WW | Chapter 54

“Ah.”

As Yul was pulled into Jung-woo’s arms, she instinctively leaned back slightly. Whether she was happy to see him or not, such a greeting felt unfamiliar and awkward to her. She also didn’t like drawing attention, and the stares from others watching the reunion between a customer and a server were piercing.

Yul pulled away with an awkward smile, but Jung-woo still held her arms, caught up in the emotion of the moment.

“This isn’t a dream, right? Wow, Yul, how could you just disappear like that? Do you have any idea how many times I tried to contact you? I even went to your house.”

“You did?”

Yul responded with an uncomfortable laugh. Jung-woo’s friendly demeanor and straightforward expressions stung a little.

“What happened to you? Nothing bad, I hope?”

His wavering eyes were filled with concern, along with curiosity, disappointment, and a sense of betrayal. It was only natural for him to feel this way since a friend he thought was close had suddenly cut off contact and disappeared. Despite the inner distance Yul felt towards him, she understood his emotions.

“No, nothing bad. I just had some things to deal with. How about you? Have you been well?”

“Me? I’m always doing well. Oh, right. I’m studying at Hankuk University now. Law school.”

“Wow. You really made it. Congratulations.”

“Thanks for the late congrats. I’m already in my third year.”

“Sorry.”

Yul smiled sheepishly and lowered her gaze. To be honest, she hadn’t thought much about Jung-woo in recent years, but she had a feeling he would end up in law school. She knew Pastor Choi wanted him to become a lawyer, and Jung-woo had accepted his father’s wishes without much resistance. With his good grades and personality, Yul had no doubt he would make an excellent lawyer.

“And what about you? Why are you working here?”

“Things just turned out this way. Anyway, Jung-woo, I’m working right now. Can we talk later?”

Yul took a step back with an uncomfortable expression. Unlike Jung-woo, who was fully engrossed in this reunion, she was still on the clock. The owner was giving her subtle looks, and there was a mountain of tasks waiting. Above all, meeting Jung-woo, someone she thought she had completely parted ways with, left her feeling flustered and uneasy.

“Oh, right. Go ahead and work.”

Jung-woo finally seemed to realize the situation and gestured for her to go. Yul nodded politely to him and his group before heading back to the counter. When the owner asked how she knew them, she simply replied that he was a childhood friend. Amusingly, she noticed that the owner’s attitude toward her changed slightly after that.

Yul worked busily, feeling as though she had a tail following her. Meanwhile, Jung-woo alternated between having serious conversations with his group and glancing at her. Whenever their eyes met, he would smile or wink playfully. Occasionally, he would personally come over to fetch things they needed. While his attentiveness was kind, it made Yul feel uneasy, like having a thorn stuck under her nail.

After a chaotic period, closing time finally approached. The tables gradually emptied, and Jung-woo and his group also rose to leave. Having already had their first round elsewhere, most of them were visibly drunk. The student council president, barely able to stand, was loudly suggesting they move to another location.

After settling the bill, Jung-woo sent off the others first and approached Yul with a look of regret.

“Yul, I guess I’ll have to head out now.”

“Okay. Take care.”

“Are you going to keep working here?”

Jung-woo subtly gauged her reaction as he asked. On the surface, it was a question about her part-time job, but Yul knew the true meaning behind it. He was asking if she had gotten into college. If she had, she would likely quit the job; if not, she’d probably keep it.

After a brief moment of thought, Yul decided to be honest. Since they were now at the same school, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t cross paths again, and it wasn’t something she needed to hide.

“I just got into the same school as you. Life kept me busy, so it’s a bit late.”

“Oh… really? Don’t tell me you’re in the architecture department?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

Jung-woo looked at her with admiration. It wasn’t just a superficial compliment; his sincerity was palpable in the brief silence that followed. Knowing her circumstances better than anyone, he must have imagined the struggles she had gone through to get here.

“You’re incredible, Yul. That’s why I liked you so much.”

“What?”

“Really. You’re so strong and amazing….”

Jung-woo’s words were cut off by one of his friends opening the door and calling for him. He looked back at Yul with urgency.

“You have a phone, right? Can I get your number?”

“Uh… my number.”

For a moment, Yul recalled her conversation with Pastor Choi. He had sternly warned her to stay away from Jung-woo and his circle, pressuring her with a polite but firm smile. That was the real reason she hadn’t been thrilled to see Jung-woo today. If she gave him her number, their connection would be rekindled. She knew she should refuse, but the situation made it hard to say no. And claiming she didn’t have a phone would be an obvious lie.

After hesitating, Yul reluctantly gave him her number, deciding she could always ignore his calls or cut ties later. Jung-woo immediately saved her number in his phone.

“I’ll call you, Yul.”

Holding up his phone, he headed for the door, then stopped as if remembering something.

“Oh, right. You’ll come to the entrance ceremony, right?”

“Probably?”

“Great. I think I’ll have to go too, so I’ll see you there.”

“Ah… okay.”

Yul smiled faintly as she replied.

“Don’t ghost me again, okay? If you do, I’ll stand outside the administration building yelling your name, Seomun Yul!”

Jung-woo waved enthusiastically before leaving the pub. Yul sighed and turned away.

Back home, Yul fell asleep immediately after washing up. She was so tired that she didn’t dream and only woke up when Kyeong Ja shook her awake in the morning. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she stumbled into the combined living room and kitchen, only to stop in surprise at the sight before her.

“Grandma, what is all this?”

Yul stared wide-eyed at the setup in the small room. Two low dining tables were piled high with food—everything from five-grain rice and galbitang to soy-marinated crab, steamed abalone, braised short ribs, matsutake mushrooms, japchae, various pancakes, side dishes, fish, and rice cakes. How much money did this all cost?

“What do you mean? It’s a feast, of course.”

“Who’s going to eat all this?”

“Don’t worry about that. After you stuff yourself, I’ll share the rest with the neighbors.”

“Seriously, Grandma.”

Yul sat down at the table, pouting. She wanted to scold Kyeong Ja for spending so much, but she understood the sentiment behind it and held her tongue. After all, her grandmother was overjoyed about her acceptance, and Yul herself couldn’t deny feeling good. Sometimes, a day like this was what made life bearable.

“Of course I’d do this. My baby got into the best university in Korea. We have to celebrate!”

“Ha. You just want to brag, don’t you? Think I don’t know?”

“Of course I do! My baby worked so hard—sniff.”

Kyeong Ja abruptly pressed her hand to her eyes, sniffled loudly, and rubbed her nose. With her eyes reddened, she continued speaking.

“I’m so proud of you, Yul. I don’t know who you take after to be so smart, strong, and capable.”

“Who else? I take after you, Grandma.”

Yul said this sincerely as she picked up a piece of beef jeon with her chopsticks. Her mother had been weak-willed and easily influenced. Her father, after her mother left, had drowned himself in alcohol and constantly blamed his own failures on others. It was clear to Yul that she got her strength, intelligence, and resilience from her grandmother.

“Now I can die tomorrow with no regrets. I’ve done everything I needed to do, seeing you get into university.”

“Don’t say that. You need to live a long time.”

Yul pouted and glared at her grandmother. Even though she understood the sentiment, hearing such words chilled her. What was the point of succeeding if her grandmother wasn’t there? She worked hard not just for herself but to make life easier for Kyeong Ja, to ensure her grandmother could live comfortably.

“I’ll make lots of money and build you a beautiful house. So live to be 100.”

“Don’t say things like that. Who’s going to clean up after me when I start smearing dirt on the walls?”

“I’ll clean it up, so just live a long time.”

“Goodness.”

Casting a sidelong glance at Yul, Kyeong Ja then relaxed her face and gently patted Yul on the buttocks.

“Even if it’s just words, I appreciate them, my dear. But looking at this feast, I can’t help but think of someone.”

“Who?”

Yul asked nonchalantly as she popped a piece of pancake into her mouth.

“…Yoonjo. Strangely, I sometimes miss that child.”

Kyeong Ja said wistfully, gazing at the array of dishes on the table. It was a name Yul had mentioned just once, yet her grandmother still remembered it.