WW | Chapter 53

Yul was startled and stood up, looking at him. A man of average height with pale and clean skin was standing there, looking at her. His slightly wavy perm made his friendly face appear somewhat cute.

“Ah, hello. I just got admitted to this school and was taking a look around.”

“Ah, a freshman?”

“Yes.”

“This is the architecture and building department, you know?”

“I know. I’m in architecture too.”

Yul spoke in a low voice, bowing her head. She felt a bit embarrassed saying she was in the architecture department before even starting school, and it still felt unreal that she was actually there. But the excitement of the situation clearly overwhelmed everything else. It must be that when things are going well, words just come out naturally. She had always been scolded by Kyeong Ja, who never missed a chance to brag about her granddaughter.

“You’re in architecture? So you’re really my junior then?”

The man, now excited, reached out his hand to Yul. She took it, and he shook it vigorously, like shaking a grain out of its husk, showing his delight. Normally, men who act overly familiar right away are to be guarded against, but he didn’t seem sleazy, just a friendly senior. Although he appeared a bit frivolous, it felt like that very trait made him a bridge to forming friendships with others.

“We finally have a pretty girl in our department. Want me to show you around inside?”

“No, I have to go home.”

“That’s too bad. Well, take care then. Once you start school, be sure to look me up. I’m a third-year, Kim Minjae.”

“Thank you, Sunbae.”

“But what’s your name?”

“Ah, I’m Seomun Yul.”

“What?”

Minjae, who had been smiling, looked at her with wide eyes.

“Seomun Yul. My family name is Seomun and my given name is Yul.”

Yul repeated her name slowly, thinking he might not have heard her properly or found her name difficult to remember. Minjae’s expression relaxed, but he still looked puzzled. He squinted slightly and tilted his head.

“Have we met somewhere before?”

“No? Today is the first time.”

“That’s strange. Why do I feel like I’ve heard your name before?”

“You must be mistaken. I’m really meeting you for the first time today, Sunbae.”

Yul said with a light laugh. Initially, she wondered why he acted that way, but now it seemed he was just joking. The name Seomun Yul wasn’t particularly common, but it wasn’t ordinary either, so people who heard it once usually remembered it. She hadn’t had much direct interaction with others, and even fewer knew her by name. The only possibility was that Minjae might have passed by her at some point, as she had been working at a pub in Daehangno for over two months. If Minjae had been a customer there, perhaps her impression had unconsciously lingered.

“Really? But I’m sure.”

Minjae, still racking his brain, was interrupted by a phone call. He checked the caller ID and excitedly answered.

“Hey, Sergeant Kang. Oh right, you’re a civilian now? How have you been?”

After responding to the call, he turned to Yul.

“Hey, Yul, take care then. See you next time.”

“Okay.”

Yul bowed her head slightly to avoid disturbing his call. Minjae smiled, waved, and walked through the doors of the administration building, continuing his conversation.

“Why did you call? Just checking if I’m coming back to school or not? You never call me first, do you?”

As the door closed, Minjae’s voice faded to half its volume. Even from his tone, it was clear that he cared a lot about the person he was talking to. The words ‘sergeant’ and ‘returning to school’ suggested that the call was from a friend from school who had just finished military service.

“The name you just mentioned? Oh, just a junior. Why are you suddenly interested in others?”

The last bits of conversation faded away as Yul stood there, becoming faint until they disappeared completely. She was alone again in front of the administration building.

She should head home too; her grandmother would be waiting since she hadn’t told her she was leaving. She needed to rest before heading back to her part-time job, yet she couldn’t understand why her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The realization that she had actually passed the college entrance exam was sinking in, yet she feared waking up to find it was all a dream. She remembered crying after waking from dreams of getting accepted before. Yul pinched her cold cheek, even colder now; it hurt, confirming the reality of her surroundings.

“I finally made it.”

She had dropped out of high school three years ago, and after a long and tough journey, she had finally succeeded.

Yul now covered her mouth with both hands, laughing. When she closed her eyes, tears moistened the insides of her eyelids. A face floated up through the whirl of emotions, and as always, she quickly shook her head to erase it.

As evening arrived, Daehangno was bustling. The pub where Yul worked was never short of customers, even during the winter break, thanks to the many universities around and the area being a popular hangout for young people.

Yul had been working here for about two months, having quit her job months before the college entrance exam to focus solely on studying. After the exam, feeling empty, she had come to Daehangno and immediately applied for a job upon seeing an ad. She just wanted to be a part of the vibrant atmosphere.

“Yul, we need another round of draft beer at table 7!”

“Okay!”

She responded loudly to the owner’s call and picked up a glass, but before she could pour the beer, other customers started calling out.

“When is our food coming?”

“Can we get another menu here?”

“Two more are joining us; can you set up extra seats?”

Everyone wanted something different. Yul handled the owner’s request first, then made her rounds, attending to each table one by one. Initially, she struggled to adapt to the fast-paced environment, but now, with more experience, she was handling it effortlessly.

“Our Yul is the best at her job.”

The brief respite allowed the owner to wipe down some wet glasses as he spoke. The staff consisted of just him, his wife in the kitchen, and Yul. Her ability to perform the work of two people made her exceptionally valued by the couple.

“Yul, can’t you just keep working until March?”

“I’m sorry, boss.”

Yul spoke as she carried a freshly fried chicken dish to a table. After placing it down, the wife peeked out from behind the kitchen curtain.

“Yul, think about it. I’ll raise your pay. March is our busiest month, and it’s hard to find good help. You’re going to keep working anyway.”

“Well, I actually got accepted to college.”

Yul’s voice was faint, almost embarrassed. She hadn’t told them that she was a repeat applicant or that she had applied to Hankuk University. She had been rejected before and felt it would be embarrassing if it happened again. Plus, she generally didn’t share much about her personal life. But she felt she had to mention her acceptance, though she had missed the chance when customers arrived immediately upon her arrival.

The noisy pub prevented the owner from hearing, but his wife caught on and her eyes widened.

“Oh, really? You got accepted? Where?”

“What? Yul got accepted where?”

The wife spoke first, and the owner, catching on late, joined in pestering Yul for details.

“I, Han…”

She was about to say ‘Hankuk University,’ but just then, the door opened, and a group of eight, clearly flushed from drinking, wandered in looking for seats. Yul quickly checked the remaining tables, reluctantly preparing to accommodate them even though she would have preferred not to. The owner was already arranging tables to fit the large group.

Sigh. Yul braced herself, knowing there would be no break from the incessant calls and cleanup. She wished there weren’t any problematic customers who made inappropriate jokes or treated her like a personal servant, sometimes even touching her inappropriately.

The owner hurried over and whispered to Yul.

“That big guy over there is the president of Hankuk University’s student council. The guy he’s pushing for the next president is sitting across from him.”

It sounded like he had just revealed some political secret. Yul, feeling it was irrelevant to her, didn’t even look at them properly as she carried the tray over.

“Welcome.”

As she placed a water bottle, folded cups, and menus on the table, the man earmarked as the next president stood up in surprise.

“You!”

“Ah!”

Startled, Yul lost her words and covered her lips with her fingertips. It was Jung-woo, whom she had cut off contact with after graduating high school. She hadn’t recognized him because he had been turned away.

“Seomun Yul, how are you here! No, rather.”

Jung-woo, muttering in disbelief, then smiled broadly and hugged her.

“Good to see you, Yul.”