WW | Chapter 52

“No?”

As he was about to put the noodles in his mouth, Yoonjo lowered his chopsticks and replied.

“It seems like it.”

Yul observed his shoulder closely and spoke with certainty, noticing something off about his hand movements. Realizing he couldn’t hide it, Yoonjo let out an awkward laugh that didn’t suit him.

“Sharp eyes. I slipped while inspecting a site because I misjudged a handrail.”

“Slipped?”

Yul questioned his reply, skeptical. It was hard to believe that Yoonjo, known for his meticulous nature and good coordination, could hurt his hand by misjudging a handrail. Mistakes happen, but it was unlike him.

“What are you looking at like that? Even monkeys fall from trees. It’s almost healed now.”

He responded nonchalantly and resumed eating his noodle soup. Not wanting to pry further as he seemed reluctant to talk about it, Yul quietly watched him for a while before gently pushing some side dishes towards him. Their romantic relationship had ended, but there was no reason not to show some kindness to someone injured. Yoonjo smiled and continued eating.

“So, will your fiancée be coming with you to the next meeting?”

As they were finishing their meal, Yul asked, covering her mouth with a tissue.

“Why?”

“People usually build houses to suit the woman’s taste.”

“That’s a strange thing to say.”

Yoonjo, lifting his water glass, displayed a displeased reaction. After swallowing a couple of times and setting down the glass, he wiped his mouth with a tissue and continued.

“It’s my house. Why should I build it to please someone else? If we break up, then it’s neither my house nor hers.”

“What did you say?”

“The house should definitely be built according to the wishes of the person who will live there!”

“That’s really… selfish.”

Yoonjo calmly delivered a statement that could provoke others to throw stones. From the time they left the Buam-dong office, he had been irking her, and now he shamelessly spoke as if the design was his own. A marital home should ideally incorporate the partner’s input, yet here he was, making selfish remarks. Although they had seen the worst of each other during their breakup, he hadn’t been this despicable while they were dating. It was unclear whether he had changed or if this was his true nature emerging.

“Not many people would build a house with such a rotten heart.”

“That’s why.”

Despite Yul’s blatant criticism, Yoonjo responded naturally.

“Build it with a good heart, Deputy Seomun.”

“…”

“So that my house can sing.”

After finishing his sentence, Yoonjo picked up the check and stood up. Yul sat there stunned, as if struck unexpectedly.

Rising belatedly from her seat, Yul quickly followed Yoonjo. She fumbled for her card in her wallet, but he had already handed his card to the staff.

“I’ll pay!”

Yul hurried over and grabbed Yoonjo’s arm. It was an impulsive act, but in that moment, Yoonjo winced and clasped his shoulder with one hand. His expression cleared quickly, making her wonder if she had imagined it, but Yul, seeing his hand still on his shoulder, knew she had seen correctly.

“You hurt your arm?”

Surprised, Yul examined his expression, recalling that it wasn’t just his hand and fingers that were restricted but his arm movement as well. If it wasn’t just a sprain, then it must be a more severe injury to the shoulder or back.

“It wasn’t just a slip?”

“Caught me.”

Yoonjo lowered his hand and gave an embarrassed smile.

“I fell when I misjudged a handrail at a construction site. Wish you could pretend not to know. It’s embarrassing.”

With a face that showed no embarrassment, he took his card and walked outside. Yul quietly watched his back and then followed.

The car was already remotely started. Yul stopped and turned to look at the standalone building they had visited. It had been over ten years since she first came here, making it now over twenty years old. With a heavy heart, she murmured to herself as she gazed at the sign.

“It’s a shame I won’t see this place again.”

“Why can’t you see it? Just come and look next time.”

Yoonjo, who had been standing next to her, looked up calmly and responded. Caught up in her emotions, Yul turned to him only after a moment.

“But today is the last day…”

“I didn’t say that.”

Yoonjo cocked his head and replied shamelessly. Yul gritted her teeth as she recalled his words. None of what he had said about the place closing at 9 PM implied it was shutting down for good. He had deceived her with just the nuance.

“You know I don’t lie. So, the responsibility is on the person who was deceived.”

“Now…”

Before she could confront him about playing games, Yul closed her mouth. Upon reflection, it wasn’t something significant, and she didn’t want to waste emotions on trivial matters. If she had been fooled, that was her own fault. She had also secretly wanted to visit, and if she enjoyed the meal, that was what mattered.

But before they parted, Yul had something important to say to Yoonjo. It was a personal matter that she had avoided discussing, but given the day’s atmosphere, she felt it might be okay to bring it up. Yul looked at his calm face and hesitated before speaking.

“Never mind that, I have something I need to say before you start your day.”

“What is it?”

Seeing Yul’s serious expression, Yoonjo also appeared earnest.

“Please return my grandmother’s gold ring. It means a lot.”

Yul hadn’t known that Yoonjo had taken the ring even long after they broke up. During her childhood, when debt collectors searched their home for anything valuable, Kyeong Ja had hidden a few pieces of gold jewelry on her body to protect them. Ultimately, they had to sell most of it to pay for Yul’s tuition, but one item remained: a gold ring that Kyeong Ja’s husband, Yul’s grandfather, had managed to provide just before his death. It wasn’t pure gold, just 14k, and not very expensive. However, it was the only item Kyeong Ja, who never attached meaning to material things, cherished.

And Yoonjo had taken it.

“Did you lose it by any chance?”

Yul sharply turned her head and asked, her tone filled with a mix of hope and accusation. If that was the case, it was inexcusable. To him, it might be a forgotten item tossed in a drawer, but to someone else, it was a memory, love, and hope.

“I don’t need it. Or I can give you money to get it back.”

“I don’t want to.”

Yoonjo replied dismissively, curling his lips in a manner that seemed to mock her, which upset Yul.

“Why would Deputy Seomun ask for it?”

“Huh?”

“That’s between my grandmother and me, not your concern.”

“I’m her granddaughter.”

“So? You’re not the one directly involved.”

Yoonjo’s voice grew cold. He had taken it upon himself, yet he treated her as if she was trying to steal it. Unsure whether to blame or persuade him due to his unexpectedly stern response, Yul felt incensed.

“Do you think you deserve to keep it?”

Her words came out sharply, frustration evident. She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t return Kyeong Ja’s ring. Keeping it as a memory of their close relationship didn’t make sense. If he truly cared about Kyeong Ja and Yul, he wouldn’t have left them with such cruelty. He must have forgotten about the unbranded, cheap gold ring, possibly even lost it somewhere.

“Deserve…”

Sneering, he looked down before meeting her gaze again. A cold, mysterious light flickered over his deep brown eyes.

“If I needed that shit, I wouldn’t have fucking bothered to find you.”

Yoonjo tightened his gaze on her, pulling her back into the past with his words.

***

At twenty-two, on the last day of January, Yul stood wrapped up tightly in front of the main gate of Korea University. Down the long, straight road, she could see a building with a triangular roof and twelve majestic columns. According to what she had learned online, this was the Student Union building, which housed a large auditorium and a cafeteria. She thought to herself that she should definitely check it out. Gradually, a smile began to spread across Yul’s previously expressionless face.

The day before, the acceptance announcements for the architecture department at Korea University had been released, and Yul’s name was on the list. Three years after dropping out of high school, she had achieved this at the age of twenty-two.

The year she quit school, she hadn’t studied at all, not even taking the college entrance exam. The second year, she had narrowly failed to get into Korea University. She had gritted her teeth and studied hard during her third attempt, and she had finally succeeded. She remembered how she had embraced Kyeong Ja and cried after confirming her acceptance the day before.

Now, with a sense of pride, Yul walked into Korea University, a place that had always excited and intimidated her.

She checked the signs and asked passersby for directions to Haemyeong Hall, where the architecture department was located. Despite it being a holiday period, several windows were lit up—a testament to the department’s reputation for having hardly any days off. Seeing this filled her with a rush of emotion, and she took a deep breath. Though she wanted to go inside, she couldn’t bring herself to actually do it, so she stood by the main gate, peeking through the glass into the interior.

“Who’s there?”

A man’s voice called out.