all fours as she cleaned the floor. The sight made Yul’s anger flare. Storming over, Yul grabbed the large mixing bowl Kyeong Ja was holding, nearly snatching it away.

“Leave it. Grandma will do it.”

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“Grandma,” Yul said softly, her voice cracking the moment she met Kyeong Ja’s eyes. Her nose stung, and the resolve she had firmly tied together outside started to unravel. This time they spent together, flowing helplessly by, suddenly felt unbearably pitiful.

“What’s wrong, my dear? Did that guy from earlier say something to you?”

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Alarmed, Kyeong Ja lifted Yul’s bowed face to meet her gaze. Tears streamed down Yul’s face, tracing a path along her chin. She hated this. No matter how much effort she put in, some things just wouldn’t change—like these unstoppable tears, the events of the day, or the relationships that refused to go her way.

With her rough hands, Kyeong Ja wiped Yul’s tears away. “What happened? Did someone bully my little one? Huh?”

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“Grandma, I….”

“Go on, tell me.”

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“I’m thinking of dropping out of school.”

“What?”

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Kyeong Ja blinked, taken aback by Yul’s unexpected words. Normally, she would have jumped up in outrage, demanding an explanation, but this time, she sensed something different. Her face turned serious, and she carefully sat on the floor, leaning on her hands. Her aged eyes, which had seen countless hardships, grew misty and clouded.

“Why now? Sweetheart, you don’t have much longer. Just hang in there a little more.”

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“I’m too tired, Grandma.”

Yul leaned her back against the wall, her gaze dry and distant. Just one more year, and she’d graduate from high school. It seemed like a time she could endure, given how long she had already held out. But the weight of her burdens was too heavy to bear any further. She was tired of begging the church over the phone for tuition fees, of worrying about her worn-out uniform and how she’d get another for next year. She was tired of seeing her aging grandmother toil so hard and of how one problem was solved only to have another take its place.

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Even when things temporarily improved, she realized their lives, shackled by debt, would always be precarious. The fear of debt collectors showing up unannounced and having to flee was unbearable. And she didn’t want to hold back Yoonjo’s future either.

The biggest reason was simple—she was utterly exhausted. Each day she endured, thinking it was fine, was merely an extension of an unstable calm. Her days hadn’t been passing by peacefully but swelling like a balloon ready to burst, and today had been the day it finally popped.

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“I’ll go to college,” Yul said firmly. That dream wasn’t just her grandmother’s hope but hers as well. Dropping out of school didn’t mean she was giving up; she would just take a different path.

“I’ve never said anything I couldn’t follow through on, right? So trust me and let me do this. I’ll handle everything.”

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“Handle what?”

“Everything. I’ll get everything in order and go to college. Even if I get accepted now, I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

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She had finally said it all. Perhaps she should have done so sooner. For various reasons, her young age among them, she hadn’t been able to see the situation clearly or make proper decisions.

Still conflicted, Kyeong Ja looked up at the ceiling with a wavering expression. After blinking a few times to dry her tears, she looked at Yul with a resolute face.

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“Alright, my dear. Do what you want.”

“Grandma….”

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“Of course, I trust you. If I don’t trust my Yul, who else would I trust? Grandma will follow you wherever you lead.”

Kyeong Ja smiled through her tears, stroking Yul’s head. When had she grown so much? For the first time, Kyeong Ja felt the roles of protector and protected had reversed. She trusted her granddaughter wholeheartedly. Unlike her son, who had given up on college and spent his life bitterly regretting it, Yul was different. Her resourceful granddaughter had always managed to achieve what she set her mind to. If she said she couldn’t endure any longer, then it must truly be unbearable. As a grandmother, it wasn’t her job to push her harder but to understand her.

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“Grandma….” Yul, holding back her tears, leaned into Kyeong Ja’s arms. The warm hand patting her back made her feel as though a weight had been lifted off her chest. Resting her forehead on Kyeong Ja’s bony shoulder, she noticed the Bible Pastor Choi had given her lying discarded in the corner. It was a relief she hadn’t lost her way entirely.

After tidying up the house, Yul stepped outside with her phone. Scrolling through her contact list, she selected a number and called. After a while, the church’s administrative officer answered, his tone already irritated.

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“Yul, it’s rude to call at this hour….”

“Please tell the pastor I want to meet him.”

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“What?”

His voice sharpened. It was bad enough that she called late at night, but asking to see Pastor Choi without so much as a greeting clearly annoyed him.

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“Yul, I told you I’d look into the tuition fees, didn’t I? The church is incredibly busy at the end of the year, and you’re bothering the pastor over something so trivial? Our church and Pastor Choi have helped you and your grandmother out of goodwill, not obligation. You’re starting to confuse charity with entitlement.”

His words, dripping with thorns, stung Yul’s pride. Something that kept her awake at night with worry was nothing more than a trivial matter to him, just a line in a forgotten document. Normally, she would have apologized profusely and begged, but she didn’t feel the need anymore. She wasn’t even angry at the administrator. He didn’t know her circumstances, and to him, her behavior might have seemed audacious.

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“Never mind,” Yul said curtly.

“What?”

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“You don’t have to look into it. Just pass on my message to the pastor.”

“And what exactly should I tell him?”

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Annoyed by her bold tone, he raised his voice.

“Tell him I have photos. Say it’s about what happened at our house ten years ago—he’ll understand.”

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“What?”

“If he doesn’t come to me or contact me within three days, tell him I won’t stay quiet. Oh, and make sure he contacts me directly—Grandma knows nothing about this.”

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With that, Yul hung up. When the phone rang again, she ignored it and turned it off.

The next morning, a text came from an unknown number. Seeing the content, she immediately knew who it was.

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“Let’s meet today. You pick the time.”

It was Pastor Choi. Despite ignoring her grandmother’s repeated calls, he moved immediately at Yul’s words. If she had known it would work this well, she might have tried it sooner.

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Even though she expected his reply, her hands trembled when she saw it. What have I done? She briefly regretted her actions, but the dice had already been cast.

“I can spare thirty minutes before work.”

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She sent her reply, taking a deep breath as she typed the time and place.

“It’s been a while,” Pastor Choi greeted her.

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It had been a year and a half since Yul last saw him, and he looked better than ever. His face, fuller and brighter, reflected a man at peace. His church had grown, and his reputation had soared—no wonder he looked so content.

“How have you been?” she asked.

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“Well, that depends on your answer,” he replied with a soft smile, lifting the coffee cup in front of him. After taking a sip, he set it down and gave her a small smirk, one that barely masked his disdain. How dare you, of all people, summon me here?

That smirk extinguished any lingering fear she felt. Her guilt vanished, replaced by a strange sense of calm. Seeing the sharp glint in his eyes behind his glasses made her realize he was more nervous than she was. The realization gave her courage to speak.

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“People should be accountable for their words, Pastor,” she said.

“….”

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“If you’re confident you can be, then please listen.”

Pastor Choi’s smirk disappeared, replaced by a serious expression as he leaned in. Yul swallowed and looked down at the black Bible resting on her lap. She traced the cover with her thumb, silently apologizing to God, then placed it on the table. Pastor Choi frowned, clearly annoyed.

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“You gave this to me,” she said. “Told me all the answers were in here.”

“Did I? Well, it’s good to hear you read it.”

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“There’s a verse that stood out to me. Want to hear it?”

Without waiting for an answer, Yul opened the bookmarked page.

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“The man who commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul.”

“What are you doing?”

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“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

“Enough, can’t you stop?”

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Pastor Choi, unable to contain his anger, shouted. Realizing his outburst, he quickly looked around to ensure no one had noticed before settling down. Yul sat motionless, watching him. Then, with a faint smile, she asked,

“Pastor, are you still in touch with my mom?”

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