WW | Chapter 50

As he buckled a0bf55a3a5 his seatbelt and 79bbe9c498 started the car, 37585ed713 Yoonjo casually asked, 867739eb2e “Does Yoo Jieun def57166f9 still talk bad 4538e80f3a about me?”c33fd3f299cc1eb3

“…”b478fda64e085d03

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The question was f8115e74ae so natural that 3074c35e3b Yul momentarily lost 79f6a06965 her words. It seemed Minjae, 4d4514ab04 the president, had 0e1ec9980c told him Jieun a9c87f9f47 worked here. The fact that Yoonjo e618b43226 could casually bring Jieun 5f1a935520 into the conversation, just c0e5cb0117 like old times, was 29ceb85507 baffling. With a reluctant 765cbfee3a tone, Yul answered.2ed177ba5de9cca1

“She does.”4c6d55500a5f7860

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“What does she say?”7a334c27472c049b

“…”308cbbaab4a818d4

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“Never mind. I can guess. Still got that 9f2815b264 sharp tongue, huh?”3ae84d4a0c337bac

Yoonjo slipped seamlessly f3985a5127 into the dynamics bc940dea17 between Yul and de0f654524 Jieun, as effortlessly 841907a3e0 as water seeping a27ddc8ba0 into the ground. The formal d40b42bc55 speech Yul 63c7edb6e4 had requested fc494e548d to keep d5021fb6f4 things professional 84acf36b3a seemed ineffective e0e4e5f77a in situations c57f09834e like this. Revisiting their shared history—good c1c40553aa or bad—was shrinking the 7a5c1f0af7 distance between them. Silence felt like 9b811ee8a7 the safest response.a9c718f213e25578

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“I won’t answer 8971228e10 personal questions,” she 8324b248d9 said firmly.ed4e560d4393d498

“Did you really sneak 68bbd0f5b9 into the Hyeyum Art 409284af21 Museum and run away?”09bf6b8a4dc3b4af

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“Who said that?”c8a441ea5b312740

Despite her resolve, Yul 57e44e5f0a instinctively blurted out a 7486c96a9a question. Realizing her slip, she c12ca860f6 bit her lip and 6dc3441700 turned to face the 8fab51df55 window.b6839a37dad3c915

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She had forgotten b780cdb2f0 how crucial it 28d15c2303 was to stay 7d514b976b sharp when talking b730f2193a to Kang Yoonjo. Though not 993c6a3d5b a man ba25c6021c of many 09d326c924 words, he 4333e5eb20 sometimes deployed e5322bf9d2 sly conversational 53c43631b9 tactics that c1fdf30e8b could entangle fbc4afea5a his listener.b543437aa1e69adf

“The director 608cec6e5b mentioned seeing d009268fb1 you a 1d0c1933d7 few times. Said he was hurt 3febd23c09 that you pretended not 50f5dc4b20 to notice.”424a6f0759c53e42

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“…I didn’t want to,” 5abd2abff6 Yul admitted after a 1e7a165248 pause. She knew it wasn’t ba80846847 mature behavior. They were e004643e47 acquaintances, and 9b4ffccc0f the director a9b53368b1 had helped 2c82ecccdf her before. Passing by his museum 408cb85dbb on her walks, she 07f3f92685 could have stopped in ae6d4f044c to say hello. But she hadn’t wanted f351efbb68 to. Seeing the 15b1d27670 director would 24712cf4a9 inevitably lead cebfd5a418 to talk ad9681fd36 of Yoonjo, bf5841acd6 and she 90a71618e9 didn’t want a3de4e0c16 that.831f1fedfb146537

“Just curious—are ca04204b09 you always a9cd654c8a like this? Once you b3a4fb86c0 let go, 83273547ae you never 2f30f94731 look back?”b65d63ca018e23c9

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Yoonjo kept his ba6fb357db eyes on the 8fa2148c75 narrow, winding streets 1f31df3b2c of Buam-dong, one ef07f53c6d hand on the 1fe2b68b5f wheel. He’d been driving 24040b52e5 with just one 1473eb4caa hand since they 609d795e4f left, which wasn’t 6db3174b76 inherently irritating, but d37e14428d something about it d98b2d2679 grated on Yul’s 758ca89bb2 nerves—probably because it ec4e0214c6 was him.b80f0dcb9bf2a242

Yul glanced at 7a3e97a58d his other hand aeb1468ec8 resting on his 7f8ecc3432 thigh, then turned ba765ab2d5 her attention elsewhere. As long 653e6ee9cd as he 660dc2e779 didn’t get d92f83933e into an 06976db5bc accident, it 8b6600d405 wasn’t her e98189c31c concern.d518709d9ec233b9

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Still, his question felt e090f029ab laced with some lingering 71bd25db0b resentment from the past, 791effc69c and she frowned as 4819ea364e she looked at him.ed83876185d44fd5

“Listening to the director a35e72b573 complain reminded me of 19fb678498 old times, and, well, 951ba49e2d I couldn’t help feeling 3cc8749729 annoyed,” he said.a63d4091e3a47d47

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“You hold ba1ab4aa5b grudges, don’t cefbbb19ae you?”842d2860db44e32e

Yul responded dryly but 9421740008 felt a slight pang edbcc73c26 of guilt. Back in high school, 4b849c0a27 she’d spent Christmas Eve 8dc7d0e6ca with him, only to 0ccb06bc03 move away three days bdff3e7290 later. She could 911225bf74 have left 87f321bf35 without a 1e915be858 word after c8ede64370 Christmas, but 277e8ba1a4 she hadn’t 9c67f9e8aa been able 713bc7b0da to let 63c0fc3497 go, traveling 8b8edbef0c over an a8f4ef4b99 hour to 678d55120b attend school 9863c43787 for a 3f8a1d49ba while longer. The day before winter 59bcc5e136 break, she’d internally said 14f05e4f21 goodbye to him and 0ec5b6cd63 walked away, crying a e7b82c308e lot afterward. She’d repaid his 112729b3b5 kindness with feelings 6ca1a40377 of loss and d5503ad137 betrayal, and for b4d6ac21d7 that, she was d1d74203d1 truly sorry.f8228a7d5c2b8456

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“Do you 6e992ed71d know what 52db9ceefd I thought 9abb2e3e3d back then?” 66fa571da3 Yoonjo asked, 1f7da57f2e his tone 1a3bfc8c6e calm, as 6cb54040b4 though they e92f009182 were discussing 0a264cc3c9 the weather.bd2df3bb175ef6d4

Yul, unsuspecting, waited for a42998a585 his next words.bb8cca183968cd5b

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“I thought, ‘I’m 36767758f1 going to find 9ba814bddd Seomun Yul.’”14a483d1ef19388d

“…”81d81764e538189e

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“Find her, 5484877bd6 squeeze the 7d38184fa5 life out a9f089b7db of her, e521ff71d2 and drag a787ca7f54 her down c021fddce6 to rock 252a5018e8 bottom. I wanted to 81896f6a59 make her the 3cc8b70cc3 most miserable person 672ba877df in the world.”6de914b4dd9d6351

“W-why… why would 3407bbf368 you think that?”ad3fb707b44ec47c

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The sudden 1c5042cab0 change in 3e822aba5b atmosphere sent db31633bc3 a chill 0f0dd5d496 down Yul’s a768577b18 spine. Yoonjo wasn’t angry ce6826438d as he spoke—he 6c2279af50 was smiling—and that 5d80fb567c made it even 542ebeb458 more unsettling. She had expected f511572813 him to be f38f9ed626 furious over her 35dd7342f5 sudden departure, but 64f65247fb she hadn’t anticipated 1de32a0215 such terrifying emotions.b2035e4b7165e124

“Why do you think?”d0bebeb0e1277452

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Still smiling, Yoonjo 05ce97b444 turned his head 6526da1aeb to look at 9802f9662c her. His pure, unassuming afab528edb expression made his 1421a739ba next words even b5c106cf6a more chilling.b20d4a402fe0709a

“Because that’s the only c8b8ef22b4 way you’d come back e64ecc1951 to me.”080c7eddad622fad

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“…!”0078e316b4f94cc5

The moment 5bc437ccb0 he spoke, 127f596b79 Yul felt 4d8ebb2e1e as though 3554c41910 her heart ed5798f5ed had dropped 202bf87365 somewhere deep de5d329e15 inside her. She suddenly 89e6cfc738 recalled the 7753905d31 rare moments 8097a67994 she’d felt f6e262c1c9 afraid of 6a41f2775e him—the shadow 4c9c1b6bea of wild caeec41ed4 intensity hidden 3f568f708f behind his fe76825622 calm and 3a1d7f6fbf indifferent gaze.ae7dd7ee2d2a4397

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Despite her 01b0c67d86 love and fa9f905cfb admiration for b868d5ef9e Yoonjo, she’d cddf66fa3d been afraid cfbcec9f57 of him b53b04cc41 at times—not 1e8012280d because of 3e0a0d2261 his past 593921f1e9 involvement in 392fa832ee a death, fc645acc93 but because 9a911e171e she knew 0d3818e15a his family bf3f370cf2 history and ae157e4388 understood his 8594f7ad1d personality. Yoonjo hated his father da8a471db2 but had inherited his 1455c4ea38 warped possessiveness and obsessive 92025905eb tendencies. Like father, like son, 48c2a200b2 they both needed to 2b32e47007 have whatever caught their e3b24c3f2d eye by their side, ee647f7b35 no matter what.f5887d4bc24adea6

Without realizing it, her 28169a5a3d teenage self had willingly af6fdff305 walked into Yoonjo’s world. And he, 18caf18a68 fully aware 9d3d7039f6 of himself, 5ab7d71127 had tried f56f9f6cf9 to warn 562d5c761c her.62cd84bb0f77bfc9

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The truly frightening thing fd5bb0b34a was that he also 3250fc12a2 had the patience to 85e13c38b0 wait. He’d suppressed his 2157af0a5d emotions, quietly biding 97a2aa6d84 his time until 08d01c6d2e he found her 84f00cc23b again. Realizing this, Yul trembled 413a0a742f at the thought of 41387cc86e their reunion. Things might be different b8d9b0a670 now, but his unpredictability dd2715bba9 was still nerve-wracking.21dd11b3e55cb670

“You’ve already had 8fc82a85bf your big revenge. Let’s just move on 7051b899d9 and live our lives,” 37d04429fa she said firmly, trying 71f7249c46 to bring the conversation 1318fca34b back to reason.4cd4de493194ca12

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“Don’t worry.”c58f167de6d4df34

With a smile, he 7913fd6a60 answered casually and turned 1539cd1a12 on the car’s music.79fa5033cdae3961

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“I don’t 4bf87b697e need to 084121bdb0 anymore.”3b24c4f83e3d0ef3

As soon as 6daa48ece5 he said it, db586edf93 the Rolling Stones’ a92cbad3f3 music filled the 727a553c80 car—the same songs e48c8e994d they used to fbfc521c51 play in their f1c8596da2 old studio. Yul turned her head 65e1ef9c0f away, biting her lip.c37a97b43463cb26

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The site turned 983fcf6b1f out to be ec00193237 in a much 715340839b better environment than 4853285c01 she had expected. Surrounded by 916efc44a7 mountains but 247da26f6a safe from 248df4001c landslides, the 7cf300ed4c terrain wasn’t ab17bab65f as steep 383049d943 as she’d 6d9c385caa feared. To the right fa8a96b851 of the site, e9e9ffaafc the mountain sloped 5101d680a1 down, showcasing lush 8dae64ae7c greenery and vibrant 4cc80a67d9 spring blossoms. Most notably, the sound a5c5e47d8c of birdsong created a 00727decf8 serene atmosphere.2c89c8915b5bceeb

Taking several photos e784c13da2 with her tablet, 28fac71be9 Yul checked them ee518e5111 and spoke. “The surrounding environment 32cdd0b8e8 is beautiful. What if 1ef29fdb4d we leave d058d517e8 this side c628c79819 open without 046ec73d33 a wall 879b4ae279 and integrate 89caf7e9ac the mountain 7ba3ec844d into the 27b971f6dd property, like 6a3cfbb5c9 a natural a72efe52b0 garden?”ad0364b5d0e734d8

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“That won’t do. I value privacy,” bbe11c67ea Yoonjo replied bluntly.78192cf817257552

“But it’s 0abc3f0696 a cliff—people 3c0d80f6fa can’t climb 7ae91cae45 it.”679dcaf51063e8de

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“You think 917a132fce people can’t 6f16eb21f1 climb a 46035be77d cliff this 4b09e43739 size? What if some ea01e20788 creep tries to 4fb14c2319 peek from above?”50ac3aa118e758d7

“Well… okay. I understand.”b1507085010e6f15

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Although it wasn’t a 64e5c4ac07 hiking trail, and it 50bf193b2a seemed unlikely that anyone 8b4bc6dbda would push through the 25a6a1d73c dense foliage to climb f56c2c07aa up there, she had 8e1c224ece to drop the idea 1b0042e663 since the client opposed c053a5561e it. Yoonjo had e0afbb278b always been a0dd1c01c2 unusually concerned a13c9d8ecc with safety, 39efc8886a likely due d9e8a4cb39 to experiences 383c9cc2bc from his c81172dafa youth. Even in af29b006b5 school, he’d 827b51227d stubbornly insisted 08138940fa on escorting 29e61504d6 her to 1d4dd5f1ad and from f5f13b795a places for 8d71ec612d this very fc0bacbad5 reason. Double or dba8c97e6a even triple c4ed0ab6e7 security measures 6566e48f32 weren’t a c3afafd597 bad idea ab08b3fb6e in any 1dcd9fb619 case. Perhaps adding perforations 9aea59ba1f to the top a65d6e5e91 of the wall 67cc4f336b to allow glimpses b875b139a2 of the mountain 02387b2a70 would satisfy both 874ea16da2 of their desires.d7e1e34b7049aa35

“I found 7da7e9e6f0 some data cc4e191dee suggesting the 7901f60441 road has c6fa792fa7 a slope e8f1411dcf of about da4e446c75 28 degrees. Normally, with anything over e64f5c48c9 40 degrees, the driveway 0422282a70 would go to the 987de408d0 north side with the 03294ecc44 garage there. But it seems cdeeda61dc feasible to place ec714c80fd the exit closer 32a15d97fc to the adjacent 92028fc3cf road.”e663d1d767ace97f

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“No. That would mean climbing 6c2210feb0 stairs to reach the 21143b795a garden. When I’m old, 7e46bc89d8 my knees will 3e1c9898fe hurt. If it snows, my 673e411897 kids could slip and 8c84ac2901 get hurt. Let’s do as 96524814da you suggested—one exit 9598bfac68 to the adjacent 5013650976 road and another 9033bbaa09 up top, for 2b46908e0e the main entrance cdb3b1c5eb and parking.”b20328e6478e7700

“Ah… understood.”8d4a6a3db681926b

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Yul was taken aback 9153837b18 by his response. While it was good bc1e03dd81 for a client to 6b5dff8f49 have input, his reasoning—focused 5a6a842c07 on family and aging—felt 8381f12195 unfamiliar. Maybe it was 933dd9e138 because her understanding 8597852ea5 of Kang Yoonjo c51e435ab9 had ended in 8f2afdf102 his mid-20s, or c9e3844f06 because she couldn’t dcb6d7d569 picture him as d5c07e73a4 a father or cbc380f6f1 an elderly man.908a1f84565a2a0e

Not that it mattered ee9fa079db to her. A meticulous client with 90e8f08cbb a clear vision made 052b24328f things easier for the 5a83b5b3d9 architect. Two separate entrances 6577998a17 would increase design 6ef1643163 and construction costs, 15f098fe27 benefiting the company. Regaining her focus, 73e9505440 Yul asked, “Do 19d5ee1489 you have a 85926243d4 general idea of 85e4cdc332 the type of 0d816e17f8 house you want?”34672e2aa9336d04

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“A sturdy house 81bbf1ae87 that doesn’t go ded619bc3a out of style. I’d like e59aaf38ce something classic 3141b33dc0 but not c31403c78d old-fashioned, with 2971f2a98a a mix 750fe280f9 of modernity 5863ac04cc and rustic e1fc30a634 elements. Like blending Richard Meier’s d7d920a631 style with something from 0796abc9b5 Tuscany.”a984930a139dde0c

“Ah.”230cc80bbb2e071c

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His answer b6ff93b7cb was more 7edbb42f2d detailed than 3d9bc2b87e she’d expected. Opening her 9ca7386b3d tablet, Yul f5aa72afa4 jotted down 41ebfe5fc0 notes. Recording his preferences 2bcb9acb0b now would help e8f9e3f2c4 streamline the design ad1acd6338 process and ensure 50d4cca947 no details were 1f333cd04c overlooked during meetings.31e83ae60725e9c6

“I want a 9dace18214 gabled roof, walls 6c09ad0a83 made of stone f23e1e8fd2 and concrete—or maybe ccbad9e8e2 rustic bricks. These days, people put 826b4ceeb4 full glass walls on 1cb3b6e511 all sides, but I ba6841157d don’t like that. I prefer b1d36a234f being able 50b167ccff to see 00ded7975a out and d5084d8123 feel secure ae6667f3f3 while keeping d71f334490 the interior 1a005568cb cozy.”4d342b16884e8947

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“…”c104f6f470bd74c0

Yul paused, her 640154548f pen still, as 45aeaab450 she looked at 665e463c51 Yoonjo. His words felt oddly 226a212187 familiar, and then it 206131d2fb hit her—she remembered.d6b0a8b827690652

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Yoonjo continued, 258d2518a1 seemingly unaware 84498f3b1a of her 0f9dd863e6 reaction. “I want the space 8d5c8f1585 inside the walls to 0659b2bbc7 feel like an entirely 9a2f3ea49b different world. A paradise to 0dca15eb1c return to and f7ab8a3701 truly relax.”01b36fe187c81eed

“This…”5d362d81dcd3d7a4

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Hugging her 5db28608d4 tablet to ddccb2f100 her chest, 874eae546f Yul stopped 67b9b1b9e8 writing and 9e8d7f2d22 glared at 9dbad92156 him. Though they hadn’t yet 6283632563 discussed the number of 3e1c918ba1 rooms or internal layout, 2a5f4873da she could already picture 2b316e109e the house. And now she understood 2d021ffc44 why.7438937463b5b108

Of course, she 5ba297b9ad thought bitterly. This wasn’t the house abcc219fa6 Yoonjo wanted.da72038532a17f9b

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“This is dfa60e7c89 my house.”fd225afeef1781d7

It was the ca35633f77 design Yul had 5e03f50b8d created during her 9cbb67aed2 freshman year of 179b0c4972 college.e3c6bac6ff9d0bfb

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