WW | Episode 39

“What do you mean… How do you even know that?”

“My dad and Yoonjo’s dad are like brothers. I’ve grown up with Yoonjo as if we were one family. Even a month ago, we all had dinner together and talked about the day Yoonjo was planning to leave.”

“……”

In that instant, Yul felt like she had been thrown into freezing waters in the middle of winter. The blood in her veins turned icy cold, chilling her entire body. The shock was so overwhelming that her throat felt tightly choked, leaving her unable to say a word. His words, actions, and promises flashed through her mind, making the reality of this situation crumble completely.

“I guess Yoonjo didn’t tell you. You two are dating, yet you seem to have a lot of secrets.”

With those final words, Yoo Kahi punctuated the conversation and turned to leave. By the time Yul managed to collect herself, Yoonjo, who had been away, reappeared.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

He seemed to have noticed something was off about her and looked at her face with concern.

Are you really going abroad? Why did you promise to help me graduate? Why didn’t you tell me?

Countless questions rose up her throat, but Yul could only part her lips without uttering them. She felt that, if the answer was what she feared, the day would be too hard to bear.

“My head just hurts a bit. Let’s go.”

Forcing a smile, Yul stood up from her seat.

“Heavens, did that young man buy this for me?”

Kyeong Ja held up the new padded jacket, inspecting it from all angles. When she received the shopping bag, she had looked a bit hesitant, but now, after taking it out, she couldn’t stop smiling. Seeing her grandmother so happy, Yul felt that accepting Yoonjo’s gesture had been the right choice. The bitter, heavy feeling could be hers alone to bear.

“Try it on.”

Yul held out the jacket behind Kyeong Ja, who reluctantly slipped one arm in at a time, finally pulling it around herself with a look of satisfaction.

“Goodness, it’s so warm. I bet I’d sweat wearing only this!”

“Do you like it? Does the size fit?”

“It fits perfectly, like it was tailored for me. Seems like an expensive one. Are you saying that young man bought it?”

“Yes. He said it was for all the lunch boxes.”

Yul responded casually, not mentioning that her grandmother’s guess about the price was far below what she actually knew.

“After all I’ve given, what lunchbox price? Does his family have money or something?”

“Looks like it.”

“Then why’s a kid like that eating my lunch?”

“Because it’s delicious. Grandma, your cooking is the best in all of Korea.”

Yul, zipping up the jacket on Kyeong Ja, replied offhandedly.

“Well, even so… I still wonder if I should be taking this.”

“Just accept it. It’s fine.”

“He’s such a good young man. I should pack something nice for him before winter break. I don’t even know what he likes since he always finishes everything!”

Kyeong Ja was thrilled. She had already grown fond of Yoonjo, partly thanks to the way he’d accepted the lunch payments she returned, only to send them back with polite words. Now that he had given her such a wonderful gift, she would definitely be on his side.

Yul watched her grandmother with a smile, then turned her gaze to the shopping bag with her own gift. Oddly, she didn’t feel like taking it out. It felt like he had given it to her as a farewell gift, as if it were their last supper together. Having received something so expensive, she felt obliged to return the gesture, but it weighed on her. Even though Yoonjo would probably appreciate a simple stuffed toy from a claw machine, her own heart wouldn’t be satisfied with that.

As her grandmother went into the bathroom, Yul took out her phone and sent a text to Yoonjo.

“Did you get home safely?”
“Thanks for the gift. Grandma really loves it and says thank you.”
“Don’t come tomorrow, just take a rest. Goodnight.”

Once she sent the messages to Yoonjo, her energy drained. She had fought all day to suppress her negative emotions, unwilling to ruin her time with him. Her time with him was both enjoyable and exhausting.

“Rest up.”

True to himself, Yoonjo replied with a short message. Yul put her phone down and lay flat on her back. Thoughts of Yoonjo’s impending departure wouldn’t leave her mind. Should she ask tomorrow if he was really going? No, she had told him not to come. Maybe she should ask over the phone? But wouldn’t that give the wrong impression?

Yul realized she was afraid of hearing his answer. She knew that if it was something she didn’t want to hear, she’d be deeply shaken. It wasn’t just the fear of losing a shield; it was that, without realizing it, he had become part of her heart.

She felt restless and anxious, as if some cursed misfortune was creeping back into her life, coiling around her like a leech.

Yul was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as she washed up. She was plagued by dreams that blurred together, and half-asleep, she heard her phone vibrating. She groggily opened her eyes and checked the screen. A message from Yoonjo.

“It’s snowing.”

She barely had the strength to move a finger but stumbled over to the window and opened it. Outside, snow was falling in thick, fluffy flakes, blanketing the world in a peaceful white. Even half-awake, she found herself smiling.

After closing the window, she lay down again, and sleep overtook her. She tried to type a response to Yoonjo.

“Ye Br”

Without realizing she had mistakenly typed something gibberish instead of “It’s beautiful. Thank you. Goodnight,” she drifted back into sleep.

“Grandma! Why didn’t you wake me up!”

Having rushed through a quick shower, Yul shouted as she dried her wet hair. It was already 11:30 AM, and she was in a panic. She’d agreed to work at the convenience store starting from noon for the weekend, and she was at risk of being late.

“I did wake you.”

“When?”

“I woke you at 8 and told you to eat breakfast, but you just shook your head at the table and went back to sleep.”

“Me? Fine, I get it.”

Some hazy memories came back to her, but there was no time to dwell on it. With her hair dry and jacket on, she hurriedly put on her sneakers by the door. Her grandmother wasn’t about to let her go out on an empty stomach, so she handed Yul a bag with two steamed sweet potatoes.

“Eat these so your stomach doesn’t hurt.”

“Got it.”

Yul replied absentmindedly and then remembered to tell her grandmother, “Don’t go out today, Grandma. It’s slippery and dangerous.”

“Fine, fine. There’s plenty to do at home anyway.”

Only after securing her grandmother’s promise did Yul leave the house, finally at ease.

Stepping outside, she made her way through the villa complex to the main road, where a tall man in a padded jacket was waiting by the crosswalk. The guy was subtly yet blatantly drawing the attention of passersby, even though they hadn’t made plans for today.

“Yoonjo!”

Surprised, she ran toward him but lost her footing on an icy patch hidden in the shade, slipping backward. She let out a shocked cry as Yoonjo quickly rushed forward to catch her.

“Be careful, would you?”

Usually, he kept his emotions well-hidden, but this time, he openly showed frustration. Yul, only slightly embarrassed, steadied herself and looked at him.

“What are you doing here? I told you not to come.”

“When did I ever agree to that?”

“But yesterday…”

She was about to say, “Didn’t you say okay?” but realized he hadn’t actually agreed. His only reply had been “Rest up,” which she had interpreted as an agreement. But to him, it had clearly meant something else. She felt happy to see him, yet worried he’d had a hard time getting here, especially with the snow making the roads worse.

“It’s fine. I would have just slept at home anyway. Let’s go.”

Yoonjo took her hand and slipped it into his coat pocket, where a warm hand warmer greeted her. She couldn’t help but smile, feeling the warmth he’d prepared.

“Feeling better from that ‘fake illness’?”

“Fake illness?”

Yul repeated, blinking, until she remembered the previous day. Despite spending time with him, she had occasionally stiffened, and he had noticed, asking if something was wrong. Not wanting to spoil the mood, she had brushed it off, blaming a headache. He must have figured out the truth, and that was probably why he’d shown up today.

“Seomun Yul.”

Yoonjo stopped, turned to face her, and leaned down, locking his eyes onto hers as if searching her very soul. His gaze was so intense that her heart skipped a beat.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“What do you mean?”

Yul opened her eyes wide and pretended to be calm. She knew the conversation would come up eventually, but now wasn’t the time. They were nearly at the convenience store, and she was about to start work. It wasn’t the right moment for a heavy conversation, and, honestly, she still felt hurt. Why hadn’t he told her something so important? Why make promises with her if he was planning to leave?

As he silently observed her, Yoonjo finally let out a faint laugh and stepped back.

“If you don’t have anything to say, then that’s fine. Go on in.”

“Yeah. You should go home, too. I’m working a full shift today, so don’t wait around.”

She waved him off, trying to act normal.

“Work hard.”

Once again, Yoonjo left her with an answer that didn’t match her question and walked away.