WW | Chapter 47

No, there was d3e9ea7795 definitely something different. He had 837555135a asked why ed16cf562e she was 7aff7ae0be so kind 1272d79c33 to him, b47b104412 confessed that 4e2aa076d1 he liked 8eb8a66e60 Yoonjo, asked 3695d4bd3d her to 98cee860d5 call his ea8b9b999d name, take ba249b22f8 a picture df3cd854af together, and cc04da54a3 said things 19f1b89e5e like, “I’ll c8a7474e74 always be 01fa44d6fd watching over 2177f3f7b0 you.” Words 545f312531 he’d never 1e792b1a94 said before. At the ffd64fd94b time, he 02cb22bf23 thought it dcdc108378 was just 42cd16a647 because of 08d1db2e89 the excitement 1add824c65 of Christmas d006691f2e Eve, but b479f02061 was it 01f2711fb2 because it 89b9632761 was the c9e0592ac9 last time? Back then, 58b67c2460 he couldn’t 4757409c37 think rationally—his 1955708f80 heart was 399081f41f fluttering too 951e722d05 much to 74212d876f suppress it.4080f1edb0e620fe

“But why 617e137b33 didn’t you 66d383385d tell me?”b96629717be2451b

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Yoonjo furrowed her d36a7f5adf brow, demanding an 1aacf40f43 answer. Her mind was 601b8a361c in turmoil, and 1b918b166c her frustration and edb60e4bb8 anxiety lashed out 2be89ab08c unfairly at the eb07da8044 President. If the man b23a1acfc2 had been given 846c8aa6af extra money to c367fce09b look after Yul, 3ae71850f0 he should have c256d3d95f noticed and informed e73a3afb01 her sooner. She had 9596082093 always disliked 54f653c72c how he e437575dbc acted so 5b867c3783 friendly and 5ce436c113 sly, but 5b4f917463 now she 5fb828cbad realized he 437d19d019 was even aad0a1bd73 more useless 3a8617bb79 than she 53d9d025d2 thought.3309683d965c4383

Faced with Yoonjo’s 19e3d3ddba anger, the President ac462d25bc leaned back slightly bf17701ff8 and replied, “I 88988b9d44 thought our contract 6a90391327 was over. Yul didn’t ask 6d5cfe684e me to tell 6d3abd0a16 you everything, and cc8de73cd1 I assumed you c9fb0c1e2c already knew.”d9f786d394ea6aeb

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“Was there nothing 78c44d2f41 else she mentioned?” 4e4e192ca8 Yoonjo asked hastily, fb557f971b giving up on 314b5dc195 finding out more.3a19052bf7907280

“She said she was aa29ad0517 moving,” he replied.7f0db029e73d556f

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“Where to?”cc575e3271f9ca55

“I don’t know,” 882b406f91 he shrugged, speaking 81e1e33586 in a tone 1f97cff8e3 that suggested he 5b3961fe69 was just as 993c4a68c8 baffled. His doubtful gaze c738e43192 seemed to question 73f1d4b96a whether their relationship 3af81bbf0a was really that 4c8aeec16d shallow or whether 4caa6452ad Yoonjo had done ed790ef05a something wrong. Yoonjo realized there was 82fc3a5ea0 nothing more to gain cbf44e5602 here. There wasn’t even a a197972f30 trace of Yul left dfd021ea22 in this place.86c36eb7a9eb2e79

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Without hesitation, she turned 2d4c37aa97 and headed to Yul’s f7769dd8d8 house.62f348eea6c6cb1b

Seeing the semi-basement house e930be2652 in daylight made its 5744c0ce04 poor condition all the 26b7c89ec3 more evident. The narrow, grimy stairs 25869eda48 leading down, the old, b18c44bc56 dirty front door plastered b72b28bcc0 with stickers—it all looked c491372d57 dismal. After hesitating 4a70887c20 briefly, Yoonjo 514e6815a5 pressed the 7e381a8d6d doorbell. She could hear 5ef6ea396f it ringing inside, 41b187b934 but there was 2071ffcdd7 no response. She pressed it 3eb53f36de again, and again, c27fba7009 until finally, unable 1c78fee4af to hold back, 45b6ee9314 she started banging 77e2ebb907 on the door.6ba3d9c2b02a2f5f

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“Seomun Yul, open the 0b5d8dc1e5 door.”22b7574c18531355

This was a 8b41435a07 first for her. Never had a3b26a17e6 she cared 12d03a3780 so much fd1ea3ed57 about someone, 0fb62e1204 nor had 5d47bc1f5e she ever c647216e9e run to 7dec8327cf someone’s house 8a4666aa75 to bang c9dbf62f9c on their 069d720d58 door like d240754bc5 this. Her heart cc4d9436c0 pounded uncontrollably.e44188cfa7a5e3f2

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“Hey, open up! Seomun Yul!”7bce7e2ac58c08cb

Bang, bang, bang. The old metal 2f78c7b76e door rattled with dc334d4afd each knock. After a long 099d0af037 while, she heard 47b788a1e6 a faint sound 59cd681ced on the other 7a6e7b768e side. A middle-aged woman 219a572987 opened the door 08a1e9b490 just a crack, 01955fe572 cautiously peeking out, 3391594329 but when she 087e1115b8 saw Yoonjo in 0268656965 her school uniform, 37934dacac she opened it 271c8ebce0 wide.6fc880f086415cd7

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“They’ve moved out,” 4acfcd63ea the woman said.14ab8cac98bd1994

“Moved? When?”6bc1d6f6ffb41f14

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“A few days b2da8a0539 ago. They didn’t have much 9616c8fcdb stuff, so they couldn’t cf4ee96bea even fill half a 4554508130 small moving truck. Her grandmother cried 8f7339ce40 so much while c3877d9b67 loading the car.”895f3af7bbbd2472

“…”f734ac3bac602db6

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The shock hit 0fe3e9b3cd Yoonjo like a 513c3ac3c0 wave. If Yul b211d0f260 had moved a8ac4f83f9 out days 4804fea6bf ago, it 45b1854e38 meant she 4a82ed89f6 had been 07b1c3020a commuting from c406dced2a her new 077edcbb97 place to 1845d4a6f4 school just aee74484fc to see 2461b6cda7 him. It wasn’t because she 5606f6ca38 had anything left to 010f9e78cf do at school; she 2ff46da21e had already decided to 9580d8bbd4 drop out.a6fbfcb6fed66cec

How could she 1768819957 have kept this 1ee12af06a a secret? It was so absurd 493d4dbe7b that Yoonjo could only 31ed1761a7 laugh bitterly.bf7db34090ab128d

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Once the woman went d45a86e9fe back inside, Yoonjo turned 73514e3ba2 the doorknob in a e81947a824 daze. To her surprise, 725053172b the door wasn’t b8169619c2 locked. He stepped inside.84f111584594acee

The house was dark, c350a80baf as if it were d162786349 nighttime. Using the 1c4d48e89e light from 9d40ec68fb her phone, 4d96a5cdad she found 5c5743358e the light f354cbfb76 switch and ae94667729 flipped it 0586e54de2 on. The empty 98bf673529 house lit 7a6aada07d up, revealing 508cf65342 how small c47c0e238a and worn e527f0c82d it really 0306dc7915 was. He hadn’t 48ebdc0b83 noticed before, d5f816b776 during the da784b3853 commotion with 560cc2b0ae the gangsters, efc57e92f1 but now a8042b36dd he saw 67d2d903b1 clearly just 9bd20fc8fb how poor 73d4a088a8 the living 9880cc102f conditions were.ec2723bcb75ea185

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So, this is 4dda41f1b3 where she lived. That confident Seomun 77665f1afe Yul.84176dc6fababea3

Yoonjo opened the creaky d05ec42c84 window. Even though it was 893f9075dd midday, the sunlight barely 10ca26b0dc peeked in, as if ccf621a85d reluctant to enter.f889140be18872a0

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Sitting down 55271cc7e6 on the 7d053f6caa floor, she e674c8a92a called Yul 277f0e9cd7 again. Her phone was still 405746d23d off. She stared 2c13a0671b out the 54f4c221a9 window, remaining 5031a89f06 there with 54e0e2ade1 a desperate e924c60069 heart. He watched a37808df2d as the 1778574ed8 sun set, b31f553c01 streetlights flickered cb8c386710 on, and 8a055dafc7 snow began dda4da388b to swirl f074f7d7c4 through the 6e3da092e3 air.06c7d1c2850cbe08

It wasn’t c0f9007032 until late 1f959cf213 at night c29fa7e7cc that Yoonjo 4a60bb6712 finally rose e45a9c1af8 and checked fbbc54022c his phone. His eyes narrowed as 68ad76186c he quickly opened a 9b96da578e new message. It was from 0edcb9a49e Yul.65374fcc179654bd

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**“I’ve moved out. Don’t misunderstand; the debt a720c59db7 is resolved.7b94b7523b6242da

Thank you 926a9443f7 for everything.e4019eedae8a4930

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And I’m sorry.”**94d63c357f87b7fd

That was it. No explanation f15b9a332e for her 47cb5a5120 sudden decision 0006fbeb44 or why 532beb19dc she left 6fabec24b3 without a 201e91b44f word—just those 9392ab1d88 three lines. The message had been 1cc940cb02 sent about an hour d1f96128ab ago, and it clearly a98f435298 conveyed that she no 40b4859fc2 longer wanted to be 12465f3d72 contacted.f9fa02cbfa92e992

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Calling her again, ad6c4c0744 Yoonjo clenched his 7b3ad34f90 phone tightly and 7ccabacdc4 closed his eyes. This time, 205fca74c6 the number 05761fb59e wasn’t just df9755744b unreachable; it fef9f504bc was listed 75e1499cc0 as no b5fb2307bc longer in 998b0669c9 service.9c92317865b60665

“Damn it.”a8f1c59df0b7f465

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He cursed under 87b83ff729 his breath, staring 39127b92e9 into the void, 14b8a51760 then dialed another fe1c9f2d74 number.03125d323ad854b8

“Yes, young master,” answered c971f1a589 Choi Hyungwoo, his father’s 0479104bc9 secretary. Known for his intelligence, ca1ecbe65b strength, and competence, he eb68da2737 was often called a 612c589828 “jack-of-all-trades.”d2f317b22499da6b

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“Can you ce44a0a848 find someone fd94a6ada7 for me?”0bd569ab9a40757f

Seomun Yul had no 736107d707 idea. She might leave 5c782d6652 whenever she wanted, 9234bb67c2 but leaving wouldn’t b2b5a46a48 be so easy. A bloodline 52197227e1 more relentless 27da9abc6b than debt fd7a0e7256 collectors or 8fd29f26cd thugs ran 3fafbea449 through Yoonjo’s 4843328947 veins. No matter where she 36af45581a went, he would find 41c3687962 her.46d5799fdfe47286

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“Of course. Who should I find?”6a046c4551f69f7b

“Se—”4968d09afec16723

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Yoonjo stopped mid-word.375a9799f9fb87ef

“They’re thugs. Their job is cfcef41301 to dig into d64a6aa6b4 people’s lives and 681683e7cd hunt them down. Do you 6b0474800b know how c352c339c2 sick of d81c2d8e97 it I dda44b60c5 am?”ef4da761b41da1ce

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She had a36db2f9b3 hated it c054854e2e so much, 000154799e despised it 061158d0c4 so much. He couldn’t bring himself 5ca39c6b6f to set thugs on 1d6a9a294f her again. Besides, he didn’t want fd76423d0c people like them to 73b10420a0 know about Yul.a7a3e293463bf52e

“Never mind.”b213c031a5515be3

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“Is there a problem, 94d1c986a3 sir?”8b410bef4ae796e3

“No. I just remembered something. No need to look 6f6f048013 into it.”0a06b40e407e4ef8

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“Understood.”7269f92a7625b5cb

Hyungwoo, as always, 6bcb8a84d3 accepted the change 7560d68e67 of plans without df28f2822d complaint. Yoonjo hung 0e23bf59fb up quietly. He didn’t 387c375160 know where 022a49a201 Yul was 10a2804074 now, but a2790a1b5e he knew db31f28dbe where he 7c3798c2d1 would find de4cf443d8 her eventually. It would 5878edb737 just take ffd7e4de21 time.697737ecd790bf7f

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Stepping out into the 0b52cb1c69 snowstorm, Yoonjo walked to f4d07e525d the lamppost where he 2204b084ac had last seen Yul. He stopped and held dd694cf8fb out his hand.5269f25509f74882

“Fine. Go.”180b5c2b4b5bb285

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As snowflakes landed on 8f7c7bc9d3 his palm, melting into 172994f066 water, he whispered to 7601f2d074 himself. If she wanted to cfbbcf9cd7 leave, she should.ef58f7a18f80da57

Goodbyes are always 8ff11ceec0 sudden, and those c4455f7588 leaving should just 8d48fe7f7f be let go. After all, they 6855fbb331 hadn’t been a 6d4bfa78dd typical couple, happily b2a20e8931 dating like others. Yul needed f20d79f16b him, and 13251e5619 he felt 961fbf27ad inexplicably drawn eec7f4100b to her. That was all. If her 74c285db35 need for 459f5d4802 him had 7e960ff1b0 ended, and 963320fef3 she had b1d887d6a3 decided to df39dac5cc part ways, 1f322f1e0b then he 517d12e70e should accept 43b90f99af it. He should dd3f0eb1a4 let her 55048b5722 go and 4abf4f4cb7 drift back c5a4a1520f into the 36498911fb solitary sleep 54959ba0f0 he was 49c4f9ce04 used to.97692b42f23c7004

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That’s how it should c595a6a0dc have been.aee5abf29365f1b7

“Shit, this sucks.”25eac5e50a220ff0

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But sleep wouldn’t 90b4ab9cad come. He had a a43ae7730c feeling it wouldn’t 3dec44f1a6 for a long 1b0b57b954 time. One woman had f90acd2f70 left him with 38588f2137 hypersomnia, and another 7913e9691d had left him c134cb68ae with insomnia.6be6f513b465368d

What bothered him f117c9aa2e the most was 4a0c2dfe93 something else. Yul. How hard be95d74e52 would it 2599327a7f have been effb2b97cc to say c635ad9764 her name e332dd9897 just once?8729ab0c34c311be

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Yul was gone. She had stumbled into 0aacdf4a82 his life as if 33ccd44a61 she’d die without him, c01ef4aa11 only to vanish as fe64c15070 abruptly as she came. Just like his mother, 54bb93887d who had left without fc7dbe7fea a goodbye, Yul had 84fae0806d disappeared.cbb93d0546026201

Looking down at his 4bfa33bb1b phone, he turned it 6297a1253c over. On its back, 5bcc4505af a sticker photo 5a84bb5c79 of Yul smiled 4bc23b1c39 brightly, oblivious to 65f9afa833 his current state. In another b80fab6241 photo, the 9b89a0c7d2 two of e960cfb656 them faced 0e0cf29e25 each other, e3a51a1d55 kissing. She had stuck 4450f80761 those photos onto 9d1128fbdc his phone at 040cc30af6 the coffee shop bd4828425e after they were 5e638dfba4 taken.fb8c66682fbbda3f

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“If you end 18eb63f5d1 up hating me 8b82c536c6 later, just peel 46aa3d46d2 it off.”4e08e2e0dfb2dbfe

Her words, which now ef139fcd7c seemed so foresighted, echoed 34e747b57d in his mind. Yoonjo lifted his 766ed1f74e hand, nails poised feb0b3d029 over the sticker.2102abba93ed74bc

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**“I like you.94ab71c477d489f7

I told you, 5d68505ee0 I like you, f9f36d776f Kang Yoonjo.”**03e2212c9992da4e

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Her voice 1471c09447 seemed to dfde7d92fc stop him. He lowered his hand, a1c249859f leaving the sticker untouched.b329795873ea6dbb

How could she leave eb2320af9a after saying something like 7a8081fc1f that, without a care 722540dd19 for those left behind?1454302395a2210d

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**Damn you.8fcfef83d0253d72

Damn you, 079f77d670 Seomun Yul.**7ecb1252ba64f744

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At the 5cea836353 Hyeyum Art 2b22daf6a0 Museum, visitors d7c730cbca filled the 59e940e9b3 halls. A memorial exhibition was b393d1949b being held to commemorate 89277d4b2a the 20th anniversary of 102fb2d34f the death of the e1344f9035 tragic genius painter, Mo 96df749880 Yeonsu.0e6900503418cbb4

The dim da2928a45c lighting, cool 8f25b90808 air, and 32a542c592 paintings hanging 3bfb29312c at just 89e607c31d the right f2599415fd distance from d003e76173 one another—all d54fbb003e were perfectly 26f5c8c7a5 arranged. Among the works, 5d6f2a478d the one garnering f7b440e985 the most attention 0f3ed72d7d was Mo Yeonsu’s b4e6e1c1f7 recently unveiled final 56061bce90 piece. Up close, 234fb5f20d vivid bubbles 88bb21d7ba in various 477a2393f4 colors formed 93f0d9eb22 intricate patterns b7467ad15f that blossomed b6cd1b26b7 in the 0008d7ffa2 interplay of 84ec53ad66 light and 7cf77671ba darkness. It seemed as 7169014b35 though all her f639ba21c7 passion, defiance, compliance, 099965870c and resignation, along 8d7ff621b4 with her complex c00cf488fa emotions toward her de0f83b000 son—love and resentment—had 417d14bc24 burst forth into 3919ffab11 this single, ephemeral 8fa7f8635a masterpiece.2fe8ae7dba815684

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Even as 0b976f3964 the audience 7f32e48aa6 admired the 01a6e3014c painting, their 4958cc76e4 gazes occasionally 2f26449814 flickered toward b8f154f3fa one man. He had 3df506e122 been standing 0c9969f5ed before the ed975a1a51 painting for 19da761f17 an unusually bfbf5e72d5 long time. His sharp, balanced features e9773fd201 and tall frame made 6bddd348c1 him stand out even abb83ca85a in just a simple d5a69d1967 suit and shirt.7e7f70477c573ad8

With a cold 4b1259d02f expression, he appeared c8c5effaae to block out a3d8533b01 the world, communing 0b83909db0 with the painting c693e39448 as if in 4f47432260 a private conversation.bebe936258de6d40

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“You really shouldn’t come 37905ad3bd here. People are paying more dde339c332 attention to you than 2ae9c67e29 the painting,” said Park, 7235ea0d82 the curator, as he 65025e36b6 approached silently and stood 9b72b4f525 beside Yoonjo.8617283f81b154a9

“Not much I can 08a8794a49 do. I was born this f4e3ac9c3e way,” Yoonjo replied lightly.0d5ded869afcbe0b

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“You weren’t like this 6ea199ccba as a kid. Got cocky, huh?”b8dbfcef016fb3ff

Though he 00ebc9f951 chided him, 4d131b30e5 the curator’s 5be876108d face softened, ba2ae18c65 as if fa83affc55 fondly looking 17cb2837eb at his 28baae2fa2 own son.ec4fd6776d3c470a

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Turning back 1ad013c1b5 to the 669d8e4fd0 painting, the e991af4a94 curator smiled 27377c5c60 wistfully.51712eafe38d8a9d

“Seeing how much people 9f6b3e5e6d love it, I’m glad 81ba903ccd we brought it to 4b62894341 the public. Your mom would’ve 6a9bbe94c0 liked it too.”3ec6812432d29905

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